Use the Source, Jake

I had a bunch of extra time before meeting up with my friends for a birthday dinner at Umami Burger (which was quite yummy, BTW), so I went to the Arclight to watch "Source Code".

• I still mix up Jake Gyllenhall with Tobey Maguire, so at one point, I thought that Spider-man had died.
• The last movie that I saw with Vera Farmiga in it was "Up In The Air".  So when she was asked if she was married, I thought, "Yes, but she's having an affair with a guy that fires people."  Clearly, I need to separate actors from their characters more than I do.
• I love that the bomber's ID shows that he lives on Hemlock Avenue.
• So do you think that bad people that watch this movie are now thinking of taking the handgun from the official train compartment, and that they're bringing big flashlights to break the lock?
• I've decided that I'm good at deciphering big city skylines/aerial shots.  I figured out that it was Chicago because I couldn't think of another major American city with all of the water going through it.  Those were spectacular shots, BTW.
• I liked the sci-fi aspect of this film.  I wonder if it would actually be possible to trigger a person's memories from their brain after their death.  But wait.  How did they get Sean's memories?  Wouldn't he have blown up beyond recognition? OK, I'm being morbid now.
• I also liked the "Groundhog Day"-like reactions that he had, especially near the end, when he avoided the soda and handed over his ticket.
• I wanted Jeffrey Wright to say that he knows what it's like to be in the military, and that's why he uses a crutch.  But he didn't.
• Totally bawled at that ending.
• "Quantum Leap"'s Scott Bakula as a major voice in this particular film?  PERFECTION.

I enjoyed this movie, and am now thinking, "What would I do if I knew that I only had 8 minutes to live?"  Probably do an end-of-life blog (if I was at a computer with internet access), thanking everyone for being a part of my life, with a little prayer at the end. 

Rockapella on WeLiveFM

Fellow Pella Fan and PellaPusher Friend Ross has recorded a video of Rockapella being interviewed by someone that actually knows about Rockapella and is a fan himself.


Take a gander at the guys talk about Scott's scar, Carmen SanDiego, Taco Bell, the new record, and Scott's first gig with Rockapella.


Great job, Ross!

m-pact-ed

m-pact

Lewis Family Playhouse

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

March 25, 2011

A Cappella has returned to Rrrrrancho Cucamonga!  No, it wasn't Rockapella, but a vocal jazz group that is local to L.A.: m-pact.  I haven't seen the group since, I think, Harmony Sweepstakes.  Or something else.  I just know that it's been a very long time since I saw them.  I had told Jeff and Wendy at dinner that I met one of them at Kevin's last Rockapella show in CA, but couldn't remember which one it was.  I looked at the pictures and still couldn't really figure it out until they got on stage.  The group has been through a few personnel changes since I last saw them, and they didn't have the updated pictures in the program.  It was like going to a Rockapella show.  ;)

The set list below is thanks to m-pact's Jeff, whom provided it to Aura when she asked for me.  Thanks, Jeff!  BTW, Jeff is the drummer.  It's like a law or something that the VP guy in an a/c group must be called "Jeff".  

Come Together:  m-pact is much more about the voice than it is about choreography, so if you're new to them, don't expect a lot of flash.  Instead, the flash is in their vocal prowess.   Their arrangement of this Beatles tune is much like a lot of their arrangements, wherein you're not sure what the song is at first, then you figure it out as it goes along.  That's jazz for you!  

Signed, Sealed, Delivered:  Yay, Stevie Wonder!  This was the first of Stevie's songs tonight.  The PellaPusher is happy.  I wish that Liz had been there.  Oh, perhaps I should say who was there:  Wendy, Jeff, Karla, and her friend Cindy.  At least at the beginning.  :)  

I Do:  m-pact performed this song at a festival in Germany.  Boyz II Men was there, too.  It sounded B2M-ish with this arrangement, and I whispered, "WHERE IS AURA?!"  Yes, it was a whisper-kind-of-yell.  I really like this song.

This Masquerade:  Mmm...George Benson.  Jazzy.  Yay, Aura's here!  

My Favorite Things:  Finally, someone treats this as not-a-Christmas song.  :)  I like the syncopation.

Baby I Need Your Lovin':  I also like the rhythms in this one.  

My Funny Valentine:  The soloists sat on stools and stood up for their solo portions.  This arrangement is gorgeous.  The song has good memories for me, and I drifted off into memory land with the Valentine's concerts that I've been in/watched.

All Blues:  I mean, come on!  This is jazz improv at its best.  I was amazed by Fletcher's crazy-high notes and scat, as well as Marco's smooth Miles Davis-esque trumpet, and Trist's awesome jazz bass.  Incredible.  BTW, Trist is the one that showed me how to take a picture on Aura's i-phone at the Pella meet and greet.

I Wish:  Yay, more Stevie!  I decided that Jarrett's voice was my favorite, because of all the Stevie.

Intermission

Fantasy/Let's Groove/Shining Star:  Groovy.  I think I saw some choreography in there!

This next song was sung by m-pactfor a friend's wedding, and it was the worst they'd ever done because they were all crying by the end of it.  It won an Academy Award for Best Song back in the day for a movie that nobody knew.  When the title was announced, the audience sighed a collective "Awww...."

What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life:  NICE.

Trist said that former member Britt wanted to arrange every song known to man, and before he left, he wanted to mash all of the best songs ever into one medley.

TV Medley  This included The Flintstones, The Jetsons, and The Jeffersons.  That was fun.

