I have no idea why I have decided to procrastinate on a blog for the first time in 3 years rather than the ways I usually do. Nonetheless here I am.
New to me: True Detective ends tonight, and I cannot wait. This is the most captivating thing I've seen in years, and I can't wait to see it wrap up. The atmosphere is great, I love the acting, and I love the small ways contemporary politics are woven into its dystopia. io9 has mentioned the school vouchers, but also the issue of forfeiture. The cops in the world of True Detective get a truck through forfeiture, just like in real life. See this report here by PBS.
Old favorites: S and I are rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generation on netflix. I particularly recommend the episode Symbiosis, which is a total 90s rumination on the War on Drugs. It is hilarious.

Misc realizations

Sarah's House on HGTV
I don't know that I like Sarah herself or even necessarily her design, but I like that show. It's one house! and they redo the whole thing! It's like a blog on tv. Anyway, I finally figured out that she reminds me of Zooey Deschanel.

Joe Reed
So for a long time, when I was less bonkers with stupid grading, I read Low Resolution very frequently. And now I listen to the Extra Hot Great podcast very frequently. It took me about 15 episodes to realize that Joe Reed was Joe Reed. Awesome in both genres.

Terra Nova
During the Superbowl, I realized that Terra Nova is a remake of one of my childhood favorites, Dino Riders. I CAN'T WAIT!

Black Narcissus

I have a bunch of half-done drafts I'm going to try to post. This is the first: "I never realized that the end of Vertigo was based on Black Narcissus. Beautiful movie."
EDITED: Whoa! It posts in the past!!!

The Future and the Past

The Future:
AT&T's really accurate commercials from the 1990s
100 Things to Look Forward to in 2011
2011 Midseason Shows
The Future of Alzheimer's Care
The Texas Omen by Paul Krugman

The Past
Young Johnny and Elizabeth Edwards. I find this unspeakably sad for all sorts of reasons.
James Tiptree Jr. in another era
Cigarette cards featuring Old Hollywood Players
Hidden Mother photos. These are deeply creepy.
Vivian Maeir. I love this genre of photography.

BONUS LINK: The Past of the Future also dealing with AT&T

Links

Sci-fi about each of the 7 planets
Tintypes and ambrotypes of Civil War soldiers
Interview with the writer of one of my new favorite comics
A Very Important Pyramid
I love tiny art and Alfred Hitchcock
The craziest story I've heard in a while.

Loving Harry Potter

Three of my favorite Harry Potter links to celebrate HP7, which I saw at the drive-in. I highly recommend the drive-in. Yes, you may accidentally watch a lot of it thru a tinted window. Yes it was cold. But they played the Star Spangled Banner, an old ad for mosquito stuff, and a PSA against PDA. Loved the drive-in; HP7 was really pretty; I had some drinks while watching; and there was some really awesome animation. Not my favorite HP, but I thought that after HP6 too. Now I enjoy HP6 quite a bit. That said, I missed you Mugg! And Evil Stefano!!! ANYWAY:

Harry Potter as a Space Opera
Good but disturbing point about Neville Longbottom
Famous peeps put into Hogwarts houses care of Flavorwire

Star Wars Art

I just posted some Star Wars art a couple posts ago, but I am continually impressed by the new clever things people come up with. From here, here, and here.

Jane Eyre

I maybe shouldn't love Jane Eyre this much anymore, but I do. This adaptation looks so fucking great. I don't know if they could have picked a cast I would love more, and they included all the creepy haunted house aspects from the book. As much as I love all those other adaptations, Jane Eyre is a haunted house book. See: House of Leaves.

Feeling British

This Sunday am:
Drinking tea
Eating English muffin
Tooth ache
Watching Hot Fuzz

Looking forward to

Here's a bunch of stuff I can't wait to see. It's the pop culture edition:
1) They're making adaptations of both A Wrinkle in Time and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. The first is one of my favorites from childhood. I read Frisby for book club--good times.
2) The Adjustment Bureau. This trailer is awesome.
3) Micmacs. It makes me want to go back and rewatch City of Lost Children.
4) An adaptation of Heck.
5) Film Experience did their "We Can't Wait" feature. I absolutely agree with 10, 6, 5, 3-1. Especially 1. I hear there will be dinosaurs.
6) HBO's Boardwalk Empire. This looks so good.
7) A new Jane Eyre with Michael Fassbender as Rochester. OMFG as they say. Two great tastes that taste great together.
8) Paani.
9) I will probably give most of these scifi tv shows a chance.

Rosemary's Baby

Finally saw it. Of course loved it.

ADDENDUM: Okay, I was going to try to avoid this, but I just can't. I find it infinitely disturbing that Roman Polanski basically got the idea of how to rape a 13-yo girl from his own movie. Champagne plus quaaludes=alcohol plus drugged chocolate mousse/mouse. Even though marital rape was legal in 1968, the marital rape exemption never applied to forcing your wife to have sex with another man. (Having sex with your wife while she is unable to consent even if you are the one that drugged her is still legal in a few states. What a country). And of course, raping a 13 yo who was not your wife was not legal then or now. Rosemary's Baby is an awesome movie, but Roman Polanski is fucked up.

Jessica Rabbit

Two unrelated references to Jessica Rabbit today; both oddly thrilling. You have to love Jessica Rabbit!
A review of the Book of Eli
An introduction to Lil Green

Multiverse Directors

These are the ultimate from the what-would-have-been-culture:
Lynch directs Jedi
Cronenberg directs Breaking Dawn

My Favorite Movies of the Aughts

1. In the Mood for Love (2000)
2. Let the Right One In (2008)
3. Spirited Away (2001)
4. Children of Men (2006)
5. Devil's Backbone (2001)
6. Volver (2006)
7. 28 Days Later (2003)
8. The New World (2002)
9. You Can Count on Me (2000)
10. Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Observations:
I had forgotten #8 till I saw T's list. Thanks T. 2004, 2007, and 2009 are underrepresented, but I really liked 2000 and 2001. 5 of these are foreign, and 2 of those are Spanish. Amazingly, only one is animated. And there's no female directors on here :(

Embarrassment of Riches

All of November, in one post:
FDR probably died of cancer. Discovered by brilliant neurologist and journalist.

Gorgeous dollhouse.
The best movies et al of the 00s. I might do this soon.
Jezebel reminded me of this Lisa Simpson quote, which would look nice under my theoretical Lisa Simpson-as-Jolly Roger tattoo: "beneath my goody two shoes lie some very dark socks."
Five comics I'm not reading, but might read soon.
Another fascinating story on autism.
And more weird things about the brain.
Possible inspiration for twitter.

My Favorite Scary Movies

Inspired by Jezebel and Culture Snob, I've made a list of my favorite slightly twee-ish scary movies. I suspect The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby would be on here if I could get up the gumption to watch them.

The Orphanage
Shadow of a Doubt
The Seventh Victim
28 Days Later
Suspira
The Shining
The Abominable Dr. Phibes
Shivers
Evil Dead
Devil's Backbone
Let the Right One In

Also, the scariest movie I've ever seen: Event Horizon. I hear that it's not scary. I wouldn't know because I had my eyes closed for the last hour in the theater. Scariest book I've ever read; definitely House of Leaves. I love that book. Photo c/o here

Heaven

c/o io9

Look-alikes

Paige from Degrassi and Mia from Taking the Stage




Star Trek Enterprise by Amanda Vissel and Chris Craft Wooden Boat

War Games and Harry Potter

I think War Games-era Ally Sheedy would have made a really good Hermione Granger.

Youtube Nation

Disney recycles.
Ben Linus in real life.
Degrassi raps.