All the time in the world

Magnet #1276 - Monet's Etretat, Cliff of d`Aval

This Monet painting, part of a million different Monet sets I have, reminds me of that scene in Goonies, where Sean Astin holds up that medallion and manages to extrapolate where the treasure's buried?

I re-watched Goonies on my own recently, since we didn't get around to it at our 80s movie day a couple of weeks ago. Such a fantastic movie. I really hope they never remake that one. Or do some lame sequel for it.

And, speaking of sequels - totally went to go see Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World. I won't lie - it was actually better than 3. And maybe even 2. But definitely not better than the original.

I should have definitely watched it in 3D - and still might go back to see it. You could just tell all the gags that should have been watched in 3D, rather than FlatD. They also give you this card to go along with Aroma-Scope. Which is totally gimmicky, but I totally bought into it...until the fart smell, anyway.

It was definitely cheesy and the new kids weren't as good as Juni and Carmen, but oddly, given that original Juni and Carmen themselves were about as awkward in their roles, it was pretty fitting. I was moderately entertained by Ricky Gervais as the dog, and Jessica Alba and Joel McHale as the parents of the new kids. Though it's scary that Jessica's started playing a mom (even a step-mom) so young.

I loved Jeremy Piven as Danger D'Amo - though, at times, I couldn't tell if he was having fun in the role, or if was in pain...from whatever.

What I loved best about the movie, though, is the life lesson - savor and enjoy the time you have because you won't get it back. No kidding.

Yep. Deep thoughts. From the Spy Kids franchise.

Timely, methinks, given my funtimejoy mentality of late.

"Don't expect me to join your Scooby Gang!"*

Magnet #1275 - Desert

Another of my Staples magnets. I know. I buy 'em where I find 'em, folks! The desert, for Las Vegas and surrounding Nevada desert featured in Fright Night, which I went to see this morning, first showing of the day, 3D and everything.

I was kind of apprehensive about it, only because while the original didn't scare me, folks were saying that this remake was good and proper scary. I mean, the last scary movie I saw in the theatre was The Ring - and that was by accident. (Like I'd really watch a movie with scary gross things coming from unlabeled VCR tapes...which make up half my collection here at home!)

Anyway, so I sucked it up and went - and it wasn't bad. Anton Yelchin was the most adorable of adorable cuteboys, and Colin Farrell, whom I've loved since Tigerland was a little too shifty-eyed and bushy-browed in it. But overall it was an ok movie.

And of course - playing a Criss Angel-like showman Peter Vincent, with some of the best lines*, I finally got to see David Tennant in all his "scrawny British" look and appendectomy scar in 3D glory. What? Per the links on DavidTennantonTwitter, that's what he called his uberskinny look on Chris Evans last week!

I know I just saw the guy last month, but man, seeing him in his little jeans and track jacket, and then hearing his patented David Tennant "Wellllll" made me realize how much I miss seeing him on my little TV screen.

I'll definitely buy the DVD of it - it's what I do. But, my guess is that they won't be doing any sequels to this movie, unless they manage to smash the international BO and kill on DVD.

But, until I get my DVD, and in lieu of being at the movie theatre every weekend til it goes away, I have the below David Tennant intro at Comic-Con to keep me happy.

Great expectations

Magnet #1269 - Treasure Island Bintan

In junior high, one of my best friends told me that my expectations were too high, and that inevitably, people would disappoint me, because it's impossible for them to live up to my standards.

This belief is likely a metastatement for every area in my life.

My sisters always mock me for always reporting back that one thing or another was just, "ok." Movies, parties, events, books, people, you name it.

Creative directors sometimes leave meetings with me feeling a little sad when I don't immediately cotton to one of their ideas, proclaiming it the best idea I'd ever seen from them.

And when friends say or do something that's incredibly disappointing to me, I take it personally. Admittedly, perhaps too personally.

In the end, my friend was right. I am inevitably disappointed by one thing or other, and have no one to blame but my great expectations.

On the other hand, it does make it all the more sweet when someone does do or create something that knocks my socks off, or impresses me to no end. You can tell when that happens - I'm usually dancing for, well, me, and generally grinning from ear to ear.

So yeah. Ya'll aim to skew that way. Please and thank you.

Oh! I picked this Treasure Island Bintan magnet today because we managed to make it through only two movies yesterday for 80s movie education day - Breakfast Club and surfer boy Spicoli's Fast Times. Did they hold up? Fairly well, actually - they're definitely a snapshot of America in a different time...but not so different that the stories, the characters and even wardrobe couldn't be found today.

