It is a kitten!

There are some things that you can't know about teaching before you begin. Especially special education.

For example, who would have ever thought that this

would be motivating?

But this picture, this scrap, this remnant, is the most motivational thing in my classroom right now.

Who knew?

This shell belongs to Mark, one of my students.

I try to describe him, but there are no words. He is 17, tiny (about 4'10), walks with a hunched back due to his Scoliosis, and has this indescribable voice. If anyone has ever read A Prayer for Owen Meany, they talk about his voice and how strange and unique it is. The author even puts everything Owen says in all caps to get the audience to understand his odd voice.

Well that is Mark. It is low and raspy, and he yells and grunts a lot. He is definitely the bright spot in the classroom, and I can usually count on him to make me laugh when I am having a hard day. Of course sometimes he is the cause of the hard day, but that's another story entirely.

But luckily, he is easily motivated. His most prized possession is a wooden nutcracker named Mrs. H.

Seriously, you cannot make this stuff up.

Mrs. H used to accompany him everywhere, until his previous teacher finally wised up and banned Mrs. H from school. Turns out a large wooden nutcracker is excellent for hitting people with. Who knew?

So since Mrs. H herself couldn't come, he settled for a picture of her. This picture went everywhere with him. We laminated it, but it would inevitably fall to shreds, as Mark abuses his pictures horribly.

Trust me, you don't want to know.

We still have about 15 copies of the Mrs. H pictures laminated in a desk somewhere, because he keeps destroying them. It's nice to have a stockpile on hand.

Mrs. H worked for a long time, but then he became fascinated by another picture. I can't even remember what it was, but he stared at it and took it, and was obsessed with it, so we copied it and laminated it, and a new era was born, and his behavior improved remarkably. Since then we've gone through dozens of pictures: lawnmowers, radio station logos (honestly), book covers, microphones, pictures of staff or students, and possibly the strangest of all: the kitten picture.

The kitten picture (known in our room as The Kitten) is taken from a simple book using basic sight words that I print off the internet. I believe the sight word for that week was "it."

So the book is a boy asking what is in a present ("is it a ball?") and ends up with "it is a kitten!" When he first read this, Mark let out the loudest gasp of surprise and excitement that we all looked at him, even the students.

For the next two days, he returned to the book every chance he got and read the same page over and over again. "IT IS A KITTEN" he kept saying. So of course we laminated the picture and he carried it around.

Mark loves this kitten. If he is having a hard time, he knows he will temporarily lose possession of The Kitten. His response to this is to cry, yell, and carry on like we took away his best friend. He knows we'll give it back (we always do), but he cannot bear to be parted from this half-sheet of ripped, crumpled, and drawn on laminated page. But if ever we needed him to follow directions, we would merely say, "Mark, do I need to take The Kitten?"

"NO, DON'T TAKE THE KITTEN. NOOOOOOO!"

(He's very dramatic)

That was in July.

He came back from the three week hiatus with The Kitten still in his possession, albeit in a somewhat diminished form. He still loves it with all his heart though.

I think its time for a new Kitten.

Attend the Tale . . .

Certain items on The List are more highly anticipated than others.

Some movies receive all caps, possibly exclamation points. It's not that common. I'm picky, what can I say? (Even rarer still is caps and bolded. Currently, only the Veronica Mars season 3 DVD release gets that distinction)

Only two movies have all caps. One is Fanboys (a place for Star Wars and Veronica Mars nerds all in one movie!), and the other is Sweeney Todd.

I love musical theater, LOVE Stephen Sondheim (the composer), and love Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. So really, it basically can't lose.

Well, I don't know about that, (depends on the singing), but I am very curious to see the very first trailer. I did come across some really cool pictures though.

There was also an article stating that the studio is concerned about the amount of blood and gore. Umm . . . does anyone there know the plot? It's about a crazy man who slits peoples' throats to bake them into meat pies. What were they expecting?

Anyway, I'm still pretty psyched about the movie. I just hope they can pull off the singing, it's a very operatic score.

