La La Lie

Last night I got the chance to watch the latest episode of LIE TO ME, which is by far one of my favorite shows to watch! It now comes on Monday nights, but I didn't get a chance to see it due to other plans, so I got to watch it last night. It's been on hiatus for a bit and just began with new episodes for the summer, which is GREAT since Glee and Bones are done until the fall, and LOST is forever resting in pieces :(

. . . hang on folks, just give me a minute while I cry in a corner . . .

Okay. Moment's over. Anyway, as I was saying . . .

My summer viewing has been resurrected by the re-appearance of LIE TO ME. I always wanted to go to study psychology, and I think it's actually quite fitting that the place I work at outsources counseling resources. But this show, is like the cherry on top. I seriously wish that I would have taken some college courses in studying in-depth psychology and micro-expressions. I mean, I remember taking Psychology in High School and just feeling like a kid in a candy shop! I love it!

But LIE TO ME is a favorite show because excels in maintaining a healthy balance of character development, with a focused field of study, and a good amount of snarky/witty writing that doesn't detract from the bigger goal.* The direction, character arcs, and scenarios are just a great balance for what I enjoy in a TV show.

I would be lying** if I said that this show doesn't compel me to pay more attention to people's micro-expressions more. I do. I just do. And it fascinates me. I also love how they incorporate real life photos/video footage of leaders, pop icons, and other familiar faces to serve as examples. So many things about this show inspire me as a writer, as a creative, and as a viewer in general.

So if you also find yourself intrigued by psychology, good drama, and lots of snark, you should check it out (Monday nights on FOX). The good news is, you can still watch a few of the past episodes on HULU! ;p

Here are some things for your consideration:

* plus, the guy that plays Eli Loker is pretty foxy. Just sayin'
**see what I did there?? ;P

Missing My Baby

Do you guys remember that short-lived show, THE BLACK DONNELLY'S?



Lately I've been missing it :(

I was in LOVE with that show!! Such good writing, great plots, lots of drama, mobster action and some fun accents. I brought back a stack of unlabeled DVDs (and other stuff I hadn't had the chance to bring with me before) from home. I spent the last 2 weeks going through them and finally labeling them according to what was on them. Alas, my season 1 (the only season before it was cancelled) iTunes files were nowhere to be found :(

So now I resort to watching vids of it on YouTube. I just don't know whether to give up looking for the episodes I had saved to DVD or if I should just go ahead and re-order it on Amazon. :(

SuperStar

Okay so if you didn't get to watch this past Saturday's SNL, you really missed out :) (at least when it comes to SN—hahahaha) She was HILARIOUS!

My favorite part by far was her monologue song. It was brilliant!


I gotta admit, I didn't really know what to expect. I mean, I'm not a full blown "T.Swizzle" fan, but I do have some of her songs on my iTunes and I like them. I do. But when it comes to doing stand-up comedy, that stuff is HARD. I mean, to be funny to your friends is one thing. To be funny—genuinely funny—to a nationwide audience is a TOTALLY different thing, but Taylor Swift OWNED on SNL. If you get a chance, go to hulu.com and watch the collection. Though I must admit, the only one I didn't like was the jail cell one. It was silly and the fact that they've done it before just kinda made it the most blah part for me. But all the others were great! :D

My runner up had to be the Twilight parody, FIRELIGHT—soooo funny!!


Oh okay, my third place goes to the Carter & Sons BBQ commercial ;)

Surfin' USA

Loved tonight's episode of Glee! Watching the football team dance to Single Ladies was so funny!



And there was a good amount of drama and humor sprinkled throughout. However, before the show came on, I decided to flip through the channels. Here's what I came across . . .

I watched UNWRAPPED on The Food Network tonight



I gotta admit . . . I can never look at sweets the same way again. :( They showed some of the melting pots and holding bins for the additives and other things used in the process of making some famous sweets and it was SO gross looking. Seeing a guy pull a ladel full of goo out of a goo crustified vat is so unappetizing. :(

Then I flipped the channel and came across a TV show called, "I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS PREGNANT."



And it had this girl who didn't know she was pregnant (obviously) who went to the bathroom and out popped the kiddo into the toilet and she left it in there cause she was freaking out. I have NO idea how crazy things like this happen. I mean, in all of my reasoning, you would KNOW that you were pregnant, but I guess not. Man. I just don't know. I mean, it OBVIOUSLY happens often, or they couldn't make a show about it. But man. just. wow. That is SO bizarre.