And I know. Only two movies.

If ya'll know me at all, you know that as far as marathons go, even though we had a lot of fun and ate great food and hung out with fun people, I'm a little disappointed that we couldn't power through all eight movies - clearly, these friends haven't hung out with me enough to know it was totally possible.

What? It totally is!

"It's our time down here!"

Magnet #1268 - Paddington Bear's Shopping List

Spending the day in Jersey today, doing a quintessential 80s movie day for a friend of ours. Actually, a couple of friends who were only born the last 3 years of the 80s and a friend born in the new millennium, and therefore missed out on some of the best movies on the planet.

I know. 80s movies are not exactly the height of film couture (is that word even applicable here to film? whatever), but for better or worse, they're movies that defined a generation. And of course, it's our generation forcing the younger ones to pay attention today.

Not surprisingly, I owned most of the movies that we're putting up for selection, and was pleased as bunch to have an excuse to add a couple more to my movie collection. And, by no means is it an exhaustive set of choices for today, clearly there are some already seen movies that are missing (Top Gun, Raiders, Back to the Futures, etc.)...but it proves that I totes could spend days in DVD cabinet marathoning just movies from my childhood.

But on today's possible docket:

Sixteen Candles
"Duh-nuh-nuh-nuhnuh! You say it's your birthday!"

Breakfast Club
"Eat. My. Shorts."

Princess Bride
"As you wish."

Stand by Me
"Chopper! Sic balls!"

Fast Times at Ridgemont High
"All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine."

Better off Dead
"I want my two dollars!"

Goonies
"It's our time down here!"

SpaceCamp
"Whip me! Beat me! NASA's talking!"

Clearly, the ultimate test will be if the movies still resonate with the 12- and 24-year-olds coming to today's funfest. Mind you, I'm fairly sure that watching these movies (a few of which are the 25th anniversary editions, yikes) will make me realize that they were either supergreat or...not.

What's this have to do with this ultracute Paddington magnet I picked up at Paddington Station in London? Nothing much, other than I was keeping a running list in my head as to what we kept adding to the shopping lists - both for food and for movies.

Ok, I confess. Cookies, cookies are the only food on my list for today.

What?

"Ever have one of those days...

Magnet #1257 - Winnie and Eeyore

...where you just can't win?"

- Pooh, to Eeyore

Another Lovely Day Designs magnet...that I totally bought in anticipation of Winnie the Pooh.

Although it seems to me that if any of Pooh's friends had just given him some huney when he asked for it at the beginning of the (really less than) 63-minute movie, there would have been no need for the movie at all.

The poor guy - all he had was a rumbly in his tummy, and off he and his pals went on a very important adventure. A supercute, felt longer than 63 minutes, adventure.

While I hated the deliberate misspellings running rampant, I was most charmed by the interaction of all the characters and the actual book text. Watching Pooh and Eeyore and the rest of the bunch wrapping themselves around letters, or jumping on top of them, or pulling whole paragraphs across the page? Love. I haven't a clue if they do that in the book, though.

I know, I know. I should be shot for never actually having read Winnie the Pooh.

Sing a happy song

Magnet #1256 - Papa Smurf

I mean, who knew there were lyrics to the Smurf song? As near as I can tell, they didn't have one until the movie, but maybe I'm wrong.

The Smurfs was the third movie of my marathon yesterday - I couldn't wait, after months and months of waiting. And if you know me, you know that I'm not even kidding. I was totally looking forward to it.

With a cast of Neil Patrick Harris and Hank Azaria, plus the Smurfy voices of a million famous folks like Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, Anton Yelchin, you can't go wrong. Right?

I think it's half right. The storyline was ok, of the Smurfs and Gargamel getting smurfed all the way to NYC, how they made a small, but smurfy impact on marketing executive Neil Patrick Harris, and how they smurfed all around town. (Except for the ****SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!**** pigeons. My goodness, I wanted to run out of the theatre during that part.)

I really liked how they meta'd the Smurfs and Peyo, coming right out and explaining who they were. That was totally clever. But I was slightly uncomfortable with the new Smurfs, especially when they had big roles...what? I like my certain set of smurfs, and some of them should have had larger roles, instead of being left behind in the village. And psbtw, I missed Baby Smurf. I mean, I know he was like the Cousin Oliver of the Smurfs, but c'mon. Where?

