Watchmen Widget and obsession/geekdom thanks to Comic-Con 2008

In precisely 200 days, Watchmen will be out in theaters. I cannot wait, and here is the widget to count down the days. ;D



I went to the San Diego Comic-Con about three weeks ago. Ever since July 25, I have been obsessing over Watchmen because of the awesomeness of the panel that day. I love the whole cast Zack Snyder chose, and I can't wait to see what they bring to the movie. The actors were fun on the panel thanks to Billy Crudup joking around most of the time. Then of course, the highlight was the amazing footage Zack showed to us. It was incredible, and I can only wish it will be released on the DVD or something because it was a very cool montage with the haunting music of Philip Glass. Another highlight of that day was getting to wave to Billy Crudup and Patrick Wilson. :P I'm also obsessed with Billy now, thanks to this. @_@

The rest of the Comic-Con was nothing compared to the Watchmen day. However, I did get to go to the Supernatural signing and got Jensen Ackles' autograph. That was cool. I think the excitement of the Watchmen goodness surpasses everything else that happened at Comic-Con, though. I just can't stop thinking about that day. I am currently reading the graphic novel. I am almost done, and it is great so far!

OMGosh, I can't wait for 03-06-09!!! (Except I'll probably have to wait another two weeks until after my finals before I can see it.. x_x)

Movies and a talented actor everybody loves

Hello there. Sorry I haven't updated for a long time, especially with movie reviews!

This weekend I saw two completely different movies: No Country For Old Men and Penelope. Warning, may contain minor spoilers.

No Country For Old Men is an intense movie. It is scary, suspenseful, and creepy. Javier Bardem is terrifying as Anton, the psychopathic killer. Some parts are funny with the naive sheriff. All the parts with Anton are frightening and suspenseful, and everyone is no match for him with his devastating weapons. The first part of the movie is pretty straightforward with a cat and mouse chase, but with a lingering mystery as to who Anton is and what he wants. Towards the end, everything amounts to nothing. All the effort made in the beginning is ineffective. As the title of the movie says, there is no room for the old ways of men: greed, murder, etc.. I got confused at the very last scene because I didn't catch everything that Tommy Lee Jones's character said, so I'll have to watch this movie again to truly understand everything that happened in the movie. The atmosphere of the movie and the way it was shot, added to the ominous feel of the whole story. All in all, I think it deserved its Best Picture, but I haven't seen any of the other nominees besides Atonement.

Trailer for No Country For Old Men



Penelope is a cute fairy tale that young girls will enjoy. If you love James McAvoy like I do, you'll adore him in this movie. His character, Max, is wonderful. James can carry a movie so well. Whenever he came on, the movie became even more surreal. Christina Ricci also does a great job as Penelope, and I found her pretty cute with the pig nose. I enjoyed this film so much. It is definitely a feel-good movie that's guaranteed to make you happier. I was smirking during the movie, especially whenever James was on the screen. His American accent is flawless too. Any slips are definitely not obvious because his American accent sounds natural. No offense to Ewan McGregor (whom I also love), but James's American accent sounds a lot more natural than Ewan's forced accent. At times, the movie can get cheesy, but that's what makes it fun! There are quite a few faces that I was surprised to see, including some famous British actors like the one who played Owen from Torchwood. The soundtrack is nice too! I found this film very enjoyable because of James's lovable performance. If you're looking for a fun and adorable movie, go watch this one!

Trailer for Penelope



Yes, everybody loves James McAvoy. I absolutely adore him. He first made himself known to me as Mr. Tumnus in The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe and I found him cute in that. However, it wasn't until several months ago that I saw him in The Last King Of Scotland. After I saw him in that movie, I started to become fascinated with this talented Scot. Then I watched the trailer for Atonement. I was so excited by it that I became obsessed with James in anticipation of the movie. I already loved him before Atonement, but he was just wonderful in that movie. He didn't get nominated for an Oscar for his role as Robbie Turner, but that was one hell of a performance. Now, after seeing him in many of his other movies and watching interviews of him, he is currently my favorite actor out there. He is so talented and he is only 28! His acting ability and range are amazing. He has revived my love for film. During most of 2007, I was only into music. Then I saw James and his movies towards the end of the year, and now I am truly a movie geek again.

