Follow Your Inner Moonlight

News:

- Man loses fingers in tug-of-war

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Visuals and Other Fun/Interesting Miscellanea:

- Nutella recipes. Lots and lots of Nutella recipes.

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Numbered Lists:

- 10 Abortion Myths and How to Refute Them
- 10 Lesser-Known Mysteries
- 10 Greatest Violinists
- 10 Shoes Good Enough to Eat

( HOUSE: 7.01 - Now What? )

Well, I enjoyed it. Haters to the left. Checked out the first couple pages of the discussion post at house_wilson. So fucking glad I'm outta there now. Feel really bad for leaving soophelia and srsly_yes and mah moose_mcmoose, though.


Music:

- Good Days by Joe Purdy

Title: Actions Speak Louder
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Word Count: 425
Rating: 13+
Disclaimer/Notes: Not my original characters. I'm not making any profit from this (or anything else) so please don't sue me. Unbeta'd. Partially inspired by number seven of this little series of drawings by sadynax. Dedicated to mydwynter, for validating my rejection of the interpretation of Sherlock as not physically affectionate.



( Ridiculous word, love. )

Okay, so the last one in this set doesn't really fit the theme, but ... I wanted to watch it, dammit, and I already have too many review batches set and lined up. I couldn't make myself start a new one just for one movie that didn't perfectly fit anything I already had.





Despicable Me (2010)

Villainous Gru (Steve Carell) lives up to his reputation as a despicable, deplorable and downright unlikable guy when he hatches a plan to steal the moon from the sky. But he has a tough time staying on task after three orphans land in his care. Julie Andrews voices the role of Gru's malevolent mother in this comical, animated tale with Jason Segel, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett and Danny McBride rounding out the ensemble cast.


Cute. Not spectacular but definitely worth watching. I'm not much of a Steve Carell fan but this movie made me appreciate his talent for delivery. I actually laughed out loud quite a few times. [Rating: 3 stars]



CJ7 (2008)

Dicky (Jiao Xu) yearns for the hottest new toy -- a robotic dog -- but his poor father (Stephen Chow) gives him a strange, green ball he found in a junkyard instead. Turns out the unassuming present is actually an alien endowed with unearthly powers. Is Dicky ready for the responsibility of a pet that's capable of granting his every whim? Chow also directs, lending his off-kilter sensibility to this fable about being careful what you wish for.


Meh. This movie made me laugh out loud a handful of times and it made me cry once. But something about it just didn't work for me. It sounds weird and silly to say the problem is that the movie seemed unrealistic when it's about cute space aliens, but ... I dunno. There are some scenes where a couple of the kids have superhero-like abilities. In a superhero movie, that'd be fine. But that's not what this is, so it takes me out of the story. [Rating: 2 stars]



Ponyo (2008)

This Japanese anime feature from famed filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki follows the adventures of a 5-year-old boy, Sosuke, and his burgeoning friendship with Ponyo, a goldfish princess who desperately wants to become human. After running away from and then being recaptured by her strict father, Ponyo -- with some help from Sosuke -- becomes more determined than ever to make her dreams come true. But will her wishes throw the entire earth off balance?


Well, I was utterly charmed by this. Big surprise; Miyazaki tends to have that effect on me. This wasn't my favorite of his, story-wise, but I still really liked it and I definitely adored the visuals. The story could have completely sucked and I still would have given it three stars just because of the lovely animation. Also, I loved the English voice casting. Especially Betty White, Cloris Leachman and Lily Tomlin. Old ladies FTW! XD [Rating: 4 stars]



Toy Story 3 (2010)

In this installment of the hit Pixar animated adventure, toy cowboy Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), his astronaut pal, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and their friends cope with their owner's departure for college -- and their new home in a daycare center. Lee Unkrich directs this family film that features the voices of Joan Cusack, John Ratzenberger, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, Ned Beatty, Jodi Benson and Estelle Harris.


I'm not a huge Toy Story fan (I know, I know. Sacrilege.) but I liked this movie at least as much as the first one, and maybe a little more. I didn't cry, though. Everyone else I know who saw it went on about how much it made them cry. Am I soulless!? [Rating: 3 stars]



The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

When a deal with the devil comes due, the immortal Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) must renegotiate the pact to save his daughter. Now, with the help of his mystical theater troupe and a mysterious stranger, Parnassus attempts to right the wrongs of his past. Terry Gilliam's quirky fantasy marks Heath Ledger's final film, with Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law stepping in to complete his pivotal role.


