sisterjune: (zoe saldana - glam girl)
take heed dear reader this journal is
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Don't feel shy about friending me, I love meeting new people! You don't have to ask permission or give me a heads up first either (though it would be nice if you introduced yourself if we havent met before). I usually friend people back soon after (with some exceptions like we have no interests in common or your journal is like brand new or completely blank etc).

My Fave tv shows, music/bands, comics, books and movies )
sisterjune: (olive skinned beauty)


Saw this on ontd_feminism and it reminded me of how much I hated this damn holiday and have since I was 14 and figured out the whole truth. As Arabs with no history in this country my family never really celebrated this holiday and I didnt think about in school why we celebrated him, I did always think it was weird when the teacher told us that Columbus "discovered" America because what about the people who were here already? Little did I know then that when it comes to US history no one really gives a shit what brown people have discovered. Except during black history month, then MAYBE but only like the same five black people because obv no one else did anything of note! Blargh -_- Anyway, I am sharing this here since the girl who shared it with ontd_fem comm requested we spread the word, so I will do that. I heard South Dakota already changed Columbus day into Native American Day which is a good start.

Also if you too hate this holiday and think it is fucked up to celebrate a guy who contributed to so much suffering, you can sign this petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/indian/petition.html
sisterjune: (Default)
Alot has happened since I last updated. Aside from Spain winning the WC. I had surgery done on my teeth two days ago. It was wisdom tooth extraction, so now I have four gaping holes in my mouth and it's tough because I cant eat the food I used to. and I am stuck eating some seriously gross shit. Nothing is worse than packaged dried mashed potatoes. That's what I get for being lazy I guess (but lord i've been tired these past few days) and I spend alot of time hungry since eating is difficult. Also I am a wuss when it comes to pain. Surprisingly this affliction has made me more productive so I've been able to comment a bit more in some of the communities I enjoy frequenting.
I also finally finished my game Mass Effct II (and Jade Empire which I stopped right before the end before finishing for a long time) So that's good. I am starting on Red Dead Redemption now. One of my fantasies I confess has been to explore the old west like a cowboy so this game is appealing to me because of that, but also since I only rented it I dont have to feel bad if I dont finish the game lol. Which I probably won't since school reconvenes soon.
It's funny I have alot of interests that I am passionate about: games, feminism, films, tv, stories, music etc but I dont bother to write about most of it. I feel like this journal should be a better reflection of who I am and what I care about but at the same time I am often lazy about writing 1 because I dont know who reads what and if it's just for myself I dont need to update that much. But also because I worry I wont articulate myself well and often give up before trying to write anything too complex. It's also easier to just comment in other journals or communities about a topic of interest rather than post about it in my lj, since usually when I post I want some kind of discussion or feedback which is not always guaranteed in my own journal (understandably). Also my mind is so disorganized that I suppose it is fitting that my journal would be so as well. In terms of content.

Anyway, it's 5 am and I woke up a few hours ago to take my pain meds and penicillin but I feel sleep coming on again so I will go back to sleep now. Ideally I will update this journal again soon with something substance...or a meme. Probably the latter. I miss posting memes!

For shits and giggles, I leave you all with this:

This made me laugh so hard the first time I saw it. If only more of those regency romance novels went down this track, I'd probably enjoy them alot more. heh.
sisterjune: (Default)
So Spain beat Germany! Crazy huh? I never saw it coming to be honest (but apparently, PAUL THE OCTOPUS DID) until the game then just watching how aggressive the spanish were being and how many shots they kept getting at the goal, I figured it was only a matter of time before they scored. What I didnt get was wtf the Germans were doing. Playing so defensively and before then I'd seen them play both offense and defense very well. Was the loss of Thomas Muller a big factor in this change of play style? (did they hear Paul's prediction and become nervous? lol jk)
Oh well eh? Third again it seems. Unless the Uruguayans come up with something tough in the runners up match on Saturday. I suppose it hurts less now than it did back in 06 ya? Or no? I for one cant lose this World Cup because I already lost! USA was out early on. and Argentina was completely crushed by Germany. Seriously the Argentines LOST their shit completely and were flailing around the field in a huff while the Germans practically danced in circles around them. talk about humiliation! (I will be sad to see ol Maradona go, sure he's a washed up ex druggie football player and probably helped popularize cheating in the sport but hey, he's also a laugh and a half! Plus he totes reminds me of my crazy grandma back home in Lebanon. for realz).
Brazil also lost rather shockingly to the Dutch. Or perhaps not so shockingly considering their lukewarm play throughout the tournament. Really It's a testament to Brazil's talent pool though that they could leave one of their best players at home and play half assed yet still advance to the quarter finals. Anyway, it's funny considering how poorly most of the Europeans did at the start that we are looking at an all Euro final once again. That said, I doubt anyone would have expected the Dutch to advance THIS far and for the Spanish this is their first final ever in WC history! Craziness! All those fancy Spanish clubs and that's the National Team's first time? I wonder who will win it. Either way it's gonna be a first time for one of these teams and that's pretty awesome to behold. I do love being privy to history. Sure all my teams went home but I'm not sad! Because one of my World Cup wishes did come true. Italy got knocked out! and Hella early! WOOOO KARMA IS A BITCH ITALY. *still angry about the 2006 WC final*

I will be sad when this World Cup ends. What will I do with my day hours now? Get work done? Prepare for classes in august? Start an exercise regime? Read all those books I keep saying I will read? BAH. Bah I say! (on the bright side this new surge of interest in Soccer from the US public seems to have convinced ESPN3.com to start putting up matches from the big European leagues on their live streaming. WOOHOO. I get to keep following this stuff even after the WC is over! Now if only they would start actually airing this shit on tv. Sure I could shell out for Fox Soccer Channel but shoot, I aint rich! That stuff aint cheap man)
sisterjune: (Default)
Well played Moffat. Well played. :)

