Hey everyone,
Has anyone seen Battleship? It's pretty great. Personally, I'm a Marines girl, but the movie makes the Navy look awesome. The main character, a slacker named Alex Hopper, is played by Taylor Kitsch. He's a relatively new actor to me; I haven't heard of him before. I saw him in the movie John Carter, but besides that he's a stranger to me. He's a Canadian actor, and he's well matched with the actor who plays his brother, Stone Hopper. His name is Alexander Skarsgård, and he's a Swedish actor known for starring in True Blood and Zoolander. They make an excellent pair, though I wish there was more Skarsgård in the movie. The movie is good, with just enough humor to counteract the drama of aliens attacking the world. Frankly, it reminds me of 2011's Battle: Los Angeles with Aaron Eckhart, but with the Navy instead. The movie overall has good actors and a solid plot-line, but its effect was diminished by coming out at the same time as The Avengers. I saw it on a Friday night, and it really excited me. I wanted to bring my little sister to it the next day, but my mom wouldn't let me, so we went to The Avengers, and were simply blown away. It's hard to remember a good movie in the shadow of a great one. I give Battleship a B+, so if you have free time and 7 bucks cash, I'd check this movie out. It's worth it.
-Kaetie Mulhern
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Marvel's The Avengers
Hey everyone,
I've seen the Avengers 5 times already. I cannot get over how awesome it is. Let me start out by tipping my hat to Chris Evans, the man who plays America's first superhero, Captain America. Created in March 1941, Captain America appeared in comic books months before Stan Lee began his career in Marvel. Captain America originally fought Nazis, if you didn't know. He gave America hope when we were at war. He made us confident again, and gave the populace the belief that good triumphs over evil. He disappeared for a time, but regained popularity during the Cold War, when he fought Communists. The 2011 movie, Captain America, is just the next step in his saga, regaining popularity once more. And let me say, Chris Evans is exactly the actor for the job. Everything about him looks all-American. He's red, white and blue apple pie, people. He's strikingly handsome, but not intimidating like a lot of actors. He looks like if you walked up to him and said hello, he'd talk to you. Now, Captain America leads the crew of Avengers, but he isn't the only one. Another Chris, Chris Hemsworth plays Thor. I'm sure you've all seen the movie Thor, but don't ruin it for me, because I haven't gotten around to seeing anything but the commercials. He's tall, he's Australian, and he's the only one hunky enough to fight the Hulk. I'm definitely a fan. Everyone's seen Iron Man and Iron Man 2, right? Nobody misses a Robert Downey Jr. movie. He is one of the most talented actors in America right now. From Due Date to the Sherlock Holmes movies to the Iron Man movies, he just won't quit. And while we're on the subject, his comeback is one of the most inspiring out there. You know he was this druggie actor that no one would touch, right? He couldn't get a single movie. But he got clean, he straightened out his act, and now he's top of the world. He's the poster boy for turn-arounds. He's proof you can do it. In the Avengers, he's funny, smart-ass, attractive, and a good contrast to the straight-forward Captain America and the frankly socially awkward Thor. I love him. To be honest, I haven't seen the Incredible Hulk. I didn't intend to. Everyone knows his story, it's been re-told so many times you'd have to live under a rock not to know it. But I have one thing to say about the Hulk. Those of you who can remember VeggieTales will understand. Everybody's got a Mark Ruffalo, yours is fast and mine is the Hulk. Mark Ruffalo is sweet, quiet and intelligent. It makes it all that more intense when he changes into the raging Hulk. I liked him a lot, but way more after seeing it the second time. Black Widow's friend, the archer, named Hawkeye is just talented enough to make you wonder if he's a lost Avenger that no one cares about. And as for Black Widow, I'm not impressed. Marvel having to pull in Scarlett Johansson to play the only female Avenger is not a choice I admire. She's attractive, but compared to her male counterparts, she winds up annoying and almost shrew-like. All in all, I loved the movie. In fact, I'm going to see it again this week. I can't get enough. I will say this, though. I would implore you to see Iron Man 2 and Captain America, at least, before seeing the Avengers. It makes wayyy more sense that way. If you have time, rent Thor. It'll be worth it, and all the back-story won't seem so confusing. Anyway, go out today and find a movie theater! It's definitely a movie to see, and if you like Chris Hemsworth enough, catch Snow White and the Huntsman while you're there. His talent might just deflect enough of the Kristen Stewart to make it watchable.
