Author Archives: Ellen Lloyd

My 24 Hour Emmy Binge or My Slip in Sanity

Posted in Dinner and a Show, Fangirly Exposed!, Get with the Program, Live Texting, TV by

This weekend I did something a little crazy.  Ok, a lottle crazy.  In a recent issue of Entertainment Weekly there was an article written by Marc Snetiker on how to best prepare for the Emmys next Monday.  Well, how to best prepare for the Emmys in only 24 hours and because I’m a weirdo, my first thought was, “I could do this.  I should do this.  I’m GOING to do this.”  I honestly don’t watch a lot of the Emmy shows, especially in the Drama category, so I saw this as the perfect opportunity to get myself edumacated.

I prepared by making sure I had all of the recommended episodes or at least access to them and by placing an order with Amazon Fresh to make sure I had a cavalcade of themed snacks.  As you should do for any binge.

Oh, and I live-tweeted the whole thing. And it turns out you can tweet a lot in 24 hours.

https://twitter.com/eel8/status/500658517649268736

First show, first snack.

https://twitter.com/eel8/status/500671653789978627

For Orange is the New Black, I watched “Lesbian Request Denied” and I have to say this is one of the viewings that made me want to watch more.

Next up, True Detective. Continue reading →

Fangirly Crush of the Week: Chris Pratt

Posted in Crush of the Week by

This is a repeat pick, but after the week… or month that I have had crushing on Chris Pratt, this needed to happen.  If you only knew all the Chris Pratt related posts that I have liked on Tumblr lately, I would be very embarrassed but also proud of my collection.  Also, seeing Guardians of the Galaxy twice in the course of four days  is bound to make a girl a bit obsessive.

I would like to point out that I have been crushing on Chris since before he got in Guardians shape, but of course, Guardians shape has turned this up to 11.  I have loved seeing him in the spotlight, especially since he is this lovable goof that I fell in love with on Parks and Rec.

And now here is an image dump because I couldn’t pick.

– Ellen

tumblr_inline_n9owtdhpBf1sbt1pttumblr_n9vc7vJaIj1qewacoo1_500tumblr_n4rhdzcsfR1tqa0qyo2_500tumblr_n94lxwrur21tennpwo1_500tumblr_n9qn1i1MaX1r6hs5vo1_500

And this:

My Love Letter to Comic Con

Posted in Movies, TV by

It has now been a little over a week since I returned from my annual pilgrimage to San Diego Comic Con.  This was my fifth year and at this point, it is my drug.  I can’t get enough and I fear that if I were to skip a year, I would be home, scratching at my arm, rocking in the fetal position, and reading updates on Twitter while weeping silently. Here is a dramatic pre-enactment.

TobiasShower

I always love Comic Con, but this year, it seemed to mean a lot more to me.  Perhaps it was because I only had to sleep outside one night this year or maybe because I am becoming such a seasoned pro (dustin’ my shoulders) that I have a pretty good handle on the situation.  This year it just really struck me how magical Comic Con can be for a fangirl like me, to be able to go a place where I can let my geek flag fly (note to self: make a “geek” flag for next year) because I am surrounded by people who get it.  People who appreciate all my nerdy T-shirts, people who know what I mean when I use terms like “shipping”, people who have read just as much fanfiction as me and in a lot of cases, probably a lot more.

Comic Con really is not for everyone.  There is a LOT of waiting, the chairs are really uncomfortable, and this year was particularly smelly, but it truly is THE ultimate fan mecca and therefore, my personal paradise.  Smelly nerds and all.

– Ellen

Run-On Sentence Reviews: Guardians of the Galaxy

Posted in Movies, Run-On Sentence Reviews by

GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2This run-on sentence review is going to be hard for me to write because I am going to want to use a lot of exclamation marks to express my complete and utter delight and therefore end the sentence but I shall refrain and instead just calmly say that I freaking loved this movie (!!!! I couldn’t help myself) because in my book it doesn’t get much better than a hilarious, epic space odyssey with a killer soundtrack and on top of that, one which stars Chris Pratt but I think my favorite part was that I was expecting Chris Pratt to make me laugh but everyone in this movie was also really funny, one of my biggest surprises being Dave Bautista as Drax, but almost from the word go I was in love with this movie but I may not be the most partial critic because I was bouncing in my seat before the movie even started but I am just so happy that this gamble paid off for Marvel even though I don’t think Marvel ever actually saw it as a gamble but I know more than a few people were a bit skeptical about a lesser known comic featuring a walking talking tree and raccoon but this just goes to prove my point that one should never doubt Marvel because at this point can they do us wrong?

