Friday Fun... Catch up on Longmire!

Got some free time this weekend? Want to find a new show to delve into?

Have you seen Longmire? 

If not, here are the things that about in Longmire  that I normally work to avoid in shows:

• It's a cop show (really don't like those)
• It features multiple Native American characters (which usually annoy me if they are done completely flatly)
• It's rife with small town cliches (and also, how is there a murder once a week in such a tiny town)

And yet, I LOVE Longmire.

So the premise is this-- Walt Longmire is a small town sherriff in a tiny Wyoming town. Bordering on a Cheyenne reservation, the town offers up weekly fodder of murders and mayhem for Walt and his team of deputies to solve... and they always find a twist. It sounds rather cliche, but there are lots of reasons that I do like this show.

For one, the Native American characters are, at least in my opinion, fully developed and avoid the normal cliches you see when Indians are portrayed in TV and film (i.e. Johnny Depp as Tonto-- the previews were enough to piss me off and make me swear off The Lone Ranger). Lou Diamond Phillips as Henry is a sympathetic and honest translator, often guiding the predominantly white audience through some of the ins and outs of native culture with accuracy and honesty.

For two, the lead character of Walt Longmire is just the kind of guy you want to like.

For three, Katee Sackhoff makes everything better.

Week after week, Longmire delivers scintillating mysteries and some really good action. It's great brain candy and an excellent way to spend your weekend.

Friday Fun-- how NOT to blow your weekend

It's been one heck of a summer at the movies... unfortunately, I have not made some of the best selections for what to watch I suppose. So, instead of sharing some of my favorites (though I do have some of those), here is a recommendations for what to avoid.

Elysium was such a massive disappointment to me. I love Matt Damon, usually respect Jodi Foster, and was a big fan of District 9. However, instead of the futuristic action flick about writing wrongs and social justice that I was expecting, I found this to be a heavy-handed, rich-bashing bore.

Yep, Elysium was boring. And the writing was downright lazy. I don't believe that a big bank account renders one evil. Now sure, just like some people without money can be bad people, those with can also just suck. However, this film seems to imply that the worst thing one can be from a moral standpoint is wealthy. At no point are any of the rich citizens of Elysium, portrayed as living some kind of Jane Austen-esque leisure society life, shown as having any kind of redeeming characteristics.

And if boredom lazy writing was a truly bizarre casting decision that put Sharlto Copley, who was fantastic as the geek-turned alien in District 9, as a sadistic super-soldier. The part was a straight rip off of Dolph Lundgren's Street Preacher from Johnny Mnuemonic, and seriously, THAT movie is not one anyone should seek to emulate. Combined with a sporadic but over-done action, and a  straight up bizarre performance by Foster, Elysium was just a mess.

Friday FUN!

This is the time of year when I start to freak out because of a problem I create for myself.  I always take vacation in December, but never go anywhere. As a result, I usually get a lot of writing done (though I failed in that regard this year), a bunch of cooking, and a lot of aimless wandering around my house.

Shauna + boredom = never a good idea

Whenever I get bored, I plan stuff to do. However, it always seems to work out that the stuff all hits in early January. Sure, I'll teach that class next month. Of course I will help you cater your Superbowl party. And I can absolutely have that blanket done for the baby shower...

And then BLAM. It's January. And I am SWAMPED.

I stole 5 minutes from myself (likely from sleep) to explain why I have been such a piss poor blogger as of late and say this:

Part of the reason I find being busy in January so frustrating is that all I really want to do is sit in a movie theater and absorb everything pre-Oscars. Having only seen a couple of the best picture noms, I can strongly suggest that you SEE LINCOLN.

I'm serious. I got really sick of the hype. I never can sit still through 2.5+ hours. I didn't actually believe Daniel Day Lewis could be THAT good.

The hype is warranted. Find three hours this weekend and see the movie. It's an experience you should have, and you should have it in the theater.

That is all... back to recipe hunting while crocheting and teaching a class :)

Recommendations for Friday Fun- The Gift Edition, Volume 2

Onward with my theme of my favorite gifts that I have given and recieved!

Given: 
My nephew was born during a tumultuous time in my family. My sister lived on another continent, and my Mom's battle with cancer was not going well. When we planned to do an early baby shower for her when she was in town, I knew I wanted to put together a gift that was great.

What I ended up giving my nephew was memories. I made copies of dozens of old photographs, and wrote an introduction to each member of the family he was joining. He's still way too young to even understand it, but I will be very happy when one day he can.

Recieved:
When I was fourteen my grandfather took me to my first Broadway show, The Sound of Music. I tried to catalog every single sensation from that day and lock it into memory. I remember the crowd on the street in front of the theater, the smell of the concession stand, what I was wearing (which included very impractical shoes), and how amazingly clear Maria's voice rang out through the auditorium. It is truly a day I will cherish forever.

