Going Legit

Corps at the Crest

Saturday, July 31, 2021

Rose Bowl

Pasadena, CA 

This event started a bit later than previous ones at the Rose Bowl, so we decided to get dinner at Panera near my house.  I told everyone to meet us at my place, but Double N read my email incorrectly and went straight to Panera.  He's usually not late, so I wondered where he was as we sat and waited for him.  Well, perhaps I should also check my phone to se that he was already there!  That's OK, it's close by.  I had this yummy Strawberry and Poppyseed Chicken Salad.  Then I gave a bunch of it to Bro because it had a lot of stuff I couldn't eat.  But I'd still eat it again without all of the acidic stuff.

Bro didn't feel like driving, so I drove us to the Rose Bowl, where I had already been earlier in the day to see Dinosaurs.  We couldn't see them very well from where we lined up to enter the Rose Bowl, but here's one for you guys today, thanks to Linda.

That raptor is the precursor to today's Color Guard.
Who knew?

They parked us on the grass.  I paid to park on grass?  There weren't any official markers to show where I parked my car on the grass, so I made a mental note about the car's juxtaposition a couple of trees, trying to picture what they would look like in the dark.

Oh, cool.  They had much more food available for the event than I had anticipated.  I wasn't hungry but that's good for the people who were.  I got a bottle of water in case I got dehydrated.  By the time we got up to our seats very close to the top of the stairs, I was grateful to have the water but also anxious about drinking it because I didn't want to have to go down the stairs to go to the restroom only to come back up again.  So I told my friends that if I left to go to the restroom, I would sit at one of the seats closer to the bottom.  I never had to do that, but at least we had a plan.  Our seats were part of the Pacific Crest block because I had a couple of free ones to which I had added on.   The location might have been OK if the top gate was open because they had access to other restrooms there, but those steps were no joke. After we caught our breath and I didn't look so tired, we took a selfie.

We made it!

The Star-spangled Banner was performed by the Freelancers Alumni Corps. They then performed some other stuff.

• "Happy Days Are Here Again" sounded much better today.
• I liked the jazzy number more last week than I did today.
• "Sound of Silence": Double N knows this is the Disturbed version because he's a regular at Karaoke night.  It makes me miss the Mandarins.  Yup, that's a Mandarins shirt that Dodie is wearing in the pic above, so just an additional trigger.
• They played Malagonia and Bro told me it was "One More Time Chuck Corea".  Why isn't it "Chick"?  Bro doesn't know. The crowd really liked that one, especially the little kid a few rows down from us.  Bro looked for the piece online and played it for me, and also played "Malaguena" for me.  I texted Rudy about it, and he said that he misses one show and I gotta go and get legit. Bro said, "When I don't come, you guys make up names of songs."  Well, yeah.  Then we noticed that other people were looking up other versions of both songs on their phone. See how helpful it would be if we had a list of songs people play?  They weren't in the digital program, which was the same one from the other shows.  Even announcer Ryan T didn't tell us.  Free us from our ignorance, oh wise Bro!

GOLDEN EMPIRE

• Missing SCVC from hearing music from their "In Pieces" show.
• Missing SCV for that mellophone sustain.
• Vanguard alum a few rows in front of us were gave them a standing ovation.  They probably noticed their shows in the music, too.  Bro and I wondered who is on staff there, reviving some stuff from the Vanguard family.
• I told Bro about the really good rifle guy.  Rifle Guy did NOT let me down!

This picture is blurry when enlarged.
But look!  It's rifle guy mid-toss!

• Drums got to do their battery feature
• Dodie figured out that Edelweiss is actually "New World Symphony".  I informed Rudy. Bro was still trying to understand why we just made up names for stuff.  This is Golden Empire's corps song, so we tried to figure out when we saw them play it.  It was 2014, their first year.

GOLD

• The lights went out as they entered the stadium.  Ryan T said that under the black cloud that usually follws him, this was not his fault.  I mean, they have candles on the tables, they don't need light, right?  The lights turned on as they set up, though. (Is this deja vu for some of you?  That's because I wrote this on the report for the Ontario show because...well, because I'm rusty at this blogging thing!  I'll get it together someday.  But I reserve the right to remember anything I watched where my notes are wonky because I'm inebriated.  I have edited the other report.)
• "Kill the Lights" by the color guard.  We laughed at the irony of the song's title.
• "Night of La Reve"
• Knock, knock!  Aw, I'm missing Spirit of Atlanta.
• I sway my hips when they do.
• "When You Wish Upon A Star": glad Rudy wasn't there to pinch me.
  
  
  

PACIFIC CREST

• Yay! No tarp!  Bro aid it's because the Rose Bowl doesn't allow tarps on their field.  I would like for all stadiums to adopt this rule.
• I need to see "The Rocketeer" again.  I love that music!
• Trombone Choir: they did some kind of fanfare.  Double N said that if Tim would have been there, he would have said something about them not belonging there.  Aw, I miss Tim.
• "Insight" from PC's "Everglow" show
• "Ave Maria by Biebel
  
  
  

We never get to see the view of the Rose Bowl sign at night when we're here because of the location of our parking, but we got to see it on this night.

Also: Honda

We made the long trek down the stairs, and I was able to find the car.  I told Bro that it was by the trees. He saw a lot of trees.  I told him I knew which ones, and I was right!  

Well, that's it for the live drum corps for this year.  Sadness.  

I am looking forward to next year, DCI's 50th. 

Blackbird Fly

 So Cal Arena Showcase

Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Toyota Arena
Ontario, CA

I finagled things at work so that I could work from home this day, because I didn't want to deal with a farther drive to get to Ontario.  I had agreed to meet Rudy at a nearby movie theater because I didn't want him to pay the outrageous parking fee for his car.  Our meeting place was at Ontario Mills, and I went to the AMC.  He had texted me that he parked his car, and I couldn't remember what his car looked like.  So I called him and asked him where he was.  He said that he was parked next to a tree.  OK, Roo, there are many trees here.  Then he said he was going to wait for me at the curb of the theater, but I didn't see him there.  That's when I realized that he was at a different theater.  Duh, Sherry.   So I picked him up, we got gas so I wouldn't have to get it later unaccompanied in the darkness, and drove to the Toyota Arena.  Our parking was very close to the building itself, which was a good thing, because as we walked up to the arena, I saw the sign about clear bags.  I forgot to look for my clear bag earlier in the day, so we walked back to the car for me to get rid of my non-clear bag and just deal with a wallet, my keys, and my notebook/pen.  