Higher and Higher:  I love this song too much, especially when it's sung a cappella, so naturally, I had a big smile on my face.

Have A Talk With God:  That's THREE Stevie songs, people.  Three.  YAY!!!

Drum Solo:  Wow, Jeff!  That was fun.  His style is more beatbox than classic drumming.  After showing off his VP skills, he included the audience. Our section was supposed to clap.  I will have you know that our row was not the row that was off in the clapping.  I told Jeff that afterward, too, as if he actually cared.

29 Ways:  OK, I've heard Tonic Sol-Fa do this song, and now I wonder who did it first.  I like both versions, just want to know.  

Encore

Northwest Passage:  WOW, wow, WOW.  They killed this one.  It was originally done by the Woody Herman Orchestra, and it's just craziness.  It's also crazy difficult.  How do they do this at the END of a show?!  My goodness gracious.

Meet and Greet

I'm so used to having people watch me during MnG that I was excited to actually watch Aura talk to people for a change.  Of course, she introduced me to everyone, so I ended up talking to them anyway.

Mort:  I asked him if it was cold enough in CA for him.  He said that his fellow Danes would love the weather in L.A.  

Jarrett:  I told him that he was my favorite.  He asked if I said that to everyone.  Aura vouched for me that I did not.  So he agreed to take a picture with me.  He was excited because he would get to say to his wife when he got home that he's someone's favorite.  :)

Jeff:  He said that they're working on a new CD with all of the current group members, which got me excited, so I hope that they include "I Do".  He said that he was at one of the Rockapella shows in Rancho, but hadn't seen Steve with Pella yet.  So he hasn't seen them in quite awhile.

Trist:  I told him that I remembered nothing about what he taught me on how to use Aura's i-phone camera.  I'm a dork.  I also told him that he made my butt vibrate.  Well, he did!

Marco:  Aura caught him for once before he left, and then proceeded to accidentally delete the picture that I took of them.  Oops.

I took a picture with Shakespeare outside, but it came out too dark.  Here's a picture, though, of me and my favorite m-pact guy of the night.

Sher and Jarrett

Thanks for a great show, guys!  I hope that the gap between my viewing your shows is not as long as the last one.

No Matter What

Beauty and the Beast

Pantages Theatre

March 11, 2011

I was able to purchase a ticket for opening night of Beauty and the Beast through Goldstar, which made me happy because it's one of my favorite musicals, and I didn't want to have to pay full price.   Thanks, Goldstar!  On my way to the event, I was stuck in traffic, listening to radio broadcasts of two basketball games wherein the team I rooted for was losing.  Not good.  It was so bad that I thought that I'd be late for the show and would be too late to pick up the tickets at Will Call.  Thank goodness that didn't happen, though.

My first experience seeing BatB was at the Shubert Theatre in Century City in 1995, which featured much of the original Broadway cast, including Susan Egan as Belle, Terrence Mann as Beast, and Tom Bosley as Maurice.  I fell in love with the show that night, and I think that the first time that I cried during the show was not very far into it (probably during "Home", and my brother quietly said to me, "Stop it."  But you  know that I couldn't.  It was a beautiful production, and I got tickets for my best friend's birthday so that I could go with her and see it again the next year.  The production was incredible, and was so popular that it became the longest-running show in that theatre.

So, as you can guess, every other production of this show has quite a lot to live up to in my eyes.  This is why I didn't get tickets right away and only went to this one because of the discount.  So, knowing all of this background, and the fact that I was darn pissed off about my teams losing, you are forewarned that the mood and bias were influenced those things.

My seat was on the left side aisle, row Z, rear orchestra.  A little girl was sitting in front of me, so I had a great view of the stage.  This is what is good about seeing family-friendly shows:  chances are good that you will be seated behind a child that is shorter than you, and you'll get a good view.  :)

