Yes Man - I Should Have Said No

Now, I should state for the record that I like Jim Carrey. As an actor, occasionally, but as a person, especially. He seems to be a thoughtful and kind individual. Every time I see him on Larry King with girlfriend Jenny McCarthy talking about autism I feel nothing but admiration for the both of them.

And while his comedy can be somewhat jarring, I also love Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. On the whole, I think he is very talented. So why does he keep making these ridiculous, formulaic comedies? Yes Man could literally be the same script for Liar Liar with a few minor changes.

The plot to this film is so predictable, I don't feel like I even have to give a synopsis. For the sake of hilarity, however, I will. The film starts with Carrey as a withdrawn Los Angeles bank employee. Not only does he constantly say no to going out with his friends to bars his ex-wife frequents (what is wrong with this guy! Who doesn't want to run into their ex?) but also to prospective loan recipients who are not qualified (because saying yes to these people would lead to a world of good, as our economy has recently shown.) Let's just hope that no one working at Fanny Mae took the "Yes" seminar.

Anyway, Carrey is a joyless jerko; but thankfully some homeless man comes along, throws something through the bank window and wisely informs Carrey that saying "No" is bad. Apparently you will never live a full, rewarding life (that includes throwing things through bank windows) unless you say "Yes" to everything. For some reason Carrey is eventually compelled to follow this guy to a cult self help meeting, where he decides that saying yes to everything will, indeed, be a good way to live life. Of course there are some hilarious romps that ensue, including getting molested by his elderly neighbor, because of course she'd choose that day (a day when he can't say no) to suddenly make uncharacteristic sexual advances toward him.

Can I wash my soul out now?

Luckily, Carrey doesn't have to settle for geriatric lovin' too long, because he soon meets the predictably quirky Zooey Deschanel. She's the yin to his yang -- a woman that he'd never have met during his NO PHASE. After a brief encounter while refueling (he his car, she her scooter) he happens upon her again at a bar, where her band is playing. Flirting ensues, blah blah, they date, blah, he says he will move in with her even though he isn't ready, (because he can't NOT say YES!) he has a run-in with his ex, there's a misunderstanding, blah blah cut to the end where Deschanel and Carrey ride off into the sunset.

I guess there were some cute moments, but all in all it felt like the average, contrived plot. The only reason I watched this movie was because my mom swore up and down that I'd love it. But alas, no. Maybe I am just a NO person?

Firefly: Working Class Heroes

I just thought I'd post this here. It's one of my all-time favorite Firefly fanvids by bradcpu. It's so beautifully edited, and the song is perfect for these characters -- especially Mal and River.



Normally I wouldn't be too keen on Green Day singing this song. But it works so well with the video, especially the explosions -- and I like how it blends in with the original Lennon version at the end. A very powerful piece.

House: The Sherlock Holmes of Medicine

Warning: Slight Spoilers for the Pilot, Everybody Lies.

At the request of a dear friend, I have finally started watching House (I know, a little behind schedule here, but bear with me.) I'd previously seen an episode while channel surfing, (I think it involved a young obese woman with crazy ass boils) and while I didn't really like the gore aspect (I've never been a fan of hospital dramas for this reason. I hate watching surgeries and the like...the human body freaks me out) I found the characters to be interesting. So when my friend said that I should give it a try, I figured I might as well go and watch the pilot.

I very much enjoyed it! I admit, I did have to cover my eyes when they started performing a tracheotomy on Rebbecca (the character of the week, an elementary school teacher who suffers from a mysterious ailment that they initially think is a brain tumor.) That was gross. I can tell I am going to have to harden myself to things of that nature if I'm going to be able to keep watching this show.

Luckily I do want to keep watching this show, which is great, because I am in desperate need of a new show to watch. I already love the character House. He is kind of a jerk, but you know that there is a soft chewy center somewhere inside. The parallels between House and Sherlock Holmes are plentiful. House approaches his patients illnesses as though they are mysteries to be solved. Treatment is given by way of deduction and "clues" -- or symptoms. House is also clearly addicted to painkillers, stating to a patient at one point, "I take them because they are yummy. Want one?" House is also depicted as aloof, and essentially friendless, though this seems to be a personal choice. "Everybody lies," he explains. Finally, another link between this TV doctor and the famous uber-detective is the very name, House. Sherlock Holmes was meant to sound like "Sure-Locked Homes," reflecting the kind of paranoia of the nineteenth century regarding "intruders."