Oh! And I also totally forgot about Smurfette's origin story. Yes, she has one. Go look it up.

The pacing was a little uneven, some parts dragged and some parts flew by, and some should have flown by. You could tell where things were dragging by the rustling of hundreds of little kids starting to get louder...which usually happened when only humans were on the screen. Yep. Everyone loves those smurfs.

The funny part is that the audience was really made up of all the parents who grew up on the Smurfs introducing a whole new generation to the little blue puffs of Smurfiness.

Wonder what they'll do for the sequel. Maybe NPH could show up in the new Smurf village. Hmmm. An animated NPH!

DJ Skribble's Smurf song remix, click at your own risk:

Captain America

Magnet #1255 - Captain America

Now I know I'm definitely back home, getting things back to normal - I did an almost full-day movie marathon today, watching Winnie the Pooh, Captain America and The Smurfs.

I probably could have squeezed in Transformers 3 (yes, I'm totes late on that one), but I didn't have it in me to fork over another $17 for a 3D movie. Oiy. Pricing's gone nuts up here!

I think I bought this magnet at one of the Comic-Cons, or maybe even Forbidden Planet down at Union Square, but I remember when I bought it, I was all excited about the movie coming out this year.

I was kinda disappointed today.

True to form, I fell asleep during a pretty important part - well, important to my sister, anyway. She's been waiting on Captain America because her boyfriend Richard Armitage was in it, and only for like 10 minutes. I totally missed about eight of those minutes.

Oops. I know, ridiculous to wake up and see cute Richard Armitage running away from Chris Evans. I'm sure I'll have to watch the RA sequence over again, probably with DCsis - whose birthday is today - Happy Birthday!

But it wasn't just that sequence - I fell asleep again, and woke up to Steve Rogers fronting the USO...and at that point, I figured you know what? Maybe I should just leave, and catch the earlier showing of The Smurfs at the next theatre. Then Steve Rogers had to go and save his BFF and 400 POWs.

Don't think I didn't spend the next hour considering walking out, but I'm glad I stuck with it, given all the cool Avengers content at the end. (C'mon, that's not a spoiler!)

I'm also glad, because it did remind me also that I totally forgot to see Thor in the theatres earlier this year.

Yep. I need to get on that.

Whose mountain is this?

Magnet #1251 - Mountain Valley

So here's the thing - I bought this random set of magnets from...well, Staples (shut up! I buy 'em wherever I find 'em). And the other three are like the Grand Canyon, a random cactus and what I think is like the Grand Tetons or something.

The point being, that this magnet should theoretically be a mountain valley in the United States.

Only, honestly, it feels like it's the African desert, kinda like how it looked in Hatari! (shut up! My favorite John Wayne movie!)

So I leave it up to you, Dear Reader to figure it out...

I came, I saw, I geeked out. Lessons from #SDCC. - Guest Blogger, DC Sister

Magnet #1250 - Buy More's Nerd Herd

Betcha can't have just one. That's kinda how my sister feels about San Diego Comic-Con.

We went last year for the first time ever, and had a terrific time, so she decided to head back this year. And, as if that weren't enough, she decided to get tickets for us for SDCC 2012.

I was saving this Chuck magnet for when I finally caught up on the last season, but it's clear that DCSis totally needed to guest blog on this magnet, given her almost 100% successful stalking of her cuteboys. (FYI, Nathan Fillion and Richard Armitage, look out for the short Asian chick pushing me out of the way to get to ya'll next year.)

Anyway, here's her sound advice to one and all...and maybe we'll see ya'll out in Cali next year.

- joy

____________________________________

Last week I went to San Diego to attend this obscure little event called Comic-Con International.

You may have heard of it.

About 130,000 people queued up for hours to see panels and navigate a crowded convention floor? Why would anyone do that?

I'll tell you why. Because for some godforsaken reason it actually turns out to be...kinda fun!

You just have to want it.

Lessons I learned at SDCC that I will take with me next year. Because there will be a next year (Three words: Hobbit. Richard. Armitage.)

1. Venture off-site.
   Last year all we did were the on-site events. This year Zachary Levi, from TV's Chuck, held the Nerd HQ, where you could play video games, chill and listen to celebrity panels for a good cause. I went to see stars from shows I love. And got their autographs! And 100% of my money went to Operation Smile!
   
