You're gonna be bothered by how cool I am.

For the third time over the last nine years, I made my way west to drink deep the delights of live theater at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. I first attended in 2006, the week of the Lumos HP fan convention in Las Vegas, and saw a serviceable Merry Wives of Windsor, a thoroughly charming H.M.S. Pinafore, an INTERMINABLE Antony and Cleopatra (ugh, they just WOULD NOT DIE), and quite literally the best Hamlet I've ever seen (yes, including Olivier and Branagh). I went again in 2010 and saw a nice adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, a mostly great Much Ado About Nothing, a life-threateningly hilarious The 39 Steps, an excellent Merchant of Venice, and a pretty danged incredible Macbeth.

For a while it looked like I wasn't going to be able to go this year, for reasons I won't go into, but I hadn't counted on angua9 and wahlee_98 being such amazing friends. Once it was clear I was definitely going to be able to go, I started to get crazy prepared. I always *try* to read all the plays we're going to see, but I'd never gotten around to a pre-fest read of any of them until now. I still didn't get to all of them, but I came pretty close and was quite proud of myself. Since one of the plays we were seeing was Henry IV Part 2, and since I'm not confident in my comprehension of the histories, I went a little overboard and read the entire Henriad and watched The Hollow Crown (the BBC four-part miniseries that covers all four plays -- Richard II, both parts of Henry IV and Henry V). Danged if I was going to be lost watching any of these plays!

( Where is the life that late I led? )

On a whim, I decided to check out the Shakespeare in the Park website to see if the titles had been announced for the summer.

They have.

*hyperventilates*

Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater in Much Ado About Nothing.

John Lithgow in King Lear.

BUZZ OFF WINTER, I WANT IT TO BE SUMMER NOW.

Like many, many people who have seen and will be seeing Tom Hooper's ambitious film Les Miserables, I have a long history and context with the musical itself. I don't remember being aware of it until a couple of years after it opened on Broadway. I think my first exposure to it was a show at Opryland called "And the Winner Is," in which five different award shows - the Oscars, the Grammy's, the CMAs, the Dove awards, and the Tony's - were featured by highlighting iconic music rewarded by each of them. My favorite section was, unsurprisingly, the Tony's (much as I love the Oscars, its section in this show was limited to Best Original Song contenders, and that's just not very exciting). The Tony section covered Guys and Dolls, South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof, and probably a couple other musicals I'm forgetting. But it finished with "One Day More" from Les Mis. I vividly remember being blown away by it and having to fight very hard not to cry at a frickin' Opryland stage show.

Not long after that, I got some more exposure to it on a series of winterguard trips, when one of our staffers named Mark used to play the CD for several of us. The only line I could remember at the time was "… and tell Cosette I love her and I'll see her when I waaaaaaake!" which my friend Marea would sing frequently. The following winter I asked for the soundtrack for Christmas. My parents gave me the highlights CD of the Complete Symphonic Recording (which, despite its flaws, is a vast improvement, instrumentally speaking, over the synth-heavy score of the original … but I wouldn't know anything about that until years later). This was the version with Gary Morris as Valjean, and I know it's probably a sacrilege, but I loved Morris's Valjean and Colm Wilkinson took a LOT of getting used to (and it's only been the last year or two that I actually have come to enjoy him in that role).

I saw the show on stage once, when one of the tours came to Nashville. Marea, who I mentioned above, was going with her sister and mom and they had an extra ticket and invited me. I'd heard recordings, but this was the first time I'd seen the entire thing. A few numbers from the musical even made up the closing segment of my church's dinner theater production in 2006 (there was some hasty tweaking to the lyrics of "Master of the House" for the Baptist audience, I can assure you). This musical has been a significant part of my life, and I know there are loads and loads of people who can say the same.

I said all that to say this. Les Miserables, the new movie, is made for us. For you. For anyone who loves the musical. It is not a great film. I wonder very much if I would have been as moved by it if I had had no knowledge of the musical whatsoever (it's possible I would, but it would more likely have been through emotional osmosis of the people around me, not necessarily the film itself). There are many moments that really work (a few of them even crossing over into greatness), and only a couple that made me go "ehhhh." I think the musical really benefits from being opened up cinematically, and it's wonderful to put those numbers on a bigger, more believable Paris set (I thought having Javert sing "Stars" in full view of Notre Dame cathedral was an especially nice touch, for example). I have no doubt this will be a pretty big awards contender, though I do believe it will be strong for sentimental reasons that have little to do with the film itself. That's not really a criticism, but this movie will get far more heart votes than head votes. Nothing wrong with that in the slightest, though.

