Page One, The New York Times

The documentary, Page One is about you guessed it, a year in the life of The Times during today’s climate.  With blogs and Twitter and a million different websites connecting us from here to Katmandu, the sale of traditional news has plummeted.  As seen by the bankruptcy and closer of many of our country’s most notable journals, the scene of media has changed.

The film is interesting and easy to watch, but not illuminating by most standards.  There was nothing I didn’t already know about the troubles newspapers are facing and there was a lot left out that probably would have engaged me.  However, it was immersing and educational and I enjoyed the characters they chose to follow.

Page One: I recommend it for a lazy Sunday on the sofa.

Knit a Sweater, Save a Penguin

Calling All Knitters!

New Zealand needs your help in saving the poor penguins down there who have been affected by the recent oil spill.  Come on…you know you want to do it.  I mean how many scarves can 1 person make?

What’s In a Commercial

Sam and I were watching my new favorite show, Prime Suspect this past weekend (which was not a very good episode actually) when a slew of commercials came on.  We hit the mute button and began catching up as the technotronic, ADD images flashed quickly on and off the screen.  It was a Nissan commercial (maybe?) and Sam shook his head.  “Do you even pay attention to this junk?” he asked me.  I couldn’t say that I did.  What’s interesting about images that change so abruptly you feel like you’re watching a strobe light?  And that’s when I remembered an email my dad recently sent me about a beer marketing campaign.  Reality-based, there was nothing particularly Oscar worthy about the commercial, it was just neat and interesting, and had a point of view.

Here it is…now tell me this isn’t more memorable than the epileptic-idiocy most advertising companies come up with?

Footloose? Really??

Are there no new ideas in Hollywood?  How in the fancy dancy feet did someone think it was a great idea to remake Footloose?  I’m seriously worried about the state of affairs in the world when Footloose is the next big thing.  “It’s a movie about a small town that outlaws dancing.  Kids today will totally relate.”  Yeah, because with reality programs about teenage moms doing drugs and drunks in Jersey having promiscuous sex, a film about dancing is going to be very current.  Way to stay relevant, Hollywood.

Sam argues with me that this one is “grittier.”  Grittier, huh…does someone turn into a serial killer who hunts down and dismembers all the naughty dancers?  Or perhaps Reverend ‘there’s no dancing in this town’ secretly diddles with little boys behind the pulpit and we get to see the dark side of small town Christianity.  No?  Then maybe the grittier is something truly scandalous like they wear low-cut, tight jeans instead of high-waisted, tight jeans.  Or there’s fornication and cursing, which is going to be such a shock to the system now that both are practically an everyday occurence even on the Family Channel.

All I know is that the 1984 version was more than adequate when it comes to how many movies we can have about towns outlawing dancing.  It’s not black magic and animal sacrifice for god’s sake.  Plus the original has Sarah Jessica Parker and Kevin Bacon.  How can you beat that?  I’ll tell you how…you can’t.  And that’s why it’s beyond dumb to make a 2011 version of Footloose.  But nobody asked me.

What My Child Will Remember of Me

I woke up this morning dreaming about my grandfather.  Larger than life he was right there, in my living room, opening the shades and greeting my child with a jolly good morning.  In my dream, he had arrived to babysit and even in the make-believe, I rushed around half-asleep picking up toys and complaining about the mess.  He was there so clearly and it was disconcerting to jerk awake at the sound of a man knocking on my window yelling, “Water and Power!”  (god bless those meter readers)

Sam returned from his drive to work shortly thereafter (he didn’t get far before he remembered he’d forgotten his briefcase – like I said, we’re both tired) with a grin on his face and a story to tell me.  A man had shared an anecdote on NPR about his father who once upon a time sold toupees.  The son yarned about how his father would comb his hair to look like one of his products.  Then, in the middle of his pitch, he would yank on his hair claiming, “See?  This sucker isn’t going anywhere.”  Sam demonstrated yanking on his own real-hair toupee to show me how funny it was and I couldn’t help but laugh hysterically.  Imagine a man pretending his hair was a toupee…what a character.

And that’s what got me to contemplating what my child will remember of me when I’m gone.  Quality traits I wish I had (versus those that I have, but desperately hope no one notices) were the first to come to mind quickly followed by what I would look like if I had them.  Something like January Jones meets Martha Stewart meets Sheryl Sandberg.  Floating around like a model in a poodle skirt while making Halloween costumes from scratch and chatting to Hillary Clinton and Christine Lagarde in the parlor.  They’re eating strawberry scones I baked at dawn and the three of us are finalizing an initiative we’re proposing for a ‘Save The World’ summit.  I’m hurrying of course because I have a date later with my husband to some fabulous museum event that requires hair and make-up.  (we’ve donated a wing and must make an appearance)  And the dog is not on the furniture, and there are no matchbox cars on the floor, and I have washed my hair…and put on socks that match…and remembered to buy milk.  If only.

Maria Bello – In the Role of A Lifetime

A little birdie told me about the new NBC cop show Prime Suspect starring Maria Bello.  There are three episodes online so I began with the most recent.  Amazing.  Mario Bello is like GI Jane except she can’t run (trying to quit smoking). she can’t do pull-ups (or probably push-ups either for that matter), and she drinks like a fish.  But no matter, that Detective Jane Timoney is one serious bad-ass.

Now you all know my love of the dramedy Castle starring Castle (my secret boyfriend) and his muse, Detective Beckett.  Well, Detective Beckett wishes she could be as cool and awesome as Detective Timoney.  Poor Castle needs to switch shows and follow Timoney around for a little while.  He’d be smitten.