   And I got to sit so close to Zach that I noticed the wallpaper on his phone looks suspiciously like the little man in that magnet up above! Definitely the highlight of the con for me. That and the awesome live Nerdist podcast with Doctor Who's Matt Smith and Karen Gillan - also off-site.
   
   
2. Expect the unexpected.
   I sat through two panels I thought I wouldn't care about while waiting for one I really wanted to see. Those two panels? Some of the best I saw.
   
   Christopher Moore was so entertaining I'll have to pick up one of his books. Tsuneo Goda is the creator of Domo! I heart him! His panel was just delightful. [I'll insert here that I learned this last year, sitting through Seth MacFarlane last year for other subsequent panels. Never knew him, didn't watch his shows, but fell promptly in crush with his gorgeous smile. What? - joy]
   
   
3. Make sacrifices, not choices.
   Comic-Con isn't about what you choose to do, but what you choose to give up in order to do something else. It's the "Sophie's Choice" of pop culture: Which panel do you choose: Firefly vs. Torchwood? Joss Whedon vs. John Barrowman vs. Chris Hemsworth? Argh.
   
   
4. Be prepared.
   I would make a terrible paparazzo. That's probably a good thing. But it means my pics of Tom Hardy, Kevin Smith and Frank Darabont on the convention floor are...not good.
   
   But I am good at grabbing swag. Yay me for getting not one, but TWO Mockingjay pins. (Read The Hunger Games, folks; you'll thank me.)
   
   
5. Spread the love.
   I went to SDCC by myself. Yes, I know. AWWWWW. But I met superfun people, including Joy's blogger friend - The GoldenGait Bridge, her fiance and friend, not to mention the random strangers in line. There's nothing better than discussing which Chuck episode is your favorite or which Doctor is your Doctor (I had this convo several times with several people), than with people who get it.

The best thing about Comic-Con is that no matter what your into - comics, video games, TV, movies, celeb-spotting - there will be very little judgment or hostility.

Unless (apparently) you're a Twilight fan. Then all bets are off.

Herbie goes to Wales

Magnet #1221 - Herbie

So here's random. On a lark, DCsis made us do an unexpected right turn into a Cardiff green market. Really cool place, complete with bread stalls and warm Welsh Cakes, and local wares.

While she was busy exploring the yarn, I walked down to another stall - one of those run-of-the-mill catch-all stalls, the ones that sell household gadgets and odds and ends.

The vendor had a bank of magnets, and in a sea of VW magnets, Ocho here caught my eye.

I haven't a clue what Herbie was doing all the way in Cardiff in a random shop, but of course, I had to buy him! Growing up, Disney's Herbie franchise was one of my favorites - I loved that little VW Bug!

He was awesome. He could win races, and escape bulls and matadors, and make friends with supercute boys, and he even had a girlfriend!

My favorite of the series is still Herbie Goes Bananas, and one of my favorite scenes to this day is when little Paco, the boy who saved him from uncertain death, rolling the plank on Harvey Korman's cruise ship, gives him his nickname, Ocho.

In the cutest little voice ever, he exclaimed: "Ocho! Five plus three makes eight! Ocho!"

And, yes, I just tried to find that exact scene on YouTube, but you'd be amazed at how many tribute videos there are. Yes. To Herbie.

Anyway, using this magnet today, because someone over at Next Movie re-imagined seven famous cars as Pixar creations, and Ocho is one of them.

Superdupercute!

Oh, how nifty, look who's 50! Happy birthday, George Clooney!

Magnet#1169 - Houston Astronaut

I love this Houston magnet - totally bought it in the Houston airport, though I'm wishing that one space store had been open, cuz I think they would have had such cooler magnets. Like a NASA one that says, It's not Rocket Science (except that it is)! Eh, maybe next year.

Anyway, I'm using this magnet today because it's the closest magnet I had at the ready for George's birthday.

Ya'll know how much I love my boyfriend. But, I will readily admit: I totally fell asleep during Solaris.

I'm sorry, George. Do you hate me?

Please don't. I've watched all of your other movies and own them, too. Including Red Surf. And dude, I oughta get a medal for that one.

Anyway, happy 50th birthday!

Love and kisses,
joy

Unrealized potential

Magnet #1165 - James Dean, Giant

Bought this magnet from my Union Square magnet guy - it's James Dean in Giant, where he plays arguably his best role, as a bitter ranch hand who turns into a wealthy oil wildcatter. I figured it was a fitting magnet for our first day at OTC, the Offshore Technology Conference (#OTCHouston), one of the largest oil & gas industry trade shows.