Some scattered thoughts. ( Needless to say, SPOILERS AHOY: )

David Furr (Orlando), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Celia), and Lily Rabe (Rosalind) in AS YOU LIKE IT

I always look forward to the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park productions, not only because they're outstanding, but because after (almost) four years of living here and going to these plays, certain traditions have emerged and a ritual plays itself out every time I commit to going.

( What case am I in then, that am neither a good epilogue nor cannot insinuate with you in the behalf of a good play! )

Okay, we'll see how far I get with this. I've seen exactly one nominated show, and that's Revival nominee Jesus Christ Superstar.

- LOL "Mormon" opening! Finishing with NPH as a Mormon! Perfect!

- LMAO "Fifty Shades of Gay."

- As someone who spent much of the day with a bunch of Tony-nominated musicals playing in my ear, yes, I do wish life were more like theater. (LOL INTERMISSION) And hee, Jesse Tyler Ferguson understudy!

( Read more... )

I really want to do this before it closes in July.

Sleep No More

I would never have even heard of it if I hadn't randomly watched the "Side-By-Side" interview Susan Blackwell did with Book of Mormon's Andrew Rannells at the "theater" where it takes place. (You Dan fans will no doubt remember the amazing one-on-one she did with Dan Radcliffe where she made him separate her laundry.) I don't normally go in for haunted house type situations ("don't normally go in for" being the nicest way to say it), but this seems like ... an adventure.

If me and my wallet decide to do it, I will certainly report back.

It was always going to be a good day, given that I had a theater ticket for the evening, but a couple of other things happened that kicked it up several notches.

First, there was this thing, on the new Nerdist YouTube channel. The older gentleman in the beginning is Jay Knowles, Harry's dad, and of course the jolly redhead is Harry Knowles himself. And that Kong Bomb? I was sitting like three feet from him when he received that as a gift at BNAT in 2003. From Peter Jackson, who had just shown us Return of the King. :D



This little show is full of all kinds of reasons why I love Knowles and why AICN is still my favorite site for movie news. Despite the tone of the TalkBacks, it's all about the geek joy and not the "fan-trums" (thank you, Drew McWeeny, for coining that useful term).

And THEN. There was THIS news - THE ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE IS COMING TO NYC! And, despite the earlier speculation that they were more likely to settle in Brooklyn somewhere because of the cost of real estate, THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN MANHATTAN! ON THE UPPER WEST SIDE! Just look at this beautiful building!



They're already accepting resumes for management and programmer positions, and even though I have zero qualifications for those jobs, I'm still strongly considering contacting them and saying basically "Look, here's the kind of experience I have. It may not be what you're looking for, but I love movies - of all stripes - and I love your theater and if you need someone to just get coffee and make copies you can count on me."

And then I went to see Jesus Christ Superstar, which was good but felt very much like a festival production that migrated to Broadway, which it was. The understudy for Judas was on tonight and was excellent and reminded me of Andy Serkis which can't be anything but awesome. Jesus was strangely deadpan until his big number, "Gethsemane," which he knocked out of the park. Maybe he was just saving up for that song. "Superstar" was pretty brilliant, and Herod's song was just about the gayest thing I've ever seen. The biggest downside for me was Mary Magdalene, a role which I felt was beefed up much more than I remembered from previous productions I'd seen. It was almost like she was Jesus's girlfriend or something, which was a little off-putting, to be honest. She was just always there, seemingly more prominent than any of the disciples, even Judas (and JCS is supposed to be *HIS* show). And the actress who played her reminded me too much of Claire from Slings and Arrows for me to take her seriously. Every time she was on stage, it was like "I Am Acting!" I'm probably harsher on her than she deserves, but this is a role I've sung in the Theater Of Me since I was a little girl, and I'm quite particular about it. :P

Greatest day in a while, and I can't wait to start stalking the Metro to glimpse the progress on NYC's Drafthouse.

- In exactly four weeks, a revival of my FAVORITE MUSICAL EVER - Jesus Christ Superstar - is starting previews. Most of the cast, and indeed the production itself, seems to have migrated from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival (Canada, not upon Avon). And Andrew Lloyd Weber himself said that this is the best acted production he's seen in the show's 41 year history. I am EXCITE.

- I was beyond delighted to hear that Andrew Rannells, Josh Gad, Nikki James, Rory O'Malley, Michael Potts, and Brian Tyree Henry have all extended their contracts to perform in the Book of Mormon musical through February 2013. I suppose I shall have to see it at least one more time in the next year. I wonder how hard it would be to get tickets for their last night. Considering how hard it is to procure tickets for this show EVERY OTHER NIGHT, I am not optimistic.