In other news, I think that learning to eat better is definitely doing a lot for me. I mean, I feel better, I breathe easier, but most of all, I've gained a stronger will to say no to some things that I used to just gorge on. For instance, I saw a commercial today for Olive Garden's Never-Ending Pasta Bowl special, and seeing the food, grossed me out. I mean, I used to eat that stuff like it was going out of style—like have at least 2 refills with various sauces and pastas. But now, the thought of eating that much pasta in one setting makes me feel queasy. This is most likely a good thing. But there's a part of me that worries that I'll never be able to enjoy those "super fantastic tasty" foods again. But in the meantime, I'm thankful for being able to learn more about making wiser food choices. Baby steps, right?

Laughing Out Loud

Time for a quick blog while I have my morning coffee :D

As I delve more and more into screenwriting, I am discovering that even though I happen to be a funny girl, there are still so many doubts as to how to write that into an actual script. Because I can think of the perfect retort to something in the script, but then you have to think, "Would he really come back with something that quickly in that situation? Or would it take him a moment to get his brain in gear to just whip right back like that."

I think that the two genres that scare me the most as a novice screenwriter is HORROR and COMEDY. Which is funny because some of my favorite movies fall into those categories... but the thought of writing one of my own- freaks me out! Because like I said, I consider myself funny, and I DEFINITELY have funny experiences to glean from, but when you're talking a larger audience that you have to "win over" with your story and jokes or scary imagery and such...there's a TON of pressure. Take for instance a movie you've gone to and you're like, "man, they're just trying way too hard to be funny." That's what I fear the most. That I'm gonna write something that only I get.

Learning screenwriting and what it takes to really make the audience fall in love with your script on screen, I've really come to appreciate the antics that go on at SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. I never really used to watch the show, but lately I've been like... constantly waiting for Hulu to upload new episodes and trying to remind myself to watch on Saturday nights (this rarely happens, sadly). But man, these writers...are phenomenal. Granted, not all of them are funny all the time, but man, they still do a GREAT job. I've read a lot of comments from people who are like, "SNL is just not funny anymore..." and I'm like...WHAT ROCK ARE YOU LIVING UNDER? The competition is MadTV and ... well... just MadTV... and let's get real, SNL dominates! It's such a fun unique show...and there's hardly any really quality comedy coming on TV that's not in a movie. So, SNL writers, I salute you! (not sure they'll get the message, but what the hey)

And in honor of that, here are some of my recent favorites! Enjoy!











PS: This morning I was getting on the bus and totally slipped on the step and face planted into the doorway. It was classic! I laughed so hard. I am "THAT GIRL." hahahahahaha!

That's What Friends Are For

I have been so blessed to have some of the best friends ever!!!  :D   One of my awesome friends is Andrew Simo, who I lovingly refer to as Mo Mo.  I know I don't get a TON of traffic to my blog, but if you don't mind watching Mo Mo's video application for THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD, I would LOVE for you to vote for him at http://www.islandreefjob.com/#/applicants/watch/sJhoIzhGnkE

Here is his application video for you to watch as well:

Mo Mo has stood by me and encouraged me when I was chasing my big dreams and I want to do the same by asking you to PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go vote for him!  Thank you so much and thank you for checking out my blog!

Bright Red Star

***UPDATE***

I just read the list of winners and I'm posting the awardees below! Right predictions will be in green and wrong predictions will be in red. :D

I got 10 right and 14 wrong.  :( eh.  :D 



It's OSCAR night, baby! I must admit, I am a sucker for award shows! I love seeing the pretty dresses and hearing the speeches and seeing if my fave movies win or not...and the music is pretty awesome too! However, I'm not gonna be able to actually watch the OSCARS tonight cause I have something else I gotta be at. But I did want to at least get my OSCAR predictions/choices in before the big event! And none of my suggestions may win... but we'll see. :D

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:

Sean Penn [MILK]

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:

Heath Ledger [THE DARK KNIGHT]

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:

Angelina Jolie [CHANGELING]

Kate Winslet [THE READER]

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:

Viola Davis [DOUBT]

Penelope Cruz [VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA]

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:

Wall.E

ART DIRECTION:

Changeling

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

CINEMATOGRAPHY:

The Dark Knight

Slumdog Millionaire

COSTUME DESIGN:

Revolutionary Road

The Duchess

DIRECTING:

Slumdog Millionaire

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:

Trouble The Water

Man On Water

DOCUMENTARY SHORT:

Smile Pinki

FILM EDITING:

The Dark Knight

Slumdog Millionaire

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:

The Class

Departures

MAKEUP:

The Dark Knight

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

MUSIC (SCORE):

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Slumdog Millionaire

MUSIC (SONG):

"Down To Earth" for WALL.E

"Jai Ho" for Slumdog Millionaire

BEST PICTURE:

Slumdog Millionaire

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED):

Oktapodi

La Maison En Petits Cubes

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION):

The Pig

Spielzeugland (Toyland)

SOUND EDITING:

The Dark Knight

SOUND MIXING:

Slumdog Millionaire

VISUAL EFFECTS:

The Dark Knight

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY):

Slumdog Millionaire

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY):

Milk

When I get home later, I'll check the results and highlight the ones I got right  :D  wheee!!  Happy OSCARS Everyone!!  :D

Clear The Stage

So no lie, I'd kinda like to be a comedienne. It's true. I love to make people laugh! Though I must admit...I don't think i'd be a good one. I'm one of those types of people that says funny things off the cuff, but when you put me on the spot, I tend to draw a blank. And what's worse is that some of the funniest stuff...and I'm not just saying i'm funny because i'm self-centered, other people have told me i am (they may be liars)... is when I'm by myself or walking down the street. This makes me "that girl" that laughs randomly in public. I don't know why I can't perform on spot...i just can't. :(

I wish I could show you the video i recorded of me doing my first American Idol impression...but I deleted it a while back and can't recover it. :( So I guess my only other option is to re-record something that I think might make you laugh. But it might not be as hilarious and you might think I'm dumb, which is totally cool...so long as it brings a smile to your face. Be forewarned, the video is kinda long (7 mins.) and I won't blame you if you don't watch it all. So, without further adieu...CUE THE INDIAN!



I know I know...it's not that funny...but in all fairness...I put myself on the spot. ;) k. now that i sound like a complete loser, I hope you have a happy day! :D

Once When I Was Little

When I was a kid, I used to love watching the cartoon show, ANIMANIACS! It was seriously so funny! And today when I was walking to the bus stop after spending a FUN FUN FUN day with Jessica Vodegel, I saw some people walking and I don't know why, but seeing them walking made me think of The Animaniacs...specifically a segment called "GOOD IDEA, BAD IDEA." It wasn't anything they were doing that triggered it, I just kinda remembered it. And the whole way home I kept trying to remember some...and one that I remember was the GOOD IDEA: Throwing a surprise party for your father, BAD IDEA: Throwing a surprise party for your grandfather...cause I totally remembered the guy keeling over from the sheer shock and how silly it was. Well, I did some snooping on YouTube and came across some of the GOOD IDEA, BAD IDEA segments. I hope they make you laugh as much as they made me laugh! :D

The Grammy Song

It has come and gone ladies and gents...the 2009 Grammy Awards! And as always, here is my take on the evening. Sadly, I only caught the back half of it. So I'll only capitalize on what I DID see. Overall, I thought that all the winners deserved their hard earned awards. I thought it was funny/awesome/eye-opening that a lot of the winners were from the UK, which is amazing! I seriously think that UK artists have so much talent and just a fresh take on music in general. Love it! One big regret is that I didn't make it home in time to see U2 perform. :( I enjoyed most of the performances I saw and I was actually shocked and amazed that they didn't have to bleep out Samuel L. Jackson's presentation...though I will admit...Green Day's presentation seemed a bit haphazard. Here's my list of "Grammy Hits" which is really just a catchy phrase for things that stood out to me at the Grammys. :D

KID ROCK...SERIOUSLY?

Okay. so this is totally a rant. but isn't it about time that kid rock stepped away from a microphone? He's like... the biggest joke in any music genre he attempts. Isn't there a Burger King out there looking for him? Step away, kid. And change your freakin' name!

KATY PERRY IS CARMEN MIRANDA

I totally didn't notice it at first. I was trying to figure out what was up with all the fruit. I mean, I know the song mentions cherry chapstick, but I wasn't sure that it should warrant the bombarding fruitopia theme. But apparently it's katy's signature style. The funny part came when I asked my roommate why Katy Perry was wearing fruit and her response was, "Oh that's easy. She's trying to be Carmen Miranda. Except she's not wearing it on her head. She's wearing it on her dress." That's when it all made sense.

