Movie Review: Eat Pray Love

On Sunday Mom and I had an afternoon at the movies, and she wanted to see Eat Pray Love, the new vehicle for Julia Roberts based on the best-selling book. Not top of my list of movies to see, but I figured I'd give it a shot. It's always good to step outside your box every now and then.

And I have to admit, I liked it. Quite a bit actually. Roberts plays a woman looking for meaning in her life, and ends up taking a year to live in Rome, India and then Bali. I could go on and on about how this is total wish-fulfillment for most women, as the average person could never afford to do this, but hey, it's an excuse to see lots of gorgeous scenery, and boy did we.

But that's not the only reason I liked it. As someone trying to do some soul-searching herself, I couldn't help be relate to what our heroine is going through. She tries to find what will make her whole and truly happy in life, including eathing pizza, and that's a journey that anyone can relate to. Plus she meets some colorful characters along the way, gets spiritual and again, that scenery makes the price of a ticket worthwhile. Plus it's Julia Roberts! The woman is luminous and doesn't seem to age, ever.

My Verdict: Give it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Supernatural Soundtrack - What a rip!

I just caught wind that there is a soundtrack for the show Supernatural. Immediately, I'm excited. I've always been both a fan of the show and a fan of the music that's on it. You see, Dean Winchester is stuck in a pretty firm time warp when it comes to his musical tastes. He's a big fan of Metallica and 80s rock in general, or as his brother Sam once referred to it; "The greatest hits of the Mullet rock era" (to which Dean gave the immortal reply; "Driver picks the music. Shotgun shuts his cake-hole"). The very thought that there's a CD out there that compiles all this great music that fits the show to a "T" was enough for me to emit squeals of joy.

But those squeals were quickly stifled. The soundtrack is entirely instrumental. What the hell? It begs the question; why put it out at all if you're not going to give the fans what they want? Likely it has something to do with money; royalties can be a pain to pay.

Another great opportunity lost, and I'm back to playlists on my iPod. Anyone else as ticked off as I am?

Trailer for Paranormal Activity 2 released: Too scary?

The trailer for Paranormal Activity 2 was released with the new Twilight movie, and already there's buzz around it, because not only is it fairly horrifying, but many are arguing that it's too scary for the younger Twi-hards watching the movie. Some people in Texas have apparently complained about it, and it's been pulled from several theatres in that state. I've watched it online, and yeah it is startling, and maybe it's even worse when it's up on the big screen in a darkened theatre, but it's not graphic and it's pretty short, so no I don't think the trailer in and of itself is too scary, but it does show promise that the movie it promotes will have some chills, maybe as much as it's predecessor (see my previous post).

Ew.com had a great post about the PA2 trailer, and poses the question of what other trailers and TV spots have sent chills down the viewers spine. Clark Collis, the author of the post, lists the trailers for Phantasm, the remake for Dawn of the Dead and The Shining, and he includes youtube videos of each one and for the PA2 spot. I have to agree with the Shining trailer, which is simple (only focusing on one particularly jarring scene), elegant and terrifying, much like the film itself. And as freaky as that elevator scene is, you have to admit it's beautifully shot, and the music itself is enough to give you nightmares. Phantasm looked nonsensical and the 2004 DotD trailer was short and to the point but not overly scary. One trailer that freaked me out as a kid was, and this is embarrassing to admit, from one of the Tales of the Crypt movies. Give me a break, I was just a kid!

Any trailers that have scared the heck out of you? Post away.

Movie Review: The A-Team

After a few false starts (read: shows being sold out) and much speculation on whether it would be worth checking out I finally saw The A-Team. Before we get into it though, bear in mind my analysis of this pic comes from having never seen the TV show before, so I apologize in advance to all die hard fans out there who might find that I'm lacking the true scope of all this, but just consider it my two cents from the outside looking in.

The A-Team was much of what I expected; lots of action and maybe not a whole lot of plot...but damn it, it was fun! The action was truly action, and the plot, though thin, was enough to keep you guessing and intrigued as you watched it unfold. The premise is basically the same as the TV show: an elite special forces unit is convicted of a crime they didn't commit, and now must try to clear their names (this time the setting has been updated to the Iraq war instead of the Vietnam war), and of course the people who set them up soon realize they screwed over the wrong guys. But I can't overemphasize those action scenes! Motorcycles and tanks and helicopters and guns and explosions. Perfect for a summer movie.

