Kelly Monster

I haven’t felt this emo since I went through that Dashboard Confessional stint in High School.

My So-Called Life was a little bit of an emotional roller coaster for me. I wanted to see the show because I love Claire Danes and because I have a soft-spot for 90’s television. Claire Danes also won a Golden Globe for her performance in this show, so I was interested.

Initially I couldn’t get into it. I felt like it was way too over the top. I mean trust me High School is a certain torture chamber that I can’t believe society subjects children to, but I mean sometimes watching this show I just wanted to slip some of the characters some Prozac. The only character that seemed remotely happy was Rayanne Graff and she had some major drinking problems.

I will say, by the middle of the series (which wasn’t very long, it was cancelled after one season) I was hooked. Then  all of a sudden this storyline comes out of nowhere that completely horrified me, I won’t tell you what it is because surprises are the spice of life, but I just couldn’t recover.

I also have never heard the word “like” used so many times in my life. And believe me, I live in Hollywood, that’s twenty minutes from The Valley–I’ve heard it used a lot.

The last episode didn’t wrap a whole lot up, which sometimes happens, I understand, but the only explanation I can come up with is that the show must of been canceled before they could give their audience a satisfying ending. Or maybe they were going for torture, that’s cool, but it was torturous.

Bottom line: Claire Danes is a great actress, I’m glad this show did good things for her career. She deserves it.

I dunno maybe I’m being unfair to this show because I watched such an amazing show before this, Twin Peaks, and My So-Called Life couldn’t possibly live up to TP’s high standards. But for the most part, My So-Called Life = meh.

Just in case you were wondering what I wanted for my next birthday, this is it.

Orange, please.

Thank you Vat19.com for making a dream become a reality.

A Gummy Bear Vision Come To Life

Today, January 12th  2009, Conan O’Brien has released a statement saying that he will not host the “Tonight Show” if NBC continues with it’s decision to change it’s time slot from 11:35 pm to 12:05 am.

NBC gave Conan quite the difficult decision, actually it was an ultimatum , to either accept the new time slot or leave the network. Pretty harsh stuff, NBC.

Though this news is definitely shocking, The “Tonight Show” has seen it’s fair share of controversy in the past. When Johnny Carson stepped down as the host of the “Tonight Show” in 1992 many assumed that Carson’s position would be given to David Letterman, due to the fact that Carson had practically promised it to him. NBC made a startling decision by giving the show to comedian Jay Leno. Though it was no secret that Letterman was crushed by this decision, it seems that David Letterman finally has the last laugh. He is trumping all late night talk shows in the ratings with the “Late Show with David Letterman.”

Though I am sad to see Conan go, I think his reasons to walk are completely understandable. He cares about the integrity of the “Tonight Show,” which he believes will dwindle once the show loses the time slot that it has held for years, for decades for that matter. He is also looking out for Jimmy Fallon, whose time slot would also be bumped if Conan chooses to move the time slot of his show.

Hats off to you Conan, this had to be a tough one for you. Hopefully NBC will not ignore the buzz this situation is creating all over the web.

Twin Peaks was only on the air for two seasons, but it is by far one of the best shows to ever grace the small screen.

I knew very little about this series going into it, all I knew is that David Lynch co-created it with Mark Frost. I am a HUGE David Lynch fan, so I was excited to say the very least.

The series is about a small town in upstate Washington called Twin Peaks. Just like a lot of small towns in David Lynch stories, this small town is far from quiet and peaceful. Twins Peaks has quite the seedy underbelly: Drug trafficking, prostitution, murder, adultery–You know, just your average small town life.

The pilot episode is by far the best episode of the entire series. When we first arrive in Twin Peaks, we find out that a girl named Laura Palmer has been raped and murdered, wrapped in plastic and dumped in the lake. When she is discovered, special agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) of the FBI has been brought into help the local sheriff, Harry S. Truman (yes that’s his real name), with the case. Of all of the creative choices David Lynch made in this series, the casting of Kyle MacLachlan is the decision that I support the most. My heart melts whenever he is on screen, which is a lot. Hottie alert!

But back to Laura Palmer, her mysterious death has caused quite an upset in the town. Such an upset that almost everyone reacts the same way when  they find out she is dead. Hmmm, it’s a little hard to explain. Let me show you.