-Kaetie Mulhern
I've seen the Avengers 5 times already. I cannot get over how awesome it is. Let me start out by tipping my hat to Chris Evans, the man who plays America's first superhero, Captain America. Created in March 1941, Captain America appeared in comic books months before Stan Lee began his career in Marvel. Captain America originally fought Nazis, if you didn't know. He gave America hope when we were at war. He made us confident again, and gave the populace the belief that good triumphs over evil. He disappeared for a time, but regained popularity during the Cold War, when he fought Communists. The 2011 movie, Captain America, is just the next step in his saga, regaining popularity once more. And let me say, Chris Evans is exactly the actor for the job. Everything about him looks all-American. He's red, white and blue apple pie, people. He's strikingly handsome, but not intimidating like a lot of actors. He looks like if you walked up to him and said hello, he'd talk to you. Now, Captain America leads the crew of Avengers, but he isn't the only one. Another Chris, Chris Hemsworth plays Thor. I'm sure you've all seen the movie Thor, but don't ruin it for me, because I haven't gotten around to seeing anything but the commercials. He's tall, he's Australian, and he's the only one hunky enough to fight the Hulk. I'm definitely a fan. Everyone's seen Iron Man and Iron Man 2, right? Nobody misses a Robert Downey Jr. movie. He is one of the most talented actors in America right now. From Due Date to the Sherlock Holmes movies to the Iron Man movies, he just won't quit. And while we're on the subject, his comeback is one of the most inspiring out there. You know he was this druggie actor that no one would touch, right? He couldn't get a single movie. But he got clean, he straightened out his act, and now he's top of the world. He's the poster boy for turn-arounds. He's proof you can do it. In the Avengers, he's funny, smart-ass, attractive, and a good contrast to the straight-forward Captain America and the frankly socially awkward Thor. I love him. To be honest, I haven't seen the Incredible Hulk. I didn't intend to. Everyone knows his story, it's been re-told so many times you'd have to live under a rock not to know it. But I have one thing to say about the Hulk. Those of you who can remember VeggieTales will understand. Everybody's got a Mark Ruffalo, yours is fast and mine is the Hulk. Mark Ruffalo is sweet, quiet and intelligent. It makes it all that more intense when he changes into the raging Hulk. I liked him a lot, but way more after seeing it the second time. Black Widow's friend, the archer, named Hawkeye is just talented enough to make you wonder if he's a lost Avenger that no one cares about. And as for Black Widow, I'm not impressed. Marvel having to pull in Scarlett Johansson to play the only female Avenger is not a choice I admire. She's attractive, but compared to her male counterparts, she winds up annoying and almost shrew-like. All in all, I loved the movie. In fact, I'm going to see it again this week. I can't get enough. I will say this, though. I would implore you to see Iron Man 2 and Captain America, at least, before seeing the Avengers. It makes wayyy more sense that way. If you have time, rent Thor. It'll be worth it, and all the back-story won't seem so confusing. Anyway, go out today and find a movie theater! It's definitely a movie to see, and if you like Chris Hemsworth enough, catch Snow White and the Huntsman while you're there. His talent might just deflect enough of the Kristen Stewart to make it watchable.