James Dean was only 24 when he died, and had only three movies to his name, and yet it feels like every girl goes through a James Dean phase at some point in their lives, no?

It's partly the "every girl wants to reform the bad boy" mentality, but for me, he was just awesome. And awesomely hot.

I'm sure my parents wondered if I'd done the math and knew that he'd died back in the 50s, but I was certainly the only one my age who totally had some iteration of his boulevard of broken dreams poster on my wall. I still own his movie set, even though it's been years since I've cracked them open. If I were totally honest, I'm sure if I look hard enough, that poster's somewhere, too.

I still get mad that he died so young - I mean, he had two Oscar noms in three movies. Amazing. He was amazing. Just like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger, so much unrealized potential. Argh.


"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today."

- James Dean

Last call - Escape Home to NYC Day #4

Magnet #1163 - HERE ZOMBIE

This magnet my friend brought back from the Romantic Times convention best represents how I feel right now.

After three days of running around town like a girl with a hall pass, it would seem that NYC has kicked my ass.

As I write, I'm running a low-grade fever, all aches and sniffles...putting off packing for Houston because I don't really want to get up off the bed. OIY. There went my Explore Brooklyn Day plans, along with my back-ups of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Festival, and even the antique show I wanted to check out.

I did pretty good though, despite myself, brunching on the UWS and watching Fast Five. Yep, only #prettyboys and #fastcars could have made me break my self-imposed NYC movie theatres ban. (But, well worth the effort, because it was one of the better of the franchise - the twist at the end more than made up for its silly Ocean's 11 slant.)

Anyway, so this is how my escape home to NYC trip ends, with a sneeze and a sniffle, rather than a Tom Collins w/ a splash of cran to celebrate tomorrow's birthday. No matter, at least I won't be hungover for the Houston flight in the morning. So there's that.

Thanks, NYC, for the fun four days here at home - I squeezed in enough good times and food to last me through the next couple of months.

And then hopefully, I'll be coming home to stay.

You're my best friend

Magnet #1086 - Purin

Well, I don't know about you, but when I saw this little Hello Kitty character magnet from my Sanrio 50th set, I wasn't exactly sure what it was. I mean, he looks like he's wearing an acorn hat, so maybe he's a chipmunk or some woodland creature. But then he has floppity ears, so maybe he's like an unspotted beagle?

I had to look him up on the Hello Kitty site just to make sure. Turns out, he's a Golden Retriever, who likes pudding, and has a best friend named Muffin.

I dunno why, but that best friend Muffin reminded me of this video that DCsis has been talking about for a few weeks now. STWsis' BFF @kfriez Tweeted the below AOL video with two boys acting out The King's Speech.

We haven't been able to stop watching it since.

You’re watching Kids Act Out - The King’s Speech. See the Web's top videos on AOL Video

Taking chances

Magnet #1052 - Michelle Williams, Dawson's Creek

I've been holding on to this magnet for a while, because along with me, a certain demographic will always remember Michelle Williams as the bad girl next door, Jen Lindley.

So of course, I had to use it for today's Blue Valentine Q&A session with Michelle and @ditzkoff for the NYTs Arts & Leisure Weekend.

Funny how my first impression of her was that she was so tall! Then I saw her four-inch Louboutins. But, goodness, I've always thought they looked alike, but she and Carey Mulligan really must do a movie as sisters, because they're practically twins with the same pixie cut that I heart so very much.

But what followed was a good conversation between the two of them, about

• Blue Valentine (and how she and Ryan Gosling lived together for a month to have that couply background together- "except for the nighttime stuff")
• about her latest project (just got finished shooting the Marilyn Monroe bio...let's take a moment to smile about how Jen Lindley ended up playing Marilyn Monroe, while Joey Potter ended up playing Jackie O.)
• about her career (how she doesn't really map it according to what people expect her to do), and
• about her choices (that she's learned that whenever she's been torn about doing something - making lists and asking people for advice on what to do, deliberating hard, that it usually wasn't the right decision for her).

Itzkoff even asked her about her Creek days (bless), and she was totally open to talking about it. Apparently, James Van Der Beek once told her she was lucky, because she wasn't part of "such a strong triangle" that of all of the Creekers, she'd get away from Dawson's scott-free.

