Dissonance

SOFIE
So you really think having two opposing ideas in your head does some kind of damage?

MUMFORD
Sometimes, yeah... pulling in two different directions at once. It makes tiny little tears in our fabric.

SOFIE
Well then, my life has been some kind of huge rip.

From Mumford

Anti-school quotes

Post your favorite anti-school quote from songs, movies, plays, or books. I'm hoping to re-create a really fun thread we had on unschooling.com back in the day. The purpose is to show that—despite the widespread support that formal schooling receives—people really do know that something is wrong with it.

I'll start:

"I want to run through the halls of my high school, I want to scream at the top of my lungs. I just found out there's no such thing as the real world, just a lie you've got to rise above." ~ John Mayer, "No Such Thing"

NaBloPoHalfMo: Playing movies

Okay, how about SCREENplay. I have movie reviews for "The Invention of Lying" and "Red."

***Spoilers may follow, so just quit reading now if you don't like spoilers.***

The Invention of Lying. I got this one from Netflix and watched it the other night. Ho hum. I have a couple of main complaints:

1. One of the messages seemed to be that we are supposed to look beneath a person's physical appearance to the personality beneath. Uh-huh. So, what exactly was Ricky Gervais' character supposed to have seen in Jennifer Garner's character other than a pretty face? She was fairly unpleasant really.

2. Ricky's conscience won't let him use his newfound ability to lie to trick strangers into having sex with him. I guess we're supposed to like him better for this. But his conscience is perfectly okay with bank robbery, defrauding his employer and the general public, enabling a friend to get away with driving while intoxicated, and subjecting all of society to religion. Yeah. He's a great guy.

In summary, unlikable characters in a ridiculously simplistic plotline. Don't bother.

P.S. I enjoyed Ricky Gervais' performance in "Ghost Town," but found him pretty boring in this one, despite his having given himself a couple of emotional scenes to work in. (He cowrote the screenplay.)

Red. Frank and I saw this for date night last night. LOVED IT. It's billed as an action/adventure/comedy, and that's just about right. The lovely cast appears to be having a fine time through much of the filming (Helen Mirren gets to fire a big-ass machine gun while wearing an evening gown - it is SO clear why she took this role), and the jokes and gags fly as fast and furious as the bullets. Who cares if some of the plot devices are a bit tired? It's just a fun, fun, fun couple of hours. Worth seeing on the big screen.

This is so cool!

XKCD's timeline graphs of some popular films. Click to see them big enough to read the very cool details.



Original on XKCD

All grown up

This is my 1004th published post on this blog. I meant to notice when I hit 1000, but I blew right on past it. I don't think these milestones mean much more than that I like the sound of my own voice, but we'll tie it in with this post by declaring that my blog is officially a grownup! I'm sure that will be as meaningful here as that label is anywhere else.

I wasn't going to do the meme for grownups that is going around, but as so often happens, Frank has inspired me. Here are my responses.

Tired of all of those surveys made up by high school kids? Here's a list of questions for the people who are a little older. Copy and paste into your own note, then answer the questions. Finally, tag your friends (including me, please!). The usual thing, in other words.

If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged.

1. What bill do you hate paying the most?
Our credit card, which we use for convenience (especially for groceries and gas) and then pay off each month. I dislike paying this one for three reasons: it is our largest bill, it comes with the threat of significant late fees, and it is not automated. So far, these things haven't prompted me to switch to using the debit card, but that's always a possibility.

2. Do you miss being a child?
No.

3. Chore you hate the most?
Most chores are not as bad as I make them out to be when I'm avoiding them. However, I hate—HATE—cleaning pans in which bacon has been prepared. If Frank weren't willing to do this, we would only have bacon at IHOP.

4. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
I'll just steal Frank's answer here: Romio's Restaurant, nice local Italian-ish place. Last nicer romantic dinner was Ruth's Chris.

5. If you could go back and change one thing what would it be?
I would attachment parent and radically unschool from the beginning of my kids' lives.

6. Name of your first grade teacher?
I don't know. I don't remember her at all. First grade was the school year after my folks split up, and I understand divorce is a common cause of a little amnesia in kids. Also, I was only at that school for one year, so her name wasn't reinforced in my memory in later years.

7. What do you really want to be doing right now?
Figuring out how to cope with my big lottery win.

8. What did you want to be when you grew up?
Writer. I toyed with being a lawyer, and I actually took some classes toward a degree in computer science, but writing was always the real dream.

9. How many colleges did you attend?
Two so far, Washington State University and the University of Washington.

10.Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
I'm still in my nightshirt. It's pretty old, so it's really soft and loose, and it has long sleeves. Cozy!

11. What are your thoughts on gas prices?
I don't expend much energy thinking about gas prices.

12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
I woke up before my alarm this morning, so my first thought had to do with the coffee I drank yesterday that probably contributed to my restless night and early morning.

Frank said, "I think I heard Ronnie's alarm. I dunno why she sets one." I know! I know! I set one because I need to check e-mail first thing in the morning in order to check for new job listings from the agency.

13. Last thought before going to sleep last night?
I wondered how long Frank was going to stay up.

14. What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
Jon Stewart. President Obama.

Those are both people whose political philosophies are very close to my own. I like to think I could nudge them a little closer.