The arena was nice and cool, such a respite from the heat outside.  I do miss watching drum corps in an indoor venue.  Our seats were on the right side of center, about 3/4 of the way up the stands.  At first, I wondered why we hadn't seen any drum corps events in this venue before, but when I saw how much space the first corps' pit was occupying, I realized that while the big corps would fit into the space, they wouldn't be able to do drill without marching all over each other.  Rudy and I took advantage of the little postcards they were distributing, and scanned the QR code for the program, which was helpful when I wrote the trip report from the Sunday event.  Alas, they did not list "Malagonia" or "Edelweiss" in any of the listed repertoire.

Tonight's event was MC'd by Dan Delgado of the Dan Delgado Sextet.  Their a combo of Dan on trumpet and lead singer, a saxophone player, an electric bass player, electric guitar player, keyboard player, and a drummer.  Dan said that when COVID happened, they couldn't do anything that had to do with marching anymore or any big ensemble work, so he put together this sextet.  Dan started out his drum corps career at 14 years old, marching in Pacific Crest in 1999 (Dracula!), and has done staff work with different corps.  So he was familiar with what goes on and I really appreciate that.  Also, the group is good!

DD6

Dan Delgado Sextet

I don't know names of songs, so here's what I know about the ones they played.

• "Hi dee hi dee hi dee ho"
• Jump Jivin'
• "I Wanna Be Like You" -- I knew this one immediately when Dan mentioned Louis Prima, because of Disney's "The Jungle Book".  Rudy did not know about this jazz legend contributing to the movie.  I also knew all of the words.
• "Just A Gigolo" -- OK, I know this one, too.  
• Something about "American" -- with dancers!  I think I might know one or two of them from my attending dances at the Pasadena Ballroom Association
• "Sing Sing Sing" -- Hey, I knew 3 of the song names!  Go, me!

Dancers

Golden Empire

• Not-Edelweiss happened.  We still don't know the name of this song.
• The kid in back of us loved the rainbow flags.  I loved to hear him voice his pleasure from his gut.  Kid knows how to use his diaphragm.

GE

DD6 played "Night Train".  I only know it's called that because Dan told us so.

Gold

Dan worked on the visual staff back when they were known as Hawthorne Gold.  He knows everyone!  

• "Blackbird" -- choir corps!  The kid in back of knew all of the words, and the song got in his head, so he sang it at other times during the night. That's some good parenting, teaching kids Beatles music.  :)

  

  Singing in the Dead of Night

  
  
• The front ensemble played a piece.  I think it was called "Etude", but that's way generic, so maybe I'm wrong.
• "Kill the Lights" -- performed by the color guard.  
• The battery played an interlude.
• "Speakeasy" show music.  It was fun to have all 14 of the contras come up to the front at the end of that.
• Gold's corps song, "When You Wish Upon A Star". Rudy pinched me because I didn't know what song they were about to play.  So I pinched him harder.  There was a lot of pain and giggling at the same time.  

Love those shiny gold drums!

DD6 played the theme from "Godfather".  I told you that those tables and candles reminded me of that movie.

Pacific Crest

Dan said that when he marched PC, they had white pants, which were unflattering.  I remember those!

• "The Rocketeer" -- nice guard work!  Did they just lick their symbols?
• PC Trombone Ensemble played "Donna Terra" and "Shenandoah"
• "In The Real World Now" featuring vocalist Ryan
• "Feeling Good" -- love that trumpet solo and big double purple/pink flags
  
  
  
• DD6 played Rihanna's "Umbrella" with the horn line -- they rehearsed that together just before the show started, and they sounded great!
  
  
  
• "Life on Mars"
• "Insight" from their 2019 Everglow show
• "Ave Maria"

I really enjoyed this showcase thing.  It was nice to see the performers do something other than the regular drum corps show, and now I want to book DD6 for an event somewhere.  Not that I have a big party to throw, but that would be fun!

Next Up:  Corps at the Crest

Driving Away

Ohmygosh, you guys.  The ordeal I just went through.  

I had a lovely dinner with my very good friends, food made by a spectacular and wonderfully accommodating chef, on a warm summer night in DTLA.  That's Downtown Los Angeles, to all of y'all country folk.  When I got back to my car in the underground parking lot, I opened the driver's door and in flew a HUGE BUG.  I quietly screamed behind my mask.  

The bug was flying around inside my car and was probably confused and didn't know how to get out.  It might have been a big moth, but I don't think they have those in DTLA.  Big cockroaches, yes.  With wings, though.  Now mind you, I’m not that squeamish about roaches, but I've only seen the ones with wings when I've been in the Philippines.  Or Texas.  I don't like the ones that fly because yikes!  Whatever it was, I wanted it out of my car.  I opened all of the doors to my car, hoping that I could guide it out of there. But I couldn't find it.  

I don’t know if it flew out when I was trying to open the doors but I didn't want to risk it surprising me again, so I closed the doors, turned on the car, and opened all of the windows and the sun roof.  I couldn't wait around to see it because I needed to get home and go to the bathroom, so off I went.

Mind you, this parking area had many, many levels, and as I wound around and around to get to the ground floor, I listened for that bug.  Nothing. When I finally exited the structure, I was aware that I was in DTLA and maybe shouldn't have all of my windows rolled down, but there weren't that many people walking around, so I risked it.  

As I drove on the freeway, air was whipping through the car, and my very long hair was whipping around, too, some getting in front of my face because I didn't stop to tie it back.   I kept trying to get it out of my face without driving recklessly and without letting my mask fall off, because you know what would happen?  That bug would probably surprise me again and I didn't want it to fly into my mouth mid-scream.  You know, because then I really would have caused an accident and I still needed to pee.

