Buffy: Does it ever get easy?

Giles: You mean life?
Buffy: Yeah. Does it get easy?
Giles: What do you want me to say?
Buffy: Lie to me.
Giles: Yes, it's terribly simple. The good guys are always stalwart and true, the bad guys are easily distinguished by their pointy horns or black hats, and, uh, we always defeat them and save the day. No one ever dies, and everybody lives happily ever after.
Buffy: Liar.

Ah, Buffy. Thanks for being so kick-ass. I slayed some (figurative) vampires today. It wasn't easy, but it was awesome. Speaking of chicks who kick ass...

I have been listening to "Queens of Noise" nonstop and can't wait to see the movie The Runways!! It's a really simple song, but it's the attitude I can't get enough of.

I also can't get enough of this...

That's right, friends—I've gone electric! If anything is ever really annoying you, the best way to vent your frustrations is to crank up the volume on your electric guitar, turn on some weird-ass distortion, and make all the screamy sounds you wish you could make yourself. MAN is that theraputic!

Funny Face

HOW did it take me 26 years to see this film? Magazine editors? Greenwich Village used-book shops? Trip to Paris?Singing and dancing??

This is what our friend Sam calls "Beth catnip."

Another good film choice I made this week: The original Fame. I had never seen that either. Also enjoyed the snot out of that one.

But I *must* stop staying up so late to watch movies! I can't resist these days. I seem to need the separation from the day, and the day ends later than usual lately. We have this nifty device that allows us to stream Netflix rentals through the TV...this is bound to be the death of me!

Girl crush: Carey Mulligan

Saw this amazingly talented and beauteous young lady in An Education last night. Her face is so expressive! She can move the tiniest facial muscles to convey emotion. During the movie, I tried to replicate one of her subtle expressions of joy and just found my face kinda twitching. (Good thing the movie theatre is dark!) I liked the movie, and it's getting a lot of positive press. Can't wait to see what she does next.

The Parent Trap

Guys, I love The Parent Trap. Love it. The other day, I was flipping channels while gluing together wedding invites and found the re-make, with pre-crazy Lindsay Lohan. She was so cute!I even love the re-make. It's nowhere as great as the original, of course. But so cute. However, it JUST dawned on me the other night that this is the most ludicrous movie plot ever conceived. Why do I like it so much?

Why on earth would parents of twins get divorced and decide to each take a kid? Like, I get each taking an end table. But a daughter? And then, to scar your kids up real good, never tell the kid in your custody that she has a twin. But, because you are still meant to be with your former flame and you have lovers' ESP, send your kids to the same camp—without checking with the other parent in order to coordinate your "you-have-no-sister" scheme. And THEN...your kids switch places! And no one notices! (Except wise old Grandpa.)

I am not a mother, much less a mother of twins. But I cannot fathom that, past the infant baby-bracelet phase, any mother (or father) would not be able tell her (or his) twins apart. Especially if, as in the re-make, one of them grows up with a British accent and has to fake an American one (and vice-versa).

So why do I love this movie? Thoughts? My parents are still married, so I never fantasized about getting them back together. Is it just because I always thought it would be so fun to have a twin and play tricks on people? Because the girls are sweet, yet mischievous? Because I loved the idea of summer camp?

The Brothers Bloom

Last night, the boy and I had a movie and Indonesian food date. We saw The Brothers Bloom, which I thought it was out-and-out terrific. 

Also, I have a newfound love for Rachel Wiesz. She pulls off approximately 2 capes, 2 adorable black hats (see above, and the smaller one in the movie trailer), lace-up boots, and a leopard-print coat.

There's been a little green hat at Stray, our local vintage shop, that I've been eyeing. I have to say, I've been sorta against the hipster-hat trend, but I think that's because I haven't seen anyone pull a hat off adorably instead of goofily. Rachel Weisz makes me wanna go snag it.

Anyway, this movie was fun and stylish and clever. I think you'll like it, folks. As for dinner...

Having grown up in Jakarta, Indonesian food is Chris's version of mashed potatoes (homey comfort food), so thankfully Bali Nusa Indah on 45th gets the down-home taste just right to satisfy his cravings. Glad we live in a city where we can track this down!

Hope you're having lovely weekends, dearies. Whatcha up to?

He looks like that fellow in the movies

Loving my bro's post today about his man crush on Cary Grant!

Orlando

Being back in rainy New York is not quite like being in Florida, and nothing like being in the bizarre time warp of an Orlando amusement park. Armed with some JetBlue buddy passes (a birthday gift to Chris), the boy and I hit the airport at 4am on Friday morning and waited for standby seats to Orlando. 

This trip was only semi-planned. If you know us, you know Chris and I are nothing if not planners, schedulers, list-makers, etc. This trip was very adventurous for us! Knowing that there was a chance we might not get a flight, we decided to book our hotel, car, and park tickets once we made it to Florida. 

And did we ever make it to Florida! We even ended up getting great last-minute hotel and car rental deals through Priceline.

We agreed to sit through a mind-numbing timeshare presentation on Saturday morning to save money on our theme park tickets. I wouldn't recommend this as a general practice, but in trying not to break the bank for a 4 day trip, it worked out well this time. As I told Chris, "Be a writer about it!" Anyway, once we skipped away from the salesmen, the cynicism was gone and we commenced acting like 5-year-olds.

I thought about Travels in Hyperreality a handful of times, but every time I started getting intellectual about the experience, there was some kinda spontaneous parade:

  Or ice cream!

Or fairy-tale thing!

We spent the first day at Disney, making it to nearly every ride in the Magic Kingdom park, staying til close and topping it off with cotton candy and fireworks. The second day we spent at Universal's Islands of Adventure, where Chris went on giant roller coasters like The Hulk and I was enthralled that there was an entire "world" constructed to look like Jurassic Park.

I find occasion to quote this film alarmingly often, as do, I believe, my brothers. I'm not sure why a movie about a failed science experiment involving deadly prehistoric creatures is so applicable to our lives, but I do hold it near and dear to my heart.

That just about sums up our whirlwind weekend! I don't know when I'll be in Orlando again—either in 2010 when Islands of Adventure finishes building their Harry Potter "world," or not until I've got little ones in tow. It's an interesting town, to say the least.

Linens 'n things

Man, I saw Vicky Cristina Barcelona a good two weeks ago, and I haven't shaken the burning desire to run around forever in soft, flowy white or ivory fabrics. And when winter comes, I shall...well, I've blocked out winter now. Let's not worry about that. Cue the obsession reel!

(Find them, from top to bottom: Free People, Anthropologie, Alloy, Anthropologie, Alloy)

Three (thousand) Stories About Joan

I meant to brag about this and never did. It's been a long year (plus) of movie-making drama, but Camilla Belle says of the boys' script:

"It’s the most intelligently written script I’ve read in a long, long time.”

And then they credit Chris twice and Sam zero. But totally awesome, even with the misprint.

Full interview over at Nylon.

Regal Ewok

Went to the movies in Times Square this evening. Anyone else like to refer to the Regal E-Walk as the Regal Ewok, or is that just me?

Excellent shot of the Regal by mulmatsherm on Flickr.