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Addison Elizabeth Dunstan

Happy Birthday, Niece!

A 7lb 9 oz, 21 inches bundle of love! Congrats to my brother Adam and his wife Jenny. You can't imagine how exciting it is to have my first niece or nephew, and how happy the family is. More to follow when I stop blubbering.

Madonna and H&M Video

Props to Jeoff for forwarding me this hilarious Madonna commercial.

Mayans Rebuff Bush

This story in The Washington Post caught my eye because the title was so bizarre: "Priests to Purify Site After Bush Visit."

It's funny at first glance when you think about Mayan priests "chanting and burning incense, herbs and candles" to remove the "bad spirits" from Bush's visit. But the more you consider the relevancy, how over and over and over again other countries and their various communities are turning away from the war-mongering United States, the more disturbing this story gets.

A person speaking for the Mayans said, "That a person like (Bush), with the persecution of our migrant brothers in the United States, with the wars he has provoked, is going to walk in our sacred lands, is an offense for the Mayan people and their culture." He's certainly got a point, and it goes beyond how sick so many people are of Bush's faux-cowboy bravado. It shows that for more and more people, Bush's double-truths, greed, stubborness, and "fuck you" attitude have reached beyond simple machiavellian tactics to become almost the epitome of American political indifference, bullying, and evil.

What the Frak?

If you haven't watched this week's Battlestar Galactica then read no further. I'm warning you.

What the hell? I'm so confused. BSG is a great series, and last night was actually a good episode, but it felt a bit like Lost. After being promised big revelations and getting a huge build up, we learned zip, nada, zero.

Instead, a major character "died" for no reason, despite months of talk about her "destiny." It made no sense, and I'm hoping that the showrunners know where they're headed with this. And my hope is that Katee Sackhoff isn't off the show entirely--she gave a real spark to the series.

My guess is that Starbuck comes back as a Cylon in future episodes. Another friend has suggested that maybe it's her death that precipitates the discovery of Earth. In any case, the best show on television threw me a major curve ball last night, and I can't say I'm jazzed about it.

How Do These People Get Paid Millions?

I just read in Variety that ABC is doing a show about cavemen living in modern day Atlanta. Kind of like the Geico commericals.

WTF???

How do these tv people ever get paid what they get paid to come up with "ideas" like this. I mean...it's been a fairly non-funny commercial bit for a few years now, and that somehow translates to a "funny" sit com? I read this article and couldn't believe it. The only thing that's funny to me about the show in the making is that they chose Atlanta of all places.

Hardly Fun and Nancy Who?

So, it's raining like hell in DC tonight and nothing is on tv. After a quick stop to Amersterdam Falafel, I decide to take a sneak peek at the netflix treat I had been saving for this Sat or Sun afternoon: disc 1 from the 1976 Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Mysteries tv series. (I figured Family with Kristy McNichol has rocked enough 70's weekends lately--time for a change).

I climb up on the sofa and push play, just giddy to see Shaun Cassidy, Parker Stevenson and Pamela Sue Martin in all their wavy-haired glory. And there they are and guess what--it stinks.

Eh, stinks isn't really the word. The crazy ass music is just as eerie and good as I remember. But the "plot," (and I use quotations purposefully), is just terrible. No pacing, no story. Just lots of cats hissing, and mirrors, and trap doors, and screaming. Granted, Parker Stevenson is just as cute as I remember, riding around town in his underwear on his trail bike, but even Parker sans clothes just doesn't lift my spirits as much as I hoped he would. Plus the DVD has the shows out of order--there isn't a whiff of Nancy to be found, except in the credits. From what I remember, when the show was originally on, each week alternated between the boys and my Nancy.

So...I may just skip to season two, when the Hardy Boys actually meet Nancy Drew and they chase Dracula together. Perhaps then all will be right with the world. I can hope anyway...

West Bank Story

How many of you remember the super cute guy who won the Oscar last Sunday for his short film West Bank Story about a falafel stand caught up in the fight between Israel and Palestine? Ari Sandel's quick, empassioned speech about short films being a vehicle for new voices and talent was heartfelt and really stood out that night.

Turns out Ari is the brother of one of my friends Toby, from Alaska. West Bank Story was his MFA project in Directing from UCLA. Can you imagine winning an Oscar for your graduate thesis? Well, visit the site for Ari's movie West Bank Story. I'm going to order a copy.

(check out Ari and Steven Spielberg above, at the Academy Awards nominee luncheon in January).

Um, Well, Er, Harry Potter is Kind of Hot

People have been talking about Daniel Radcliffe in the London play "Equus," but I hadn't paid much attention. But now after seeing the pictures, I'm like, well, it's just, I don't know how to say it but Harry Potter is kind of hot.

