DAngie Reviews

40 Years of Sunny Days

2010-02-12T11:04:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Brian and Karene, for this collection. Man, Sesame Street used to be awesome. My kids haven't been very into the show lately, but they've been watching this DVD (mind you, they always select disc 1---selections from the first 20 years) over and over again. It really takes me back. I'd completely forgotten David, but when I saw him, it was like seeing an old pal. I didn't know there had ever been other Gordons, so that tripped me out a bit. It's good to see Mr. Hooper and remember the good old days when Snuffy was imaginary. Drawback: I'm only really interested in the first disc (1969-1989), as that disc is the one that includes the years I was watching as a kid. Sesame Street's still a pretty swell show, but it used to be so much better. My kids agree.

My Little Pony

2010-01-22T16:03:00.000-08:00

I loved My Little Ponies back in the day, and Laraine loves them now. Good toys. But they keep changing their look, and they just keep making them look less like ponies and more like pigs.

Sherlock Holmes (2009 movie)

2010-01-10T20:30:00.000-08:00

This movie was much better than the previews led me to believe. It was good fun escapism. The main thing that carried the film was the very good chemistry and witty banter between Holmes and Watson. The writing was strong and the acting was really good. The fight scenes were silly, but I could live with it. The villain was good enough, but not great. Inspector Lestrade was a gem. The biggest problem with the film was Rachel McAdams as Holmes' love interest. She really wasn't very interesting or believable and, as is so often the case in Hollywood, the obvious age difference was distracting and offensive. There are plenty of very attractive and capable actresses around Downey's age who could have filled the role. I suppose we can take some solace in that we've come a long way since the days of Harrison Ford and Anne Heche.

Avatar

2010-01-10T12:09:00.000-08:00

Is anyone else staring to get a "machines are evil" vibe from James Cameron? This film is just okay for me. I never get terribly excited about special effects, but I admit that this movie is a visual feast---the foliage, the sweeping flight scenes---very nice. Nevertheless, the creatures didn't do it for me. Well done---I mean really good CG, but still screaming CG. Still not coming out of that uncanny valley. The female lead is better than the others, even quite amazing, and yet . . . still too smooth and plastic-y looking. I so much prefer make-up, costumes, and puppets, but I understand their limitations. The main complaint I have, and what kept me somewhat disengaged throughout the film, is lack of characters I could care about. The lead, Jake, is really very blah. He sort of mosies along though major choices with seemingly little internal struggle, and what's he thinking mating for life to a woman when he has no idea that he'll be able to stay in a body that can even breath in her world? Had the romance drawn me in more, I could have accepted it, but as the romance is also a bit blah, it just seems inconsiderate. While the native girl is more interesting than the leading man, she still didn't pull me in. Also, the villains are too inhuman. I appreciate the point Cameron is making about the evils we commit against our world and against unfamiliar cultures; however, if these guys were more human----not Terminators sans metal, those points about the evils of humanity would have had more resonance. Sigourney Weaver's character is actually quite good, but she's not enough to get me emotionally involved. Spoilers follow: I have other complaints about predictability; a pat, tacked on solution to the problem of the man living in the wrong body (I groaned when I saw that one coming); the feeling that too much is packed in, even though the film is three hours long; the idea that a cavalry charge on horse-like creatures against a wall of machine gun fire makes any sense---still, all these things are forgivable if the characters can carry it, and I don't think these characters do, so that's the major sore thumb of the film in my estimation. All in all though, certainly worth seeing, but the first Terminator remains James Cameron's masterpiece as far as I'm concerned.

Free Dance Lessons at the Church on 500 East (2nd and 4th Saturdays, 8:30-10:00 pm)

2009-11-25T15:46:00.000-08:00

Dan and I can now Cha Cha. Poorly. But even that's an accomplishment. Actually, we've pretty much forgotten all the steps. Anyway, we give free dance lessons a thumbs up.

Jasper's Mullet

2009-10-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

I braided it during sacrament meeting yesterday. I'm torn. It's either the coolest hairdo ever, or it's time to chop off the mullet.