(more detailed thoughts to follow in the morning perhaps, right now it is 1 am and so I must sleep)
sisterjune: (Default)
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
BRB, CRYING ;__;

 
 
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A video of various reactions of Americans during that tense match yesterday! Who knew so many Americans gave a shit about soccer huh? My sister works in a sports bar and apparently got to see this kind of reaction first hand. I on the other hand was probably more like the arkansas guy in that video lol, I ran around the house and then starting squeeing to my mommy! XD

And for fun, Colbert and J. Stewart's responses to the USA win:
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/313495/june-23-2010/us-defeats-algeria
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-june-23-2010/world-cup-2010--into-africa---us-beats-algeria
the Daily show video is hilarious. Poor John Oliver, he got mega burned lol.

I am hella glad that USA doesnt have to vs Germany this weekend. Cause I would not like those odds. Though Germany V England should be epic. plus if the English lose, I can laugh about it after!. That said, I love team Ghana and up till now I have been rootin for them. However, I am an American first, so I am for team USA all the way! WOO *pulls out flag* In the mean time though, I will be rooting for Brazil in the sure to be EPIC Brazil v Portugal game tomorrow (or today for some of you lol) :D
sisterjune: (Default)
United States 1 : 0 Algeria

 
FUCK YEAH!!!! USA USA USA USA!!!! WE'RE STILL ALIVE BABY. WE'RE GOIN TO THE ROUND OF 16! *DANCES* 
 
 
 
 
sisterjune: (Default)
Oh journal, I have neglected you horribly these days havent I? D:

Well anyway so what have I been up to? Not much exactly. But alot of crazy things have happened, well for me they are big things lol.

Thing #1. blah blah real life stuff... )

Thing#2. Speaking of ties. How about that World Cup huh? I love the world cup, I dont usually either find the time, patience or channels to watch soccer/football usually but I always enjoy watching the cup. But man the first few matches of the WC were hella underwhelming this year! That said, the competition really seems to be heating up now, and I cant believe I still got a horse in this race myself. and By that i mean, USA! I am so amazed at that come back they pulled in their match with slovenia, and I was so writing them off and thinking "this is why no one in USA watching soccer cause our team sucks!" and then they do THAT! and THAT! and I am like "GOOOOOOAAL!" like those crazy latin announcers on Univision lol. My mouth dropped and I wanted to scream after that ref disallowed the third goal though! WHAAAAT >( That said, I really wish ESPN would SHUT UP about it. Like seriously, they are not revealing any new info aand just keep analyzing it to death and saying the same shit over and over and gah -_-
Otherwise I've been enjoying ESPN's coverage so far, and the mix of commentaters from different european countries helps alot, since they contribute alot to the analysis and other things. and Plus, one of the UK commentaters has a sexy northern accent <3
Anyway other times I am rooting for and hope to see succeed in this WC: Argentina, Mexico, Brazil (cause I always do root for them but honestly they havent been doing their best so far), Ghana, and Germany since I was fairly impressed by their first game, although that second one, whoo boy D:. This really seems like a cup where teams that usually didnt go very far will do well. I hope it is, with the alot of the big favorite (mainly european) teams doing poorly or mediocre so far, it makes me feel like teams like Mexico, USA and Ghana (who fucked up their last game, COME ON GHANA GET IT TOGETHER!) have a chance of going the distance, if not winning the cup altogether (which lets be honest, is highly unlikely, but girl can dream!).

Thing#3. I saw Toy Story 3! It was AMAZING as far as I am concerned. It's too early for me to tell if I love it the most out of the franchise but I think it was definitely the most exciting one of all. Not to mention the most visually stunning and beautiful. I loved the theme of friendship that was constant throughout and also the themes of growing up, letting go and moving on. As someone who has struggled in the past with these very things, it resonated strongly with me. The best part though of the film was the middle section which was a hilarious excellent parody of and homage to prison breakout films. Well played Pixar writers, well played. I am sorry I ever doubted that this film would be awesome! I confess though, I am still hella skeptical about Cars 2, even though the premise does sound kind of awesome (apparently lightning mcqueen goes around the world, I love around the world stories! :D) I am also even more annoyed that I wont see any pixar original films until 2012. So Cars 2 better be freaking amazing! >(

Also as is customary pixar played an original short film before the actual film. I must say I dont think I liked this one as well as Presto 2 years ago (which they played before WALL-E) or Partly Cloudy which they played before UP last year. That said, I still liked it! and The animation was stunning, and a very creative and unique visual style was used for this particular short that impressed me even if the story itself didnt (but it was cute nonetheless).

That's pretty much been my summer so far. I mean aside from doing a bit of writing, but I'll be honest, the process is pretty slow going so far. D:
In other news though, today is my birthday! I am 22 now. Yay! Hopefully today I will get a cake from a nice bakery (instead of the grocery store bakery which is always kind of...blah) Mmmm cake. (and I just realized Leverage S3 premieres tonight! BEST BDAY GIFT EVER <33)
sisterjune: (Default)
That was...BEAUTIFUL. Two finales in two days is enough to do a poor girl's head in! But this was really a beautiful finale. I cried my eyes out!

I know some people hated that Alex and Gene couldnt stay together and Gene had to be alone in the end but I was totally cool with it. To me it had a certain poetry to it. I was very moved. He has a job he has to do and he can't leave. It's heartbreaking in a way but also hopeful. Because things go on. Just like life goes on and sometimes we lose people through death or other circumstances. and It hurts but we all move on. Watching the whole series come full circle and watching Gene say to the new guy the same words he told Sam in the very first episode of LOM was just, to me, beautiful. But then I do love a good cycle, must be the historian in me.

