Monthly Archives: September 2012

In with the Old: She’s All That

Posted in In with the Old, Movies, Nostalgia by

I believe that there comes a movie in every young girl’s life where she finds that one film that takes her into adolescence.  That one movie that makes her feel like a cool teenager rather than a little kid.  For me, that movie was 1999’s She’s All That.

Conditions were perfect: I was 12 going on 13 when I first saw this movie.  Old enough to get some of this movie’s humor (pubes on pizza?!  The laughs never stop), but young enough to overlook some of it’s imperfections.  Imagine my disappointment when I found that there are not groups of people who break out into choreographed numbers at the school dances!  It is for this and no other reason that I never went to one.  Also, I had to face the hard truth that Usher’s voice would NOT be coming over my school’s PA system giving the morning announcements.   Thanks, but NO thanks, high school.

And luckily, as a spectacled youth with a mother who was sure to tell me that girls in glasses can still be cute, I was wise enough to question why sticking glasses on Rachel Leigh Cook automatically made her a social leper.  Maybe it was the overalls?

Despite all these faults that I was a little less aware of then, I still love/loved this movie.  My love for this movie mainly stems from having watched it at least 50 times between the years 1999 and 2001.  While you may be thinking that I am exaggerating with that exorbitant number, I can assure you that I am not.  To this day, I can still quote along with the whole movie.  You may be wondering why I nearly wore out my VHS copy of this movie, but really, do you even have to ask?

My 12-year old heart beat so hard for my beloved FPJ.  In fact, while trying to find a picture of Zach Syler for this post,  I realized that the search results were all pictures I had printed and slathered on my walls.  Or they were the featured pictures in the  paperback Freddie Prinze Jr. biography that I begged my mom to buy me at my school’s book sale.

While FPJ and I have grown apart (mainly because he is giving me little to work with these days), any time I watch She’s All That  I still revert to that prepubescent 12 year old swooning in front of the TV.  Who doesn’t want to go back to that every once in a while?

-Ellen

Marry Boff Kill: Rudd vs. Scott vs. Hamm

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To us here at Fangirly, Marry Boff Kill is so much more than a game. In fact, we firmly believe that you never really know someone until they’ve told you which celebs they would wed, bed, and make dead. Our MBK question this week happens to be something of a sore spot in our relationship. It first came up while on a camping trip more than a year ago, and remains a source of cousinly contention to this day.

Marry Boff Kill: Jon Hamm, Adam Scott, or Paul Rudd.

Whitney’s Answers

Marry Adam Scott- Ha! No brainer. While he’s still smokin’ hot, he’s the least classically attractive of the three so I wouldn’t feel totally inadequate. Also, if I married him I would get to hang out with his Parks and Rec co-stars, which would help me fulfill my destiny of becoming Amy Pohler’s best friend.

Boff Paul Rudd- That boyish face, that sexy grin, and the fact that he’s the funniest guy in Hollywood all lead me to conclude that Paul Rudd would be an awesome boff. Honestly, just look at this picture! (I really hope my parents don’t read this).

Kill…Jon Hamm- Ouch. This one hurts. He’s just too handsome. And every time I look at him all I can think about is his 30 Rock character Dr. Drew Baird, with his hook hands and less than average IQ. Sorry Jon Hamm. It was never meant to be.

Ellen’s Answers

Marry Paul Rudd- I have to.  What Paul and I have is lasting and real because I have loved him ever since I was a little girl watching Clueless on VHS, trying to act like I totally got all the jokes.  Totally.  I like to imagine that he is out there wearing a promise ring, just waiting for me.  He may call it his wedding ring that another woman gave him, but whatever.

Boff Jon Hamm – To fully explain my rationale behind this choice, it is important to know my strategy for playing the game.  I first decide who will give me a more meaningful relationship.  Not just a lover in the nighttime, but a true companion.  From there I decide who I believe will be the best boff.  Look at that picture.  He is literally smoking!  To give evidence as to why Jon Hamm is the best choice, I give you the following clip:

Kill… Adam Scott – You have no idea how painful this for me, Adam.  It’s not you, it’s me.  You’re a great guy, you know I think the world of you.  It’s just that someone has to die and it kills me that it’s you.  I had to follow my heart in choosing Paul and I had to follow something else in choosing Jon, but know that in choosing to kill you, I’m following a path straight to a night of crying in my pillow.  Don’t look at me like that, Adam.  You’re only making this harder.

Get with the Program: The Mindy Project!

Posted in Get with the Program, TV, Web by

Confession time: The Office is not one of my favorite shows. Not that it’s a bad show, I just felt that it got boring and repetitive as the series progressed. So when I heard that Mindy Kaling, a writer, exec-producer, and one of the stars of The Office, was developing her own show, I didn’t pay much attention. Also, I don’t really love self-referential show titles, so the fact that the show was named The Mindy Project was not a huge turn on either.