- I've been periodically checking the Public Theater website to see when news of this summer's Shakespeare in the Park productions would be announced, and they now have been. They are doing As You Like It, with Rosalind being played by the fabulous Lily Rabe - who many of you may know as Nora from American Horror Story and who shocolate, emmacmf, and tmblue will know as Alan Rickman's lover from Seminar. Their other production, the non-Shakespeare offering, is none other than Into the Woods. I am so seeing both of these this summer. ITW is not my favorite, on the whole (though I do love many pieces of it), but I've never seen it live - only the video recording of the original 1987 production (HOW is this show 25 years old?!).

- In movies made from musical theater news, I am feeling a bit better about the forthcoming Les Miserables movie now that we will be spared Taylor Swift playing Eponine. The role will instead be played by Samantha Barks, who performed in the 25th anniversary whatsit. I, err, hope she can act, but I feel better that her voice will be more of a match for the rest of the cast. Quick rundown on the cast so far - Hugh Jackman as Valjean, Russell Crowe as Javert (I seriously can't picture this, but whatever), Anne Hathaway as Fantine, Aaron Tveit (from Next to Normal and Catch Me If You Can, as well as one-time Fiyero from Wicked) as Enjolras, Eddie Redmayne (My Week With Marilyn) as Marius, Amanda Seyfried as Cosette, and Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as the Thenardier. Colm Wilkinson (Broadway's original Valjean) is also appearing as the Bishop of Digne ("I have bought your soul for God.").

I'm quite fond of doing this each year. Here we go, for 2012.


MOVIES WATCHED

January
1. OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006) [N] *French* (DVD/CP) - Very funny.
2. Gosford Park (2011) [R] (DVD) - This time without the commentary.  Wonderful, as always.
3. Session 9 (2001) [N] (NWI) - Pretty good.
4. War Horse (2011) [N] (AMC25) - Old-school John-Ford-esque sobfest.  BARBWIRE!
5. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2011) [R] (NWI) - So, so funny.
6. Texas Chain Saw Massacre: A Family Portrait (1988) [N] (NWI/CP) - Okay, I guess.
7. MST3K: I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957/1997) [R] (YouTube) - Of London!
8. Porco Rosso (1992) [N] (DVD/CP) - Wonderful.
9. A Separation (2011) [N] (FilmForum) - Fantastic.
10. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) [R] (DVD) - with filmmakers' commentary
11. Joe (1970) [N] (NWI/CP) - Ugly.  Not bad, just nasty.
12. Joyful Noise (2012) [N] (68Bway) - Occasionally horrible, but just as occasionally entertaining.
13. Not Quite Hollywood (2008) [N] (NWI/CP) - Outstanding, though the John Holmes shot will haunt me forever.
14. Machete Maidens Unleashed (2010) [N] (NWI/CP) - Sid Haig and Dick Miller; who could ask for more!
15. Private Parts (1972) [N] (DVD/CP) - Pretty great, bizarre little movie.  Sort of Almodovar-esque.
16. American Grindhouse (2010) [N] (NWI) - Informative, but not as good as the Hartley docs.
17. The Thing (1982) [R] (IFC) - First time seeing it on big screen.  Rock on, MacReady!
18. Beginners (2011) [N] (DVD/CP) - Forgettable, to be honest. Plummer's Oscar buzz is for the wrong reasons.
19. Ridicule (1996) [N] (NWI/CP) - Quite good.
20. The Thing From Another World (1951) [N] (DVD) - Really great.
21. The Grey (2012) [N] (68Bway) - REALLY, REALLY GOOD.  And surprising.
22. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) [R] (DVD/CP-disc1)
23. Rock All Night (1957) [N] (VHS) - LOVED this movie!  Dick Miller, for the win!
24. The Sea Wolf (1941) [N] (VHS) - Very good.  Another Curtiz gem.
25. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) [R] (DVD) - again, with filmmaker commentary
26. My Bloody Valentine (2009) [R] - Good n' bloody.
27. Cigarette Burns (2006) [R] - Can't see this now without thinking of A Serbian Film.
28. Footlight Parade (1933) [R] - Spectacular, as always.

