So This Was Christmas

Night #1:

Late night arrival. See undercover brother for myself. Second take. You know how I always talk about my bad poker face? I actually feel sorry for the look he must have seen. I told him I wasn't a fan of his appearance, he responded he's supposed to look like a skeezy druggie. I congratulated him on his success.

As previously mentioned, several different family members fell ill right before I came into town, so there was that.

In addition, my mom was upset I didn't have an "ah-ha" moment at the sight of the new-old house, but I think that's to their credit, as they've done a lot of rehab work. I did keep repeating that the house of my memories seemed larger. I lived there from the ages of 2 to 9 with a six month break in the middle. I did offer to run down the street holding myself to pay tribute to the post school bus dropoff moments of my youth. (It took me a long time before I would use a public bathroom, so you can imagine the urgency after a 7 hour school day.)

Day #1:

Early morning grocery run. I kept repeating "7a your time is 5a my time. It's 5a my time!!" Then we cleaned the house and wrapped the last few presents in preps for the next 3 days of Christmas fun. Finally...it was time for Alvin. Yes I saw it a second time. This time with two nephews and a niece (and their parents and mine).

A funny thing happened on the way in to the theater as I pointed out my car twin and announced it as so. Hunter's response (the first thing he said to me this visit): "That's a stupid car." Completely deadpan. Good to know he's dealing with the distance well.

So after the movie we had our family Christmas and we were all together and it was good. Every Christmas we read Luke 2 and as the next generation gets old enough to read it becomes their turn. This year was Haleigh's first time. She's 6 and was able to master some of the bigger words better than Matthew probably could. (JUST kidding. Maybe.) She got help from Ned and her mom when she hit a word that did confuse her.

Everybody but Melissa's fam stayed at the house that night. Josh and I did an alcohol-run (thank God for the convenience of the QT around the corner) and all was well.

Day #2
QT of a different kind. Quality time with gma. I baked two of KDL's pumpkin cakes as we dished about life and boys and everything I love to talk to her about. After the cakes, I had left over pumpkin and she was like, well, why don't you just whip up a pumpkin pie. Well maybe because I don't think like that. So two pumpkin cakes and a pie (all from scratch) later...she sent me on my way, but not before we sat down to bowls of chicken'n'dumplings. Then I went back to my parent's house for Christmas with my dad's fam. I hadn't seen them in way too long, so we had a great time catching up. We are sisters we are one!

Quote of the day: "MA, you've finally gained some weight, oh wait, that's your coat."

For the record, Melody and I did belly comparisons and, well, they aren't that different.

Day #3 - Christmas Eve
I forget what I did this day, but I feel like it involved running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Oh yeah, I had to exchange a few Christmas presents (apparently my mom too assumed I would come back to town a size larger). Anyway, I thought it would be easier the day before Christmas than the day after. Then, like clockwork, extended family members (this time from my mom's side) showed up at 4p (that was the designated time each day) for the festivities.

Ned also showed up with his Guitar Hero, which confirmed for me my lack of hand-eye coordination. Ryan reprised his role as Santa, which was humorous for everyone. Another great time had.

Day #4 - Christmas Day
Traditionally this is in-law day for my siblings, but as it worked out, nobody did that this year. My parents and I continued our Christmas Day movie tradition. This year it was Charlie Wilson's War, which I would recommend. We got Chinese food and visited with the next door neighbor I used to play He-Man and She-Ra with. Then we went and checked out Hunter's loot. I was glad to see that one of his favorite gifts was a Viewmaster. Haleigh got an Etch a Sketch. I'm a fan of reviving old toys.

I spent my last night in town with my grandma. We watched Cocoon (I got her Cocoon and Cocoon Returns for Christmas). Then we talked late into the night and slept late into the morning. (So late for her that I at one point started freaking out and checked to make sure she was still breathing, but all was well, she was just super tired.) I took her errand running before heading back to my parents to get a ride to the airport.

So there it is, the busiest quickest trip home ever.
I came back to town in time for a shake-up at work and a long weekend of solitude. I saw There Will Be Blood Today. I've been a DDL fan since Last of the Mohicans (even if he did scare me when I interviewed him at the junket for The Ballad of Jack and Rose). He didn't let me down in the movie, which also boasts a great performance from Paul Dano, who I met at Sundance 07.

I leave for Sundance 08 in 2.5 weeks. Craziness.

Oh, and Happy New Year. My 2008 ToDo List is just around the corner. Get ready.

...And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

In less than two hours my shuttle will be here to pick me up so that I can participate in the holiday madness airport extravaganza that is LAX today. I can hardly wait. Unfortunately I've just received word that several family members are falling - or have fallen - ill from a nasty virus. Being that the next four days are exclusively one family event after another, I'm a wee bummed. I'm praying everyone's miraculously better in a matter of hours.

This week I saw Sweeney Todd. And liked it. I'm not a gorey girl, and I had never seen the stage version, but I'm pretty sure the visuals (which were stunning) could only come from the mind of Tim Burton. I used my scarf (actually Presley's scarf) to cover the bottom half of the screen during the throat slits, and did surprisingly well. I've listened to the soundtrack since, and enjoy it still. Helena Bonham Carter impressed me, and well, I'm not a crazy Johnny Depp fan, but I liked him in this like I liked Edward Scissorhands. Apparently Johnny likes to wear white face and cut people's hair and throats and stuff. Best Picture? I don't think so. I don't think it's that type of movie, but definitely enjoyable. Not suitable for children.