House prefers to treat his patients while not dealing with them face to face. His collegues acuse him of trying to take the humanity out of medical practice. But when Rebbecca decides that she would like to forgo treatment, opting to "die with dignity," House finally makes a point of meeting her, if only to tell her that she is an "idiot." "Nobody dies with dignity," he tells her. "You can only live with dignity." House's humanity is apparent here. It seems that he has hardened himself against the world because of his own misfortunes, but his pessimism is caused by an offended idealism.

More Please!

(I will be blogging about more episodes as I watch, though the reviews shall probably grouped together in some fashion. I like to have episode-watching marathons :)

Joss Whedon Accepts Bradbury Award/Watch Dollhouse Week

This week Joss accepted a Bradbury Award -- but not in the flesh. Alas, our fave fi-sci guy was not able to actually attend the Nebula Awards due to filming Cabin in the Woods in Canada. Instead, he sent this really fun vid in his place. Congrats Joss! We hope you continue to write those Fictionalized Scientifics for years to come!



Note: That is one of the sets of Cabin in the Woods in the background! Looks like it is, indeed, a cabin in the woods. Or possibly a basement. What's with Joss and basements? I think it's a metaphor for the subconscious.

Source: Whedonesque

Thankfully, this means that we'll have something to look forward to if Dollhouse doesn't get picked up for a second season -- though the very thought of that makes me want to cry a little. Yes, the first 5 episodes were a bit of a disappointment (though I'm one of those who actually really liked The Target and True Believer) the show has really been hitting its stride lately.

Fans have been rallying to support the show, not by writing letters, but by organizing a "re-watch" this coming week. For more info, check out this link:

Watch Dollhouse Week

To Live In A House That Is Haunted: Dollhouse, Episode Ten Review

Warning: Contains Spoilers for Haunted, as well as a brief mention of the setting in Epitaph One.

I thought this was a solid episode, but it was definitely not my favorite so far. Then again, perhaps I've been spoiled by Spy in the House of Love. For those in doubt of Eliza's acting capabilities, let it be said that she did a fantastic job of portraying Margaret -- an older woman -- in this week's episode, Haunted. As we find out at the beginning of the episode, Margaret dies mysteriously while riding her horse. We then cut to a scene of Echo waking up in the imprint chair at the Dollhouse. We almost expect the familiar lines (you know what they are, but I'll say them anyway) "Did I fall asleep?" to come tumbling out without emotion, her eyes vacant.

But her eyes aren't vacant. And she doesn't (thank the heavens) say those familiar words. She's isn't wiped -- she's Margaret, and Margaret was a close friend of Adelle. And yes, considering that this aspect of the plot was given away in the previews last week, this isn't much of a shock. But I was delighted at how different Eliza was in this role as opposed to the ones she'd played in the earlier "story of the week" episodes. There's something about the way she carries herself in the role of Margaret that makes it believable -- not to mention funny. Her remarks about her new body especially: "I'm pointing skyward!" Of course underneath it all there is a not-so-small amount of pathos. We know from the get go that this dead woman will, in the end, go back to being dead again.

Which brings us to one of the interesting questions this episode raises regarding the possibility of "immortality" by imprinting a deceased persons memories onto new bodies. If memories are what shape who we are (rather than DNA) then this would indeed be more effective than cloning. What does this mean for the future of the Dollhouse and its purpose? Could this foreshadow the episode "Epitaph One," which set in the future? It's been stated that Dushku and the regular cast will have little or no part in the mysterious thirteenth episode, but if this technology exists -- ie: imprinting dead people's personalities onto new bodies -- perhaps we will see our characters again. Echo could very well be imprinted onto Felicia Day.

That would be interesting.

Not surprisingly, Boyd is the one who brings up the ethical implications of this technology. Which, by the way -- there was definitely not enough Boyd in this episode! Please, please, please let him have a bigger part in the next two, Joss? I'm loving his character more and more. I mean, yes, he is complicit in the evils that go on at the Dollhouse, but at least he takes moral responsibility: "We're pimps and killers...but in a philanthropic way." I feel bad for him now that he can't help Echo. Which reminds me...where was her new handler in this episode? It's a bit odd that we were introduced to him without any follow up.

