Movie Review: The Princess and the Frog

Ahhh, traditional Disney animation, something you don't see too often these days, what with computer animation being so dominant. Good Lord, I sound old right there, but who cares? It's my blog. I grew up during something of a golden age in Disney animation with movies like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King, so I was excited when I head the Mouse House was releasing a return to form after a long stretch of Pixar movies (not that I'm complaining about those).

As far as The Princess and the Frog goes, let me cut to the chase: loved it, loved everything about it. I saw it the first day it was widely released, and it met every expectation I could've possibly had.

The animation was rich and lush, an explosion of color bringing New Orleans and the Bayou to life. Original songs by Randy Newman had me humming for days afterwards. The characters were memorable, be they lovable (Ray the love sick firefly) or menacing (Doctor Facilier, the Voodoo witch doctor with some real malice behind him) and a great cast to bring them to life, like Anika Noni Rose as Tiana...sigh.

It was very much like the movies I loved as a kid, but this film somehow seemed more adult to me. Not only did Tiana have to work to buy her own restaurant (starting her own business...not a plot point generally seen in a kids movie), it also tackled issues like the difference between what you want and what you need, which is a big concept for someone young to grasp.

My verdict: Go see it. Now! Never mind it's a "kids" movie, go see it.

Glee: New Directions finally make it to sectionals!

Well fellow Gleeks, the kids from New Directions finally made it to sectionals the other night, and thus heralds the end of the fall season of Glee and another long wait until we see new episodes. I'm serious, we have to wait until April, what's that about? Stupid American Idol! But what a finale "Sectionals" was!

Secrets revealed? Check. Backstabbing? You betcha. Nail biting? Uh huh. A cliffhanger? A romantic one. It hit all the major points a finale should.

But aside from that it was just satisfying in so many ways. It was great to see Finn bounce back, after finding out that all the hell he was put through by Quinn and Puck was all a lie, and rejoin his team in time for the show. The business with Will and Emma makes for a lot of speculation until the shows return (how did you feel about it?) Sue got what was coming to her and you just know she'll be back in full force come April (God help them all).

But the real pleasure was seeing New Directions pull together after the competing schools got pulled into Sue's web of evil and cheated on their performances, forcing the kids to choose new songs on the fly and blow those cheaters out of the water with sheer talent. Unrealistic? Perhaps, but man was it awesome to see.

So what do we think will happen in the spring? How will Will and Emma fair? What will happen to Quinn now? Will New Directions make it to regionals? Damn Fox for making us wait! But at least the first 13 episodes will be in DVD December 28th, which will hopefully tide us over.

Twilight Hater...And Proud of It!

Firstly, December is here! Now everyone can go nuts with the Christmas season and I won't say a word. Heck, I'll even join you!

But back to my main point; I hate this whole Twilight fad. Hate it! Hate just about everything about it. Now as you may have noticed if you're a regular reader I love vampire fiction...but I hate this. Hate that it's so popular. Hate that it's giving vampires a bad name. Just...oooohhhh.

Some of you may be screaming 'NOOOOOOO! How can someone hate Twilight? It's so awesome, it's the best thing ever!' Or at the very least you might be thinking 'Hey it's not Keats but it's not that bad either; why the strong negative feelings?' And look there are some things I'm so crazy about that I can't understand why someone wouldn't like it, so I get where you're coming from. But, in a rare moment of zen, we have to realize that nobody can like everything (and if they say they do they're lying scum). And if you'd be so kind to indulge me, I'd like to take this oportunity to vent my frustration at this obnoxious fad (I can call it that, it's my blog).

So be more specific? Well, I hate Bella Swan. She's a whiny little wuss who lets her life and identity be consumed by a man. Even if he is a gorgeous, mystical, sparkly, slightly thrilling man, that don't make it right. There were a few recent articles at EW that make a great argument for Edward's stalkerish and potentially abusive behavior (see here and here).

And speaking of Edward, as the wise and vampire-savy authors at the discussion panel I attended at Fan Expo pointed out, why on earth would Stephanie Meyer make Edward a vampire if there's no bite to him, or at least not enough to make him truly dangerous. Sure, he might try to kill Bella...but chances are he probably won't. Boooooring!

Plus, real vampires DON'T SPARKLE! I understand taking liberties with vampire mythology, and Dracula was able to walk around in the daylight, so that's not the issue. But Dracula didn't sparkle. Know why? Because he was a REAL VAMPIRE! (And no I don't mean 'real' in the literal sense, I mean real in the established fiction and mythology sense)

Now I'm sure there are those out there who are saying, 'Well Al, how can you spew such venom at something you've never read or seen?' Fair point, but what you may not realize, gentle arguing reader, is that I did try reading it. At the coaxing of the teens I serve at my library I picked up the first volume and thought I'd give it a try. I made it to page 100, decided life was too short, and closed the book. My adorable, incredibly smart 18 year old cousin had assured me before hand that I'd feel like I was falling in love with Edward along with Bella. Maybe I'm looking at it from an almost 30 year old filter, but I have to disagree; I thought Edward was a jerk. And the constant back and forth dance he'd been doing with Bella up to that point was just annoying. Maybe I don't have the patience for that kind of thing at my age, though I know of many people older than me who like the series. Go figure.

Whether you agree with me or not, that is my point of view. Bring me True Blood or Buffy. That's what I'm looking for in my vampire fiction. Hell, I'll even take Van Helsing. At least their suped-up version of Dracula didn't sparkle. Feel free to cheer me on or condemn me in the comments section, your choice.

Album Review: For Your Entertainment

So Adam Lambert's album has finally dropped. You remember Mr. Lambert? The guy who graciously congratulated Kris Allen when he won American Idol, while Lambert himself placed second? The guy who really should have won? Can you tell I'm still a little bitter over that? Well, never mind, because the runner-ups first album is out and *whew!* it is good.

For Your Entertainment is exactly what I was hoping for. Sleek, thumping synth pop with a few ballads thrown in for good measure. A chance for Lambert to show off his glam roots and his vocals that reach all the way to the cheap seats.

The title track, also the first single (the cover of which is shown on the left here, as I've already shown the album cover in a previous post), allayed all fears when it came out a few weeks prior, but there's so much more on here. "Music Again" is another favorite of mine and many critics as well. It's that rare song that captures sheer joy. Tracks like "Strut" and "Sure Fire Winners" handle the heavy beats while "Whataya Want From Me", "Soaked" and the like handle the angst. It's all good people. Even the bonus track, the soapy ballad from the movie 2012, "Time for Miracles", can give you the chills.

If you'll forgive a little schadenfreude on my part, I hope Lambert kicks Allen's butt in album sales. That's the only way I'll feel that there's any justice in the universe.

My Verdict: Go out and buy it! Help make my sense of justice a reality! You won't regret it!

Movie Review: A Christmas Carol

So I'm finally in the holiday spirit, and I went and saw Disney's new version of Dicken's classic Christmas fable, A Christmas Carol. Though it's generally received mixed reviews from critics, I'm officially in the camp that is loving this eye popping, fresh yet faithful retelling of the perennial holiday favorite.

