Author Archives: Ellen Lloyd

Fangirly Exposed: The Bachelor

Posted in Fangirly Exposed!, TV by

reg_600.TheBachelor2.mh.011413Yep, I’m a Rose Lover.

This hasn’t always been the case.  In fact, I used to be one of those that would see clips of The Bachelor featured on The Soup and think, “Who is watching this garbage?!”  While I still think that this is pure, unfiltered garbage, I can no longer look away.

The thing with The Bachelor/ette/ Pad franchise is that it is the closest you can get to stopping to watch a train wreck without clogging traffic and loss of human life.  It is also a somewhat fascinating experiment in human behavior.  How stupid can one person be?  How easy is it to manipulate a dumb jock?  What happens to the female brain when she hasn’t consumed anything but vodka for a week in preparation for the first rose ceremony?  All of these questions are bound to be answered in an episode of The Bachelor!

I can’t be alone, right?  Do you prefer The Bachelor or The Bachelorette?  (I find a group of women more entertaining, but I get more invested in the relationships on The Bachelorette)

(Side Note: If you watch the these shows and you enjoy a saltier take, I strongly suggest checking out the recaps at Lost Angeles.  It has become the main reason I rush to catch the latest episode.)

–Ellen

Fangirly Poll: Was that New Girl [SPOILER] Everything You Hoped it Would Be?

Posted in TV by

new-girl-215-cooler-jess-nick-true-american-kiss-foxWow-ee-wow.  Am I right?  Now is the time to look away if you don’t want to be spoiled. [SERIOUSLY.  Look away and stop reading because I am about to start scream-typing.]

IT HAPPENED!  That was pretty epic and I don’t want to judge prematurely but this had to be up there on the list of best kisses on TV.  Yep, that’s right, folks, Nick and Jess kissed and it was awesome.  Actually, when I thought they were going to kiss during the game of True American, it was going to be awesome, but then it was awesome-er.

The two complaints I have heard so far are that it is happening too soon and that Nick ate Jess’ face.  But I was into it.  Nick Miller can eat my face any day.

What did you think?  Let us know in the poll and comments below.

–Ellen

NewGirl-Ep215_cooler_Sc39_0675

In with the Old: Heart and Souls

Posted in In with the Old, Movies, Nostalgia by

Heart20and20SoulsOnce upon a Sundance Film Festival, I happened upon one Robert Downey Jr.  This was pre-Iron Man and pre-his comeback.  The crowd was clamoring around him, whispering about his priors and calling out to him.  Struggling to get his attention, I yelled out the first thing that came to my mind.

“I loved you in Heart and Souls!”

He stopped trying to escape the masses, turned to me, and said, “I don’t get that one too often.”

He then proceeded to his Black SUV, but I will always remember that as the time that RDJ and I bonded.

The important thing about that story is that I wasn’t lying when I said that.  It came from the heart.  No matter how big he gets, to me he’ll always be that guy strolling down the streets of San Francisco singing “Walk Like a Man” with his ghost pals.

This movie was my jam when I was a kid.  I got it on DVD for Christmas this year and I was anxious to see if it would hold up, but it delivered in spades.  I have yet to determine whether that is purely based on nostalgic reasons, but whatever, it warmed the cockles of my heart and isn’t that what matters?

The basic plot of Heart of Souls  centers on RDJ’s character, Thomas, who was born near a bus crash and as a result was granted/cursed with the four “guardian angels” of the victims.  With the mounting child psychologists and calls home, the angels decide to watch him in silence.  However, when Thomas is a grown man they are told that they were supposed to be using him as vessle to settle their unfinished business.  They are given a little extra time to do so, but Thomas does not take seeing his former “imaginary friends” very well.  Crazy hijinks and tender moments ensue.

While much of my love for this movie probably stems from those memories of watching this in my family’s basement and dancing along with Thomas and the gang, I still feel like I can say it’s a good movie.  Not a great movie, but a good one.

After that resounding recommendation, have I sold you?  Did anyone connect to this movie on a visceral level as a 7 year old?

–Ellen

TV Obituaries: RIP Ben and Kate

Posted in TV, TV Obituaries by

ben and kateWe have only just begun the season’s cancellations and if this a sign of things to come, I am not going to be in good shape.  While Ben and Kate has not been officially cancelled, production has been halted and much like my face when I heard this news, it is not looking good.

Assuming this happens, I will never understand how this show didn’t make it.  It’s the kind of comedy that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy after you watch it while still remaining funny and sharp.  The show seemed to be settling into the characters with Kate finding her dorky awkwardness, Ben finding his ambition, Tommy getting over Kate (for now), and B.J. establishing her general awesomeness.