Then I actually watched the pilot. And let me tell you, it was awesome. It accomplished everything a pilot should accomplish; it introduced the characters, delivered a hilarious and compelling narrative, and gave us an idea of what the rest of the series would be like. I know what your thinking. “Whitney, an awesome pilot doesn’t necessarily indicate an awesome show”. To which I would respond, “Oh yeah? OH YEAH?!… That’s actually very true. Good point.” But I’ve got a good feeling about this one. So do yourself a favor, haul on over to Hulu, and watch the pilot of The Mindy Project.  It might just be the funniest 23 minutes of your day.

-Whitney

Fangirly Crush of the Week: Arthur Darvill

Posted in Crush of the Week, TV by

In keeping with our quasi-Doctor Who themed week here at Fangirly and because I am on a DW high, I decided to choose from our favorite time-traveling British import for the crush of the week.  It, of course, came down to Rory and the Doctor (who else was I supposed to choose? An ood?), but after the season 7 premiere, I had to choose Rory.  Did you see the boots and skinny jeans?!  I had no choice.

In all seriousness, I love Rory and I was utterly charmed by Arthur at the DW panel at Comic Con.  While he is not what some might call “conventionally handsome”, you’ll soon realize that we could care less about that around here.

– Ellen

Agree to Disagree: Amy Pond

Posted in Agree to Disagree, TV by

Believe it or not, we here at Fangirly don’t always agree about everything in pop culture . It’s rare, but it does happen. And instead of settling our differences with a bare-knuckle fist fight or a You Don’t know Jack death match, we decided to take this less-than-healthy debate to the internet. For our first “Agree to Disagree” feature, we’ll be debating a topic that’s a little… sensitive. Here it is folks: Doctor Who’s resident red head Amy Pond: love her or hate her?

Whitney: Hate Her!

 1) She’s a Who-pie. Or “Who Groupie”, for those of you not familiar with this term I just coined. She meets the Doctor once as a kid, shares a midnight snack of fish-custard, and all of the sudden he’s the center of her Who-verse! Now, to be honest, who can blame her? If a lanky, bow-tied time traveler showed up in my backyard I would probably show him the crack in my wall too (not a euphemism). But really, Amy, ever thought about a hobby?

2) Sorry Amy, the position of sassy ginger has already been filled. Donna Noble, the tenth Doctor’s third companion, was my favorite of all the show’s leading ladies. Not only was she smart, snarky, and sweet, Donna was one of the only companions who wasn’t in love with the Doctor. Instead they had a really cute brother/sister dynamic that I loved and found totally refreshing.

3) She’s so mean to Rory! One thing Ellen and I can agree on is that Rory Williams is the perfect TV man. He’s funny, sweet, and looks awesome in a flannel shirt. But even with all that waiting for her at home, Amy still decides to run off with the Doctor. Again, we’ve reached a tricky grey area for me, because if given the same circumstances I’m not sure I would make a different decision. And even though they did eventually tie the knot and pop out a beautiful (if psychotic) half Time Lord baby, I still get the vibe that Amy kind of takes her husband for granted. I mean, why does it take half a dozen life or death experiences to remind her what a dream boat Rory is? Sorry Amy Pond, we’re done-zo.

Ellen: Love Her!

1) Um, She’s a Who-pie!  Who’s not? How can we fault homegirl?  We have already dedicated more than a few posts to the good Doctor and I have no doubt that this will not be the end of it.  If anything, I love her more for loving the Doctor because it is something that we can bond over.  And just so you can’t use it against her, I’m going to defend her throwing herself at the Doctor.  Again, can you blame her?  Also, I found it refreshing to have a companion that didn’t care about trying to steal the Doctor’s two hearts.  She knew what she wanted and went for it.  Bowties are cool… on the ground at the foot of the bed.

2) She’s Sassy! I know that this can be said about most of the companions, but Amy’s got it in spades.  She don’t take no crap, not even from the Doctor.  If you need proof of this, just look at “The Beast Below” or “Victory of the Daleks” where she basically has to say to the Doctor, “Shut up, you’re wrong.  I’ve got this.”  Also, where do you think River gets her sass?  Rory?  Proof is in the gene pudding, Whitney.

3) She Still Chose Rory.  Say whatever you want about her running off with the Doctor, etc., but in the end she still married Rory.  When both of her boys are in danger, she will still always choose Rory.  She still made that half Time Lord baby with Rory (somehow).   What’s that?  You say you’re still not convinced.  YouTube, let’s roll the tape!  

Hate to say it, Whitney (actually, no, I love to say it), but I think I win this one.  Long live Amelia Pond!

-Whitney and Ellen

Anglophiles Anonymous: The Return of Doctor Who!