Check out the article and the pictures yourself! I can't wait to see the trailer, I'm hoping it'll make it's debut soon.

Welcome Back, Apple

I have two wonderful teaching assistants (or paraprofessionals, if you will) in my classroom. We make each other laugh, even when times are crazy and we all want to cry. We have a very popular expression, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Now, this is a very common saying. But it takes on a whole new meaning when you teach special ed.

So today was the students' first day back at school. I got there crazy early (like I always do, because that's what I am, crazy) with treats for my staff. I put my phone on vibrate, like I always do. At 7:50 my cell phone started to go off. I smiled, thinking that here it was was on the first day and one of my paraprofessionals was already calling in saying they were going to be late.

But no, my phone flashed a very different number. Umm . . . "hello?"
.
.
.
Yes, indeed, it was the mother of one of my students calling me.

Now, I have a very good relationship with all of my parents. I talk to them frequently, write notes about their day every day (yup, each one gets a note every day), call about both good and bad things, and talk to them probably more than most teachers do. When you have 6 students, it's not hard to develop a relationship with parents. Plus my sparking personality wins them over every time, and we get along great.

Nevertheless I was still surprised to see the mother of Cassie calling me. She's never called my cell phone during school(ish) hours. (one might be wondering why she has the number at all . . . that's another story!). Most school business is done on the school phone line. So she started with asking about my vacation, all those pleasantries. I was a little bewildered, but we made some chit chat, and then she told me why she called.

Cassie broke her arm.

Friday.

Still doesn't have a cast on it.

Really? No cast yet? So Cassie would not be in school, they don't know how it happened, and she was going to get a cast on that day.

But wait, it doesn't end there. Oh no! So I naturally called the house (from the school phone, where such conversations should take place!) after school and couldn't reach anyone.

And then at 7:45 pm, while I was eating dinner, my phone rang again. It was Cassie's mom. Again. Somehow, it was decided she would go to the doctors at 12 noon, without an appointment to get a cast on her arm that she broke 2 days ago (she has a splint on now, which she apparently removes). Naturally, the doctor could not fit her in, but she now has an appointment for 2:00 tomorrow.

When Cassie got on the phone to say hello, her voice had reached a pitch that was wholly inaudible to anyone except dogs (never a good sign).

So Cassie will be in school, with a broken arm in a splint that she takes off.

Fantastic.

Welcome back to school!

Techno Junkie

I have a confession to make . . .

I am a techno-junkie.

Not a crazy one (I can't afford it!), but definitely up there. I see some new-fangled technological device and I instantly want one. It doesn't even have to be new fangled. Once the idea gets in my head, I think about it constantly until I buy it. And then I love it forever.

Some of my technological devices that I own are iPods (yes, 2! a Shuffle for the gym, and 20 gig for everything else), Nintendo DS, portable DVD player, DVD-R player, flat screen tv, wifi, DVR (like generic TiVo), laptop, mini digital camera, cell phone (but who doesn't these days?), and I'm sure there are others that I can't think of right now.

Today, I am the proud owner of my latest example of techo-whoredom: a GPS.

But not just any GPS: it's the Garmin Nuvi 360. Oh yeah, baby! It comes with all these cool features that I will never, ever use! It has restaurant reviews and foreign language translator. Maybe I'll use that feature when I bring it to Finland in a couple of years (2009 baby!) and navigate through the streets of Helsinki with my fancy Europe package.

Yeah, it works in Europe too.

I can also talk on the phone through it.

Now, I know some people will scoff at me for calling myself a techno-junkie because they've had all these devices for years, and better models too. But for what I make, I do buy an awful lot of stuff.

And it's not just that. It's the unreasonable amount of excitement I feel when I get these devices. And it doesn't fade! I still marvel at the cool click wheel of my (very outdated) iPod and feel cool walking around the streets of (insert name of city here) with my white headphones. I laugh at everyone rifling through dumb airplane magazines and craning their necks for a look at what's on my cool DVD player, or what level of Mario Cart I got to on my Nintendo. I love being able to go out whenever I want, and watch all my favorite shows commercial-free! (Seriously, DVR is the best invention ever!)

