What I've been obsessed with lately.
Buffy/Angel
I realize I'm like a decade or so late on this, but I'm finally catching up on Joss Whedon's masterworks, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and its spinoff Angel. It's kind of been my summer project. I just got finished watching , "Once More, With Feeling," the season 6 musical episode that many fans and critics regard as one of the best Buffy episodes ever, and I knew it was time to blog about how dang awesome this show is. Really. If you haven't seen it and were like me, being slightly turned off by its geeky fans and demons/vampires premise, then get over it and watch it. It's a much deeper and smarter show than you would first think. Not only does it break every cliche in the book, it also explores some really beautiful themes, such as what it means to live and love and be a leader. Everything's a metaphor for something else. It's both hilarious and dramatic and sometimes downright terrifying. Angel is probably the darker of the two shows, but I'm really digging it as well. And the acting is superb. James Marsters. Enough said.
Anyway, here's a list of my current favorite episodes so far, if you're interested:
- Passions
- School Hard
- Hush
- The Body
- Once More, With Feeling
- The Plyea arc on Angel
Oh, the only thing I'd recommend is to just get through the first season quickly if you're not that into it. It grew on me halfway through that season, but season 2 and beyond are just leagues above it.
SYTYCD
Season 9 baby! I'm so obsessed with this show. The top 20 finally performed this last Wednesday, and they were all superb. I love reality shows where the contestants actually have talent. This was probably my favorite dance from the episode:
Cyrus is probably my favorite guy. He's not the best dancer, but he's just so eager to learn and has such a positive attitude it's almost infectious.
And of course I love the ballroom best friends Lindsay and Witney, representing dear Provo and American Fork, Utah, respectively.
You all should check out my friend Callie's blog, where she has a weekly in-depth review of each episode. It's great stuff.
Moonrise Kingdom
I'm a big fan of Wes Anderson (The Royal Tennenbaums and Fantastic Mr. Fox are among my favorite films) so I was pretty excited to see this movie. (Even if it was in hipster territory Pasadena at the Arclight. By myself. Don't worry about it.) And I loved it. It's very Wes Anderson-y, quirky, colorful, and a little bizarre and absurd, but full of heart and a genuine romanticism. It features two outcast 12-year-olds who fall in love and escape their situations and even though their respite is brief, it was still poignant and special, a chance to get away from their problems and the world. I remember feeling like Susie at that age, so maybe that's why it stuck with me. It's an absolutely beautiful film, both in content, acting, and especially the cinematography and set design. Here's the trailer, in case you haven't seen it.
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Another thing I should have read years ago. This deeply moving novel about a boy who "dares defy the universe" by refusing to participate in his school's cultish chocolate sale is both tragic and makes you think. It had me in tears and was definitely not what I was expecting. You all need to read this book.
This song, that I've loved for months now and totally geeked when I heard it on the radio:
And this song.
 |
| They're scared of the vampires! |
I realize I'm like a decade or so late on this, but I'm finally catching up on Joss Whedon's masterworks, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and its spinoff Angel. It's kind of been my summer project. I just got finished watching , "Once More, With Feeling," the season 6 musical episode that many fans and critics regard as one of the best Buffy episodes ever, and I knew it was time to blog about how dang awesome this show is. Really. If you haven't seen it and were like me, being slightly turned off by its geeky fans and demons/vampires premise, then get over it and watch it. It's a much deeper and smarter show than you would first think. Not only does it break every cliche in the book, it also explores some really beautiful themes, such as what it means to live and love and be a leader. Everything's a metaphor for something else. It's both hilarious and dramatic and sometimes downright terrifying. Angel is probably the darker of the two shows, but I'm really digging it as well. And the acting is superb. James Marsters. Enough said.
Anyway, here's a list of my current favorite episodes so far, if you're interested:- Passions
- School Hard
- Hush
- The Body
- Once More, With Feeling
- The Plyea arc on Angel
Oh, the only thing I'd recommend is to just get through the first season quickly if you're not that into it. It grew on me halfway through that season, but season 2 and beyond are just leagues above it.
 |
| Well, hello there. |
SYTYCD
Season 9 baby! I'm so obsessed with this show. The top 20 finally performed this last Wednesday, and they were all superb. I love reality shows where the contestants actually have talent. This was probably my favorite dance from the episode:
Cyrus is probably my favorite guy. He's not the best dancer, but he's just so eager to learn and has such a positive attitude it's almost infectious.
And of course I love the ballroom best friends Lindsay and Witney, representing dear Provo and American Fork, Utah, respectively.
You all should check out my friend Callie's blog, where she has a weekly in-depth review of each episode. It's great stuff.
Moonrise Kingdom
I'm a big fan of Wes Anderson (The Royal Tennenbaums and Fantastic Mr. Fox are among my favorite films) so I was pretty excited to see this movie. (Even if it was in hipster territory Pasadena at the Arclight. By myself. Don't worry about it.) And I loved it. It's very Wes Anderson-y, quirky, colorful, and a little bizarre and absurd, but full of heart and a genuine romanticism. It features two outcast 12-year-olds who fall in love and escape their situations and even though their respite is brief, it was still poignant and special, a chance to get away from their problems and the world. I remember feeling like Susie at that age, so maybe that's why it stuck with me. It's an absolutely beautiful film, both in content, acting, and especially the cinematography and set design. Here's the trailer, in case you haven't seen it.
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Another thing I should have read years ago. This deeply moving novel about a boy who "dares defy the universe" by refusing to participate in his school's cultish chocolate sale is both tragic and makes you think. It had me in tears and was definitely not what I was expecting. You all need to read this book.
This song, that I've loved for months now and totally geeked when I heard it on the radio:
And this song.
You are officially the best. Because you posted an AMAZING Carrie Underwood song! No joke I just listened to that album and that song is one of my favorites :) I will have to read the Chocolate War because I never read it either. And I think I'm gonna start watching SYTYCD too! Ahh love dancing and I wanna follow the Utah girls! And holy crap THAT TITANIC DANCE.
ReplyDelete