Let’s look at a little comparison to prove my point:

• Beckett: runs around in high heels chasing bad guys
• Timoney: sneakers, black
• Beckett: has hair out of a Vidal Sassoon commercial that bounces behind her in the wind as she chases criminals
• Timoney: ponytail or straight, greasy, and down
• Beckett: flawless make-up, perfect lighting
• Timoney: what make-up, what lighting? and she’s usually wearing shades because she’s either hung over or drunk

Now come on people.  Does this sound like a cop or what?  I’m hooked and Maria Bello is my new hero.  She is just perfect for this role and I’m so glad NBC was smart enough to put her in it.  The woman has a resume as long as my eye teeth and yet I’ve never paid much attention to her.  Now, as Detective Timoney however, I have a huge crush on her and can’t wait to see what she turns up in next.  There’s something about her that’s quite beautiful in a very rough and hard-lived way.  Her less than porcelain skin, her deep penetrating brown eyes…I don’t know what it is, but as the hard-nosed, less than feminine, and unapologetic Timoney, she is captivating.

 

Dark City: what to do on a rainy day

Los Angeles is covered in dark clouds and a light drizzle this morning and I for one, am over-the-moon about it.  My child and I listen to Joshua Bell playing Vivaldi as we dance around our house like a couple of October rain fairies.  We like the rain because it’s something different from the usual endless summer day here in LA.  It’s dark and gloomy and full of apocalyptic overtones.  Life comes to a halt in our city when it rains; people don’t know how to drive, women don’t leave the house for their lunch dates, and kids play hooky from school.  It’s awesome.

So here are some things you can do if you’re one of the millions stuck inside today:

1. Castle : my favorite TV show this year due in no small part to my crush on Castle.  What is Detective Beckett thinking?  She needs to stop messing about and get her leg up on that man!
2. Project Runway : you can catch this season’s competition here.  See if you can guess who is going to steal the third spot at Bryant Park because although one and two are pretty much wrapped up, three is totally up for grabs.
3. Modern Family : this show can’t help but cheer you up.  I’ve never wanted to have a dysfunctional family more.

As for me, I’m off to JoAnne Fabrics and Michael’s to stock up on some do-them-yourself Halloween decorations.  What better day to make spiders and gravestones then one like today?

Amanda Knox Is Free, Free, Free

It’s a grey and rainy day here in Los Angeles, which seems fitting for yesterday’s big news: Amanda Knox has been acquitted of the murder of Meridith Kercher.  The bombshell has the world in a tizzy.  The American press is rejoicing, the Italians are shaking their heads in dismay, and the British well, they have enough to worry about with their new little princess.  Poor thing is about to topple over from trying to hold up her big head on that quickly disappearing body.  I meanwhile, raise one eyebrow.  Innocent?  Really?  I’m just not so sure.

To recap, Meredith Kercher (Brit) and Amanda Knox (American) were roommates in Italy during their semester abroad.  Knox ended up in a sexy, smoky (puff-puff the magic dragon), experimental relationship with local boy, Raffaele Sollecito.  Kercher ended up dead.  Third man, Rudy Guede (yes, that’s the black man of this story) was accused and sentenced to 30 years in prison (cut to 16 after he cooperated in fingering Sollecito and Knox as his partners in the sex game gone awry) after his DNA was found in sperm at the scene of the brutal crime.  Sollecito and Knox were tried separately and convicted until yesterday when the evidence was found to be poorly collected and therefore null and void.  Americans argue that the way in which the evidence was collected was archaic and well, half-assed.  Italians argue that the technicians did the best they could and that during initial testing, secondary DNA proved that Sollecito and Knox were also at the crime scene.  Does this sound familiar OJ?

Meanwhile, the papers are full of opinions, bloggers are going crazy, and the Kercher family is back to square one.  How long will it be until Knox however, is making the big bucks in interviews, a tell-all book, and perhaps even a career on the big screen.  If one thing doesn’t seem to bring anyone into conflict it’s the sure fact that this is not the last we’ll see of Foxy Knoxy.  In fact, it’s only just beginning.

Scene 2, Act 1: Lady MacBeth enters centers stage.

Arrested Development 2012

According to the Huffington Post the amazing television show, Arrested Development is coming to a small screen and a big screen near you.  That’s right.  They’re back and they’re black…ok, well not black.  But hysterically dysfunctional as ever.

I discovered Arrested Development quite by accident on Netflix about a year ago and couldn’t believe that Fox had been stupid enough to cancel it.  My theory is that when 99% of America can’t digest anything more complicated than The Biggest Loser (sorry fat people), the poor Bluth family never stood a chance.  Luckily, thanks to bloggers like me however, someone got a clue and has signed on for 9 or 10 more episodes plus a movie.  A movie?  Be still my beating heart.  It’s been seven years since creator, Mitch Hurwitz shared with us the dramedy of daily life with the Bluths and I for one and dying to hear what they’ve been up to.

Lucille Bluth, Best Mother In the World:

Charlie’s Angels

I had to.  Don’t ask me why, but something masochistic inside of me just had to know.  And yes, my suspicions were confirmed…Charlie’s Angels is just as bad as I thought it would be.

The brunette played by the uber-sexy, Minka Kelly is the easiest one to watch, but strangely it’s the bone-thin blond who seems to have the biggest role.  Her name is Rachael Taylor and of course I had to Google her.  Miss Teen Tasmania 1988.  I didn’t even know there was such a thing.  Annie Ilonzeh rounds up the cast, but sadly she’s only from Texas.  Bor-ing.

Ratings for the show, now two episodes in, are abysmal, but maybe all the pretty eye candy can save it.  Otherwise, it’s adios Angels, which come on now, is really no big surprise.