Monthly Archives: December 2008

Heroes Are Over With

  By zarine | December 31, 2008 - 3:25 am | Musicals
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Here’s something so insanely great I have to blabber about it again even if I’ve already featured this in my other blog. 

If you haven’t heard of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog by now, then let me introduce the lovelorn videoblogger and aspiring supervillain with a Ph.D. in “horribleness”:

 

horrible

“Any dolt with half a brain can see that humankind has gone insane” -Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris)

It’s #15 in TIME‘s Best Inventions of 2008 and listed among Washington Post‘s Best Viral Videos of ’08.

Apparently, the webisodes were created during the writer’s strike in America. Quoting the WP, “the video was enough to make us consider the types of things we might all be watching when we’re no longer watching TV.” And here’s something from the master himself:

 

The idea was to make it on the fly, on the cheap – but to make it. To turn out a really thrilling, professionalish piece of entertainment specifically for the internet. To show how much could be done with very little. To show the world there is another way. To give the public (and in particular you guys) something for all your support and patience. And to make a lot of silly jokes. Actually, that sentence probably should have come first. – Joss Whedon

 

So, it’s a musical about a guy whose grand ambition is not to have a high-profile job, wearing nice suits or silk ties, but to become a supervillain who will rule the world with his “evilness.” With the girl of his dreams, Penny, and his arch nemesis, Captain Hammer (a “smarmy superhero who thinks he’s all that”), they are featured in a 43-minute, three-act Internet phenomenon that is refreshing both for its silliness and awesome music. Keeping Sondheim songs in his iPod really did wonders for Joss Whedon.

Some People Just Want to Do A Lot

  By zarine | December 30, 2008 - 3:42 am | BtVS, People, Whedon Shows
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At the Buffy reunion during the 2008 Paley Festival this year (I saw the DVD), Marti Noxon, producer and writer from TV shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Grey’s Anatomy, and Private Practice, said that if Joss Whedon will call her one day to say that he’s building a rocket, she wouldn’t doubt him for a minute. Some people are just so talented they come up with unexpected things just by setting their minds onto it. Well, I believe such people only set their minds on things they know they can do; it just surprises others to finally see how much they really can.   

Another person in that panel who has been working a lot is Amber Benson. Her credits include actor, writer, director, producer, singer, and humanitarian. She’s only 31.

 

amber-smg-emma
From left to right: Amber Benson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Emma Caulfield (March 2008, PaleyFest)
 

I’ve been lurking around Buffy forums to read episode discussions and fans seem to love this girl even if she isn’t as well known as her costars, mostly because besides creating an endearing character on TV, she seems to be a genuinely nice person in real life. What impressed me is seeing the range of her work. The acting part seems to be the bread and butter (she’s been in some obscure movies I don’t think I’ll ever watch), but she’s also co-written comic books and books; wrote, directed, produced, and starred in two of her own independent films; cowrote and directed a cult animation called Ghosts of Albion for the British network BBC; written and presented her own stage play; composed and recorded two songs for her fans; and is about to release her first solo book series to be published by Penguin Books.

I would do anything to be able to have half of that. Well, anything that I can do, I mean, without having to pack a Zero Halliburton and travel the world to learn things. Anyway, I haven’t finished watching her first attempt at writing/directing – a movie called Chance (2002) – but I kinda like the opening monologue (voiceover):

All right, you live your life in a totally normal, full-on reality check kind of way. That’s good and cool. Things don’t get messed up. People you love hang around until you can’t stand them anymore. Things never change. But shit like that doesn’t happen in real life. Real life is just a movie with someone’s finger jammed on fast forward. The numbers change faster than you can count. When you’re a little kid, you never think you’re gonna die. I mean death is just some kind of esoteric thing you see on TV or read about it in a book. Then one day you realize what it really is, and nothing is ever the same again. From that day on, you’re f&*%ed.

Sleeper

  By zarine | December 29, 2008 - 3:07 am | Random Thoughts
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I was standing behind a yellow bus on a lazy afternoon, I think I remember that the sun was almost about set then and the wind was gently sweeping fallen leaves on the road toward my direction, when someone tapped me by the shoulder. When I turned around, it was a former classmate in high school. I haven’t seen any of them in almost 8 years now. I think we talked for a bit before he asked me to get into the bus. I obliged. As I step inside, I saw the bus was empty. I followed my friend as he walked toward the tail part of the vehicle but as I do, the space between the bus floor and ceiling gets narrower until I was down on all fours, trying to reach one of the windows so I can get out to safety.    