Verdict:  This should be abundantly clear, but, DUH, go see this!! Now! (Judging from box office reports, you already did)

Grade A, Choice Picks: Top 5 Patriotic Moments

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Seeing as how it is the 3rd of July, the 4th of July is tomorrow!  What better way to celebrate the eve of this great day for this great nation of ours than to watch some patriotic moments.

5. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington “Fillibuster”   Is there anything more American than a fillibuster?  You’ve got democracy in action, freedom of speech, and Americans love to hear themselves talk.  “You all think I’m licked.  Well, I’m not licked and I’m going to stay right here and fight for this lost cause.

4. Team America: World Police “America: F*** Yeah”   I haven’t even seen this movie but my brothers have sung this song enough times for it to make me feel patriotic.  For the sensitivity of some of my readers, I won’t include the video.  But I will link it.

3. Independence Day “President’s Speech”   Maybe one of the best movie speeches out there and certainly the most patriotic.  “And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: ‘We will not go quietly into the night!’ We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!”

2. The Sandlot “Fireworks on the Fourth of July”   This one ranks high for me partly out of nostalgia for the movie but mainly out of nostalgia for those summer days as a kid, running around the neighborhood with the smell of BBQ hanging in the air.  Also, Ray Charles’ rendition of “America the Beautiful” is just the tops.

1. Miracle – Pretty much the whole movie  I had a hard time picking a specific moment so I’m not going to.  BUT, if you held a gun to my head, I would probably pick the moment where Mike Eruzione exclaims “I play for the United States of America!”

Honorable Mention: I tried to stick to movies only, but everything out of Ron Swanson’s mouth gets an honorable mention.

What moments from film or TV make you proud to be an American?

– Ellen

Grade A, Choice Picks: Best So You Think You Can Dance Routines

Posted in Choice Picks, TV by

We are well into summer which can only mean one thing: we are well into So You Think You Can Dance.  Well, we are at least past the auditions (thank goodness) and are now onto the good stuff!  I love me some SYTYCD so I, of course, have my favorite dances.  You will notice that I am partial to certain styles and certain choreographers.  Sorry ballroom and Mandy Moore (the choreogrpaher and not the pop star/”actress”). What can I say, I know what I like.

10. “If It Kills Me”- Jeanine and Jason – Season 5 Contemporary – Choreographed by Travis Wall

Travis Wall has some great dances but I have always loved this one featuring the locket.  It also introduced me the acoustic version of this Jason Mraz song which I proceeded to play on loop for the rest of that summer.

9. “I Am the Best” – Jenna and Mark – Season 10 Jazz – Choreographed by Mark Kanemura

Mark’s first run at choreo on the show totally won me.  It is weird and awesome which is always a winning combo for me on this show.  Definitely best use of a ponytail on this show.  Possibly ever.

8. “Gravity”- Kayla and Kupono – Season 5 Contemporary – Choreographed by Mia Michaels

I was biased going into this dance because I love the song, but Mia’s depiction of the turmoil of addiction was beautiful and haunting.  Something always brings me back to this dance.

7. “Bleeding Love”- Chelsie and Mark – Season 4 Hip-Hop – Choreographed by Nappy Tabs

Season 4 was my first season that I watched so I have always been partial but this was the first dance that I remember watching over and over. Also, just Nappy Tabs.  I love them infinity.

6. “The Garden”- Courtney and Mark – Season 4 Jazz – Choreographed by Sonya Tayeh 

Oh, Sonya.  You can spot one of her dances from a mile away and this has always been the epitome for me.  It is her patented blend of creepy/spastic/sexy/weird.