I helped my friends out yesterday on their basement remodel for the HGTV show Carter Can. Unfortunately none of my work was done on camera. I helped paint an entire stairway and primed some columns. I also learned what "tv nice" was. That's where you paint something to make it look good on camera, and it looks really crappy in real life. At one point I offered to paint Carter's house. He declined, but offered his domicile up for partying. We told him about the whole "tv nice" concept and he was like yeah, but is it "friend nice?" We made it friend nice.

Sometimes nice people write blogs about me.

Other times I get a set of vintage tv trays and Kitchenaid mixer greeting cards from the best friends ever. (with the obligatory Paris and gnome accroutement mixed in).

And SOMETIMES acapella boy singers twist Christmas carols in way that makes you say, why haven't people always sang it like this?

Finally, a fun holiday moment had by someone else in my neighborhood.

Merry Christmas. Joyeaux Noel. Happy Birthday Baby Jesus. Happy Belated Hanukkah. Happy Kwanzaa. Boxing Day Rocks.

Tis the Season

I returned to my desk this morning to find a wrapped red gift tied with a bow sitting on my keyboard.

On the front of the card, a melted snowman with a picket sign that reads "Stop Global Warming" (an inside joke because our boss keeps trying to convince us that Al Gore is wrong and global warming doesn't exist). Inside, I find the personalized greeting "Merry Christmas to a great office mate! Ben"

I've referred frequently to Ben in previous blogs, and we've definitely got a friendly repertoire, but I was not prepared for the greatness I would find in that little red box.

photo by: NDG

Seriously. I ran around the office like it was 1983 and I was a 5 year old showing off my first Cabbage Patch Kid. The thought and effort that he put into it is so appreciated. I also like that he knows I'll hang it up in here (all year-round) and he's fine with it. I let him hang up his big movie posters everywhere and I get my corner to put whatever fun things on display. It works for us.

So in closing, thanks Officemate Ben. It was unexpected and put a huge smile on a face and skip in my step, and I think that's what this whole holiday gifting thing should be all about.

Of course, now I have to figure out what to get him...

In anything you can do, I can do sluttier and more white trash news...

Jamie Lynn Spears - 16 yo sister of Britney - is, as some blogs would call it, sperminated.

It's ok, y'all, because apparently her boyfriend has been living with them for a while now. Because that's reassuring.

I know I have advocated both Juno and Knocked Up, two films about unplanned pregnancy. I know that sometimes these things happen. They've happened to people I know. I just hoped that J-L would have looked at the unfortunate trainwreck that has become her older sister, and taken strides toward a better life.

We can always hope that she is, at 16, more responsible than Brit.

The most funny thing that happened as we were discussing this at work just now, was that I was all "Everyone is going to have a baby before me!" And while some were like "set your sights of comparison higher than Jamie-Lynn Spears," Jon had more insight. "If Lynn Spears was your mom you'd have like 5 kids by now." Ok, so he didn't know Lynn's name and instead referred to her as a "bad whitetrash mom" same difference...

So, in closing, Congratulations Jamie Lynn!

Oh, ps, I do think you'll probably have to find a new job. Teenage pregnancy on Nickelodeon? You can't do that on television.

UPDATE:
This just in from TMZ...Britney doesn't know yet and Nickelodeon has issued a statement.

Twinkle Twinkle

I like stars - celebrity AND celestial.
These recent references to the latter make me smile.

From "Pushing Daisies":

"He wasn't just a star in her life. He was a pocketful of stars." (in reference to Chuck's relationship with her dad)

From "Persepolis":

"Etoile de ma vie." (translated: "Star of my life.") That's what Marjane's uncle said she was to him.

As Good As It Gets

Today I shook Jack Nicholson's hand. Just another day on the job. He also told me Merry Christmas (whilst ignoring my questions). Then he grumbled and faked his way down the rest of the carpet.

I also talked to Morgan Freeman and had a moment - several actually - with Rob Reiner. THE Rob Reiner. The "When Harry Met Sally," "The Sure Thing," "A Few Good Men" and "Sleepless in Seattle" Rob Reiner. I was there when his BFF since high school Al Brooks walked up. I suggested the two of them do a movie together. Rob loved the idea. I hope he gives me a story credit.

More fun came when Sean Hayes of "Just Jack" fame answered my red carpet call despite being rushed into the theater. His publicist was all "one question" and Sean looked at me and said "the pressure's on" with a smile. He stayed for three questions.

For the record, I also talked to John Mayer and got caught pointing at Billy Crystal...by Billy Crystal.

I haven't written in a bit and missed mentioning the Golden Globes nominations.

Things I liked:
all the props to Pushing Daisies
the Juno nods
Ryan Gosling recognized

I'm sure there were other things. Like I think Knocked Up/Judd Apatow coulda shoulda been up for something. That's what comedy categories are for, old white men of the Foreign Press Association.

I was obviously very upset about the gross infraction that was leaving Once off the entire board. Nominating "Walk Hard" as an original song only put salt in the wound.

As kharma would have it, I was sent that morning (this past Thursday) to get reax from John C Reilly. I waited an hour and a half at the Four Seasons for him to wake up. Finally we were pulled off the assignment. I guess he really needed to sleep in or something. On the upside, I did get to see the Four Seasons decked out for the holidays, which is always lovely. As is the sight of James McAvoy's publicist. Yum. And British. I saw James too, and he's nice, but I'm not really attracted to him. Yes, even despite the wedding ring. Shocker I know.

I watched "It's a Wonderful Life" Thursday night. Mostly because it wasn't. I heart Jimmy Stewart. I also realized I'm my daddy's Zuzu.

"What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey. That's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon, Mary."

