The Death of the Intelligent Villain.

In 2009, I would have to say that I went to the cinema less times than any other year. Sure, I showed up for midnight premieres and saw movies no one ever heard of, but I had done that in abundance in 2008. There were really hardly any films I needed to see. Out of those films, I can hardly remember the action movies. I literally looked up all the films in 2009 in case I missed any. I didn't. One other point before I get to the main reason for this blog. I like villains. Villains are interesting characters. They're the people we hate because they go against everything we've been led to believe is good and right in the world. They're destructive and selfish. We secretly envy them their "freedom", but we know the world cannot handle such chaos if everyone became selfish, etc.

The only film that made a lasting impression and stayed with me into 2010 was "Inglorious Basterds." The villain of the piece was Col. Hans Landa of the SS, played marvelously by Christoph Waltz. He was the only intelligent villain of the year! Every other villain I saw was an idiot and predictable! I'll put that down to crappy writing and story-planning. Landa had charisma, cleverness, and was wholly evil. He did everything with a smile that sent chills down your spine. He was almost as good a villain as Hans Gruber, who in my book is the standard of the Intelligent Villain. Landa essentially had several plans during the film, all of which involved him coming out on top. If the Nazis had won, he would have been a decorated officer living the good life in France. Since we know how the movie ended (if you've seen it), we know that he may be rich, living in the States, but the scar on his forehead is probably giving him hell.

"But, Alex, what about 'Avatar?' That was epic!"

Um... No. I cannot deny that the film was visually exciting, especially during the last battle. It was well done. I just don't like CGI or whatever new technology that James Cameron used. It has never impressed me (see The Fall). I could have done without 40 minutes of the movie also. I yawned and sat next to an obnoxious couple who kept digging into their back-pack for junk food and clapping whenever a "happy" moment appeared. They were the people "Avatar" was made for. The "villains" of the movie were the Corporation and Colonel Miles Quaritch. Quaritch, at the beginning of the film, was a good character. He slowly became retarded as the film progressed, ending it with pathetic one-liners and a plan that was doomed to fail and actually not even necessary! He had potential that was wasted for a sappy, happy ending. The fanboys pissed themselves whenever they heard the name of this movie. Good graphics do not equate to a good movie.

The second movie that failed in almost exactly the same way was "Watchmen." Ozymandias was intelligent, but boring. No charm. No daring. He was blah. He was a good villain but the audience could care less. I'm not going to mention the graphic novel since it is far superior to the movie so I'll leave this as is. It'll turn into another paragraph that's not needed here.

Come on, 2010. I need at least 3 films that I'll go crazy for. Give me a villain that will give me a charming smile while knifing me in the gut without me even suspecting it and me still liking him for it. That's all I ask.

Favorite Quotes of the Year

So here are a collection of my Favorite Quotes of the Year. Some are simply lovely. Most are hilarious. Enjoy!

Text Message: 'So get any Head last night?" -Michelle [refering to Anthony Head].

Moderator: "So any interesting anecdotes?"

Lisa E: "Um... I made out with Hugh."

"Incidentally, there is a Wii currently being installed on the writers' room TV. So there will be no more episodes of HOUSE, ever. Sorry." -Sara Hess (writer, producer of HOUSE MD).

"Plague and pestilence laying waste to our offices. I'm not saying it's BONES's fault, but...actually, yes, I am. It was totally BONES. I'll tell you one thing: if I get sick, I'm taking LIE TO ME down with me. You hear me @hiwire? I will lick ALL your doorknobs." -Sara Hess

"I'm going to be singing "life is a show" for THE REST OF MY LIFE." -Carla

"I wonder how many geeklings are being conceived at. this. very. moment." -Michael Doughtery during Comic Con.

"I can't steal anything [fron the set]. Only successful person to steal stuff from set was Rickman." -Michael Gambon.

"Characters on dramas need to laugh more. Sometimes that's how you can tell someone's heart is breaking... because they try to cover it." -Jane Espenson (writer of Buffy, Battlestar Galactica, and Caprica.)

"I used to have a lot of bad habits. Now I just call them habits, and don't label them." -John August (currently working on the Dark Shadows screenplay [hopefully]).

"Want to thank everyone who tweeted nice tweets about the House finale. We only mindf*ck you because we love you. (Seriously)." -Doris Egan (writer/producer of HOUSE MD).

"Robert Pattinson has an anteater..."

"What'd you mean an anteater?"

"............."