 I thought I could hear the bug flapping its wings and trying to fight against the wind.  Going 80 mph, I thought that it had to be taken by the air somehow, right?  No, I'm not crazy enough to think that I was outrunning the bug.  I just thought that the violence of the wind would throw it out of there.  I also don't know if what I heard was the bug or a couple of turtle-killing straws that some fast food person had forced into my hand against my will.  But I heard something back there, and it wasn't the drum corps music on my car stereo.  

When I finally got home, I opened all of the car doors again, but couldn't see the bug.  I forgot to look for the straws.  I just hoped that it didn't get tangled in my hair.  I looked in the mirror, and I looked like Witch Hazel from Looney Tunes.  Like, if I could dash away quickly, bobby pins would drop.  Bobby pins that clearly I wasn't wearing before.  But now I'm dreading that the bug is going to still be in my car when I leave in the morning.  Wish me luck!

The DCI Celebration Begins

 DCI So Cal Classic

Sunday, July 25, 2021

Duarte High School Stadium

Duarte, CA

Drum Corps is back!  Kinda.  Last year's season was entirely canceled due to COVID-19, but this year, many of the corps are back for what they are calling a DCI Celebration Tour.  Since many corps organizations opted out this year, the performances are all exhibition only, with no judges, no competition.  SCV and Blue Devils are among those whom opted out, and since it's still kind of scary out there, we will not be going to Indianapolis this year.  I'm sad about that, but I'm also a little relieved as it would have just been a bit more stressful to deal with whatever protocols are in place (if any) in another state.  So I'm just going to go to the shows that are nearby this year.

First up is so close to me!  I can't believe I've never been to Duarte HS before because I've lived in this area all of my life, but I guess my school isn't in the same league as them.  Anyway, Rudy and Dodie met me at my house so that we could carpool.  We parked behind the school at the senior community center, and I was, like, "Hey, that's where my dad gets lunch for three dollars!"  Rudy figured out the way to walk to the stadium, which is very nicely kept.  It reminded me of the one at Santa Clara, where we would attend SCV Family Day.  Aw, SCV.  I miss you.  I had our tickets on my phone, but we needed wristbands, so we checked in and they had my name listed.  It was like Family Day!  We even got cool wristbands.  I couldn't stay away from the aguas frescas, so I got a large mango drink and some kettlecorn.  I mean, tradition needs to keep going somehow, you know?  We bought 50/50 raffle tickets after I clarified with the guy that I was not getting 5 tickets for $10, and instead was receiving 10 tickets for $5.

Custom wristband!

Seating was general admission, and we sat on the right 30-yard line, about 3/4 of the way up the stands.   It was a warm day, and I'm glad that I had braided my pigtails because more hair on my neck = more heat.  We were separated from people for the most part, so I didn't wear my mask.  Also, I was eating and drinking and writing and entirely too distracted and hot to wear my mask.  I'm just glad that I'm vaccinated.  Do you see that, people?  Get vaccinated!  

Our announcer was none other than the Voice of Southern California, Ryan T.  I said that he didn't have so much gray hair before, and also said that I didn't have so much gray hair before, either.  As he was reading something, he said "u-nyke" and then realized that the word was "unique".  I may be using that in my vocabulary now.  

The Star-spangled Banner was performed by the Freelancers Alumni Corps.  Oh, yay, and there was a flag on the pole!  

Freelancers Alumni Corps

I think they were the special guests of the day.  I don't know because I didn't scan the QR code to get the program; I was too excited about food and drink.  They performed at a standstill.

• "Happy Days Are Here Again" - I liked how I couldn't figure out what they were playing until the main theme.
• I didn't know the name of the next song, but I did see someone's music being blown away by a gust of wind and thought, "I hope they have that memorized!"
• "Sound of Silence" -- Nice baritone solo!  Or is that a euphonium?  I need to learn these things.  You'd think I'd know by now, but I don't.
• Some Spanish jazzy latin song that we really liked.  Rudy suggested that the name of the piece was "Malagonia" because it sounded like "Malaguena", but wasn't.

Golden Empire

Their corps is much smaller this year, marching 16 horns, 12 color guard, 11 pit members, and 21 battery.  So that's 16 total horns and 32 percussion.  WHOA.  Rudy said that they were wearing Vanguard baggy pants, a la Babylon.  

• Nice ballad, especially the baritone solo. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was a baritone.
• Mello sustain!  (They ARE trying to be like SCV!)
• That rifle guy is really good!  I would tell you how many times the rifle rotated during his high throws, but that's too fast for me to count, especially when I'm only thinking about counting it 6 days later.
• Yay, a drum cadence!  I mean, with that big battery, there should be one.
• The horns played something that sounded familiar to us, but Dodie and I know it was not "Edelweiss", as Rudy suggested.  Have I told you that Rudy likes to mess with me?

When I went to the restroom, I felt bad that I forgot to wear my mask while passing by all of the people in my row.  I tried to keep my head down so that I wouldn't breathe in their faces.  A woman in the restroom was frustrated with her kid being all squeamish about a roach in the corner of the stall.  This is a very different scenario than the one that I experienced a week ago.  You'll get a glimpse of it when I finally post the DLR LotD from that adventure.

Gold

Looking snazzy with the shiny gold drums and shiny white and blue uniforms!  Props on the field were tables with candles, and the drum majors were dressed like 1920s gangsters.  I thought that maybe they were doing a "Godfather" show, and I told Dodie about Blue Devils' 2006 show, "Godfather, Part Blue", with their horse head flags.  Then I noticed the big door, and figured that it was probably a speakeasy.  I told Rudy, and he said, "Yeah, they just announced that the show is called 'Speakeasy'."  Oh, I TOLD you!  