February
29. The Woman in Black (2012) [N] - Better than I was expecting.
30. White Dog (1982) [R] - So sad.
31. To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) [N] - Great, with a side of 1980s hilarity.
32. Chronicle (2012) [N] - Really wonderful.  Found footage done right.
33. May (2002) [R] - I love this movie so much, y'all.
34. Sick Girl (2006) [R] - Ewwwww, bugs!
35. Haute Tension (2003) [R] - Love this, but the knife thing *is* a problem. :P
36. Fiend Without a Face (1958) [R] - The brain things CREEP ME OUT.
37. Cabin in the Sky (1943) [R] - Love this, but it bugs me that Petunia blames herself for Joe's behavior.
38. They Live (1988) [N] - Amazing.  Greatest one-on-one fight scene of all time.
39. Drive (2011) [R] (Blu/CP) - Just so damn cool.
40. Thief (1981) [N] (DVD/CP) - Caan is great, but Prosky steals the show.
41. Bullhead (2011) [N] (AMC25) - Good movie.  Terrible audience.
42. Hell Night (1981) [N] (NWI) - Loved it, but kind of wish Seth had been the survivor.
43. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) [R] (Blu/CP) - Words are inadequate to express my love for this movie.
44. Gone With the Wind (1939) [R] (VHS) - Still amazing.
45. Shakespeare In Love (1998) [R] (DVD) - Still taps into my love of theater and movies.
46. The English Patient (1996) [R] (NWI/CP) - Beautiful.
47. Singin' in the Rain (1952) [R] (VHS) - The perfect movie musical.
48. The Iron Lady (2011) [N] (68Bway) - Great performance, not-so-great movie.

March
49. Wanderlust (2012) [N] (AMC25) - Better than I expected.  Delightful, actually.
50. Dirty Dancing (1987) [R] (Nitehawk) - First time on the big screen.
51. MST3K: The Final Sacrifice 1990/1998) [R] (VHS) - "We will ... we will ... ROWSDOWER!"
52. John Carter (2012) [N] (AMC25) - Really quite good.
53. Point Break (1991) [R] (Nitehawk) - How did Keanu Reeves's character ever get out of the FBI academy?!
54. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) [R] (DVD) - Still probably the best of the trilogy.
55. Les yeux sans visage (Eyes Without a Face) (1960) [N] (DVD/CP) - Excellent, and very creepy.
56. The Manster (1959) [N] (NWI/CP) - I loved this a lot.  Better than your average two-headed monster movie.
57. The War of the Gargantuas (1968) [N] (DVD/CP) - Great monster flick.
58. Basket Case (1982) [N] (NWI/CP) - Wonderful and so gross!  NYC has never looked seedier.
59. Friends With Kids (2012) [N] (68Bway) - Lovely.  So much better than most rom-coms.
60. The Raid: Redemption (2012) [N] (Cinema Village) - OUTSTANDING!
61. Network (1976) [R] (Blu) - Superb, as always.
62. 21 Jump Street (2012) [N] (68Bway) - So hilarious!
63. The Exorcist (1973) [R] (Nitehawk) - Great preshow, great movie, terrible audience.  And terrible dinner.
64. Night Warning (1982) [R] (VHS) - Still love this movie SO MUCH.
65. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966) [R] (DVD/CP) - Probably the best spaghetti western ever.
66. Django (1966) [N] (DVD/CP) - Entertaining, but a bit ridiculous.
67. Lady Vengeance (2006) [R] (DVD) - My fave of the Vengeance Trilogy.
68. The Hunger Games (2012) [N] (68Bway) - I liked it, despite a few scattered grumbles.
69. Road House (1989) [R] (Nitehawk) - Gosh, I love this movie.  It's so ridiculouse, and I LOVE IT.
70. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) [R] (DVD) - Hot cocoa for the soul, this movie.
71. My Sister Eileen (1955) [N] (NWI/CP) - Utterly delightful!  I love you, Bob Fosse!
72. Battle Royale (2001) [R] (iTunes) - Wonderful and operatic.
73. Laura (1944) [N] (DVD/CP) - Can't believe I'd never seen this before.
74. Kiss Me Deadly (1955) [R] (BR/CP) - Love this movie so hard!

