Author Archives: Ellen Lloyd

Web Bytes: FOD’s “First Kiss” with Rachel Leigh Cook!

Posted in Nostalgia, Web, Web Bytes by

If you checked in yesterday, you know that I love She’s All That.  I watched all of her filmography, especially The Babysitter’s Club and Josie and the Pussycats (her crowning achievements), and with the exception of that time where she ruined everything on Psych,  she’s A-OK in my book.

So it was pretty cool to see her in the Funny or Die video and then to see that it was actually pretty funny.  And with Chad Michael Murray of all people!  (I never jumped the CMM train).

Check out the video, it’s pretty decent.

First Kiss with Rachael Leigh Cook & Chad Michael Murray
-Ellen

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

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

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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Fangirly Exposed!: The Trailer for Pitch Perfect

Posted in Fangirly Exposed!, Movies by

I have a problem.  Please know that I admit this knowing full well that this movie will not win any awards and it is still up in the air as to whether it will be any good, but I cannot stop watching the trailers and clips for Pitch Perfect.

Those who know me, know that I love a good song and dance number and maybe I am beginning to feel the loss of The Sing-Off, but I want to see this movie.  Nay, I’m excited for this movie.  Don’t ask me how it happened, because I’m not sure myself.  All I know is the first time I saw the trailer, I thought, “That looks kinda lame with funny lines from Rebel Wilson.”  Now, I have watched the scene of their underground a capella battle THRICE!  The fact that it is an “underground a capella battle” is bad enough, but they are also able to do impromptu harmonies and dance moves for “S&M”, “Let’s Talk About Sex”, “I’ll Make Love to You”, “Feels Like the First Time”, and “No Diggity”.  And Anna Kendrick raps!  Even with all of that implausibility, though, I still want to see it because it looks like it will be a good time.

Whew.  That feels better.  It’s great to get that out there.  Now, feel free to judge how you will.

Thank You, So You Think You Can Dance

Posted in Music, TV by

Every summer begins the same way.  May rolls around, all of my shows have just finished rolling out their season finales, and I am left with a hole in my heart.  How will I get through this?  Then, like a beacon of light shining through the grey clouds within the depths of my soul, So You Think You Can Dance premieres and I know that everything is going to be okay.

SYTYCD (as the cool kids abbrev it) is the best show of the summer, every summer and I am going to list the reasons why:

1) Dancing! – I will start this one off with a disclaimer.  I. Love. Dancing movies.  That being a said,  a  show that takes the only redeemable quality from dancing movies (no, not the acting) and gives it to me on a weekly basis is always going to be a-OK in my book.  Whether the dancers are launching themselves at each other in a contemporary piece, throwing it down in a hip-hop piece, or getting down in a jazz piece, I am loving every minute. Is every dance number on SYTYCD amazing?  No, but when it delivers, it delivers a beautifully wrapped package containing a bomb that I am to then insert into my ear.  So that it can blow my MIND!

2) Low investment– You can get as involved in SYTYCD as you want.  I have had seasons where I only care about the dancing, so I only watch the dancing.  I have had seasons where I want to know every bit of back story on the contestant, every caterwauling critique from Mary Murphy, every quip from Cat Deeley, so I watch the whole episode. Now, with the new format and no results show, it has become even less high maintenance.

3) Judges – Stay with me on this one.  I like the judges on this show.  Is Mary a bit crazy?  Yes.  Is Nigel a bit pervy?  Yes.  Despite all that, though, they know what they are talking about and it shows.  On occasion, there will be a dance that leaves me feeling less than enthusiastic, but I am not always able to pinpoint why.  That’s where the judges come in.  Plus, the addition of a new guest judge every week mixes it up nicely and gives a different voice to the panel, whether I like that voice (ADAM!) or not (Tyce).

4) The lovely Cat Deeley– If this woman doesn’t win the Emmy for Best Reality Host, I will lose all faith in the Academy (like that hasn’t already happened).  She really is the best out there, though.  She is charming, funny, and shows a genuine interest in the dancers and the choreography.  Girlfriend throws an annual 4th of July BBQ at her house for all of the dancers!

5) Summer tunage – Perhaps the most important reason of all (after dancing, because, c’mon), SYTYCD always supplies me with a solid summer playlist.  Whether they be songs that I have never heard or songs that I have loved my whole life, there is something about setting choreography to song that makes it really stick with you. For example, I can never hear “Ramalama Bang Bang” without “unzip[ping] my body, take my heart out” like in that Wade Robson piece.

There you have it.  Did I miss something?  What has been your favorite dance of the season so far?  (“Bang Bang” or “The Lovecats”, see below) Who is your favorite choreographer? (NappyTabs, Wall, Tookey, or Sonya)  Let us know in the comments below!

– Ellen

Web Bytes: New Castle Promo

Posted in TV, Web, Web Bytes by

Mmhmm.  Yeah.  I’m pretty excited for the new season.

In case you are not aware, Castle and Beckett finally knocked boots at the end of  last season.  No way to fake amnesia with that, Beckett!  Judging from this new promo, it looks she has no desire to forget this, though.