I'll take it. Thanks George Bailey.

It should be noted I've consumed a good portion of a bag of reduced fat cheese puffs from Trader Joes over the last hour or so. I don't think it's reduced fat if you eat the whole bag.

Friday night I saw "27 dresses." It's the new Katherine Heigl movie and it's SO bad. I'm fairly certain that as an almost-30 single girl who dreams about wedding bells and babies (let's get serious, it's the truth) I am the target demographic for this film. So if I don't like it, that's saying something. Katherine Heigl and Malin Akerman weren't likeable at all. I liked James Marsden. Mostly because I'm still on an Enchanted buzz. Ed Burns is also pretty to look at. Especially in a tux. And I'm always a fan of Judy Greer. But it says something that the highlight of the movie for me was hearing an amazing song playing in the background.

It happens quite frequently when I'm watching a movie or tv show (or commercial!) that I'll hear a lyric or a part of a song and fall in love and have to google it immediately. When the movie was over, the first thing I said after "ugh" was "but I loved that one song!!" Now I've been told frequently that I have no poker face. My facial expressions hold the truth. Well Emily was sitting behind me at the movie and she said that when the song came on. She knew I liked it, because my face lit up and she knows me well enough to know that I would like a song like Ray Lamontagne's Be Here Now. (It took me the two days since seeing the movie to remember enough of the lyrics to successfully find it on Google.)

In closing, thumbs down for 27 Dresses, thumbs up for Ray Lamontagne.

I also saw Alvin!!! and the Chipmunks. Don't laugh. It sold out all weekend because I wasn't the only one who wanted to see it. Singing chipmunks are funny. I couldn't stop laughing at the opening scene. It's amazing. The rest of the movie is ok. Definitely has it's funny parts. Also of note is the mint green Kitchenaid mixer in the kitchen. After the movie ended, a boy who looked to be 2 or 3 took to the floor in front of the screen and danced during the credits. He was doing these hip circle hula moves that had people sitting back down in their seats for the show. Super cute.

Finally, Hairspray. I watched it. I liked it. I think it was original enough in parts to not make me hate it for trying to copy the Ricki Lake version. I didn't enjoy John Travolta as a woman, but I got past it.

I'm going to see Sweeney Todd this week. I'm a little nervous it will be too gorey for me, but I gotta try. I'm also going to help my friends remodel their basement on the HGTV show Carter Can with Carter Oosterhouse. I hear he likes hi-5s. Yes please.

And then I'll be heading home for Christmas. 4 Christmases to be exact. I get in late Friday and it's Christmas every day until I leave. They're under a new blanket of snow, so it will be a residual white Christmas barring any Indian Summer temps.

No clue for NYE. Contemplating Austin or Portland. Wishing London prices could be more manageable.

I can't believe there's only a couple of weeks left of 2007. Two weeks before I have to start using an earpiece for my phone in the car. Two weeks before I have to start marathon training and eating better. Two weeks before I have to save up to make a big purchase lest suffer another year of giving more than a third - almost a half - of my gross earnings to the government. (If I knew fractions better I could give you a more precise estimation, but my government-funded education has not stuck with me.) Grrr. Government.

And on that note, I'll retire to bed to continue reading my book about Bobby Kennedy.

Never Trust a Fart

That's what I learned from Jack Nicholson in "The Bucket List." The line made me laugh so hard that I missed the next thing he said. I'll admit I enjoyed the movie. It made me laugh AND cry, which I like. It did, however, have the worst fake backdrops I've seen since some really old movie with really bad backdrops. Dear Rob Reiner, you have no excuse. I will, however, recommend your movie to my parents.

Dear Dunbar, Julie already knows you cheated on her. When will boys learn?

Today's set visit went well. I heart Louis Gossett Jr. (Just so you know, he obliged my Officer and a Gentleman quote request.) They took some production photos of us on the set, so I'll hopefully have those soon. I like being on the set. I like seeing the finished product and knowing that I was standing in the hall.

In other news, it's the coldest its been this year in LA right now and of course my heater picks RIGHT NOW to stop working. Fun. Worst thing about relying on a stuffed alligator and a stuffed elephant to keep you company in bed? They don't really emit any warmth. Wunh wunh.

I do think this could affect tea.

I watched "Shut Up and Sing" again today. Mostly because I love it.

It's going to be in the 20s and 30s in the LA area tonight. I realize a large part of the country - including the part where I'm from - is iced over, but for us, this is chilly. Which makes the fact that Target already has a healthy swimsuit selection on display all the more weird. Yet another one of those "only in LA" kind of things. I guess more odd is the fact that I looked at them, picked one out, but have to buy it online because they're already out of my size at the store. I need sweaters for Sundance, and while they're easier to try on, they're not as fun to look at.

I saw Persepolis tonight. Mostly because everybody is loving it and it's proving to be competition in the Foreign Film category for Once. It's an animated French movie about an Iranian girl growing up in war-torn Tehran. It's like nothing I've ever seen before. Thumbs up for the story and the art. It did feel long despite it's hour and a half length, but it's good. Better than Once? I dunno about that. They're two completely different movies.

I'll briefly mention the fact that I'm excited(?) "The Hills" is in Paris now. You know, just because I love seeing that city. I know I'll wish I had smell-o-vision capabilities the first time she walks by a crepe stand. I wonder if a Nutella crepe is still 3E.

Because I'm all about movies 24-7, I've also seen Run Fat Boy Run this week. Here are the quotes I gave publicity:

"Run, don’t walk, to see this heartfelt tale of endurance, love, and enough laughs to carry you past the finish line."