Alex realizing she was dead and then CRYING and begging to stay with Gene just BROKE my heart. It was so sad how she had to move on cause it was her time and I bet Gene wanted her to stay but she just couldn't ;_; SO SAD but so beautiful at the same time. I loved that Alex stuck with him to the end and while even though this ending was mainly about Gene, everyone still had an important role to play. Alex most of all. I don't feel like she overshadowed it, and even while Gene was celebrated here, I dont feel like he was completely canonized or glorified.

Other things I loved about this finale:
Keats. OMG HE WAS SO SCARY AND CRAZY. HE WAS TOTES THE DEVIL YOU GUYS!
I love also that Keats was a Club Tropicana fan. THE MUSIC OF EVIL.
ELEVATORS TO HELL! EEEEEE (I also feel vindicated now in my decision to never take elevators)
AND SHAZ! SHAZ IS FROM THE NINETIES! AND SHE GOT PROMOTED AT LAST. AND SHE LOVES CHRIS! FOREVER AND EVER! D'AWWWWWW <3 I love how even after that they still gave us some adorable Chris/Ray too. OT3 to the end!
JUST BEAT IT! that was such a badass scene
"I am arresting you for killing my car!"
Shaz kneeing the dutch guy and then putting a gun to his head. A+
Alex's shoes <3
The kiss! I wasnt a big shipper during S2, though I kind of liked Galex in S1 and then S3 renewed my affection for the ship.
NELSOOOON!
Dixie from Dock Green closing out the series! That was great! I just love references like that.
The very classic THE END to end the series. That is just. God so perfect. As a lover of stories and film it's just, so classic and perfect.
Basically everything! :D

Can't believe it's over. But...even though the show is over, I'd like to think this world and these characters will continue to live in our hearts and minds (and fanfiction).
So in the immortal words of Porky Pig:
sisterjune: (Default)
Basically I have SO MANY feelings about Community's finale last night. That I actually wrote a goddamn essay. God what is this show doing to me. At this rate, I'll be writing fanfics soon.

You know the more I read people's reactions about Community last night, the sadder I feel. This was such a positive, sweet and fun fandom and now things are turning really ugly and negative. Yet, I can understand very well why people are angry. This isn't just people whining over their ship not getting enough attention or whining about too many parodies (those people could be laughed off) now there is anger and fury at the way the women were handled, at how Jeff is suddenly most eligible greendale bachelor, how the ensemble dynamic was spoiled and how Britta was cruelly treated and written OOC.
Though I do not agree wholeheartedly with all of this, I do agree with alot of it. The unfortunate implications in the finale were really at astronomical levels and I find it hard to believe that Dan Harmon DOESNT know that. I've been reading this guys blog and twitter regularly like the crazy stalker fan that I am and this is guy is not an oblivious fool nor does he strike me as a sexist asshole. So I am left feeling very confused as to what his intentions were with this finale. What's his plan? Why have the girls fight each other? Why have Britta make a fool of herself? Why have Annie and Jeff make out at the worst time possible? That said, I do feel like there was a REASON for all this, not just to shock the audience or take potshots at Britta, but real narrative reasons.
I feel like Harmon understands the art of storytelling better than most. By that I mean, I think he is very aware how people can read television and how television affects and influences people. As I said to someone else at the community-tv comm, Community is as much a show about television and all the cliches and tropes found there-in as much as it is a show about students in community college.
Here is where I try to analyze the events of the finale & the contents of Harmon's twisted mind and come to some conclusions )

I suppose all that's left to do now, is to wait and see what happens and hope that this show really is as smart as we'd all like it to be. Well, for now. I'm gonna keep the faith. Don't let me down show!

(Basically though, my favorite things about this episode were the Chang/Duncan fight and Troy with his big cookie of epiphany)
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EPIC WIN. This musical managed in six minutes to not only encapsulate the entirety of 10's tenure in a really clever and hilarious way, it actually made him endearing to me. Which I can say with confidence was something RTD failed to do in the four years Ten was around. But seriously the editing, the use of music all A+++ here.

I can now go to bed with a smile on my face! (even though my essay from hell IS STILL NOT DONE AAGHGHHGHGH!!!)
sisterjune: (Default)
Dear Who Fandom, please stop calling Amy a "Mary Sue" or "Very Special" because she did two rather mundane things that happened to help the doctor alot, like notice something he didnt notice because his back was turned and he was too busy being angsty and all-knowing to notice anything else anyway. Also just because Amy helped the Doctor diffuse the Dalek Bomb with her own humanity does not mean she is going to take over the show/turn into rose/make the doctor look useless etc etc and I think we can all agree that was a shit storyline anyway.
Seriously you guys, I know RTD gave everyone a major complex because of how much he fucked shit up, but SERIOUSLY, cut that shit out. Like now. Some love. ~Tai

Dear Mark Gatiss, I think you are a crap writer. Not the worst ever maybe sure but this episode of Who was possibly the most boring and pointless Who episode I've ever seen and that's saying alot considering I saw "Last of the Time Lords". Also you majorly suck at writing companions. Basically just quit. No love. ~Tai

Dear English final paper. I fucking hate you. ~Tai
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I really gotta stop this updating once a month thing. Hello all! and Sorry I havent been the best commenter on people's ljs either. I really do read pretty much all the journals on my flist so if I dont comment its not cause I dont care! I just lack time and energy lately for this whole blogging and online friend thing. In fact I think I've been a bad friend in general. It's not uncommon for me to end up in a mood and avoid or ignore people in favor of my work or other distractions like movies, tv, books and video games. I know I suck :(
So I fell into one of my moods as I do, feeling put out and went on a big movie spree recently, in part because I FINALLY put in a netflix subscription, and the other reason was I find them rather energizing for my creativity (when they are good anyway). I really cant wait for my classes to end because I so want to use my freetime to write and also take up painting again. Ever since I took that art appreciation class a year ago, I've been wanting to paint again badly. Anyway today I felt pretty good! So I decided to write up an lj post entirely about movies! Yay!