• All I could think about the orchestra during the entire show was that there was too much brass, and not enough strings.  Yes, I know that this is a touring company, so it's not going to be a full-fledged production.  Yes, you'll probably be telling me that to me at more than this point.  
• The sets at first made me feel like I was at a college production because my memory is of the extravagance at the Shubert.  I did like, however, their use of the scrim during the attack scenes, wherein the wolves were played by puppets, like in The Lion King.  
• Belle's voice was not sweet enough for me to be Belle.  Not that she needed to be Snow White or Aurora, but it was a little too brassy for me (not like a harlot or anything, but more comedic than lilting).
• Belle was reading a book about "A hunchback who lives in Paris".  Hey!  She does a cameo in that movie!  Nice touch.
• "The Enchantress" (opening) and "Home" were at tempos that were too quick for my taste.  I felt like they were rushing through these songs.  Since "The Enchantress" gives the whole background for the prince, this annoyed me.  Since "Home" is one of my favorite Broadway musical songs EVER, I was so annoyed that I didn't feel the heartache that I usually do during the song.  It was played as just another song, and it's really Belle's anthem.
• There were a few lyric changes, which happens a lot during tour productions, but I was surprised that they eliminated the songs "No Matter What" and "Maison des Lunes", and introduced a new song, "A Change In Me".  So now we don't really get to see as much of the connection between Belle and Maurice (I really miss Tom Bosley), so Maurice doesn't sing very much, and then the psychiatrist doesn't get to sing at all.  Weird.  The new song is quite lovely, and Ms. Shivener sang it well, but I kind of wondered why we needed the song if she already had a ballad.  But OK.  (According to Wikipedia, the song was added to the show in 1998, and Susan Egan has done a recording of it.  I need to listen to that).
• Justin Glaser, as Beast, has a beautiful voice, although I wish that I could have heard more of it without the muffle of his costume.  Once he transformed, his voice was very clear and gorgeous, and I wished that it wasn't the end of the show so that I could hear him sing more.
• If I can't be cast as Belle, then I want to be a Silly Girl.  They were really funny.
• Nathaniel Hackman stole the show for me as Gaston.  He really played up his part well, and I giggled every time he was on stage.  You see, I *could* be a Silly Girl, because I'd be typecast.
•  I thought of the time that my friend Zach and I sang "Me" together, and I smiled through the whole song, not only because I loved Mr. Hackman's portrayal, but because that particular performance memory is one of my favorites in my own career.  I miss singing with you, Zach!
• They took the carpet from "Aladdin" and turned it into a welcome mat for "Be Our Guest".
• Belle was given a bib for "Be Our Guest", and what was the design on the bib?  Sebastian from "The Little Mermaid", in Conducting Pose.  I want that bib. Seriously.
• I'm just glad that they didn't cut my favorite line in "The Mob Song": "Screw your courage to the sticking place".  Phew!  Their choreography during that song reminds me of that in Les Miserables' "Do You Hear The People Sing", with the walking in place.
• The sound effects were interesting: the roar of the Beast was my favorite effect.
• Lumiere is just a horndog.  I guess there's not a lot of movement you can do as a candlestick, except to thrust your hips about.
• Sabina Petra sang "Beauty and the Beast" quite beautifully.  
• I still love seeing all of the mug-clinking during "Gaston".  Here we go!
• They never actually showed the rose's petals falling.  Bummer.

I had a good time during the show, all things considered.  The crowd was great, and it seemed like the kid that played Chip got the best roar during the curtain call.  I wonder if he's from L.A.  

If you've seen the show at the Shubert and loved it, you will not be that impressed.  But it's still a great show and families with kids will love it.  

The Birthday of Swoon

Rockapella in Portland

January 19, 2011

Aladdin Theater

Portland, OR

Wendy sat with me near my gate at the airport until it was time for me to board the plane.  I missed her as soon as I got in line.  :(  Unfortunately, we didn't see any of the guys at the airport, so we figured that maybe they flew out of a different airport.  By the time I arrived in Portland, it was night time.  I picked up my luggage and found the Tri-Met light rail ticket dispenser.  Thank goodness I've done this before in other cities so that I didn't look like a total idiot, but I made sure to check that I was going to the right place.  I checked it about 10 times: before I bought the ticket, before I got on a train, while I was on the train...you get the picture.  Jenn had assured me that I'd be fine, since she used to work in Portland a lot, and stayed in the hotel where I would be staying.  So I trusted my travel diva.

The Nines hotel was just a very short walk away from the train stop, which I was thankful for because it was a little bit wet outside and I had the luggage.  The doorman let me in and the guy at the bell desk advised me to go up to the 8th floor for the registration desk.  Weird.  I guess that's where the actual hotel part starts. So I got to the registration desk, and nearby was a sculpture of huge shoes.  So of course I figured I was in the right place.  :)  Behind the desk was the lobby area, which I never did explore, but hope to some other time.  The hotel has totally spoiled me and now I want to stay there whenever I'm in Portland.  Jenn sure knows how to pick 'em.  Oh.  This is where I should tell you that, for my birthday present, Jenn used her Fancy Hotel Points to get me a room.  THANKS, JENN!  

So, OK, the room.  GORGEOUS.  I stayed on the eight floor.  The doors were a very dark brown, like mahogany.  Heck, they could have been actual mahogany.  I opened the big fancy door, and there was a hallway to get to the bathroom and bedroom.  The bathroom was a very nice, large size, with a cute vanity stool and two robes with the "9" logo and lots of prettiness.  Between the bathroom and the bedroom, in the hallway, was the little bar.  The room was decorated in white with Tiffany Blue, the wood was mahogany color, there was a plush bench chaise-ish chair, a nice big desk, and a nice-sized TV.  When the door of the closet opens, a pretty light turns on so that you can see that there is an umbrella (with the Nines logo) as well as the cool shoe shine stuff you find in the fancy hotels.  I wished that I needed a shoe shine at that moment.  

BMan basks in the spotlight

Oh, and I forgot to mention the chandelier in the corner of the room.  Bananaman enjoyed posing pretty much everywhere.  The hotel had already done the turn-down service, so I had slippers on top of a little sheet on the floor for bedtime, as well as a little bedtime cookie thing.  I don't know what it was, but it was yummy.  I called Jenn to thank her for the beautiful room, and was too tired to go out for food, so I ate some of my yummy Woodhouse chocolate and some other not-very-nutritious stuff before turning in to the very comfortable bed.  

When I woke up, I turned on the TV, and there was an episode of "Prison Break" playing.  Yay, Wentworth in HD!  Happy Birthday to ME!  I ordered room service:  Brioche French Toast with huckleberry jam and hazelnut butter.  The tray arrived and was decorated with a beautiful purple tulip in a little vase.  Perfect!  The food was delicious, and took me pretty much all day to finish it because it was quite rich.  I welcomed phone calls and tweets and Facebook posts and texts from my friends and family wishing me a Happy Birthday.  It's so nice to be loved!  Even when I'm not with any of my friends, I feel surrounded by their kindness.  I spent the day pretty much catching up on the blog (and now I'm behind again!), and listening to some drum corps.