So yeah, technology rocks. Alright, gotta go play with my GPS!

The List

I just added a new movie to The List.

The List, mentioned several times, is now getting its own post. Not to mention Capital Letter Status. Maybe one day I will even publish it on the blog.

You should all be so lucky.

The list started in September 2004, as a way to remember when DVDs came out for me to purchase (I'm a day-of purchaser). It quickly evolved into an ever-changing list of movies and DVDs that appeal to me for whatever reason. It changes constantly, due to my evolving interest in the movies, changes in dates, or projects that are dropped.

Currently the list spans 6 years, from its start in 2004 and ends in 2010 with the release of The Silver Chair. It contains 176 entries (yes, I just counted) but some are duplicates (i.e., the theatrical release and subsequent DVD release). It is organized according to month and the dates of each release that month that I am interested in.

Anyway, I just added The Time Traveler's Wife to The List. I loved this book (it's all there in the profile, folks!), and would be very curious to see how they would handle a film for it. Look for it sometime in 2008 (no specific month or date yet, but I'll keep you posted if you want to know!)

Gotta get to bed soon. I'm a woman of leisure no longer.

'Night!

Blunt Object Delight

So today it was back to the old grindstone. I talked about my last day of freedom, but now it's teachin' time!

I'm not gonna lie, it feels great to be back! We started off with a big assembly with everyone in my . . . conglomerate. Without going into too much details, we have a bunch of partner schools, and twice a year we all get together - at the beginning and at the end. This year we have a new leader, a type of superintendent, if you will. He seems like a decent guy, much better than our previous "leader." For one, he has a personality.

That always helps.

Anyway, so the breakfast/assembly was as long-winded as usual. I got recognized as being a tenured teacher, that was pretty exciting! It doesn't really change anything with me, just basically says that they like me and will keep me as long as I want to work there. It feels good though, like a pat on the back and a "good job, Bella!" I thought I was going to get the Blunt Object Award for being tenured, though. I guess I'll get that next year, for my five year recognition.

What's that, you say? Blunt Object Award? That doesn't sound too appealing! Well, the Blunt Object Award is my (increasingly popular) title for something far less cool-sounding: a glass apple. I call it by its other name because every year they hand out these dumb glass apples for every five years you devote to the school. I will get my first one next year. If I stay another five, I will add a second Blunt Object to my collection. This will then increase every five years. At 30, they give you something in a bag. I don't know what's in the bag though. So I get at 30 years, I'll have 5 Blunt Objects and a Bag.

The reason I refer to it as a Blunt Object is that it is IDEAL for special ed kids - such as the ones I work with - for throwing, banging, and hitting. I'm sure they could even get more creative than that. And it would hurt. A lot. So no one who actually works in my school would EVER display it on their desks, for fear of seeing it hurtling towards their face merely because it's Wednesday. Or raining. Or clothes are itching. Or they don't understand. Or myriad of reasons.

Needless to say, the Blunt Object Award is somewhat of a joke in my school. Alas, 'twas not my time this year. But next year, I will have a Blunt Object to call my very own. Perhaps, in 26 years, I'll even be eligible for a Bag. I can hardly wait!

Veronica Mars is my Hero!

Saw this post yesterday . . . Kristen Bell is joining the cast of Heroes as a recurring character! She is playing a character named Elle for a run of 13 episodes . . . I can't wait! I love when two of my favorite things come together.

I saw this yesterday and totally geeked out, but I forgot that I now have an anonymous forum where I can totally geek out and it's OK.

Also, Ausiello ran an interview with the intrepid girl detective today, check it out!

The Last Day of Freedom

There's something about the start of a new school year that is so wonderful.

Tomorrow I go back to work. I have to say, I've really enjoyed my time off, but I'm definitely ready to do something productive and feel like a human being with a mission. Even though I worked summer school and had all the same students, there's nothing quite like the start of a new year.

I haven't talked about teaching yet, mostly because I was on vacation when I started this blog, but it will pop up. It's a big part of who I am, and a big part of my life.