How to Train Your Dragon: I saw this in the theater last weekend and I LOVED it! The story itself is nothing new or very novel, yet the execution was excellent and I rarely enjoy this kind of story as much as I did when I watched this movie. Certainly I would not call myself a fan of the "Boy and His Dragon" stories simply because they are often very narrow in scope, saccharine, conventional and more often than not, just plain dull. This film however is none of those things (well it's a little conventional but forgivable I'd say). I really found myself incredibly fond of Hiccup, he was a little dorky, a little inept, alot scared but never cowardly or pathetic, and he was also incredibly compassionate I thought. Basically he is a very likable lead character, this and the movie taking at least some effort to incorporate girls into what is essentially a typical "boy hero" story made this film very endearing to me. I really liked Astrid, I liked that she was tough and didnt let Hiccup get away with anything, I liked also that she didnt soften on him until she went on a magic carpet ride an amazing dragon ride with him. Speaking of the dragon riding, it is the flying scenes that really carried the film, they are just so free spirited, beautiful, hopeful and pure. I totally had a big silly grin on my face throughout every flying scene!
My favorite thing however was the very strong and sweet bond between Toothless the dragon and Hiccup, it was just so precious and believable and I found myself really caring caring about them from beginning to end. There is a bit at the end that was a wee bit disturbing to me simply because I was not at all expecting it and was surprised in fact the movie went there. Just the barest hint of a spoiler~ )
Basically this is an awesome movie, so if you are fond of animated films and open minded about children's films, then I say go see it!

Princess and The Frog: I have very mixed feelings about this movie, my main concern before watching this was how Disney would handle Tiana (the main character's) race, before I watched this I read enough of other people's reactions to know that the film did rather well in this regard. Indeed when I watched it I felt that this may in fact be Disney's most racially/ethnically sensitive film ever produced (which is not saying very much) however, there are two big issues I had wit this film which greatly diminished my enjoyment of it.
Problem the first, Tiana and her beau Naveen spend 85% of the film as FROGS. I knew she became a frog, I knew she was a frog for most of the film, I had no idea however that she would be a frog for THAT LONG. I really hadnt signed up for that, but considering this is a Disney film I should have at least seen it coming -_-
Problem the second, cut for spoilers and ranting/ragey typing ) Anyway, the animation is lovely and I did enjoy the characters and the music but I think this is definitely not gonna go on my list of favorite disney films anytime soon. Such a shame. I hope Disney goes back to the 2-D animation again soon though, watching this (and Book of Kells not long ago) I realize how much I've missed it.

Fantastic Mr Fox: I just saw this last night and it was EXCELLENT. Wes Anderson is always amazing, and this movie is no exception. I also find that I am yet to run into a film that is based on a Roald Dahl book and not enjoy it. (well no wait, I didnt like The Witches at all....) Anyway despite the source material being a children's book (albeit one with a slightly dark sense of humor) it has a very adult sensibility. Kind of like Where the Wild Things Are which, despite being a film about a ten year old boy is probably a film that will resonate far more with adults and teens that it ever would with little kids.
Unlike Wild Things though, i do believe this film will be enjoyable and accessible to youngsters, however I think it is probably even more enjoyable if you are over the age of 13. I loved the usage of the stop motion animation here and I think greatly added to the whimsical atmosphere of the movie, the voice cast is excellent and very well chosen (oh man Michael Gabon as the main villain and George Clooney as the hero could not have been more perfect in their roles) and the characters despite all being forest critters feel very human and real. With the dysfunctions of the Fox family the film somewhat reminded me of the Royal Tenenbaums (a movie I also love <3) but this is much more light hearted than that film was. Basically I cannot recommend this film enough, its quirky, its fun, the characters are very engaging, the animation and colors are beautiful and eye-catching, the voice cast is great and the story itself is both thoughtful and ultimately uplifting. Basically very strong all around. Everyone go see it!
(I also wanna add that the score and music throughout the film is also A+ and I found myself dancing to the song in the closing credits.)

ETA: Yes I have seen A2A season premiere and the new DW episode! and I loved both immensely, perhaps I will blog about them in more detail in my next post (or I'll just wait till this week's eps come out and blog about those)
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Guess who just saw Inglourious Basterds? Yep me! :D Finally right? Man it took me forever. and shit you know what? I dont think I've ever seen a tarantino movie in the theater! (I keep spelling theater as theatre and I dont know why, I must secretly want to be european or something) I got to see this via less than uh legitimate means, if you know what I mean but man it was worth messing with bittorrent clients to get this, I'm so sad I waited this long to see it. But hey better late than never right? (since I still havent seen Dark Knight...)

So impressions? Well I think it's obvious already that I liked it but the thing is I really wasnt sure that I would. It's funny, I've seen all of Tarantino's movies now, and never disliked a single one (I straight up LOVED most of them actually) but when this film came out the reviews were so mixed that I wasnt sure how to feel about it or if I should see it right away in the theater.