Eddie Murphy and the Oscars

Ted Casablanca at E! is reporting that Eddie Murphy left the Oscars last night just after he lost. If you wondered why I was rooting for Alan Arkin and not Eddie Murphy, you have your main answer. I think Eddie feels entitled to the Oscar--which is ridiculous.

Think about the sound guy who has been nominated 19 times now and didn't win (again) last night. What about all the really great actors who don't have Oscars, including Peter O'Toole who (again) went home without Oscar gold last night.

IEddie is a brilliant comedian. I think he's hysterical. But in Dreamgirls his performance was only okay. Not terrible, not great. And really, his part didn't even have all that much meat to it. So I was hoping for Alan Arkin to get the win, and last night I was happy he took gold. Now after hearing that Eddie left the Oscars in a disappointed huff after losing, it makes me even happier Arkin won.

OSCARS!!!

I didn't win the work Oscar pool yesterday or the contest at my own party. The big trip-ups I made: 1) voting for Peter O'Toole because I honestly thought they'd give it to him after 7 previous nods. 2) I didn't catch on to the momentum for The Departed. I voted for Babel instead. 3) I also picked Pan's Labyrinth over The Lives of Others for foreign picture. Oops. So...those were major losses for me in terms of points. In terms of Oscars, I didn't too much care.

The things that did make me happy last night: that Alan Arkin won over Eddie Murphy, even after Murphy won every imaginable award before the Oscars. That's a twist I saw coming. I was also happy that Helen Mirren and Jennifer Hudson won, though we all both were fairly certain.

Aside from the terrible length of the broadcast, it was a fun show. DeGeneres was goofy and childlike, but not stupid. Though we could have done without 5 minute nominee sketches here and 5 minute music dedications there.

It was such a great year for movies that the Oscar nominations really seemed on the mark for the most part. And it seemed like November through January I saw a fantastic movie every weekend. Well, as I wrap this up, I leave us with the hotness that is Ryan Gosling.

Confused about Lost

Last week's Lost was incredible. It answered some mysteries, solved others. And I actually began to think that the writers knew what they were doing. I got excited again about that show--which hasn't happened in nearly a year.

Then last night we get another esoteric "how in the world does this fit in" episode. Sure, there was maybe one shock or two, but the showrunners don't seem to understand the thin ice they're on with most people. Everyone I know who watches the show, or used to, is just kind of fed up with the storyline. And "filler" shows like last night's, don't really help.

Where is Paker Stevenson?

I admit, I'm feeling nostalgic lately. This past Sunday I actually watched four episodes of the television show Family from 1976. You know, the show with Kristy McNichol and the mother (Sada Thompson) who had soul-less eyes? Anyway, I was only like 5 or so when the show started, but it was certainly in my consciousness--I remember the sad music, the longful glances, and it did make McNichol a star (and frequent contestant on Battle of the Network Stars).

But I was terribly surprised to discover that it wasn't just Mike Nichols' baby--the show had writers and directors such as the Thirtysomething guys Herskovitz and Zwick. Sigh, I miss them. And double sigh that I never really got to appreciate the brother on the show, Gary Frank, when he was in his prime (see above far right). As far as I can tell, he embodied all that was hot and steamy in the 70's.

I have ordered another Family DVD from Netflix and am also expecting a Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew DVD soon. Imagine my horror today to hear that no-talent Tom Cruise is turning the sleuthy brothers--one of my old favorite shows--into an action comedy vehicle for him and Ben Stiller. It truly makes me want to vomit. As old as Parker Stevenson is, he could still take the wee-little Tom Cruise in a fight.

Re: Tim Gunn--I Told You So

When Bravo was intimating months ago that they may go ahead on the next season of Project Runway without Tim Gunn, I said they were full of crap--they were bluffing and playing hardball with Gunn. Turns out, I was right.

Gunn announced that though he's leaving Parsons School of Design to work at Liz Claiborne, he's definitley in for the next season of Runway. My guess is that Bravo knew they couldn't fuck with a winning combination. Gunn is the heart of the show and his wit is priceless--just look at the difference between how well he does his job and how bloody awful that cutie Todd Oldham is on Top Design.

I honestly believe Runway would lose mega amounts of viewers if Gunn left. And even though Top Chef is doing well in the ratings, Bravo can't afford to lose Runway, the little show that could. It keeps building steam.

So, hurrah for Tim and hurrah for us! I can't wait.

Joss Whedon Says Adieu to Paradise Island

It sounded fun, didn't it? Buffyverse creator Joss Whedon signing on to develop and direct the new Wonder Woman film for Warner Brothers. Imagine what he could do with the mythology of Wonder Woman and Paradise Island. Think about the sharp quips Diana Prince could make as she deflected bullets with her magic bracelets.