5. “Mercy”- Twitch and Katee – Season 4 Contemporary – Choreographed by Mia Michaels

Whoa, three season 4 dances in a row!  Not intentional but like I said, I’m partial to season 4.  Another thing I am partial to? Twitch.  He is just my favorite dancer ever from this show.  This one goes down as best use of a prop for me.

4.”Circle of Life”- Group Routine – Season 9 Hip-Hop – Choreographed by Nappy Tabs  

I must have watched this dance at least 10 times the night it debuted.  The super cool remix is just a bonus on top of an awesome dance.  I never know where to look during it because there is just so much going on!

3. “Ramalama Bang Bang”- Group Routine – Season 2 Jazz – Choreographed by Wade Robson

Another weirdo dance that I really love.  What does this say about me.  I cannot listen to this song without doing that “unzip my body take my heart out” move.  And I listed to this song a lot.

2. “Bang Bang”- Eliana and Alex – Season 9 Contemporary – Choreographed by Stacey Tookey

The quiet simmer of this dance is utterly enthralling.  I can never look away.

1. “Outta Your Mind”- Twitch and Alex – Season 7 Hip-Hop – Choreographed by Nappy Tabs 

Look, I love the hip hop on the show.  Especially when it is Nappy Tabs and ESPECIALLY when it is Twitch.  Also, Alex freaking Wong.  He is just too good in this dance to be a ballerina.

 

What is your favorite SYTYCD?  I still have a lot of favs that I had to leave off, so I’m sorry if it was yours.

 

Run-On Sentence Reviews: X-Men: Days of Future Past

Posted in Movies, Run-On Sentence Reviews by

X-Men-Days-of-Future-Past-bannerAnother summer movie for which I was beyond excited and I am happy to report that, at least in my eyes, it did not disappoint and that is not just because Fassbender was looking fresh to death because I don’t know if I have made this clear but I find him very attractive but X-Men had other things in its favor because it was one of the best time travel movies I have ever seen, seamlessly depicting both timelines without ever getting confusing and while I can recognize that this may have been a bit slower than X-Men films of the past, I loved all the character development ooey-gooey goodness, particularly Mystique, and despite an enormous cast of heavy hitters, no one seemed wedged into the story but with some of the characters obviously taking a more central role than others (this has to be the least amount of lines that Halle Berry has had in a movie in years) but one of the roles that I wish we had gotten to see more of was Quicksilver who has the best sequence in the movie and is giving Aaron Tyler-Johnson’s Quicksilver in the Avengers 2 a lot to live up to.

Verdict: If you like the X-Men movies, as I do, then definitely go! (If you haven’t already)

– Ellen

 

Fangirly Crush of the Week: Colin O’ Donoghue

Posted in Crush of the Week, TV by

Captain HookSorry that I have been somewhat absent this week, it’s just that I have been really busy bingeing on Once Upon a Time and, as any red-blooded female should, this led to becoming obsessed with Captain Hook, played by Colin O’Donoghue.  I am not ready to elaborate on the extent of my obsessive behavior, but suffice it to say my internet history would prove that he has been well and thoroughly googled.

That came out so much dirtier than intended.

I had all but given up on OUAT back in season 2, but all the hullabaloo over this most recent season finale and some recent free time led to me playing catch up.  Captain Hook’s addition pretty much re-made the show for me and as I have said on this blog before, I love me a good ship.  (Ahoy, Captain Swan shippers!)

All that swarthy, bad boy swagger hiding a troubled heart of gold is the perfect formula to make me swoon.  And with an accent to boot!  Looks like it’s the pirate’s life for me.

Hook1

Hook

– Ellen

Run-On Sentence Reviews: Million Dollar Arm

Posted in Movies, Run-On Sentence Reviews by

million-dollar-armI have no beef with schmaltzy Disney sports movies, I mean, I can almost quote the entire speech from Miracle so my problems with Million Dollar Arm do not stem from any preconceived prejudice but just that it wasn’t a great movie because it focused too much on Jon Hamm’s character when I felt like the more interesting story was that of the Indian boys who were groomed into major league baseball players in only 10 months after having never even touched a baseball and this only led to a movie that ended up just being.. boring because I didn’t care about Jon Hamm’s character as much but there are still touching moments and some interesting insight into how the business end of baseball works.