"OH."

"Last thing that made you laugh?" "Mitchell's Evil Laugh of Doom."

"Drunk Minds speak gibberish which sober hearts remember and make fun of them until it gets old and unfunny."

20, 40 years from Now

I sit in the kitchen, stupidly barefooted and freezing, drinking hot cocoa (fat free, here's looking at you, Sims!), and thinking of the years ahead. It is something I do on occasion when sleep evades my weary mind and teases me with yawns that lead to more browsing on youtube or reading through the books I've yet to finish. I should also be writing a reply to a friend but that can wait until tomorrow.

So I sit here, shivering slightly (my iPhone told me it is currently 40 degrees Fahrenheit) thinking of many tomorrows. Time is a fickle broad. I can remember walking through a red bricked amphitheater, dressed in white and carrying red roses, thinking time should speed the hell up and let me get on with my life, let me be who I am meant to be, let me experience all I have yet to experience. I was fresh faced, having virgin hair that had no dye near it, my skin unblemished and clear of the tattoos that I would get six months later, my nose and eyebrow were still whole, no metal gracing such features. I certainly do not miss that girl. She was laughed at, good-naturedly mind you, about three months later in an Irish pub in Las Vegas by the waitress and people who would become extremely good friends. If you want to know why, it was because I was a non-risk-taking 18 year old who was served an alcoholic drink. The nervousness I felt as I sipped the forbidden treat would leave me by the end of that weekend. I had heard horror stories of underage drinkers being thrown out of the buildings, my mind creating the image of two hulking Italians with obvious mafioso ties, grabbing my arms and throwing me right on my ass in front of a bus full of tourists, camera's poised and ready for the perfect shot of humiliation.

Thanks to three cups of coffee, my imagination is as good as ever.

I laugh at that girl now, also. She's no longer as shy as she was. The only thing she fears is spiders and being thrown in front of celebrities she loves, doing an excellent impression of a deer about to be slaughtered by a semi truck. She's a lot more trusting and more cautious at the same time. She's happy and that's all that really matters.

From the age of 18 to present, 22, I've done so much, seen so much, read so much, that it baffles me how life will be in twenty years. Will it slow down to a crawl, drudging along at a snails pace, letting boredom and monotony invade a once vivid life? Should I savor each day instead of each moment, balancing out time?

In all honestly I don't know. I'm a bloody optimist who always has hope and views the silver lining.

I bring all of this up because it had me thinking of an older actor I admire. No, it isn't the dashing Mr. Rickman nor the ruggedly handsome Mr. Laurie. Let's just say that I know only 3 of you reading will know who I am talking about so to put it out there, it is the ever-bumbling yet charismatic Mr. Jonathan Frid. ["Really, Alex, pick actors from this or last decade.... not from four decades ago!"]

I've met Mr. Frid three times. My first experience in his company is the memory in which my racing mind has me thinking of at the moment. It was a 40th anniversary dinner held in his honor. The anniversary was celebrating his first appearance on the small screen. It took me two hours to get ready and work up the courage to walk downstairs by myself in a silver and black tube dress, which was very short to me, and strapy silver high heels. Thank you, Chaffey College Swim program,, for allowing me to wear such a thing. I needn't have worried. I sat at a black baby grand piano, waiting for a new friend, watching the fellow attendees walk in with jeans and t shirts on. To be fair, it was about 50/50 with people dressed nice and others like slobs. My friend arrived and we were seated in the front of the ballroom. Mr. Frid was sitting diagonally to me, not five feet away. His hair had turned from jet black to iron gray. He stood slightly bent, the arthritis evident in his long fingers.

Before they served dinner, they showed a montage of all his greatest scenes between 1966 and 1971. My eyes flickered between him and the screen. He sat there, smiling and watching calmly. The audience knew all the scenes shown by heart but gave the appropriate applause and gasps when necessary. He was watching himself, 40 years younger, back straight, handsome in a Charles Bronson kind of way. His voice was even different (smoking explains the change). I wondered what he was thinking. It was a sure bet it included how marvelously awful the dialogue was and about how he forgot his lines and tried to ad lib with little success. Did he think of what he did those days and nights when he wasn't on set? Did he sit reminiscing about the difference between his screen and stage career? Or did he sit there thinking of himself as a young man, enjoying all the pleasures of New York City in the sixties?

He seems like a very no-non-sense type of person so he would likely cuff me around the ears if I suggested he was basking in days long past.