I will always struggle with smart, lovely shows getting cancelled while networks can still find room for your Last Man Standings and Whitneys.  How does this happen?! How do we LET this happen?!  And I’m just going to say it:  Ben and Kate is a better show than The Mindy Project.  That’s just how I feel.  I still enjoy watching Mindy, but Ben and Kate had more to love, and now everything I loved is being taken from me.

What?!  I don’t get too invested in TV, but my life is over.

–Ellen

Web Bytes: The Lonely Island “Yolo”

Posted in Music, Web Bytes by

Before “D**k in a Box”, before “Lazy Sunday”, and even before Andy Samberg showed up on SNL, my friend and I were college freshman who were obsessed with three guys who made random web videos about The ‘Bu, storks, sandwiches, and a “frazzy-haired Jew girl”.

When it comes to the guys known as the Lonely Island, I really CAN say that I knew them when they were nobodies and I have always loved that my boys are now getting to make their videos with a somewhat higher production value.

In case you haven’t already seen it, I give you “Yolo”, the song that knows that we really do only live once and we should be careful with that precious gift of life.

Considering that my previously mentioned college roommate and I would regularly argue over which of the Lonely Island boys was the cutest, we would have gone nuts for this video, because all of them are looking pretty fly in their acid-washed denim jackets.

Watch the video and see if your heart is also sent aflutter.

– Ellen

Fangirly Crush of the Week: Wesley Schultz (The Lumineers)

Posted in Crush of the Week, Music by

LumI thought I would break the mold a bit here and NOT pick someone that is on a TV show (but expect us to return to form soon).  Although, I have to admit that I was reminded of my love for this week’s crush by his appearance on a TV show.  I’m talking about The Lumineers’ appearance on Saturday Night Live, and by default, lead singer’s Wesley Schultz.

My love affair with The Lumineers started over a year again when I heard “Ho Hey” on an episode of Hart of Dixie (don’t judge).  The album wasn’t out yet and neither were any videos….

Said love affair took a turn when said videos and press photos came out.  Wesley Schultz.  Hum-a-nuh-hum-a-nuh.  He is my hipster dreamboat, y’all, and he has the same name as the Carey Elwes in The Princess Bride.  Also, it doesn’t hurt that The Lumineers album was my soundtrack of 2012 and his voice pierced my soul for the duration.

Check out Wesley’s general crush-worthiness in the video below.

– Ellen

Sweet Streams: Spy

Posted in Anglophiles Anonymous, Sweet Streams, TV by

tv_spy_darren_boyd_jude_wrightThe hipster in me loves finding new delights from across the pond.  “It’s some show, you’ve probably never heard of it.  It’s British.”  Or even better, when the show inevitably gets adapted for American audiences, I can say, “The British version was better.”  (See: Coupling, The Office, Sherlock, Da Ali G Show, Being Human, Trading Spaces, What Not to Wear, etc.).  Of course, the Anglophile in me, also loves saying that last one.

Now, when the awfully funny Spy gets adapted for American TV, don’t you want to be a cool kid, too?  Well, you can be because it’s on Hulu.  In case, Hulu hasn’t already gotten you with their incessant self-promotion, let’s see if I can sway you.

Spy is about the unassuming Tim Elliot, a man who is always trying to impress his ambitious and genius son, Marcus.  To up his game, Tim decides to get a better job and accidentally applies to be an MI-6 agent.  The show becomes part workplace comedy, complete with the kooky boss and office crush, and part family comedy as Tim fights his ex-wife and her new boyfriend for custody of Marcus.

This show is so rife with hilarious characters that I have a hard time picking my favorite.  Is it Marcus, who runs gambling rackets out of his bedroom or runs his student council with the kind of iron fist that would make Stalin cower?  Or maybe it is Tim’s boss, known only as The Examiner, who eagerly awaits his next torture and opportunity to impress Tim? It could be Tim’s friend, Chris, who could be a lawyer but finds it easier to just hack bank accounts.

Just check out the first episode below already.  Of course, I’m mourning the fact that the second season just ended and it will undoubtedly be another year before the third season starts.  Crazy Brits and their weird TV programming schedules.

– Ellen

TV Obituaries: RIP Fringe

Posted in TV, TV Obituaries by

fringeseriesfinale_waltercryFringe left us on Friday night after a long and arduous battle with cancellation to board that great cloud in the sky with the other genre shows that were taken too soon (Firefly, Pushing Daisies, etc.).  While it still ended too soon, much of Fringe‘s run is a miracle.  It spent five seasons on the bubble, even surviving the Friday curse, never sure if it would make it to the next.  However, this seemed to only invigorate the show, making each season more compelling than the last.