Verdict: Nah.  You can wait.  Or not.

Run-On Sentence Reviews: Belle

Posted in Movies, Run-On Sentence Reviews by

Belle_posterLook, I feel like I have made it more than clear that I love myself a good period drama, at some point I am going to have to stop saying it, so it should come as no surprise that I LOVED Belle because it is a period drama and beautiful one at that that follows an illegitimate mixed race girl (who is beautiful, by the way) who is raised as a lady while still having to deal with the strictures placed on people of color at the time and of course there is a love story attached along with a lot of interesting insight on the rights of both women and people of color during this time and my movie going experience was only made better by being in a theater full of old white people and middle aged sassy black ladies who were very vocal about the injustices being done to our heroine making this maybe the most fun I have ever had watching a period drama and that is saying something.

Verdict: It is either up your alley or it isn’t, but if it is even remotely interesting to you then I highly recommend you go see it.

Run-On Sentence Reviews: Godzilla

Posted in Movies, Run-On Sentence Reviews, Uncategorized by

godzillaYou may or may not remember that I was pretty excited to see this movie and blot the 1998 monstrosity from my memory and I am happy to say that this didn’t disappoint and that while I can recognize some of the criticisms that are out there, I would like to point out that this is still a Godzilla movie and you can’t expect an Oscar worthy film from a Godzilla movie and that this gets as close to greatness as I think may be possible because it has some great performances and one that is not so great from Aaron Taylor-Johnson who unfortunately is supposed to be carrying this movie but it’s okay because Godzilla himself more than makes up for it with his general bad-assery (even if he is a fat American Godzilla) and, yes, it may have have been nice to get him in there a little earlier but in the end, I appreciate the slow burn leading up to his triumphant reveal.

Verdict: If you are going to see it ever, I say see it in theaters and get the full effect.

– Ellen

Grade A, Choice Picks: Top Reasons I Have the COOLEST Mom Out There

Posted in Choice Picks, Movies, Music, Nostalgia, TV by

Look, look, look.  I know that everyone is going on about how great their moms are and I believe you, I really do.  My mom is pretty great, too, but let’s look at the reasons I have the COOLEST mom out there.

beastie-boys10.  She rocks her Beastie Boys CD pretty hard.

9. She sponsors our annual family dance party by outfitting us in our threads (Christmas jammies).

8. She gave me my wry, snarky sense of humor that I get to employ on this blog!

7. She is tech savvy!  I have yet get a phone call asking her how to work her iPhone/iPad/laptop/email, etc.  Now, Dad on the other hand…

6. She once had a dream where she made out with Adam Sandler in her dad’s Cadillac.  (Sorry, Mom.  The world needed to know).

adam sandle

5. While most moms were into easy listening (Kenny G, Celine Dion, etc.), my mom scoffed at that music!  We were rocking out to Tom Petty, Queen, Van Halen, Blondie, Madonna, U2, INXS, and Alanis, among others.

4. As a four year old, were you headbanging a la Wayne’s World to “Bohemian Rhapsody”? Were you laughing at jokes on Mystery Science Theater that you didn’t get? Was your favorite music video “Centerfold” by the J. Geils Band? (We mainly loved it because of that gif below)  Were you and your brother running around the house quoting Saturday Night Live on the regular?   Well, I was.  And that’s pretty cool, Mom.

centerfold

3. She gets me.  Probably because she created me.  Whether we are singing at the top of our lungs on road trips, having phone conversations about our TV shows, or going to see the latest superhero movie together (so that we can ogle the men), we are always having a good time.

2. She laughs. A LOT.  Mainly at her own jokes, but I am pretty sure that no one makes her laugh more than her own kids.

1. My mom goes to Comic Con with me every year.  BOOM!  The ultimate proof that my mom is the coolest.

There you have it.  Don’t I have the coolest mom?  I sure think so.

– Ellen

mom

Web Bytes: The Fault in Our Stars Music Video (AKA “Let Me In” by Grouplove)

Posted in Movies, Music, Web Bytes by

I am more than an little excited for the release of The Fault in Our Stars, so I am latching on to any and all little tidbits that come out and you are just going to have to deal with it.