I've always been a big fan of this story, ever since I was a kid, and it remains not only one of my all time favorite Christmas tales, but one of my favorite stories in general. At it's heart, A Christmas Carol is about redemption, and how it's never too late to seek it. It's also about the transforming power of the holiday season and what it means to so many people. And it's a ghost story for Christmas, which means I was meant to like it.

Aside from a few action sequences thrown in to spice things up (you'll know them when you see them) this version is very faithful to Dickens original text. This may mean that some naysayers out there will find some of the slow parts a bit boring. To them I say, it's called building suspense. Just let it all unfold. The added action scenes balance the quieter moments nicely, and there are some genuinely frightening scenes as well (so I caution all with small children, this may not be for them).

Jim Carrey stars as Ebeneezer Scrooge. Say what you will about Mr. Carrey; you may write him off as the rubber faced comedy actor from the Ace Ventura movies. But given the chance and the right circumstances that dude can act. He's held his own with the likes of Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet in other films, and here he convincingly plays not only Scrooge at different stages of his life but also the three ghosts of Christmas. It's quite the feat.

The posters and commercials all talk about Carrey, but there's a full cast of actors involved in this. Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Cary Elwes, Robin Wright-Penn, Bob Hoskins, etc., many of whom also played multiple roles. It was fun trying to guess which characters they were (see how many you can get right).

The special effects are just incredible; I can't stress that enough. Digital 3D is such an awesome technological step in movie making, and here it's used to the hilt, at times making you feel like you're flying through Victorian London. And the motion capture technology used to create the characters seems to have come a long way since The Polar Express. The animated figures look much more life-like and the 'dead eyes' that were complained about in Express are long gone.

My Verdict: Go see it, preferably in the theatres where you can take full advantage of the 3D (you can't get that at home, you know).

Album Review: Reality Killed the Video Star

Part of the thrill of purchasing my new car was following my uncle's example and also getting a new album, to be the first thing played on my new stereo. My choice? Robbie Williams' latest offering, Reality Killed the Video Star (clever title, nes pas?)

Williams' albums can generally be sorted into four categories: experimental mixes (The Ego Has Landed, Sing When You're Winning, Escapology), booty shaking club tracks (Rudebox), downers (Intensive Care) and records where he's clearly trying to be Frank Sinatra (Swing When You're Winning). Reality would fall somewhere in the first category, as most of his albums do. Some songs you can dance to, some you can't, but all have their own charms and messages. Really, those types of albums are Williams' strong suits, when he can just cut loose and write whatever the heck he feels like, and I got the impression here that he's feeling a little thoughtful right now, perhaps due to his recent bout with rehab for prescription drugs.

One thing that caught my attention with this particular album was that Trevor Horn had a hand in this. He's well known in the music industry for many, many things. For me though, he will always be the man who produced one of my favorite albums; ABC's The Lexicon of Love. Mr. Horn's presence can be felt quite prominently on Reality in the sweeping violins and other grandiose musical additions thrown into Williams' tracks.

The first single, "Bodies", is by far my favorite song here. I'm still not entirely sure what it's about...it seems to be a mix of body image angst and spiritual crisis. But it's got a sense of urgency about it that's hard to miss or resist. The second single, "You Know Me", is a light, lovelorn song which, and I'm not sure why, somehow seems to involve rabbits. "Starstruck", "Blasphemy" and "Difficult for Weirdos" are all tracks I'd recommend, but the album is good as a whole.

My Verdict: A great record that'll make you think and make you dance. Now Robbie, PLEASE come and play in Toronto! Don't make me come over there.

My new car, and other famous rides!

First off, sorry you haven't heard from me very often lately. Things have been mucho busy these last few weeks.

Part of the business has been the joyous experience that is car shopping (heavy dose of sarcasm there). But that all came to an end today! Yes ladies and gentlemen, I have a brand new car! A 2009 Honda Fit Sport. As much as I'm going to miss my little black 98 Toyota Tercel, which has served me faithfully for about eight years, I really love my new set of wheels. It's spacious, practical, fun and gorgeous. Look at that color! Plus it has an excellent sound system, perfect for listening to the latest tunes via radio, CD or iPod through an auxiliary jack. Al's moving on up in the world.

This whole process has got me thinking about cars in popular culture. And boy have there been a lot of them over the last few decades. A car in a movie or TV show can almost become another character. Depending on the make and model, cars can add an element of power, or sophistication, or just fun to the storyline and become an extension of the heroes. I'm sure many of you have your favorites examples, but a few of the hot wheels that I've enjoyed over the years are, in no particular order...

The 'Striped Tomato', otherwise known as the red and white Gran Torino from Starsky and Hutch (both the seventies TV show and the film adaptation). A car that's seen more high speed chases and police action than most marked cruisers could ever hope to.

Dean Winchester's black 1967 Chevrolet Impala from Supernatural. Also known at the 'Metallicar' by some fans, due to it's owners musical preferences, it's joined the Winchester brothers on all of their mystical, demon infested high jinks. This series couldn't be a road show without the reliable Impala.

James Bond's Aston Martin. Really, no car list is complete without this little number.

K.I.T.T. (Knight Industries Three Thousand). Yes, many hardcore Knight Rider fans are going to be mad at me for choosing this version of K.I.T.T. over the original in David Hasselhoff's series. But in spite of the critical panning I liked the 2008 update. Either way, in KR, the car actually is one of the main characters, thanks to artificial intelligence.

The General Lee from the Dukes of Hazzard. Yeeeeehaaaaaw!

The yellow Oldsmobile Delta 88 from every single Sam Raimi movie. This car has seen rampaging Deadites, spider loving superheroes and even old western shootouts. No wonder it's been nicknamed 'The Classic'.

The Mini Cooper, both classic and new, from The Italian Job. Due to it's size and speed, it has been proven to be the perfect car for a heist. Plus it's just a classic, urban English car. It's just cool.

So there's a short list, though there are many more out there. Perhaps someone, somewhere, will make the Honda Fit a classic car. In the mean time, it will be a classic to me, and yet another step in the road to adulthood.

Christmas bells are ringing...waaaaay too early!

I watched my hometown's Santa Claus parade today, which for me is the official start of the holiday season. The only problem is that I seem to be behind the times in that regard.

I'm sure you've noticed this too, but it seems that as soon as Halloween was over and done with Christmas commercials began appearing on TV. Then all the consumer-related locations were decorated to the hilt. Even some places started playing holiday music (I hate that).

But one thing that I found really odd was the release of Disney's new digital 3D version of Dickens perennial holiday favorite A Christmas Carol, starring Jim Carrey...on November 6th.

Am I missing something here? It came out the weekend after Halloween, people! Does that not seem early to most of you? A film critic pointed out that most holiday movies are released the week of the American Thanksgiving. Why muck about with that?

It's not just with movies though. My library's region even had their Christmas parade on the 8th. I participated, because really how many opportunities do you get to be in a parade? But I could not shout out "Merry Christmas" while waving to people from the float, despite my coworker trying to coax me to do it. It just felt silly to be passing on seasons greetings in November.