From here on be spoilers! )
Honestly I wouldnt be mad if Tarantino does another film like this in the future, though I suspect whatever he does. I'll love it.
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I saw Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland today!

Non Spoilery thoughts: Very fun! After two whole years of anticipating this film (though really I was waiting my whole life for this movie, no that's not even an exaggeration, I've wanted Tim Burton to do an Alice movie ever since I figured out Alice in wonderland was gothic horror, and really his style was perfect for that type of story) I was worried I'd be severely let down....BUT I WASNT!

Wonderland looks as beautiful, eerie, stunning, grand, dreamlike and amazing as I'd hoped. and The plot was a very fun albeit loose adpatation of the books, it took elements from both Alice books, and perfectly executed some of my favorite alice scenes. That said, it really isnt a super faithful adaptation plot wise but tone and style wise I feel like it's one of the most faithul Alice adaptations to ever emerge.
I really loved how the main battle was between two Queens and the one who is responsible for slaying the Jabberwock and giving the crown back to the rightful queen was Alice. Much cooler than having her just wander around wonderland being lost and cute. I've never seen the actress they cast to play Alice in anything before but I feel like she did very well, and she had some STRONG competition.
Depp's hatter was very weird, and unlike the hatter in the books seemed to be bi-polar and would often switch from talking like a nutty british fop to ranting about in a strong scottish brogue. Very odd, but fun to watch. My favorite thing was really the Red Queen/Queen of Hearts as played by Helena Bonham Carter, girlfriend was born to play that role she was so awesome in it! She had the perfect blend of crazy, megalomania, rage, sweetness, narcissism, pitifulness and delusion. I honestly feel like the most underhanded character in the film wasnt the Red Queen but the Knave of Hearts her (supposedly) loyal servant. Dude CREEPED ME OUT.
I really loved all the beautiful costumes in the film and I think Alice ended up changing her outfit more times than a model during a fashion show. The ending is really sweet and lovely, it was so great to see this young woman take charge of her life and go towards this bright exciting future.
I dont know how realistic that was for victorian society but I also really dont care, if we can accept talking animals and jabberwocks, then we can accept victorian woman actually making decisions about their lives and futures.

Voice casting was also really well done and brought the animated creatures to life in the best way! I was really worried about Tim Burton's weird blending of animation and live action but it really didnt look bad at all, it worked! But I didnt see it in 3-D so I dont know if that is the same for the 3-D picture.
and I loved that not only did the Jabberwock make an apperance but so did the Bandersnatch casually mentioned in that poem as well! I only feel sad that neither the walruus nor the carpenter (and their famous feast of oysters) made an appearance in this film. That actually kind of broke my heart a bit ;_;

All in all a solid effort I think. Was it the best Alice movie EVAR? No I dont think so. Though I'd be hard pressed to think of a BEST Alice movie EVAR since every adaptation has it's strengths and weaknesses, I think my favorite will always be Jonathan Miller's version though but Burton's adaptation is easily my second favorite and is the most visually amazing and beautiful alice film I've ever seen. As a huge Alice fan I am very pleased!

Anyway!

In my effort to watch all the oscar nominated animated films for this year. I have taken to various means (both legal and...less so) to watch all of the films. Anyway I already saw Up back when it came out but I have sadly yet to see Fantastic Mr Fox and Princess and the Frog. I did see Book of Kells recently though!

Book of Kells: This was a beautiful animated film. This is really and ode to irish folktales and culture, both the pagan and the christian. It really does a good job of respecting both sets of beliefs and in this fantastical version of medieval europe both the pagan beliefs and christian beliefs are treated as true and real. It's refreshing in that sense. More refreshing is the lovely 2-D animation that you really just dont see anymore, and the hero of the film is very delightful and sweet and while he does slay monsters and save the day he does so with his wits, courage and heart and not with any kind of violence/weaponary or even some sort of magical power.
There is also the sweet befriending of the boy hero with the faery girl Ashley, which I really liked since again it highlighted this harmony between the pagan and the christian, even while the Abbot would rail against pagans and their beliefs.
The central conflict of the story is an interesting one, it's basically a fear of viking attacks here called "the northmen". Historically Vikings were VERY scary and caused great havoc to much of europe in their heyday, it was nice to see a threat that had real roots in history in a story that also treated faery creatures and primordial snake monsters as real. That said to perhaps express the horrifying way Vikings appeared to their victims, the vikings in this film are animated to look almost like hulking shadowy monsters that only resemble men in the vaguest most distant sense. It was a very effective way to show just how scary vikings were without actually making them into some kind of fantastical monster army.
Anyway in a nutshell, Book of Kells is a great story about a young boy coming of age and becoming the great man everyone knows he will one day be, but it's also a story about friendship, facing your fears, faith (not just in deities and heaven but in yourself), and also it's a story that beautifully and excellently blends history with folklore, and pagan with christian. and just watch it! It's lovely and you wont regret it. You can also totally take kids to see it :D I also want to add that the irish folk music in this film is so beautiful and really adds to the rich culture of the film.

I have also watched 3 of the 5 nominated Shorts for the animation category. While I enjoyed all 3, my favorite was easily "Granny o Grimm's Sleeping Beauty" totally cracked me up while also being a really creepy retelling. I hope whoever wrote this film does a full length film one day too.
You can watch the oscar nominated animated shorts here: http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/43953738.html

Tv meme!

Jan. 27th, 2010 07:07 pm
sisterjune: (Default)
I really love doing memes but I am so picky about which ones I do these days. Plus super busy! But yesterday I was feeling really ill so I did memes to pass the time. Today I am posting them for your viewing pleasure. lol (next post will be less frivolous....promise!)