Check out the music video for “Let Me In” by Grouplove that was just released.  It has a lot of brand new adorkable clips (name that one at 0:25) and, hey, the song is pretty good, too!

– Ellen

About Last Night: The Mindy Project Finale (Or How I Learned that Mindy Kaling and I Should be BFF)

Posted in About Last Night, TV by

MindyI am an unrepentant Nora Ephron fan.  That’s a fact.  So it would appear that any Nora Ephron fan must now, by default, be a fan of The Mindy Project, especially after last night’s season 2 finale.  The episode paid homage to the three greats: Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, and You’ve Got Mail.

In order to be able to cohesively write about this episode, I had to re-watch it a couple times because much of my first viewing incorporated a lot of pillow squeezing and loud squealing.  What?  This blog has to earn it’s “fangirly” moniker.  I’m just doing my part. Continue reading →

Grade A, Choice Picks: Best YouTube Channels for Pop Culture Fans

Posted in Choice Picks, Web by

With so much web content out there, I thought I would narrow it down a bit for you and list my 10 favorite YouTube channels for the pop culture fan in all of us.

1. WatchMojo – In case you can’t tell, I like lists.  WatchMojo is my go-to for list videos because they release videos every day with lists ranging from the obvious (Top 10 Drama Series) to the more obscure (Top 10 Trialers That Ruined the Movie).  Their dry commentary only makes me love this channel more.

2. How It Should Have Ended – You have probably seen some of these floating around the internet, but you really need to dive into this channel.  The name of the channel is very informative as most of their videos are animated shorts of how movies should end if logic was a factor.  In addition to these hilarious shorts, I am loving their Super Cafe series where Superman and Batman gab about their day at their local diner.

3. Screen Junkies – The most obvious thing to love on this channel is Honest Trailers.  I’m not even going bother explaining those because you have all seen them and they are awesome.  But I am also a fan of The Screen Junkies Show which takes an amusing look at a variety of pop culture topics like “How to Fix Transformers” and the “Best 90’s Movies.

4. Cinefix – This channel has a number of regular series, but my favorites would have to be the Homemade Movies and 8-Bit Cinema.  They were also behind the “Kids Reenact 2014 Oscar Nominees” video that you may have seen floating around during Oscar season.

5. Bad Lip Reading – Do I even have to give these an into?  Nope? Good.

6. Cinematic Sins – Similar to Honest Trailers in that they rip apart your favorite movies, but their rapid fire delivery of naming everything wrong in less than 3-10 minutes (depending on how sinfult the movie is) points out some errors that are much more specific.

7. The Hillywood Show – Perhaps a little more loving than some of my previous picks, The Hillywood Show parodies still pack a lot of bite.  They have great production quality and perfectly skewer the movies like Twilight, Warm Bodies, The Hobbit, and Harry Potter.

8. Union Pool – This channel has a few running series, but Tvoovies is definitely why I subscribe. Have you ever wondered what would happen if Harry Potter were an episode of Law & Order?  Or if Leslie Knope were Deputy Parks Director at Jurassic Park?  Or if Michael Bluth was the one man who has “no choice but to quell the outlying districts” in the Hunger Games? These animated mash-ups have the amusing answers.

9. Nerdist – Honestly, it is the podcast that got me to subscribe, but the YouTube channel also puts out some great content like All Star Celebrity Bowling, DIY Projects, Neil Patrick Harris’ Puppet Dreams (it is just as trippy as it sounds), and a lot of other nerdy goodness.

10. What the Flick?! – Pretty straight forward film reviews and TV recaps, but this one gets my pick because they are smart reviews that are usually on point with what I think and they don’t feel the need to yell at me like a lot of other film review sites.

There you have it?  What are your favorite YouTube channels, pop culture related or not? Or your favorite vids?