But not only that, the four members of the A-Team are just so likeable, and the actors who play them have great chemistry together. For this outing we have the always classy Liam Neeson as team leader Col. 'Hannibal' Smith, his hair dyed silver as an homage to the original actor to fill that role, the late George Peppard. Hannibal's "boys" include the nicely buffed and very gorgeous Bradley Cooper as Lt. 'Faceman' Peck; Ultimate Fighting Champion Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson as Sgt. B.A. Baracus; and District 9 star Sharlto Copley as Cpt. 'Howling Mad' Murdock (roles originally inhabited by Dirk Benedict, Mr. T. and Dwight Schultz respectively). Wow, that was a lot of nicknames to type. But this quartet was a real team on screen, and each inhabited the uniqueness of their characters, from B.A.'s toughness to Face's superficiality. Copley in particular impressed me; what passed for crazy in the original series doesn't do so now, and he brought a manic and hilarious new take on Murdock, with glimpses of something deeper.

Patrick Wilson and Brian Broom make suitably slimy villains, and Jessica Biel adds a feminine touch with a tough, smart female character who (of course) has a romantic past with Face. Overall, lots of energy and lots of laughs abound. And from what I hear, despite any flaws, this film does capture the noisiness and bombast of the TV show on which it's based. So for a movie adaptation, what more could you ask for?

My Verdict: Not cerebral, but who cares? It's just awesome.

The only Doctor I trust

There's a t-shirt on ThinkGeek.com that I have been sorely tempted to buy. On it is a 1950's style London police call box. Underneath that are the words "You never forget your first Doctor."

To the uninitiated into the pantheon of Sci Fi, that t-shirt probably wouldn't make a lick of sense. What, some would ask, does a police call box have to do with a doctor? And what the heck is a police call box, anyway? (There's a Wikipedia article on them here.) Shall I fill you in? The shirt is in reference to Doctor Who, a British Sci Fi series that first aired all the way back in 1963. I actually just finished reading the graphic novel Doctor Who: The Forgotten, which was excellent by the way, so it's been on my mind lately. Why should anyone care? Because Doctor Who has the distinction of being the longest running Sci Fi series ever. Ever! And not just in England, or in North America, but in the entire world! Check the Guinness Book of World Records, it's in there. 31 seasons (or series, as they call them across the pond), and as of June 12, 2010, 767 episodes! Considering how some shows barely last a season, that's an amazing feat.

And that's also a surprising feat, considering that the premise for the show is a little out there. It would be almost impossible to summarize the entire show here, but in a nutshell the main character is an eccentric, mysterious, 900-and-something-year-old humanoid alien known only as The Doctor. From the planet Gallifrey, the Doctor is a Time Lord, which is an extraterrestrial race that has mastered time travel through advanced technology. The Doctor achieves this through a device called the TARDIS (and to really earn my geek stripes: that stands for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space). The TARDIS is a vast, complicated space ship capable of going to any point in time or any planet in the galaxy, but from the outside looks like a standard police call box (aahhh, now the t-shirt makes sense). With this ship the Doctor goes on many adventures to face foes and right wrongs, often bringing along at least one companion on his journeys (a companion is a general term for whomever the Doctor travels with, often human and often female, who acts as a stand-in for the audience).

So how can the series have lasted this long, you may ask? I mean, surely one actor hasn't played the Doctor since the 1960s, right? You'd be right, and actually the show's creators found a way around this, and rather brilliantly I think. You see, Time Lords are able to do something called Regeneration. What that means is when they've been critically injured and/or about to die, they're able to regenerate into a new body. Same character, different appearance. So whenever an actor is tired of the role, a 'death' scene is filmed, and a new actor steps into the part. As of right now, eleven different actors have played the Doctor over the years, starting with William Hartnell in 1963, all the way up to Matt Smith, who took over the role in January of this year. Likewise there has also been a stream of companions and villains, many of which are unique to one Doctor, others of which have transcended several regenerations.

You know how the shirt says you never forget your first Doctor? For me, that would be Paul McGann, the eighth incarnation. My first exposure to the world of Who came in May of 1996 (I would've been 14 at the time). Fox had created a TV movie with the BBC, starring McGann, as a continuation of the Who franchise. The show had been off the air since 1989, and this movie was intended to be a back-door pilot for an American produced Doctor Who series, which would've also starred McGann. Alas, it was no meant to be, as the film did not do well on American televisions and the show was not picked up. Though McGann only appeared on the screen once as the Doctor, he continued to play him in radio serials and the Eighth Doctor appeared in other media. I remember when the movie aired, but as I had school the next day I was only able to watch the first half. Looking back on it now, I realize it was a pretty bad movie. Still, in spite of that, it managed to capture my imagination, and I never forgot about it.