I know there are those out there who have been disappointed in the this latest season, but I will fight anyone that was not satisfied with the series finale.  Were there some potential holes in the science and events that took place in that two-hour block? Yes.  Did that stop me from bawling like a baby for most of that two-hour block? No, because in the end it perfectly captured everything that Fringe was about: science, parallel universes, humanity, family, and love.  It was the best kind of sci-fi show.  One that perfectly combined hard science with the sentimental.

I particularly loved the quite apropos comments that Walter made in his farewell video to Peter about having shared “stolen time.”  We truly did share stolen time with Fringe. Time that the entertainment industry can’t seem to afford with other shows.  Time to tell their story and give a proper conclusion to said story.  While this one left me in tears, it was also able to do what only the best TV can do: restore my faith in humanity and television.

Let us raise our white tulips and Observer hats to Fringe.

–Ellen

Web Bytes: Shoopin’ with the Boys of Parks and Rec

Posted in TV, Web Bytes by

If you need to know anything about me, you need to know that I love Parks and Recreation and Salt-N-Pepa’s “Shoop”.  Seriously.  Give it a listen.  It is pure genius.

When those two wonderful things joined forces last night, I just about wept with joy.  With that being said, I give you the following for your viewing pleasure. (Check out the whole episode, too.  It was pretty great.)

– Ellen

Fangirly Exposed!: Beauty and the Beast

Posted in Fangirly Exposed!, TV by

New-Photos-beauty-and-the-beast-cw-31899800-1600-2133

Confession: I am currently entrenched in more CW shows than ever before and I’m talking almost every CW show.  To clarify, I am not a fifteen-year old girl.  In fact, I have even surpassed the target 18-24 demo.

I know I am in a safe space here, which is why I am going to talk to you about my current investment, Beauty and the Beast. I don’t know why, but I feel like this is currently the most shameful CW show right now.  Even if you think there is one more shameful, I probably watch that, as well.

I’m not going to come on here and argue Beauty and the Beast’s case for a Best Drama Emmy or anything, but I have to say, I am enjoying this show. Let’s see if I can do the impossible and sell you on it’s pretty cheesy plot.

Catherine (Kristin Kreuk) was saved by a mysterious, beastly creature years ago.  Now, this tiny little wisp of a girl is a cop out of some vengeance over her mother’s death.  She works a case that leads her to Vincent (magically delicious Jay Ryan) who is presumed dead.  She eventually encounters him, because like all good supernatural heroes, he is incapable of NOT stepping in when she is danger.  She comes to learn that he becomes beastly because he was part of a government project to create super soldiers that went awry.  He is in hiding from a government agency that is looking for him, but he steps out in the night to be a sort of vigilante.  But now, Catherine is awakening new “beastly” feelings within him and they have to figure out how to date while still maintaining his secret.

So, maybe that wasn’t a great sell, but bear with me.  I, of course, come for the romance and some of the dramatic intrigue over his secret.  The reason I feel like this romance stands is that almost from the beginning, these two have made it pretty clear to each other that they like the other.  The romantic tension comes from the fact that they don’t know how to be together because a) he is supposed to be dead and her whole precinct knows it, b) he kind of turns into this gnarly-faced beast every now and then, c) there is this whole group that wants his blood and by deafult, hers to get to him.

It’s a pretty classic superhero-meets-girl story line, but it is a nice change with all of these Castle/Bones will they/won’t they story lines that make us wait 3 -6 seasons for anything to happen.  They know they want to at least try and be together, but they have a myriad of things stopping them.

If I still haven’t sold you, just…

Jay-Ryan-in-Beauty-and-the-Beast-episode-1.07-03

I didn’t want to resort to that, but you forced my hand.  You made this tawdry! I have to go wipe the filth from my keybroad.  But seriously, look at him.  You’ll tune in.

–Ellen 

Awards by the Minute: Golden Globes

Posted in Movies, TV by

Join me, as I get angry, joyous, and ambivalent over the course of an entire award ceremony.

70th Annual Golden Globe Awards - Show0:00 Guys, not going to lie, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey have a lot to live up to for this old girl.  But given how much I love them and anything that comes out of their mouths, I’m sure they will deliver.

0:01 Off to a great start: “Only at the Golden Globes do the beautiful people of film rub shoulders with the rat-faced people of television.”

0:02 When you run afoul of the Hollywood Foreign Press, they make you host this show two more times.

0:03 Ooooh, James Cameron burn goes over swimmingly and will probably be the edgiest burn of the night.  “I have not been following the controversy over Zero Dark Thirty, but I’m going to trust the lady who was married to James Cameron.”

0:04 Provin’ me wrong:  “Anne Hathaway, I have not seen anyone left alone and abandoned like that since you did the Oscars with James Franco.”