I treated myself to a nice shower with the Lavender Sugar Scrub (nice!) that I had bought at the olive oil place, and got myself ready to see my guys.  The doorman hailed a taxi for me, and it took me across the water to the theater.  I was about the 20th person in line.  It was cold.  I ended up putting my phone away so that I could wear my gloves.  I was there at least half an hour before the doors would be open, so I just thought of happy things, like the fact that I was about to see Rockapella on my birthday.

Rockapella on my birthday!!!

When the doors opened, they stamped hands with "Friends Forever".  Awww.   I made a beeline for the front of the theater.  Plenty of people didn't want to sit in the front row.  Suckers.  So I grabbed a seat in front, placed Bananaman in a spot where he wasn't conspicuous but he could still watch the show, and waited.

There were a few opening acts, all a cappella high school groups from the area.  

First up: the Cleveland High School Dares.  They were dressed all nice in choir attire.  Repertoire included "Meeting in the Promised Land" by Moses Hogan and "Sleep" by Eric Whitacre.  Wow, they were really good, and they were having fun with that gospel song!

Second:  High Altitude, made up of 6 gals, and they had just formed 6 months earlier.  They sang one of my favorite Disney songs, "I Won't Say I'm In Love" from "Hercules".  I liked all of the posing.

Third: Cloud 9, which was formed 6 years ago, and is open to students in the Portland Metro Area.  They are an all-male group, and were clearly the favorites of the 3 groups.  They sang a mash-up of Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls" and Sugababes' (written by Elliott Malloy) "Denial" and "Hey There Delilah".  I liked hearing the really not-urban-looking guy using urban slang like "shorty".  It was awesome.  They all sang really well, trading off solos.  I'd like to see them on "The Sing-Off" one day.  They also did the song "It's All Right" by Curtis Mayfield.  I would provide a link to their FB page, but it hasn't been updated in quite awhile.  I mean, hello, they opened for Rockapella, and that's not even on there!

Enough high school hijinks.  It was time for the men to take the stage.  During intermission, I watched Fred walk across the stage with their mic packs.  Hmmm...no screen, which means no projections?  Then when the lights dimmed, I realized that they were projecting the images onto the curtains.  OK, that works.  

Tonight

Do they always start on the little stage, or is that new?  Steve and Geo were smiling, clearly loving the "Ticky Ticky Boom"s.  During the last pause between "to..." and "...night", JT is squatting.

4U4Now4Life

Steve winked at me!  Swoon!

Scott asked about the Dares: "How did that come about?  Did you play 'Truth or Dare' a lot?  Do they have The Truths?  That's how you are."  He pointed at their conductor.

Zip

Got to Get You Into My Life

They are so ON tonight, my goodness!  The crowd was eating it all up, too, which further energized them.

Just My Imagination/Imagine

JT rests during this song.  I finally noticed.

Tell Me What You Want

"Pull the Tri tri g g ger ger".  Go, John!

Scott says that Steve "has the work ethic of Hercules".  Ooh, another Hercules reference tonight!

Cupid

I like hearing the "You Send Me" from the other guys while Steve is walking around, looking for someone.  Tonight, he picked Ashley, who was swaying, so Steve had everyone in the crowd swaying with them.  When he went backstage afterward, he shared with everyone "It's COLD back here!"

Hard Time

Scott said, "We haven't had an all-original record since I was, like, 6.  That was 15 years ago.  Not when I was 6.  I was 7."  He said that he was watching TV earlier, and they called a local person an "Oregonian".  He said, "Of course that's the term.  What else what it be?  Oregonts?  Oregoners?  Oregoners would be bad."

California Sad-Eyed Girl

I could see/hear the back-up tenors trying to fix the chords at the beginning, and they did it quickly.  They're pros, you know.

Scott said that George's bass line is "deliciously organic, melodic, Oregonian".  Jeff shared that his father was from Eugene.  John called Scott "Loose Legs Malone", which prompted Scott to bow and flip his golden hair.  This makes me think of the movie "Charlie's Angels" when Lucy Liu says to Cameron Diaz,  "Flip your g**da*n hair."

Paper Doll

Steve smiled at me!  That's because I call him "Flirty Flirty Eyes", you know.  :)  I actually don't know if that's why he smiled at me, but I'll just believe it for now.

Rock the Boat

We all did the Oregonian chant "Do the Hustle".  I like John's scat going up.  At the end of the song, someone said, "Brr ah ha ha ha!"  Who was that?!

Thunderball/Bang

I love the pause between "He can get any (pause) woman he wants" that Tom Jones Scott does.  No, Wendy, George APPARENTLY no longer does the high kick during this song, maybe because he's on the little stage with JT.  The song goes too fast for the "yay" of "Yippe ki yay".

Commercial Medley

Someone in the audience cheered for Capitalism, and Scott said to him, "You're a bad Oregonian."  He then talked about Rockapella's "dark little secret in our otherwise squeaky-clean PBS career."  I love the way that Steve moves during "rash on my butt".  I don't know, maybe it has to do with "Steve" and "Butt".  During Folger's, Steve smiled at me.  No, I do not call him Folger Folger Eyes.  He just smiles at me because I'm happy, I guess.

John had us echo some stuff, and during the "Hey- oh', he said, "you're all a good group!"

