Oh Angel

Blood Money: Random character asks other random character who happens to be a TV star:

So what's with your charachter turning gay? Was it just for ratings because I don't get it?

I love it!

Film Festival

Bryn Mawr Film Festival

Last weekend I volunteered at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute Festival. The Bryn Mawr theater is being renovated back to its full formal glory. They knocked out the first story roof to revive the two story gallery- and found that the glass paneled ceiling had been sealed over! Right now I think it’s a perfect mix of old and new. I don’t think they should completely modernize the theater. Leaving it in sort of a middle state evokes the nostalgia of the old one instead of designing a simulacrum of the old. Now it’s definitely an alternative film venue playing the independent and foreign films (like Volver and Pan’s Labyrinth).

The guest of honor at the BMFI Festival was Robert Osborne. Who? Oh, the Turner Classic Movies host. It was interesting to see people get so excited over a D-list celebrity, but if you consider that it’s his job to chronicle film history, the association with BMFI fits. He brought his huge “75 Years of the Oscar” books and signed them, posed for pictures, gave little speeches, etc. I thought he was actually pretty interesting, especially when he talked about his experience with Lucille Ball and Desilu Studios. He just happened to be working near her, she liked him and hired him. Before he knew it he was eating dinner at her house. She told them weren’t enough people writing about Hollywood and that’s where his strength was. The film festival showed films that Osborne picked including The Maltese Falcon (1941) and The More the Merrier (1943).

The Gala was also an interesting event. It featured two celebrity impersonators, a red carpet, paid paparazzi to photograph the guests, and a photo booth where they photo-shopped your face onto a movie cover. It was supposed to be an event where one could be a celebrity for an evening- at $500 a pop. The website reads:

“Experience Hollywood glamour as you arrive for your walk down the red carpet (a vintage gown or tuxedo is de rigueur) and pose for fans and the paparazzi. Then spend the evening among the “stars” from the golden age of cinema, enjoying food, wine and vodka tasting bars, jazz, dancing, film clips, and cinematic surprises. The highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the 2007 Silver Screen Inspiration Award to our Guest of Honor, Robert Osborne.”

Cinematic surprises? I don’t know about that. But the gala was very snazzy- the raffle featured a Tiffany diamond star necklace- so you can always feel like a star! It was definitely about the dream idea of Hollywood, the romanticized ideal that comes with party themes. But the theater is about that idea of “quality” harkening back the days of palace theaters and fur coats.

The Marilyn Monroe impersonator was just scary. That breathy voice coupled with a fifty year old actress- just didn’t work for me. But I did like the Groucho impersonator. First of all, I love the Marx Brothers. I considered their films to a series of the best comedies EVER. True comedic genius. And this guy knew his stuff. We gave him random quotes and he told us what movies they were from. He carried around a big cigar and had the perfect hunch and walk. My favorite Marx Brothers movies are Duck Soup and Horse Feathers (no, not A Night at the Opera). Besides Pride and Prejudice, those are probably the only movies I can quote from beginning to end. I can also watch them over and over and over again, although distractedly. Why are they so good? First, the Marx Brothers never care about the straight plot. There’s always some couple facing an obstacle, and the details change very little. It’s more of an obligatory nod to the film industry than anything else. Second, they balance slapstick with wit. Harpo does the physical humor and Grouch does the verbal; Chico plays off the two of them. Third, they sing. What happened to the days when comedians sang songs? It’s amazing. I love “Whatever It Is, I’m Against It”- I still randomly burst out with that. So, if any of you are not up on your Marx Bros now is the time! (or maybe after finals).

FYI, there’s a Swat T-shirt that quotes Groucho: Outside of a dog, a book is
man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.

OMG! Little Veronica? Or did Nancy come first?

I'm having a total women studies/film nerd moment. breathe. breathe.

NANCY DREW movie. OMG.

its probably gonna totally suck- ie very teenie bopper, but hello, am I not forever talking about the re-emergence of the heroine mystery girl? i did notice they de-blonded her, so i wonder what else of the original nancy they kept. the trailer seems to include the ditzy jock boyfriend who is always worried for Nancy's safety.

interesting quote- "Nancy's my best man. Well, she would be if she were on the force."- police

OMG!!!!! im reduced to pre-teen exclamations

Veronica: From Buffy to Alias

'Veronica' toys with time warp

March 16, 2007 at 11:02:00 AM

If picked up, Mars might see action at the FBI Academy.

Veronica Mars might be looking at a quick graduation from Hearst College.

The fate of the CW's cult favorite remains uncertain, but if the show returns for a fourth season in the fall, it might find the young sleuth in a different setting.

Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas has come up with an idea to fast-forward a couple of years and have Mars studying at the FBI Academy. (As a freshman at Hearst College, Kristen Bell's title character has been taking criminology classes looking to do an internship at the FBI.)

Thomas is filming a trailer for an alternative fourth season, which will be submitted to the CW. The network's executives ultimately will decide whether to pick up the series for another season and, if they do, whether to stick to the drama's current plot line or go with the new version. If Mars goes to the FBI Academy next season, it will be a third backdrop for the character, who began her PI adventures while in high school.

Riley on House

I love convergence! Who shows up on House but Buffy's ex, Riley, as a soldier with a mysterious condition? The Buffy x-ers are taking over the world muahaha

Buffy Lovers

EEK! Spike and the annoying doctor from Grey's Anatomy? and he was a poet before being a vamp, how cute. :)

her name is Kali Rocha and she's in Grey's as the ultra perky and annoying Dr. Sydney Heron. She's also been in Bones, which is an interesting Joss Whedon line to follow (with David Boreanaz).

Ha ha, from Spike to Angel through one degree. nice.

st. paddys

Rumors that VM wont be cancelled but have a leap forward in time to Veronica as a FBI agent in training. I like it- as long as they dont cancel my show!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY :)

Random thought blobs

While I was watching VM this week (which was a fragmented experience) I saw a CW add. It was mixed clips of VM and Gilmore Girls and at the end it said "Spread the word for your favorite CW shows." I thought this was an interesting way of advertising. The CW seems to capitalize on its niche appeal and the fact that the fans are definintely subcultures spread by mutual fandom and word of mouth. It was also introducing Veronica and the Gilmore Girls (rory and somebody?) as old friends and putting the two shows in dialogue with each other. Very emotional branding.

I also wanted to talk about the game room as a site specific media place. It is interesting to me that the tvs in Swat are in designated lounge-relaxing areas. After, this tv is the "game" room, specifically designated for fun. The tvs in the libraries are in very dark uncomfortable rooms- after all, these are for academics. Last semester someone stole the remote so now the new remote is chained to a desk in the gameroom, which I think is funny and always requires me to manuever my chair over to that spot during my shift. As the gameroom attendent I usually get priority in picking the channel but I can and have been overruled by sporting events. Apparently, there is nothing more culturally sacred than a sports game. But I do try to temper my choices to something that the guys will stand for. I don't dare to do lifetime or soap or even Disney- but I can usually do an eighties movie and Southpark always works.

Lost- did anyone else think the "mark" on Juliet's back was very similar to the creepy plugs in eXistenZ? and the way Jack touched it, uck.