And, she has, for the most part. George Clooney once said that once you've been nominated for an Academy Award, whether you win it, or not, you'll always have Academy Award-Nominee in front of your name. And that's what comes before Michelle Williams' name now.

I've never understood why anyone was surprised when she was nominated - it was always obvious from any one of Jen's downward spirals that Michelle Williams was the actor who wasn't afraid to take chances in her work. She was just good. Like others have said, their time on the show was like six and a half years of acting class, a place to get rid of bad habits, and try out new things, and figure out what works for her and what doesn't.

Dudes, she even mentioned the funny walk Jen started doing! So funny, because just last night I was like, what is up with Jen and this funny walk? (No, seriously. To the point where I was totes surprised when Michelle walked so gracefully across the stage in her four-inch killer heels.)

And, yeah. You read right. Just last night. I'm totally in the midst of a Creekathon. For a couple of reasons, really. First, because I have the complete series box set that I never really cracked open. Second, because almost every day, @Creek_Quotes Tweets a DC quote, and I can pretty much pinpoint every episode it comes from. Third, because I was looking forward to seeing today's session with Michelle, and wanted to see her very early work.

But, the real impetus for my Creekathon is because of James Van Der Beek's Jamesvandermemes Funny or Die site, part of Van Der Week, where there's four videos to watch. And, if you haven't seen the Vandermemes vid:

Vandermemes from James Van Der Beek

How much is that doggie in the shelter?

Magnet #1021 - Pennsylvania

My friends and I love roadtripping through the gorgeous and peaceful countryside of Pennsylvania, in particular, Lancaster County. We've been back a couple of times over the years, each time discovering something new or different.

Tonight, I went to the premiere of Madonna of the Mills, an illuminating documentary that a friend of mine wrote and directed, and it taught me something a lot different about Amish and Mennonite country.

Little did we know that as we were sampling the wares of these gentle people, they were raising a different agriculture product that few people know about.

Puppies.

You know those terribly cute puppies you see in the pet shops? The ones that are anxiously running around, hoping you'll bring them home with you? Chances are, that those cute little guys got to that pet store via a Lancaster puppy mill. And if not there, then a puppy mill in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas or Oklahoma.

They're not happy places. Like, at all. Basically, these mills are composed of hundreds of dogs kept in steel cages that are regulated (by the USDA, no less) to be about 6 inches bigger than the dogs themselves. They keep the mama dogs in those miserable, dirty cages for all of their lives, breeding litter after litter, until they're too worn out to breed any more. And then they get rid of them.

Madonna of the Mills is the story of one woman's quest to save as many of those dogs as possible. She's part of a dog rescue network that goes into Amish country, take the used and abused dogs, rehabilitate them, and try to place them wherever they can.

Admittedly, I am so not a dog person. Like, at all. But, watching the dogs being liberated, and their abuse-victim behavior was truly heart-breaking. One dog refused to pull her head out of the corner, and she ran away from the Shy Dog class! So very sad!

But, the film's tone isn't bleak. There's hope. There's the rescued dog that's become the faithful companion to a young autistic child. There's the fact that this woman has helped saved more than 2,000 dogs. And, then, there's the fact that there are people out in this world risking so much, and giving so much to help out these dogs.

That, in itself, makes you believe in the goodness of mankind.

So, the lesson for the evening is not to buy a puppy mill dog from your local pet store, or online. Check the shelters, check with a vet, but check.

He seems to be saying it rather well

Magnet #1010 - King George VI (1936-1952)

A few weeks ago, I managed to squeeze into a 92Y audience for a screening of the film, The King's Speech, followed by an hour-long Q&A with Colin Firth.

If I may take a moment to say (accompanied by a little girly squee, natch), ya'll I was so close to the stage, I could see the red lint on his black pants. Seven rows back, was I - not bad, for having bought my ticket an hour before showtime.

If you don't know, The King's Speech is a Tom Hooper indie about King George VI and his work to overcome his speech impairment. The second son of King George V, Bertie (his nickname to his family, Prince Albert to the public) never expected to rule, until his older brother abdicated the throne a year into it, for that Mrs. Wallis Simpson.

Even before he ascended, Bertie's fears of public speaking had led to numerous public gaffes, and he'd already gone through a few experts for help help. But, in Lionel Logue (played by Geoffrey Rush), the man who would be king finds a friend, mentor and coach, helping him to deliver many speeches over his lifetime.