My Girl

John chose Kara.  He had to bring her backstage in order to get her onto the stage, and when they were out of sight, he said, "Hey!  Stop that!  What the heck are you doing?!"  As the guys sang to her, she spun around on her stool to look at everyone, and then put her arm around Scott.  Laughter ensued.  Steve and John said to her, "LOWER!"  Scott said, "She likes to sing. You would like to sing?"  No.  "Would you like to dance?"  Kara said NO.  He tried to get her to sing "Stand By Me" and said to her, "You sing what I'm saying."  She started to sing but when he stopped, she said, "Why aren't you singing?!"

Ain't Too Proud To Beg

Kara didn't dance right away, but she did finally dance later on.

Geo said, "I was listening to that last song and thinking to myself, 'I wish I could sing like a woman'.  Last night when I was home..." (Home? In Portland?) "I dreamed about auditions for 'The Bodyguard'."  He told the director, "I would like to be Whitney Houston's stunt double.  I'm taller than her, and I don't have long hair, but I can sing like a woman."  Then he sang a little "I Will Always Love You".  He then said, "You notice I still have my jacket on, right?  For a man who sings so low to sing so high, he has to squeeze his butt cheeks together."

Babygirl

Jam ON, John!  I was missing the baritone a little, though, when Geo was singing the bass melody.

Carmen

Encore:

Papa Was a Rolling Stone

OK, so I couldn't concentrate for a moment as Geo's back was to us and I stared at his butt as he was rubbing his thigh.

A-Punk

Scott talked about the cruise coming up, saying, "You can see Jeff in his speedo."  JT said, "Thousand Bucks.  Thousand Bucks."  Do NOT challenge me, Thacher!

Up On The Roof / Wonderful World

I was annoyed by the dude singing behind me.  Dude, they're not using their microphones right now.  Do you think I want to hear you at all?  Steve winked and said bye to me.  I swear he just makes me swoon all day long.

Meet & Greet

I said hi to Fred, and we agreed that it was a great show.  He can tell that I'm feeling better because he's a sound man, and my voice sounded better.  Aw, Fred.  Thanks for caring enough to notice.  

I bought a CD for Rudy, and somehow found myself in the front of the signing line, where the guys entered.  Oops.  Scott hugged me and said hello.  Steve hugged me and said Happy Birthday.  John hugged me and said Happy Birthday, and signed my CD, writing "Hey, Rudy".  George saw me and yelled, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY!!!" and hugged me tightly, then signed the CD.  Then I saw JT, which triggered this exchange.

Jeff:  "Oh, are you all by yourself?  Where are your friends?"  

Sher: "I don't have friends."

Jeff: "Oh, that's bullcrap."

Sher: "No, they couldn't come because they can't afford it due to the cruise!  That's why I'm not going to Washington."  I asked him to sign the CD.  He looked at it and said, "Who's Rudy?" very slowly.  And then I had this whole conversation with JT about my past with Rudy, to which he responded with "Awww" and gave me a big hug  (Thanks, Roo!).

I waited around awhile because Scott and Steve had long lines.  I took a picture for a family that turned out to be Steve's relatives.  Geo told someone in his line, "Talk to her (points to me).  She's been to a million shows, and she's here ON HER BIRTHDAY!"  He's so damn cute.  The gal never talked to me, though.  When his line was gone, Geo and I talked about plans for the cruise, and when Sandra would join him.  I talked to Steve's family after I figured out who they were.  I talked to Tim, who wanted to hang out in downtown Portland, but didn't have time.  Steve signed the CD and tried to remember who Rudy was, and I told him that he hadn't met him yet.  

Geo sang to me "Happy Birthday to You" a la Stevie Wonder, and I danced along.  I told Geo that I needed Scott's signature.  He looked for him a little bit, then said "I'll just take you back here."  We walked backstage, which wasn't very big, and Scott walked onto the stage, eating a cookie, as we arrived.  I told him about the awesome room that Jenn got for me, and he asked which one.  Yet he never visited me.  Bummer.  ;)  Scott walked me to the front of the theater, saying that they hadn't done any improvements to it since the last time they were there and it was really run down.  He said that backstage was crappy.  He didn't seem happy with that fact.  (I didn't remind him that it used to be an *ahem* adult-film theater before it was refurbished into a performance space).  

I talked to Fred about the cruise.  He didn't have any excursions booked yet.  Since his wife wasn't going to be there he didn't feel that it would be a full vacation without her.  Awww.  I told him to hang out with us, and about the excursions I booked for every day in port.  He said, "Wow, you're jam-packed!"  He said that he'd have less set-up to do on the cruise due to the smaller space and because it was a different kind of venue.  I had to get my reading glasses out to see the taxi company's phone number, and told Fred that I was getting old.  He said, "Yeah, right.  No, you're not."  Sweet.

Well, the taxi company that dropped me off would not be back in the area for at least another hour, so they advised me to call another one, and gave me their phone number.  Well, that's friendly!  So I did, and waited outside so that the theater people could close up.  I thought to myself, "Oh, no. Rockapella is going to leave and see me standing out here by myself."

Sure enough, while I was waiting, I saw The Blond One driving by in a red mini-van.  They saw me and made a u-turn at the intersection.  John had trouble opening the window, then asked what was going on.  I told them that I was waiting for a cab.  He looked worried, brow all furrowed.  I told him that I already called, I was just waiting.  He was concerned that it was cold.  I said that I went outside so that they could lock the doors.  John said, "That's not right, letting you stand out here in the cold."  They opened the side door and George moved the chair back so that I could sit down.  How totally sweet!  Here's what happened inside the van (ooh, that sounds steamy, but no).