– Ellen

Run-On Sentence Reviews: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Posted in Movies, Run-On Sentence Reviews by

spider ManI should start off by saying that in general I am a pretty easy to please moviegoer and will enjoy just about any movie that I go see and while I can recognize that this new Spider-Man has its flaws it was a fun movie and a great way to kick off the summer movie season because it is a brightly colored, action packed, quippy comic book treat with great chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone which should not come as surprise but my big beef with most Marvel movies has always been completely unbelievable romantic couples so I appreciate a couple that actually makes sense as opposed to two people getting together because they are both beautiful and why not but the movie’s main problems come from having too much story in one movie because it should have had at least one less villain and they should have given Jamie Foxx as Electro more to do and while I think Dane DeHaan was great as Harry Osborn I did not think it was necessary to include Green Goblin.

Verdict: While it has problems, overall, it was a fun summer popcorn flick if you go in only expecting that.

– Ellen

Fangirly Crush of the Week: Andrew Garfield

Posted in Crush of the Week, Movies by

spidermanHow did I pick this one you ask?  Oh, just that he is in a little movie that is coming out this weekend that happens to mark the beginning of the summer movie season which is only my favorite time of year! Oh, and he is adorable.

Yes, this fangirl is (hesitantly) excited to see Spider-Man this weekend and Andrew Garfield plays a big part in that.  He’s just so gosh-darned cute and him and Emma Stone are just so gosh-darned cute together.  I feel like if someone is British their “charm factor” goes up exponentially.  I mean, just watch the video below and try to not fall into deep smit.  I dare you.

– Ellen

 

Totally Rad Pop Culture Items from My Childhood That I Wish I Still Had

Posted in Books, Choice Picks, Movies, Music, Nostalgia, TV by

Life is full of regrets, everyone knows that.  The following are my life’s biggest.

bsc1) Babysitters Club T-Shirt – This was so rare and awesome that even the internet couldn’t help me find it again.  Back in 1994, little Ellen loved her Scholastic book order catalogs.  Many of them featured a special offer at the back where you could join the Baby-Sitters Club Fan Club.  So exclusive.  So VIP.  I begged my mom for months and finally, she caved.  Among the membership benefits was the coolest t-shirt you have ever seen.  It was bright and colorful with hip phrases like “Best Friends Forever” and “Mary-Ann + Logan”, but worst of all, it was big enough on me back then that I could still totally rock it to this day.  Sigh.  This one hurts the most.

Dtv_romancin2) DTV Romancin’ VHS Recording – Back in the late 80s to early 90s, Disney Channel tried to cash in on the MTV cash cow and make music videos to popular songs using clips from their cartoons.  These music videos would often appear between their cartoons and sometimes they would air specials.  My favorite of these specials was DTV Romancin’ (also aired as DTV Valentines).  It had Chip and Dale dancing to Madonna, the cast of Bambi wooing to Lionel Richie’s “Hello”, and just about every clip of a phone from a Disney cartoon played with “I Just Called to Say I Love You”.  Needless to say, I wore this VHS out.

902103) 90210 Blow Dryer – I was far too young to care about this 90210 blow dryer, but I felt like the coolest 1st grader on the black when I would (attempt to) blow dry my hair with this beauty.  It doesn’t matter that it wasn’t a very good blow dryer, it only mattered that it was aqua green and purple and was emblazoned with that zip code.  In my head, it was the blow dryer that Kelly, Brenda, and Donna used.

full house4) Full House Michelle Scrapbook – Have you ever wanted to look at pictures of episodes of Full House?  Then have I got the book for you!  This book has it all.  Michelle gives all the dirt, like how Uncle Joey is so silly!  And how Uncle Jesse is so cool!  Did you know that DJ loves Steve?  Or that Stephanie thinks you are so “rude”?  (Mainly I wish I still had this one so that I could marvel at how obsessed I was with this stupid book).

beauty5) Handheld Beauty and the Beast Game – I blame this game for making me so easily addicted to games on my iPhone.  I was never great at your Nintendos and your Playstations, but even I could handle three buttons.  Dodge left, dodge right, and of course, “MAGIC”!  The premise was pretty basic, because those three buttons won’t allow for much.  At first you hide from the beast, but then you kiss him and then you hide from Gaston so that you can get to the beast and kiss him and finally, you escape the mob led by Gaston so that you can get to the beast and kiss him so that he becomes the “handsome” prince.  It’s a wonder that I ended up with even a shred of feminist sensibilities.