• "Proud Mary" was their first song, and I loved it.  Doing that Tina Turner dancing thang, and I immediately missed when we would do that song during Zumba class.
• "This is Dedicated to the One I Love".  Hey, there's choir corps!  I really like those flags with the moon and stars.
• Their last piece during the field show was some jazzy swing number, and it was fun!  One of the CG gals did a cartwheel without using her hands.  I don't know what that's called.  I need to ask the niece.
• "When You Wish Upon A Star" by the horns was very nice, and the main theme kind of snuck up on me.

Pacific Crest

Uh oh.  Tarps.

• Great trumpet solo during "It's a New Dawn".  That whole piece is great.
• Their show has something to do with an experiment.  It might be called "The Experiment" and I wasn't really paying attention because I was concerned about the tarps being on the field.
• "X" on flags.  I like those, and the color guard does good work with them.
• I like their drum major.  She kind of dances at some points, and she has a nice smile.
• They played one of the pieces from last year's "Everglow" show.  That's the one with the music that would get in my head.  I like it.
• They ended their program with their corps song, the Biebel "Ave Maria".

Afterward, we had dinner at Los Gueros, and I told Dodie about the horrifying tarp of Gold's 2015 show "Pop Star", with the Britney Spears music.  I had to whisper, though, because of what I call that thing.

Later that evening, Rudy texted to inform us that they never called the numbers for the 50/50.  HEY!  THAT GUY TOOK MY MONEY!   I don't know who to complain to about that, but I'm pretty sure there wasn't any show left to play by the time we walked out of the stadium.  Hmph.

At least we got to see some live drum corps!  Yay!

Next up:  So Cal Arena Showcase

DLR LotD 07/04/21

Disneyland Resort

Line of the Day

Sunday, July 4, 2021

"So now you're just negating her." -- Cast member, to Sherry, negating Sherry's feelings of happiness to see her favorite "Inside Out" character, at Pixar Pier

DLR LotD 06/25/21

Disneyland Resort

Line of the Day

Friday, June 25, 2021

"My mouth was full and I said it anyway." -- Glenn, at Avengers Campus

The food that was in my mouth
(no, not all at one time)

DLR LotD 06/13/21

Disneyland Resort 

Line of the Day

Sunday, June 13, 2021

"Is there a drop on this ride?" -- The Niece and The Nephew, multiple times, in multiple places

It was one of those
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Days

DLR LotD 06/04/21

Disneyland Resort

Line of the Day

Friday, June 4, 2021

"Why don't you just shut the f*c* up and let them take their pictures?!" -- Linda, kind of under her breath, kind of not, at an impatient woman on Avengers Campus

Pushing our friend into the hole in the floor

DLR LotD 05/31/21

Disneyland Resort

Line of the Day

Monday, May 31, 2021

"I need to take a picture of the top of your head!" -- Sherry, to Ryan B, at Catal

Face.  I should have said "face".

DLR LotD 05/29/21

Disneyland Resort

Line of the Day

Saturday, May 29, 2021

"I'm getting excited about this hypothetical day!" -- Katie, at Earl of Sandwich

DLR LotD 05/23/21

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day

Sunday, May 23, 2021

"Please drag your bodies away from the walls...a little bit." -- CM, to guests, at the socially distant Haunted Mansion

Broke in a new pair of ears today

DLR LotD 05/15/21

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day

Saturday, May 15, 2021

"I haven't been able to touch anybody for a year, so I'm going to touch all of you all day." -- Cindy, to the rest of the Fab Five, in New Orleans Square

Back in Our Happy Place

Globophobia

This happened on last week's episode of "Supergirl", as Brainy discusses the phantom bringing forth everyone's fears.  I've never felt more in sync with Brainy than I do now.

DLR LotD 05/06/21

 Disneyland Resort

Line of the Day

Thursday, May 6, 2021

"Did you ask me if I wanted to adopt you?" -- Sherry, to Valerie, at Catal

Yay!!!!!

Ahi Avocado Toast

Jidori Chicken with Fingerling Potatoes,
Sweet Garlic, Charred Carrots, and Cole Slaw

Brussels Sprouts Leaves

Mac and Cheese

Cornbread Madeleines

DLR LotD 04/30/21

Disneyland Resort

Line of the Day

Friday, April 30, 2021 -- Disneyland Reopening Day

"Welcome back!" -- Various cast members, to guests throughout the Park, all day long

How to Meet and Greet with Mickey

A Change Is Gonna Come

The night before the Oscars, I watched "One Night In Miami" on Amazon Prime.  While it was not nominated for Best Picture, it was nominated for multiple awards, and it had been on my watch list for a while.

• Interesting that these 4 men were friends, and I wish I could have seen an actual account of their meetings, not just this really cool imagining of one night.
• Great performances all around by all four gentlemen.  I wish I could have seen more of their individual lives, too, but then the movie would have been really long. Also, it's called "One Night in Miami After Lots of Other Separate Nights".
• I don't know much about Malcolm X, but Kingsley Ben Adir played him the way I thought that he might have been: strong, quiet until he needed to be heard, and driven.  He wanted the men to be leaders of his cause because of their popularity, and he seemed pretty convincing to me.  I can't believe I still haven't watched the Denzel depiction yet.  Must remedy soon.
• I smiled whenever Eli Goree talked and sounded like the Cassius Clay / Muhammad Ali I grew up watching.  Some people exaggerate the way he spoke, but not Goree.  It was subtle, if you can say that Ali was subtle at anything at all.
• I'm not much of a football fan, so I'm not familiar with Jim Brown.  I sure as heck don't blame him for wanting to act in movies instead of getting more injuries. 
• Leslie Odom is the biggest reason that I wanted to watch the film.  I don't know anything about Sam Cooke's personality, but I liked Odom's portrayal as he felt like he needed to defend the fame he acquired with music that might not have been black enough for his community.
• I'm glad that Odom got to sing a few times!  It would have been a waste of a movie without it, and he sang everything beautifully.
• I don't understand the scene when Cooke sings at the Copacabana.  Wouldn't the audience be there for the biggest act?  Why would they act like they don't know who he is?  Wouldn't he have had top billing?
• I would like to see more of Malcolm X's photographs.
• "Everybody talks about they wantin' a piece of the pie, well I don't. I want the goddamn recipe."