Now don't get me wrong, I am no Grinch. Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year, no question. But I do not like two months of it. It's just too much. By the time December 25th actually comes around I almost feel sick of it if I've had too much exposure to it. I always have to pace myself, and I do not start with music or decorations until December. Besides, it almost feels like we don't even have a November anymore. November is a great month! It's melancholy and crisp, a last burst of fall before winter officially moves in.

I will go and see A Christmas Carol at some point, because it's my favorite Christmas story and this version is in 3D. But not yet. I may have to tape the upcoming Madagascar Christmas special too, because the 17th is still too early. It's all I can do to not join Scrooge and shout out "Bah, humbug!" Anyone else feeling overwhelmed by the early Christmas surge?

Pop Culture Birthday Gifts

Before we get started, allow me to wish one and all a Happy Guy Fawkes day! If you're not familiar with the English holiday that's why God invented Wikipedia.

Anywho, yesterday was my birthday, and I'm not ashamed to say it was the big 28. And while I celebrated the mini achievement of lasting one more year on this planet the world of pop culture offered a few treats of its own these last few days to mark the occasion.

First up, I got to listen to Adam Lambert's new single "For Your Entertainment". Without overselling it I have to declare it was AWESOME! Just the kind of synth dance pop I expected from the true winner of last years season of American Idol. I cannot wait for his album to drop (November 24th people, mark our calendars). And even though public opinion is divided, I'm in the camp that really likes his album cover, pictured here. It's what you call 'cool retro'. Care to join the debate?

I downloaded the new Lady Gaga single, "Bad Romance". Another hit for Gaga, with a refreshing mix of nonsense lyrics, a hard bass line and a general sense of a fashion catwalk. Plus, the accompanying music video is visually stunning, a little sci fi and a lot absurdist, all in a good way (check it out here).

The Glee soundtrack came out. Pure bliss.

A couple of new DVDs now sit on my shelf; Flight of the Conchords: Season 2 and American Dad: Volume 3. And may I just say that neither show gets nearly as much credit as it deserves.

And finally, I have joined the gaming world by purchasing a Wii. Ever since acquiring one I've been attempting to conquer the sports featured on Wii Sports with great delight, though I recommend stretching ahead of time, because my shoulders were killing me the next day (yes I am that out of shape). I can't wait to try other games.

A fun birthday all around. Here's to another year.

Happy Halloween to all, and to all a good fright

Aaahh, one of my favorite days of the year; Halloween! Often the only day of the year when we can dress up as anything we like and indulge ourselves with the mystical, the supernatural and the frightening. Yippeee!

Halloween is an odd time of year. If you were to put up a graveyard in your front yard in, say June, people would think you were crazy. In October though, it's a perfecty acceptable practice. Halloween has existed in one form or another for almost 3 000 years, and what may help explain it's staying power through religious and conservative attacks is because it speaks to a part of ourselves we don't really acknowledge at any other time, but we need to let out every now and then. What part of ourselves that is, I'll let you decide.

I've always been a fan of the supernatural and fantasy, no matter what time of year...ghosts, vampires, magic, etc. Anything along those lines I tend to gobble up. And on Halloween it's practically required that you watch scary movies and TV specials, tell spooky stories and be a little spooky yourself. Pure joy!

Some of the Halloween related movies I would recommend...

The Evil Dead trilogy: Gore, laughs and screams. Plus my man Bruce Campbell.

Sleepy Hollow: I loved this story as a kid, as well as the Disney cartoon that brought the legend to life. This Johnny Depp starring-Tim Burton directed movie is the classic tale for grown-ups.

The Shining: A damn scary movie that's also quiet, artful and interesting.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Just so much fun. Catchy tunes, too.

But in the midst of all these good scares and the effort of putting great costumes together, lets not forget the candy! Oh, the candy, in all shapes and sizes, all varieties and levels of sweetness. Mini chocolate bars are my favorite, but there are lots of different kinds to choose from. I'm sure you have your favorites too.

So happy haunting. Whatever this odd holiday means to you I hope you have fun and a few good scares along the way.

Monsters Vs Aliens joins Dreamworks holiday specials

Dreamworks seems to be adding to their repertoire of holiday specials lately, based I'm sure in large part to the success of Shrek the Halls a few Christmas' ago. In a few weeks we'll have a Madagascar Christmas special to look forward to. But for right now it's still Halloween, damn it!

And what better movie to draw a Halloween special from than last summer's hit Monsters vs Aliens? This past Wednesday NBC debuted Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space, which featured the original cast from the big screen version - Reese Witherspoon, Will Arnette, Hugh Laurie, Seth Rogen - in an all new adventure where alien slime creates mutant pumpkins that run amok on Halloween night in Susan's hometown of Modesto.

Will this be a classic? Time will have to tell on that. But it was definitely fun. The monsters consider Halloween their holiday, so they take it personally when these pumpkins start spoiling the fun. One of my favorite scenes was when The Missing Link, Doctor Cockroach and B.O.B. went trick or treating to do some reconnaissance, each with different results.

Chances are good this will be released on DVD next Halloween, or at the very least broadcast again. Check it out when it comes around next year. It's a great treat for the season.

Movie Review: Zombieland

I don't know if you've noticed, but in the entertainment world it seems it's all about vampires and zombies these days.

Not that I'm complaining, mind you.

One of the latest additions to the trend is Zombieland, a new zombie apocalypse movie that, like Shaun of the Dead, also adds a lot of humor to the franchise. I had the pleasure of catching

it this afternoon, and found myself laughing as much as cringing or jumping.

The story centers around Columbus (played by Jesse Eisenberg), a nerdy, phobia-ridden little undergrad whose managed to survive the zombie mayhem by coming up with a list of rules to live by when evading the undead. He is soon joined on his cross country expidition by Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a cocky, take-no-prisoners zombie killing machine. Things are further complicated by the arrival of the sister team of Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). While laughs, blood and gore aboud, there's also a nice dose of heart as the four survivors tackle the zombies and each other. Plus there's a great celebrity cameo during all of this. I'm not going to say who; you'll have to see for yourself.

Another thing to keep an eye out for that I'm not going to explain here: Twinkies. I had to go pick up a box of Twinkies after seeing this. Trust me, by movie's end you'll want them to.

My Verdict: A potential replacement for Shaun of the Dead as my favorite zombie movie.

Mash-ups from Heaven!

Some good news in entertainment this week. Brace yourselves...

Joss Whedon is directing an episode of Glee!

Adam Lambert just recorded a song written by Lady Gaga!

All is right with the world, my friends; all is right with the world.

True Blood: Love at First Bite!

Last week I finished the first season of True Blood, the hit HBO show inspired by Charlene Harrís' Southern Vampires series of books, on DVDs I borrowed from my library. I have two words for you...me likey!

For those of you unfamiliar with the show, allow me to paint a picture for you. Imagine if you would, that vampires are real. Got that image in your head? Okay, now how would you react if they wanted to live out in the open? How would you feel about them having equal rights? Or if they interacted with your family and friends? Would you be able to accept that on any kind of level; intellectual, personal, moral or spiritual? Even if they had synthetic blood to drink would you really trust them not to eat you?