Then in 2005, I got my second taste of Who when the BBC decided to relaunch the series as an hour long, modern, action-packed Sci Fi drama. Bring in Ninth Doctor Christopher Eccleston (btw, the Doctor's change from his eighth to his ninth incarnations is the only regeneration that has not been shown on screen). After one season, Eccleston dropped out and then David Tennant stepped in as the Tenth Doctor (pictured above with companion Martha), who is probably my favorite incarnation thus far, and also a huge fan favorite in general. Though I haven't seen all the episodes of the revamped series, every single one I have seen has been tense, funny, deep, filled with action, sometimes dark and often resonant. It's really breathed new life into the series as a whole and created a whole new fanbase. While I haven't seen Matt Smith's work on the role yet, the general buzz has been good. Things are going well.

So there's Doctor Who in a fairly large nutshell. It has a cult following, critical acclaim and awards, longevity, instantly recognizable theme music and a fair share of spin-offs, including other British Sci Fi cult series Torchwood. It's influence in the Sci Fi world as well as in pop culture, particularly British culture, is beyond measure. Call me crazy, but I think it's here to stay, at least for a while longer.

If you're curious, check out this YouTube clip to see the different regenerations over the years in order. Now, I should probably just order that t-shirt. Fan Expo's coming, and I'll need things to wear.

The people have spoken! Betty White hosts SNL

Behold the power of Facebook. Thanks to a fan movement on the social networking site, Betty White hosted SNL last night.

Fortunately the move worked in spades. It was an episode to remember, thanks to White's sense of humor and professionalism born out of decades of working in television. Plus the addition of past SNL female comedians Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Mya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer and Rachel Dratch allowed old characters and scenarios to be revisited. A true girl-power evening.

Some highlights: White as MacGruber's grandmother, "Really?!? with Seth, Amy and Tina", and "What I'm most known for is my muffin." Plus the digital short of "Thank You For Being a Friend".

Now if only White could host the Oscars...quick, back to Facebook!

Glee and "The Power of Madonna"

Now THAT's what I'm talking about!

After the downer that was last week's episode Glee bounces back in a big way with a spectacle that not only shows once and for all why Madonna is such a fixture in popular culture but also propelled the Glee story arc along, featured so many memorable moments and let the characters shine.

My God, there were so many great musical numbers. From the cheerleading routine set to "Ray of Light" to the high energy all-girls take on "Express Yourself" to Finn and Rachel's mash-up of "Borderline/Open Your Heart". There's more? You bet there's more. Then we have the three couples of Rachel/Jesse, Will/Emma and Finn/Santana singing "Like a Virgin". Then the school band and the Cheerios give us "4 Minutes". Then a tender moment of an all-guy rendition of "What It Feels Like For a Girl". Then, BIG FINALE; a gospel-choir infused "Like a Prayer" capped the episode off. Not a single sour note was struck throughout the whole hour+.

But a special mention has to go to Jane Lynch, who starred in an almost shot-for-shot remake of the video for "Vogue". Lynch continues to expands Sue's character by showing more layers, and this video really gave her a chance to shine. The hilarious changes to the spoken-word portion made it a true Sue Sylvester original. Plus we didn't know Lynch could sing until that moment.

Episode extras like seeing the background high school students in different Madonna outfits helped spark things up even more.

Plus, big time drama. Kurt and Mercedes as Cheerios? How long will that last? Will and Emma continue to complicate their relationship, but things still ended on a positive note for them this time. But the biggest surprise was Jesse joining New Directions. One big question lingers. Has he really gone over to the white hats, or is he still batting for Vocal Adrenaline?

Things are looking up for Gleeks everywhere. More please!

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.

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.

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.

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.

"That's weird. It's like something out of that twilighty show about that zone."

You know, I almost don't even need to write this post.

'Cause really, what could I possibly say about this that hasn't been said already?

But I'll say it anyway, just because it makes me happy and it's my blog. The Twilight Zone rocks! (And I'm talking about the original 1959-1964 series, not the two revivals that I'd never even heard of until just tonight when I did some research.)