-Kaetie Mulhern
Monday, June 11, 2012
How I Met Your Mother
Hey everyone,
There's this show I really love, and my family likes to watch it with me. You've probably seen it, it's called How I Met Your Mother. It's funny, it's heartwarming, it's highly inappropriate for my little sister, but she watches it anyway. The main protagonist, Ted Mosby, is portrayed by actor Josh Radnor. I think he does a wonderful job. He's exactly who he's supposed to be, an optimistic, daydreaming but down to earth, sweet and romantic guy. My mom thinks he's a loser. I think that the character, Ted, could be misconstrued as a loser. He has had his share of failures so far (I haven't seen the end of Season 7, so don't ruin it for me!), but I don't think that makes him a loser. I think in a lot of TV shows, the main character is less of a dynamic character. In That 70s Show, the main character is Eric Forman, but he's way less interesting than his friends, and he has way less backbone. In CW's Supernatural, Sam Winchester was intended to be the main character, but I think everybody can agree that Dean is definitely the better character, and the fan favorite. I'm having a Supernatural party this month, and as party favors I bought Supernatural-themed buttons, magnets and bumper stickers. There's one button that says "Team Dean" on it. I didn't bother buying a Team Sam button, because I knew no one would want it. I don't mean any disrespect to Jared Padalecki, because I'm a huge fan. But next to Jensen Ackles's Dean, it's hard to compare. So I think the reason Ted appears to be a loser is that he pales in comparison to his supporting characters. The main character should be a little less awesome, per se, than his/her supporting characters, like a brown background, so that his/her quirky, interesting friends really pop. And what friends! Barney Stinson, portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris, is the shining beacon of the show. My nine year old sister won't stop telling us to "suit up" and is currently planning a HIMYM party of her own. His humor is unmatched. His timing is impeccable, and no one can fault his sense of style. Ted's other best friend, Marshall, played by Jason Segel, is funny in an entirely different sense. His character is a crazy firework hidden under a wrapper of cuddly, teddy bear-type boyfriend. Marshall's girlfriend, Lily, played by Alyson Hannigan, is a veritable cornucopia of the insane and wacky. She and Marshall make a good couple who always are there to support their sometimes single friend Ted. Finally, Ted's ex-girlfriend and Canadian friend, Robin fills the somehow necessary role of overbearing crazy feminist/tough-girl friend. In That 70s Show, the role is filled by Donna, played by Laura Prepon. I can't say I'm a fan of either. I just think they come on too strong. But the point is that these dynamic characters wouldn't work if the main character had to compete with them. Ted is the usually sane, mostly normal, sometimes boring but sweet and understandable main character that ties the whole show together. So, loser or not, I definitely recommend the show to anyone above age 13.
-Kaetie Mulhern
There's this show I really love, and my family likes to watch it with me. You've probably seen it, it's called How I Met Your Mother. It's funny, it's heartwarming, it's highly inappropriate for my little sister, but she watches it anyway. The main protagonist, Ted Mosby, is portrayed by actor Josh Radnor. I think he does a wonderful job. He's exactly who he's supposed to be, an optimistic, daydreaming but down to earth, sweet and romantic guy. My mom thinks he's a loser. I think that the character, Ted, could be misconstrued as a loser. He has had his share of failures so far (I haven't seen the end of Season 7, so don't ruin it for me!), but I don't think that makes him a loser. I think in a lot of TV shows, the main character is less of a dynamic character. In That 70s Show, the main character is Eric Forman, but he's way less interesting than his friends, and he has way less backbone. In CW's Supernatural, Sam Winchester was intended to be the main character, but I think everybody can agree that Dean is definitely the better character, and the fan favorite. I'm having a Supernatural party this month, and as party favors I bought Supernatural-themed buttons, magnets and bumper stickers. There's one button that says "Team Dean" on it. I didn't bother buying a Team Sam button, because I knew no one would want it. I don't mean any disrespect to Jared Padalecki, because I'm a huge fan. But next to Jensen Ackles's Dean, it's hard to compare. So I think the reason Ted appears to be a loser is that he pales in comparison to his supporting characters. The main character should be a little less awesome, per se, than his/her supporting characters, like a brown background, so that his/her quirky, interesting friends really pop. And what friends! Barney Stinson, portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris, is the shining beacon of the show. My nine year old sister won't stop telling us to "suit up" and is currently planning a HIMYM party of her own. His humor is unmatched. His timing is impeccable, and no one can fault his sense of style. Ted's other best friend, Marshall, played by Jason Segel, is funny in an entirely different sense. His character is a crazy firework hidden under a wrapper of cuddly, teddy bear-type boyfriend. Marshall's girlfriend, Lily, played by Alyson Hannigan, is a veritable cornucopia of the insane and wacky. She and Marshall make a good couple who always are there to support their sometimes single friend Ted. Finally, Ted's ex-girlfriend and Canadian friend, Robin fills the somehow necessary role of overbearing crazy feminist/tough-girl friend. In That 70s Show, the role is filled by Donna, played by Laura Prepon. I can't say I'm a fan of either. I just think they come on too strong. But the point is that these dynamic characters wouldn't work if the main character had to compete with them. Ted is the usually sane, mostly normal, sometimes boring but sweet and understandable main character that ties the whole show together. So, loser or not, I definitely recommend the show to anyone above age 13.