If you take those issues and package them in a sex, violence and drama filled soap opera, you essentially come up with True Blood. Set in Louisiana, the show centers around Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic bar waitress who falls in love with Bill Compton, a vampire trying to 'mainstream' (live and interact with humans). Behind the religious and political issues surrounding vampires 'coming out of the coffin', the show gets a lot of soapy story lines from Sookie's friends and family. A show about intolerance and the supernatural with lots of sex and drama? So it would seem.

Plenty of action from the undead in question too. We get a privileged look at a vampire bar, Fangtasia (yes, bad pun, I know). We hear from some vamps who feel that coming out was a bad idea...mostly because they like drinking human blood. There's even a vampire trial. You see, these vampires come in all shapes and sizes, have their own system of government, their own rules, and their own law enforcement. Which, by that way, is where my man Eric comes in, the Nordic Adonis I've been dreaming of for some time now. And while I'm still on team Eric, I have to admit that Bill has his moments too. Watch the show and you'll know what I'm talking about.

From what I hear the second season is even crazier...and even better. Can't wait, but a very promising start in the meantime. I think this is how vampires should be portrayed, not all that sparkle nonsense. No offense to Twilight fans, but seriously, real vampires DON'T SPARKLE! Anyone agree with me?

Twenty Years of 'Treehouse of Horror'

A rather momentous event occurred tonight. The 20th installment of The Simpsons annual Halloween special, affectionately known as the Treehouse of Horror (a term which stems from the very first Halloween episode where Bart and Lisa tell scary stories in their treehouse). For me, Treehouse episodes are as much a part of Halloween as jack o' lanterns and chocolate chip pumpkin cookies.

You want to know the most momentous thing about this year's edition? This episode actually aired BEFORE HALLOWEEN! WOW! So many episodes make it to air the first Sunday in November, a fact that was lampooned in the 14th year when resident aliens Kang and Kodos pointed out that no one airs a Halloween episode in November, and that they already had their Christmas decorations up (don't get me started on people who put Christmas decorations up too early; it drives me crazy!)

Treehouse episodes are always hit and miss. Some episodes are better than others. Some segments are better than others. I'm not a huge fan of the very first episode but I loved their take on Poe's "The Raven". That was actually my first exposure to that poem, and it's since become one of my favorites. Other episodes have referenced Twilight Zone episodes, horror and suspense movies, classic Halloween specials or events, political elections, and much more. Some of the episodes I'm particularly fond of include Volume III, which has some of my most often quoted exchanges of dialogue (Homer buying a cursed doll, Smithers on women and seamen, Bart and Lisa raising the dead). Also, volumes IV (Bart Simpson's Dracula), V (The Shinning), XV (Lisa as Sherlock Holmes) and XVII (Dr. Phil intervenes when Homer becomes the Blob and Springfied reacts to Orson Welles' War of the Worlds).

Tonight's episode was enjoyable, if not overly memorable. An opening segment of Turner Classic Movie monsters at the Simpson's Halloween party was fun. The first story, a take on Dial M for Murder, had some great Hitchcock references. The second story was a nice poke at zombie movies. The last story was a Broadway musical in the same vein as Sweeney Todd. Again, a lot of fun, but not too much that stood out for me.

Regardless I am always happy to see a new Simpson's Halloween special, and if they can air it before November all the better. What do you think readers? Do you have any favorite episodes, or is Treehouse even on your radar for Halloween? And keep your eyes peeled for more posts on the spookiest time of the year.

Happy Thanksgiving Fizzers!

Ah, Thanksgiving (the real second-Monday-in-October Thanksgiving, not this phony baloney fourth-Thursday-in-November one ;). A time of family togetherness, a celebration of the fall season (0ne of my favorites) and counting our blessings.

Oh, who are we kidding? It's about the food! Turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, etc. You know I speak the truth.

What am I thankful for? So many things. The people in my life first and foremost, family and friends who love me and whom I love (awww, mushy). I'm thankful for my job, the roof over my head, my old car that still runs, my cat. To summarize, let me quote an old hippie song "Thank you Lord for thinking about me. I'm alive and doing fine." Amen.

But to keep in the same vein as this blog, I'm also thankful for TV shows with rich plots, great laughs and endearingly flawed characters. For movies with scope, vision and gravitas...and for digital 3D, which is just cool. For songs that can make you shake your booty and make you shed a tear. For books that keep you reading no matter how many pages long they are. For theatre that creates a shared experience with the audience. I could go on.

What are you thankful for dear readers? Feel free to post your thoughts. In the mean time, enjoy the turkey, and check out some of my favorite Thanksgiving TV specials (there aren't many I'm afraid, you'd think there'd be more).

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving: Peanuts specials almost always give me the warm fuzzies. In this installment you get a very unique Thanksgiving dinner with toast, pretzels and popcorn. Only Charlie Brown and Snoopy could come up with that.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer "Pangs": Buffy tries to have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with her nearest and dearest while fending off angry Native American spirits. One particular snippet of dialogue summarizes the holiday nicely.

Anya: I love a ritual sacrifice.

Buffy: It's not really one of those.

Anya: To commemorate a past event, you kill and eat an animal. It's a ritual sacrifice. With pie.

How I Met Your Mother "Slapsgiving": After a whole episode of anticipation, Barney gets slapped by Marshall. Points for adding non-supernatural violence to the holiday.

The Simpsons "Bart vs. Thanksgiving": This one always sticks in my mind, I think mainly for the realistic portrayal of Bart and Lisa, and the relationship between brothers and sisters...something I can relate to first hand.

Family Guy and changing times

Here's a little observation to mull around the old noodle.

Way back in 2000 Fox was set to air an episode of Family Guy entitled "When You Wish Upon A Weinstein", which contained a storyline about Peter wanting to convert Chris to Judaism so he'd be better at school. However, Fox decided in the end not to air the episode, due to fears that it would be construed as anti-Semitic. It first aired on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim in 2003 and then finally on Fox in 2004. It was included in the Volume 2 DVD set as well. I've seen the episode and I don't think it's overly offensive, as they make it very clear that Peter's point of view is the wrong one.

Tonight, nine years later, a new episode of Family Guy aired on Fox - "Family Goy". Basically it was a second chance for Peter to embrace Judaism when it's uncovered that Lois' mother is Jewish. Peter quickly changes his tune when the ghost of his step-father convinces him that he'll go to hell if he abandons Catholicism. I'll spare you, gentle reader, the gory details but some of the gags include Carter trying to lure his wife with a dollar bill on a string, Lois being tied to a cross made from a crib, shots fired at Mort (a Jewish neighbor), and Jesus himself making an appearance at the end.

My point is that this episode could be considered way more offensive then "Weinstein", yet not only has fox aired it, it did so without any fuss or uproar. Maybe we need to wait until tomorrow for the uproar, but this could show just how much things have changed in nine years, or that we've all become accustomed to Family Guy's antics, that this will just fly under the radar. Time will tell.

P.S. Loved the Super Friends opening.

Toy Story is out in 3D, and I revert to childhood for 3 hours.

Today was the first day of a two week limited engagement of movie theatres screening both Toy Story movies in Disney Digital 3D. Guess where I was this afternoon.