God knows she could have used some help on this mission. We find out (after some misdirection) that Margaret was killed by her son (who seems to have some oedipal issues; and no, I'm not talking about the hilarious attempted kiss -- but rather his raving about how Margaret's new husband had the privilege of his "mother's bed" as he was trying to kill her again ... that was kinda weird.) Of course everything is resolved rather unrealistically at the end, though the scene between "Margaret" and her ex-husband was very poignant. Contrary to our initial assumptions, it is clear that he was very much in love with his wife.

Meanwhile, Topher has imprinted Sierra as the ultimate nerdy girl for himself -- but it appears that the engagement is platonic. It's all fun and games (literally) until we see Sierra giving him a birthday cake. I know it shouldn't come as a surprise, considering Topher is pretty much socially handicapped, but that was sad. The poor guy doesn't even have a friend to hang out with on his birthday?

The most disturbing aspect of this episode was Paul Ballard. This is a man so obsessed with doing right that he does some incredibly immoral things in order to attain that goal. We can only assume that he hasn't told Mellie the truth about herself because he's hoping he can use her to get into the Dollhouse. It's upsetting that he doesn't consider her as important as Caroline when it comes to "saving." I have to say, I really disliked him in this episode. The scene where Mellie says something to the effect of "You can take from me without giving anything back," sent goosebumps up my arms. How sad is that? How could she have so little respect for herself? As for Paul, his facial expression was downright scary. Then came the angry, loveless sex, and the grim morning after.

The last scene of the episode, in which Margaret is wiped from Echo, was sad, but it was also the typical reset of the earlier episodes. I had hoped that we would have less of these, but overall I still enjoyed Haunted.

My Top Ten Favorite Music Albums Of All Time

I know that this is probably a cliche' question by now, but remember the time before ipods and random party shuffles, when there was an art to music albums? When songs were arranged in a way that told a story, or brought you through a kind of emotional journey? When you'd pop in a CD or a put on a record and lay back on your bed -- just gazing at the ceiling for an hour or so while you took it all in?

Yeah, I don't either.

But anyway, here's a list of my top ten favorite albums of all-time.

1. The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground

This is probably the most influential album when it comes to my music taste -- and a lot of other people's music taste as well. A lot of bands I love list The Velvet Underground as one of their main influences. I think most indie rock sort of kneels at their altar. I love this album because the songs are so varied in tone and style, but it all works together really well. The broken violin sound on Venus in Furs always gives me goosebumps.

Fave Songs:

Venus in Furs, I'll Be Your Mirror, Lisa Says (Yes, the inspiration for my blog name, in case you are wondering! Hehe.)

2. The Queen is Dead - The Smiths

This is the album I listen to when I want to get my melancholy on. The Smiths are the masters of dry wit and awesome bass. Someone once complained to me that Morrissey only sings on one note. My reply was: "Well, it's a good one." And how can you argue with lyrics like these:

But sometimes I feel more fulfilled
making Christmas Cards for the mentally ill.
I want to live and I want to love.
I want to catch something that I might be ashamed of.

Hee!

Fave Songs:

Frankly Mr. Shankly, Cemetary Gates, Bigmouth Strikes Again

3. Disintegration - The Cure

This was the ultimate make-out album for disaffected high-schoolers (not that I'd know anything about that). There's a sense of innocence and sadness in Robert Smith's voice that is utterly timeless. Perfect for a gloomy afternoon.

Fave Songs:

Pictures of You, Fascination Street, Prayers For Rain

4. Rumours - Fleetwood Mac

I can't really explain why I love this band so much. I guess it's kind of like comfort food for the ears. (Wow, that's a sucky metaphor, huh?) I think the guitar on Never Going Back Again is pretty amazing. Oh yeah, and Stevie Nicks rocks.

Fave Songs:

Dreams, The Chain, You Make Loving Fun (I know, I'm a cheeseball.)

5. Hunky Dory - David Bowie

When I was about 12 years old, I joined one of those CD clubs, and received this album in the mail -- not knowing what it was. I completely fell in love with the album, and with David Bowie. (And no, I didn't grow up watching Labyrinth, so I had no clue who he was.)

Fave Songs:

Oh You Pretty Things, Life On Mars, Queen Bitch

6. Hounds of Love - Kate Bush

This album is kinda magical. I know that a lot of people are familiar with the remakes of her songs Running up that Hill and Hounds of Love, and if said people aren't familiar with Kate Bush before hearing the other versions they are likely to say they like the others better. It comes as no surprise really. Kate Bush is so different from any other artist that's out today. She was truly an artist -- never afraid to be different, to be truly eccentric (and not just pretentiously eccentric).