I wonder, with all the technology present, if 40 years into the future, I'll be able to look up photos and video and suddenly remember what was going on during that event, trapped, frozen by time and gigabytes.

I once wrote that I would be fully content when I was an old woman, surrounded by old friends, sitting on a porch, telling stories to a generation that would never know a time when there was no television, no Alan Rickman [the man is that unique], no internet, and whatever else they create in between those 40 or 60 years. All the stories would be adventurous and exaggerated to epic proportions though they would be all true. Hell, I tell stories now and people do not believe me. I would sip tea (with maybe a pinch of brandy included), laugh, and think "I don't regret anything." There is something so freeing in that line of thought.

It's probably the end of this year that has me thinking about this topic. 2009 was a pain and a pleasure [School (ugh), books (yay), Hugh Laurie (three cheers), stress (boo!), injuries (oh bloody hell), Hugh Laurie ("Didn't I see you last week?"), photography (woo hoo!)]. 2010 is the freshest start I have had in a long time with no school breathing down my neck and new employment I'm dying to start. May we all enjoy ourselves immensely, help Cindy catalog and distribute the 5,000 random photos she will take throughout the year, get over the fear of embarrassing oneself in front of handsome people (wait, no one else has that fear? damn it!) and remember and cherish all the events that will come.

I'll make sure the next post will be full of sarcasm, comedy, and fiction instead of more of this soppy mess. I'll be back to reviewing old, obscure, terrible horror films in no time.

Lie To Me *

So on my down times (when the fanatic in me doesn't have anything to obsess over), I checked out "Lie to Me" since I'm a fan of Tim Roth. He's another actor who plays mostly villains magnificently. He literally stalks in, steals a scene with a look, and then walks out just as stiffly out of the scene. Plus, he's partially a redhead and everyone knows I like gingers.

Anyway, the show centers around two main characters: Dr. Cal Lightman and Dr. Gillian Foster (played wonderfully by Kelli Williams). They set up a private firm in which they investigate people who may or may not be lying; being contracted mostly through the US Government. Foster is the foil to Lightman's crass, sarcastic, standoffish personality. While Lightman figures out who's lying, Foster figures out the why. She's sweet, a bit eccentric, yet she has steel behind her gaze. Their additional staff includes Loker (Brendan Hines), a former employee, now intern due to a screw up, and Torres (Monica Raymund), a natural walking lie detector.

Lightman and Foster look for "micro expressions," facial expressions that last less than a second. These expressions are involuntary and therefore are very subtle "tells" (ie. like having a poker face but blinking or your cheek twitching whenever you have a good hand). From the little back story we have, both have studied human behavior for years. They are hired by the government or by private firms in order to get to the truth of a situation.

The main theme for the show so far has been "Truth or Happiness? Never both." Cal cannot help but "read" everyone he comes into contact with. He's divorced and hardly has any friends because he can never let anything just be (hm... sounds like a certain doctor we all know...). Honestly, he's a pain in the ass. He has a daughter, Emily, who tries to make him act "normal" and like a good daughter, wants to see him happy. Emily hints that her Dad is only happy when Gillian's around, which leads us to Gillian's character flaws. I think its kind of obvious she likes Cal as more than a colleague, but she won't do anything about it. Gillian is recently divorced from her coke addicted husband. She's trying to get use to the single life again. Cal takes advantage of her loyalty to him, something she allows no matter what the situation. I can see the show going into the direction of an all out brawl between them which strengthens their ties or breaks them apart. Most fans root for the former yet FOX shows always kill their characters' relationships.

This show is still in its infancy, having only one full season and half a second one. FOX approved of the rest of the second season but it won't air until April! So far, I'm enamored with it. Not the writing quality of HOUSE, but it works well and the story lines are interesting.

And here, I leave you with a cheeky, cleverly edited promo: House VS Lightman.

Parting is such Sweet Sorrow.

My dear beloveds.

I write this in order to pay homage to the passing (well, dismemberment) of one of our favorite things: Tasha's bed. Myself and many others have been very acquainted with that bed. It has been the site of numerous memories. It has witnessed the various fan stages of all our lives, from Harry Potter to Twilight to True Blood. It has kept many of us warm and safe, especially after nights we do not remember. Rock stars have enjoyed the comforts of it with four or five other occupants. Also, they were the cause of the bed breaking, leading to this sad day. With three legs, it boldly withheld its place of honor for several months.

We mourn this terrible loss.