I loved Toy Story when it came out in 1995. Even though I was 14 at the time and it was considered a kids movie, it became an instant favorite with me. Not only was it groundbreaking as the first fully computer animated feature-length movie but it was a funny, smart and touching buddy-comedy, with a great cast and Joss Whedon as one of it's writers; it was just...marvelous (contented sigh inserted here) It made you look at toys in a different way. The sequel came out in 1999, when I was 18, and some argue it was even better than the first one. I'm not going to weigh in on that, but personally I loved Toy Story 2 just as much as the first (plus in that movie there were Barbie dolls!).

And I really enjoyed revisiting both films today. It was great spending time again with Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Hamm, Bullseye, Bo Peep, Slinky, Mr. Potato Head, Rex, and all the other lovable characters. Plus, the 3D was eye-poppingly amazing. It made the footage look crisp and new again.

One woman a few rows down from me laughed far more often than her kids. You gotta love a movie that grown-ups and kids can both appreciate. Or, if you're like me, an adult who's just a big kid inside.

Don't forget: Toy Story 3 is out in 2010.

Glee - So Far So Good!

As of tonight, I've now seen four new episodes of Glee. And as of tonight I think the show has hit a new level of awesome.

I should start off by saying that I probably would've liked Glee no matter what. The pilot totally won me over and it's a freakin' musical in a TV show! It hits all my happy buttons. But there is always the pesky matters of plot and characterization to consider when you make a commitment to a program.

The first two new episodes, "Showmance" and "Acafellas" were good, but I was starting to wonder about consistency with the story lines - people keep ducking in and out of the club, the whole fake pregnancy thing - and neither episode really popped for me. I loved Josh Groban's cameo in "Acafellas" but was bitterly disappointed when he didn't sing. The man has the voice of an angel, damn it! Still funny, though.

Last week's ep, "Preggers", again introduced a plot element that I'm not certain about. A character is pregnant, she's telling one boy he's the father when he's not, and another character wants the baby because she's lying to her husband about being pregnant. Huh. But the whole thing with Kurt having the whole football team dancing to "Single Ladies" on the field was priceless. Plus, a great library line; "I got this from the library. Did you know you can just borrow books from there. All of them. Well, except the encyclopedias."

As for tonight's episode, "The Rhodes Not Taken"...now we're getting somewhere! Guest star (and recent Emmy winner) Kristin Chenoweth, one of my favorite singers/actresses, was an absolute hit, not only delivering showstopping numbers (I've already downloaded the track "Alone", a duet with star Matthew Morrison) but also a hilarious and real performance as a former Glee member with issues joining the current Glee club. Plus, there was more drama with the teens and their teacher, Rachel finally ate a slice of humble pie, we now have a full Glee club, and their first big performance ended on a high note. The whole episode felt solid and was just a joy to watch.

Hopefully we'll have more of that flavor in the weeks to come. But at least Glee seems to be living up to the hype. Yay!

Movie Review: Let the Right One In

I went into this movie last Friday night on the heels of a lot of hype. Back when I went to Fan Expo, everyone on the panel discussion I attended on Vampires in Fiction said that this Swedish sleeper hit was the best recent vampire film they'd seen. Reviews have all been good as well. I gotta say though that while I definitely enjoyed it, I watched the credits roll that night without any sense of "Oh my God, that was awesome!" I started to wonder what all the hype was about.

Now that I've had a few days to let it process, I am starting to see a few things about Let the Right One In that make the film stand out. The story about Eli, a vampire in the body of a twelve-year-old girl who befriends Oskar, a twelve-year-old boy, comes across as a surprisingly sweet tale of adolecent romance, given the subject matter. Many of the classic vampire elements are here, from sunlight = bad to not being able to enter a home without being invited (hence the title).

But what I think is the true message of the film didn't really hit me until those few days later. I think what makes the movie stand out was that it really shows the downside of being a vampire. Most vampire movies I've seen show vamps as being powerful, confident individuals, part of communities of other vamps and living indulgent, aristocratic lifestyles. Not so for Eli. She is lonely, dependant on others for survival, constantly at risk of being discovered and stuck as a twelve-year-old. Not a glamorous life at all, and showing in the full light of day (pardon the pun) that is what makes this vampire movie so unique...and so haunting (trust me that scene at the pool...you'll know it when you see it...is quite jarring). I don't know why it took a few days to pick up on all of this (maybe I was having a slow week), but I got there eventually.

My Verdict: Quiet, mature, a bit touching, and it makes you think. In a vampire movie. Wow.

Album Review: The Boy Who Knew Too Much

Ahhhh, Mika's back! Happy days!

And as it turns out, the Brit pop star's new album, The Boy Who Knew Too Much, is a worthy follow up to his last outing, Life in Cartoon Motion, released all the way back in 2007. Boy is a fun, frothy mix of disco, pop, vaudeville and a few other odd yet invigorating ingredients, which makes for a tasty audible treat.

I downloaded this to my iPod right on it's release date (Sept. 22), and in the last two days I don't know how many times I've listened to the opening track and first single "We Are Golden". Like I mentioned in a previous post it has become my most current anthem. It's the kind of song that you sing along to at the top of your lungs while jumping around in your underwear (which, by the way, is what Mika does in the music video). A sample of the uplifting lyrics:

"Teenage dreams, in a teenage circus
Running around like a clown on purpose.

Who gives a damn about the family you come from?

No giving up when you're young and you want some!" (Awesome!)

But there's plenty more to this album. You can clap along to "Blame it on the Girls". "Rain" has a baseline that made my car mirrors vibrate nicely. "Dr. John" reminded me of the Beatles. Then down near the end of the album you have the 1940's nightclub feel of "Pick Up Off The Floor" and "Lady Jane" (though "Lady Jane" had some pretty trippy lyrics).

My Verdict: Boy was well worth the wait and a brilliant second helping of a talented artist. Hopefully there'll be more to come.

Perhaps one of the Greatest Ad Campaigns Ever!

One of my all time favorite cars, sold to vampires! Could it get any better?

"Where's my Emmy man? You got my Emmy? Huh?"

The 61st Annual Prime Time Emmy's were on tonight, and thanks in large part to host Neil Patrick Harris' charm and the decision to group the awards together by genre, it was quite the event.

I would usually classify the Emmy's as my second favorite awards show (tied with the Golden Globes, with the Oscars being number one...though the Tony's are catching up to that second place spot quite nicely), but like most awards shows television's biggest night tends to be a fairly inconsistent form of entertainment, with some broadcasts being better than others, and even the better ones having their off-balance moments. But in this particular case, the good far outweighed the bad. Let me break it down for you...

The Good:

1. DR. HORRIBLE HIJACKS THE BROADCAST! Well...not really. But the devious attempt by the titular super-villain to, rather ineffectively, tout the wonders of the internet over television was spot-on funny. Plus the whole Dr. Horrible cast was reunited, there was a little singing, and it was just the right length. Perfect. And on that note...

2. Neil Patrick Harris as Host - With a great opening musical number, nice zingers all through the night, obscure career references for each presenter, and being so put-out after loosing the Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series award to John Cryer, Harris was just about as perfect an award show host as anyone could be. Even Jon Stewart had to admit he was awesome. Plus the white tux was very sleek.

