What is Your Favorite Movie Prop?

Pop Candy had a cool blog this week about favorite movie props. If you could own props from any movies ever made, what would they be?

I've put together my own top ten list in no particular order:

• The ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz (this one is a given)


• The Cloak of Invisibility from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (oh, the possibilities!)


• The Book of the Dead from The Mummy (again, the possibilities!)


• Pee-Wee's bike from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (coolest bike ever)


• The amplifier that goes to eleven from This is Spinal Tap (because it's one louder, isn't it?)


• Sarah's ball gown from Labyrinth (I have coveted this dress for 20 years)


• The Remains of the Day lunchbox from Waiting for Guffman (just because)


• Madonna's pyramid jacket from Desperately Seeking Susan (I know I'm stuck in the 80s, but this jacket still rocks)


• The scissor hands from Edward Scissorhands (got some shrubs need sculpting)


• The new Aston Martin DBS from Casino Royale (yeah, baby!)

Seen Any Good Thrillers Lately?

I’ve been renting a lot of DVDs lately, and boy howdy, it’s been a mixed bag. I always hate to knock a film because, having been raked over the coals a few times myself, I know how much it can hurt when a project you’ve put your heart and soul into isn’t favorably received.

However, opinions are subjective and, as my mother used to say, mine is worth exactly what it will cost you.

So in no particular order, here are the last five thrillers I've watched, along with their 'fresh' rating from Rotten Tomatoes:

Disturbia (67% fresh). Okay, I wasn’t expecting much from this one, but I actually enjoyed it quite a lot. Some might accuse it of being a blatant rip-off of Hitchcock’s Rear Window (which happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time), but I prefer to think of it as an homage, since I’m currently working on a plot that also takes inspiration from the original film. Disturbia is nowhere near as good as Rear Window, but it’s well-acted and entertaining.

Fracture (71% fresh). Another one I didn’t expect to like as much as I did, but it was actually pretty good. Kept my attention all the way through. I started off rooting for the bad guy, but by the end of the movie, I’d switched alliances, so that’s probably a testament to some pretty good acting and characterization.

Premonition (8% fresh. Ouch!). I really wanted this one to work because--I admit it--I dig Sandra Bullock (although my husband and son tell me that she’s an actress only girls like). Frankly, the premise is one I might come up with myself (I’m a big fan of far-fetched plots), and I’ve always been a sucker for heroines who seem as if they’re tottering on the edge. This one, though, was just a mess and the lack of chemistry between the leads was glaring.

The Number 23 ( 8% fresh). Jim Carrey looked as uncomfortable as I felt during the love scenes. Excruciating.

Enduring Love (59% fresh). This is one of those films that’s really hard to review or even recommend because it’s just so different. I watched it all the way through and there were several places where I grew really anxious about how it would end. However, I can’t say I was actually entertained by this movie. Disturbed, yes, and somewhat fascinated by the dynamics. But do I recommend it? I’m going to let you be your own judge on this one.

That's it from the balcony. Until next time...

Fugly Pleasures

One of my many guilty pleasures is Go Fug Yourself, a blog dedicated to celebrities and their outlandish/frumpy/wtf-are-they-wearing/are-you-kidding-me getups. Now I admit, I’m not exactly a fashion icon myself (don’t have to be when you spend your life in front of a computer) so I’ve got no room to talk. And anyway, I’ve always admired people who march to their own fashion drummers. I hate cookie-cutter style (I'm looking at you, Rachel Zoe). But the writers over there are crazy talented and some of the commentary is pretty hilarious, even though I don’t always agree with their critiques.

Take Sienna Miller. They’ve really got it in for that girl and I kind of like her funkiness. Even more of a head-scratcher is their Eva Green aversion. I adore her goth/punk/dark glam look and I was flat out stunned to see her get fugged. Her style is just so cool and mysterious and interesting.

But, hey, different strokes and all that.

Did Someone Mention the Eighties?

While we’re on the subject, check out RetroFest for THE BIGGEST 80s LINEUP SINCE LIVE AID!! The Human League will be headlining, and if I was going to be anywhere near the UK on September 1, I would so be there.

Stuck in the Eighties

Okay, people, thanks to Cinematical, I’ve discovered a cool new blog called Stuck in the Eighties. Now anyone who’s been around me for any length of time knows that I am, for sure, stuck in the eighties. No, I don’t parade around in stirrup pants and shoulder pads or have one of those huge awesome eighties dos, but I love eighties music and movies.

According to both Cinematical and Stuck in the Eighties, there may finally be a Ferris Bueller sequel coming down the pike, with (one hopes) the original cast reprising their roles and John Hughes directing. “In the years since high school, Ferris has turned his carefree Life Moves Pretty Fast motto into a motivational self-help career -- think Tony Robbins, only with a beret and sweater vest.”

Hmmm. Interesting.

The Knife: Deep Cuts

I’ve been asked about the music on my MySpace site. It’s the live version of Heartbeats by a Swedish band called The Knife. If you aren’t familiar with their music, head on over to their website and give a listen.

From their biography:

“This is the world of The Knife: precise, particular, dark, occult, funny-peculiar, funny-ha-ha. This Swedish brother-and-sister duo work mostly on their own in splendid isolation; they release music on their own label, licensing it to selected partners around the world, so they have to answer to no one.”

Cool.

Take a look at one of my favorite videos, “Pass This On”:

Amandas of the World Unite!

I was just sent a friend request from a MySpace site called Planet Amanda.

Their moto is: Amandas of the World Unite!

This is seriously what the galaxy has been missing. Especially since there are only about a hundred billion of us.

I Got A Facelift, Y'all

My MySpace page has been given an extreme makeover by web guru Medeira James of Xuni.com.