Julie and Julia

2009-10-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

Meryl Streep is incredibly endearing in this role. I think what really makes this movie charming is the love story between Julia and her husband, Paul: two not terribly attractive (or young) people with wonderful personalities and a grand appreciation for one another. Their half of the movie is far and away superior. I really liked Amy Adams in Enchanted, but she's just sort of okay in this. I found her husband somewhat more appealing than I found Julie, but they are certianly not what makes this movie so enjoyable.

(500) Days of Summer

2009-09-02T12:30:00.000-07:00

Funny. Sweet. Quirky. Dan and I both really enjoyed this film. I like what it says about love and what's real. The ending is satisfying. The characters are wonderful, even the bit parts. The boss, the sister, and the friends are probably the best things about this movie, actually. The lead girl, I think, is a phony, but that's exactly what she should be. I never knew that kid from "Third Rock from the Sun" would be in something good (I really thought that show was lame), but he's fabulous in this movie. And the cards with the cat made me laugh.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (film)

2009-07-30T07:43:00.001-07:00

Well, the movies are always a let down, as they should be, really. You can't expect them to pull off the books. But I think, of the movies, this one was the least of a let down for me. I actually really like Michael Gambon as Dumbledore, and I found him swell in this one. My biggest complaint is Harry's lack of training with Snape, since (in a Darth Vader-esque fashion) Snape is the central character of the series. But you can't shove the whole book into a movie, I know. My other complaint is the complete lack of chemistry in the romances. I'd say Harry and Ginny have negative chemistry, and Ron and Hermione have almost non-existent chemistry. This is also the case in the books though. I will say that I thought there was excellent chemistry between Harry and Hermione in the scene in which he comforted her when she was depressed and jealous over Ron. I guess few people agree, but I'd have liked to have seen Harry hook up with Luna. Slughorn was amusing, though not at all what I pictured. Not fat enough, for one thing. Also, his dubbed memory wasn't as funny as the one in the book---(You'll go wrong, boy, mark my words). All in all, I enjoyed this fim and thought it the best of the Potter films so far.

Up!

2009-06-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

One of the headlines I saw for this movie read "Pixar does it again". If it weren't for the first twenty minutes of this movie, I'd say that headline sums it up pretty well. I like Pixar. I think they make terrific movies and most of this movie was as good as anything Pixar had ever done, but the first twenty minutes are downright spectacular. The opening sequence for this film is so good! We're talking "It's a Wonderful Life" good. I was absolutely enchanted. The rest of the movie was a ton of fun with some bits that choked me up because they referred back to the first twenty minutes. I would absolutely recommend that any and everybody rush out and see this movie right away.

2009-06-11T19:53:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd add The Onion's review of Star Trek just to go along with Angie's.

Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'

Star Trek: Beginnings

2009-06-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

WARNING: SPOILERS
So I guess this really was a pretty good flick. I think I probably should have liked it more than I did. I think my biggest problem is just not being able to get over this problem I have with all of the spin-offs paling in comparison to my first love when it comes to Star Trek: the original series. I had a hard time with said original series kinda being obliterated in this movie. Perhaps if I'd known what I was getting into, I would have liked it better too. I thought I was going to get the "beginnings" for the Star Trek I adore. I didn't realize this movie was a springboard for a whole new Star Trek with an altered reality created so that these characters can be reused some more. I'll grant you, they're good characters; it makes sense that someone wants to squeeze everything out of them. It rubbed me wrong though. I will say, I thought the actors did a very good job of creating younger versions of the beloved characters. I really liked the portrayal of my favorite character, Leonard McCoy. I did have difficulty buying the romance between Spock and Uhura. If they could really be in love in another reality, it seems strange that in the reality with which we have thus far been familiar, we didn't ever even see a spark. I can't say it wasn't a pretty decent flick, but I can't say I wasn't disappointed.

Taken: Past Participle

2009-06-10T19:46:00.000-07:00

Really a fantastic word. Of course, it allows us to create sentences such as, "My dear Wolfgang, have you taken it into your head to devour the neighbors' kittens again?" (Sorry, when writing sentences for the illustration of points of grammar, I still haven't gotten over writing them for the entertainment of seventh graders, who were generally quite fond of Wolfgang and his many foibles.) Also, "taken" can create a truly visceral feel when used properly. For example, as a movie title on a poster with Liam Neeson and a gun, Taken becomes a powerful word. I give the past participle, taken, two thumbs way up.