0:05 And the award for Joke only Liz Lemon could have written goes to: “The Hunger Games was one of the biggest films of the year, and also what I call the six weeks it took me to get into this dress,” “Ang Lee’s been nominated for Best Director for Life of Pi, which is what I’m going to call the six weeks after I take this dress off!”

70th Annual Golden Globe Awards - Show0:05 Quentin Tarantino is coincidentally the star of all my sexual nightmares, as well Tina.  This is why I love her.

0:06 I loved Meryl Streep in The Flu, everyone is raving about it.

0:07 Also, it needs to addressed how smoking my ladies are looking.

0:08 They have to cut away from Lea Michele before she says something really bratty about Kate Hudson’s dress (which would not be completely unfounded). globes090-3_4_rx512_c380x510

0:09 Christoph Waltz gets Best Supporting Actor in a Film and I am actually someone surprised.  Everyone is saying Tommy Lee Jones is a lock, but Waltz’ performance is something to behold.

0:12 How did Hayden Pannetierre get nominated?  She is good at best. I was expecting less, so that is saying something.

0:13 Will Maggie Smith ever NOT win for Downton Abbey?

0:17 I have to admit, that mini-series and TV movie categories are always my blind spot, but I do want to see The Hour.  Shocker: Game Change wins.

0:21 Oh my gosh, please tell me that Amy and Tina are going to be sitting in the crowd all night as fake nominees.  Please, Golden Globes!

0:23 And here to remind a Hollywood that has become increasingly obsessed with musicals that she can sing: Catherine Zeta-Jones!

0:30 You can hear America tuning out as the HFPA president is announced, but she is actually quite cute and funny and hits on Bradley Cooper, so we have that in common.

0:31 Oh, hey, lifetime crush Paul Rudd.

damian-lewis0:32 I do not watch Homeland, but I love Damien Lewis so much from Band of Brothers and this really random adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing that he did, that I am always happy to see him win anything.  So charming.

0:35 Only Paul Rudd can make technical difficulties charming.  And apparently I need to watch Homeland.

0:42 Pretty cool that they got the real Tony Medez (Argo) there even if you couldn’t hear anything he said.

0:46 You guys, how adorable is Ang Lee?

70th Annual Golden Globe Awards - Show0:47 Is there any way that Adele is not going to win this?  Not necessarily that she deserves it more, but just because she was Adele in 2012?

0:49 You guys, how adorable is Adele?  Really, though.

0:55 I don’t think it will happen, but Benedict Cumbatch SHOULD win for Sherlock.

0:56 YES! They are doing the fake nominees for all of the acting categories it seems.  This bodes well.  But NO! Benedict didn’t get it.

0:58 Of course, Bill Clinton gets a standing ovation at the Golden Globes.

1:01 “That was Hillary Clinton’s husband!” Amy would say that.

70th Annual Golden Globe Awards - Show1:02 Thank goodness we have SNL alum like Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig to liven this thing up.

1:06 Winners for best presenters of the night, so for, but probably for the night: Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig.  “YOU GET OUT OF HERE!”

70th Annual Golden Globe Awards - Show1:07 Jennifer Lawrence’s really should mention that she beat Meryl because that is an achievement at the Globes.  And she is getting the award for most charming speech, so far.

1:13 You guys, how adorable is John Krasinski?

1:15 For award that is shocking no one: Anne Hatheway (but she does deserve it)70th Annual Golden Globe Awards - Show

1:17 You guys, how adorable is Sally Field?

1:24 Shocked by the love for Django Unchained.  Not that it is completely unfounded, just unexpected.

1:26 You guys, how adorable is Ewan McGregror?

1:28 In typical HFPA fashion, Don Cheadle wins just for being Don Cheadle and not for actually being a good show.

1:34  Arnold and Sly are BOTH pretty hard to understand.  Don’t take steroids, kids.

1:38 Homeland is sweeping.  Okay, I get it.  I’ll watch this stupid show.

1:45 Somewhat of a strange intro for the Animated Feature Film category.

1:49 All of my dreams are coming true.  Jason Bateman carried Aziz Ansari out on stage.

1:51 The Take That, Will Arnett Award goes to: Amy Poehler chatting it up with George Clooney when her name was announced.  I was dying.

70th Annual Golden Globe Awards - Show1:53 Amy should have won, but don’t get me started on the HFPA’s utter disregard for Parks and Rec

1:59 Warning Taylor Swift to stay away for Michael J. Fox is actually quite sage advice.

70th Annual Golden Globe Awards - Show 2:02 Did anybody else feel out of the loop during Robert Downey Jr.’s presentation of Jodie Foster’s Cecil B. DeMille Award?

2:04 You guys, the glee that I had at seeing Bugsy Malone on Jodie Foster’s reel is unparalleled.  (Look it up, kids).