Now that we're almost to December and the official gift giving season, what are your favorites?

Friday Fun Pre-Halloween

So its the Friday before Halloween, and that means that this girl is anxiously awaiting a weekend of horror movies (the good, the bad, and the WTH) on rotation on most every station. I'm kicking it off tonight with a live presentation for Rocky Horror, which I have never seen (I know, I know, I know...).

Because of the season and the impending arrival of Frankenstorm, today seems a good time to ask a question that has been on my mind since Sunday... is the Walking Dead turning cheap on me?All in all, the first two seasons of this show were among my favorite hours of television e.v.e.r. I loved the interplay of humanity and brutality that culminated in perfect, gut-wrenching zombie fashion during the infamous barn scene halfway through the second season.

When the third season started two weeks ago, I was literally on my couch trying to keep from hopping up and down. Bring on the zombies, right? Well, unfortunately, I sort of feel like that is all the first two episodes have accomplished.

Admittedly, I will not give up on the series because of two episodes... hell, three progressively worsening seasons of True Blood haven't stemmed my love at all. But, I feel like something is missing. The gore factor seems to have increased, and I don't mean overall but just in the number of times per episode I wince at something that is just plain disgusting. And yet, as that increased, the focus on the development of the characters seems to be at a stand still.

The writers of this show have an incredible knack for the one or two sentence developer. The series very much began with a group of archetypes-- Rick as the cowboy for good, Shane as the bad boy with a heart and a past, Daryl as the hot headed red neck, etc-- and my favorite aspects of the show have been watching those archetypes slowly and subtly unravel. Seriously, the scene in season 2 with Daryl and the Cherokee Rose could be a PSA for not judging books by their covers.

But did they unravel just to be rebuilt in season 3, where guts and gore will reduce Rick to the benevolent dictator, Lori to the whining wife, Carl to the teenager with attitude, etc?Since we're only 2 episodes in, I have high hopes for a return to the excellent writing that has made this show one of my favorites.

What do you all think? Am I reading too much in to two extra gory episodes? Or is The Walking Dead  heading down a slippery slope leading to a Wes Craven series-like fizzle?

Friday Fun-- Total Recall Review

What do you get when a remake of one of my favorite weird action films is announced and happens to be staring one of my favorite dirty boys? A very happy Shauna!

And that is exactly what I was when I saw the first preview for the remake of Total Recall, staring Colin Farrell. In truth, though I adore the original, I have always thought that this movie was made too early, with concepts that couldn't quite be convincingly conveyed with the technology that was available at the time.


The remake of the film took the story to the next level, and created a dynamic, rich, and visually enthralling world in which the story of Douglas Quaid plays out. For those of you who haven't seen it (what?!?!??!), Quaid is a simple man, in this iteration a factory worker, with a smoking hot wife and a case of itchy feet.

This version of the film is set against the back drop of social unrest, following years when chemical warfare destroyed much of the livable space in the world. In the aftermath, only Great Brittan and Australia, or the Colony, remain available for habitation. Aided by "The Fall," a giant subway-type-thing that transports citizens between The Colony and Brittan, creating a huge divide between the wealthy Brits and the poor Colony folk, of which Quaid is one.

Driven by the belief that he needs something more, Quaid seeks out Rekall, a service provider that will input all kinds of memories into your brain for a truly inexpensive (and short) vacation experience. Quaid seeks out a secret agent memory, only to figure out that he actually is a secret agent. Poor Doug isn't actually Doug, and his entire life is an implant. Now he has to figure out who he is, and why he is vital in the common war between the Brits and the Colony.

Those of you who do know the original film have likely noticed by now that the word "Mars" did not appear anywhere in the above. Yup, this entire film is Earth bound. And though I very much enjoyed it and think it corrected a lot of the cheesy annoyances from the original, I missed Mars. (You'll be thrilled to know that there is a three-breasted prostitute, but I couldn't quite figure out how the heck she fit if there are no mutants.)

There are definite sticky elements of the film. Thirty seconds of dialogue could have easily addressed some plot holes, and Kate Beckinsale's character is a joke. She goes from smoking hot wife to agent hunting Quaid, to leader of the entire police force to leader of an entire military force, leaving me to wonder "does anyone else work there?" She does it well, but there was clearly a reason why Sharon Stone died early on in the original, and that should have stuck.

All in all though, whether or not you've seen the original, the remake is worth your time! I'd go see it in the theater.

Friday Fun for Ladies Only!

For those of you who read my review on Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter last Friday, you will appreciate that apparently being pleasantly suprised by films for which I had zero expectations is in the air.