Gotta love David Lynch.

Once you get into Twin Peaks you’ll be hooked forever. You’ll become a regular Twin Peaks junkie. I know I am. You will do anything to find out what really happened to Laura Palmer, you’ll fall in love with all of the characters (Even David Lynch makes an appearance, greatest cameo ever!), and after you watch all of the episodes you can–you’ll be begging for more.

That is why I am so glad that David Lynch didn’t stop at the series. He made a prequel movie called Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. It’s great for Sheryl Lee, who played Laura Palmer, because she was kind of dead the entire series. Not a whole lot of acting room for her there. But in Fire Walk With Me, we get to see Laura Palmer live her last seven days on this earth before she dies. What a wild child! I thought I sort of got an idea of what she was like through Twin Peaks the series, but I had no idea at all.

Sheryl Lee was great! I just wish that they hadn’t cast someone else in the place of Lara Flynn Boyle’s character, Donna. I guess Lara was signed onto another project at the time, but she was certainly missed. Don’t expect me not to notice that Lara Flynn Boyle turned into that chick from The Cutting Edge. Other than that, it was great.

Though part of me wishes that this series had been on for longer, it’s probably good that it ended in it’s prime. Some T.V. series go on for too long, to the point where you want to gouge your own eyes out because the show you once loved has turned into something that you are embarrassed to tell your friends that you watch.

The series finale of this show might make you gasp out loud. I know I did. That last plot twist hit me like a wet fish slapped across my face. Oww!

If this show sounds too dark for you, don’t worry, there is a lot of comedic relief. A lot of moments like this:

In Twin Peaks, they sure love their coffee! And I love me some Twin Peaks. Thank you, David Lynch, you’ve done it again!

I didn’t have a whole lot of expectations going into this movie, I figured I was in good hands though considering that Jason Reitman gave us both Juno and Thank You For Smoking, two excellent movies.

This movie was well written, witty, and at times almost uncomfortably truthful.

This movie was really about the characters, and how they evolved.

George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham who fires people for a living, all over the country, so he pretty much lives on an airplane. I would love to have a job like that, I mean, a job that allows you to travel–firing people all the time would be horrible.

Because he lives out of a suitcase, Bingham is kind of a loner whose relationships are usually on a casual basis. He never intends to settle down. The fewer attachments he has to things, the better.

My favorite character (besides Zach Galifianakis’s cameo, I love that guy) was Natalie. She is new at the firing firm that Ryan Bingham also works for. She is young and full of ideas, and so she suggests that instead of firing people in person, that they do it through teleconferencing. This is a good idea in theory, but because she has never been in the field, she doesn’t realize that this is a bad idea. I loved her spunk, she believed that if she went to college, graduated at the head of her class, and got a good job that she would eventually find the man of her dreams and settle down. She even knows how many kids she is going to have. Things don’t exactly turn out the way she planned. In fact almost nothing goes the way she thought it would. Sometimes when you follow all the rules, the Universe smacks you in the face with different plans. Told you this movie was painfully honest.

Natalie is almost the polar opposite of Ryan Bingham, and I loved seeing the two characters interact. They both needed a little bit of what the other was serving up.

This movie was so thought provoking that I wasn’t even sure if I liked it or not. Don’t get me wrong I no problem with intelligent films, or thinking for that matter I just think the best movies are the ones you have to mull over for a couple of days. The verdict is finally in, and I loved it. It is probably one of the best films I’ve seen all year. This movie was so relevant, people all over the country are losing their jobs and this movie really captured the emotions you go through when something like that happens. Working in film production like I do, there are times when you are out of work—you know, between episodes and what not— so this film hit home for me. Not knowing what is going to happen after you finished up a job, wondering when you’ll find one again. It’s tough.

The subject matter of this movie sounds grim, but it was uplifting in some ways and hilariously funny at others. This movie takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions, like all good films should.

Want to hear more about what people are saying about Up in the Air? Take a trip over to Reel Artsy to hear what my fellow filmgirl force member, Karen, has to say about it.

Still not enough? Film Gurl of the filmgirl force has a lot to say too.