-Kaetie Mulhern
Kashruth, or Jewish Kosher Laws
Hey everyone,
One of my interests and something I like to think I know a bit about is religion. Different types of religion, to be specific. Right now, I'd like to talk about Kashruth, or Jewish Kosher Laws. The non-Jewish community knows relatively little about the Kosher laws, mostly to the extent of knowing that Jews can't eat pork. While that's part of it, by no means is it the end. I'll start off by explaining exactly what kosher means. A food is kosher if it complies with the Jewish Halakhic laws outlined in the Torah. First of all, things that live under the water are kosher if they have both fins and scales. So, no shellfish for Jews, and be careful when eating seafood. When it comes to insects, they're completely banned, except for locusts. So if you're into that, it's kosher, so go ahead! With animals, they have to have cloven hooves and chew their cud. That's why pigs aren't kosher. Not that I'm suggesting that the average person enjoys drinking blood, but in regular, non-kosher food, there is always a certain amount of blood. Jews cannot even have those nominal amounts. So when preparing kosher meat, techniques such as melihah and roasting must be used. According to Halakha, the preparer, known as a schochet, must be a pious Jew. Food prepared by a non-Jew is automatically considered non-kosher, or forbidden. Following these preparation rules guarantees kosher food, and these are the types of food that are branded as kosher. Symbols such as the OK , the OU, the cRc, the KOF-K, the Triangle-K, and the Star-K are all indicators that a food is kosher to eat. Different symbols belong to different Jewish ruling bodies, and are held up to different standards of judging. Lastly, there are three types of food under Jewish law. The first is meat, and the second is dairy. These two must not be eaten within 6 hours of each other. The third is pareve, which is a non-dairy, non-meat food that may be eaten in between meals of meat and dairy. I hope this helps you better understand the complicated rules of Kashruth.
-Kaetie Mulhern
One of my interests and something I like to think I know a bit about is religion. Different types of religion, to be specific. Right now, I'd like to talk about Kashruth, or Jewish Kosher Laws. The non-Jewish community knows relatively little about the Kosher laws, mostly to the extent of knowing that Jews can't eat pork. While that's part of it, by no means is it the end. I'll start off by explaining exactly what kosher means. A food is kosher if it complies with the Jewish Halakhic laws outlined in the Torah. First of all, things that live under the water are kosher if they have both fins and scales. So, no shellfish for Jews, and be careful when eating seafood. When it comes to insects, they're completely banned, except for locusts. So if you're into that, it's kosher, so go ahead! With animals, they have to have cloven hooves and chew their cud. That's why pigs aren't kosher. Not that I'm suggesting that the average person enjoys drinking blood, but in regular, non-kosher food, there is always a certain amount of blood. Jews cannot even have those nominal amounts. So when preparing kosher meat, techniques such as melihah and roasting must be used. According to Halakha, the preparer, known as a schochet, must be a pious Jew. Food prepared by a non-Jew is automatically considered non-kosher, or forbidden. Following these preparation rules guarantees kosher food, and these are the types of food that are branded as kosher. Symbols such as the OK , the OU, the cRc, the KOF-K, the Triangle-K, and the Star-K are all indicators that a food is kosher to eat. Different symbols belong to different Jewish ruling bodies, and are held up to different standards of judging. Lastly, there are three types of food under Jewish law. The first is meat, and the second is dairy. These two must not be eaten within 6 hours of each other. The third is pareve, which is a non-dairy, non-meat food that may be eaten in between meals of meat and dairy. I hope this helps you better understand the complicated rules of Kashruth.