Yes, I saw Magic Mike. Yes, I saw it the day it opened. No, I did not dress like I was going to a strip club, and no, my desire to see it had nothing to do with Channing Tatum. It was all about this guy, Mr. Alcide from True Blood, or known to his friends (I'm assuming) as Joe Manganiello.

What did I expect from this film? To see one of the dreamiest of dreamy men dance around. Ok. Dance around shirtless. So imagine my suprise when there was, like, a plot and everything.

So Channing Tatum plays Mike, a man dreaming of owning his custom furniture business and saving money towards this goal by stripping. Mike meets Adam, the new guy who is sexy but down and out on his luck, and brings him into the stripper fold. Luckily, Adam has a sister that Mike finds amazing. Unfortunately, Adam gets a bit too much in the night life, making it difficult for Mike to fulfill promise to sister that he will watch out for baby brother.

Mike has depth. Not a lot, mind you, and all of the depth is carefully constructed to create maximum appeal for the ladies. For instance, Mike doesn't just want to own a business-- he wants to make custom furniture. This requires a man to use his hands AND his soft feminine side. Other than opening a German Shepherd rescue, I cannot think of any other job that would appeal to women's love of the rugged man and desire for a softer, more creative job.

But, all in all, I was shocked for a few reasons:
After mocking him mercilessly for some time due to his total and complete lack of acting ability, I saw Channing Tatum dance, and finally understood what the attraction is. Hot damn.
A movie I expected NOTHING from actually turned out to have entertainment value beyond just watching shirtless men dance (though that was very entertaining
And perhaps the most suprising, Mattew McC. was really, really good. Played himself, I suspect, but he did it convincingly.

Enough plot to make it worth it for a man (or at least a straight one)? Probably not. Worth it for you ladies? Yeah... I am totally seeing it again in the theater.

Friday Fun-- Beat the Heat with Abe Lincoln

While it is a bit late for my Friday Fun recommendations, and I recognize that only a portion of the blog world is currently sweltering under the east coast (of the US) heat wave, but I am behind in lauding one of my latest movie finds.

The summer blockbuster truly is a thing of beauty for me-- not only do I get to indulge in one of my most favorite activities, but this activity forces me outside of sweltering heat and into a blissfully cool auditorium. This definitely contributed to, but did not cause, my love of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

As mentioned in my review of Cowboys and Aliens, I am often attracted to movies with titles that are so gutsy and out there that I feel the hubris or obsurdity must be born of conficence. However, unlike Cowboys and Aliens, the absurdly titles Abe Lincoln delivered.

So what's the premise? Well, there is Abraham Lincoln, who begins a fued against a local man early in life. He doesn't find out until he is a young man that his nemesis is a vampire, and actually imrbued in a vampire/human struggle that underlies the slavery problem in the U.S. As he learns to hunt, he also learns to orate, and the answer to injustice-- both for the living and the living dead-- is born.

Believe it or not, the plot for this movie is thorough, relevant, and actually quite engrossing. It does fall victim to some really cheesy over-produced special effects in some places, but a competent cast and well-formed dialogue save it.

I went in the theater expecting bad. I was pleasantly suprised. When The Amazing Spider-Man is sold out this weekend, Abe Lincoln is a very good second choice!

Friday Fun Day! Kick it Old School with T2

Guys and girls, this weekend I encourage you to take some time and kick it old school.

When is the last time you watched Terminator II: Judgement Day? I know most of us saw this movie. In my case, I saw it in theaters three times, and it was instrumental in building my love of movies. It's something about the combination of lots of action, really good writing, and sheer spectacle that make this film so powerful to me.

But I think, if you (like me) haven't watched it recently, then we're missing out on some good opportunities.

See, when this film came out, we still had expressions like "you've got to see this one in the theater," because the theater was the only place that you could actually appreciate how amazing these special effects were. They had to be larger than life. You HAD to have the pulsing surround sound so loud and so close that it pumped through you whenever that incredibly moving score rang out.

Now, however, movies that require being seen in the theater are becoming less prevalent, because so much of us basically have theaters in our homes.

This is not to say that I am advocating not going to the movies anymore. Quite the contrary, I LOVE going to the movies because of the darkness, and the smell of buttery popcorn, the previews, and the cushy chairs. But, I do advocate using our slick new TV systems to relive the amazing experience we all had with certain films, and T2 is at the top of my list.

What are your movies that just blew you away the first time?

Friday Fun: RIpper My Love for the Weekend!

I love a book that makes me rethink something I consider to be hard fast fact. For this reason, I am eternally grateful to Glynis Smy, who helped me reconsider my previous dislike of historical fiction.


This dislike is a little bit odd, as I love history, but I just think that historical fiction is hard to do well. It is usually written by history buffs that fall easily into the trap of continually reminding you that this is THE PAST and THIS IS THE COOL STUFF THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN THE PAST. The reminders break the flow and aggravate me, and so I usually avoid the genre.