Check it out!

Bring Back Tony!

At the end of last season, there was an Internet rumor going around that the 24 finale would have Jack Bauer standing at the edge of a cliff being approached by someone who says they have a lot to talk about. That someone was whispered to be none other than Tony Almeida, wingman extraordinaire.

Had that come to pass--had I gotten even one brief glimpse of that beloved Cubs mug--I would have been the happiest 24 fan on the planet. I wouldn’t have cared if his return from the dead made no sense. I wouldn’t have cared if his resurrection jumped all kinds of sharks. His untimely demise was a travesty (he didn’t even get the silent clock) and the show hasn’t been the same without him.

Highlight between stars to reveal speculation:

**There is a glimmer of hope, albeit very faint. A 24 panel at Comic Con hinted that despite dying in Season Five, Tony might return to action, possibly as a villain. The strangest part (according to My Buddy TV): they didn't seem to be joking.**

Listen up, 24. Bring back our Soul Patch, and Season Six will be forgiven. I’ll even accept the Janeane Garofalo casting (what the...? I mean, I like her and all, but Janeane Garofalo and Chole?). Heck, I’ll even try really hard not to roll my eyes when the new president is revealed.

Speaking of Clive Owen...

...and why the h#$$ not?...I was flipping channels last night and happened across Croupier on one of the movie channels. I’d been meaning to rent this film for a long time, ever since I heard people touting it as proof that Owen would have made a terrific James Bond (he did look pretty awesome in a tux). Personally, I’m more than happy with Daniel Craig as 007. His performance was bloody brilliant in Casino Royale, but Clive would have been great, too.

Croupier has some interesting, offbeat characters and a cool neo-noir vibe, and I’m pretty much always a sucker for a movie about a writer (see: Johnny Depp in Secret Window—I’ve been told some of the stuff coming out of his mouth sounded just like me...unnervingly so).

Not to give too much away, but I could definitely relate to Owen’s character when his girlfriend ripped the grittier, more realistic take on his story in favor of a previous version that had, in her opinion, a more likeable protagonist. Jeesh, everybody’s a critic.

To sum up, I liked the movie a lot and I kind of dug Clive with the bleached out do. But a blond Bond? Nah, that’d never go over.

Trouble is Clive's Business

According to the website, Cinematical, Clive Owen is set to star as Phillip Marlowe, Raymond Chandler's hardboiled, hard-drinking private eye who 'busts heads and romances femme fatales in 1940s Los Angeles.'

This one could be good, folks, because Frank Miller is adapting Trouble is My Business for the big screen, and the last time we had a Miller/Owen collaboration we got Sin City.

Owen has that whole world-weary, brooding persona down pat so he should be the perfect noir anti-hero. And, you know, he’s Clive Owen.

MI6

I've discovered a cool new site for James Bond fans called MI6, which contains all the information you could ever hope to find on our favorite secret agent, including up-to-the-minute news on the movies, the actors, the literary James Bond, reviews, photos, fan art, speculation about the next bond girl and--my favorite part--a production diary for the upcoming (as yet untitled) feature film in 2008 starring Daniel Craig.

I'm currently reading Casino Royale, which was published in 1953. If you're only familiar with James Bond through the movies, I highly recommend that you become acquainted with Ian Fleming's 007.

Wacky Burgers

I've been AWOL from the Blog lately because I've been writing, writing, writing. I'll be back in a few days with a review of Layer Cake and a couple of new tidbits about my upcoming books.

Until then, for all you 24 fans...enjoy!

Jack and Tony stop for Wacky Burgers

Recurring Nightmares

According to Dr. David Jenkins, "a recurring dream is an important message that hasn't yet been delivered." Most of the time, when you discover what your recurring dream is trying to tell you, the dreams will change or disappear altogether.

I've had some pretty interesting recurring dreams during my lifetime. When I was a teenager, I dreamed about a particular bridge over the White River near where I lived. The bridge was either so steep, I was terrified of tumbling back down it or else so narrow, I was afraid I'd drive off it.

Then came my vampire and demon possession years. In these dreams, I was always pursued by evil but never equipped to do battle with it.

For the past ten or fifteen years, it's been plane crashes. It used to be that I was a bystander observing from a distance. Nowadays, I'm actually on the plane. I'm thinking that's probably not a good development.

These dreams were all pretty disturbing at the time, but according to Dream Moods, the interpretations can be fairly innocuous. For example:

Bridge dreams represent a transitional period in your life where you will be moving on to a new stage (makes sense for a teenager, right?).

Vampire dreams may depict someone in your waking life whose charm could ultimately prove harmful. Deep down inside you know that this person is bad for you, yet you are still drawn to him (hmmm). Vampires also sometimes relate to decisions about sex and losing your virginity. Alternatively, to see a vampire suggests that you are feeling physically or emotionally drained. The vampire may also be symbolic for someone who is addicted to drugs or someone in an obsessive relationship (and I thought it was because I was reading too much Stephen King).

Demon dreams represents ignorance, negativity, distress or your shadow self (whatever that is). They also forewarn of overindulgence and letting lust give way to your better judgment. As a result, your physical and mental health may suffer. To dream that you are possessed by a demon indicates ultimate helplessness (holy crap!)

Plane crash dreams suggest that you have set overly high and unrealistic goals for yourself. You are in danger of having it come crashing down. Alternatively, your lack of confidence, self-defeating attitude and self-doubt toward the goals you have set for yourself is represented by the crashing airplane; you do not believe in your ability to attain those goals. Loss of power and uncertainty in achieving your goals are also signified (why do I get the feeling I've just revealed way too much about myself?).

If you want to find out what your recurring dreams mean, check out the Dream Dictionary. It's pretty fascinating stuff.