Sher: But then the guy won't see me out there.

John:  You called them, they'll look for you.

Sher:  I don't like to delay you guys from whatever.

George:  We weren't going to do anything but sit in our hotel rooms.

John:  What did you do for your birthday?

Scott:  It's her birthday today?  (Clearly, he didn't hear Geo yelling or singing to me earlier)

John: Yeah.

Scott:  Happy Birthday.  (Perhaps I should have told him that he needs to arrange Stevie Wonder's HB song for Rockapella to sing (to me) someday.  Just for Liz's sake.)

Sher:  I just hung out in my beautiful hotel room.  Oh!  I forgot to take pictures with you and Bananaman!

John: What?

Sher pulls Bananaman out of her purse and hands him to John.  (OK, that looks bad, especially because we were in a van, but I can't think of a better or less funny way to say it).

Geo:  Here we go.

Sher:  This is Bananaman.  He is the birthday mascot.  Isn't he lewd?

John: (laughing) Yes.  He is lewd.

Sher:  I"ll have to take a picture with you on the cruise.

The taxi arrives.

Sher:  Thanks for being such gentlemen and waiting with me."

ALL:  You're welcome.  Bye!  (No, not all at once).

The taxi driver said that I had nice friends.  I sent messages to John and Geo via FB to thank them.  George then thanked me for sharing my special day with them.  SWWWOOOOOOON!!!!!! until I fell asleep.

What a great birthday.

In the morning, I ordered a different breakfast, and got another tulip.  I wanted to take the tulips home, but I knew that they'd just die or get crushed on the way home, so I left them pretty in order that they'd stay like that in my memory.  It was nice to be home and in my bed.  For a day.  :)

Birthday Greetings from Bananaman

Mystery in the Ozarks

I have completed my quest to watch all 10 Best Picture nominees for the Academy Awards by watching "Winter's Bone" on Demand today.

• Jennifer Lawrence was great.  I liked her toughness.  (This seems to be a theme for the actresses that I like this year).  She is going to be an interesting Mystique in "X-Men: First Class".
• Gangs in the Ozarks do not look at all like the gangs over here in So Cal.
• So only females can beat up other females.  Well, that's nice, I guess.  How about just NOT beating them up?  I guess that's not allowed in gangs.  Never mind.
• I kind of want to know if "Teardrop" is that guy's real name.  Like Sodapop.
• That little Ashlee is toooo cute.  I love the way she loves animals.  Except for that dead squirrel.  I think she wanted to be the one to do what her brother did not feel like doing.
• I hope that all service recruiters are as honest as the one that talked to Ree.
• I was worried that they were going to drown Ree in that water.
• More cutting off of limbs, but this was less painful.  Still....eeew.
• I really enjoyed the score, especially the songs that Meredith Sisco performed.
• "I'd be lost without the weight of you two on my back.  I'm not going anywhere."

Well done movie.  I realize that I've watched two movies with drugs as an underlying theme in one week.  That's depressing.  I think that I need to watch some really happy movie soon that has nothing to do with drugs or cutting off of body parts.  That should cheer me up.

Stuck

Yesterday, I went to the theater to see "127 Hours".  

• The story is set in the canyons of Utah, one of my favorite natural places in the world. Bryce Canyon is my particular favorite, because I remember visiting it as a teenager, and our good times there.  It's also just beautifully unique.  The movie wanted me to explore Utah more, but, you know, not by myself.  Gorgeous cinematography.
• James Franco did a great job.  I usually don't care one way or another if he's involved in a project, and then when I see it, he's outstanding.  This was another one of those times.
• Yay, Amber Tamblyn!  Love her, and she was way cute.
• "We squeeze."
• OK, I totally thought that the thunderstorm was for real, even after I realized that his getting loose was a vision.  He woke up, and I was, like, "Oh, he didn't get more water?!"
• "It needs to be chilled.  Like Sauvignon Blanc."
• My favorite part of the recordings he was making has got to be the talk show scene.
• I wasn't really understanding the image with the couch at the time it was happening.  I was thinking, "Are those dead people?"  Then I realized at the end that they were all *waiting* for him to get out of there.  
• The vision of the kid and its effect on Aron just floored me.  
• I was aware of the story beforehand, and was a little bit worried about the arm scene, so I made sure to bring a sweatshirt to cover my face if it got too gross for me.  I ended up watching that whole scene,  through tears, anyway.  I think I cried from the first moment of that scene until the end of the credits.  It totally helped that I knew that it had actually happened to Mr. Ralston.  I mean, the dude BROKE his OWN ARM so he could get through the arm with that dull tool!  Then the soundtrack playing when he tried to cut the nerve?  Oh, geez, I'm going to cry again.

OK, so that was crazy good.  I highly recommend it to just about anyone except those that faint at the sight of fake-blood-that-actually-happened-in-real-life.

One more to go!

Just OK

I wasn't able to catch "The Kids Are All Right" in the theaters, so I watched it on Demand this weekend.