April
75. Mirror Mirror (2012) [N] (AMC25) - Really much better than it looks from the ads.  SEAN BEAN LIVES!
76. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2011) [R] (DVD) - Still in love with this movie.
77. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) [R] (DVD/CP) - Liveblog for Mark Watches
78. The Hunger Games (2012) [R] (Nitehawk) - Still liked it a lot, but don't *love* it.
79. Titanic (1997) [R, lol) (AMC34th, 3D) - Flawless in spite of its huge flaws.
80. Ringu (1998) [N] (DVD) - Less gimmicky scares than remake; I actually liked it more.
81. Ju-On (2002) [N] (DVD) - Gah, dozed off a bit, but loved what I saw.
82. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers [R] (DVD/CP) - "Don't tell the elf."
83. Megaforce (1982) [N] (VHS/CP) - So wonderfully cheesy it almost hurts to watch.
84. The Evil Dead (1983) [R] (NWI/CP) - Still freakin' scary.
85. Friday the 13th (1980) [R] (NWI/CP) - Poor Annie.
86. The Cabin in the Woods (2012) [N] (AMCKipps) - SO FANTASTIC!
87. The Cabin in the Woods (2012) [N] (AMC25) - EVEN FANTASTIC-ER WITH A BIG AUDIENCE
88. Sleepaway Camp (1983) [R] (Nitehawk) - Heeeey-bob-a-ree-bob!
89. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) [R] (DVD/CP) - Also known as Tear Duct Emptier.
90. The Fury (1978) [N] (NWI/CP) - Holy wow, exploding Cassavetes!
91. Get the Gringo (2012) [N] (RegalUnSq) - Mel Gibson back in form.  Very Peckinpah-esque.
92. Rear Window (1954) [R] (IFC) - So many details you notice seeing it on a bigger screen.
93. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) [R] (BR/CP) - I love benign alien stories, and this is probably the best.
94. Search and Destroy (1979) [N] (DVD/CP) - Perry King kickin' ass and takin' names!
95. The Glove (1979) [N] (DVD/CP) - Needs less voice-over and more beatings, but still enjoyable.
96. Pirates! The Band of Misfits (2012) [N] (AMCMagic) - HAM NIGHT!
97. The Cabin in the Woods (2012) [R] (AMC25) - This is a steaming bowl of Delight Soup.
98. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1973) [R] (Nitehawk) - Fun to watch people watching this for the first time.
99. Damsels in Distress (2012) [N] (Landmark) - Lovely, witty, charming, and everything I expect from a Stillman film.
100. Iron Man (2008) [R] (BR/CP) - Downey, Jr. in his element.
101. The Incredible Hulk (2008) [N] (DVD/CP) - I liked this more, though only a bit more, than the Ang Lee version.
102. Iron Man 2 (2011) [R] (NWI/CP) - Such a mess, but with some fun bits.

May
103. Thor (2011) [R] (DVD/CP) - Very Shakespearean. ;-)
104. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) [R] (DVD/CP) - Very enjoyable and nostalgic, a la <i>Rocketeer</i>.
105. The Avengers (2012) [N] (AMC25) - *EXPLODES IN HAPPY FANGEEKY FIREWORKS*
106. Dear Zachary (2008) [N] (DVD/CP) - There are no words to express my rage.
107. Vice Squad (1982) [N] (DVD/CP) - OMG so sleazy!  *loves* Screening must be followed by shower and delousing.
108. The Avengers (2012) [R] (AMC25) - Still awesome.
109. Dark Shadows (2012) [N] (AMC34th) - Very silly.  Depp is what makes it work.
110. Conan the Barbarian (1982) [N] (DVD/CP) - I can see why this was very popular with young males. :-)
111. Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009) [N] (DVD/CP) - I miss Howard Ashman.
112. Mad Max (1979) [N] (DVD) - Some hysterically bad music cues, but I can see why it was a seminal flick.
113. Horror of Dracula (1958) [R] (DVD) - I'd forgotten how confusingly different this was from Stoker's novel.
114. The Vampire Lovers (1970) [R] (DVD) - Lovely.  And hilariously lesbish.
115. The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974) [N] (DVD) - Kind of bad, but still quite fun.
116. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1982) [N] (DVD) - Awesome.
117. Nightmares in Red, White, and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film (2009) [N] (NWI) - Pretty good.
118. The Rock-afire Explosion (2008) [N] (NWI) - Strangely depressing.
119. MST3K: Agent for H.A.R.M. (1966/1997) [R] (YT) - "Dad, there's a man giving the squish-squash to the old wind tube!"
120. Mongol (2007) [R] (DVD) - So, so good.  The softer side of Genghis Khan.
121. Rocky (1976) [R] (NWI) - Liked it better than when I first saw it.  Still a product of it's time, though.
122. Rocky II (1979) [N] (NWI) - A worthy follow-up.
123. Rocky III (1982) [N] (NWI) - Quite entertaining, but pushes the nostalgia buttons for the franchise WAY too hard.

June
124. Masters of Horror (2002) [N] (YT) - These docs are all quite similar, but I can't stop watching them!
125. Annie (1982) [R] (NWI/CP) - This hasn't aged well.  But I can still sing all the songs!
126. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) [N] (DVD/CP) - More like Long Establishing Shots: The Motion Picture, amirite?
127. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) [N] (DVD/CP) - Words cannot express the awesome.
128. Poltergeist (1982) [N] (DVD/CP) - One more missing puzzle piece from my childhood.  So good!
129. Prometheus (2012) [N] (Linc.Sq.) - Very enjoyable, but loads of issues.
130. E.T. (1982) [R] (DVD/CP) - Oh, my heart!
131. The Black Cauldron (1985) [N] (DVD/CP) - Great animation, but the story left a bit to be desired.
132. Point Blank (1967) [N] (DVD/CP) - How badass is Lee Marvin?!
133. Rock of Ages (2012) [N] (Linc.Sq.) - Silly and fun.
134. Grease 2 (1982) [R] (NWI/CP) - So much cheese, but I still like this story better than the first movie.
135. Turkey Shoot (1982) [N] (DVD/CP) - Pretty awesome, for what it is.
136. Brave (2012) [N] (Linc.Sq.) - Despite that it's a departure for Pixar, I really loved this, especially the music.
137. Warriors of the Wasteland (Rifftrax) (1983) [N] (Meetup) - LOL SO BAD.
138. The Thing (1982) [R] (DVD/CP) - Poor doggies.
139. Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) [N] (Linc.Plaza) - Beautiful, unique, and moving (though I love it less than most, it seems).
140. Night of the Living Dead (1968) [R] (Con.Is.) - Still amazing how great this is.