2:11 I’m sorry, but I don’t get why everyone was teary eyed by the end of Jodie Foster’s speech.  She seemed somewhat the manic, crazy person, no?

2:17 For Biggest F You to the Academy:  Ben Affleck for director of Argo, after not getting nominated for the Oscar.  (Don’t get me started.)

2:22 Loved Jimmy Fallon trying to push Jay Leno out of The Tonight Show.

2:23 The Award that Should Have Been Parks and Rec’s:  Girls for Best Comedy (Don’t get me started)

2:32 I really wanted Bradley Cooper to win Best Actor – Comedy or Musical.  He deserves as much praise as Jennifer Lawrence but is not getting it because he is in the same awards season as Daniel Day-Lewis.

jackman-3_4_rx3402:34 I am going to say this in the nicest way possible, but does anybody else find it incredibly endearing that Hugh Jackman’s wife is not as pretty as him?  Just an observation.

2:40 I wanted Silver Linings Playbook to win, but I am fine with Les Mis winning.

2:47 Middle-aged Clooney DOES make young Clooney look like garbage.

2:48 Yay! Jessica Chastain! She really does deserve it.  Her performance in Zero Dark Thirty was haunting, depressing, and exhilarating, all at once.

2:51 Once again, Daniel Day-Lewis’ win shocks no one, but he REALLY deserves it.  His performance is eerily intoxicating.

affleck-onstage-4_3_r536_c5342:58 When they were reading the announcements for Best Motion Picture – Drama, I realized that this one could go any way, but after Ben Affleck’s snub at the Oscars, I really wanted Argo to win… and I got my wish!  Highly recommend this one, most crazy intense movie experience I have ever had.  It took me a solid hour to come down from this movie.

3:00 Well, that’s it, folks.  I was “meh” about most of the winners, in that I wasn’t surprised by a lot, was pissed about others, but more often, I had wished that someone else had won, but was okay with who won.  This just makes me excited for the Oscars to see if they make me less pissed or more.  Probably less, because I get more enraged by the TV nominees.

– Ellen

Fangirly Crush of the Week: David Walton

Posted in Crush of the Week, TV by

121002mag-NewGirl1_300x206Listen folks, nobody wants to see Nick and Jess fall in love already more than me.  I have to admit, though, I’m not hating having Sam, Jess’ latest love interest played by David Walton, around.

He’s the triple threat: cute, funny, and a doctor.  Am I right, ladies?  Add on to those that he is also a reformed commitment-phobe that came back to Jess because he just liked her THAT much?  There go my ovaries.  (TMI? Meh.)

He’s a babe.  If he were a president, he would be Baberham Lincoln. Scha-wing.

– Ellen

Some Quick Thoughts on the Oscar Nominations Snubs and Surprises

Posted in Fangirly Investigates, Movies by

Oscar NominationsIt’s that time of year again, people.  The Oscar Nominations were announced at the crack of dawn this morning by Emma Stone and host Seth MacFarlane.  I thought I would jump on the bandwagon and offer up some of my thoughts on the nominations:

  • A personal surprise to me was that I need to see very few movies to catch up with the nominated films and performances before February 24th.  Among those films is Amour, Life of Pi, The Master, The Impossible, and almost all of the animated film nominations.
  • Most shocking snubs have to be Ben Affleck (Argo) and Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty) for Best Director.  Affleck’s showing was generally lauded by critics and seen as a sure bet.
  • Beasts of the Southern Wild was great.  I really did like it. But, I was a bit surprised to see Benh Zeitlin on the list.  As was he, from what I have read.  I think he was nominated in part for the performances that he was able to get from his actors including…
  • Quvenzhane Wallis!  I was pretty excited to see her among the nominees, even though she is considered quite a surprise.  Her performance was amazing for her age (I believe she was 6 at the time of filming) and she is just dag gum adorable.
  • I really liked Silver Linings Playbook and was happy to see it all over these nominations.  Cooper and Lawrence were sure bets, but De Niro and Weaver came as surprises to a lot of people.
  • Not a lot of people saw Django Unchained making it on to the list, but I was happy to see it there.  Adds some spice!

There you have it!  This year should be pretty good.  Not too many sure locks for the winners (which could change as we get closer to ceremony).  And judging from the nomination announcement, Seth MacFarlane is going to be quite the live wire as host.  Check out the video below for some of his and Emma Stone’s zingers.  I’ve also included the full list of nominations.