Name a TV show series in which you have seen every episode at least twice: 

Leverage (it’s still airing though), Community (ditto) , Avatar: the last airbender, Spaced, Ashes to Ashes, Life on Mars, Pysch (well almost every episode) The Chappelle Show (actually I think I’ve seen most of the episodes 3 maybe 4 times…), Supersizers, Salute Your Shorts and the Adventures of Pete and Pete ( however my second viewing of both these shows was over 10 years after the first time I watched lol) Oh oh and Angry Beavers, pretty much I think. (goddamit Viacom, where is my DVD?) oh and probably Rugrats and Hey Arnold too but I am not so sure about those. 

Name a (current) show you can't miss:

Community, Leverage, Psych, Ashes to Ashes, White Collar, True Blood. 

Name an actor that would make you more inclined to watch a show:

hmm, oh well if any of the actors of my current fave shows do other shows after this I’d be more inclined to watch said shows. Though I really watch for a favorite writer or an interesting plot, rarely for a particular actor. 

Name an actor who would make you less likely to watch a show:

Keanu Reeves, he’s just so WOODEN. Robin Williams, too cheesy and I want to say Tom Cruise cause he’s too smirky and smarmy but damn I did love his Lestat. I am torn!

Name a show you can, and do, quote from.

It’s funny, I am terrible at quoting shows. Like I remember proverbs and whole poems and song lyrics without much trouble but I always forget tv quotes even for shows I love and I rarely know when to interject them into conversation appropriately :( 

Name a show you like that no one else enjoys:

I don’t know about NO ONE else, but there really needs to be more Leverage fans!
 
Name a TV show which you've been known to sing the theme song:

Pysch! “I know you know, that I’m not tellin the truth” and Community “I cant count the reasons I should stay~ one by one they all just fade away, do do” and True Blood has an awesome theme song, I don’t know if I’ve I make it a habit to sing though lol. Oh and the Malcom in the Middle theme song. That was a fun one. I don’t now about sing, but I definitely hum the theme song to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia a lot. 

Name a show you would recommend everyone to watch:

Leverage! Community! I would also recommend Spaced to anyone who loves Simon Pegg and or is a huge geek or pop culture junkie. It’s just a brilliant funny and geektastic show full of pop culture references and an adorable Simon Pegg (and Nick Frost!). Also It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which to me is hysterical. 

Name TV series you own:

Leverage S1, IASiP S1-4, Adv of Pete & Pete, Salute your Shorts (I burned this one on a dvd rather than bought it but technically, I DO own it lol) Spaced, State of Play, LOM , A2A, Hex, Are you afraid of the dark? S1, I also have a bunch of asian dramas I burned in their entirety onto various dvds. 

What is your favourite episode of your favourite series?

I…this is impossible to answer lol. I have more than one fave show and more than one fave episode! Well I'll do one series then (or I'd be at this for ages lol) Leverage – Bank Shot Job, First David Job, Two Live Crew Job, Iceman Job.

A show you mean to watch, but you just haven't gotten around to yet:

Burn Notice (I started but got distracted) The Wire, Lost (I used to watch it, dropped it and now I am thinking of picking it back up again) and a shit load of Korean dramas. (don’t ask) I also keep meaning to watch more Classic Doctor Who (I’ve only seen a bit of doctors 4 and 7’s series so far)

Ever quit watching a show because it was so bad?

LOL. I have quite so many shows. Heroes, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Rescue Me, Life (it started out so great too) Gossip Girl, Glee, The Mentalist and most recently Merlin.  

Name a show you aren't interested in watching, not in the least:

Dollhouse, 24, NCIS, Bones (my dad recently fell in love with this show and keeps asking me what I dislike it so much lol) 

Name a show that's made you cry multiple times:

Community made me cry XD that one episode of Lost that centered on Mr Eko’s past made me cry my eyes out. Oh and the final ep of New Doctor Who’s first series (the end of Nine ;_;) other than that it’s mostly been movies to make me cry. 

Oldest TV show you like?

Oldest as in how old the show is or or how long I’ve been watching it? Let’s go with the former, I would say Doctor Who but I haven’t seen much Classic Who and New Who started in 05, so really the oldest ones I like would be those nick shows: are you afraid of the dark, salute your shorts, adv of pete and pete. All from the early to mid 90’s. 

Newest TV show you like?
Community <3 and Modern Family

What do you eat when you watch TV?

if I eat anything it's popcorn, yogurt or a banana.

How often do you watch TV?

for as long as my show is on. I only turn on the tv to watch my weekly programs or the occasional movie or IMF and LinkTv videos.

Do you have a favorite talk show?

The Daily Show and the Colbert Report are the only talk shows I’ve ever been able to stand (I love those guys <3)

What's the last TV show you watched?

White Collar. episode 9 :D

What's your favourite/preferred genre of TV?

don’t have one. I enjoy a mix of genres generally (I love a show that can mix humor and drama well and effectively use both as central to the plot) 

What's your least favourite genre of TV?

Reality tv, Soap operas, and most science fiction shows. (I really dont know why, I dont dislike  it in theory but somehow the way most sci fi novels or tv shows go I just end up feeling very bored or annoyed. Yes even Battlestar Galactica. Doctor Who is a rare exception and that’s in part because they will occasionally go back in time, which I LOVE.)

What was the first TV show you were obsessed with?

Sailor Moon! and Power Rangers. And if you REALLY wanna go back far, then My Little Pony. I loved that show and I am not ashamed! (mostly cause I was 7 at the time) the funny thing was I didn’t really care about owning any ponies…

What TV show do you wish you never watched?

