TV And Films

The shows and movies I like (or don’t).

The Cannon

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I’d never heard of Sarah Vowell, the voice of Violet Parr in The Incredibles, before I started to read the various reviews of the film once it opened. Turns out she’s a writer and radio personality, which is how her voice caught director Brad Bird’s ear when he heard her story about her father’s cannon on This American Life.

The Luxo weblog has tracked down the broadcast in question, and it’s well worth hearing (streaming RealMedia audio).

iTunes “Push Downstairs” by Underworld from the album Beaucoup Fish (1999, 6:03).

Brad Bird

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With the success of The Incredibles, more people are finally starting to take notice of director Brad Bird‘s first feature effort, the excellent Iron Giant. In a (very deservedly) gushing look at Iron Giant, MTV’s Karl Heitmueller wraps up with this statement:

Like the Brothers Grimm, Dr. Seuss and Maurice Sendak, Brad Bird knows that kids can handle some tough concepts, and he never insults the intelligence of his audience. The greatest children’s entertainment has always been challenging and sometimes difficult. But those are the books, films and shows that transcend pop culture to become timeless classics. Like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Iron Giant” is one of those films that was a failure initially but whose stature continues to grow over time.

Very true, and I wish more people would learn how to approach children like that.

(via Luxo)

Star Wars Episode 3 Trailer

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This conversation between Prairie and I pretty much sums it all up.

Me: oooh – you’re so not going to care about this — and I really shouldn’t, either — but the first trailer for Star Wars Ep. 3 came out today
Me: (laughs)

Prairie: giggles
Prairie: oh… how… wonderful…

Me: i sat and watched it, knowing that I shouldn’t care, but…dammit…it’s Star Wars, and Lucas still makes it look like Star Wars
Me: lol
Me: even when I know the movie’s probably going to suck, it’s got the music, and the space ships, and lightsabers, and Darth Vader…and…garggh!

Prairie: haha–just keep reminding yourself that it’s only pseudo-Star Wars

Me: and then I had to remind myself that the last two sucked
Me: and I really didn’t need to go buy them to complete the collection

Prairie: aww! I promise not to make too much fun of you if you go to see it
Prairie: although if you go twice I’ll probably mock you brutally

Me: :laughs

Prairie: you definitely don’t need to buy the whole collection
Prairie: (hides your wallet just in case)

Me: (sighs)
Me: i know
Me: but…
Me: (whine)
Me: lol

Prairie: no!
Prairie: not REALLY Star Wars
Prairie: no matter how much it might LOOK like it is

Me: yeah

Prairie: (steers you in a different direction)
Prairie: (takes the new trailer away from you)

Me: my brain knows that
Me: the fanboy in me that grew up with the movies and still loves the space battles and cool aliens and laser swords and all that is still having difficulties accepting that, though

Prairie: (distracts you while a team of hypnotists goes to work on the part of your brain that still thinks there’s a chance that the new movie will be good)

Me: :laughs

Prairie: I’m in favor of watching the old ones as often as you want
Prairie: but unless a miracle occurs and the last of the new ones is good, I hope never to see those

Me: ah, well
Me: i’ll have to see it once

Prairie: just ’cause you’ve gotta know Prairie: (and ’cause you’re braver than I)

So, here you are, if you’re as masochistic as I am — the Star Wars Episode III trailer (Star Wars Episode III trailer).

(via Ryan)

iTunes “Main Theme from Star Wars” by Williams, John from the album Sony Classical: Great Performances 1903-1998 (1990, 5:53).

Works for me…

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From Mickey:

Had a realization about what bugs me about an awful lot of horror with the “vanity kills” moral to it. Usually the girl (almost always a girl) is being harassed by her male significant other about how she’d look better if she lost a few pounds, had bigger tits, etc… She decides to do something stupid (not unlike a lot of girls in real life) and has horrible retribution visited upon her for her(?) sin of vanity.

Just once I’d like to see the psycho killer show up, hand the girl an entire Sara Lee cheesecake and say, “Eat up. I’ll go take care of the asshole for you.”

iTunes “Damned for All Time/Blood Money” by Brox, Victor/Head, Murray/Keith, Brian/Choir from the album Jesus Christ Superstar (1970, 5:08).

Rocky Horror-A-Thon

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This is a bit too far away for me to show up, but if anyone who stops by here is in the Boston area, you can help set a world record and raise money for the AIDS Action Committee tomorrow night!

Well, a local Rocky Horror troup called Teseracte Players of Boston is performing Rocky Horror 13 times in a row, with the same twenty-one cast members, to break the world record. This will take place at the Dedham Community Theatre who’s holding the event as a benefit for the AIDS Action Committee. It starts this Friday night, October 22, at midnight and runs through Sunday. You don’t have to watch all the shows if you can’t – but if you want to see Rocky Horror Picture Show, live in New England and can’t normally stay up until all hours, here’s your chance to see it performed in the middle of the day on a Saturday. You’ll be seeing a record set and helping out the AIDS Action Committee. Not a bad deal.

(via Something Positive)

iTunes “I Love Being Married” by Foxworthy, Jeff from the album You Might Be a Redneck If… (1993, 16:46).

LotR:TRotKEE

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The Official Lord of the Rings website has posted a trailer for the upcoming Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Extended Edition DVD, to be released on Dec. 14^th^!

Over fifty new minutes of footage, including the Mouth of Sauron, the taking of the Black Ships, Saruman’s demise, Gandalf confronting the Witch King…and, as they say, much, much more.

I’m so jazzed about this.

The weekend it comes out, Prairie and I are planning on taking a full day to kick back and watch the entire Extended Edition trilogy from beginning to end. Somewhere around 12 or 13 hours all told, I think.

And, if you haven’t bothered to pick up the Extended Edition versions of the first two films in the trilogy, instead waiting for the inevitable box set release — wait no longer! All three Extended Edition releases in a single box set, and it’s only \$80 from Amazon. Not bad at all, really.

If I didn’t already have the first two, I’d snap it up. As it is, though, I’ll be quite happy just to get the third and see all the new goodies. The hard part will be waiting to watch it until Prairie’s here on the weekend!

iTunes “Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You) (12” Dance)” by Pet Shop Boys from the album Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You) (1991, 7:36).

The Death of Superman

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Superman is dead.

“Superman” actor Christopher Reeve, who turned personal tragedy into a public crusade and from his wheelchair became the nation’s most recognizable spokesman for spinal cord research, has died. He was 52.

Reeve went into cardiac arrest Saturday while at his Pound Ridge home, then fell into a coma and died Sunday at a hospital surrounded by his family, his publicist said. He was 52.

Rest in peace, Chris.

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I so need this toy!

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Plush Facehugger

I came so close to blowing some money just a few minutes ago — if this wasn’t rent week, I probably would have.

There’s a plush Alien Facehugger available now (I saw it at Suncoast).

Plush.

Facehugger.

It even has wires run through the fingers and tail to make it posable (huggable?). Cuddle up to it, or wrap it around your skull.

Creepy. Eerie. Deadly. Cute. Cuddly.

I want!

Update: Hey, mom, dad — babies like plush animals, right? Think this would make a good first Christmas present for Noah? ;)

iTunes “Mantrap: The Seduction” by Beborn Beton from the album Tales From Another World (1996, 5:00).