Dick's got his fingers in everything...

Or "Cheney lame duck VP, but soon to be in your mouth."
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Matthew Weiner I praise you

For those of you who don't know who Matthew Weiner is, he's the creator and head writer of "Mad Men." I drafted this original post right after the season finale of the show about 4 weeks ago and just never had a chance to finish it. Now that I find myself trying emulating Betty's style (and maybe even sometimes her nuttiness...ok not really) I thought I should finally finish it.

I'm glad other people are as obsessed with this incredible show too, because the word needs to shared. The New York Times had a great article about the finale and a 10 page feature from when the season started this summer, that's worth checkign out to get in the know.

Matthew Weiner is a genius and with the help of an incredible cast and crew he has created one of the best shows i have ever seen in my life. After reading this exclusive interview with Jon Hamm on playing Don Draper and an interview with Vincent Kartheiser on playing Pete Campbell, their characters have been even more illuminated and resonate even more, now that the show has come to a close and I've had a chance to let the "Mad-ness" of season 2 sink in.

SPOILER ALERT OF SEASON 2 FINALE BELOW!

The title of the 2nd season finale was "Meditations in an Emergency," which I thought was the perfect title (and obviously and ongoing theme/book title throughout the show,) since the epsiode unfolded during the Bay of Pigs crisis. Though the central focus of the finale were the 2 not completely convention couples of the show, Peggy & Pete the least likely/most exciting, and of course Don & Betty, the most attractive/most dysfunctional. Pete was all mooney eyed and not because he was drunk. He was in love and sincere for the first time ever, and she ruined him by setting herself free and revealing the truth about the repercussions of their actions from sesaon 1. "I wish I picked you then. I love you and I want to be with you." What don't you know that?" Pete finally confessed to her, and she responded with:" I could have had you in my life...I could have shamed you into being with me, " which was true and utterly shocking.

Don also confessed his love to Betty and the necessity of having her in his life after she kicked him out for having and affair. But she finally let him come home, after finding out she was knocked up and had a horizontal mambo session with a complete stranger in the back office of a bar- which we learn when Joan tells him "Your wife called and asked you to come home." At that moment Don realized the importance of family, to his identity and existene and needed nothing by them and left his briefcase at work. Betty and don have everything and nothing, they're young, beautiful, and a family of means, who screw around on each other and are unfulfilled with their lives. I loved that Don finally showed some emotion and made the grand gesture at home and in the office, respecting others and the "products" he sells not advertising, which in turn screwed Duck over because he legitimately hates Don and is jealous of him. In the end Betty and Don are back together, but because they realize they'd rather be together and miserable than alone and miserable. Pete has no one and Peggy has peace.

I'd give up a kidney to have access to/wear whatever I wanted from this closet

I'd give up the other kidney to get on Don Draper (yes Don not Jon, because we're already involved.)





oh and did I mention Don Draper is a stone fox

The freaks/the fans come out at night! Post "Twilight" review.

I'll post a full review later, but I just have to say wow.
There were so many die hard fans out and that was probably the best part. I literally witnessed and was part of cultural phenomenon. The groups of girls wearing "Team Edward" t-shirts were all really nice, though I wish they threw some "V's," or what most people would assume is the symbol for peace.

Anyway the movie was solid, totally legitimate and relatively respectful to the source material, though in the end it was a film adaptation of a pretty fantastic book, literally and figuratively, so there were A LOT of cinematic conceits. Though overall the movie was as believable as possible considering its about vampires. Kristen Stewart was pretty damn great, Robert Pattinson could be the next James Dean he's that remarkable and Catherine Hardwicke is a badass goddess that helmed a fun, smart, young adult drama. But I do have to say the best part, aside from Robert Pattinson's hilariously painful brooding was that Radiohead's '15 Step' played over the credits...yes I know I'm obsessed but it was the cherry on top.