How do you feel about this development for them?  Is the will they, won’t they tension gone?

-Ellen

Anglophiles Anonymous: Spaced

Posted in Anglophiles Anonymous, Sweet Streams, TV by

For our inaugural post, we decided we needed to write about something very dear to us.  Something that is an essential for fangirls and fanboys, for that matter.  It is for this reason that I am going to try and convince you to watch Spaced (available on Netflix Instant).

Spaced is written by and starring Simon Pegg (Mission Impossible: Ghost Prots, Shaun of the Dead) and Jessica Hynes née Stevenson (Son of Rambow) and directed by Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim, Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead).  Now, in my opinion, all of that should be enough to convince you, but I’ll keep going.

The show centers on Tim (Pegg) and Daisy (Stevenson), two aspiring artists, comic book and writer, respectively, who lie about being a couple to get an apartment.  The initial premise becomes less important as we follow them and their friends on their crazy exploits.  The “crazy” comes less from what they are doing and more from what happens when this group does them, as is evident in the following clip where Tim and his friend Mike (the awesome Nick Frost) explain “male telepathy” and what happens when Tim and Daisy are set upon by a group of ruffians:

The best thing I can equate Spaced to for us American audiences is Community (six seasons and a movie!).  Both shows aren’t afraid of genre-bending here and there, they both find time to focus on the relationships amidst the chaos, and both are aware that we as a society use our shared experiences of movies, TV shows, etc. to communicate.  Take, for example, this clip from the premiere of series 2 that aired the summer after Star Wars: The Phantom Menace came out:

When I sat down to write this post, I was struggling to find a way to sway you readers into watching.  The reality that I had to face is that not everyone is going to love Spaced as much as I do.  Should they?  Yes. But can I make them?  No.  It’s a quirky little show that makes obscure references.  But it is for these reasons that I love it.  There is a moment near the end of the series that references the obscurest of my favorite movies.  I’m talking about Bugsy Malone.  This movie is so far off people’s radars that when I meet someone who has seen it, we become instant friends.  That’s how I know Spaced and I have formed an unbreakable bond and I think that if you watch, you too can find your Bugsy Malone reference.  .

– by Ellen

Welcome to Fangirly!

Posted in Agree to Disagree, Anglophiles Anonymous, Choice Picks, Crush of the Week, Fangirly Exposed!, Fanmanly, In with the Old, MBK, Movies, Music, Nostalgia, Sweet Streams, TV by

The day has finally come, the moment that only we have been waiting for, the launch of our new website, fangirly.com! We really have been excited to start and judging from some of the stuff that we have planned the fun is just beginning.

Like our tagline suggests, we consider ourselves to be fairly intelligent, discerning human beings, but you stick us in front of TV screen, movie screen, iPod/Pad screen, really any screen, and something strange happens. We lose all sense of how rational people behave. We squeal, laugh hysterically, sob, and do this weird thing that only select members of our family do, rub our hands together out of excitement.

We wanted to give you a little taste of the fun that is to come, so here are some of the features we will be doing here at Fangirly:

Sweet Streams: Do you ever sit down in front of your Netflix account and wonder what you should watch next? “Sweet Streams” will be our recommendations for what you should be streaming to your myriad of devices.

Grade A, Choice Picks: We’re going to give you our top picks for a variety of categories. Curious as to our top food fight scenes?  Top movies based on SNL skits? Top TV bromances? We are going to rank whatever our little hearts desire, because it gives us a false sense of superiority.  Join us, won’t you?

Fangirly Exposed!: Look we all have things that we are embarrassed to like, guilty pleasures, if you will. We are going to do the smart thing and announce ours on the internet!

Fanmanly: While we here at Fangirly enjoy our fair share of romance and polka dots and… other girly stuff, we still like to get down and dirty with the boys. (Insert innuendo of choice here). “Fanmanly” is our look at shows, movies, etc. that leave us feeling just a little more hardcore.

Anglohphiles Anonymous: Whether it be the accents, the dry wit, or the general regal air, we love the Brits and their entertainment (at least everything that makes it across the pond).  Check out picks for the finest that the UK has to offer.

Agree to Disagree: Let it be said that we agree on a lot, but there are also some things on which we will never see eye to eye.  Enjoy as Ellen wins every argument (No, Ellen didn’t write this).

In with the Old: Remember the day when movies and TV shows weren’t all spinoffs, sequels, remakes, and re-imaginings? Us, too! With this feature we hope to remind the future generations that we  were once able to come up with novel concepts.  Because we believe the children are our future.

Marry, Boff, Kill:  We once spent an entire camping trip playing this game, arguing over our choices, and disowning each other for killing certain people.  Now we are bringing the game to you guys so you can relish in watching us argue over (never going to happen) hypothetical situations.

Fangirly Crush of the Week: Pretty self-explanatory, but our spotlight on who is rocking our world.  At least for that week.

We have a lot planned and we are really excited to start.  Hopefully you will find the time to stop by and see what we are up to!  – by Ellen and Whitney