$T2eC16J,!)sE9swm(vm4BS!TdnQu5w~~60_356) Spice Girls Pin – When I was in fifth grade, one of my friends got this set of five pins that spelled out SPICE.  We divvied up the pins, each girl getting the pin with the Spice Girl that they most embodied.  See that “P” with Ginger? That was all mine.  Somehow, as a 10 year old, I was Ginger Spice.  Probably because I had the closest thing resembling red hair, was terrible at sports, and hated Posh.

little mermaid7) Little Mermaid Sheets – At the age of 3, I was so hard core about The Little Mermaid that it was a bit ridiculous.  I had the entire soundtrack memorized before I had seen the movie.  When I finally DID see the movie, I stood on my seat and sang along with the whole thing.  I mainly wish that I still had these sheets because I still have a twin bed and would SO sleep on these bad boys.

giga8) 101 Dalmatians Giga Pet – I was very explicit with Santa.  I am a Giga Pet girl and NOT a Tamagotchi girl.  Also, don’t even think about getting me a cat.  Apparently, this led Santa to a 101 Dalmatians Giga Pet because it was the same Christmas that the live action movie came out, and I was more than happy to receive my little demanding dalmatian.

photo9) Minnie paraphernalia – This girl had a lot of Minnie Mouse paraphernalia.  It is unclear as to whether this was due to an obsession on my part or on my mother’s part, who was buying all of it.  Either way, I loved Minnie Mouse and demanded to see her almost immediately upon my first arrival at Disneyland.  The item I most wish I still had that I cannot find is this tubular neon school folder, but I am pretty sure I wore it to tatters.

disney afternoon10) Disney Afternoon soundtrack tape – I loved Disney afternoon, but what kid in the early 90s with Disney Channel didn’t?  And almost more than the cartoons themselves, I loved the theme songs, mainly because of this cassette tape.  I may or may not have most of these downloaded to my iTunes.  And I may or may not bust them out on a regular basis.  And I may or may not be able to still do the breakdown on the Tale Spin theme song.  “Spin it, let’s begin it, bear and grin it when you’re in it, you can win it in a minute when you spin it, spin it, spin it. So spin it.  Tale Spin!”

What item from your childhood are you most upset that your mom talked you into throwing out?

– Ellen

Getting to Know You: The NEW (and Old) Cast of Star Wars

Posted in Movies by
star-wars-episode-7-cast-announce-660x374

Photo: David James/Lucasfilm

Well, after months of speculation and rumors, the cast of the new Star Wars film has officially been announced.  And with a pic of the table read to boot!  The cast is made up of some of your old favorites, some quasi-familiar faces, and some practically brand new faces.  So let’s dive in!

star-wars-orginal-castHarrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker.  

What you know them from: One of them you know from a whole slew of things and the others… you know from only Star Wars for the most part (with a shout out to Carrie Fisher’s appearances in Blues Brothers and 30 Rock).

My guesses as to who they will be playing: The only roles that are not up in the air at this point, Ford, Fisher, and Hamill will be reprising their roles as (much older versions of) Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker.  Anthony Daniels will again be donning the C-3PO suit.  And power to him for still being able to fit into that thing.  Peter Mayhew will be playing everyone’s favorite fuzzball, Chewbacca, and Kenny Baker will again be manning R2-D2.

My thoughts: It is interesting that so many of the original cast is back here.  Disney and Co. obviously know that it is important to tread lightly here and are trying to make the transition as fluid as possible for the fans.  I anticipate that not everyone is going to make it out of Episode VII alive (RIP Han?), but maybe we can keep the driods?

John BoyegaJohn Boyega

What you might know him from: The Brit can be seen in the little known, but really good alien invasion flick Attack the Block, the upcoming 24: Live Another Day, and Sundance film Imperial Dreams.  So really not a whole lot.

My guesses as to who he will  be playing: He is listed first on a list that is not in alphabetical order.  Does this mean that he will be the hero of our story?  My money is on yes.  Perhaps Skywalker’s protege before he goes off to be that great Jedi in the sky?