• Ooh, I didn't know that Mia was in this movie!  She's such a great actress, and did a good job here, too.  
• I don't get why so many people think that Mark Ruffalo is sexy, but OK.  I think he's good-looking, but sexy?  Really?  Is it the motorcycle and the leather?
• "Well, HELLO!"
• Way too many gratuitous sex scenes.  I get it: their sex is wild.  I get it: they need to watch gay male porn because the female porn is less authentic.  I get it, OK?  Could you not fill the movie with more, oh, I don't know, something ELSE?  Did we *need* to see all of that? Aside from those of you out there that love Ms. Moore's and Mr. Ruffalo's naked bodies?
• I liked that scene wherein Nic and Paul are singing the Joni Mitchell song.  I'm not familiar with the repertoire, but I liked that.
• A note for those of you that are having affairs:  if your spouse is going to visit the house of your mistress/mister (?), perhaps one of you should thoroughly scour the place for evidence of your getting busy-ness before the spouse arrives.  
• The gardener's grinning was weird.
• I thought that the best part of this movie was Annette Benning's performance.  She had the range of he emotions, but did them subtly.  
• I was ready to turn off the movie if Laser had actually let his friend pee on the dog.
• Let me get this: two gay women who raised their children with their children knowing about the acceptance of homsexuality in the home, were concerned that their son wasn't telling them if he was gay?  Really?

OK, I am clearly not in the league with all of the people that praise this movie to the point of getting it nominated for Best Picture.  Unlike with the other movie that I purchased on Demand a couple of weeks ago, I did not keep this one for the entire rental time, and actually deleted it before the credits were over.

Ring Brothers

I had an hour to go before my next movie, so I went shopping at DSW.  I bought a pair of navy blue shoes, which made me happy,  This should surprise nobody.


The second film in yesterday's double feature was "The Fighter". 

• I was told that this wasn't so much of a boxing movie as it was a movie about family.  I wouldn't have minded watching a boxing movie anyway, since I have liked a few of them, but I wonder now if ANY boxing movie is just a boxing movie.  I think that they're pretty much all about overcoming adversity.  Oh, wait.  That's sports movies.  Well, boxing is a sport, so that works.
• Christian Bale is not handsome as a drug addict.  But he's still got those awesome lips, so I'm good with that.  He did an amazing job here, as usual.  I heart him, Method and all.
• Mark Wahlberg was great in this movie as well.  I don't think that he does the Method thing, so I'm hoping that the little paunch of a stomach they showed in the mirror after he got his cast taken off was not his actual stomach.  Perhaps Marky Mark had an abs double for that scene.
• There were a couple of shots of Wahlberg's profile wherein he really looked a lot like his brother, Donnie.  Like I thought that his profile was actually Donnie's.
• I wasn't supposed to like Melissa Leo's character, right?  Because I really didn't like her.  I wanted to slap the hell out of her.
• The scenes with the sisters made me giggle every time, mostly due to the hair.  OMG, the hair should have been noted as a supporting cast to the supporting cast!  Do they all travel together like that in the one car all of the time?!
• I think that Wahlberg probably felt really comfortable with that huge family.  I believe that he came from a family of 9 himself.  I have no clue about their hair, though.
• So THAT'S what a crack house looks like.
• I loved Amy Adams in this movie.  It's nice to see her play such a strong character, and she does it really well.
• Sugar Ray Leonard!  That's from when I used to watch boxing sometimes.  I kind of remember Eklund's name, but not Ward's.  
• Boxing/Family/Sports movies make me cry.

I was a bit of a wreck after that one, too.  But I bought 2 new pairs of boots at Aerosoles on clearance and was happy again.

Braided

I got off of work early yesterday, so I made a double feature of myself at  the Arclight in Pasadena.  Between and after the films, I got some shoes.  So it was a good day!


The first film for the day was "True Grit".  Ooh, I like the song on the website!  I don't remember it from the film, though.  I also wish I could stop it from playing so that I can listen to other stuff.  I never saw the John Wayne version, but it was on one of the movie channels when I got home.  I decided not to watch the original in the same day.  Perhaps I will at another time, so that I could compare the two.   

• Hailee Steinfeld was absolutely incredible.  I loved her performance, and wished that I could have as much moxie as her character when I was 14.
• "Are we trading again?"
• I did not really remember the trailers for the movie, so I had completely forgotten that Josh Brolin was in it.  When his character appeared on the screen, I still did not know the actor.  I did not know who it was until the credits.  Was it the black hair?  Whatevs.  He will always be a Goonie to me.
• My friends had told me about the credit for "Matt Damon's Abs Double", but I had forgotten about it when I watched the film, so I forgot to look for a scene in which we would spot his abs.  I do not remember one.  APPARENTLY, the abs double is Ethan Coen's son, Buster.
• So in the old days they did not use contractions?
• Jeff Bridges was awesome.  I loved Rooster's relationship with Mattie, and surprised myself at the end when I was weeping at the love that the old codger had developed for his new friend.  I think I wept from the moment that he sucked the venom out of the snake bite until the very end.  I did not expect that to happen to me, despite my notoriety of crying at everything.
• I loved Matt Damon's portrayal as the Texas Ranger, especially his pride in being a ranger.  Now that I think about it, it reminds me of Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear, and the way he announces himself as a Space Ranger.
• I do not like it when horses die.
• Am I the only one that now wants to go skeet shooting with discs of cornbread?
• I totally giggled at the guy with the bear fur.
• "You must pay for everything in this world, one way or another.  There is nothing free except the grace of God."

I really enjoyed this movie.  I think that I want to read the original story by Charles Portis.

Enunciate!

I had some extra free time the other day, so I celebrated by walking to the movie theater and watching "The King's Speech".

• Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth reciting Shakespeare...in a Weinstein film! Those of you that know my favorite movie must know why I grinned widely at those moments.  (Sigh.  I miss Joseph).
• I like seeing HBC as a non-scary person, although I was scared of her when I first saw her, because it's kind of a reflex for me.
• I enjoyed all of the jabs at Australia being a colony of Britain.
• So I'm staring at Guy Pearce, wondering if he's "that Guy guy" that I loved in "L.A. Confidential" and other stuff.  Why did I doubt myself when his cheekbones and jawline are so....HIM?
• Yay, Michael Gambon!  There really should have been some magic in this movie, seeing as he and HBC were in it.  Oh, but then she would have been scary.  Never mind.
• I think it's great that Lionel's last name is "Logue".  What a perfect name for a speech therapist.  To borrow from "Seinfeld"'s Kramer, "That's like an ice cream man named 'Cone'!"
• Through much of the movie, I thought to myself, "I miss London.  I want to live there."  and then Logue was dismissed into the pouring rain, and I stopped thinking that.
• "And up goes Her Royal Highness...and down goes Her Royal Highness."
• "Kinging":  I like that word.  I wish I could say I've been busy "Sherrying".  Wait.  That might sound like I've been drinking.  Oh, OK, I'll take it.
• I love the scene in which Logue encourages Bertie to curse.  This should surprise absolutely nobody.  "F...f...fornication?"
• I also loved the scene wherein Myrtle finds out exactly who her husband's client has been all this time.

Inspiring story, great acting, loved this movie.

Feathered

On Super Bowl Sunday, I went to see "Black Swan".

• I've never actually seen "Swan Lake", but I'm familiar with Tchaikovsky's piece.  Now I want to see the whole ballet.
• I was creeped out by the mother from the first moment she helped take off Nina's earrings.
• I was also kind of creeped out by the excess of pink and cute stuffed toys in Nina's room.  She needs some Gloomy Bear.  Ooh, that would have been cool:  show her room at the end, and maybe there's a Gloomy and a couple of Skelanimals in there.  
•  I had to search imdb.com to find out what movie it was in which I first saw Vincent Cassel:  "Elizabeth".  That's why I already didn't like him, because he was the French jerk in that movie.  
• It took her drunken outburst for me to recognize Winona Ryder.  Is that a good thing?
• Natalie Portman was outstanding in this movie.  The accolades for her are well-deserved.
• Mila Kunis was excellent, too.  Was she trying to sabotage Nina?  And why the heck was she taking off her underwear as soon as she joined Nina in the bathroom?  She didn't even go into the stall.  I thought she really had to go.  What was up with that craziness?
• Was I the only one that saw those wings coming from the first view of her scratched-up shoulder blade?
• I'm glad that I never became a ballet dancer.  I'd be the perfectionist type, and would probably have an eating disorder.
• I'm really glad I saw this movie in the daytime, because I would have been afraid to walk home by myself in the dark, risking a sighting of my evil twin.

Good movie, although I wouldn't recommend it for people who like mainstream movies, due to the psychosexual nature of it.  

Like

All rested from the cruise (yes, I know I have a LOT of writing to do!), this weekend I started my annual quest to watch all of the films nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.  So expect a lot of movie reviews, since I had only seen two of them prior to the nomination announcement.


On Friday/Saturday, I saw "The Social Network" on demand from DirecTV.  I had never gotten around to seeing it in the theater as I had planned, and this was convenient for me.

• LOVED this movie.  Saw it three times, partly because I only had 24 hours to watch it and I was getting my money's worth, but mostly because I really, really liked it.
• I love Aaron Sorkin's machine-gun writing style, so this was right up my alley.  It made me miss The West Wing.  I've realized that I'm a sucker for a well-written screenplay.
• Jesse Eisenberg had quite the amazing dialog to recite.  He did it well, and acted perfectly well as the self-serving Mark Zuckerman.
• I also enjoyed Andrew Garfield's performance as the betrayed Eduardo.  Dude, I was pissed off right along with you, but I wouldn't have done that with the account.
• Ooh, Justin Timberlake, you sleazeball.  OK, the character Sean Parker, not actually you.  You're still awesome.
• I like the very simple piano score, with that underlying techno-sounding background.  Who knew that Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor could be that understated?
• Whoa!  You can download the screenplay on the site?!
• "The internet isn't written in pencil, Mark.  It's written in ink."
• I read a great comment by "buttercup" on the Entertainment Weekly site about what the film meant to the commenter, and I completely agree.  I wish that I was as eloquent as that person.  In essence, the movie is great at showing the irony of Zuckerman's story.  There he is, just wanting to make an emotional connection with a girl, and build up a status in his community, but lashes out at both.  Instead of making that connection for himself, he establishes a company that has prompted millions of people to connect with those they love/like/want to know, just by providing them with the features that he always wanted.  Relationship status?  Likes/dislikes?  Sharing pictures?  Wow.  What an incredible vision the FB folks have.  Yet is the personal connection, the emotion there?  It's what you make of it.
• No, the entire story is not exactly true-to-life, but I like the way that it was written and portrayed in the film.  I'm fine with allowing for Dramatic License.
• And the Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth.  Congratulations, young billionaires.

Don't see this film based on whether or not you like Facebook, because it's not about FB.  See it based on whether or not you'd like to see a well-written, well-acted story about relationships vs. business.  I hope this is shown on HBO soon, so I can catch more of that amazing script.  Oh, wait.  I can just read it online!