Alphabetical Movie Marathon B6

Buffy, The Vampire Slayer - This is a little Season One preview disk that I got for free. It only contains Episodes 1 & 2. I'm not sure why I don't own the whole series. It's so fabulous. I love that Buffy is such a strong female character who doesn't have to surrender her feminity to be so. She's blond and skinny and sexy but also strong, smart and courageous. And has great fashion sense and good friends behind her. We should all be so lucky. And David Boreanaz is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, in my opinion.

Bull Durham - Best sports movie ever. Bar none. And the thing that sets it apart is that it has nothing to do with winning. It's about the relationships built through the love of baseball and the search for life meaning in the sport. And Susan Sarandon is amazing. A goddess! And I don't use that term lightly, my friends. She is the woman we all aspire to be. Uber sexy, in control, wise, gorgeous and not afraid to ask for what she wants. (Susan herself and her character, just to be clear.) I'm really starting to see a theme here in the strong female character category.

Alphabetical Movie Marathon B5

Braveheart - I used to love this movie. Then Mel Gibson went crazy and became a hypocrite. Just cannot enjoy it so much anymore. I will say that I love how dirty this movie is. There is mud and rain and dirty faces everywhere. And not the kind of dirty faces created by the costume department. But, yeah, then good ol' Mel went and preached the uber-Catholicism but somehow thought it was OK to divorce his wife for a new young chippy so, I just can't enjoy his work now. Maybe someday, like Whitney Houston, he'll find a middle ground and come back to us. Oh, but I forgot about Angus Macfadyen. Hmmm. He's really yummy. Maybe I'll just fast forward to his scenes.

Bridget Jones's Diary - Colin Firth and Hugh Grant - what more could a girl want? This film is so fun to watch. I'll bet I've seen it at least 25 times. The non-skinny, single girl who says and does stupid things . . . wait. . . that's me! Well, I never slept with my boss (and never really wanted to since most of them were either women or gay) but the other stuff is pretty close. I love thinking that I someday may be with a man as good looking, successful and socially conscious as Mark Darcy. I also hope to someday quit my job in such a glorious fashion. Someday a lovely man will say to me "I like you, very much. Just as you are." Not thinner, not cleverer, with slightly bigger breasts and a slightly smaller nose. And the Jane Austen tie-in is just too good to resist. I wonder how much of the current blogging trend is attributable to Bridget's diary.

Some choice quotes:

"Every time I see you, you seem to go out of your
way to make me feel like a complete idiot. And you really needn't
bother. I already look like an idiot most of the time anyway."

"After all, it's only a diary. Everyone knows that diaries are just full of crap."

"F*ck me, I love Keats."

"I will not be defeated by an bad man and an American stick insect. Instead, I choose Vodka. And Chaka Kahn."

Crunch Time

So, yeah, I think the unemployment just ran out. Hard to tell sometimes since the website isn't really specific. I had to click on the "Apply For Benefits" button and enter all my information again on Monday. When I looked yesterday, there was the same message there usually is about when I can again request my payment so I guess we'll see next week if that button works. I may have to break down and ask L if I can work in the customer service call center he does. But the drive and the low pay! I'm not sure I can handle that for too long. The U Bookstore called again for the fall rush. That pays OK and it is really relaxing and fun. Nice to be around so many young people who aren't weighed down by the realities of the working (or non working) world.

I cancelled the gym membership today. Am thinking about getting rid of the text messaging option on my phone if they'll let me. May downgrade the cable and/or the Netflix although I really do need entertainment right now. I'm on a strict grocery budget as I did some calculating and was spending WAY to much to feed myself. The same as a family of 4 in some cases. Oh well, no more rotisserie chicken or Red Bull. I'm shopping to recipes specifically now and only on Saturdays. Although I did break the rules today and buy a cinnamon roll at the convenience store when I bought my Powerball ticket. Fingers crossed! $186 Million could really help right now. Even if half of it would go to taxes. I could live with that. I know I shouldn't spend the dollar but the hope of winning is worth it for the few hours between buying the ticket and hearing the numbers.

Alphabetical Movie Marathon B4

Bottle Shock - The newest addition to my catalog. A must view for anyone who loves wine or is planning on going to the Napa/Sonoma region. Which I just did, as a matter of fact. This is a great film about how California was put on the international wine map. As we discovered when we visited Chateau Montelena, the the first CA winery that won a blind tasting against the French in 1976, the plot is total B.S. but somehow that's OK. I can forgive the artistic license taken in this film because of the sheer grass-roots, Americanism of the story. Not that I don't love France, but the US wins and California looks stunning and you just can't beat that. The only bad point is the obligatory token woman thrown in for romance. Rather unnecessary there but also forgivven for the focus on the mexican immigrant's important role in the history and development of the 4th largest wine region in the world. Great 70's music, great wine, great cinematography, only self-aware condescension, America on top.

The Bourne Identity - Matt Damon as an action hero? Who knew after Good Will Hunting, but boy does it work. It's got an amazingly intelligent and realistic plot (except for one short action scene involving falling three stories down the center of a staircase while shooting the enemy). This is the thinking woman's action film with a sexy star and a female character with realistic reactions to what is happening around her but is not a wilting flower. I heart Franka Potente. Really makes me want to pick up a copy of Run, Lola, Run. Not that I can afford it.

Alphabetical Movie Marathon - B3

Breakfast Club - So, I'm going to go a little bit out of order here in honor of the recently late but perpetually great John Hughes. What can I say about how great his films are? They really define the defining time of my life, the hideous and involuntary horror that is highschool. How, as an adult, he managed to so honestly and accurately depict the 80's highschool angst is beyond me. I was (and still am a little) a cross between Brian and Allison, the geek and the basketcase. Because I was smart but didn't have parents who cared enough to push me I was at the top of the regular classes but not in the advanced college-prep classes where I could get some individualized attention and an actual education. And because I behaved myself and didn't cause any one any problems I was basically ignored by teachers. Except by the one homeroom teacher who teased me because I read too much during announcements and the kids who teased me because my hair wasn't right, my clothes weren't right, so much of me wasn't right I can't even remember it all. I couldn't wait to get out of there. I can watch this film again and imagine that I had an experience like this where I connected with the people in my class and they really understood me and I them. Never happened, of course, but it could have. It could have happened like this. Someone could have come along and changed things for a little while. And that makes me feel better about the shitty experience I call my childhood. Awesome music that defines the genre and an era.

Alphabetical Movie Marathon B2

Best in Show - ROFLMAO dahlings. And I do not use text message shortcuts lightly. This has got to be my favorite of the Christopher Guest movies. And I include Waiting For Guffman in that - it just hits a little to close to home. But Best in Show plays to my hatred of people who go overboard over their animals or children. And boy do these people go overboard. I won't go on about the plot as that's not really the main joy of this film. You really do have to see it to get the comedy. Maybe I love it because Harlan Pepper reminds me of my ex-brother-in-law? I'll just finish with "I Heart Parker Posey." And the look on Jane Lyunch's face when they announce the winner is just priceless. Improv Comedy, over-the-top dog love, neuroses.

The Bodyguard - This is still a great movie even after almost 20 years. It sounds a little silly to say that this is a major part of my childhood since I was 18 when it came out but I remember listening to the soundtrack over and over again in the car. I really miss that time in the late last century when it didn't matter that she was black and he was white. It just wasn't even discussed. They were just people. I really hope that Whitney Houston comes back to herself and does some more work like this. She's absolutely radiant in this film. The ultimate modern Diva. I think she has a 2nd wind in her. She'll pull a John Travolta some day soon and be back in the game in a major way. Super plot, great romance, hot stars and music to die for.