I am glad I made an exception for Smy’s novel Ripper My Love. I read it because my interactions with her on the blogosphere convinced me that she is a kind, bright, and creative person and I wanted to see what she had up her sleeve, despite the genre.

Ripper My Love is the story of Kitty, an energetic and independent woman living near White Chapel in London during the reign of Jack the Ripper. Kitty dreams of owning her own sewing shop and works to care for her father, completely oblivious that she is deeply imbued in the life of the Ripper.

There is an awesome, and totally unexpected twist, but I won’t ruin it.

Smy’s novel is thoughtful, engaging, and really exciting. She masterfully used history to create a backdrop, instead of letting it linger in the forefront like so many historical fiction writers do. Before I realized how she had done it, she transported me into the London slums, and had me wholly invested what happened to our protagonist.

Full of intrigue and action, you will find this a quick read and a thoroughly satisfying conclusion. Available in both print and Kindle, you will find the investment well worth it. Find it on Amazon here..

Recommendations for Friday Fun: Skinwalkers

With the impending start of True Blood season 4, in which we hope Allan Ball reverts to a few coherent story lines instead of giving every character their own set of issues a la season 3, I thought some werewolf and vampire film recommendations were warranted.

And so, I want to recommend that anyone looking for some supernatural fun this weekend go to Netflix or Amazon and check out Skinwalkers.

Steeped in Navajo legend, Skinwalkers tells the story of Timothy, a young boy about to turn 13. Living with his widowed mother, and father's family, Timothy has no idea that he is actually a half breed at the center of an Indian prophecy that foretells of the end of the curse of the skinwalking (a.k.a. being a werewolves).

Timothy and his mother, who is played by the fierce and fantastic Rhona Mitra, have no idea that he is about to become the center of a war. On one side is the family that has protected him since birth, without ever revealing that they are actually werewolves. Living off of animals and leading peaceful lives, his protectors want nothing more than to allow him to fulfill the prophecy.

On the other side of the brewing battle, we have an intense (and very, very hot) back of blood-thirsty, people-eating wolves that delight in their violent ways and want to kill Timothy before he can end their fun for good.

Throw in one amazing firefight in the middle of small town America, lots of good action, Elias Koteas, and some stellar acting, and you have my absolutely favorite werewolf movie ever.

Friday Fun-- Avengers Review

So typically my recommendations for Friday Fun revolve around films you can grab on Netflix, but this week is a very notable exception.

You know The Avengers broke all kinds of revenue records on its opening weekend, but that doesn't often mean much. Titanic was a huge financial success, and I must be one of a minority of women that really disliked that film. But The Avengers... if you haven't gone yet, go now! Here are a few reasons why:

1. Chris Hemsworth is in it, and as I mentioned before in my review of Thor (read it here), I find him to be the pinnacle of dreamy men. He does not disappoint reprising the role of this Norse god.
2. The fight scenes are good... and i mean really, really good. Well paced, lots of action. 
3. The explosions are even better. 
4. Robert Downey, Jr. is actually funny, and didn't drive me insane like he usually does. 
5. I love Jeremy Renner, and he is great in this. 
6. Scarlett Johannsen got to act instead of just kind of be there with a few excuses for being there in her underwear thrown in like many female superheroes are portrayed. 
7. And best of all, there is actually a coherent, well-built plot. This isn't King Lear by any stretch, but it also isn't just a stupid action movie/excused for lots of awesome explosions.

A highly enjoyable, highly recommend film. If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend you go now!

Friday Fun... My Favorite Movie

OK, so this isn't as frivolous a Friday Fun recommendation as I strive to, but one that won't let you down. Feeling contemplative? Feeling pensive? Feeling like watching Ryan Gosling be AMAZING?

Then go to Netflix or Amazon or wherever you buy your entertainment, and get The United States of Leland.

This is absolutely, hands down my very favorite movie (edging out Braveheart, The Crow, Star Wars 2.5 through 6, Aliens, The Terminator, and Terminator 2). And, unlike all of these films, The United States of Leland is in no way science fiction, or full of battles, etc. It is a straight up amazing story.

Premise (as per IMDB):

After stabbing an autistic boy, the sixteen year old troubled and pessimist Leland P. Fitzgerald is sent to a juvenile detention. His teacher and aspirant writer Pearl Madison gets close and tries to understand him, first with intention of writing a book, and later becoming his friend. Leland slowly discloses his sad vision of world.

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Don Cheadle, Kevin Spacey, Jenna Malone, Chris Klein, Lena Olin, Michele Williams, Sherlynn Fenn, and more...

I know it sounds sad, but the movie makes me feel infinite. The writing is flawless, the acting impeccable, and it is no where near as sad or dark as it sounds. Trust me-- this is one to watch.