Taken

2009-03-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

I'm not much of an action movie kind of a girl in a general sense, though I certainly have a soft spot in my heart for Big Trouble in Little China (who doesn't?). Car chases and buildings blowing up are not generally what I'm looking for in a movie. This was a good action movie. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Not too much time spent blowing up stuff and car chasing (just enough). Good story. Good acting. And, hey, isn't that movie poster excellent?

Hellboy II

2009-02-03T09:49:00.000-08:00

How can you not love Hellboy? The quirky characters and the dialogue are excellent. This one may not have quite lived up to the level of Hellboy I, but it came close. As always, the good guys are fabulous, and I thought the villain in this one was wonderful too. Here's my favorite line---Hellboy's comment on marriage, "I'd give my life for her, but she wants me to do the dishes." For those of you out there who are thinking Hellboy is beneath you, I point out that Rotten Tomatoes listed the film as Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy in their 10th Annual Golden Tomato Awards. It has also been nominated for an Oscar for Best Makeup.

Hancock---Movie, not Founding Father

2009-02-03T09:46:00.000-08:00

I loved the first 45 minutes or so of this movie. The bum superhero getting a PR agent (Smith and Bateman are excellent in their roles)---good stuff. Then the plot takes a dive. (I know they had to bring on a bigger conflict to take the movie to a climax, but man, I wish they'd found another way.) To make a long story short, after what I would call an egregiously bad plot twist, the film pretty much loses most of its appeal. Still, I highly recommend the beginning. I think this movie was almost a classic.

Little Debbie's Cherry Cordials

2009-02-03T09:41:00.000-08:00

I don't usually have much use for Little Debbie, other than an occasional Nutty Bar, but I'm addicted to these (so are Bennett and Laraine). Get while the getting is good, as they're only around near Valentine's Day.

Trader Joe's Freeze Dried Mangosteen

2009-02-03T09:29:00.000-08:00

All you non-Utah residents with Trader Joe's nearby, get some of this stuff. My excellent sister-in-law sent me some (thanks, Deb). Loved it. I've never had a fresh mangosteen, but I thought this was some great stuff. Sweet flavor, melts in your mouth (well, it's freeze dried), with a weird, but I thought enjoyable, crunchy center. I hit up some California contacts (Brian and Karene) to send me some more, but all you other Utahns better find another source, since I don't think B&K are really wanting to go into the shipping business. I've also tried TJ's freeze dried strawberries (again, thanks, Deb), bananas, and mangoes. All yummy.

Dreyer's Peppermint Ice Cream with Hot Fudge

2009-02-03T09:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, yummy. Thanks to Therese for introducing me to this. If you can get the Hershey's dark hot fudge, that's probably best, but any hot fudge will do. Unfortunately, Peppermint is a limited Christmas edition, but it's still around, so get some before it's gone.

Australia (Movie not continent)

2008-12-15T17:31:00.001-08:00

Angie and I got to go see this movie free as a work function. The best word for this movie is ambitious. It actually was a lot of fun and we both enjoyed ourselves, but you couldn't help leaving with the feeling that that was a movie that was not nearly as good as it was trying to be. I suppose that a movie shouldn't be knocked for shooting high and only managing to be fun and entertaining, but it's hard not to notice when a film is trying to position itself as a great romantic epic in the tradition of "Gone With the Wind" and really only manages to be "Man from Snowy River." Still, I like "Man from Snowy River", and I liked "Australia." In the end, I give it a B. I also give it some extra points for ambition.

The River Walk in Zion National Park

2008-10-31T08:36:00.000-07:00

How have I been to Zion National Park more times than I can count in the past thirty-one years and not walked this trail before? Weird. Anyway, I love the short trail by the tunnel (Zion Canyon Overlook?), but the River Walk may have passed it and become my favorite hike in Zion. For me, the River Walk is the perfect hike. It's not painful. It's a pleasant walk, but you can get some exercise on it. It's great for children---not too hard, great places to play by the river. Lastly, it's utterly beautiful.