I teach high school students on the autism spectrum. I have a self-contained classroom with six students, and two paraprofessionals. They are pretty much as special as special ed gets. I don't say that to be mean. I love my students and love my job, and everything I say is with the utmost respect and caring for them. But they are pretty much a step away from a residential program, due to their lack of functioning in communication, social situations, self-care, and sometimes behavior. I basically have a class of really big two year olds.

So today is my last day of freedom. For most people that would involve doing something fun or crazy. I however, plan the spend the day sitting around watching Doctor Who and doing some needlepoint. At one point I will take a shower and go to the gym, but that's not for hours.

I like sitting around. Some people call it laziness. I call it centering myself. I like the calm before the storm. I like being alone and enjoying the peace and quiet before getting back to the loudness and craziness of work. I like movies and TV where people make sense, because most of my day is spent trying to figure out what makes these kids with autism tick, and why they do the things they do.

So today, on my last day, I plan to watch the Doctor, eat some good food, and "center myself." Tomorrow is back to coworkers, classroom set-ups, bulletin boards, and planning for the year. I look forward to set of new possibilities and a renewed sense of why I do what I do. I look forward to a fresh start.

And I look forward to sharing it here. I love my job, I love my kids, and I can't wait to share how wonderful they are and how they amaze me each and every day.

Maybe today is my last day of freedom, or maybe my freedom starts tomorrow. Either way, I can't wait to find out.

The Age of Fantasy

As a lover of young adult fantasy, one of my favorite series for a while has been Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Now is the age of fantasy, and some of my favorite childhood books are becoming films. It's an exciting time to be a fantasy lover. With the popularity of Harry Potter and the success of Lord of the Rings, the fantasy era is a full swing.

Movies have been made with a very degree of success. Lord of the Rings far surpassed any expectations and will endure for all time, I think. Some other favorites of mine did not fare as well. Eragon was a disaster, and The Seeker promises to be dreadful, as I've already expounded upon prolifically in a previous post.

So you can understand my caution when I saw that Phillip Pullman's book(s) made it the big screen. The trailers look good, but I've been fooled before.

But today my faith is restored. The website is very promising, with a note from the director Chris Weitz that clearly states his love and devotion for the book, as well as his collaboration with Phillip Pullman to create a story that he is happy with.

But what really got me was the Comic Con preview. It reassured me that the movie will indeed be faithful to the book and will include several things that I thought would be far too complicated for how the film industry perceives its audience (have you ever noticed that most films assume we are dumb or aren't going to get it? Drives me nuts!).

So check the website, poke around, and then go see this movie in December. Oh wait, check the website, poke around, BUY the book (cause you will want to read it again!), and then go see the movie in December.

In fact, buy the whole trilogy. You can buy the boxed set at amazon.

Oh yeah, and if you happen to meet me, say hi to my daemon Ichanus. He's an ocelot.

Princess Bride Revisited

"Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles..." It's possible for another film to have that kind of story. OK, maybe without the giants. Will a pirate do instead?


Due to the overwhelming amount of good cinema out there, and two weeks with nothing to do, I have watched the contents of my wallet disappear to the the film industry.

That's right, I saw another movie. And once again, the trailers were excellent. I won't bore (the hypothetical) you with details, but the trailers were for The Spiderwick Chronicles, Across the Universe, The Golden Compass, and August Rush (again). Man, that Freddy Highmore is everywhere! And again, all those movie are already on my must-see list.

In case you were wondering, my must-see list includes movies that I am interested in seeing, but changes as I read things or see trailers. It might even just mean that I will wait and rent it on DVD. It also includes DVD release dates that I want to buy. The list started in the 2004, and right now goes until 2010 with the release of The Silver Chair. Yes, I am crazy. The first step is admitting it.

So, Stardust. I was very surprised by the movie! Knowing nothing about, only seeing posters and trailers, I was a little skeptical. It was on my mental list of movies to read about before making a decision. So I did. I read a few reviews, including the one on IGN, and that pretty much sold me.