Fave Songs:

Running up that Hill, Hounds of Love, The Big Sky

7. At Folsom Prison - Johnny Cash

Real prisoners whooping it up in the background. 'Nuff Said.

Fave Songs:

Folsom Prison Blues, The Long Black Veil

8. 69 Love Songs - The Magnetic Fields

There are two types of people in this world: Those who love Stephin Merritt's voice, and those who don't. I'm of the former, obviously. It took me about a year to get through the whole three CDs that comprise this album, because I was so stuck on the first. I'm glad I eventually listened to the third -- otherwise I would have missed out on Meaningless and Queen of the Savages! And yes, there are actually 69 love songs on this three disc album. And though they mostly take on a rather cynical tone, there are a couple that are genuinely sweet.

Fave Songs:

All My Little Words, I Don't Want to Get Over You, Epitaph For My Heart

9. Radiohead - Ok Computer

Although I don't really listen to this band much these days, I have to say that this is a stellar album. I don't think there's a song on it that I don't like. I remember being completely blown away the first time I listened to it, especially the first song, Paranoid Android, and Karma Police. I love songs with crazy transitions, and this album is full of them.

Fave Songs:

Paranoid Android, Karma Police, No Surprises

10. Comic Strip - Serge Gainsbourg

This album wins as most fun to listen to. I first heard it while driving with a friend from LA to San Francisco. (Of course we listened to other stuff too, cause hello -- 6 hour drive.) It's perfect car music. And hey, you can work on your French while listening :)

Fave Songs:

Bonnie And Clyde, Ford Mustang, Docteur Jekyll et Monsieur Hyde

Further Proof That George Takei Rocks

For anybody out there who's seen those anti-gay marriage commercials (you know the ones -- with the cheap thunder and lightning effects), this will bring a smile to your face. And yes, in case you were paying attention to the title of this post, there's even a special appearance by George Takei - the original Sulu on Star Trek!

A Gaythering Storm from Jane Lynch

I love when little gay people fall from the sky!

Bad Men: Why I Gave up on Mad Men Half-Way Through Season One

I should preface this piece by stating that I have not watched all of this show, nor am I up to date on the current season. I watched most of the first season, but gave up around the 13th episode. If things change drastically after this point -- in other words, if there is some sort of "payoff," then I will gladly eat crow.

While I came to the party late (I just watched most of the first season on itunes), I also came with high expectations. I'd heard really good things about this show from friends who normally share my taste. I really enjoyed the first four or five episodes. I'm a sucker for vintage 60's style, and though the sexism that the male characters displayed was irritating, it was also so over-the-top that it was comical...at first. After a while, though, it just started getting old. If I were to use this show as a gauge for all humankind, I would have to conclude that there are no men in the world who view women as equal -- or at the very least anything other than something for them to project their own insecurities/desires onto -- whether its the constant humiliation of Don Draper's meek secretary, Peggy, or the more blatant objectification of sexpot Joan Holloway (who is, admittedly, quite fabulous...I'll get back to her in a bit).

The first episode gave me hope that the show would explore sexism in a thoughtful way. When we are introduced to Don Draper's wife, Betty, we can see that on the surface she is the quintessential "angel in the house" figure. There is an underlying sadness to her, however, and a propensity to literally "freeze up" -- that is, she experiences a kind of paralysis in her hands, brought on presumably by the spectre of a divorced woman who has moved to her neighborhood -- a grim reminder of a fate she may one day share if she fails to be the perfect wife to Don -- who is already showing signs of straying. We can see that this is a woman that has absolutely no power over her own destiny. This subplot intrigued me. It's saddening, and depressing, but I think that they started to go somewhere with it. Possibly they went further with it, but I just couldn't stick it out. I felt more and more as the show went on that there could not be any kind of resolution to this character. Maybe it was just too bleak for me. I can't know, since I haven't continued watching.

Let me say something positive about the show. I love Joan Holloway. I think Christina Hendricks is amazingly hot, and I love seeing a curvy woman on tv -- who isn't ashamed to be that way, who celebrates it, and is admired for it by the people around her (both men and women in her case, seeing as how her roomate has a tragic crush on her). I seem to remember early on that there was some criticism of her for being so curvy. I think that's absolutely ridiculous. I hope that she hasn't lost her curves in the later seasons. She's gorgeous.