July
141. The Secret of NIMH (1982) [N] (NWI/CP) - Beautiful animation, great story.
142. Destination Mars! (2006) [N] (DVD/CP) - Bad, but pretty hilarious.
143. Le salaire de la peur (The Wages of Fear) (1953) [N] *French* (DVD/CP) - Wow.  Very intense, especially for its time.
144. Magic Mike (2012) [N] (AMC25) - Much better than expected.  McConaughey dipping into self parody.
145. Jaws (1975) [R] (NWI) - I love Roy Scheider yelling "BLOW UP!" at the tank, like it's just going to obey.
146. Savages (2012) [N] (AMC34th) - Return to form for Oliver Stone, yummy Aaron Johnson, and surprising depth from Blake Lively.
147. Drive Angry (2010) [R] (DVD/CP) - Damn, I love this movie!
148. Galaxy Quest (1999) [R] (DVD/CP) - The perfect geek film.  Makes me so proud to be one.
149. A Face in the Crowd (1957) [R] (DVD/CP) - A little scary sometimes.  Brilliant ... but scary.
150. Maniac! (1980) [R] (NWI) - "Polly want a cracker?" LMAO
151. MST3K: Giant Gila Monster (1959/1992) [N] (YouTube) - Wow, horrible.
152. Friday the 13th (1980) [R] (NWI) - Classic.  
153. Friday the 13th, Part 2 (1981) [R] (NWI) - Love this almost as much as the original.  AMY STEEL ROCKS!
154. Friday the 13th, Part 3 (1982) [N] (NWI) - Eh.  Worth watching for the origin of the hockey mask, but otherwise eh.
155. Forbidden Planet (1956) [R] (Nitehawk) - Lovely, lovely, lovely.
156. Batman Begins (2005) [R] (Amazon VOD) - Forgot how excellent this is.
157. The Dark Knight (2008) [R] (Amazon VOD) - Yeah, good, whatever.  Still don't see the big whoop. :P
158. Pink Floyd - The Wall (1982) [N] (DVD/CP) - Trippy.  Great music (obviously).
159. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) [N] (Linc.Sq.) - Loved it.  Favorite of the three.
160. Back to the Future (1985) [R] (IFC) - Hilarious how the newfangled 1980s stuff is old now.
161. Planet of the Vampires (1965) [N] (NWI/CP) - Amazing.
162. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) [R] (DVD/CP) - Tom Atkins, you are my hero.
163. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) [R] (Linc.Sq.IMAX) - Even wonderful-er in IMAX.
164. Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey (2011) [N] (NWI) - Oh, my heart.
165. Creepshow (1982) [R] (DVD/CP) - Adrienne Barbeau, you complete me!

August
166. [Rifftrax] The Brainiac (1962) [N] (VOD/Meetup) - So hilariously bad.
167. Killer Joe (2012) [N] (Linc.Sq.) - Brilliant (esp. McConaughey), but I will never look at fried chicken the same way again.
168. [MST3K] Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) [R] (YT) - "Full contact nightgown wrestling!"
169. [Rifftrax] Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966/1993) [R] (Regal14) - Some awkward moments, but mostly great.
170. Class of 1984 (1982) [N] (DVD) - Pretty great, with a hilarious justice-evading ending.
171. Dreamscape (1984) [N] (NWI) - Pretty cool.
172. The Pirate Movie (1982) [R] (DVD/CP) - So bad, but who cares when you've got Chris Atkins in a loincloth.
173. ParaNorman (2012) [N] (Linc.Sq.) - So, so good!
174. The Fog (1980) [R] (NWI) - Awesome, as always.
175. Planet Terror (2007) [R] (DVD) - Michael Parks, be my spirit animal!
176. Death Proof (2007) [R] (DVD/CP) - "Aww, I like Pretty In Pink."
177. Goodbye Uncle Tom (1971) [R] (DVD/CP) - Oh, dear God.  This movie really does exist.
178. Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens (1979) [N] - Holy wow, was I ever not prepared for this movie.
179. Lawless (2012) [N] (Linc.Sq.) - Good, but not quite as good as I was hoping.