3. John Hodgeman as the Commentator - The perfect gravy to Harris' hosting, The Daily Show's resident expert offered some hysterical, and almost all fictional, comments on each winner as they approached the stage, livening up a part of the show that's often very dull.

4. Dividing the awards by genres - By keeping like-minded awards together, and still saving the two big series awards for last, the whole evening felt much more cohesive.

5. Family Guy getting in on the fun - A special Emmy version of Stewie beating up Brian (shouting "Where's my Oscar?" instead of "Where's my money?") acknowledged FG's unprecedented Best Comedy Series nomination and added a little irreverence to the festivities.

6. Tearjerker 'In Memoriam' - Sarah McLachlan singing "I Will Remember You" over the images of the people the television industry lost over the last year = not a dry eye anywhere.

7. The little things - Jimmy Fallon actually funny? Pokes at Kanye? A moving set that didn't look cheesy? Kristen Chenouweth's teary acceptance speech? We actually ended on time? Like I said, little things.

But no awards show is without it's flaws. Here's The Bad...

1. Those stupid "coming up in __ minutes" bullets under some of the acceptance speeches - What? The person speaking is so boring you have to remind the people watching that something else is coming up shortly? Come on, how rude is that?

2. Ricky Gervais is still awkward - Normally I love Gervais and everything he does (including that foray into pop music in the 80s, as I talked about in a previous post), but I've noticed the last couple of times he's been on the Emmy's I've been squirming due to jokes that fall flat and that whole thing between him and Steve Carrell. Maybe that's what they're going for, but still.

3. Repeat Offenders - Let me just preface this by saying I am very hypocritical in this sentiment when it comes to my favorite shows. The Daily Show should get every Emmy it can possibly get, and it got another one last night. But I hate it when shows I don't watch get Emmy after Emmy over shows I do watch. I just hate it! The ceremony really should scrap the Best Reality Show category if The Amazing Race is going to be the only show that wins it. And 30 Rock getting another gold statue when shows like Family Guy and Flight of the Conchords are waiting in the wings? But the real kicker for me was Brian Cranston getting his second Emmy in a row when Hugh Laurie, in that same category, hasn't won a single time for House even though he's been nominated again and again. Laurie does everything the other nominees do, and he does it while covering his accent and walking with a limp and a cane! Come on! Something's not right here!

Still, in spite of a few bumps, a good show overall. What do you think? Do you agree with my assessment or do you think I'm completely off base?

My Own 9 Years of Beatlemania (and Counting)

EW came out with a great issue last week. As the front cover proclaimed: The Beatles Invade Again! (Just as a side note, I've always loved that picture of John and Paul, from back when they were still getting along). Now that Beatles: Rock Band has been released (I so want it!), along with digitally remastered versions of their albums, rock's greatest band is poised to make yet another splash on the pop culture scene. And while nothing will ever come close to the original Beatles craze back in the 60s, the fact that they still generate such excitement is a testament to their quality as a band and their impact on culture and history.

I didn't officially hop on the Beatlemania bandwagon until the holiday season of 2000. Ah, what a magical time; I had finished high school the previous summer, and had just started at the University of Waterloo, taking my first tentative steps into adulthood. Through December of that year I was working a part-time stint at the Hickory Farms kiosk at our local shopping mall to earn a little extra dough for Christmas. But you see, that kiosk happened to be located right outside the HMV store...and just a few weeks before, the album 1 had been released.

Some of you may recall 1. It was a collection of twenty-seven of the number one singles the Beatles released from their heydays of the early sixties until they broke up in 1970, and the first compilation album on one disc for the band. It also happened to become the best selling album of 2000 world wide, surpassing everyone's expectations and once again putting the Beatles back in the spotlight.

Now me standing at the counter of that Hickory Farms kiosk for a few hours a day, I couldn't help but listen to 1 as it was played over the HMV speakers...and I fell in love. Head over heels in love! From the youthful exuberance of "She Loves You" to the sorrow of "Eleanor Rigby" and the mature bluesy sound of "Come Together", the richness and variety of their music struck a chord with me big time (pun intended). 1 made it's way onto my Christmas list, and it was in my stocking that year. I still have it to this day.

I don't want to make my onset of Beatlemania sound like a religious experience, but in some ways it kind of was. Before that Christmas I was still lingering in my boy band phase of adolescent musical tastes. Once I got into the Beatles a whole world of music opened up for me. As I tried to experience everything I could having to do with the Fab Four I also got into the Stones, the Who and other 60's bands, then I moved on to the eclectic mix that was the 70s. For the last few years I've been way into New Wave and 80s music (still haven't really revisited the 90s yet; go figure). Suddenly the pop music landscape was much bigger and far more exciting than I ever could have imagined.

But the Beatles remain my greatest love, always at the top of my list of favorite bands. A Hard Days Night is also on my list of favorite movies (if you haven't seen it yet, it was re released on DVD back in like 2002, so hop to it!) When George Harrison passed away in November of 2001 I mourned with the rest of the world, partly because I feel like I didn't get the chance to have him in my life for as long as so many others had. With John Lennon assassinated in 1980 (about eleven months before I was born) Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are the only two surviving members now. I visited NYC for the first time in August of last year, and got the chance to see the Dakota and Strawberry Fields in Central Park, and I'm so glad I did.

While I doubt that everyone will have the same experiences with these mopped topped kids from Liverpool that I have, I am grateful to the Beatles not just for their music and not just for their impact on history, but for opening my eyes to a greater selection of music. Don't get me wrong, I still love the Backstreet Boys, but now I can add "Magic Bus" and "Paint it Black" to my iPod along with "I Want It That Way". And as the Beatles continue to make an impact in the world, I will cheer; I will experience it along with everyone else; I will join in the debates over which songs and albums are better than others; and I will keep listening to the music, no matter what format it comes in.

And you know Beatles: Rock Band will be on my Christmas list this year.

Book Review: Twenties Girl

What would you do if, in the middle of a whole bunch of other problems in your life, you started seeing the ghost of a deceased family member?

In the world of Sophie Kinsella, it's likely that situation would involve hilarious misadventures and a heavy dose of angst but, somehow, it would all work out in the end; and on that note Twenties Girl does not disappoint.

I had only ever read one of Ms. Kinsella's books, Confessions of a Shopaholic; and while I liked it I did not feel compelled to read any further. That series' heroine, Becky Bloomwood, was charming and relatable, but I found her staggering irresponsibility a bit of a turnoff (Of course you're in financial trouble, you just spent $400 you don't have on a scarf!)

But in Twenties Girl, Lara Lington (who's my age, by the way) is also charming and relatable, but also a hard worker trying to do the right thing and make her way in the world. That's something I can get on board with.

And Sadie, Lara's 105 year old great-aunt who's lingering on after death in the guise of a 23 year old 1920s flapper girl, is just a gem of a character; bold, brassy, take-no-prisoners and fun. She and Lara prove to be quite the team as Lara searches for Sadie's beloved dragonfly necklace and Sadie dips her fingers into Lara's personal and professional lives...whether Lara wants her to or not. What emerges is an adventure in life, love, history, secrets and the importance of family. Some might say this next statement is sacrilege, but I liked it much better than Shopaholic.