But alas...it was not meant to be. Joss announced on Friday that he's left the film after more than a year of developing and writing a script (for which he reportedly received at least $2 million). My guess is that his Wonder Woman was a little too edgy, or he wanted to take too much creative license with the character's mythology.

Good news is--maybe this will free him up to work on more television goodness. I know he's doing another movie and two comic book series, but we can hope.

Mama Mia Fiasco

It slipped by my radar, but Variety reported last month that Meryl Streep will be playing the lead role in the movie adaption of the ABBA Broadway musical Mama Mia! While I think Streep has an amazing range, from Out of Africa to The Devil Wears Prada, I just can't see her in this. I wouldn't be surprised if she proved me wrong, but when I think about Streep singing "The Winner Takes it All," the emotional heart of the musical, I just get scared. I mean, can she even sing? Has anyone heard her sing?

Sadly, I've heard reports that Cher was up for the role initially. And this could have been just the kind of nutso, cool role she would have either completely made her own or just sunken into complete disaster. Either way, I think I would have loved it.

But my friends, the true indication that this movie is probably headed to flopsville is that it's produced by the no-talent Tom Hanks. Terribly Tommy has already cast his wife Rita Wilson and there is speculation that he's going to cast Bruce Willis as well.

Eh, I guess Rita could do this kind of fluffy stuff, though I'd rather see pretty much anybody else. Rita is like Tom--she's just kind of there as an actress, albeit 1000 times less annoying. But then you think about casting Bruce Willis? In a musical based on the music of ABBA? What-the-fuck?

We'll have to wait and see, but I'm hoping this is all one big early April Fool's Day joke. If not, we're in for a smorgasbord from Hell.

Finally Caught Babel

After missing Babel for the past few months, I finally took the time to catch it about a week ago. It's funny, because it hadn't gotten fantastic reviews I was skeptical. Sure it had Cate Blanchett and Gael Garcia Bernal, but I was like, "eh...if it were that good, someone would have said so."

Well, I'm saying so.

Babel is a long movie. A slow movie. And it isn't chock full of action either. But it has the kind of wonderful performances that just kind of mezmerize you. For me, Adriana Barraza steals the show as the Brad and Cate's nanny/housekeeper. She displays the uncannily real kind of fear a person has when he or she realizes that a life-changing mistake has just been made. And I'll tell you, Brad sure shines in his desperate role too.

My only real criticism of the film is that although I love the story about the deaf Japanese girl (played so well by Koji Yakusho), it didn't fit into the film well on a narrative or tonal level. Sure, Babel is all about how people in our world fail to connect. But Koji's story of dispair and distance from her father, didn't have the kind of cross-cultural relevance as the rest of the film. It felt tacked on.

But all in all, the movie's a gem. Know you'll be sitting in your seat for a while, and be patient. If you do, you're sure to learn a thing or two about taking a walk in someone else's shoes.

Pan's Labyrinth is a Great (Albeit Gory) Film

I was able to sneak in time this past weekend to see Guillermo del Toro's new film Pan's Labyrinth which I had been dying to see. It's one of those films that came out over a month ago in L.A. and New York and only made it to one theater in D.C. just this past weekend.

The movie is fantastic in both its originality and cinematography. Del Toro weaves a strangely realistic fairy tale set in Spain during the Spanish Civil War. A small girl named Ofelia has to battle both the monsters in her backyard labyrinth as well as the evil stepfather who is a captain in Franco's army.

The film gets a bit cluttered in characterization and does meander a bit, but overall it comes together well. And for those who hate fantasy films, Pan's Labyrinth may have a faun, and a giant toad, and a monter or two lurking about, but it's not meant to be a Lord of the Rings movie. No, it's firmly grounded in a bloody, terrifying, landscape of modern war. If anything, the gore is what was most surprising.

But for me, the real shocker is when the man with no eyes lifts his arms toward Ofelia and we see the strange eyeballs on the palms of his hands. Even though this scene was in the preview, I still think everyone in the theater gasped.

Grey's Anatomy Cast Member Lets Loose Again

Notice I used the words "cast member" not "star." And that's simply because Grey's Anatomy actor Isaiah Washington is probably the least integral, least stealthy actor on the show. Everything he does is over the top.

Kind of like when he and Patrick Dempsey (McDreamy) came to fistacuffs a few months ago after Washington called T.R. Knight (George) a faggot. All sorts of things happened: T.R. came out of the closet. The cast was banned from talking to the press.

Well this Monday Isaiah took the microphone during a Golden Globes post-show interview and suddenly yelled "I did not call T.R. Knight a faggot." The guy is nuts. Crazy. They just won best drama at the Globes, a great feat and moment for the cast and this moron taints everything in his bizarre and awkward attempt to save face.

The worst part is that he's a liar. T.R. Knight tells it like it is on Ellen Degeneres today. Grey's should dump Isaiah on his ass.