September
180. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) [R] (DVD/CP) - I only just now noticed the smelling of the mimeographed paper.
181. Night Warning (1982) [R] (VHS/CP) - THIS MOVIE OWNS ME.
182. Diner (1982) [R] (DVD/CP) - So brilliant.
183. Q: The Winged Serpent (1982) [N] (DVD/CP) - Pretty cracktastic.  Michael Moriarty is a gem.
???. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) [R] (AMC25) - Amazing, as always.
???. Finding Nemo 3D (2002) [R] (AMC25) - Beautiful.
???. The Master (2012) [N] (CCVillageE) - Incredible.
???. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) [R] (CP) - Lovely.
???. Layer Cake (2005) [R] (DVD) - Brilliant and badass.
???. Clue: The Movie (1985) [R] (NWI/TV) - Flames ... flames on the side of my face...
???. The Game (1997) [R] (NWI/TV) - Hadn't seen this since it first came out, I think.
???. The Lovely Bones (2009) [R] (DVD) - Oh, so heartbreaking.
???. The Red Shoes (1948) [R] (DVD/CP) - Gorgeous.
???. Shutter Island (2010) [R] (DVD/CP) - Great.
???. Carrie (1976) [R] (Nitehawk) - Wonderful.
???. The Avengers (2012) [R] (Blu/CP) - Awesome.
???. Le Samourai (1967) [R] (DVD/CP) - Mmmm, Alain Delon.
???. Hugo (2011) [R] (DVD/CP) - Half of a great movie.
???. Dredd 3D (2012) [N] (AMC25) - Unexpectedly AMAZING.
???. End of Watch (2012) [N] (AMC25) - Quite good.
???. Looper (2012) [N] (68Bway) - Great, but a tad overhyped.
???. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) [R] (iTunes) - Phenomenal.
[possibly more, unsure of order after Q - lost rest of month]

October
202. Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed (2004) [R] (DVD) - Believe it or not, really good.
203. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) [R] (DVD) - Classic.
204. Pitch Perfect (2012) [N] (Opry Mills) - Loved it.
205. Argo (2012) [N] (68Bway) - Very clever and entertaining.
206. Sinister (2012) [N] (68Bway) - Very effectively scary, but I guessed the twist. :D
207. Blue Sunshine (1978) [N] (NWI) - BNAT homework.  Holy crap.  PUPPETS.
208. The African Queen (1951) [mostly N] (NWI) - Practically perfect.
209. The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) [N] (DVD) - Disturbing, but not as scary as I thought it would be.
210. Holy Motors (2012) [N] (LincCent) - Trippy and fantastic.
211. Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010) [N] (NWI) - Very 80s, very cool.
212. The Keep (1983) [N] (NWI/TV) - Very entertaining.
213. Cloud Atlas (2012) [N] (AMC25) - Superb.
214. Alice, Sweet Alice (1976) [N] (YT) - Chilling.
215. Trauma (1993) [N] (DVD) - Lovely and atmospheric, if a bit nonsensical.
216. MST3K: Riding With Death (1976/1997) [R] (YT) - SOOKIE!
217. Jaws (1975) [R] (Blu/CP) - Beautiful print!
218. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) [N] (DVD/CP) - Classic and slightly political.
219. Mad Monster Party (1967) [N] (NWI/TV) - Fabulously awesome, especially the Shirley Bassey theme song.

November
220. Frankenhooker
221. Xanadu
222. Super Fly
223. Wreck-It Ralph
224. MST3K: The Castle of Fu Manchu
225. The Sessions
226. Flight
227. 1776
228. MST3K: Agent for H.A.R.M
229. Skyfall
230. MST3K: Soultaker
231. Miami Connection
232. Silver Linings Playbook
233. Mea Maxima Culpa
234. Starter for 10
235. Life of Pi
236. House on the Edge of the Park
237. Hitchcock
238. Sting of the Dragon Masters
239. My Young Auntie
240. Black Christmas
241. North By Northwest
242. Psycho
243. Rise of the Guardians
244. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
245. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
236. Chocolate
237. Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion
238. And Now the Screaming Starts
239. Female Prisoner 701: Jailhouse 41

December
240. Female Prisoner 701: Beast Stable
241. Silent Night, Deadly Night
242. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
243. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
244. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
245. Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation
246. Lifeforce
247. Road House (1948)
248. The Toy Box (1971)
249. Cat Dancers
250. Juan of the Dead
251. Lincoln (2012)
252, Girl on a Motorcycle (1968)
253. Freaks
254. The Avengers
255. Midsummer Night's Dream
256. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
257. Kill Bill, Vol. 1
258. Kill Bill, Vol. 2
259. Teen Wolf
260. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (HFR) (2012)
261. Annie Get Your Gun
262. Zero Dark Thirty
263. Broadway Melody of 1940
264. Road House
265. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
266. Les Miserables (2012)
267. Django Unchained (2012)
268. Trailer War (2012)


TELEVISION SEEN (on DVD/iTunes/Online)

January
The Wire, Season 1 [R] - Stupendous.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 2 [R] - Awesome.