Posted in Anglophiles Anonymous, TV by

My love of TV is pretty well documented. It’s honestly one of my favorite things. But there are some shows that are so important, and so awesome, that they’re nothing less than sacred. Well, I say some. There’s really just one: Doctor Who. And after almost a year of “Silence” from Moffat and the Who crew, my favorite show is back with a new season and, judging from the season 7 premiere, a new attitude.
Before I get ahead of myself, let me explain why I love this show. For starters, it’s one of the best written shows on TV. It’s exciting and funny and sweet and very often deeply emotional, which is kind of rare when you’re dealing with sci-fi shows. Here’s one of my favorite examples, when the tenth Doctor says goodbye to Rose, his companion of two seasons.

Ok, I’ll give you a second to pull yourself together.

The other reason why I adore Doctor Who is because it totally appeals to the kid in everybody. Just watch this scene from the first episode of season 5. The Doctor’s just regenerated and has a case of the Time Lord munchies.

(From here on out I am initiating a full-fledged Spoiler Alert, so if you haven’t see the latest episode, DON’T READ ON).

This season, however, seems to be going in a different direction. While I absolutely LOVED the newest episode, it did seem a little… dark. For example, the season 7 premiere “Asylum of the Daleks” opens with us learning that Amy and Rory are splitting up. In the pre-season “Pond Life” promos we did see that the Ponds might be having marital problems, a fact that was verified when we actually see Amy sign divorce papers. Ouch. Luckily, the episode ended with a fairly long make-out sesh, so I think everything is going to be ok.
Then there’s the Doctor himself. I’m getting the feeling that this is a newer, broodier Doctor than we’ve seen before. Is the show headed to a darker place? And if so, will it lose the fun and charm that made us fall in love with it in the first place? It’s hard to say. What I am sure of is that Steven Moffat has given us two unbelievably awesome seasons, so I’m more than willing to give him a little leeway.

-Whitney

Get with the Program: Watch Happy Endings!

Posted in Get with the Program, TV by

Airs: Tuesdays at 9/8c starting October 23rd on ABC

TV show equation:  Happy Endings = New Girl flavor+   premise of Friends x rapid fire references of Psych + Arrested Development‘s self-referential humor – Emmy Awards (don’t ask me why, though)

I can’t judge anyone who isn’t watching Happy Endings too harshly because I, myself, just started watching it this past summer.  Did I watch both seasons at an alarming rate? Yes.  Why? Because this show is hilarious.

If you are anything like me, I know what you’re thinking. “Oh, great.  Another show about six friends living together in the city.  Real original.”  The reality that we have to face as TV consumers is that this formula gets used all the time because it works. Case in point: Happy Endings.

This is another example of a show where the initial plot begins to matter less and less, but here it is anyway:  When Alex (Elisha Cuthbert) left Dave (Zachary Knighton) at the altar to run off with a man in roller blades (of all things), their group of friends were worried that nothing would be the same.  Luckily for these crazies, they are all just loco enough to make it work.  This original premise becomes less important mainly due to stand-out performances from the other four friends in the group.  Brad (Damon Wayans Jr.) and Jane (Eliza Coupe) are nuts enough to be entertaining, while still remaining believable as a couple.  Adam Pally is fantastic as Max, their gay friend who is different than any other gay character portrayed on TV.  The approach to his character is both refreshing and makes for better comedy, in my opinion.  Then there is Penny (Casey Wilson).  The show itself makes reference to how she is the stereotypical rom-com heroine, always trying make things happen for herself, but perpetually winding up in kooky hijinks.

When I recently tried to recommend Happy Endings to a friend, she said she had already written it off because it seemed too “sitcom-y”.  While they do find themselves in sitcom situations, the difference is that this brood often makes reference to the fact that they are sitcom characters.  Take for example the following situation, when Penny is explaining that her boyfriend broke up with her for saying her catchphrase, “a-mah-zing” too many times.

“He said he hates when I say a-mah-zing, but I’ve barely said that at all this season… it’s more of a summer word” — Penny

It was great because I, as a viewer, had noticed that she hadn’t said her signature “a-mah-zing” in quite a while.  It’s instances like this that open up this sort of communication with the fans and makes the show that much more enjoyable to watch.  It reminds me of a more accessible-to-the-masses version of Arrested Development‘s self-referential humor (perhaps because AD directors Anthony and Joe Russo serve as executive producers).

Whatever there formula is, it’s working for me and I think it would work for you, too, if you gave it a shot.

I leave you with one of my favorite bits where Max is teaching Penny how to be a hipster:

– Ellen

Grade A, Choice Picks: High School Movies

Posted in Choice Picks, Movies, Nostalgia by

September is here and for a lot of you, school is back in session. Some of you are gearing up for the year by doing some back to school shopping or getting a leg up by starting that midterm essay as soon as possible, but if you are anything like us, you only asked yourself one question: What movies should I watch to get psyched for a new school year? You know we’ve always got your back here at Fangirly, we came up with a list of our top 5 high school movies

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