How’s that for a dream? It’s a real one I had, in case you’re wondering. I don’t always remember my dreams in perfect clarity and I like it better that way. Sometimes, though, dreams like this one make me go all metaphysical and give it a lot of thought. Well, I think I have to because the moment I woke up, I was still breathless, although more baffled than shaken up. Admittedly, I haven’t been getting good sleep because I work well with my writing tasks during the wee hours. Any sleep study will tell you that a normal night sleep pattern is better than the same number of hours of sleep during the day. There’s actually a Florida sleep study that helps people with sleep disorders understand the root of they problems so they can finally get a good night’s sleep.

I don’t know anyone who has ever visited a sleep disorder center, although I know a few friends who only sleep when the sun’s about to rise. It works for some, but even if it has been an on-off  habit of mine for a few years now, I still believe I’ll be more productive, and not to mention healthy, if I sleep early and wake up early instead. Oh, I don’t really have a sleep disorder. Its more lack of discipline than anything else. I can decide to go to bed anytime; most times, I fall asleep the moment my back touches the bed.

So about that dream. Would be fun to nitpick something so abstract. But, really, yellow bus? We didn’t even have a school bus in high school.

Ingrained Cliches

  By zarine | December 27, 2008 - 12:16 am | Random Thoughts
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I’m going to be at the office tomorrow. The announced one week and a half vacation was going to have in-between (overtime) work days after all. Well, I’m not really complaining. But the thing is, I had to ask my colleagues first about what time they’ll report for work. See, I usually prefer to start working late in the afternoons during holidays; but I’m presuming not many will actually show up these coming days, so I have to make sure I’ll be out of the office as early as possible.

Scared of being alone in a large deserted workplace? You betcha! I make it a point not to listen to ghost stories that my officemates are only too fond to swap with each other because I’m fairly coward about such things. Anyway, this thought came to me when I was watching a favorite episode of The X-Files, which incidentally was about ghost hunting on Christmas eve. Scully had a very rational explanation why we fear ghosts so much:

Scully: These are tricks that the mind plays. They are ingrained cliches from a thousand different horror films. When we hear a sound, we get a chill. We see a shadow and we allow ourselves to imagine something that an otherwise rational person would discount out of hand.

The whole idea of a benevolent entity fits perfectly with what I’m saying. I mean, that a spirit would materialize or return for no other purpose than to show itself is silly and ridiculous. I mean, what it really shows is how silly and ridiculous we have become in believing such things.

I mean, that… that we can ignore all natural laws about the corporeal body that we witness these spirits clad in their own shabby outfits with the same old haircuts and hairstyles never ageing, never… never in search of more comfortable surroundings — it actually ends up saying more about the living than it does about the dead.

I mean, Mulder, it doesn’t take an advanced degree in psychology to understand the… the unconscious yearnings that these imaginings satisfy. You know, the longing for immortality, the hope that there is something beyond this mortal coil that we might never be long without our loved ones. I mean, these are powerful, powerful desires. I mean, they’re the very essence of what make us human. The very essence of Christmas, actually.

Well, she was really trying hard to convince herself there. I do prefer to take her opinion, though. I prefer not to see one. I don’t even look at so-called “proofs.” I mean, if you’ll see a ghost and you happen to have a Canon camera in hand, would you take a picture? Well, it’s fine if you will; just don’t show it to me.

Notebooks, Computers, & Moleskine

  By zarine | December 25, 2008 - 5:08 pm | Products
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moleskine

 

Since I’ve read about this brand of notebooks called Moleskine, I wanted to buy myself one. You know, just for the heck of it. I love notebooks. The classic ones, the pretty ones, the stationery-like ones, the leather-bound smart-looking ones. But, as with many other people I know, I don’t really write on them. I mean I love the idea of writing – the physical action of moving your hand that holds a pen over a piece of paper so that your thoughts can manifest. But whenever I hold those crispy, white pages in my hands, I can’t make myself defile them by my awful handwriting.

You can argue that a notebook computer is the better way to go.  Sure it’s more pricey but its functions are way more diverse that I shouldn’t have bothered to compare. But then again, that’s exactly why the idea of writing on a notebook is so enticing – it’s basic, it’s time-honored, and it’s how my favorite poets worked in their time. Ah, well, I think I’m gonna buy myself a Moleskine now.

I’m Above You; I’m All Superior

  By zarine | December 24, 2008 - 4:43 am | BtVS, Tales, TV, Whedon Shows
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I’ve read somewhere that the nicest people are sometimes the most insecure ones. To a certain degree, maybe, but I don’t think that’s particularly accurate. I am sometimes nice, sometimes insecure, sometimes sensitive, sometimes self-righteous, and sometimes unapologetically nonchalant. There are instances, though, when the feeling of superiority gets the better of me. That’s why the scene written below resonated with me in a way that doesn’t commonly happen with a rather matter-of-fact delivery of relatively funny dialogues.