Even if you've never seen an episode, Rod Serling's pivotal sci fi masterpiece has been referenced and imitated ceaselessly ever since it first aired fifty years ago. You've very likely seen something from The Simpsons (as in many of their Treehouse of Horror stories), Family Guy, Saturday Night Live, etc. that's been lifted from Twilight. Shows like The Outer Limits are direct decedents of Mr. Serling's new-strange-tale-per-week formula. Books, film, radio, etc. have all entered the twilight zone. There's even an amusement park ride at Disney World, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (which I got to revisit last February, and it still left me a quivering mess after I got off it).

When this show is good, it is really good. Thanks to DVDs at my library I've been watching so many episodes I haven't seen yet, many of which have rattled me to the point that I don't watch the show after dark anymore. I recently read that Mr. Serling wanted to use more social commentary in his work with television, to have his own shows to express his political views, but the censors back then were not keen on the idea. So he ended up disguising those view points as sci fi tall tales; pretty sneaky, but boy did it work. Many episodes leave you feeling jarred and unsettled, not only initially but also if you really stop and think about them. While Mr. Serling and company's stories reflect the issues of the early 1960s like nuclear war, many of their themes can be relevant to today's concerns, like terrorism, paranoia and global disasters. And not only did the stories of The Twilight Zone usually mean something, but they also dealt with so many facets of the sci fi genre.

Episodes like "Time enough at last" and "Two" took a look at different scenarios when the worst has happened (in those cases nuclear apocalypse). "Third from the sun" and "The Invaders" used new twists on outer space alien stories. "The Fever" dealt with the subject of addiction. "The Shelter" and "The Monsters are due on Maple Street" illustrated that humankind can destroy itself far better than any outside force ever could. Other episodes covered death, time travel, space travel, the future, robots and a plethora of sci fi subjects. Episodes like "Eye of the Beholder" had awesome twist endings, while episodes like "Nightmare at 20 000 feet", "To Serve Man" and "It's a Good Life" just scared the crap out of you.

And let's not forget the guest stars, actors and actresses who ended up on Twilight before going on to greater fame. Cloris Leachman, William Shatner, Carol Burnett, Robert Redford, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, Burt Reynolds and many others all had early career performances on Twilight episodes. Other actors had late career performances on the show, like Mickey Rooney and Buster Keaton. That's a lot of star power.

Truly, this is TV at it's very best; entertaining and thought provoking. Emmy winning and critically acclaimed, Twilight Zone still packs a wallop after all these years, and the name has become synonymous with the idea of stepping into an alternate reality, or just having weird things happen to you. It's opening music and Serling's beginning and ending narration are instantly recognizable. It's earned it's place in pop culture time and again.

There, for what it's worth, I have sung it's praises yet again. Now go watch it and see what I mean. (Oh, and bonus points to whoever guesses where the quote that is the title of this post comes from.)

My profile picture and what it has to do with Mad Men

Some of you may be wondering about my profile picture. Am I some kind of artist on the side? I wish. My latest issue of Entertainment Weekly (see their link on the left) provided a tip on a neat feature found on AMC's website for their show Mad Men, which in turn led to that little retro number you see on my screen.
I confess I have yet to see Mad Men. It has been highly praised by critics and the Emmys, but last I checked this drama about advertising execs in the 60s was still trying to find it's audience, and I'm still trying to find where it airs in Canada. But, given the chance to redesign myself as a classy 60s woman, as the show's website allows you to do, I jumped at it
The game is very easy to use, but because it gives you so many options to choose from to create your new look it also requires a lot of thought. First you have to decide of you're a "suit" or a "skirt" (not overly PC, but true to the time period). Then you select a body and skin type; trying to stick close to myself I went with pale skin and with the medium body shape. The thin body shape was way too thin and real women have curves, gosh darn it! You're then able to choose your hair color and style, your eyes, your nose (not too many flattering options in that category I must admit), your eyebrows and your mouth (cigarette optional). The best part was choosing the clothes and accessories, all great classic styles. What to wear, what to wear? I ended up choosing the fiery red dress with black gloves, pearls and a doughnut (What? I like doughnuts!). Finish off by choosing a background and then you can download your creation as a picture or as wallpaper.
It's a great feature, and I totally recommend it. You never know, you may be a closeted advertising exec from another decade. As EW says, you'll be 50% cooler. Go try it at amctv.com.