"Never have blood sweat and tears been so funny."

I'm cheesy and you love it, but seriously, that's how you get your name and one-liner on an advertisement!! I did think the movie was cute and there are several lol moments. Unfortunately the release date has been pushed to the end of March, so I'll try to remind you about it then.

Today is the last day of Hanukkah. I'll miss seeing the cars and SUVs adorned with huge menorrahs traversing my neighborhood streets.

In the words of Petey Green "Be cool y'all!" (Is it just me or does that kinda sound like Britney?) Anyway Petey is the DC dj that the movie "Talk to Me" is based on. I liked the movie. I got ripple-effect chills when Don Cheadle went on air after MLK jr was assassinated. "Moving."

PS "Zodiac" is also a worthy rental.

PPS Tomorrow I'm spending the day with Louis Gossett jr. My goals are to get him to say "mayonnaise" and "only 2 things come outta Oklahoma...and I don't see no horns!" I think the second one will be harder to come by seeing as how the first one could easily happen at lunch or something. I'm also seeing "The Bucket List" so that I can talk to Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman on Sunday. My life is weird.

PPPS If you haven't yet, look what I can do.

That's enough.

Calling all Josephs...

Let's cross the pond for the holidays.

Dear Santa,

For Christmas I would like a gift card to the Husband Store. Thank you.

LYMI,
MAB

The Husband Store

A store that sells husbands has just opened where a woman may go to choose a husband from among many men.

The store is composed of 6 floors, and the men increase in positive attributes as the shopper ascends the flights. There is, however, a catch. As you open the door to any floor you may choose a man from that floor, but if you go up a floor, you cannot go back down except to exit the building.

So a woman goes to the shopping center to find a husband.

On the first floor the sign on the door reads: Floor 1 - These men have jobs. The woman reads the sign and says to herself, "Well, that's better than my last boyfriend, but I wonder what's further up?" So up she goes.

The second floor sign reads: Floor 2 - These men have jobs and love kids. The woman remarks to herself, "That's great, but I wonder what's further up?" And up she goes again.

The third floor sign reads: Floor 3 - These men have jobs, love kids and are extremely good looking. "Hmm, better" she says. "But I wonder what's upstairs?"

The fourth floor sign reads: Floor 4 - These men have jobs, love kids, are extremely good looking and help with the housework. "Wow!" exclaims the woman, "very tempting. BUT, there must be more further up!" And again she heads up another flight.

The fifth floor sign reads: Floor 5 - These men have jobs, love kids, are extremely good looking, help with the housework and have a strong romantic streak. "Oh, mercy me! But just think... what must be awaiting me further on?" So up to the sixth floor she goes.

The sixth floor sign reads: Floor 6 - You a re visitor 3,456,789,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at The Husband Store and have a nice day.

-------

Dear Santa Pt. 2,

If I am happy about the second floor selection, that means that I'm not that picky and should be handsomely rewarded, right? I thought so. You're the best.

MAB

---------

In closing, I love "The Amazing Race." A lot. My favorite team this season is TK and Rachel. I really wanna be on this show. Zip lines over the water in Croatia?? Yes please.

Those Are Rich People Problems

Setting: my apartment, less than an hour before I need to be out of the house dressed for my work holiday party

Me: There's a nasty black sludge in my kitchen sink. I'm half expecting to find a duck in there, you know, like in an oil spill? I wish I played with my hair more so I would be able to do more with it tonight. And I have no idea what shoes to wear. Should I even wear the snowflake dress? I'm gonna freeze.
Other End of the Phone: Those are rich people problems.

Fast forward to this morning, when the plumber showed up bright and early at 8a. I had a shoot tonight, so I had planned to sleep off my holiday party before heading into work, but nooooo. So I answer the door in all my morning glory and grumble to the plumber that the problem's in the kitchen before stumbling back to bed. Moments later I'm laying in bed when I hear the plumber gagging.

You know things are bad when the plumber is wretching. DEE-lightful.

I interviewed the Godfather of filmmaking himself Francis Ford Coppola tonight. I wasn't that impressed.

Nothing much else going on this week.

I'm so no longer into Grey's that it's not even funny. I half watch it, waiting for something that will redeem the show. It used to be I couldn't make it through an episode without tearing up. This week I was like, "Wait! That nurse that McDreamy just kissed is Elliot's suicidal ALS patient on Scrubs!"

In two weeks I'll fly back to StL for four days of highly scheduled family holiday fun. I haven't been back in more than 10 months, which I'm pretty sure is a record for me. I can't imagine how much the kids have grown.

Oh I forgot to mention the most funny part about my work holiday party!! It was held at this swank downtown lounge and they casted photogs and reporters to stage a red carpet at the entrance. I was sober and way too caught off guard to make the best of it. I walked with Egle and NDG. These people knew our names and random facts about us. It was hilarious. We haven't seen the pix yet, but I'm sure I'm either laughing or running away. Meanwhile Egle was posing and eating it up which was just making me laugh harder. Somebody yelled out to me "Where'd you go to high school?!" An obvious homage to my StL roots. One of our VPs is also from the 314, so we've had the convo. Yeah so I didn't even stop to pose. If I could have prepared more, I would have done better. I would have also told them they should yell "Over your shoulder! Over your shoulder!" because that's the number one thing the photogs yell out. It was a cute idea tho. I'll do better next time.

6 months from today...

I will be 20-10. 29 again. 3 decades old.

And, boy, did the stars align in honor of my 1/2 bday.