Great movie, should have been nominated for Best Picture.  I'm glad that Odom was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, and I would have been happy for any and all of them had they been nominated, too.

Wonderful, Wonderful Weeds

My last film to watch for Best Picture nominees was "Minari", which I watched on Amazon Prime. 

• "It's not called a penis, it's called a ding dong!"
• Real grandmas bake cookies.
• Anne is such a good big sister.  So much better than I was.
• David is so cute.   I remember watched him get his SAG award and he was adorable when he cried during his acceptance speech because he was so happy. 
• I never thought before about the separating of the female and male chickens, nor of who would have that job.  I also didn't realize that if you dunk the chick's butt in water, you can figure out their sex.  
• As soon as he said the sky was green, I knew it was a tornado.  I don't remember seeing a green sky, though, when I was in Arkansas during a tornado watch.
• Grandma, what does pee taste like?
• "You've never even been to Korea."
• "You're crying again? Because of anchovies?"
• "It's water from the mountains."
• When Grandma was alone and helped out with the trash, I thought of my grandmother, whom broke her hip because she was bringing in the trash barrels.  I miss you, Mama. 

I really enjoyed this film, and watched it again with the Bro's family.  Then Bro immediately went online to find a restaurant nearby for dinner that serves minari.  He was unsuccessful.

Toxic

 Last night, I watched "Promising Young Woman" on Amazon to continue my viewing of the Best Picture nominees for this year's Oscars.

• I was pissed off at the men in the club within the first 5 minutes.  Actually, maybe within 3.  I'm glad the evening turned out to be different from what I was afraid I'd see.
• There were a LOT of hash marks in that notebook!  I guess going out every night for 7 years does that.
• Carey Mulligan is sooo good in this.  Quite deserving of her Oscar nomination.
• Dude, what was up with her parents' house?  The old-fashioned phone made me think I was watching something from the 1950s, but then they were talking about using cell phones, so I knew that was wrong.  Then they showed that fancy living room and I giggled that Cassie still lived there.
• "How many children have you killed?"
• I was kind of upset at Nina's mom.  Why didn't she tell her to get (psychological) help?  Telling someone to just move on is really not that helpful.  I understand she was grieving, too, but, I still didn't like it.
• Loved the scene with Alfred Molina.
• Let me get this straight.  The guys know that women do this fake drunk thing because it happened to their friend, and they still try to take advantage of a drunk woman?  Idiots.
• "Why do you guys have to ruin everything?!"  
• Wait.  Paris Hilton had a song?
• "I'm getting you a bike!"
• OMG, I was sooo upset when I heard her boyfriend's voice on that recording.
• I really liked the scene of her in the dean's office, just chewing on her gum as she talked about the daughter.
• I liked that rendition of "Toxic" while she is approaching the bachelor party.
• I loved the multi-color wig!  If it didn't remind me of her, I'd want one for fun.
• "Can you guess what every woman's worst nightmare is?"
  
• "Enjoy the wedding!"

E.T., Shaun the Sheep Style

Needing some levity after seeing "The Father", I decided to watch "Farmageddon", one of the films nominated for Best Animated Feature.

• I loved all of the little nods to different films and TV shows about aliens, like the theme from "Close Encounters of a Third Kind".
• Sheep eat pizza?  Wouldn't that make their wool really oily?  Or maybe cheesy?
• I want one of those little alien babies!  Or maybe just a replica.  He was just so cute!
• Beings really need to child-proof their spaceships.
• The Hazmats remind me of the guys that respond to a "2319" in Monsters, Inc.
• Heh.  HG Wheels.
• I love that the code to the door is whistling "The X-Files" theme.
• I just learned from imdb that Lu-la's word for Shaun is "tupa", which, in Tagalog, means "sheep"!  Now I want a talking Lu-la saying "tupa".

That was a fun movie.  I wish I could watch "Wolfwalkers", but that's on AppleTV, and I don't have that.

Losing All His Leaves

 Last night, I watched "The Father" on Amazon Prime to continue my Best Picture nomination viewing.

• It did not take a long time for me to be confused.  Maybe 10 minutes.
• It did take me a long time to not be confused.  Maybe a few minutes before the credits began.
• I did realize that we were watching this from his point of view, but I was still confused about the different people with the same / different names.
• It also took me a little bit to get Hannibal Lechter out of my head.  It's not my fault that Anthony Hopkins is so good that he makes his characters unforgettable!
• I still can't figure out who it was that hit him.  Was it Bill?  He never met Paul, right?
• Why would she say that she never said anything about Paris?  This is what confused me the most, I think.
• "They don't even speak English there."
• I was done with the opera music before I got confused.
• I wanted him to be with his mommy, too.  So heartbreaking.

My dad's watching the film in the other room as I write this.  I wonder what kind of questions he'll have for me tomorrow.  I did warn him that I was confused, so at least he was prepared.  I probably won't even be able to answer him!  Oh, well.

Houseless

 The next film on my Oscars watch list was "Nomadland", which I viewed on Hulu.

• The vehicle is named "Vanguard".  You've got my attention.
• "I'm a carnivore."
• The first time I would have needed the bucket would have been the day I'd change my mind about this whole lifestyle.
• That was an interesting conversation with her sister, which made me understand more that this was a choice she made.  Fern had been offered a place to stay at the beginning of the film, but I thought that her pride was holding her back from taking up the offers.  
• "My sailboat is out here in the desert."
• I wanted Fern to end up with Dave, not necessarily in a house, but maybe being nomads together.  But I guess she didn't feel the same way he did about her.
• Really cool that they cast real nomads in the film.  But wait.  Did they think it was a documentary?  I mean, it kind of could be one if not for actors like McDormand and Straithern.
• It would have been nice to see this on the big screen to show off the cinematography.  The landscapes were beautiful.
• See you down the road.