The film's been on the film festival circuit for a while, and is finally being distributed - this weekend was its opening, and it did pretty well. Not surprising, given the cast of Firth and Rush, rounded out by Helena Bonham-Carter, Michael Gambon, Derek Jacobi, and even a splash of Jennifer Ehle.

But on top of that, watching this poor man suffer and work through his stuttering, his family, and especially through his speech therapist makes for such an engaging story. By the end, you just want to cheer...but it'll be hard, through the tears.

The Q&A after the screening was a lot of fun to sit through. Colin was wearing his glasses of smart, and it makes me wonder if all dashing UK actors buy their glasses of smart at the same glasses of smart spectacles shop. He went through the filming process (working with Hooper and Rush), and talked about being able to see the first-hand source material (which was important, since he didn't have access to the royal family and the king wasn't available for "kinging" with him). And he mentioned that Helena liked to have her own little army of experts ("other people read the books, Helena just gets the authors.").

Such a great interview. Such a great movie.

Go. Now. Why are you still reading this magnetpost. Go!

To infinity and beyond, indeed

Magnet #1003 - Fredric Edwin Church's Aurora Borealis

What a gorgeous painting. My friends brought this back for me a few weeks ago.

Do you suppose, back in 1860, when Fredric Edwin Church painted his Aurora Borealis, that he ever thought that man would be Tweeting the same image...from space?

While I get it's totally a PR mechanism for NASA, I can't even believe that all the astronauts are allowed to Tweet...much less from space. And holding Tweet Ups? Wha?

It's like the coolest thing - ever. The astronaut who Tweeted that image (@astro_soichi) has already gone home, so I've started following @astro_wheels and @NASA_Astronauts. I won't lie, it's mainly because in my head, I'm totally envisioning how the kids from Space Camp would have Tweeted. (@JinxtheRogueRobot: "@Max and @Jinx, friends foooooreeeeeever!" or @ImTish: "Whip me, beat me, take away my charge card, NASA'S TALKING!")

Anyway, from this Church painting to those Twitpics, it's truly unbelievable how far we've come in the last couple of centuries.

Back then, it was amazing that Dr. Isaac Hayes was leading an expedition to the Arctic, and that he made it back alive. He's the one who brought back sketches from his trip, and gave them to Church to paint. Folks actually considered this painting a portent of doom, an omen for the ensuing conflict between North and South.

Now, we're marveling over Twitpics from space. Whew.

They weren't you, honey.*

Magnet #994 - Marion Ravenwood

I love seeing Harrison Ford positively everywhere lately. I'm not even a huge fan, it's just nice to see the guy out and about and on people's sofas. He was on Kimmel this week. Kimmel. And? He was actually pretty funny.

(Plus, there's something hot about Harrison Ford, journeyman carpenter. Pictures. We need to find those. Surely some woman took a picture of her hot carpenter. No? Really? What a waste.)

So, seeing all the commercials for Morning Glory, and hearing the news that he lobbied for Han Solo to kick it in Return of the Jedi, and hearing his gravelly voice all over the place, kinda makes me want to rewatch his whole Netflix oeuvre, starting from scratch. Kinda.

For sure, I need to re-watch all of the Indiana Jones movies, because after reading Marion Ravenwood's Indy wiki, it feels like there's a whole Indyverse that I've missed out on. Like, seriously. Just scroll down to the bottom of that page, there's appearances everywhere, including non-canonical ones! And two from the LEGO Indiana Jones alone. (Ok, what?)

And I've always thought I needed to watch the Star Wars saga back to back, to back to back, to back to back. (Guess what I just added to my Netflix queue. This could take a while.)

So, I guess the question is, should I also add in the Jack Ryan series? I mean, they're great, but not epic. Plus, no one's dressing up at Comic-Con as Jack Ryan.

For sure, I don't need to rewatch Witness or Mosquito Coast, or Frantic, or Working Girl, and definitely not Six Days, Seven Nights.

Though, I've never really seen Regarding Henry.

Oh, yeah. This could take a while. I'm not making any promises, honey.

*Indy to Marion, in Crystal Skull. I've never really believed that they procreated together, but I'll admit that if they manage to make a new Indy series with Mutt the Greaser, I will totally be there for it.

It was the best of branding, it was the worst of branding

Magnet #976 - Concentric Circles

If you'll allow me a quick rant to explain my earlier Tweets today, and why I've picked this magnet, which looks a lot like this logo for today.