Firefly and Serenity

2008-09-22T09:53:00.001-07:00

Jennie and Jonathan got Dan and I into this series and movie created by Joss Whedon, and we were hooked. "Firefly" is a series Joss Whedon started that was tragically canceled after its first season. Serenity is the movie he made after the cancellation, I guess to take the story where it had been headed in the series. The genre is Sci-fi Western, which is fun. The major conflict is man vs. THE MAN, which is always relevant. What makes the show/movie great though is what generally makes a work of fiction great in my book, character and dialogue. I fell in love with the characters easily and quickly. The casting is fantastic. The dialogue is witty, and I often laugh out loud, but at the same time, the drama is also intense. The series is better than the movie, but I'm glad Whedon was able to make the movie, so that we could get an idea of the full vision. After finishing the series, I was seriously bummed that there was only one season made, but then, my experience with Whedon's "Buffy" and "Angel" has been that a Whedon series goes down hill after a couple of seasons, so maybe it's good that "Firefly" never got to go down hill. (Actually I had some issues with the two episodes before the last one, which was great, so maybe signs of the downward turn were already there---I'll console myself with that thought).

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

2008-08-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

If you haven't read Breaking Dawn, be aware that this review contains spoilers.

I've never been a big fan of this series, but this book topped it off for me. Stephenie Meyer's characters have never been anything special (where are the little details/great lines that give characters life?), but in this book the characters become inconsistent as well. (By the way, why are Edward and Bella in love?---as far as I can tell, it's because he's exceptionally good looking, and she smells good---which smell she should lose when she becomes a vampire, but Meyer isn't about following her own rules.) Edward goes from control freak to doormat (but he still seems to retain that one window to his soul---the fact that he likes expensive cars, so Bella gets to continue to whine about driving a Mercedes), but as Jacob's been my favorite character, I think what happens to him is worse. Until the second half of Breaking Dawn, he's the character with the most personality, at least. In fact, though I think it's kinda cheap of Meyer to conveniently go shifting to his viewpoint when it's always been Bella's before, I like getting his point of view because finally her writing shows a little voice. Then Jacob imprints on---I know people say it's non-sexual, but since imprinting's really all about reproduction, I can't help but think "pedophilia" here---Bella's baby, and he's done. His personality is totally lost, and he becomes some kind of odd nanny. I guess Meyer is too attached to her characters (flat, though they are) to kill any of them, but having him die for Bella or something would've killed him less than what she does to him in this book. So now we're supposed to believe that the whole thing pulling Bella and Jacob together was Bella's unborn child? I guess before the child was conceived, the egg must've been doing it. Speaking of the rapidly aging child (again, convenient---that speeds the plot along) with the unfortunate name, why not just change all the rules Meyer had set for vampires and have vampire babies with some lame scientific excuse about how men can have babies even when they're old, so that's why male vampires can do it---what? On to Bella---wow, I thought she was annoying as a human, but I could hardly stomach perfect vampire Bella with her cottage, and she loses her one, trite personality trait (other than whiny selfishness)---clumsiness ---when she goes vampire.

That brings me to my next point: weak major conflict. I would say the major conflict of this series has been, should Bella become a vampire? Even when I read Twilight, I thought this was flimsy because I didn't see that Meyer had given becoming a vampire enough drawbacks---the sun doesn't shrivel them, they don't lose their souls, and *bonus* they're total lookers. Now that Bella has become a vampire, and it's like she's been resurrected and is in heaven, we can see that, yes, that conflict has always been hollow. Shoot, Bella doesn't even have to give up Charlie (who accepted all the weirdness so easily and didn't even want to ask questions---yeah, right) or having children.

People have told me this book has some great surprises. Maybe. But that's because, in fact, Meyer didn't set things up properly. Think of, say, The Sixth Sense, that's good story crafting! Most people didn't see the end coming, but once we got there, we could see that it had been building to that point all along. Or consider Harry Potter, books that I think, unlike the Twilight books, deserve the hype. When we learn all of Snape's history and what he's really been doing all along, we see that it's been there since Book 1. Meyer just kind of forgets how she's set things up, makes vampires into superheroes, and throws this thing at us.