Terry Gilliam, I do not always like or get your films but you are a genius; please never change. Guh. This film might be in the list of Gilliam stuff that I didn't entirely understand. It's also entirely possible that I did get it and am just doubting myself. That happens. XD I'm going to listen to the director's commentary to see if that helps. But, anyway, even if it turns out I didn't get it, I still loved watching it. That's part of what's so lovely about Terry Gilliam's work; there's always something wonderful to look at. And Tom Waits as the devil is simply brilliant casting. (Edit: Turns out I understood it perfectly. Or at least as well as the director himself understood it. XD I've had to raise my rating by half a star.) [Rating: 4 stars]

News:

- Mystery Surrounds Fate Of Trapped Whale. I hope it's okay. :(

- 106-year-old says resisting romance made her stronger

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Visuals and Other Fun/Interesting Miscellanea:

- Skulls Unlimited International: The World's Leading Supplier of Osteological Specimens

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Numbered Lists:

- 20 Geeky Nail Designs
- 11 Odd Headphones
- 10 Bizarre Barbies
- 10 Creepy Mysteries You Haven't Heard Of (unless, of course, you have...)
- 9 Worst Employees in Video Game History
- 7 Examples of Urban Entertainment That Could End In Disaster
- 6 Movies That Didn't Realize They Let the Villain Win
- 5 Lessons in Grammar (I will never consistently get 2 and 4 right.)

Title: Subconscious Cravings
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Word Count: 1,635
Rating: Hm... let's call it 16+.
Disclaimer/Notes: Not my original characters. I'm not making any profit from this (or anything else) so please don't sue me. This is the first fanfic I've written since February of 2008 and the first anything I've written in six months, so please be gentle and keep the criticism constructive. Thank you! Special thanks to froda_baggins for being my beta reader, and to her and queer_theory in particular for their constant encouragement.



( John can feel his own increased pulse throbbing in some rather interesting places, and the last time he noticed Sherlock having this much difficulty breathing was after a chase through an especially cluttered back alley. )

News:

- ELO Cellist Killed By Runaway Giant Hay Bale. That is ... quite a headline.

- German kids given porn pens by mistake

- A South African pastor has caused outrage by preaching a sermon entitled "Jesus was HIV positive."

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Visuals and Other Fun/Interesting Miscellanea:

- Postertext. Book posters for reading enthusiasts. These are seriously cool. ...In a really geeky sort of way.

- A typology and analysis of various washroom signs.

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Numbered Lists:

- 16 Best Dystopian Books (according to popcrunch.com)
- 10 Fratricidal Baby Animals
- 10 (More) Great Robberies
- 9 Out-of-the-Ordinary Milkshakes
- 9 Disappointing 90s Movies for 90s Teens
- 5 Confusing Company Mascots

News:

- "A husband who tried to 'save' his wife from a scary spider ended up needing treatment for burns after nearly blowing up his bathroom." Way to go, Bubba.

- "A doctor in America has died stuck in her lover's chimney - and her decomposing body was only found three days later." Just ... wow.

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Visuals and Other Fun/Interesting Miscellanea:

- Mad Men Characters and Their 90210 Counterparts

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Numbered Lists:

- 100 Most Banned/Challenged Books of 2000-2009
- 25 Photos That Prove Hipsters Suck
- 12 Celebrity Professors
- 10 Unusual Scientific Scales
- 10 of the Biggest Movie Failures Ever
- 10 Classic Dying Lines in Movies
- 10 Strange and Wonderful Soaps
- 10 Reasons Why Top 10 Lists Are So Popular

.





The Human Centipede: First Sequence (2009)

After their car breaks down while in Germany, Americans Lindsay (Ashley C. Williams) and Jenny (Ashlynn Yennie) wind up at a remote villa -- and soon find themselves trapped in a nightmare. Dr. Josef Heiter (Dieter Laser) kidnaps them for his demented experiment to create a human "centipede." The plan includes removing their kneecaps so they must walk on all fours, then surgically connecting them to a Japanese man to create a bizarre human chain.


Okay, I just can't give a movie about sewing people together ass-to-mouth four stars. But this movie was so much better than I expected, or even hoped. It doesn't just try to gross you out, it isn't torture porn, it isn't misogynistic and it doesn't sexualize anything, it's really very psychological... The concept itself is way worse than anything that's actually shown on screen. And the ending... Guys, it made me sad. I don't know if I've ever had a horror film make me feel quite like that before. [Rating: 3.5 stars]



The Crazies (2009)

When a plane crashes in a small town, a secret biological weapon is released. As the toxic substance infiltrates the local water system, some residents become gravely ill, while others descend into homicidal madness. Sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) attempts to set things straight, but soon the military becomes involved in containing the killer virus. Breck Eisner directs this chilling remake of George A. Romero's 1973 horror classic.