–Ellen

Best Picture
Amour
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

Best Actor
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight

Best Actress
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Quvenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts, The Impossible

Best Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin, Argo
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook

Best Director
Michael Haneke, Amour
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Original Screenplay
Amour, Michael Haneke
Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino
Flight, John Gatins
Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola
Zero Dark Thirty, Mark Boal

Best Adapted Screenplay
Argo, Chris Terrio
Beasts of the Southern Wild, Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin,
Life of Pi, David Magee
Lincoln, Tony Kushner
Silver Linings Playbook, David O. Russell

Best Animated Feature:
Brave
Frankenweenie
ParaNorman
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Wreck-It Ralph

Best Cinematography
Anna Karenina, Seamus McGarvey
Django Unchained, Robert Richardson
Life of Pi, Claudio Miranda
Lincoln, Janusz Kaminski
Skyfall, Roger Deakins

Best Costume Design
Anna Karenina, Jacqueline Durran
Les Misérables, Paco Delgado
Lincoln, Joanna Johnston
Mirror Mirror, Eiko Ishioka
Snow White and the Huntsman, Colleen Atwood

Best Documentary Feature
5 Broken Cameras
The Gatekeepers
How to Survive a Plague
The Invisible War
Searching for Sugar Man

Best Documentary Short
Inocente
Kings Point
Mondays at Racine
Open Heart
Redemption

Best Film Editing
Argo, William Goldenberg
Life of Pi, Tim Squyres
Lincoln, Michael Kahn
Silver Linings Playbook, Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers
Zero Dark Thirty, Dylan Tichenor and William Goldenberg

Best Foreign Language Film
Amour, Austria
Kon-Tiki, Norway
No, Chile
A Royal Affair, Denmark
War Witch, Canada

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Hitchcock, Howard Berger, Peter Montagna and Martin Samuel
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Peter Swords King, Rick Findlater and Tami Lane
Les Misérables, Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell

Best Original Score
Anna Karenina, Dario Marianelli
Argo, Alexandre Desplat
Life of Pi, Mychael Danna
Lincoln, John Williams
Skyfall, Thomas Newman

Best Original Song
“Before My Time” from Chasing Ice, music and lyric by J. Ralph
“Everybody Needs A Best Friend” from Ted, music by Walter Murphy; lyric by Seth MacFarlane
“Pi’s Lullaby” from Life of Pi, music by Mychael Danna; lyric by Bombay Jayashri
“Skyfall” from Skyfall, music and lyric by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth
“Suddenly” from Les Misérables, music by Claude-Michel Schönberg; lyric by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil

Best Production Design
Anna Karenina, Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, production Design: Dan Hennah; Set Decoration: Ra Vincent and Simon Bright
Les Misérables, Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Anna Lynch-Robinson
Life of Pi, Production Design: David Gropman; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
Lincoln, Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Best Animated Short
Adam and Dog
Fresh Guacamole
Head over Heels
Maggie Simpson in “The Longest Daycare”
Paperman

Best Live Action Short
Asad
Buzkashi Boys
Curfew
Death of a Shadow
Henry

Best Sound Editing
Argo, Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn
Django Unchained, Wylie Stateman
Life of Pi, Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton
Skyfall, Per Hallberg and Karen Baker Landers
Zero Dark Thirty, Paul N.J. Ottosson

Best Sound Mixing
Argo, John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Jose Antonio Garcia
Les Misérables, Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes
Life of Pi, Ron Bartlett, D.M. Hemphill and Drew Kunin
Lincoln, Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom and Ronald Judkins
Skyfall, Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell and Stuart Wilson

Best Visual Effects
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton and R. Christopher White
Life of Pi, Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott
The Avengers, Janek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams and Dan Sudick
Prometheus, Richard Stammers, Trevor Wood, Charley Henley and Martin Hill
Snow White and the Huntsman, Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Philip Brennan, Neil Corbould and Michael Dawson

The Book Was Better: 10 Books to Read in 2013

Posted in Books, Choice Picks, Movies by

When I was kid, my mom used to try and get me to read (age-appropriate) books before their respective adaptations came out. This is how I read Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, and The Baby-Sitters Club.  While I recognize that some of those are more respected than others, I still like to maintain that rule.  This is why I have compiled this list for both my sake and yours, dear reader, so that we can be ahead of the game.  Together.

warm bodiesWarm+Bodies

Warm Bodies (February 1) – As you can tell from previous posts here, we are pretty intrigued by this one.  Also, I happen to have just finished reading the book.  The film looks like it will be more comedic than the novel was, but I will be intrigued to see how much of the fairly deep commentary on death and life they maintain here.  Especially deep since everyone is wanting to compare this to Twilight.