Somehow Meyer marketed these books as "vampire books for people who don't like vampire books" as though that's something new---what? There are tons of teeny-bopper-vampire-romances and adult-vampire-romances out there. The adult ones are generally really heavy on the sex, but Meyer goes about as far as she can without mentioning a---you know I have to say it---"throbbing manhood" in Breaking Dawn anyway. I will say the one thing Meyer does well is sexual tension, and now that the deed's been done, I'm not sure the whole nymphomania thing she has going in Breaking Dawn is as good. Look, if you find you like this genre, go check out DVDs of the first couple seasons of Buffy. Joss Whedon pulls off great drama AND great humor (something Meyer almost completely lacks). Or check out some L.J. Smith---her Night World series isn't anything special, but at least she doesn't take herself so seriously, and her work isn't pretentious. Come on, it's teeny-bopper-vampire-romance!

I've ranted more than I meant to here, and I can't deny that Breaking Dawn kept me turning the pages. My sister-in-law, Karene, wrote a better review. I think it's like the #1 review on Goodreads; it's witty and perceptive. She tells me it's my fault she's become critical, so I feel good about that. I like to think I had some hand in her current celebrity status. I'd say her review makes for much better reading than Breaking Dawn. Check it out, and check out the comment from Lisa---comment 70 or something. Lisa makes some great points about what these books seem to be trying to teach teenage girls concerning love, sex, dealing with parents, and having babies.

Ginger Cookies

2008-07-24T16:15:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law bought these awesome ginger cookies at Costco. They are yummy.

Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull

2008-06-11T20:33:00.000-07:00

Bennett as Indi
Alright, in the first scene when Indiana Jones appears, the sequence goes like this: There are some very bad Soviets (their badness was established earlier). They open the trunk of a car and pull one guy out and toss him to the side. They then reach in and pull out a fedora and toss it on the ground. A second guy is pulled from the car. We don't see the second guy. We only see his feet in a long shot with the fedora in the foreground. The feet stagger a little, straighten up, walk to the hat. A hand reaches down and picks up the fedora The camera follows the fedora up the body where Indiana Jones places it on his head, cue theme music, spell is cast, my childlike Indiana Jones fanboy-dom is in full force. Considering this and that the movie brought back Marion Ravenwood, how on earth did it manage to be so bad?

Laraine as Indi

Don't get me wrong. The opening sequence of "Raiders" with thousands of year old booby traps still working perfectly and Indi managing to avoid them all is one of the greatest bits in all of film. I don't go to Indiana Jones for realism. I like escapist fantasy, but this went too far. One of the best descriptions of the movie I heard was that Indiana Jones used to be a clever, talented man who cheated death; this movie turned him into an invincible superhero. I'll put it still a hair above Temple of Doom, solely on the strength of the return of Marion, but this movie definitely detracts from the legacy of Indiana Jones. I think I'll just show my kids Raiders and try to keep them from the knowledge that the others were ever made as long as possible.

Jim Henson's The Frog Prince

2008-05-24T12:36:00.000-07:00

Good, clean entertainment for children and adults, this is one of my favorite productions from Jim Henson. It is hilarious. You've gotta love the dim-witted, but well meaning King, who delivers my favorite line, "I don't understand any of this, but it seems to be ending well." This film also introduces the wonderful character with whom you may be familiar from other muppet movies, Sweetums. You will also be treated to many fun songs, one of which has the truly great lyrics, "Sweetums, lay your ugly head down upon your wretched bed...Sweetums is so sweet and cute, go to bed, you stupid brute." And there is also the added bonus of Prince Robin's awesome hair. If you haven't seen this, you need to be enlightened. You can find a copy used on amazon.com.