I wasn't expecting much of this movie. I mean... First, it's horror, which I have to admit usually kind of sucks even though it's my favorite genre. Secondly, it's a remake. Third ... it's set in ... Iowa. haha. It's got kind of a lot working against it. But it starts out strong and never falters. A few moments in the beginning had me honestly scared. The jump factor dialed way down about a third of the way through, but it was replaced by constant suspense which hung on one of my deepest childhood fears (I know, biological warfare is not a typical thing for kids to worry about. I wasn't a typical kid.) and stayed constant until the end. And, by the way, the end was great. It was wrapped up enough to feel complete, but enough was left open to keep you thinking about it later. It's well-written and has an intelligent plot and some really great characters. The Crazies is a pretty damn good movie for any genre, but especially so for horror. [Rating: 4 stars]



Pin (1988)

A father and would-be ventriloquist ("Lost" star Terry O'Quinn) communicates with his kids, Leon (David Hewlett) and Ursula (Cynthia Preston), via a full-size medical dummy. But when dad dies, Leon retains a creepy connection to the mannequin. He also becomes psychotically protective of his now-grown beautiful sister, and mayhem ensues. The eerily charming psychological thriller is based on a novel by Andrew Neiderman.


The family in this movie is one of the most bizarre groups of people I have ever seen in fiction. Every single one of them is totally fucked up. I don't really know what to say about this movie... It was really weird. The first half-hour or so kind of bored me but then it got stranger and picked up a bit. As far as characters go, I liked Ursula's boyfriend, but basically nobody else. And the message I got from the whole thing is ... don't let paranoid schizophrenia go un-fucking-diagnosed. Jeez. [Rating: 2.5 stars]



Peacock (2009)

Bank clerk John Skillpa (Cillian Murphy) hides a disturbing past from everyone in small-town Peacock, Neb. When a train jumps the tracks and crashes into John's backyard, his neighbors discover a confused woman named Emma milling about. They rush to aid the woman they assume is John's wife, but their efforts prompt John to descend into psychosis. Only Maggie (Ellen Page), a young mother, seems to know the truth behind his bizarre behavior.


So that's what it takes for me to find Cillian Murphy attractive. He has to be a girl! Hah! Anyway, I'd never heard of this movie so I went into it with no expectations. I wound up really liking it. The story/script was pretty awesome and the acting was just fantastic. Most of the time I kind of overlook Cillian Murphy's performances, but this was ... wow. He was good. Really good. And Ellen Page broke my heart a little bit at one point. Also, Susan Sarandon is in it, and she's always superb. ♥ [Rating: 3.5 stars]



Daybreakers (2009)

Earth's population is up against a vicious plague that's transforming everyone into vampires and draining the world of an increasingly precious resource: blood. Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke) and "Elvis" Cormac (Willem Dafoe) must decide what happens next. As the human race count nears zero, will vampires feast on the few men and women who remain, or could science hold the key to a less destructive solution? Sam Neill and Claudia Karvan co-star.


I'm pretty indifferent about this movie. I love Willem Dafoe and he's actually not as ugly as usual in this (it's the facial hair, which is weird, because I don't usually care for facial hair) but he still wasn't epic enough to make the movie into something I really loved. My favorite part was in the first twenty minutes and there were a few later places where it seemed to drag. There weren't really any characters I got attached to and none of the technical stuff stood out for me. But there wasn't really anything that I seriously disliked, either. It was just ... meh. [Rating: 3 stars]

Visuals and Other Fun/Interesting Miscellanea:

- Make your own bacon bookmark!

- Doctor Who: Details of Every. Single. Journey.

- Never Wake Up: The Meaning and Secret of Inception. I have some problems with this essay but I like the discussion of the movie as allegory for filmmaking.

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Numbered Lists:

- 50 Weird and Crazy Cars
- 15 Dali Optical Illusions
- 15 Most Evil Nazis (Hint: "Grammar Nazi" is not one.)
- 11 Computer Symbol Origins
- 10 Greatest* Works of Christian Fiction (*YMMV)
- 10 Theater Superstitions
- 10 Websites to Make You Think
- 5 Grammar Myths Debunked