-Kaetie Mulhern
Scrubs
Hey everyone,
My family has a tendency to obsess about TV shows. At one time or another, we've obsessively watched NUMB3RS, Eureka, Supernatural, In Plain Sight, That 70s Show, How I Met Your Mother, and Scrubs. Right now, I'd like to talk about Scrubs. It seems to be a really polarizing show. You either absolutely adore it, or you can't stand it. I can understand why, because there seems to be a thin line in that show, and if you are slightly to one side, it's just the worst thing on TV. Personally, I think it's the goofiness. The main character, J.D., is prone to daydreaming and subsequently, the show is filled with sequences akin to drug-induced hallucinations. These make the show a confusing motley of deep meanings and relationships, odd characters, important realizations and surreal vignettes all wrapped up in a comedy-style bun. It's hard to pinpoint why someone would watch it. Not that I personally dislike it, but I know for a fact that the human brain accustoms itself towards situations and experiences it is exposed to repeatedly. That's why you eventually came to like that P!nk song. It played on the radio so much, you got used to it. The same with Scrubs. If you watch a few episodes, you become attuned to the humor and forgive the oddities that abound in the circular plot line. Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe it really does just take that long to understand the characters and underlying humor. Maybe I'm missing something. Whether I'm right or wrong, the show does have merit. The Janitor, played by Neil Flynn, is a slightly psychopathic but endearing addition to the show. Did you know that he was originally billed as a recurring guest star, but the fans just loved him so much that he became a regular? A really important choice, in my opinion. Without the Janitor, I don't think I'd watch the show. Well, maybe I would. Because of Dr. Cox. John C. McGinley, who's 53 in August, has got it going on. Dr. Cox is probably the single most important character on the show. In contrast to the annoying Christopher Turk and the irritating Elliot Reid, he's positively a ray of sunshine or a cool drink of water, whatever colloquialism floats your boat. Both my mother and I consider him the epitome of aging gracefully. Ted Buckland, the hospital's lawyer, is sweet and sad, and every time the other characters bash on him, it upsets me. Bob Kelso, the Chief of Medicine, irritates me, but unlike Turk and Reid, has enough back-story and redeeming qualities to deserve forgiveness. Judy Reyes, who portrays Nurse Espinosa, is also talented and I thought that while I'm basically bashing the show, I'd include her in the list of reasons to watch it. Finally and half-assedly, I'd like to acknowledge Zach Braff, who plays the main protagonist, J.D. I'm not sure whether to hate him or love him. I guess you'd say I'm smack dab on top of the thin line. He has some great lines, but you could argue the credit away from him and back to the writers. His acting and slapstick comedy amuses me, but I can't bring myself to forgive his lack of depth and absolute lack of progression of character. He remains immature to the very end, adding to the ridiculousness of the show. All in all, if you watch Scrubs, it's probably for the humor and the characters. If you don't, it's probably because of the ludicrousness and the lack of character progression.
-Kaetie Mulhern
My family has a tendency to obsess about TV shows. At one time or another, we've obsessively watched NUMB3RS, Eureka, Supernatural, In Plain Sight, That 70s Show, How I Met Your Mother, and Scrubs. Right now, I'd like to talk about Scrubs. It seems to be a really polarizing show. You either absolutely adore it, or you can't stand it. I can understand why, because there seems to be a thin line in that show, and if you are slightly to one side, it's just the worst thing on TV. Personally, I think it's the goofiness. The main character, J.D., is prone to daydreaming and subsequently, the show is filled with sequences akin to drug-induced hallucinations. These make the show a confusing motley of deep meanings and relationships, odd characters, important realizations and surreal vignettes all wrapped up in a comedy-style bun. It's hard to pinpoint why someone would watch it. Not that I personally dislike it, but I know for a fact that the human brain accustoms itself towards situations and experiences it is exposed to repeatedly. That's why you eventually came to like that P!nk song. It played on the radio so much, you got used to it. The same with Scrubs. If you watch a few episodes, you become attuned to the humor and forgive the oddities that abound in the circular plot line. Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe it really does just take that long to understand the characters and underlying humor. Maybe I'm missing something. Whether I'm right or wrong, the show does have merit. The Janitor, played by Neil Flynn, is a slightly psychopathic but endearing addition to the show. Did you know that he was originally billed as a recurring guest star, but the fans just loved him so much that he became a regular? A really important choice, in my opinion. Without the Janitor, I don't think I'd watch the show. Well, maybe I would. Because of Dr. Cox. John C. McGinley, who's 53 in August, has got it going on. Dr. Cox is probably the single most important character on the show. In contrast to the annoying Christopher Turk and the irritating Elliot Reid, he's positively a ray of sunshine or a cool drink of water, whatever colloquialism floats your boat. Both my mother and I consider him the epitome of aging gracefully. Ted Buckland, the hospital's lawyer, is sweet and sad, and every time the other characters bash on him, it upsets me. Bob Kelso, the Chief of Medicine, irritates me, but unlike Turk and Reid, has enough back-story and redeeming qualities to deserve forgiveness. Judy Reyes, who portrays Nurse Espinosa, is also talented and I thought that while I'm basically bashing the show, I'd include her in the list of reasons to watch it. Finally and half-assedly, I'd like to acknowledge Zach Braff, who plays the main protagonist, J.D. I'm not sure whether to hate him or love him. I guess you'd say I'm smack dab on top of the thin line. He has some great lines, but you could argue the credit away from him and back to the writers. His acting and slapstick comedy amuses me, but I can't bring myself to forgive his lack of depth and absolute lack of progression of character. He remains immature to the very end, adding to the ridiculousness of the show. All in all, if you watch Scrubs, it's probably for the humor and the characters. If you don't, it's probably because of the ludicrousness and the lack of character progression.
-Kaetie Mulhern
Stand By Me
Hey everyone,
I was thinking the other day about the 1986 film Stand By Me, directed by Rob Reiner. It's one of my absolute favorites. I could just watch it all day. For one thing, it has four of my favorite actors in it, albeit John Cusack plays a very minor role. River Phoenix, playing Chris Chambers, was a fabulous actor. I can't tell you how upset I was when I looked him up and found out that he died before I was born. The same thing happened with Mother Teresa. River Phoenix makes me cry every time I see that movie. He was in My Own Private Idaho, with Keanu Reeves, coincidentally also an actor I enjoy. Kudos to Phoenix for his wonderful and insightful portrayal of a gay hustler. Next, the antagonist of Stand By Me is, of course, played by Kiefer Sutherland. Now 45, the actor was only 20 when he played the teenage hood Ace Merrill. It was one of his first films, and one I'll always remember him for. Kiefer Sutherland, known for playing tough characters (Jack Bauer from 24), is pitted against one of the most influential, talented and emotionally rich young actors of his time, River Phoenix, and the result is earth shattering. The movie is emotional and thought-provoking. It's simple, yet intricate and overwhelming. Personally, I don't think you can watch it once and even hope to fully understand it. Throw in a fragile main protagonist portrayed by Wil Wheaton, and you've got yourself a winner. Coincidentally, I saw Wil Wheaton in an episode of Eureka the other day. His acting has evolved in an interesting way. Thirdly, Corey Feldman. That's all I have to say. Could you find a more complicated, interesting actor? In The Lost Boys (with Kiefer Sutherland), in The Goonies (with Sean Astin from LOTR), and in Stand By Me, he is more you could ever hope for or expect from a child actor. I haven't seen him in anything recently, but he blows me away in his early movies. Like River Phoenix, he had a complicated and unhappy childhood. A lot of that emotional intensity and brokenness really comes out in his acting. I don't know if any of you were aware, but he played a part in Michael Jackson's trial all those years back. The King of Pop really screwed him up, and his parents didn't help his childhood much either. Last and finally, the main protagonist's dead older brother briefly makes an appearance in the film, played by John Cusack. I love all John Cusack's movies. From Sixteen Candles to 2012, he never fails to astonish me with his incredible depth. I was fairly disappointed with Hot Tub Time Machine, but Cusack's acting and the thin humor managed to hold it together. All in all, John Cusack is an exceptional actor and at 45, is still an extremely attractive actor to me. Stand By Me is a ground-breaking and life-changing movie that everyone should see. I think it's way underrated. Its amazing musical score, terrific actors and a simple but reverberating plot make it a film I couldn't live without. Go rent it, or find it at a library near you.
-Kaetie Mulhern
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)