Glee, it lied and deceived me into thinking it was a sweet and fun harmless show! Only to slap me in the face with racism and irritating stereotypes and finally latent misogyny *curses* But otherwise it’s rare I hate a show so much that I wish I never watched it even after I drop it from my watch list. 

What's the weirdest show you enjoyed?

Doctor Who, Lost, Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes. There may be others but I can’t think of them. 

What TV show scared you the most?

oh man any episode of doctor who that Stephan Moffat wrote, *still creeped out by Blink* and that one about evil sun aliens or something. Oh and any episode from are you afraid of the dark that involved clowns. I HATE CLOWNS. And that one with the creepy specs. *shudders* still gives me the heebs! That’s all I can think of though.

What is the funniest TV show you have ever watched?

The Chappelle Show, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Community and Psych all make/made me laugh real hard. (oh do Looney Tunes count? Cause those hilarious too)

Which do you think is the best TV series ever made?

I have no idea. That’s a hard decision to make! I suspect when I see The Wire I’ll choose that one as that is what everyone who has seen it told me. 
sisterjune: (Default)
Yes I am alive, if anyone is still reading this anymore and wondering wtf happened to me. I just sort of got caught up with lots of shit. But anyway I'm back! and Regular updates of my journal should being again posthaste. I have so much crap I need to cover that I dont know where to start, so since this is a new year, I will only talk about what's going on right now and in the near future and pretend that I already said all I needed to say about the last few months.

Anyway firstly I have dropped quite a few shows and picked up quite a few other shows in the transition between the fall tv season to the new spring/winter one we are in right now.
My current watch list for anyone who is curious includes the following:
Leverage (SO SO SO EXCITED ABOUT NEW EPISODES THIS MONTH EEEEE!)
White Collar (this was quite enjoyable and breezy fun, something I was sure about when I first started watching. It can tip into the generic at times but normally it saves itself before it starts becoming really predictable and stale, it would help I think if Jeff Eastin wrote all the episodes since so far his are the only eps that have really been great while everything else has either been ok-acceptable and half decent)
Modern Family (I put off watching it for weeks, thinking ti was just another family sitcom and while it is in some ways in many ways it really is a new modern take on the family. more importantly though it's FUNNY)
Community (love this show SO MUCH and I await the rest of the season's episodes with great anticipation!)
Skins (I dont know why I am still watching this considering the amount of journal space I spent bitching about season 3 but darn it I just love emily, naomi, jj and thomas too much to stop!)
Ashes to Ashes (this beautiful mindfucking eighties drama of my heart returns this season. Hurray!)
Psych (All I can say about this drama is "YAY" and that's all I ever need to say)

True Blood I am also still watching, it's not starting again until the summer months though but casting news shows that season 3 of true blood will have even MORE supernatural hotties and insane plotlines. Oh why cant it be summer now? D:

So apparently the BBC is doing a drama about Lennon and Yoko Onno (but mostly their nude behinds) and I for one am ALL for it. The best part is the fantastic Christopher Eccleston is playing Lennon, AWESOME SAUCE. What's funny is I had no idea it was Eccleston until I read the BBC press pack, I was looking at the trailer and wondering "who is this hot dude playing Lennon?" and LO AND BEHOLD it is my original british crush Eccleston! It's also nice to see that my old suspicion that Eccleston would be less foxy with long hair was totally wrong. Way to rock the shit out of the hippie hair dude *thumbs up* He also looks at least 10 years younger than he actually is. Also I chuckled at the pic of eccleston!lennon's bare bum because i've seen the original pics and Lennon had a super pasty pancake bum. Whereas Eccleston's bum is clearly the toned and firm bum of a proffessional actor who knew he'd be flashing his arse very soon. I am not complaining though. ever. lol
Basically checking the press packs for upcoming dramas it seems like there will be alot of awesome on the BBC this season. So far dramas that have piqued my interest include:
Mrs. Mandela (a movie about winnie mandela? hell yes I am watching this)
Luther (I am not a fan of police dramas or thrillers, I am however a fan of Idris Elba and I can easily overlook my dislike for crime dramas with good writing. So chances are high that I will check this one out)
Lennon Naked (really with a title like that how can I say no? Also CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON. and...CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON NAKED)
Material Girl (the lead actress looks super cute and I am always amazed when a woman or man of color is allowed to headline a drama, it's just such a rare thing. not so crazy about the fashion setting but we'll see. maybe this will vill the void left by ugly betty when it stopped being coherant and i had to drop it)
Money (You know I love the eighties right? Well I also love Nick Frost and have an odd fondness for Vincent Karthieser even though he still looks 16. but he is a good actor and this sounds like the sort of drama I'd enjoy)
Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister (I really love that the BBC does dramas like this, a focus on an intelligent fascinating woman, who is a lesbian and plus all the lovely trappings of a period piece. I will definitely give this one a shot!)

I am also eyeing A Passionate Woman because Billie Piper is indeed one very foxy lady and I do love me some forbidden romances, hopefully this one will be more sexy and exciting than Secret Diary of a Call girl was. (you'd think a show about a sex worker would be more racy and fun wouldnt you? but you'd be wrong!)