February
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 3 [R] - My favorite!  Helpless!  The Zeppo!  The Mayor!
Downton Abbey, Season 2 [N] - Wonderful!  (I still like Season 1 more.)
Slings & Arrows, Season 1 (partial) [N] - Wonderful!

March
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 4 [mostly N] - A few missteps, but mostly spectacular.
Mad Men, Season 1 [N] - Wonderful, but often uncomfortably real.  Pete Campbell, I hate you. :P

April
Angel, Season 1 [N] - Good, but doesn't really hit stride until last few episodes.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 5 [mostly R] - Incredible, probably best season, but hard to watch.

May
Angel, Season 2 [N] - Very good.

June
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 6 [R] - Mostly great and mostly brilliant.  All depressing.

July
Angel, Season 3
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 7

August
Angel, Season 4
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 1
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 2
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 3
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 4
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 5
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 6
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 7

September
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 7 

October
Angel, Season 5

November
Dollhouse, Season 1

December
Dollhouse, Season 2
The West Wing, Season 1



THEATER SEEN

April
Jesus Christ Superstar - Had some issues, but overall very good.  Especially "Superstar" and "Gethsemane."

June
Harvey - Lovely.  Jim Parsons was delightful.

December
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf - Magnificent.

For me, at least. Two shows in a week is a lot for me, since tickets cost so much. But with the lack of good news from Austin this week, it's been great to spend so much time with friends doing something that gives me some joy.

First up was Book of Mormon (yes, AGAIN) with shocolate and emmacmcf on Wednesday night. This was my first time seeing it with anyone, and it was SO much fun. I was worried they wouldn't like it, but we all had a wonderful time and were humming and quoting from it ("I can't believe Jesus called me a diiiiiiick!" - still my fave) the rest of the evening, until I had to go to work, of course. :P The regular Elder McKinley, Rory O'Malley, was on vacation, so he was replaced by my favorite of the "minor Elders" - Scott Barnhardt, who usually plays "Elder Pop Tart" and the one whose "sister was a dancer, but she got cancer." He was really great as McKinley, and I was so proud of him (she says, as if she's ever met him in her life)! They were doing Broadway Cares fundraising again. BoM weren't doing auctions, but they were selling posters signed by the cast. When someone balked at the $250 price tag, my gay-fake-Mormon-Broadway-boyfriend Andrew Rannells (who was doing the talking) said "Don't laugh! It's for f***ing CHARITY!" Despite missing Rory, I still thought this was the best performance I'd seen of the show. There's just such an amazing energy and chemistry, particularly between Rannells and Gad. Speaking of which, I just had to share this backstage shot of the two of them. Not sure what the robes are about, unless they've just come from "getting rubbed" by the show's designated physical therapist.


*sigh* My boys.

Then Thursday night, the three of us plus tmblue went to see a new play with Alan Rickman called Seminar, which was WONDERFUL. It's about a small group of aspiring writers who meet at someone's apartment for a ten-week seminar led by a famous former writer (Rickman). Lily Rabe (who was a PHENOMENAL Portia in Merchant of Venice for Shakespeare in the Park and the later Broadway run, both with Al Pacino as Shylock) is a neurotic feminist who is "obsessed with Jane Austen" and whose writing the instructor hates so much he uses it as a story for pretty much everyone he meets. Some actress whose name I don't recall is kind of the only weak spot in the play, as she is stuck playing the fairly stereotypical "bimbo" whose only purpose seems to be for everyone to either sleep with her or try to sleep with her. Jerry O'Connell plays a "not untalented" writer who writes what is essentially crap that will nevertheless make him loads of money in a place like Hollywood - oh, and he is completely full of himself, has some impressive connections, and is one of those people whose conversation makes you want to punch them in the head. Hamish Linklater (who was Bassanio to Rabe's Portia in Merchant and also starred in Miranda July's The Future earlier this year) is kind of the heart of the piece, and I won't explain any more than that, because it's kind of the crux of the play. Rickman, predictably, is amazing. Still the master of line phrasing and pauses. His character is a jerk (though not an unentertaining one) for most of the play, but in the last act he shows unsuspected depth, as Macaulay Connor would say.

Great week of theater and hanging out. The rest of the month is going to suck, especially as I won't have That Thing to count down to in early December. *sadface forever*