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Twilight Review Round Up

11/19/08

Though "Twilight" comes out on November 21st and there's a number of reviews out that aren't as obsessed as the 18 million people who bougt Stephanie Meyer's novels. As if anyone else's opinon mattered when it came to the film adaptation this incredible book, I was pretty excited, intrigued and nervous about what Entertainment Weekly would have to say (my main concern was that Lisa Schwarzbaum would write the review and we don't really agree on anything.) Thankfully Owen Glieberman wrote the review and gave it a solid B, which is honestly good enough for me, though I intend to see the movie at 12:01 tonight no matter what. Like almost every film adaptation (All the Pretty Horses excluded) I'm not expecting the film to be better or surpass the book in any capacity. I'm just really excited to see what Catherine Hardwicke was able to do on the biggest picture she's ever worked on. She is a woman, artist and director I highly respect and am inspired by...and ok yes Robert Pattinson, as well as Kristen Stewart and the rest of the case make me swoon. So here are a compilation of the "Twilight" reviews.

Coldplay Concert Review

And now Wes Samuel reviews the Coldplay Show at the Bank Atlantic Center from 11/9/08:

I'm not to good at writing in depth reviews of anything, but here's my quick .02:

Normally, I think Coldplay's music is great for what it is, mood music. Along the same lines as Radiohead (although nobody really compares to them) and the Doves, it's great pop music with a warm ambient feel that tends to the fill the spaces between the band members.

I was interested to see how it was going to translate in a live setting, let alone a venue whose acoustics have, in my past experiences, left a bit to be desired. However I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. While they may call themselves a "soft" rock band, they are most certainly a rock band and they put on an arena rock show. I liked how they mixed up the songs and had a good balance of upbeat songs and the normal "touchy-feely" songs. I also liked how they changed up some of their songs in the live setting. I think the highlight for me was the fast paced electro version of "Talk" on the remote stage in the crowd.

Overall, I was very impressed. As Ethan said, there is something to be said for 20,000 people singing together in unison. To me, the best part of a concert is when you feel the energy of thousands of total strangers all vibing to the same energy in the room (God, I just sounded like a hippy) But it's true, and I definitely felt that a few times last night.

Thanks Wes! I had a pretty great time, which shouldn't be too shocking since I hold Mr. Berryman, Mr. Buckland, Mr. Champion and Mr. Martin in the highest of esteem (this was the 4th time I've seen them in concert.) On more than one occasion people have asked me: "how can you listen to Coldplay, they're kind of depressing?" I certainly understand where they're coming from but I beg to differ and think that more than anything they write really beautiful, sonic, rock and roll lullabies, but that's just my opinion.

Below are the trillion cell phone pics i took during the show.

the worst/craziest picture i could have taken of Wes

confetti!

more confetti!

the boys when they left the stage and played a few tunes in the audience

Quantum of Solace Review

Quantum of Solace is the 22nd Bond movie in Albert F. Broccoli's brilliant British franchise. The film is a thrill from the second it starts and doesn't stop until the credits role an hour and forty minutes later. Though QoS is a relatively short Bond film Marc Forster has directed a very bold and rather pensive new era Bond film. While Quantum of Solace is the biggest Bond movie ever made, because it was shot in six different countries and is a massive production, the plot doesn't allow this film to stand on it's own as it's own film within the Bond canon, because unless you have seen Casino Royale you'll be somewhat lost on what's happening in the film.
Daniel Craig oozes equal parts feirce intensity and brutish elegance as James Bond, as he is driven by vengeance, to find out who is behind the evil organization that was responsible for the death of his lady love Vesper. I do have to say I wish there had been more Jeffrey Wright, in QoS, he's so simple yet so brilliant as the lone American Operative on Bond's side as Felix Lighter. Olga Kurylenko holds her own as a new era Bond girl, but I think the second best performance in the film goes to the brilliant Mathieu Amalric and I'm not just saying that because I want move to a chateau and spend the rest of my days in France having him read Zola to me. While Craig oozes an animalistic ferocity, Amalric projects an evil creepiness that left me uncomfortable and intrigued which one usually and coincidentally only sees in Bond villains. While QoS was entertaing and action packed it certainly was not as fluid as intelligble as Casino Royale and in the end, only left me more excited for whatever the next Bond film will be.