JL: Zack's Way

Back in 2017, I saw "Justice League" twice on opening weekend.  I liked the movie, and when it was announced that director Zack Snyder was going to fulfill his vision of the film with his director's cut, I looked forward to seeing that one, too.  All 4 hours and pennies of it.  I'm glad it was released on HBO Max so that I could pause if needed while I'm at home during the pandemic.  I got myself a blended iced hazelnut coffee from CBTL, and I was ready to go!

Because I was watching from home, and this was a long one, I decided to take notes as I watched, so my points below are in viewing order.  Different points of the film were prefaced by "Part 1..." so I'll include them here, too.  

• The film starts with Superman screaming loud enough for everyone to hear, including underwater in Atlantea.

Part 1: Don't Count On It, Batman

• We see Martha actually selling the farm (kind of a surprise in the cut version).  She and her dog Dusty get into the U-Haul and drive away.  
• "Maybe a man who broods in a cave for a living isn't cut out to be a recruiter, hmmm?" 
• Aw, Lois is wearing the engagement ring Clark was going to give her.
• "WE HAVE NO FEAR!!!" 
• Steppenwolf is much shinier than I remember.

Part 2: The Age of Heroes 

• We actually have a callback to Lex Luthor's warning about barbarians at the gate. 
• Gal looks so awesome in white...also, she doesn't get her clothing smudged at all, even when walking through ancient ruins.  She really is Wonder Woman.
• Ooh...Steppenwolf back story!  Darkseid?  Uh-oh.  I thought Darkseid was the monster in Batman vs. Superman, but I guess not.  Lanterns!

Part 3:  Beloved Mother, Beloved Son

• The closed captioning on my screen said "[imperceptible]" while a dog was barking on screen.  Pretty sure nobody else was talking at the time, but it seemed funny to me that maybe I was going to see a translation of a dog barking, or that most people can usually understand.
• I was wondering what he was going to do with that hot dog.  Fast thinker, that Flash.
• Was that Iris?!?!?!?
• I like the song playing when they meet.
• What happened to his shoes?  Do they always come off when he runs?
• "I start on Monday?"
• Batman: "More or less."  Diana: "More more, or more less?"  Batman: "Probably more less."
• Ah, backstory on Cyborg.  Actually, a lot more on Cyborg throughout, which I enjoyed and now I like him.  I was pretty meh about him with the cut movie.
• I want to ride in that silver Mercedes Batmobile!  I mean, if Bruce drives it, and it has bat wings, isn't it a Batmobile?
• Alfred teaching Diana to make tea!
• A black lasso would be awesome.
• Gotham and Commissioner Gordon!  And now that bat signal appearance makes more sense.

Part 4: Change Machine

• This whole scene of the hostages on Stryker's Island is new.  I remember something about them being in this structure, but I don't remember hostages.  
• "I belong to no one." Yasss, girl.
• "But only a mother box can turn smoke back into a house."  And now Sherry understands how they brought back Superman.  It's a good thing, too, because we are now 2 hours and 15 minutes into the movie and still no Supes.
• Martian Manhunter?!?!?!  YES!!!

Part 5: All the King's Horses

• "She's five thousand years old, Barry.  Every guy's a younger guy."
• Why is there a pregnancy test in Lois' night stand?
• I love how Supes just moves over so Flash runs right past him and crashes into Aquaman.
• I thought Star Labs was in Central City.  So how is it in Metropolis with the Kryptonian ship?  But now I get to see how Lois knew to go to the memorial site.

Part 6: Something Darker

• I take that as a "yes".
• Aww, the voices of his dads!  Not as cool as all of the Jedi voices, but still a nice touch.
• I like Victor's letterman's jacket.
• That was a very different final battle.  Like, no small European town or race between Supes and Flash.

Epilogue

• New suit, Supes?  I like the silver S.
• What is going on with this ending?!?
• OK, so Deathstroke was Robin?  I don't know all of the different Robins.
• Hello, Jared Leto!
• Lois?  What is this news?  ACK! That's why she's the key?
• Nice credit music with piano rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"...then the singing started and I didn't like it anymore.
• That WAS Iris!  It's helpful to read credits, y'all.

I prefer this version over the other cut version.  Everything made a lot more sense to me, including Steppenwolf's motivation to want to kill everyone on Earth.  I'm looking forward to the Flash movie, hoping something from the Barry/Iris meeting is included in it.

Listening to Stillness

The next Oscar-nominated Best Picture film I watched was "Sound of Metal", which I viewed on Amazon Prime. 

• Scary how rapidly the hearing loss progressed.  You know when someone asks which of the 5 senses you would least like to lose?  Hearing is my choice, mostly because I'm a musician and I know I'd get very depressed if I couldn't hear it the same way anymore.
• I wonder if a lot of people that are not familiar with a neighborhood go to a pharmacist for help when they don't know how to get to a doctor.
• I was, like, "Hey, that's Art3mis from 'Ready Player One'!" I almost didn't recognize her when her eyebrows were blonde, though.
• Riz Ahmed is quite deserving of his Best Actor nomination.  I enjoyed seeing his growth as he learned how to communicate with the rest of the people at the facility, and totally understood why he would want to get his surgery anyway.
• Loved seeing them race to complete the alphabet in ASL, as well as seeing him teach them to play the drums.
• When Joe said, "You sound like an addict", that was exactly what I was thinking.  i really liked Paul Raci's portrayal of Joe.
• I really liked the way the audience was allowed to hear the progression of the sound loss, even though it was scary to me.  After he had the implant surgery and started to hear again, I had tears in my eyes.
• I wish more people could enjoy moments of stillness.  Me included, yes, but also most people I know.

Great film.  If it doesn't get an award for sound, then I don't understand that category at all.

One, Two, Eighteen

 I'm watching a lot of sports this weekend, what with the World Figure Skating Championships (Yes, Nathan Chen!!!) and March Madness to view.  It gives me a chance to pay my Disney Emoji Blitz game.  I love the game not only because it's fun and because of all of the cute emojis, but also because I get to watch ads when I'm waiting for my free spin for power ups.  That's right.  I GET to watch ads.  Because lately, I get to watch Rockapella sell Built Bars.  I even click on links so that my phone knows that I want to see more of them.  There are other Built Bars ads, but I don't click on those.  Today, I've probably watched the Rockapella Built Bars ad at least 10 times.  