Cook vs. Archuleta

2008-05-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

First, let me apologize for subscribing to this rather horrible phenomenon of the American public allowing the media to shove whatever they want at us and then getting us to vote more avidly for our favorite manufactured pop star than we do for our president. It is sad (but, hey, I guess it may be true that we actually do have more say as to what pop star we choose than we do with the candidates the parties shove at us). However, I have the small point of pride in that I've never actually voted for any manufactured pop star, and I have voted in all presidential elections since I turned 18. (Oh, how embarrassed I am to admit to having voted for Bush in 2000.) Okay, having made my disclaimer, I will now indulge in this rather horrific example of American priorities. Wow, how biased was Simon (isn't it weird how the voters kinda do what Simon tells them---it's almost, but not quite, as bad as how the parties dictate our candidates, at least I often agree with Simon)? I will say it was one of Archuleta's best nights and not Cook's best night. Still, I found Cook far more interesting, as always---I think mediocre Cook is better than Archuleta at his best. I thought Cook did well with "I Still Haven't Found what I'm Looking For"---Bono's tough competition though. "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is, in my opinion, a far inferior song, but I thought it was one of Archuleta's better performances. As for the lame Idol songs on the second round, I can't understand the praise for Archuleta over Cook on that one---they were both kinda lame songs, but I thought Cook did better with his and was more entertaining at least. Last songs, Archuleta reuses "Imagine" and does well, though I don't care for how he pops everything up so much. Cook's song was not as amazing as some he's done in the past, but I liked him trying something new, and I found his performance at least as good as Archuleta's. Maybe Cook had already set the bar so much higher than Archuleta, he had more trouble living up to past performances. Anyway, clearly Idol (Simon at least) was stacking the deck in Archuleta's favor, plus he's got all those prepubescent girls voting for him, so I guess he'll likely win, but I think Cook will end up with the better career either way. Cook is the first Idol for whom I've actually been tempted to take the trouble of voting because I enjoy his performances so much. He's the first Idol I'm interested in following beyond the show. All that being said, Archuleta seems like a sweet kid with a lovely voice, though his dorkiness is sometimes extreme, but hey, I like dorks.

Salad Dressing

2008-05-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

If you love Bleu Cheese dressing, Kroger all the way. It is the standard to which I hold all other Bleu Cheese dressing, and I haven't found better, which is great because it's cheap.
If it's Caesar you want...Brianna's is the way to go. Unfortunately, it's not as cheap, but it's excellent dressing.

American Idol Top 3

2008-05-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

Syesha--Hey, she picked it up with her Andrew Lloyd Webber performance, and yeah, she can sing, but generally, I'm bored. I was bored last night, even with "Fever." I have been liking her hair lately though.
David A.---So cute, such a pretty voice...B O R I N G... No offense, Archulta fans, I've just never actually wanted to listen to anything he's done twice. Last night...same old, same old... I'm even a Billy Joel fan, but Paula should've given him "Uptown Girl" or something that might have made David A. a little less boring. Of course, he probably would've ruined it by getting all croony and putting a bunch of vocal modulation in, but the Billy Joel song was certainly the best of the three.
David C.---Last night wasn't his best (for me that would be between "Hello" and "Eleanor Rigby") but as usual...not boring. I really liked his "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"---Simon was right to give him something out of his general realm---it's always cool to see what he'll do with songs like that (that's why I actually hope to see him sing one of those awful songs written for American Idol). David's own song choice...okay, but nothing special. The Aerosmith song...I thought he sang it very well (and yes, Kelly, the violins were cool), but I guess I missed a thing, because I never caught the vision with that song, and I even like Aerosmith---come on, you gotta love "Love in an Elevator"and "Dude Look Like a Lady"---but seriously, I'm a big fan of "Cryin'" and "Angel," but I guess I do wanna miss a thing. Anyway, you get the idea....I think David Cook was far better than the other two.

Twilight

2008-05-09T08:01:00.001-07:00

Everywhere I go, someone's talking about how much they love these Twilight books, so I'll go ahead and post a review of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer that I wrote for a family website a couple of years ago:

I really enjoyed reading Twilight, and it was a page turner. I'd say it was a better than average teeny bopper-vampire-romance novel. The back cover compares Twilight to Anne Rice's stuff, and that comparison is way out in left field. We do not have Anne Rice's signature elevation of evil, or maybe you would say disregard for morality (which has driven me to go on the wagon where Anne Rice is concerned---yeah, I heard, she converted to Christianity and has written a novel about Jesus---scary thought--not the conversion, the novel), nor do we have her beautiful mastery of using language to involve the senses (which I did enjoy). Even the vampires are vastly dissimilar. I will try not to give plot stuff away here. I think Twilight was better than L.J. Smith, but not as good as "Buffy" at its best (unfortunately, as I believe most of you would agree, "Buffy" and "Angel" weren't as good after their first few seasons). Twilight lacks that wonderful, poking fun at teeny-bopper/vampire melodrama humor that "Buffy" has. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the book a great deal, but there were some annoyances for me. I prefer it when staples of vampire lore are observed. I don't mind messing with a few things, but it really bugs me when sunlight doesn't hurt the vampire. (Often teeny-bopper-vampire romance novels need to fudge this so that the centuries-old vampires can attend high school---yes, cheesy. But at least in Twilight the sun is problematic for them.) I like the wooden stake thing, but I'm not horribly offended if it's taken out (the wooden stake is not mentioned in Twilight). I think allowing the vampire to be in sunlight makes it far too easy for the vampire. Humans would have no chance if not for that. Also, since in Twilight vampires don't lose their souls, can go out in sunlight, and are virtually indestructible, everyone would want to be one. That always bothers me too. I like it when being a vampire is somehow undesirable. In this novel our dark, dashing hero thinks he shouldn't turn his ingenue into a vampire, and we wonder why. I prefer something "Buffy"-like here. Vampire is tortured. In Angel's case, cursed with a soul he will lose should he become truly happy. Spike, though a fun character (we loved him watching "Passions" with Buffy's mom), I thought was handled poorly. They lost Angel and wanted another vampire for Buffy (well, Riley sure didn't work), but Spike developing his own morality didn't really fit in the "Buffy" universe. Sorry. Back to Twilight. Back to the ingenue. As is typical in romance novels (the better to make her everywoman), the heroine is rather dull. Her token character flaw is clumsiness that is somewhat unbelievable and gets annoying. Also, she sometimes seems kinda dumb, and we do wonder what Mr. Vampire finds so fascinating. For that matter (don't stone me, ladies), he's not really very original either, but he makes up for it by being a dashing, moody vampire, so who can resist him anyway? Despite the fact that I've spent a lot of time ripping, the book was a lot of fun.

Some Quick, Somewhat Random Reviews

2008-05-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

Gone With the Wind (book) - Excellent
Gone With the Wind (movie) - Excellent
A Tale of Two Cities -Excellent
Hop on Pop - Good for target audience, redundant for reader, but full of good rhymes
Dr. Seuss's ABC - Wonderful intro to literature
The Sneetches - Enjoyable to target audience with benefit of good social commentary
Guernica - overrated
The Exploration of the Colorado River - Dull, but Dan likes it
Hamlet - Excellent
All's Well that Ends Well - Not Will's best work
Huckleberry Finn - Excellent
Tom Sawyer- Pretty Good
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure - Excellent
Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey - Bogus, but for one redeeming moment involving the Grim Reaper and Battleship
Starry Night - Excellent
Father and Son (Cat Stevens) - Excellent
Dog is Doughnut (Cat Stevens) - Not Cat's finest
Our Town - Waste of Time
Cyrano - Excellent
Cyrano, the musical on the old record - Excellent
The Ballad of Davy Crocket - Excellent
The Swamp Fox - Excellent
Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban - Excellent
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Okay
Where the Red Fern Grows -Excellent
Return of the Native - Poopy
Wuthering Heights - Excellent
Dracula - Disappointing
The Brothers Karamozov - Excellent
The Phantom Menace - A Travesty
Hellboy -Surprisingly Enjoyable
The Day After Tomorrow - You get what you expect
The Raven -Excellent
One Hundred Years of Solitude - A strange experience
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire - Excellent
Barney's Sand Castle - So-so
The Pop-up Book of Phobias - Excellent
The Green Mile (book, not movie) - Excellent
It - Don't Waste Your Time
Raising Arizona - Excellent
Dr. Strangelove - Excellent
First Knight - Oh. That was horrible.
Sommersby (sp?) - Speaking of Richard Gere, that was awful too
The Original Large Painting of a Rainy City I got at the D.I. -Excellent
Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun - You will be reborn.

Obviously, this list neglects many important works, good and bad. It is just a sampling.

The Scarlet Pimpernel

2008-05-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

WARNING: This may give something away.
Begad, this book rocks! I don't think I'd read it since high school, and it was like falling in love again for the first time. Come on, he kissed every spot on the stairs her foot had touched! Odds fish, m'dear! That's demmed good melodrama. I took a long time reading it because I had to reread everything Percy said about six times for the pure joy of it. Lud, I have such a crush on Sir Percy. I admit it. I don't think Dan minds. I suspect he's got a man crush too. If you haven't read it, you are in for a smashing good time. Maybe I should embark upon the sequels.