But I still didn't really know what to expect. What I found was the joy of making a clever, funny, tongue-in-cheek film. People have been comparing it to The Princess Bride (one of my long-time favorites), and they are absolutely justified in doing so. I have seen a lot of movies, and a lot of fantasy movies, and none of them have approached the caliber of Princess Bride. But Stardust does indeed approach that caliber.

Ian McKellan narrates us to the town of Wall (yes, really), a small English town near a large stone wall. It's not just a clever name. There is one way to get over the wall (really? No one can climb it?), and that is through a gap in wall that is guarded by an old man (David Kelly, last seen as Grandpa Joe). Tristan, our story's hero, is trying to win the love of a selfish girl, who makes him go through the gap to retrieve a fallen star. She promises to marry him if he can get the star.

But the star is a hot commodity, and not a star, but Claire Danes. Michelle Pfeiffer, a witch, is also trying to get the star. Also trying to get there are a slew of princes who most amusingly attempt to kill each other, only to be reincarnated as a pack of ghosts. They kind of remind me of the crotchety old men who make fun of everyone in the Muppets. I love those guys!

The cast is very good and include Robert DeNiro as a pirate with a secret. Ricky Gervais makes a cameo and acts just like Ricky Gervais always acts. Hey, it works! I really enjoyed Charlie Cox as the hero Tristan. I really bought his transformation throughout the movie and I predict good things for him. Michelle Pfeiffer was great as the witch as well. The only person I didn't completely believe was Claire Danes. I normally like her and think she's very talented, but she just didn't win me over in this film. I did like that she was able to portray the naivety of the star, without beating it into the ground. I also really liked the development of the relationship between her and Tristan.

Even the glaring discrepancies are amusing and can be written off as something intentional. For example, they show multiple scenes aboard a pirate ship and show how the characters radically improve in dancing and fighting and change hairstyles and clothes and such, and then you find out they were only there for a few days. It could have even been a funny joke if played off right, but it's just a minor annoyance that you hope was intended.

All in all, great movie. Funny, original, and plenty of swashbuckling fun.

Becoming Bella

There is something inherently lonely about a Wednesday matinee.

I don't usually have occasion to go to one, seeing as I am often working on Wednesday afternoons, but since I am on vacation (yay for being a teacher!) I went to go see Becoming Jane this afternoon.

The theater was full of geriatrics and single people, such as myself. I have never seen so many people go to the movies alone as I saw today. I go by myself all the time, but I am usually the only one, or one of a few people. It was a little sad to see all these people watch what is, essentially, a love story all alone.

Especially the older people. I felt sad for them somehow, probably because I saw myself in 50 years, attending Wednesday matinees all by myself.

Anyway, the movie was pretty good. It did drag in parts, but on the whole it was enjoyable.

Let's start with the trailers. The trailers were excellent!! All the trailers I saw are on my must-see list. It opened with Lust, Caution (I LOVE Ang Lee, so I'm excited for that) and moved to August Rush. Freddie Highmore is destined for great things, because he's already so talented. Both look amazing. I'm obsessed with Focus Features, their movies are always so unique and thought-provoking. I'm sure Lust, Caution will be the same. Next they showed the trailer for The Kite Runner. I hadn't seen it yet, so that was exciting for me. The book was amazing, and the trailer looks good as well. Next was the Jane Austen Book Club. That has potential, but is not yet a must-see for me. Perhaps I will pick up the book before attending the theater.

So the movie. Like I said, it was pretty enjoyable. I just love Jane Austen. There's something about the time period that just fascinates me. The tall hats, sideburns, and tails on the men. The strong women who defy the expectations of the society. The dancing, which was the most sensual they could be in public. All of it, it's something that just really keeps me watching. And the language. The way they talk reminds me a little bit of updated Shakespeare (I'm in the middle of Kenneth's Branagh's Hamlet, so I have Shakespeare on the brain).