I don't ever get to watch the full 90-second ad during these times, but at least I can go to the YouTube channel and watch it there.  I'm also posting it here for your viewing pleasure if you haven't seen it yet, and also for posterity.

My boys have done it again with a catchy tune and all of their humor and cuteness.  I miss them sooooo much!  Bonus:  a vocal percussion solo from demi-god JT!

In case you're wondering, I've tried 3 of the flavors:  Caramel Brownie, Salted Caramel, and Peanut Butter.  My favorite is peanut butter.  If you ever get to come into my house again, you'll probably see that I have a sufficient stock of Built Bars.  You're welcome to have some!  I know where I can get more.  :) 

Credit where Credit is Due

 It's Oscar season!  I've already watched a couple of the films nominated for Best Picture, so once the nominations were announced, I had 7 left to watch before the big night.  First to watch: "Mank".

• I like the way they did this in black and white, like it would have been done in the days of "Citizen Kane".
• Victorville sure looked a lot different back then.
• At first, I was a little bit confused about what was going on because of the jumps in the timeline, but I got used to it quickly.  
• I get that he called his wife "Poor Sara", but why did everyone else call her that?
• I've been to Hearst Castle, but I forgot how huge it was.  Seeing people sitting in the dining room made it seem even bigger somehow, because now we can see the comparison of the room to the people in it.  
• Gary Oldman is very much in his element here, and I like it!  He plays the drunk, issues-filled guy well.
• I also liked Amanda Seyfried in her role as Marion, because she was outspoken in a time when it wasn't very much accepted.  She was apologetic about it, which in these days she wouldn't have to be so much.  I especially liked her final line.
• Interesting to see the politics of that day, and the opinions about Hitler on the rise.
• I realized that I don't know my California history well because all I knew was that Upton Sinclair does not become governor, not who actually won the election.
• Who says "give me the gun", and then is OK with walking away with just the bullets?
• "If I go to the electric chair, I'd like him to be sitting in my lap."
• I need to see "Citizen Kane" soon.  I don't think I've seen more than the last scene.

Good movie, wish I had seen it on the big screen to get the full effect.  I know it was made for Netflix, but I still would like to see San Simeon as huge.

Burden of Proof

 I started to watch "The Little Things" on HBO Max one evening, and the opening scene frightened me, so I turned it off in order to watch it in the daytime instead.  So I watched it during the day and it turns out the scene wasn't actually that scary.  Oh, well.

• I like the way era was set by showing the old phones on the desks at the police station, and all of the older model vehicles, instead of hitting you in the face with a "1990!!!".  
• I kept thinking to myself, "This would have been a lot easier if he could just text Denzel's character to warn him that he was leaving" (the stakeout point).
• Jared Leto is very good at being creepy.
• I mean, that whole thing with them kind of playing cat and mouse on the freeway?  That was creepy.
• I much prefer this cop Denzel over "Training Day" cop Denzel.
• Pretty sure I wasn't the only one who wondered why the heck Rami Malek's character had his back to Jared Leto's character while he was digging and his gun was clearly exposed.  Dude, he's too close to you!  (I'm sensitive to personal space anyway, but even more so due to the pandemic.)
• I miss when the freeways had so few cars on them.
• All three of the main actors in this film had great performances, and I wouldn't expect anything less.
• So he just left all of those photos on the wall of his motel room?

I liked the psychological theme of this movie, highlighting how detectives can become obsessed with cases.  And now I'm thinking (SPOILER!!!)..."Oh, they left me unresolved so that I could be like them!"  Ohhhh, I get it now.

What Have You Become?

 I was hearing good things about "Derk DelGaudio's In & Of Itself" from celebrities on Twitter, and Frank Oz and star Derek DelGaudio were on The Late Show talking about with the film's Executive Producer Stephen Colbert.  So I finally watched it on Sunday morning.  I can't write too much about it because I don't want to spoil anything, but I'll try.  This is the link to the original show's website.

• I wish I could have seen this on Broadway, because it must have been so powerful to be in the audience.  I was in tears while watching it from home.
• I also wonder about how the elephant felt.
• Oh, that WAS who I thought I saw in the audience!
• If DelGaudio was merely playing a character and not himself, he is one hell of an actor.
• I probably would have chosen "Unicorn", if it had been available. 
• I don't know how anything was done, and I'm very much OK with that.

Watch it!  It really had quite an impact on me, and it's so much better not to know what's going to happen if you're not familiar with it.

Armor of Gold

 This pandemic has kept us away from doing so many things, and one of those things has been going to a movie theater.  Thank goodness for HBO Max airing "Wonder Woman 1984" so I could at least watch it at home.  It had been postponed multiple times for multiple reasons.  This is one of the films that I really, really wanted to see on a huge screen, going to a theater wearing my WW denim jacket and other symbols of my fandom, so I've been hesitant to write about it.

• Yay!  More footage of young Diana!
• I knew when she took that shortcut that it would turn into a lesson.  I was wondering how they would keep track of the different stages of the race, and I really liked the different poofs of color.
• I think that I had been in Diana's shoes...first of all, I'd fall down but I'd be wearing FABULOUS shoes...I probably would have made the same wish.  They're so happy when they're together!
• I would have liked to see more of Steve freaking out about all of the '80s stuff.  I mean, this was when I was in high school and it was a formative time of my life.  Ah, the crazy 80s.  Diana's hair needed to be taller.  :)
• I loved the dress that she wore to the gala, and that's the Funko Pop version of her that I chose to purchase.
• I was a bit irritated by Kristen Wiig's character.  I'm not familiar with the comic version of Cheetah, so I don't know if she was that obsessed with Diana, and I get that she just wanted to be *like* Diana, but ugh.  I guess I'm over the whole "insecure woman gets revenge on the confident woman" plot.
• Whoa.  She's using lightning to travel through the sky.
• The invisible jet!!!  Love it.
• I was confused by Max Lord's wish: maybe I wasn't focusing on whatever he was saying?  Maybe I kept thinking of Star Wars because it was Pedro Pascal.  I don't know.
• "Does, does everybody parachute now?"
• That final cameo!  YAY!!!