The funny thing about this show is that it's not so much its depiction of women that puts me off-- it's the depiction of men. Call me a crazy optimist, but I just have a hard time believing that every single professional man in sixties acted like that. All it would take would be one positive male character in the show. Just one. But there are none -- at least in the majority of the first season. Every guy on this show is either is cheating on his wife, cheating on his mistress or making it a point to belittle women in the workplace.

I mean come on! Weren't there any nice guys in the sixties?

"have you tried forcing an unexpected reboot?" - The IT Crowd Season One DVD

The IT Crowd is one of those comedic gems that you almost hope will never make it big. I say this because all too often notoriety brings with it a kind of...well, homogenization. The great thing about this show are the little details that only a true nerd could appreciate -- like the glitch level Pac-Man shirt that Roy wears in one of the early episodes. Let's face it, if this show were to air in America (it was scheduled to air, and there was even a pilot made with new cast members, but it wasn't picked up, thank the heavens!) these sort of jokes would probably disappear completely in lieu of a more mainstream humor; and we all know that when you try to appeal the the masses you often end up appealing to no one.

As an American, I've been waiting rather impatiently for this wonderful show to be available on region one DVD. I was introduced to the show by an online friend who lives in the UK, and I absolutely love it. So imagine my excitement when I saw that it was finally available on amazon.com! I immediately ordered -- going so far as to pay extra for the fast shipping option. As soon as it arrived in the mail I got out the scissors and undertook the not small task of getting the blasted cardboard wrapping off the thing and popped it into the dvd player to watch with my family, whom I have thoroughly converted.

The menu is crazy cool! It's tricked out to look like an old atari video game, with the characters pixelated to perfection (by which I mean that they were still completely recognizable, despite being computer game versions of themselves). As the music intro began on the first episode I sat back and let out a happy sigh, and soon I was reacquainted with some of the funniest characters written in recent years. Moss, in particular, stands out for me as the most hilarious -- whether he's emailing the fire station about a fire in the office, or spraying his ear with water -- "I've got a hot ear!" -- he never fails to make me smile.



All in all, this was money well spent. The dvd itself cost around $18.00, and for that you get six episodes (yes, seasons run considerably shorter in the UK), special features that include deleted scenes and commentary by the writer/creator of the show, and a kick ass menu.

My All-Time Favorite Movies/TV Shows/Books

Here's some listy goodness.

MOVIES
1. Mulholland Drive
2. Harold and Maude
3. Vertigo
4. Rosemary's Baby
5. The Shining
6.Blue Velvet
7. Heavenly Creatures
8. Heathers
9. The Seven Year Itch
10. Star Wars (4-6)

TV SHOWS
1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2. Angel
3. Twin Peaks
4. Seinfeld
5. Firefly
6. My So-Called Life
7. The Simpsons
8. Star Trek Voyager
9. The X-Files
10. The IT Crowd

BOOKS
1. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
2. Notes from the Underground by Dostoevsky
3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
4. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
5. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
6. The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
7. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
8. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
9. The Girl with the Curious Hair (collection of short stories) by David Foster Wallace
10. Venus in Furs by Leopold Von Sacher-Masoch

to blog or not to blog...

...and more importantly, is anybody listening?

That's the real question.

So, hi. My name is Lisa.

Ok, so I've had this blog set up for a while now, but have never really bothered to write in it. I guess I've just never really gotten the whole blog thing. When people talk about their "blogs" my initial reaction is to roll my eyes a bit (I'm a jerk, I know.) I mean, who cares what you had for dinner? What your crazy aunt did at your last family get together? Well, I guess some people might care. Maybe I just have a hard time talking about myself. I don't really take stock of things that way. I never even kept a journal as a child/teenager.

After thinking about it, however, I suppose that there are things I can talk about here that are of a less mundane nature. I am, after all, a woman of pretty strong opinions, who usually has at least one important thing to say per day regarding the state of the world, politics, books, entertainment, and the like. I have been blogging on livejournal for about a year now, but under a different name. It's sort of my "secret blog" -- and it's mostly filled with fan related stuff (I am a huge geek for Joss Whedon).

This is, then, my next step in the world of blog. What will I post here? Probably book, television, movie and music reviews among other things.

I hope you find my musings interesting :)

~Lisa