My verdict: Funny, touching and with ghosts. What's not to like?

What you may not know about Ricky Gervais

I didn't know this little tidbit of information until I was flipping through my new Famous magazine, and I thought I'd pass it on, just 'cause it is so surprising for those who didn't know.

See this gentleman in the picture? On the left?

That, dear readers, is Mr. Ricky Gervais!

I'm not making that up, I swear. Apparently, back in 1983, Gervais was part of a new wave pop duo called Seona Dancing (according to Famous it's pronounced SHAW-nuh Dancing) with a Mr. Bill McCrae. The name of the band came from a girl Gervais knew at University College who loved to dance.

They released a couple of singles, "More to Lose" and "Bitter Heart", in 83, and neither broke U.K.'s Top 40. The band called it quits shortly after, but Gervais spent a little more time in the music industry, managing the band Suede and working as a DJ. After that, he went on to become the comedian, actor and writer that we all know and love.

Weird, huh? Though in some ways it does make sense. Gervais has shown musical talent in his other works, like on The Office or, one of my favorites, his song "Lady" on his guest spot on The Simpsons.

So there you have it; Ricky Gervais, new waver! Just a little trivia for you. Or maybe you already know, and I'm just late to the party.

You can find the music video "Bitter Heart" on YouTube (click here). While you're there check out one of my favorite clips, an outtake of Gervais' appearance on Sesame Street, which proves that while that show is meant for kids, it's definitely run by adults.

The Blogger's Lament

I am not a fan of Perez Hilton. Not in the slightest. I think the self proclaimed Queen of all Media is a bit of a...well, I won't write it here but it rhymes with 'witch'. However, if I'm being perfectly honest, there are moments when I wish I had his life. Think about it. He doesn't work, at least not in the conventional sense. The only thing expected of this man is that he closely follow the topic he cares most about, write his posts, and people read them. Now me, being a productive member of society and working for a living, I don't have that luxury. My having a normal job puts quite a limit on how much I can keep up with my passion for pop culture.

Case in point.

The other day, as I was shutting down the computers at my library and closing up for another day I was thinking to myself; when is Mika going to put out another album? The British artist's last album, Life in Cartoon Motion, was a fantastic, bouncy, quirky bit of pop, the kind of music I really like. For those of you who may need a little memory jog, Mika sings like Freddie Mercury and his music is similar to Scissor Sisters, Robbie Williams or David Bowie. He gave us songs like "Grace Kelly", "Love Today" and "Relax, Take It Easy". But Cartoon Motion came out way back in February of 2007. The dude is way overdue for a new offering.

I wrapped up my work week just today, and after I got home I was sorting through some old magazines when I noticed a caption I hadn't read before...about a new single from Mika! I opened my laptop and got on iTunes to see if it was on there yet. Not only was it there, it's release date was posted as July, 2009. July? It's been out since July and I'm only hearing about it now? Not only that, this single is part of a whole new album that's available for pre-order. The Boy Who Knew Too Much will be released Sept. 22. That's like in two weeks! Why am I just hearing about all this now? Because I'm too busy with other things, that's why!

It's a good thing I love my job. I do love my job and I like being said productive member of society. But...every once in while...it seems like it would be nice to just pursue my passion full time. Maybe one day, when I fulfill my dream of opening a pop culture library, I can combine the two.

Until that day, go check out Mika's new single, "We Are Golden". I saw the video on youtube, and it's awesome! It may have to become my new anthem! Anyone agree?

Michael Jackson Funeral Today - A Few Thoughts

As I'm typing this, reports are coming in about Michael Jackson's funeral today. The King of Pop will be interred in the Great Mausoleum in Glendale, California, and from the looks of things it will be a private, somber service, a chance for family and close friends to say their goodbyes.

Even though this is the final step for Jackson, I think it's safe to say the media circus his death has caused isn't over just yet. Now that Jackson's death has been ruled a homicide there could be more news reports, more specials, more developments, perhaps even a trial. (I have to say I am surprised about the ruling on the cause of death. Overwork, an accidental overdose or his body just giving out after years of abuse made far more convincing reasons for Jackson's untimely demise.)

His passing may become one of those moments where you remember where you were when you heard the news. For me, I was at work, on the reference desk, when I got the news through an email from my roommate/co-worker John. I checked cnn.com real quick, and at first they were only reporting that Jackson was in a coma, but eventually it was confirmed that he had in fact passed away. Then the nonstop news coverage began and his music videos played continuously on music channels (I had no idea until then that Martin Scorsese directed the "Bad" video; that's just...true). Though I had mixed feelings about it, I knew that this was a moment in history; how could it not be?

My mixed feelings stem from the fact that you simply cannot reconcile the two people Michael Jackson had become by that point in his life. There's Michael Jackson the icon; the entertainer and innovator. The man who no one could touch during the 80s. The man who could dance and sing like no one else. The man who brought us Thriller, one of the greatest albums/songs/music videos ever. The man who pretty much reinvented the music video, who gave us the moonwalk and the sequined glove and other pop symbols, who was just...Michael Jackson!

But then there's also Whacko Jacko, the man who's bizarre personal life, slumping album sales and drastic changes to his appearance just defied explanation. The man who hung out with chimpanzees, who built a whole freaking amusement park in his back yard, who went on lavish shopping sprees and who made his children wear masks. The man who altered his appearance with plastic surgery to the point that he no longer looked African-American...hell, who didn't even look human anymore. The man who was accused not once but twice of a crime so heinous I don't even want to type it. Who abused pain killers, who tried to blame his record company after his album didn't sell well by claiming they were racist. The list goes on. You couldn't make any of this up, no one would believe it.

Lately what I've been hearing is the good side of Jackson and I think that's what his fans would like to remember; his musical genius and the positive impact he made on the entertainment world. Perhaps now that he's dead the strange and possibly criminal side of him doesn't matter anymore. I don't know. But I do know that even in death the man continues to fascinate us and to perplex us. I wonder if we will ever get the full picture of who he was...maybe even he didn't know by that point.

If his death was the result of murder, then hopefully those responsible will be brought to justice. In the meantime, as Mr. Jackson makes his way to his final resting place, I hope it will be a peaceful rest for him...even if his legacy isn't so lucky.

Marvel and Disney: Strange Bedfellows

A big announcement was made today; Marvel Entertainment is set to be purchased by the Walt Disney Company for a reported 4 billion dollars, stock and the rights to about 5 000 characters (insert low impressed whistle here). The full details have yet to be revealed but the entertainment world is abuzz. Many of Marvel's characters are currently owned by other movie companies, like Spider-Man at Sony, Iron Man at Paramount or the X-Men at Fox. How will that be addressed? Hopefully all will be revealed when and if the deal goes through.

As someone who grew up with both Disney and Marvel comics I find myself scratching my head at this turn of events. Disney and Marvel...business partners? The company that gave us so many princess movies and the family friendly faces of Hannah Montana and Suite Life is going to own a comic book legacy that for the past seventy odd years has given us scantily clad superheroes, sometimes in very adult situations? This doesn't add up for me.