Anne Hathaway is passable as Jane, but I didn't love her. I liked her, but didn't love her. James McAvoy, however, is totally disarming and charming as Tom LeFroy. The two have good chemistry together, and I have a feeling this movie will catapult McAvoy in the film world. I've always liked him and thought he was a great actor, but I think this will really bring him to bigger and better things.

The film doesn't seem to be at all accurate. A quick check of Wikipedia suggests that she merely flirted with LeFroy, and doesn't mention the other two men in the movie who proposed to her. But it is nevertheless entertaining. This will most likely join the ranks of my DVD collection upon arrival.

Ferry Godmother

It was quite a weekend for me. First I took a ferry (which is always an experience in itself!) to a wedding. The wedding was gorgeous, right on the water with this incredible view. Beauty in nature always makes me so incredibly happy and alive. The couple was so happy and so in love, and it was really great to see.

The cycle of life continued the next day, with the baptism of my niece and nephew, Kally and Jack. They are the beautiful son and daughter (twins!) of my sister Betsy. I got to be the godmother of my niece Kally, who is a namesake of mine (btw, all names are changed, it's the only way I am comfortable writing about my life).

Being a Godmother is a little bit frightening. I know (in this family at least) it is not so much about religious guidance as just being there for the family and being an important part of her (and Jack's) life, but it is a little daunting. Not nearly as daunting as being a mother, but being an aunt and Godmother carries some weight as well.

I think the whole religious implication of baptism is interesting. I get the whole "welcoming the child into a life of faith" thing, but the whole freedom from sin thing gets me. I mean, they are three months old! How can they sin? They can't even control their limbs yet!

But I do like the fact that you are welcoming a new life into the world and celebrating that. My other nephew, Ethan, will not be baptized. But I was talking to my brother Bill about this, and they feel the need to do something to recognize his entrance into the world and celebrate it. Ethan is six months old now, and just the most precious boy you will ever meet. (He was rockin' a cool mohawk this weekend, it was great!). But Bill is thinking of having a naming ceremony for him, which I think would be great. These kids are here and ready to start living and making a difference in the world. Let's celebrate that!

So anyway, here's to a weekend of celebrating new life and love. Cheers!

TV Bereavement

As the new season of television approaches, I start to get excited over the new shows that will be premiering, as well as old shows that will be continuing (in particular; Heroes, Lost, The Office).

This season, I will also be mourning the loss of two most beloved shows; one that died poignantly and with dignity (before the imminent crash and burn of TV shows that have lost their original appeal), and one that died far too soon and left a wake of angry fans.

I am talking about Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars. Had I started my blog earlier, you would no doubt know about my three-year obsession with Veronica Mars. It began when I watched the pilot, and I never missed a single episode since. Most of you will go, "huh? What show? Never heard of it!" Sadly, that is why it has joined the ranks of shows canceled before their days despite critical acclaim and obsessed fans (such as myself). Such wonderful shows include (but are not limited too), My So-Called Life, Freaks and Geeks, Cupid, Wonderfalls, and other shows. Luckily Veronica Mars was able to squeak past renewal for two years straight, allowing for three seasons of high-quality TV, but their luck ran out.

For those of you who have not seen it, do so. Rent it, buy it, borrow it, whatever. Just watch it. It appeals to anyone, any gender (trust me on this one). And keep your fingers crossed for a movie. Rob Thomas (no, not that one! the other one!) has said that Veronica will live on in comic books, and (gasp!) potentially a movie.

Gilmore Girls will also be sadly missed, although I believe that it ended at the right time. The last episodes were a great closure for the people of Stars Hollow.

On a positive note, there are some great shows to look forward to! And today I just discovered that one of my favorite actresses Kristin Chenoweth (of Broadway and West Wing fame) is part of the cast of my favorite pick for new fall shows, Pushing Daisies. I'm not sure how that fact escaped me before this, but I'm happy to find that out today. It also escaped my attention that Ellen Greene (another Broadway veteran) will be in the cast. Apparently I'm getting soft in my TV scoop. I may have to do some more research.

Thus, the cycle of life and television begins again this fall.