Things I like:

1. The movie "Once"
2. when celebrities act like they're my friends
3. small intimate music shows

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (Swell Season/the guy and girl from "Once") came in for an interview. I knew I would have at the most 30 minutes with them. My plan was to get a few questions in and then have them play me music for the rest of the time.

Marketa recognized me from the Four Seasons interview we did when the movie came out earlier this year - and said so. And Glen was all "Hey! Good to see you again!" And then we chatted and then we did the interview, and I was so excited because Marketa talked A LOT. We had been talking before the interview so I think she just kinda warmed up. After the interview I said something about how much more she talks now than she used to, and Glen was like, I don't think she's talked that much the whole year! So anyway, then it was performance time, and he asked me what I wanted to hear. (I had a serious list.) We were hitting crunch time, tho, so I chose "Falling Slowly" as I'm sure it will be the one nominated for an Oscar. They played it and it was AMAZING. When it was over, he was like, what do you want to hear now? And I was like, "EVERYTHING!" And then the bookers were like, um, you have to go talk to Leonard Maltin now, and he was like, we do?!

So I walked and talked with them over to the studio and hung out some more. For the record, I got a better interview...and Leonard didn't have them play for him. (The horror!!)

So then we talked some more. They looked legitimately sad that I couldn't go the screening and Q and A that they were having tonight. I told them I had to see "The Kite Runner" because I'm covering the premiere tomorrow night. Then they asked me what that meant. They're so cute and unaffected by all of this.

They fly to Dublin tomorrow for the holidays, but I'll most probably get to see them again in the new year at awards time. (They were all, "Do we come back for that?") I mean SERIOUSLY...SO cute. I love them. It was all I could do not to hug them. I did something I have never done in my days as an entertainment reporter...I got their autographs. I am really fairly certain that when I see them next and ask them to play at my birthday that they will say yes.

Switching gears..."The Kite Runner." Thumbs up. I read the book years ago when it came out. As much as I recollect, it followed the basic plot of the book, so I wasn't disappointed. In addition, star Khalid Abdalla is really attractive, and I'm now looking forward to the premiere, despite what I've heard about the rumored pending drama and controversy with CNN and Paramount.

In "and then there were seven" news...I'm going to be an aunt again. My sibs are a fertile bunch.

Speaking of villages, did anyone see The Amazing Race this week? They went to a small GNOME village in Lithuania. Um, YES PLEASE! The challenge was to hunt for a Travelocity gnome in a area full of a whole bunch of different gnomes. I was freaking out. Had I been on that challenge I would have had to nab a gnome to carry around the rest of the journey. I guess now I gotta add Lithuania to the list of places to go.

If you've read this far, you might care that I'm in the front row of the audience in tomorrow night's (that's Tuesday) Beauty and the Geek finale on the CW.

Some Kids Eat Paste, I Read It

Paste Mag released its list of the Best Films of 2007, and I'm pretty much in agreeance with them.

Bold means I've seen it.
Red means it's on my netflix or has arrived and I just haven't watched it yet.

1. Juno [Jason Reitman]
2. Once [John Carney]
3. Eastern Promises [David Cronenberg]
4. Away From Her [Sarah Polley]
5. Margot at the Wedding [Noah Baumbach]
6. Michael Clayton [Tony Gilroy]
7. The Wind That Shakes the Barley [Ken Loach]
8. No Country for Old Men [Joel and Ethan Coen]
9. The Kite Runner [Marc Forster]
10. Syndromes and a Century [Apichatpong "Joe" Weerasethakul]
11. Ratatouille [Brad Bird]
12. Ten Canoes [Rolf de Heer/Peter Djigirr]
13. Great World of Sound [Craig Zobel]
14. Ghosts of Cité Soleil [Asger Leth/Milos Loncarevic]
15. Offside [Jafar Panahi]
16. My Kid Could Paint That [Amir Bar-Lev]
17. 2 Days in Paris [Julie Delpy]
18. Waitress [Adrienne Shelly]
19. Manufactured Landscapes [Jennifer Baichwal]
20. The King of Kong [Seth Gordon]
21. Sunshine [Danny Boyle]
22. This is England [Shane Meadows]
23. Knocked Up [Judd Apatow]
24. Hanna Takes the Stairs [Joe Swanberg]
25. Bella [Alejandro Gomez Monteverde]
26. The Darjeeling Limited [Wes Anderson]
27. Grindhouse [Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez]
28. Paris, Je T'aime [Various Directors]
29. God Grew Tired of Us [Christopher Dillon Quinn]
30. No End in Sight [Charles Ferguson]
31. The Bourne Ultimatum [Paul Greengrass]
32. Hot Fuzz [Edgar Wright]
33. 3:10 to Yuma [James Mangold]
34. Year of the Dog [Mike White]
35. The Simpsons Movie [David Silverman]
36. Hairspray [Adam Shankman]
37. Sicko [Michael Moore]
38. Rescue Dawn [Werner Herzog]
39. The Short Life of José Antonio Guitierrez [Heidi Specogna]
40. Forever [Heddy Honigmann]
41. Persepolis [Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud]
42. Talk to Me [Kasi Lemmons]
43. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead [Sidney Lumet]
44. Superbad [Greg Mottola]
45. Zodiac [David Fincher]
46. The Savages [Tamara Jenkins]
47. Rocket Science [Jeffrey Blitz]
48. The Signal [David Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry]
49. The Lookout [Scott Frank]
50. American Gangster [Ridley Scott]

Luckily I live in LA and can still see (or see a screening of) Michael Clayton, The Kite Runner (been there, did that, worked the red carpet!), 3:10 to Yuma, Persepolis, Before the Devil Knows Your Dead, The Savages, The Signal and American Gangster in the theater.