I'm still hoping to see this on the big screen someday.

The Whole World Is Watching

 I've been wanting to watch "The Trial of the Chicago 7" for a while, but finally watched it tonight on Netflix.

• 10 minutes into the movie, I realized I was probably looking at this with a really different than eye if I had watched it before January 6, 2021.
• This judge is a mess!  Frank Langella's performance reminds me of when he played Nixon in "Frost/Nixon".  Ooh, now I want to watch that again.
• Mark Rylance!  Yay!
• I had tears in my eyes when Bobby Seale was restrained and gagged.  I was also pissed.
• Great cast, and none of them disappointed me. 
• I also love the writing, which is not a surprise, given that I'm a fan of Aaron Sorkin and he's the reason I wanted to watch this in the first place.
• "This is the Academy Awards of protests and as far as I'm concerned it's an honor just to be nominated."
• "If you don't win elections, it doesn't matter what's second. And it is astonishing to me that someone still has to explain that to you."
• "In this country, we do it every four years."

So they were charged with crossing state lines with the intent to incite a riot, or conspire to do so.  This is why I would have seen this with a different eye before 1/6/2021;  a different eye, but sadly, not a surprised one.

Great movie.  So now this is on my list of "courtroom drama must-see movies".  Others on that list:  "The Accused", and "A Few Good Men".  

We're Jazzing

 I watched "Soul" via Disney+ on Christmas Day.

• Loved, loved, LOVED the opening logo with the middle school band class rendition of the Disney theme.
• Jon Baptiste's music was as awesome as I expected.  Love that jazz piano that I've become familiar with during his musical stylings on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
• I was kind of irritated by Joe's attitude, and after talking to a teacher about the movie, I think I understand why: I didn't like the fact that he saw his day job as a last resort.
• "Quiet Coyote"?
• I loved that they showed that anyone's souls, not just those of artists, can transcend to The Zone because of something they love to do. (Aw, the poor Knicks!)
• I also didn't like that Dorothea looked down on him being a middle school teacher before she actually heard him play.
• So funny how Joe (as Mr. Mittens) sits on the subway seat.
• I felt like I was left hanging at the end, but I suppose that was intentional.

I watched the movie again as I wrote this, and I liked it more the second time. 

Honor To Us All

When the live action version of Disney's "Mulan" first became available on Disney+, I opted out of purchasing the download, and decided to patiently wait for it to be released to everyone with the subscription.  I watched it during the first week of December.  

• Loved the logo and the accompanying music!
• I knew from the trailers that this film would be very different from the animated one, which I really enjoy.  I'm happy to report that the differences did not take away my enjoyment of this film.
• I did miss Little Brother, though, even though Mulan has a sister in this one.  I guess that's better than a dog that just runs around and messes up stuff.
• Cri-Kee in human form!
• I like that they incorporated some of the music from the animated film into the score, but I did miss hearing Donny Osmond and Lea Salonga singing.  The pop versions played at the end do nothing for me.
• I was wondering how they were going to handle all of the guys in the army sleeping in the same room as her, and thought her solution was perfect!  I would have needed to take a shower every day, though, especially with all of that crazy physical training.  I'm glad they addressed that, too.
• I liked the character of Xiannang, although she puzzled me at first.  
• I had a crush on Honghui, especially when they all took off their shirts.  :)
• I really liked the battle scene when she returns, and I'm glad they still included the avalanche, which, I guess, must have been part of the actual legend.

I think that I enjoyed this film because they didn't try to do the animated one, but with live action / CGI, as they've done with the other remakes.  It was different enough...but I still miss the songs.  :)

Dance With Me

 My sister-in-law was very excited when "The Prom" became available on Netflix.  She had been kind of stalking them once they started filming across the street from their house.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch it until I saw the trailer and the cast, and subsequently watched it during opening weekend.

• Oh, Meryl.  I'm a fan.  Not a scary-stabby fan, though.
• Loved Nicole Kidman's solo performance, although I don't know how anyone could take one look at her and not make her more than a chorus girl.
• I really liked the premise and story of this show.  It speaks to what people are going through when trying to be accepted for being who they are, especially when they live in less diverse communities.
• I thought the songs were fun, and am looking forward to receiving the CD that I ordered.  Yes, I still order CDs.  Don't judge me.
• "We're cultural disrupters."
• I think "promposals" are ridiculous, in real life and on screen.  
• Saw my brother's garage!  Somebody on imdb said that the houses were clearly in California, and not Indiana.  OK, then, smartypants.

I'm looking forward to when this show starts touring, and I hope to see it on stage someday.

Which Way Did He Go?

Bear with me y'all.  I have tons of stuff I haven't written about because I've had a special type of writer's block: the type where I don't know if I should write my thoughts on new movies because then I get all sad that I didn't get to see them in the theater, so I just pretend they didn't happen.  Ah, but it's a new year, and we're still going to be staying home for a while longer, so I'll catch up on some of the ones I can remember that I saw this year from the comfort of my home and not-so-big screen.

First up:  "The Invisible Man"

• I liked the modern method of how he would become invisible.
• I also thought it was interesting how he gaslighted her so that nobody would believe her.
• I've been a fan of Elisabeth Moss since she starred in "Mad Men", and I do like the way she portrayed Cecilia.
• I don't know how anyone lives in that type of house with the minimalist furniture and all of the space.  It seemed so cold and not homey at all.  It reminded me of "Sleeping With The Enemy", and I could tell right away that she wanted to escape, even if they hadn't shown all of the physical signs.
• Whoa.  That dinner scene in the restaurant.  I think I stopped breathing for a few seconds.
• I think I want to read the HG Wells book of the original story.
• I forgot when I sat down to watch this movie that I was supposed to watch it in the daytime, because otherwise I get more scared.  Next time I see it, I'll watch it that way.
• Yes, I think I'll see this one again! 

Or...not see it?  :)