RIP Veronica Mars 9/22/04 - 5/22/07

August Movies

Each month I am going to do a preview of the new movies and DVDs coming out that I'm excited about. I'll be posting as I watch each of them as well.

The month of August has quite a long list. One of the longest ever. Anyway, here's what's coming out in August:

August 3 - Bourne Ultimatum - I haven't seen this yet, I was out of town this weekend. I plan to see it either this week or next at the latest. I don't want to get too far behind, because that might cause me to not see some of the movies I want to see this August.

August 10 - Stardust - I don't much about this one. All I know is that it is fantasy, but that's usually good enough for me. I'll probably wait for the reviews, and then decide if I want to see it or if I will wait to Netflix it.
August 10 - Becoming Jane - I am very excited for this one! I love Jane Austen books, and thus far the film industry has done a remarkable job translating her books into movies. Emma was just alright, but everything else I've seen in the last decade has been very good. Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice are on my all-time favorite movie list! But I love me some Ang Lee and Kate Winslet anyway, so it wasn't hard for S&S.
August 10 (popular day!) - Rocket Science - I just saw the trailer for this one. It really looks great, right up my alley! I just hope I can see it during it's brief stint in the theater.

August 14 - Hamlet on DVD - FINALLY! I absolutely love this movie, and have been known to sit through the entire thing when it played on HBO (of course, that was before DVR, so I didn't really have a choice). I'm so happy that it's finally coming to DVD. I will be there the day of the release to take it home.

August 17 - High School Musical 2 (on the Disney Channel) - OK, yeah, I'm a little embarrassed about that one. I admit it, I loved the first one and own the DVD. That one will be a long-term fixture on my DVR, until the DVD comes out. I hope it's as good as the first, although with Kenny Ortega still at the helm, I'm hopeful.

August 21 - Serenity DVD, Collector's Edition - So yeah, I'm often a sucker for special features on DVDs, and when it's a movie I'm passionate about (like Lord of the Rings) I buy multiple copies of a DVD to get the most features. Well, this will be the only other movie I buy multiple copies of, other than LOTR. Anyway, Serenity is spawned from the genius mind of Joss Whedon (of Buffy fame) and the TV show Firefly that nobody watched. Serenity is a brilliant movie if you've watched the TV show. So go watch Firefly, then Serenity. It's amazing. In this modern age of technology, you can add it to your Netflix or Blockbuster queue. Seriously, you'll be hooked by episode 2.

August 24 - The Nanny Diaries - This one I'm a little dubious about. I really enjoyed the book, but the fact that the movie premiere date got pushed back a few times, and with Scarlett Johanson in it, I think I'll wait for the DVD to rent. I know, I just am not a Scarlett fan. She was great in Lost in Translation, but after that I just couldn’t get into her.

Thoughts? Anything I'm missing? Drop me a line!

Seeking a Decent Movie . . .

This has been on my mind lately, and I just need to share my disgust. I was sitting blissfully unaware, watching the previews before Harry Potter, and one flashed on that began with something like, "Will Stanton was an ordinary boy . . . "

Now that made me sit upright, because Will Stanton is a character in some of my most beloved books, The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper. I inherited them from my brother (aka, stole) and we both fell in love. Looking back, I think that was what started my love of fantasy. From there it was Redwall, Terry Brooks, Lloyd Alexander, and now it's J.K. Rowling, Tolkien, and Robert Jordan. But I digress.

Anyway, these Dark is Rising books are amazing, all about a boy named Will and how he comes into the circle of the Light (called Old Ones) to fight the powers of the Dark. The first book, The Dark is Rising, is about how he discovers he is an Old One and his quest to collect the six Signs of Power. It's my least favorite of the series, but still really well done.

So when I heard this name, I bolted upright. But as the preview went on, it showed a 14 year old boy living in modern America and worrying about girls, fighting with his family, and getting caught shoplifting in a mall. "Must be a coincidence," I thought. "This doesn't look anything like the Susan Cooper books." But oh no, it is indeed. The preview made me so ill, I was disgusted that they thought to put the same name on the movie (although it recently changed from "The Dark is Rising" to "The Seeker: The Dark is Rising." Wonder why. Couldn't be the fan backlash, could it? Seriously, just read what fans are saying about the movie. I don't think I've read anything positive.)