Beautiful-creaturesBEAUTIFUL-CREATURES-poster1Beautiful Creatures (February 13) – As you can tell from this list and in case you haven’t already noticed from the general climate in pop culture, Young Adult novels are all the rage. It seems that no book or series can do even remotely well without getting snatched up.  Not that I am complaining, because even though my young adult days are technically over, my bookshelf is still full of them.   I have just started reading this one and have heard generally good things about it, so maybe I will write a follow-up. 

tumblr_lyu0lbflJz1qdop7jo1_r1_5002936Romeo and Juliet (February 14) – No, seeing one of the several dozen adaptations does not count.  Maybe you read it in high school, maybe you didn’t.  Either way you are going to feel so pretentious reading this in your local Starbucks.  Then think of the delight you can get when you tell all your friends the ways in which this adaptation is sure to stray from Shakespeare’s original tone.  I have to say, I am excited to see a Juliet that is actually close to 14.  

TheHost478The-Host-PosterThe Host (March 29) – Hold the phone.  I already know what you are going to say.  Yes, I realize that this is written by Stephenie Meyer.  Yes, I realize that she also wrote Twilight.  But I’m going to tell you to give this one a chance.  I found it to be a pretty compelling sci-fi/romance that was set in an interesting and unique world, so maybe try it out before the movie (potentially) makes it worse.  

gatsby-posterGatsby_1925_jacketThe Great Gatsby (May 10) -Did you read this one in high school, too?  Did you hate it/not get it?  I am going to suggest that re-visit it before Baz Luhrman’s behemoth colors your perception.  I have my high school junior research project to thank for my attachment to this novel.  Nothing like pouring over academic journals discussing green lights and yellow cars to endear me to Fitzgerald.  

leaf-men-william-joyce-paperback-cover-artepic_movie_poster_1The Leaf Men (Epic) (May 24) – The only picture book to be featured on the list, this was a family favorite when we were wee children.  It makes me upset that they felt that they needed to change the title and distance  the movie from the book, because it implies a certain lack of fidelity.  I also understand, though, that it is hard to maintain said fidelity with picture books (see Where the Wild Things Are, Cat in the Hat, etc.)

World_War_Z_posterWorld_War_Z_book_coverWorld War Z (June 21) – I have the opposite problem with this adaptation.  I read this book some time ago but there is no way that this movie is going to stay true, seeing as how I don’t recall Brad Pitt (or his character) being in the book at all.  In cases such as this, I just wish that they would call the movie something else entirely and admit that it is a stand alone zombie movie.  

City_of_Bonesmortal_instruments_posterThe Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (August 23) -This is another one that is sitting on my eBook shelf awaiting me.  I know that a lot of people love this series, but I have to admit that the trailer is not doing a whole lot to get me excited about delving in.  Maybe someone who is a fan can tell me if the movie seems like it will be capturing the book that you know and love.

Enders GameMV5BMjE0Mzk0Nzk1Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTA2MDU4OA@@._V1._SY317_CR128,0,214,317_Ender’s Game (November 1) -I do this weird thing where EVERYone tells me that read this book, see that movie, or watch that TV show, and it just makes me want to do anything but do that.  That is my current relationship with Ender’s Game.  My New Year’s resolution is to get over my weird thing and read Ender’s Game before November 1 and maybe watch Gilmore Girls.  But that’s a big maybe.

Catching-Fire-PosterCatching_fire_c-330The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (November 22) – If you haven’t already gotten on board this bandwagon, there is nothing that I can say that will sway you otherwise.

Did I miss any that you are excited about?  Anybody want to convince me to read one sooner than the others?

-Ellen

Web Bytes: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Posted in Web, Web Bytes by

LBD smallIf we haven’t already addressed it, you will soon learn that we here at Fangirly  love us some BBC period dramas. Bring on the high collars and sideburns. I myself wrote enough papers on Jane Austen in college to fill a sizable tome.  And it is safe to say that I have seen the five-hour miniseries of Pride and Prejudice at LEAST 20 times.  All components that lead to making The Lizzie Bennet Diaries the perfect candidate for our latest obsession.

LBD (as the cool kids abbrev it) is the modern-day vlog of, you guessed it, Lizzie Bennet.  Her sisters Lydia and Jane and friend Charlotte are all frequent guests and for a while Darcy was only heard of or seen through Lizzie’s less than flattering imitations. FINALLY, in episode 60 (yeah, 60!) he showed up to present his undesired proclamations.

This is an entertaining series and unique medium for one of my favorite stories.  Its been great fun to get a little taste every Monday and Thursday.  If I had to complain about anything it would be that it is taking them forever to get to my favorite part, but that is my complaint with the book and miniseries, as well. Luckily, it looks like my patience will be tried no longer as the tease for today’s episode was that Lizzie is touring a company by the name of Pemberley Digital.

Excuse me while I rush to YouTube…

You should, too.

– Ellen

Fangirly Investigates: Best Day of Television

Posted in Fangirly Investigates by

We’ve had TGIF, Must See Thursday, and One Saturday Morning, but is the current best night of television.  After exhaustive hours spent doing research for this study, I feel safe in declaring Tuesday the best night of television.