AND OF COURSE. New and Improved Doctor Who! Now 100% less RTD shenanigans! and 50% less emo angst and 60% more gorgeous redhead! woo! Bring on the Moffat! (I want to add now that I like Matt Smith's face shape and body build like 40283028x more than I ever did Tennant's. My flist can now proceed in stoning me if they wish)

ALSO. Cant forget that the winter olympics are coming! WEEEE. I love the olympics, plus I know more of the winter athletes by name. *pulls out GO USA banner*

and that is all ladies and germs! (and lady germs) I will hopefully have more substantial things to update about next time. I have sort of kept up with lj, but basically drop me a line and say hi if we havent talked in a while. :D I'd love to hear what everyone else is watching this season! (I might put up a poll in my next entry actually)
sisterjune: (Default)
Photobucket


I hope everyone had a lovely thanksgiving to all my fellow american friends and happy thursday to the rest of you ;) I realize I havent updated my lj in several weeks but I am not dead, just busy. Between preparing for the upcoming Eid holiday, thanksgiving, my mother's birthday (which is today), finishing up my assignments before break, and playing my fabulous new game "Dragon Origins", I've been one busy busy bee. I will continue to be so for some time I think. Hopefully though I can update my lj soon. I am still doing my best to read everyone's entries though! and hopefully I can start commenting more regularly when I finish up this school semester. :)
sisterjune: (Default)
This a random post full of randomness cause Tai had a very painful and shitty day today (nutshell version: a metal door sliced through the top of my toe, practically ripping off the nail and I had to limp around campus all day like a moron) and so did not finish typing up her proper post and instead decided to blog about a bunch of random but awesome videos she watched and do a meme instead.

1) Post a list of up to 20 books/movies/anime/TV shows/video games/bands [fannish etc.] that you've had an obsessive fannish love or interest in at some time in your life. [Mine is edited for things with large casts of characters.]
2) Have your f-list guess your favourite character/member from each item.
3) When someone guesses correctly, strikethrough the item and put the name of your favorite character next to it.


As you can all see I've recently gotten into It's Always Sunny, I'll go into detail about that in the next post. Since I know I have a diverse flist I threw out a random mix of older and newer fandoms so everyone can participate.

1. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia [livejournal.com profile] acidpenguin46 got it right. It's the crazy and unfortunate Charlie. I just cant help but adore him <3
2. Community (I love them all but there is two that I love a little more than the others, guess one or both!) [livejournal.com profile] wingstodust got this one! Britta and Abed :)
3. Leverage (I love everyone, especially the 3 kids but only one has my heart) [livejournal.com profile] darkeyedwolf said it. It's quirky crazy awesome Parker!
4. Skins (I have two faves for skins gen 1 and and one for skins gen 2) [livejournal.com profile] acidpenguin46 got them both! For Gen it's Chris and Cassie and for Gen 2 it's JJ.
5. True Blood (no it's not eric) [livejournal.com profile] darkeyedwolf guessed it. It's Lafeyette <3
6. Ashes to Ashes (this one might be a little tougher than LOM but still relatively easy)[livejournal.com profile] acidpenguin46 guessed this one. Shaz
7. Life on Mars (there's really only two answers for this, sam or gene. the fun part is guessing which one is my favorite ;D ) [livejournal.com profile] acidpenguin46 go it. It's Sam :)
8. The Mentalist (this one isnt an obvious answer)
9. Modern Family (this one really makes the show for me)
10. Avatar: the last airbender (so many great characters, but only one favorite)
11. Lost (I used to love this show. keep in mind when guessing that I havent seen S4-5) [livejournal.com profile] darkeyedwolf got it! It's Sawyer. and extra points to anyone and [livejournal.com profile] sibarita got my second fave. the lovely Sun
12. Discworld Series (I'll be generous. No it's not Death. Although I am very fond of him)
13. Lord of the Rings (there are again two you could guess and get the answer right) [livejournal.com profile] kipani_mariko Mari got em both! cause she's a cheater. Aragorn & Eowyn.
14. TOKIO (I suspect most wont even know what this is) [livejournal.com profile] kipani_mariko got it right. It's Taichi! adorable little pixie that he is.
15. Harry Potter (an old obsession but my love for this character remains) [livejournal.com profile] bananachipu said it. Luna!
16. Samurai Champloo (one of my fave animes of all time) [livejournal.com profile] darkeyedwolf got this one too. It's Jin!
17. The Goonies (gotta love the classics) [livejournal.com profile] sibarita got it! it's Mouth. He's probably the closest of the bunch to how I was as a kid.
18. One Piece (maybe not that easy)[livejournal.com profile] bananachipu got it right off. It's Zoro.
19. Fruits Basket (back when I read this I liked most of the characters but one in particular resonated with me the most) [livejournal.com profile] kipani_mariko got it too. It's Rin.
20. Xmen comics (despite so many diff incarnations in this series, my favorite has remained the same)[livejournal.com profile] bananachipu got it! It's Rogue :D

Some random (but awesome) videos:


I'm sure everyone and their mother has seen this already but I dont care. It's still awesome. I only wish they hadnt made one of the sharpest female characters of all time (Elizabeth) into a weepy shrill creature. It's for humorous purposes I know but I would have laughed alot harder if Elizabeth decided on her own to drop Darcy's poncy severe ass, jump into the quattro with Gene and ride off into the regency sunset. Still the image of Gene trying to enforce laws in his usual way in the idyllic fields of regency england, and then shooting Darcy is pretty freakin hilarious I must say. and good to know that Jon Culshaw is as fantastic at his impressions as ever. I actually miss seeing him in clips imitating people. I havent seen him in anything for a while. (I really hope he does more skits where he plays Gene. Really considering how popular the character is, what took him so long!?)


I think this is possibly one of the coolest things I've ever seen and I want everyone to see it too. The universe is beautiful. I had a big fascination with planets and space as a kid. A part of me still does but the rest moved on to more earthly interests. Still taking astrology next year though!

I also took the time today to alter my layout. Lovely katie mcgrath is in the header. It's not perfect I'm still trying to figure out how to color the entire top bar and I dont like the green for the entry titles. Otherwise though it's lookin good I'd say.

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Tai

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