CUTEST ACCEPTANCE SPEECH AWARD GOES TO:

ADELE!! Can I just say that this girl is phenomenal? Great voice, great stage presence, and just such a doll! I blushed for her when she got the award for best new artist and was like, wiping away sweat and was so humble in her acceptance. I can't wait for her sophomore album!

FOUR WORDS: JAMIE, SMOKEY, NE-YO, AND DUKE:

Was anyone else laughing when the 3 main guys were on one side of the overly long stage "motown-ing" it up while Jamie Foxx was on the whole other side...doing a solo act...and then looking at the other guys to make sure he was doing the right choreography? please tell me i'm not alone in this!

MIA...SHOULD HAVE BEEN M.I.A.:

Here's the thing. I know that the Grammys got all tweaked because Chris Brown and Rihanna had an issue the night before/early morning of and couldn't make it to perform at the Grammys...but listen...when you're due with your baby the DAY OF the Grammys...you stay home. Forget about taking one for the team. Especially in that outfit! And I don't know if she thougt that no one would notice she was preggo if she wore the standard britney/madonna/christina see through get up. but it obviously didn't work. I dunno if she needs a talk from Stacey and Clinton (What Not To Wear), but polka dots...that naturally look big and stretchy on any fabric...don't really compliment a bun in the oven. And when she started booty dancing during the song, i was like, "Please. Stop it. That's what got you pregnant in the first place." all the while thinking...jeeze I hope her water doesn't break mid-thrust. How awkward.


MY FASHION HERO- JASON MRAZ:

I must say, I was so excited to see Jason Mraz's outfit for the Grammys. This is like my favorite look ever...the classy getup with the tennis shoes to keep it real! I don't know why...I just love it.

...Is there anything I'm forgetting?

Glamorous

The SAG Awards have come and gone, and as an award show fan, I must apologize for my neglect.i missed them! :( But I did read the updates and I'm really excited for all the winners. And I must say, that this round of awards...the dresses were just stunning! Here are my favorites:

AMERICA FERRERA:
Okay, so I don't think I've seen anyone so glowing and gorgeous!! For playing a character on a show called UGLY BETTY...America really knows how to class it up!! She's always got such great dresses and outfits on! She's my fashion hero! :D


ROSARIO DAWSON:
I promise I'm not just capitalizing on the Latinas... Rosario Dawson is absolutely stunning in this outfit! I love the silver bracelet accent and the way the tight wrap falls out at the bottom...and her makeup is so glam!


CLARE DANES:
Okay so usually, I'm not a fan of Clare Danes' outfits. Mainly because everytime I see her, I think of the scenes in her movies where she cries...and it's a kind of irritating cry. She's a good actress..it's just the crying...kinda throws me off. :( But in this dress...she looks so gorgeous! This really is a "power" gown for her, I think. It makes her seem taller and more confident and less 'mousy.' I love it! She's so glamorous!


KYRA SEDGWICK:
It's no surprise that Kyra rocks with the older hollywood crowd...but for being older..she is so captivating in this dress! I love the black and white look and she totally pulls it off with style!

Look Back And Laugh

So I was watching a couple of episodes of One Tree Hill earlier, and I just love so many things about the show! I love the chemistry that the actors/actresses have together. I love the new indie music they tend to include, and I love how their storylines just go outside of the norm. I can always count on OTH for a good laugh. These are some of my favorite moments from OTH. Enjoy!

SEASON 2, EPISODE 5: I WILL DARE
During a night where each person is given specific dares to complete in a friendly competition, Mouth, Skills and Fergie have to do Karaoke.


SEASON 3, EPISODE 4: AN ATTEMPT TO TIP THE SCALES
As everyone is trying to find the perfect costume for the Halloween Costume Party at TRIC, Lucas and his best friend Haley share some funny moments.


SEASON 3, EPISODE 4: AN ATTEMPT TO TIP THE SCALES
At the Halloween Costume Party at TRIC, Mouth decides to ask Peyton to dance with him to liven up her mood.


SEASON 6, EPISODE 1: TOUCH ME I'M GOING TO SCREAM (PART 1)
Quentin teaches 4 year old Jamie Scott how to dance like a pro! So cute!


SEASON 4, EPISODE 21: ALL OF A SUDDEN I MISS EVERYONE
The girls of OTH get together for a Spice Girls Dance! :D


SEASON 4, EPISODE 3: PICTURES OF YOU
Everyone is given an assignment to help them get to know their other classmates better. They have a list of five questions/statements that require responses. This is the part where they do celeb impressions.