First, let’s look at the close runner-up and former champ: Thursday.  It is still fighting a good fight, but where I used to not have enough DVR capabilities to get in everything I wanted and I couldn’t wait to get home and watch it all, I’m feeling a bit more ambivalent.  I enjoy watching 30 Rock and The Vampire Diaries and I still rush home for Parks and Recreation, but this is not the “Must See” night that it used to be.

Dethroning the once great Thursday is the quick and scrappy Tuesday.  It’s appeal may come from the fact that all of the shows I am loving are still fresh and only in their first or second season (with the exception of Happy Endings in its third).  Let’s look at my personal lineup:  Raising Hope, Hart of Dixie, Ben and Kate, New Girl, Happy Endings, Emily Owens, M.D., and The Mindy Project.  All of these have something to get excited about and are showing great promise.

So what night of TV is getting you most excited?  Are you Team Tuesday?

-Ellen

Fangirly Crush of the Week: Jake Johnson

Posted in Crush of the Week by

I don’t know what has changed, but in the first season of of New Girl, I could not have cared less about Jake Johnson or his alter ego, Nick Miller.  Don’t get me wrong, I wanted Nick and Jess to fall in love, but I myself could have taken him or left him.

Then this season comes along and everything has changed.  I don’t know if it is a change in my libido or something that the show has done to change his character, but I can’t get enough of him! Anything that comes out of his mouth lately has me rolling.  His delivery is priceless. Take for example his line reading of the word “spectacular” while watching a documentary on turtles.  Slayed me.

Am I alone?  Has something changed?

Grade A, Choice Picks: TV Proposals

Posted in Choice Picks, TV by

I feel I am safe in shouting this from the rooftops now because it has been a week, but BEN AND LESLIE ARE GETTING MARRIED!  I couldn’t be happier for these two crazy kids.  Yeah, I know, they’re fictional but that doesn’t hinder my excitement for the most adorable couple on TV.

Their perfect proposal got me thinking about other TV proposals which got me thinking about making a list.  I have compiled 5 of my favorite with the following disclaimers: Ben and Leslie may very well top this list but it’s too fresh to tell for sure, so I excluded it here.  Also, these are only from the shows that I watch, so there are going to be blind spots that I missed.

5) Michael and Holly – The Office: In their mad dash to give Michael Scott an epic send-off, the Office crew brought Holly back to make sweetly dorky music with Michael again.  This was great because it got everyone involved and showed everyone’s attachment to Michael despite all of his buffoonery in the past.  And let’s not forget, it was sweetly romantic.  The simulated rain, the candles, the first place they fell in love, and any proposal that happens in Yoda voice is A-OK in my book.

4) Turk and Carla – Scrubs:  This proposal is greatly aided by it’s simplicity and Old 97’s “Question”.  Turk kept asking and asking and Carla kept refusing to give an answer, until she calls Turk and tells him to ask again.  Turk comes running, they meet in a park, and we just watch as they finally get their moment.  Then, because this is still Scrubs, J.D. comes in running around with sparklers.  Love it.  And “Question” was playing in my car for a good couple months after this one.

3)  Charlie and The Waitress – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: That sweet guy who has been mooning over you at the coffee shop for years writes a musical so that he will finally have his moment to tell you how he really feels and propose marriage. Sounds kind of sweet, right?  Well, the musical has a pedophile troll, a princess who wants little, baby boys, and penetration from behind.  Not all proposals are perfect and it may not be a huge surprise that The Waitress turned down Charlie, but this one is still up there for me.

2) Jim and Pam – The Office: I was Team Jim and Pam from the very beginning (mainly because I had been Team UK Tim and Dawn and I knew what was coming).  I cheered when they finally kissed and I wept when Jim moved away and started dating Ann Perkins.  With all their ups and downs, their sweet proposal in the rain at the gas station that was halfway between them was perfect.  And I’m starting to realize that Michael Schur and Co. should plan all of life’s proposals.

1) Monica and Chandler – Friends:  I know I’m not alone, but I loved Friends.  Like, LOVED it.  My love of this proposal is only increased by the fact that Chandler was my favorite guy and Monica was my favorite girl.  This just seems to be TV doing a proposal right.  Just when it seems that everything has gone to hell in a hand basket, you open the door to find a room full of candles.  I love how neither of them can get through what they want to say without crying, because that will probably be me.  I’m a weeper.  Let’s move past it.

Honorable mentions:  Matt and Julie on Friday Night Lights, Homer and Marge on The Simpsons, Will and Emma on Glee

What do you think?  Did I miss your favorite?  Because in researching this, I realized that there haven’t been as many as you would think.

-Ellen