Tonight the Academy is screening ET (as in the extra-terrestrial), and since I just pitched a story on Spielberg, I've been selected to cover the event. Reason it's exciting? ET is one of the first movies I remember seeing on a big screen. It was at a drive-in. In Missouri. How quaint. I've asked to get into the screening portion of this evening's event. I hope they serve Reese's piece. Unfortunately it doesn't look like Steven or Drew will be there.

Finally, I went to the dentist last night. Good news is no cavities. Bad news is, I'm grinding my teeth at night. Superbad. I've probably always done it, but now my teeth (in the back) are wearing down more and more, and I'm showing the beginning signs of TMJ. I know, right? FUN. Anywho, the solution? A nightguard. My reaction to the dentist? That's sexy. I wish this blogger thing had an audio feature so you could hear me say "holdsch on whilse I put in my nightschguard." I'm sure the boys will come a-runnin.

And the nominees are...

Kind of disappointing. Dare I say shocking? I had 5 movies on my wishlist going in. You know, movies I figured had a good shot at getting some indie attention:

1. Once
2. Bella
3. Juno
4. Lars and the Real Girl
5. Waitress

Despite being completely eligible and totally cute, Lars was snubbed. Once is nominated in the Foreign category. I'm worried because it's up against Persepolis which everyone is loving too. I haven't seen it yet, but I don't see how I can vote against Once. (Oh, yeah, did I mention? I'm voting this year.) I have a feeling Once will win for music at the Oscars, so there's that. So back to today. Bella didn't get a mention, but I guess everyone didn't love it like I did, so maybe I was off base with that one. I am happy with Juno. I don't think I have to say again that I love Diablo Cody. Ellen's nod is so well deserved. The ones for best feature and directing are just icing. I was a little surprised about the lack of attention given to Waitress. I hope they give Adrienne some posthumous love. She IS up for screenplay...

Ok so ZB was selected to announce the nominees this morning. I was disappointed about not getting assigned to cover the event (and not just because of the ZB factor), especially since the hotel is a 3 minute drive from my house. So I said I would just stand outside the hotel. Well, turns out, sometimes you can just walk into the Film Independent Spirit Award nominations and nobody stops you and you find yourself making eye contact with a heavily-made up version of your No. 1.

I won't say that I think he was making eye contact with me out of recognition (because you already know that's what I was imagining). But there was a lot of eye contact. I probably would have done better to wear the jazzercise outfit, but then I would have looked like a CRAZY stalker. Whereas, in my retro dress and boots I just looked like a regular-ish stalker who makes eye contact before pulling her Pink Lemonade Lipsmackers out of her legitimately retro Growing Pains tote.

No seriously.

So that's how I started my morning. Not bad, eh?

Last night I saw Grace is Gone. John Cusack. Wow. I'm hoping the movie had a budget larger than $20-Mil and that's why he didn't get nominated for a Spirit Award. I hope he doesn't get overlooked at the Oscars. A nomination is all I'm asking for people. You don't have to give him the statue.

Surprisingly I made it about halfway through the 85 minutes before tears actually hit my cheeks. Once they came tho, I couldn't stop them. I was sitting between my coworker's husband and NDG. I decided it wasn't really appropriate to grab on to either one of their legs when the going got tough. (I mostly made that decision after reflexes took over and I went to grab one and then the other.) But after the credits started to roll and I was still pretty upset, I looked at my coworker and said, "I just need to borrow him for a minute." To which her husband replied "Yeah, it was really sad" and put his arm around me and gave me a squeeze. NDG and I then proceeded to sit through the credits and I had to beg her to stop crying lest I begin again and we never get out of there. So, yeah, an upper it's not. But sometimes crying is good.

Oh, and Clint Eastwood did the score and it's AMAZING.

I finished reading The Time-Traveler's Wife and am engrossed in Diablo's stripper memoirs. It's already got me contemplating an amateur night. In the midwest. I think it would be easier there, you know, competition-wise. Although, having said that, when I asked around at clubs out here during my S Factor days the girls I saw were pretty rough looking and had bruises and stuff.

This is getting really long, but I'm super excited because Glen and Marketa (Once) are coming into the studio. NEXT WEEK! I get to interview them, and I'm gonna ask them to play a couple songs for me, and then I'm gonna tell them I'm having a hard time facing my 30th, and how much better it would be if they performed at my party. I hope they go for it. If my dream sequence is allowed to continue, Joshua Radin would also perform at the best bday party ever and ZB would show up, you know, just to say hi.

Alright, that's enough daydreaming. I actually have work to do. I've got the Atonement screening tonight. Iron and Wine concert tomorrow. Screenings for The Walker and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story on Thursday and the Aimee Mann Christmas Show on Friday. Whew!

For a complete list of all the nominees for the 2008 Film Independent Spirit Awards, click here.

Four score and 50 pounds of laundry ago...