Some reporters watching this, like Marc Bernardin at EW.com, are hopeful that this deal will help Marvel branch out a bit from superheroes and try other forms of comics and graphic novels. Perhaps I'm being pessimistic but I worry that the opposite could happen; that Disney may end up being more restrictive of what Marvel can do. The Mouse House, in all it's power and glory, sometimes has a tendency to make everything family friendly. But occasionally I like my comics gritty; DC's Vertigo line is one of my favorites (and it's definitely not for kids).

It's still really early, so we'll have to see how this progresses. Just yesterday though I was at the Marvel booth at Fan Expo. Now Marvel might go through a pretty drastic change. For good or ill? Time will tell.

Fan Expo 2009 - Day 2 (I came, I saw, I conquered)

I saw Bruce Campbell.

I spoke with Bruce Campbell!

I got Bruce Campbell's autograph!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

But let's back up a little first.

Yes, today was the second and last day of my first ever Fan Expo experience, and it was just as memorable and eventful as Friday night.

Well, not right away. The first part of my day was spent waiting in line. After packing up my things, putting on my Victorian shirt and Spike heart necklace and slicking my hair back with styling cream that turned my normally brown locks pink, I had arrived in Toronto at about 10:30am, and was at the south building of the Convention Center at about quarter to 11...to find a nice long line just to get into the show room. A half hour later I was finally inside, and immediately went to the celebrity autograph section to get a sense of the line up for the first autograph session of the day with Mr. Campbell. I got there just as the guys running the booth were explaining to other convention goers that the tickets had been sold out, but once hearing that I had a ticket they ushered me to the line up off to the side. At first glance the line didn't seem so long; but then I realized it continued behind the curtain and snaked all along the wall. So I got on the end of it, determined to wait it out (hey, this is why God invented video iPods). Nearly two hours I waited as the line slowly snaked it's way around. While we waited the volunteers at the Expo wrote down our names on post-it notes to put on the items we want signed (the woman behind me had an action figure from Army of Darkness that was maybe a foot tall; I don't know how anyone could sign that) and gave us some guidelines; no personalization's, no pictures, etc. But then we were back out from behind the curtain, and the man of the hour was in view.

Now, for those of you unfamiliar with Mr. Campbell's work, he's been in movies and television (currently he's in the TV show Burn Notice) and he's written two books. But his biggest claim to fame is starring in the Evil Dead trilogy, directed by Sam Raimi. I love those movies, and I've been a big fan of Mr. Campbell ever since. I was not alone; from what I hear he was one of if not the most popular celebrities there that weekend, with the event organizers adding another block of tickets while we were all in that first line. And I was fine right up until only maybe four people were ahead of me. That was when the nerves started to hit, but also a lot of excitement. I had my book ready, one of his, entitled Make Love* The Bruce Campbell Way, a novel about him trying to make it in an A-list movie (it's very funny, I'd definitely recommend it). And finally it was my turn to go up. And you know what? He was totally cool. Well, the first Evil Dead movie came out the year I was born, so you gotta think he's been doing this kind of thing for a long time. The first thing he said to me was "Hi there sweetheart", and when he saw what I had for him to sign he complimented me on my choice of books. He chatted me up as he signed it, asking what I did for a living, and I rambled something about being a librarian and reading stories to kids. He asked if I get a big crowd for that sort of thing, and I replied that we get a fair size. He said he's glad libraries are still around, and I said yeah, thank God for that (or something silly; like I said I was nervous). He handed back my book, said "Thanks dear", I thanked him very much and moved off to the side. It was all of twenty seconds, if that, and as I moved away I had a moment of Holy cow, did I really just do that? I stopped to look at my signature on the inside title page of my book. It is indeed there, written in blue. Again, EEEEEEEEEEEEE! And I knew that anything after that would just be gravy.

Still, by that point it was 1:30pm, and there was so much more to do! After refuelling with a slice of pepperoni pizza I wandered around the convention, looking at the wares of the vendors, helping myself to free comics and goodies at the booths for DC, Marvel, etc., checking out the gaming stations. The TVs that aired Big Bang Theory on Friday were now showing Supernatural. So much to see. But I kept an eye on the time, because there was one more thing I wanted to participate in; a panel discussion on vampires in fact and fiction (no surprise there).

I had to leave the show room and go up a floor to get to the room holding the discussion. It was about 10 to 3, and there was a line. Seeing how small the room was from an open door I had a moment of panic; would they be able to fit us all in? Fortunately, I managed to get a chair way off to the side. Unfortunately, from where I was sitting I could barely see the table with our panelists. There were five women seated up there, one of whom was an editor for Rue Morgue magazine, and she was the one who led the discussion. The four panelists consisted of Elizabeth Miller, a former professor and an expert in vampire literature; Nancy Kilpatrick, who wrote the Power of the Blood series; Karen Dales, who wrote Angels of Death; and Karen Armstrong, who wrote Bitten. (I could not see Ms. Armstrong at all from where I was sitting. Only when she leaned forward could I catch a glimpse of her.)

Despite my visual problems it was a very interesting discussion. The authors had different ideas on what makes a vampire a vampire, like whether or not to focus on the horror aspect of it or the fantasy. Many points were brought up that I hadn't considered before, like the vampire being the only acceptable portrayal of the alpha male or alpha female in fiction, or that some publishers argue that when a democrat is president then vampires are popular, whereas if a republican is president werewolves are in. Many of these writers were not big on the romanticizing of vampires, like in Twilight ("Sparkle Vampires"). Their argument was why bother making Edward a vampire if you're going to take the bite out of him? (Hear Hear) I was very impressed with Ms. Miller in particular; I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who knows as much about vampire fiction, and particularly about Dracula, than her. She shed light on a few pieces of information I didn't know, like how Dracula didn't really become famous until the 1920s, long after Stoker had died, and that Stoker definitely did not base Dracula on Vlad the Impaler, only borrowing the name. I may have to read her book.

When the floor was opened for questions most people asked the authors what they thought of different versions of the vampire story from books or TV shows. We actually went over the time limit, and another event organizer had to kick us out.

I spent another hour back in the show room, taking one last look around. So many people were in costume (anime characters, a few Princess Leia's, a few Disney princesses, super heroes, a Doctor Who, a Halo soldier, a Pikachu, etc.) Looking at t-shirts my pick for the best slogan was "And then Buffy staked Edward. The End." So many cool things, but eventually, perhaps inevitably, my stamina had worn down. So a little after 5 I took one last look and then left the show room, making the slow accent to the surface and natural light, to rejoin the real world and all the Jonas Brothers fans roaming the streets of Toronto just as I was leaving.

So now I'm back home; the pink has been washed out of my hair, the glitter and mascara taken off my eyes, and I'm sipping on my can of Slurm as I type. My signed book is resting in my Expo bag, and I have shown it to everyone who will look.

All in all, it was an awesome day, and an awesome experience. I will be back next year. Maybe I can get the whole weekend off.

Was anyone else working the Expo this weekend? Have you ever been to a convention like this? Feel free to post your thoughts. Oh, and here's a couple more shots.