After a @TCM Tweet this afternoon about their traveling roadshow, I fairly quickly ran down to Grand Central Terminal to see it. (No. Seriously. The Tweet popped up on my TweetDeck at like 2:42 and I was there by 3:30.)

TCM partnered with Verizon with a really great exhibit supporting their Movies & Moguls 7-part original series about the history of Hollywood. Must watch, cannot wait!

Because it was TCM, of course their exhibit was well designed, and very much in keeping with their overall brand identity - I love seeing off-air marketing emulate the on-air marketing, it does a branding heart good.

These pictures don't really do it justice, I know. The exhibit itself was a little small for Vanderbilt Hall, it was slick and nicely produced, and the people manning the area were friendly and engaging.

They had a few costumes on display, but I particularly loved the interactive kiosks. They taught me how bad I am at old Hollywood trivia, and showed me Jack Warner's address book with Bette Davis, Walt Disney and other luminaries. I've seen it a dozen places in the books, but I got to spin the little nickelodeon thing with the horse - that was cool. And, they described the leading ladies and men of the time.

Loved it. And, by the looks of all the press visits (or they could have been fellow bloggers, who knows), they enjoyed it, too.

Most of all, it totally whetted my appetite for the series debut on November 1. That's called great audience outreach. Go. See it now. No, I mean it. Now. It's only there til tomorrow!!!!

By an incredible and garish contrast, Thomson Reuters installed a giant display on the other side of the hall. Where TCM's installation was dwarfed by the giant Vanderbilt Hall at GCT, Thomson Reuters was a massive behemoth, with dual-LED displays lighting up the whole hall and beyond. It was a huge white hole, plushly carpeted, with computers and displays set up inside, from what I could tell. Nicely branded (as one would expect for TR to be, of course) and even if it was bright as hell, the display show graphics with the messaging and images were great.

When I first walked into the hall, after my eyes had been visually assaulted by the giant LED displays, I noticed they had at least 3 or 4 people manning the outside of the monstrosity, all in business outfits, shifting from one foot to the other. Not talking to anyone, watching traffic walk by.

I felt bad for them, because the TCM space was moderately trafficked, while no one was at the TR end. It really did seem rude to look at what TCM had to offer, and not wander over to the snazzy TR display, too.

But, any goodwill I'd built up walking across the way was dashed by the woman (who had earlier been chatting up a TCM rep in his space) manning the TR entrance. In fact, I went specifically to her, because I had seen her with the TCM dude.

Mind you, I was hardly the height of fashion in jeans and tennies, and an old Izod golf shirt, with my fleece tied around my waist and hair in a ponytail. Clearly, I wasn't a financial person. Or even a business person. Or even the demographic for whatever TR was hawking.

But here's how the conversation went:

Me, smiling broadly: "I feel like I should visit you guys because you built this giant display!"
Her, smiling: "I know, it's really big! Though, really, it's for a financial product."
Me, peering into the room, and then checking my watch that said 3:45: "Hmmm, really? Which means you have to wait for all the financial guys [commuter traffic] to get here at 5, huh?"
Her, hesitating: "Well, you could go in, if you wanted to, there's people inside. But, it's really more of a financial thing."
Me, smiling broadly, unable to believe she would try to not actively drive traffic into their space, given that there was one or two people inside the cavernous display: "No, thanks."

I was completely floored. I get that the ROI on that giant box that Thomson Reuters built is pretty high. Meaning - sell even one of their fancy-schmancy Eikon product and make back the money on spent to build the box. They can certainly afford to be discerning about who they let into the room. But, traffic is traffic. And moreover? Traffic begets traffic - particularly when you're at Grand Central Station.

Don't get me wrong here, folks. Fair play to Thomson Reuters - I love the branding machine behind their identity - the logo design, the huge launch campaign, the messaging, and almost everything from a graphic standpoint. Dudes, I smile when I see the TR logo on the building along I-95 in Stamford! I have a lot of heart for that brand.

But, honestly, for me, this is one of those times when brand management should extend down to the masses of employees, even the chick manning the door.

eta:
On a side note. Thomson Reuters chick could take a page from the superdupernice Teavana salesgirl at Paramus Park Mall. My 14-year-old hipster cousin just wanted to try a sample, and even though the two of us didn't look like we were on the market for the $40 1/2-pound tea? The sales girl was doing her damndest to educate us on the product, and was blind to the audience she was selling to.