Talented, cute, nice, funny, SCOTTISH, and he has gorgeous blue eyes..


One of the best interviews with James

Play: King Lear @ UCLA Royce Hall - October 19, 2007

Sir Ian McKellen as King Lear & Sylvester McCoy as Lear's Fool

After finding out about this great line up of plays running at UCLA, how could I NOT go to this one??? I'm so glad I saw Black Watch, and I wish I could see it again, but why not see another top-notch play?

Yes, I mostly wanted to see this to see Sir Ian McKellen perform live on stage.. but who wouldn't? This was the first professional Shakespearean play I've seen, and I've probably started out with the best! The Royal Shakespeare Company has come to LA for I think their last stop of their world tour.

Since I was up in the balcony towards the back, it was hard for me to understand a lot of the things the actors said in the play. At first I didn't know what was going on because of this. I admittedly never read this particular play. However, I moved to some empty seats where I could see and hear much better. It was surreal to see the legendary actor perform live. It was also a surprise to see Sylvester McCoy in the role of the clown. I was like, "Is that the seventh Doctor?!?" :P

The whole cast was so good. The set was beautiful, and the production was of very high quality. It's amazing how these actors can remember their long monologues and act their butts off. It's also pretty amazing that they can project their voices without any microphones in a big theater after they're out of breath after a sword fight or something. Quality performances as I should have expected from the RSC.

Sir Ian was awesome. I enjoyed his performance along with the whole cast. It was funny to see some audience members jump up and raise their hands in front of their faces in shock when King Lear pulls down his trousers. I saw the sign outside of the theater that said there was brief nudity, so I was expecting it. I don't want to show off and say I'm more mature.. but I just did. XP

Anyway, it was special to see some famous actors such as Sir Ian, Sylvester McCoy, and William Gaunt performing live. After the show, I walked past Jamie Lee Curtis and Warren Beatty as everyone was leaving the theater too. ;D

-Photo by Manuel Harlan

Play: Black Watch @ UCLA Freud Playhouse - October 12 & 14, 2007

I found out about this play at the last minute. I'm so glad I caught it before its last weekend here in LA. I'm glad I'm at UCLA. :P

Black Watch is a Scottish play brought to life by the National Theatre of Scotland. Their run in LA was the first stop on tour outside of Scotland! Now they are headed off to New York. If you can catch them, go watch this play!

Just the fact that it is a Scottish play was enough to make me want to see it. I also heard it was an excellent play. I didn't really know what it's about other than that it's about Scottish soldiers in Iraq.

I hadn't a clue what to expect of this play. I was in for a thrill ride with its stylistic production and setup. It is technically as well as artistically brilliant. I enjoyed all the effects and the music. The singing and dance choreography were my favorite parts.

All of the actors are marvelous and Paul Rattray, who portrays Cammy, is likable with his modest/humble demeanor. He also reminded me of Pippin from Lord of the Rings. XD Everyone in the cast gave a strong performance. They had to have a lot of stamina for such a physical performance with fights like dances. This was amazingly theatrical. The part about the history of the regiment was one of my favorites in the play. Cammy changes clothes through the times, and it flows so smoothly from one war/era to the next.

It is a riveting, dramatic, and beautiful play despite the gritty content. It is a powerful piece of entertainment that grabs you and shakes you to the core, making you feel a connection to these soldiers and their humanity.

I met a few of the actors after the show. They are quite nice and as awesome as you can expect Scots to be (like Travis). ;D I was all shy and embarrassed around them, but I'm glad that I did get to meet them. Even though it was very brief, it was still cool to talk with some Scottish actors. ^_^

I loved this play so much after I saw it the first time that I saw it again only two days later for their last show. I just wanted to see it one last time before they left. I wish I could see it again somehow, or at least listen to that radio play that aired over the summer.. Anyone know how I could listen to it now, or watch the television broadcast of the play? XP

I highly recommend this play for its entertainment and artistic value!