My thoughts: I like to unknowns get big breaks in BIG movies, so I like it.  Also, if he is the lead, it is nice to see a man of color as the lead of what will surely be the biggest release of the year.  Even if he is the only diversity in the cast.  What do you expect? It’s still Hollywood.

Daisy RidleyDaisy Ridley

What you might  know her from: Probably nothing.  But her IMDb credits include an episode of Mr. Selfridge and other UK TV shows that haven’t made it across the pond including, Youngers, Toast of London, and Silent Witness

My guesses as to who she will be playing: Very much like the old Star Wars, this new cast only has one lone female.  So it is a safe bet that Ridley will be playing the butt-kicking female love interest, but maybe they will throw us through a loop and she will be the villain?  No, she’ll be the butt-kicking female love interest who maybe turns up in a gold bikini?  No, we’ll mix it up and make it silver this time.

My thoughts: I can’t have too many as I have never seen her in anything, but another unknown as a supposed lead!  Cool!  And another Brit! Maybe there is a new planet called Anglophinia or something.

Adam_Driver_36095Adam Driver

What you know him from: Adam on my favorite Girls (not!), Inside Llewyn Davis, Frances Ha, and Lincoln

My guesses as to who he will be playing: Maybe this is just my antipathy for Girls coming through, but my money is on him playing a villain.  He is just so despicable on that show that I can’t see casting being creative enough to cast him otherwise.

My thoughts: When this guy is one of the more well-known people in a cast, that is saying something.  I am fairly impressed with this Star Wars for thinking outside the box in terms of casting, but then I suppose you have that kind of freedom when you are freaking Star Wars movie.

oscar IsaacOscar Isaac

What you know them from: The titular lead in the Coen brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis, Carey Mulligan’s husband in Drive, and Prince John in the 2010 Robin Hood.

My guesses as to who he will be playing: This one is probably the hardest to predict.  A Han Solo like character?  Bad guy?  Good guy? It’s too hard to tell and seeing as how the creators are giving us very little to work with in regards to what the story will be, it’s too early to call.

My thoughts: Sure.  Looking at his IMDb, I respect his choices and he seems due for a blockbuster.

andy serkisAndy Serkis

What you know them from: You may not know HIM from a whole lot, but you know his work as he has become the go-to guy for CGI motion capture characters.  Gollum in Lord of the Rings, Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and King Kong in Peter Jackson’s version, to name a few.

My guesses as to who he will be playing: Is there even the slightest chance that he will be playing a flesh and blood character?  No.  Maybe a small side character in addition to a CGI character or whole slew of CGI characters.

My thoughts: Duh.  It seems like a given these days that if you have a movie that will rely upon performance capture, you call Serkis.

DomnhallDomhnall Gleeson

What you know them from: Aww, you guys.  About Time (!), Bill Weasley in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 & 2 (!), and starring alongside Michael Fassbender (!) in this summer’s indie darling Frank.  Also, he is the son of Brendan Gleeson, probably best known to Fangirly readers as Mad Eye Moody.  Whoa, I just imagined a contrived fanfic where Mad Eye and Molly Weasley had a torrid affair that resulted in a love child.  

My guesses as to who he will be playing: It is hard to imagine him as anything but some sort of charming, aw-shucksy type because I love him in About Time so much.  Also, he is just too ginger to be a villain.  Right?  That’s a thing, right?

My thoughts: This takes our Brit count to 4!  And I am so on board with this one.  Definitely the name that I was most excited to see listed.

tumblr_lwih6yBDVt1r7k5ddo1_500Max von Sydow

What you know them from: If you are a member of my family, Strange Brew.  For everyone else, The Exorcist, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Minority Report, Shutter Island, Flash Gordon, and that same Robin Hood with Oscar Isaac.

My guesses as to who he will be playing: The second most difficult to call, but it is going one of two ways.  He is going to either be a wise, prophetic type a la Obi-Wan Kenobi or a dark, menacing, hooded type a la Palpatine

My thoughts: Yeah, okay.  They had to have one revered actor type on the list and it is nice to see one who is still a lesser known choice on that “revered actor” list.

 

Overall, I’m pleased and will be excited to see how all the characters shake out.  What do you all think?  Are you more or less concerned about this new Star Wars movie?

 

–Ellen