Survivors and dear friends of this bed are Tasha, Milton, Macy, Dennis, Marisa, Cindy, and many others including myself.

Though to be honest, I never slept a whole night in there. I always slept on the couch with Dennis and/or Milton.

A Wake will be held tomorrow evening at Tasha's.

When Fans Attack!

Disclaimer: I know for a fact I have young readers so read with caution. I don't want your parents pissed at me.

I am a very accomplished fan. Most fans have not done or seen half the stuff I've participated in. Most fans will never get to meet the man that makes them brain dead or travel thousands of miles to hear their favorite authors read excerpts from books yet to be written. I've been backstage, chatted with producers, toasted with musicians... you get the picture. Yes, I am bragging and pointing out that it is all about location and lots of luck. I'm passionate about the stuff I love. Based on those experiences, this is where this sudden tirade comes from.

There is a point when fans become too involved though.

They sit at their computers and bitch and complain about every little thing wrong about their beloved obsession and curse the production teams of said obsession to the lowliest depths of Hell.
The ratings dip slightly and suddenly it signifies the displeasure of the fan base. [Not necessarily, folks.] Critics who will never win a Pulitzer prize are suddenly trusted. They, the fans, feel the need to start voicing their opinions and start telling the producers and actors how the show should run. They're "the fans," of course they know best.

Seriously, shut the hell up for just a minute and listen to yourselves.

How many people read a novel half way through and then tell the writer that they don't like how it's progressing so fix it? How do you know the ending isn't the one you want already or once you see the bigger picture that you won't love it? If the writer is anything like yours truly, they'd tell you to stick to your day job, finish reading the bloody book, and then pass judgment. Or burn the fucking book and see how much I care. I'm not making you read. Writers already have a blurry vision of what the future will be. They write and explore the natural progression of the story line. If it takes them to some depressing and dark places, they go on because its what feels right. Some writers express surprise at how a story turns out.

Jo Rowling said something similar. Once she finished "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," she thought, "People are going to hate this." And they did. There are still people who write to her and beg her to right her "wrongs". "Please, Snape couldn't have died!" "NO, you can't have it end with Harry alive!" "You have to write an eighth book!" She's not going to fix any of the above. It's not that she doesn't care about fans; its that Potter is her creation and what she says, goes. She has stayed true to herself and her work. For her, writing is her art. And people tend to forget for those thousands who hated it, millions cried with joy. Fans who hated it thought they were the majority like most fans who hate what's happening in their fandoms.

So if you're one of the above people who send hundreds of letters, messages, emails, tweets, or anything voicing your displeasure, good for you. It's your right. Just don't be pissed when you get a "thanks, but no thanks" reply. They don't tell you how to do your job so stop telling them how to do theirs. Don't be a tosser and obnoxious prat. Don't become indignant because "they aren't listening to ME; how dare they!" Who the fuck are you to them?! Really, the complete narcissism of some fans is astounding.

So to end on a (kind of) positive note: be patient, trust that the writers know what they're doing [because they do], and then judge the whole story once it is revealed.

[To the fans this is directed to: take a deep breath. We know the story is going into some serious shit, but keep faith and stick it out. We'll be okay.]

New Moon

First and foremost, mostly everyone knows I am not a hardcore fan. I like the stories but know that they will never be classics, nor will they be literature. The Twilight books are a step above harlequin romance novels. Or maybe only half a step. Anyway, they are a guilty pleasure.

I liked New Moon so much more than Twilight. Twilight felt like a badly done art film trying to appeal to the "indie" kid in everyone. Enough with the first movie. The acting in this movie left much to be desired, but they could improve with the third film. I have a lot of hope with Eclipse. Director David Slade also directed 30 Days of Night, an excellent vampire film. His vampires were primal, fierce, deadly, and savage. Eclipse has a lot of fight scenes in it so I'm hoping for some insane choreography. Pattinson's accent still has something that bugs me. Taylor needed to blink a little more naturally and speak his lines with less drama. He would do well on a soap opera. Luckily I had a row in the theater by myself since I had to stifle my laughter at that thought.Michael Sheen. That man stole the movie with his scenes. His Aro was equally sophisticated, creepy, and frightening. He was the undisputed leader. Spot on with the casting! I can't wait to see how he does in the fourth film. The fights in those scenes were excellently done. The slow-fast motion pace in which they were filmed brought out the best perspective.

Overall, the fluffy, closet romantic enjoyed the movie. I'd go see it again!