*****/*****

-Photo by Manuel Harlan

Watch the trailer for the play!

Movie, music, actor recap :D

Alright, for nearly the past month, I've watched quite a few movies, got interested in yet another actor, and listened to new/good music. I've added a few in my radio. ;)

Casino Royale
When I first heard about Daniel Craig playing James Bond, I wasn't too impressed, but once I saw trailers and commercials, I really wanted to watch the movie anyway. He was a great Bond, tough and cool (and pretty sexy, I admit).. The action was intense and suspenseful, the acting was excellent - Daniel Craig's dry British humor along with his suave demeanor... Mads Mikkelsen, playing Le Chiffre, didn't show up as much as I thought he would since I thought he was the main bad guy (why do Bond villains tend to be a little disfigured too?)..
SPOILER AHEAD
I watched this with my brother during winter break, and it was hard not to laugh at the torture scene when Bond said something along the lines of "Now the world will know you died scratching my balls" or something.. lol. XD I wasn't too pleased with the abrupt and unceremonious end to Le Chiffre, though... I would've liked to see more of him. Craig and Mikkelsen were marvelous.
(9/10)

Eragon
I am probably one of the few who hasn't read this book, but I was still not sure what to expect after hearing so many bad reviews for it.. While it was a little on the cheesy side, I don't know if it was THAT bad. I liked the dragon scenes and the effects were good for the big battle scene. However, I didn't really feel for any of the characters and it felt a bit weird.. I felt more sympathy for Bond and Le Chiffre than any of these characters! I guess I felt that it wasn't as terrible as some people said, especially since I didn't read the book.
(5/10)

Night At The Museum
I didn't expect anything from this besides a fun kids movie. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie with all the quirks and references to history (although some were wrong!). There was the Roman diorama that was all anachronistic. XP The Colosseum did not exist during Octavius' time. Vespasian built it way after! Anyway, that didn't bother me much and I still enjoyed the movie a lot. It was cute and fun, and I especially loved all the little guys, including Jed and Octavius. XD This was probably the most dramatic thing I've seen Ben Stiller do. He was in Empire Of The Sun, but that was like a cameo. :P
(7/10)

Blood Diamond
I knew going into this movie that it would be sad. I was right! It was quite the emotional roller coaster with a lot of suspenseful action scenes dispersed throughout. Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou were brilliant. I liked Leo's character, Danny, for his conflicting morals and the 3-dimensionality of his persona. The internal and external conflict were intriguing and even though he's not really a good guy, I wanted him to be. He is the anti-hero, and I usually like those kinds of characters with lots of dark angst and stuff.. :P I practically had tears throughout the whole movie, and Leo and Djimon really brought forth my emotions. A sad, but powerful movie that makes you wonder about the things that go on behind the scenes.
(10/10)

Now for some music! :D

Guillemots
A guillemot is a type of bird, I believe. ;D I've always liked their song "Trains To Brazil" since I downloaded it as a free single of the week on iTunes about a year ago, but I didn't hear their other songs until now. I sure have missed out on them for awhile! You can listen to a few of their songs in my radio. :) Through the Windowpane is fantastic! I absolutely love their unique and fun style! Their songs are beautiful, and I love their creativity with sounds/instruments!!! The band members' names are very interesting! Lead singer: Fyfe Dangerfield, guitar: MC Lord Magrao, cello: Aristazabel Hawkes, and drummer: Greig Stewart. :P Yes, I am quite obsessed with them now. They also have the best website! XD
CLICK HERE TO SEE IT
My favorite songs are "We're Here", "Annie, Let's Not Wait", "Made-Up Love Song #43", "Trains To Brazil", and "Sao Paulo". Most of them are singles, but I still need to listen to more of their stuff!!
Another British band I've become obsessed with!