Four Jobs I Have Had In My Life

1. Sears Portrait Studio photographer
2. First Foto photog (you know those newborn pictures taken at the hospital? I took those!)
3. Sole reporter/photog (official title was "editor") of the Warrenton Journal...circulation 8k
4. traffic reporter for various radio stations in StL
(and then there are the ones you probably know about)

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over

1. Roman Holiday
2. Sixteen Candles
3. The Muppets Take Manhattan
4. Garden State (duh!)

Four TV Shows I Like to Watch
1. Pushing Daisies (have you started watching it yet? cuz you should)
2. How I Met Your Mother
3. Grey's Anatomy (altho it's on thin ice)
4. Amazing Race/America's Next Top Model/Beauty and the Geek/Kid Nation (reality shows have to share a number, they fit in where they can)

Four Places I Have Vacationed
1. Maui (can I go back yet?)
2. Greece
3. the Lake District of Northern England
4. Warrens, WI

Four of My Favorite Dishes
1. mashed potatoes (can that be a dish? i say yes. if you say no, serve it with swordfish.)
2. Grandpa Bud's macaroni salad
3. pad thai with tofu (sometimes i even crave it)
(I'd like to thank KDL for introducing me to #s 2 and 3)
4. Four Seasons Snickerdoodles (I've eaten them for lunch, therefore i consider them dishes)

Four Web sites I Visit Daily
1. Gmail
2. PopCandy
3. IMDBPro
4. insert gossip blog here

Four Places I Would Rather Be
1. Bora Bora
2. Petra
3. grandma's house
4. on an awesome roadtrip with no destination, rules or constraints

Sometimes Oprah Pees in Your Cheerios

It's that time of year again. The time when Oprah gives tons of free schtuff to a really lucky audience. She calls it "Oprah's Favorite Things." The first thing was a handicam, which I'll admit, was cool, but nothing I can't live without. Then there were a couple of other things that I didn't get excited about. THEN the Williams Sonoma merchandise came into play. (and I'm not talking the catalog-order cupcakes). The mixing bowls were super cute. And that's about when I started a certain thought process. I looked at KDL and was like, what if, no, she couldn't possibly give away a Kitchenaid mixer.

A lil backstory. For the last 10 years or more (and I'm not exaggerating) I have wanted a mint green Kitchenaid mixer. I will not settle for anything less. It's the perfect accent to the kitchen de mes reves. My coup de grace. It might surprise you to know that despite my seemingly lack of interest in food activities, I do seriously enjoy kitchen gadgets and things you buy at Sur La Table. Long story short (too late) somewhere along the line, it was put into my head that the mint green mixer would show up at my bridal shower. Alas, I'm still waiting.

So OF COURSE the next box Oprah lifts is Kitchenaid mixers. I said something that sounded like mothertrucker. Now, at this point in my life, I could just buy the mint green Kitchenaid mixer for myself. But how anticlimatic would that be?? I didn't get it from Oprah. Or at a bridal shower. So. I don't know. I DO know that HAD I been in Macon, Georgia, and been in that audience, I would have cried like a baby when she lifted up that box. I PROBABLY would have run up on stage and gave her a hug in the middle of the taping. Pee might have been involved. (hopefully not before or during the hug)

I've gone on long enough about this...so I'll stop now...PS Dear Oprah, You can keep your refrigerator with a built-in tv. And your Oprah Magazine collection with the "Live Your Best Life" autograph. I don't need a $300 outfit to lounge around in. But I WOULD take the United Artists DVD Collection and Scrabble table. Just sayin...

To the rest of you:

Happy Thanksgiving! Be happy! Be thankful. Gratitude. It's a beautiful thing.
Bring on Grandpa Bud's macaroni salad.

All of the Words

I know it seems like all I do lately is talk about Patrick Dempsey, but I'm doing a story right now on "Enchanted" (*cough* go see it *cough*) and he says this great thing on the epk (electronic press kit for you non-industry folk):

"I guess what we learn in life is...there is magic there, we just have to allow ourselves to be open to it."

It's like McDreamy watched my weekend in playback and sent me a message.

PS Watch this before they take it away. Dear Jennifer Nettles, first Bon Jovi and now Beyonce? You go girl.

Prince-y Rhymes with Dempse-y

Remember when you were little and everything was so magical? Fairy tales were for real. You clapped your hands because you believed and wonderful things happened. Well, that's the feeling you get while watching the new movie "Enchanted."

Hear me out.

I can't believe nobody has ever tried to do something like this before, but I also am not sure anyone could do it as well as Disney. The movie is so fun to watch. There's humor. There's heart. GREAT performances by Amy Adams and James Marsden. And, well, I could watch Patrick Dempsey take a crap and be entertained. Ew, wait, on second thought...probably not, but still, you get the picture. Think more "Can't Buy Me Love," less "Sweet Home Alabama."

It also helped that I saw the movie in the historic El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. The setting was mesmerizing. The pipe organist entertained us with Disney favorites before the show. We were sitting in the balcony, and it really was the whole experience that made for a enjoyable night. When "The End" came across the screen practically the entire audience was clapping like a bunch of giddy little girls. I bounded down the stairs of the theater and out into the night.

If you've ever been in that area at night you know it's all lit up, not quite as much as Times Square, but I wasn't the only one who exclaimed upon my exit "This is how she must have felt!" You were just flooded with a sense of wonderment. It was enhanced of course by a castle facade at the corner and the remnants of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show red carpet across the street at the Kodak, but still.

So in conclusion, yay "Enchanted!"

Oh and I really want this Elie Tahari dress right now:




Finally, here's a trailer for P.S. I Love You. P.S. If I liked Hilary Swank, there'd be snot bubbles. I do love me some Harry Connick Jr. and Jeffrey Dean Morgan tho. Not to mention Irish countryside. So maybe there's hope for it yet.

P.P.S. In looking for that Elie Tahari dress, I found that Elie Tahari makes a "maryanne" dress. That's fun. If it wasn't $300 on sale I would think about it. That being said if the dress above that I love was called "maryanne" I would buy it because that would be like a neon sign.

I Love it Like My Dad Loves Shelly!!!