My rating: 8/10 while Casino Royale was a 9/10

RockNRolla Review

RockNRolla is Guy Ritchie's latest gangster film, and it is utterly fantastic. Guy Ritchie is at his finest and back on form after some slips I won't even mention (and no I'm not talking about his marriage to & now subsequent divorce from Madonna.) if you liked "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels" & "Snatch" you will LOVE RockNRolla. The film is fun, fast paced and frenetic in all the necessary places. It also stars sooooooo many awesomely talented people, but I'll try to only mention a few that really stood out in this incredibly talented and down right attractive ensemble.

Mark Strong, plays "Archie, formerly Archibald," the narrator (& better version of the role Jason Statham usually fills) for the opening of the film and "Number 2" to Tom Wilkinson's reigning London Gangster/Real Estate hustler in the film. Gerard Butler (possibly the hottest Dracula ever) and Idris Elba (I still miss Stringer Bell) are a truly winning...ok they're actually a pair of doltish ex-cons who end up in Wilkinson's "pocket" for some money they owe him, but are fantastic together, and part of a group of ex-cons who operate out of a back room with an ongoing card game called "The Wild Bunch." The plot like all of Guy's movies is very involved and includes a Bad but polite-Russian Billionaire, his bored and beautiful accountant played by Thandie Newton and the eponymous Rock'N'Rolla of the film, Johnny Quid, a drug addicted Rock Star who you soon learn has once again been reported dead (though it turns out to be the 3rd time in eighteen months.) Toby Kebbel steals the film as Johnny, with a hilarious and disturbing performance that's reminiscent yet more powerful than the protaganist of "Lock Stock," Nick Moran, and Brad Pitt in Snatch, but not as over the top. While Toby is possibly the best thing in the movie, I must note Gerard and Thandie's chemistry is electric and hilarious, the party scene is worth sitting through the movie itself, just to see the two of them not be sexy, which is a pretty shocking and entertaining feet. I also have to mention that Jeremy Piven and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as well as the new "Bond" girl Gemma Arterton have small, but solid roles in the film too. Go see this film is all I can say you'll certainly be entertained.

My rating: 8.6/10.

Guess who's back? Back again, Jenny's back, tell a friend...

Hello fair readers! I'm sorry it took longer than expected to , I've been suffering from the winter blues, incrediblly busy with work and obsessivley reading Stephanie Meyer's "Twlight Saga." I have been totally engulfed, in this utterly intoxicating and enteraining book series, but have finally come up for air to post, do some ranting and include some pictures of me from when I used to be adorable. So I hope you've missed me a little, I know Brian did (thanks by the by.) And have a great weekend, I'll be headed to New York for a wedding, so expect some random mobile posts & some stuff I've been meaning share peppered on the site throughout the weekend!

Attention Fair Readers

First and foremost thank you very much for actually reading my blog. I know there is all of 4 of you out there, but it is greatly appreciated and I encourage you to comment more, suggest features or even contribute-like my blog description reads "...this is a place for madness." Friday's "Under Construction" was actually quite literal, as I intend to revamp the blog rather soon, so expect a few changes and feel free to offer any tips or things you do or do not like. Upcoming posts will feature, a review of Guy Ritchie's new film, RockNRolla, some thoughts on this past season of Entourage, a review and photos from the Coldplay show at the Bank Atlantic Center, and an all new feature called "Under the Influence." So thanks again for reading, have a great week, and stay tuned!

it's Monday so that means

...it's time for another Liev Schriber post ...and no this doesn't get old. as long as Jezebel keeps posten 'em, i'll keep stealen 'em