Check out some of their awesome music videos. :D

Trains To Brazil

Aww, lol

Made-Up Love Song #43

♥

Cool live version :D


Annie, Let's Not Wait

Such a cool video and a catchy tune! ♥

GREAT live version, same production as the last live one!


We're Here

I LOVE this song! XD

Now another actor I got obsessed with...

Mads Mikkelsen
When I saw him in Casino Royale, I thought he looked so familiar because his face is quite distinguished. I always feel like I've seen something before if it stands out. Anyway, I didn't really become obsessed with him after watching him as Le Chiffre, but he certainly did intrigue me. One day my dad started watching King Arthur. I didn't really want to, but I just let him watch it while we ate dinner. Then I instantly recognized the face through all the messy hair that covered Tristan's face. I pointed at him to my brother and I was like, "It's Le Chiffre!" :P So I ended up watching King Arthur for Tristan/Mads. XD Aaah, Tristan was so awesome as the quiet and mysterious scout, with his mad archery skills and samurai-looking fighting style AND his hawk!! *love* He was the best and only good part about the movie, I thought. So yeah, I got obsessed after seeing the beautiful Tristan.. *g* Argh, forget the age difference, I still think he's cool and handsome as a gentleman. His figure was great as Tristan and in real life, of course - tall and slim - lol. I wish I could see his Danish movies, but a lot of them are hard to come by over here.. He's a great actor and I could tell from the trailers I've seen of his Danish movies. Well, I do have a liking for gentlemen over the age of 30. And it's not much different from thinking that Johnny Depp and Viggo Mortensen are hot, as they are over 40 like Mads.

Movie stills from OutNow.CH

Let's talk about some of my favorite actors/characters complete with pictures... ;D

Many actors I have become obsessed with turn out to be Scottish and generally British! I don't know what it is about them.. the accent, their personalities, their looks... I think they totally have class! I do love some American actors, though. :P Well, here are a couple! :D

Ewan McGregor

He is the lovable Scottish lad I fell in love with after watching Moulin Rouge! He is kind, funny, and has the best smile! I haven't seen a Ewan movie in awhile, though.. ><

David Tennant/The Doctor (Ten)

Another Scot I love! He's so geeky, funny, and seems like an awesome fellow. I love his rendition of The Doctor and he makes Doctor Who that much more fun to watch. :D

/

Jimmy Stewart

When I watched Mr. Smith Goes to Washington in government class, I never knew I could like watching a movie in school so much. There's something about Jimmy's characters that makes me laugh, cry, and enjoy watching him so much. I LOVE It's a Wonderful Life and Harvey. What a wonderful classic actor...



Gareth David-Lloyd/Ianto Jones

From the beginning, I liked Ianto Jones the most in Torchwood. I didn't stop liking him when some people got annoyed with his emo-angst.. As I said before, I like angst. :P Anyway, yeah, Ianto is adorable too. If you saw the picture of the week, that's one of the reasons I like him; he has awesome one-liners and it's a treat whenever he gets to talk. He's Welsh, "looks good in a suit", and cool. 8D He is the same age as my brother, so he's pretty young according to my standards! (Most of my favorite men are at least over 30.. :P)

/

He also orders Chinese and uses chopsticks. He's very cool in my book. XD

John Barrowman/Jack Harkness

I discovered him in Doctor Who, of course.. The best episodes of season 1, The Empty Child.. Then I discovered his musical career and listened to his musical songs.. Now it's Torchwood and he's a flirty tough guy. :P He's still pretty hot for his age, but so are a lot of my other favorites (like Johnny Depp and others.. ^^;). Well, I just think he's a funny guy, who's in these great shows and musicals.



Hmmm, I think I'll leave it at that for now. I have TONS of other actors I love. I shall continue the list at another time. I'll probably be updating with different things each week. Maybe I'll go into music next week. :P Until then, hope you liked the eye candy. ;D