If a person could marry a tv show, I would propose to "Pushing Daisies." I've mentioned the show before, but seriously. I'm madly in love with it. All of the episodes are available online and you should just watch them already. This week I was pleasantly surprised with a guest appearance by Joel McHale of "The Soup." Once when I worked at E! we indulged in some complimentary beverages and took this picture:

I've just realized that I could put together a collection of photos of me with TV hosts. But as I'm figuring out how many I actually have, it makes me think I have a weird thing for tv hosts that I should probably examine more closely.

In other news:

1. Things Kevin Bacon and I have in common: We both love the movie "Once." Now you know.
2. Paris Hilton's upcoming rock opera is called "Repo! the Genetic Opera!" but is operating under the codename "Calendula!" This was news I could use today, and I wanted to share because Calendula! is a fun exclamation. Try it at home.
3. Finally, today's Funny Quote of the Day on Google made me chuckle. It's George Burns: "Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city."


I'll leave you with that.

Spaghetti-Os on ME!!!

I have been selected once again to cover the Sundance Film Festival for Reelz! Which means I'll be heading back up to the mountains of Utah in the dead of winter to freeze my ass off and pose for pictures like this:

Of course, I'll also be talking to various celebrities about their newest indie projects. I can hardly wait!! (She says whilst wearing a sleeveless sundress after enjoying a 85 degree November day in LA.)

Next stop...Cannes! (hopefully...I've still gotta talk them into that one.)

A Spoonful of Sexual Harassment

Spoon and F(S)eist were exceptionally lovely last night.

Things I especially enjoyed:

-the lights
-the colors
-the drumbeats
-the way the colored lights pulsated with the drumbeats
-the brass
-the way Feist got Feisty whilst rocking out to "Sea Lion"

Things I could have done without:

-the polar arctic chill inside the venue (Note to Gibson: It's November, turn off the ac.)
-the abrupt end to the Spoon show
-Feist ending the show with "Let it die." In memory, I've never left a concert with a hurting heart until now. Hopeless, perhaps, but never aching like this.

Yesterday we had a mandatory seminar about sexual harassment. Many of us are already good at it, but for some reason they thought we needed to learn more. The following are the notes I took to keep from falling asleep. They're more funny out of context.

intersectional harassment. time for self assessment. i'd like to interface with a person. a boy person. (that was a note to Nicole) no confidentiality guarantee, "predominantly confidential." making assumption people know what we mean or think same way we do. No "Sunshine." No "Sparkles." ANYONE is a potential harasser (MOST are unintentional). You will not get fired for complaining about a guest. Bullying isn't intimate. I'm available for direct quid pro quo. (another note to a coworker) "You scratch my back I'll scratch yours." Pervasive conduct = behavior is recurring enough that we expect it to happen. "Steeped in extreme profanity." "You're hot" is offensive, but not a hostile environment. Just because he continues to breathe does not mean it's a sexually hostile environment. Personable not personal. "I want to talk to you about you. What are you going to do about yourself?"

All's Swell Up in the Bedroom After the War

Welcome to my new blogger home.

I still have the Feist and Spoon show tonight, but I couldn't wait to talk about Stars and Swell Season. I'm also going to start calling Feist "Seist." Mostly because I like alliteration.

Stars = brilliance. They came out strong with "Take Me to the Riot." Lead singer Torquil Campbell had us up on our feet, and we stayed that way for the duration of the show. Which, by the way, was held at the Orpheum Theatre downtown.

I'm a big fan of the plan of refurbishing all of downtown LA's historical theaters. They're beautiful gems of cinematic history and deserve more than tagged walls and dark marquees.

Ok, back to Stars. The whole set was amazing. They played my album faves "Elevator Love Letter" and "Favourite Book," and covered The Smiths' "This Charming Man." The culmination of the night for me, however, was the performance of their latest album's title track "Up in the Bedroom After the War." I felt it. I don't care how cheesy that sounds. My heart and throat tightened, and I was expecting to feel the warmth of tears on my cheeks at any moment.

Dear Stars, Thanks for the Veterans' Day reminder.

Sunday meant Swell Season at 4th and B in San Diego. Rain couldn't dampen our enthusiasm for this show. Neither could Martha Wainright's less-than-stellar performance. She ended on a good note, tho. As for Glen and Marketa, (the love story that is Swell Season) I don't even know where to begin.

We've been to a lot of shows this year. A LOT. And this was perhaps the best. The night was truly magical. The venue was great. The audience was perfect. And Glen and Marketa were spot on. They played for 2 hours straight. 2 encores. Took questions from the audience. Sang their little hearts out. Marketa played piano like a prodigy with an energy very contradicting to her shy demeanor. Glen embraced her with a look of love that I felt the heat from 11 rows back. His appreciation for the crowd was also very evident. (His face at one point during one of the standing ovations was very reminiscent of the Dixie Chicks after "Not Ready to Make Nice." It's great to be a fan in those situations.) We were ALL a part of this great night. Songs that weren't necessarily my favorite on the album came alive on stage in a way that made me love them. Even tho I knew we had a 2 hour drive home, I didn't want the show to end.

And tonight we have Spoon and F(S)eist. I've seen and loved Spoon live already, so I'm fairly confident this will be another one for the memory books.

Speaking of things with bindings and pages of words, Ben just gave me a copy of the book "The Diving Bell and The Butterfly." Between this and Diablo's stripper memoirs I've got some exciting reading ahead. Good thing, I wouldn't want to follow-up the fun that is "The Time-Traveler's Wife" with anything but greatness.

PS Not all blogs will be this long (but some might be) so please come back.