Anyway, here’s an excerpt from an episode of, you guessed right, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. People in that show are depicted to be almost always self-righteous, which for some reason didn’t rub me the wrong way when it usually does, and Buffy, being the leader and the one carrying the greatest burden of responsibility, may be the most  pompous of them all, if rightly so.

Scene description:  Buffy is on patrol, waiting for a vampire to stake. When the vampire (Holden) turned up, he made himself known as a former classmate and the two engaged in a surreal conversation while resuming fighting with each other every chance they get. [From season 7, episode 7: Conversations with Dead People.]

 

BUFFY:
I have all this power. I didn’t ask for it. I don’t deserve it. It’s like… I wanted to be punished. I wanted to hurt like I thought I deserved. I sorta think—you know, this is, um, complicated. If you’d rather just fight…

HOLDEN:
(leans back) Tell me.

BUFFY:
I feel like I’m worse than anyone. Honestly, I’m beneath them. My friends, my boyfriends. I feel like I’m not worthy of their love. ‘Cause even though they love me, it doesn’t mean anything ’cause their opinions don’t matter. They don’t know. They haven’t been through what I’ve been through. They’re not the slayer. I am. Sometimes I feel—(sighs) this is awful—I feel like I’m better than them. Superior.

HOLDEN:
Until you can’t win. And I thought I was diabolical—or, at least I plan to be. You do have a superiority complex. And you’ve got an inferiority complex about it (laughs) Kudos.

BUFFY:
It doesn’t make any sense.

HOLDEN:
(sits forward) Oh, it makes every kind of sense. And it all adds up to you feeling alone. But, Buffy, everybody feels alone. Everybody is, until you die. Speaking of…(stands) you ready for our little death match?

BUFFY:
I suppose. (stands) Thanks, for listening.

HOLDEN:
Oh, you know, there’s some things you can only tell a stranger.

Compression Garments

  By zarine | December 21, 2008 - 2:05 am | Products
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I came across this Web site that offers many different kinds of compression garments and all I can think about are those rubber pads you wound around your abdomen a friend once convinced me into buying. She said it facilitates sweating around the tummy area and it’s supposed to aid in losing inches off your waist. I tried it and used it while exercising at home but I really couldn’t feel the difference it makes. My friend even recommended keeping it on while sleeping but it’s too hot on the skin and frankly it makes it hard to breathe.      

Some compression garments are actually used for medicinal purposes. They provide support for people with poor circulation,for example, such garments worn on the legs can help prevent deep vein thrombosis. On the other hand, there are compression garments whose main function is to aid in the recovery of surgical patients, particularly those who had some form of plastic surgery. Examples of such are special socks, pantyhose, body suits, vests, girdles,or sleeves, which are used depending on the specific patient’s needs. In people who had undergone plastic surgery, these aids help loose skin mold firmly against the body so the skin is more likely to heal without sagging. Surgical compression garments squeeze the body’s fluids back toward deeper tissues, reducing swelling in the affected areas; they also improve blood circulation, minimizes swelling after the procedure, flushes the body out of harmful fluids, expedites the healing process, and allows the patient to recover sooner. Sounds imperative to me.

2009 Movies

  By zarine | December 18, 2008 - 1:13 am | Movies
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I was searching for upcoming movies and found quite a handful of  ”Coming Soon” titles that I think I’m very much interested in. Some, I may catch at the theaters while others will have to wait to be fed to my DVD player. More reason to look for diet products as my list of TV shows and movies to watch keep piling up. Why, when there’s nothing unappealing about sitting tight, eating some popcorn and other junk food, sipping some soda, and enjoying the movies.

Anyway, here’s the list. You might find some to your liking as well.

 

Button

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

“Born under unusual circumstances” – and so begins “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards.  A man, like any of us, unable to stop time.  We follow his story set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918, into the 21st century, following his journey that is as unusual as any man’s life can be.  Directed by David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is a time traveler’s tale of the people and places he bumps into along the way, the loves he loses and finds, the joys of life and the sadness of death, and what lasts beyond time.
-Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett

Coraline

 

Coraline

A young girl walks through a secret door and discovers a parallel reality that is eerily similar to the life she already knows in director Henry Selick’s animated adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s international bestseller. Upon first glance, Coraline (voice of Dakota Fanning) begins to believe that the alternate version of her life is even better than the real thing, but when her parallel-universe parents attempt to keep her forever, the young girl must summon her resourcefulness and bravery in order to find her way back home and save her family. Teri Hatcher, Ian McShane, Dawn French, and Jennifer Saunders co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher

NotThatIntoYou

He’s Just Not That Into You

Screenwriters Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein team to adapt writing duo Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo’s best-selling book concerning the ever-widening gap between genders and the misunderstandings that often arise between couples. In the film, a woman who can’t seem to get a grip on the men in her life pursues an advice columnist who never quite knew what he wanted in a relationship. Prolific television director Ken Kwapis (Freaks and Geeks and The Office) helms a romantic comedy produced by and starring Drew Barrymore. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connely, Jennifer Aniston

revolutionaryRevolutionary Road

Adapted from the classic 1961 novel by author Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road tells the tale of a young Connecticut couple whose once-idealistic relationship steadily deteriorates into a ceaseless cycle of petty jealousy and bickering as they strive to retain their independence in the conformity-obsessed world of picket fences and perfectly manicured lawns. Ever since they first met, Frank (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) saw themselves as special and different. They strives to form their relationship around higher ideals, though upon moving into their new home on Revolutionary Road the defiant couple pledges never to be confined by the social conventions of the era. As time passes, however, Frank and April gradually becomes the very thing that they both feared most – a typical suburban family complete with abandoned dreams and faded hopes. Frank loses his nerve after taking a comfortable job with a reliable salary, and April morphs into an unsatisfied homemaker desperate for passion and excitement. But April’s independent spirit hasn’t been suffocated just yet, and when she hatches a plan to head for Paris, her need to escape at all costs stands in direct contrast to Frank’s desire to hold on to what they already have. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

-Starring: Leonardo di Caprio, Kate Winslet

 

shopaholicConfessions of a Shopaholic

 

A Manhattan shopaholic (Isla Fisher) whose buying sprees have buried her in immense debt lands a columnist gig dishing out financial advice in this Touchstone comedy based on Sophie Kinsella’s series of books. P.J. Hogan (My Best Friend’s Wedding) directs, with producing duties being handled by Jerry Bruckheimer. Rebecca Bloomwood (Fisher) can’t seem to break her habit for making impulsive purchases, and while she’s always decked out in the latest styles, her credit card bills are as thick as a telephone book. If Rebecca could somehow manage to land her dream job at a high-profile fashion magazine, perhaps she could transform what is now a simple addiction into something that could really benefit her professionally. When Rebecca becomes an advice columnist at a financial magazine published by the same company as her favorite fashion magazine, her fresh approach strikes a chord with readers and she quickly becomes the toast of the town. Meanwhile, her bank account is still bone dry, wreaking havoc on her love life and placing her career in jeopardy. As Rebecca teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, she gradually begins to reassess her priorities in life. Joan Cusack, John Goodman, Hugh Dancy, and Krysten Ritter co-star in the Touchstone Pictures production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
Starring: Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy

White Lies and the Young People

  By zarine | December 14, 2008 - 10:01 pm | Personal, Random Thoughts
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My cousin has been staying with us for her on-the job training at the NAIA. She’s almost graduating from college but her parents still not allow her to go to overnight get together with friends. I don’t know if it’s just me getting old or just me  not wanting to take responsibility for a technically adult relative, but I hated that she lied about sleeping over my place as an excuse to go to her swimming party. The thing is, she didn’t even intend to tell me. I was there, the first time we’re at the apartment together because of my self-imposed erratic schedule, pretending to look all responsible with waking up early to buy breakfast and tending to the laundry just as soon as I ate, even wishing I have one of those steam cleaners to clean the floors with, and thinking to myself “why is this girl still hanging around watching TV when she’s supposed to be well on her way to work?”  She must have noticed, so she told me the truth. I didn’t really say anything agaisnt it; I figured there’s nothing I can do anyway and why would I want to be such a party pooper when I perfectly understand where she’s coming from. It just sucks that knowing that I should have said something more than just “take care” makes me kind of guilty to a certain degree. I mean it’s not as if I didn’t do something like that in my time. But I know myself, and it’s more than I can say for her.

Something to Sing About

  By zarine | December 11, 2008 - 2:51 am | BtVS, Random Thoughts, TV, Whedon Shows
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Where there’s life, there’s hope
Every day’s a gift,
Wishes can come true,
Whistle while you work,
So hard all day
To be like other girls,
To fit in in this glittering world.
Don’t give me songs,
Don’t give me songs.
Give me something to sing about.

-Buffy Summers

I’ve been thinking a lot about this song lately. I know, another sad song just by its lyrics. The irony of it is that the sadder I am, the more I crave for songs.  There’s something about haunting melodies that get me all the time. Even when I can’t relate with the exact lines, music touches me in away that mere words can’t. This, coming from someone who fancies poetry just a little too much. I can see myself in a deserted place, cross-legged in a yoga position and eyes closed under the Fig trees , mp3 headset in my ears. Geez, I’m watching too many fantasy shows.

Opening yourself to songs is not without ramifications, though. Sometimes they hit nerves you didn’t know you have. And that’s when you start to lose joy in happy songs.

But then again

Life’s not a song,
Life isn’t bliss
Life is just this,
It’s living.

You’ll get along,
The pain that you feel
Only can heal,
By living.
You have to go on living

- Spike