So for those who care, here is what is wrong with this movie.
* It takes place in America. Really? The books took place in the rural UK, like Buckinghamshire and remote villages in Wales. Cooper's descriptions of the landscapes caused me to run to an atlas, where I sat pouring over the UK, trying to find some of the places she talked about, because I wanted to go see them. I fell in love with Wales from Cooper (and went to go there, specifically because of her books.) I still haven't made it to Snowdonia, or the Brenin Lloyd, but I will someday. To me, this is like Harry Potter being set in Los Angeles. It's unthinkable.
* Will. In the books, he is just 11 and already wiser than his years. He does not flounder or sputter. He is quiet and self-possessed.
* Merriman. All fantasy possesses a wise, all-knowing guide to mold the young one and reassure him/her. Like Dumbledore, Gandalf, or Obi-Wan Kenobi. That is what Merriman is to Will. But in the movies, he apparently fights (the Old Ones do not have weapons, people!) and the actors playing him hates the movie and says the book is dense and outdated. In an interview, he (Ian McShane) said "No, I never heard of them. I did try to read the book, but they were a little...I think...I don't know how...There's four of them apparently. Or five. Oh, god. That means I might have to do a sequel." Could you imagine Michael Gambon or Ian McKellen saying that? Read the whole interview if you're interested. I'm surprised he got away with saying some of the stuff he did.
* Gregory Smith. Will's brother goes along for the ride? What? That never happened! I quite enjoy Gregory Smith as an actor, and think he's great. But it just didn't happen. The role is Max is very small.
* Christopher Eccelston. Oh wait, that is one good thing about this movie. He is wonderful. Good choice.

Anyway, I could go on. Like I said, I don't want to turn people away. It may be a good movie on its own, if you haven't read the books. If you haven't, and you want to see the movie, please go. Let me know your opinion, because I am curious what a non-Cooper fan thinks. Then go read the books. Just don't read them first, because you will hate the movie.

Prologue

My first post in my first blog. It's a little intimidating, huh? I've been resisting for a while, mostly out of fear that I would get tired of it and not ever update it. I don't think anyone will actually read it either. It's both scary and heady to think that total strangers may be reading my inner thoughts.

Anyway, right now I'm planning on this blog being about many different things; movies, tv, books, and teaching (probably in that order). An odd mixture, I know, but it's what I know best! I may be reviewing things, keeping track of things that excite me (mostly movies) and recounting a tale or two from my beloved classroom of children.

This is going to start with movies, since that will probably be my primary focus. I have an extensive list of movies that I anally keep track of, update, and follow. It includes movies I am looking forward to coming out, upcoming DVD releases, and movies I want to add to my Netflix queue (whoa, had to look up how to spell that word, even though I look at it every day! Strange, huh?)

Anyway, I guess I should share some of general movie views before getting more specific. I love dramas, that's my main favorite. I've lately been getting into indie movies and noir as well. Basically though, if it's well-directed and well-acted, then I like it. I love fantasy and super hero movies as well.

Some of my favorites include Tim Burton, Danny Elfman, Kate Winslet, Christopher Nolan, Patrick Wilson, Kevin Smith, Christian Bale, Ang Lee, Johnny Depp (of course, being a Burton fan), Rufus Sewell, Paul Bettany, JJ Abrams, Joss Whedon, and many others that I can't think of right now.

Some of my favorite movies are Little Miss Sunshine, Eternal Sunshine for a Spotless Mind, Lord of the Rings, original Star Wars, Everything is Illuminated, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter movies, The Princess Bride, Empire Records, Spider-Man, X Men, Brick, and many others.

The first few posts aren't going to be very exciting. I'm going to get more specific about what I like and why I like it as time goes on. Until then, I will be enjoying my vacation (yay for being a teacher!) and visiting my niece and nephew, whom I adore.