15. Have you ever crashed your vehicle?
I've dented my vehicle, and my vehicle has been crashed into. Oh, yeah, one time I did the crashing but it was still the other guy's fault. He pulled out in front of me and then stopped. At a green light. I actually discovered the one situation where you can rear-end someone and not get a ticket for it.

16. If you didn't have to work, would you volunteer?
Not so far, or rather, not any more than I do when I am working. Most of my efforts toward improving the world involve writing checks and spreading the word on the Interwebs. I devote a fair amount of time to promoting unschooling; I think it's one of the very best things I can do for humanity.

17. Get up early or sleep in?
Whatever. I am not fond of early wakeups, but my day has 24 hours in it no matter what.

18. What is your favorite cartoon character?
I always liked the roadrunner.

19. Favorite thing to do at night?
Read. It's probably my favorite thing to do during the day, too. :-)

20. When did you first start feeling old?
I don't feel old.

21. Favorite lunch meat?
I loved Frank's oyster answer. My favorite sandwich at Subway is the Subway Club.

22. What do you get every time you go into Wal-Mart?
A headache! Ba-doom.

I haven't been in a Wal-Mart in years. Change that to "the grocery store" and my answer is "milk." Change it to "Target" and my answer is "something more than was on my list."

23. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
I don't think it's necessary—commitment to a partner is not dependent on (or guaranteed by) marriage—but I certainly don't think it's outdated.

24. Favorite movie you wouldn't want anyone to find out about?
If I actually had one of these, I would refuse to answer this question, but I'll play along.

I have a soft spot for "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees. Pure, glorious, spangled cheese!

I discovered recently that some people actually hate "Weekend at Bernie's." This is inconceivable to me. I love that movie. Terry Kiser should have had an Oscar for his performance as Bernie. Oh! And I should have included Bernie's frozen smirk in my list of memorable movie smiles.

25. What's your favorite drink?
Varies by situation. For breakfast, orange juice. For thirst, water. For a pick-me-up, a caramel macchiato. For taking the edge off, a Mike's Hard Lemonade or a strawberry margarita.

26. Who from high school would you like to run into?
I'd like to know what Colleen Campbell is doing. Paging Dr. Campbell!

27. What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now?
I don't often get to control the radio. When I do, it goes to KZOK for some classic rock. When the commercials come on, I drift until I find a song I like.

28. Sopranos or Desperate Housewives?
Neither. I don't like soap operas any more.

29. Worst relationship mistake that you wish you could take back?
Frank knows.

30. Do you like the person that sits directly across from you at work?
N/A.

31. Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purposes?
No.

32. Last book you finished reading?
I think it was "Black Hills" by Nora Roberts. It was pretty good, not her best.

33. Do you have a teddy bear?
I suppose technically my teddy bear belongs to MJ now. But I do have three little lions and a cuddly bat. They are very popular with my younger visitors.

34. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
On a boat!

35. Do you go to church?
For weddings and funerals.

36. How old are you?
44.

Friday fill-in

Today's edition: Name the dude, name the movie.

1. He was a bad mutha f****.

2. Watching the loons is what I look forward to most this time of year.

3. My best friend is a waste of f***ing life who doesn't know anything about boats.

4. I might give you eternal life, but I'm never going to be honest with you.

5. Appearances can be altered.

6. The last person I gave a hug to was my son.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to talking to my cornfield, tomorrow my plans include baptism, and Sunday, I want to go hunting for free-range rude!

(#7 is three dudes and three movies, in case you couldn't tell. )

My real answers:
1. He was a friend before I loved him.

2. NOT sending my kids to school is what I look forward to most this time of year.

3. My best friend is too far away.

4. It doesn't always seem polite to be honest with you.

5. Appearances are not every damn thing.

6. The last person I gave a hug to was Frank and earnest.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a hot date with my hubby, tomorrow my plans include a trip to Canada to be a sexy backup chick, and Sunday, I want to have a quiet day at home because it is practically our last chance for one til mid-September.

A little surprise

Changing the plot (but not too much)
Chloe and I went to the movies today with the SnoCo Teen Unschoolers Network (STUN). It's been a long time since we've all been together, so it was fun to see everyone. And the movie, "Twilight," was considerably better than I thought it was going to be. Chloe can tell you in detail where they departed from the book, but they were very much true to Stephenie Meyer's vision, too.


I don't think I'll be spoiling anything when I say that my favorite bits were with Bella's dad, Charlie, played in nicely understated fashion by Billy Burke. The screenwriter was very smart to develop this character, and Burke made good use of his screen time.

And the vampire cast was undeniably striking, especially Dr. Cullen! Whoa. Chloe and I both got chills the first time he came on screen. You can really believe he's not quite human.

Anyway, it's not an Oscar contender, but it was a fun couple of hours.

Movie review: Hancock

Spoilers follow.

I wanted to like this movie. The previews intrigued me enough that I chose watching it over reading my book last night. I guess I don't exactly regret the decision, but I sure came away disappointed.

The first part of the movie is really good. I was enjoying Hancock's transformation from drunken, abrasive not-so-super-hero to fledgling do-gooder. Will Smith's performance through these parts was nuanced and interesting, and Jason Bateman was a good foil.

And then the movie took a left turn. I had just barely begun to enjoy the all new Hancock when the whole story line with Charlize Theron picked up. And even that I was trying to go along with—or I was at least curious where they were going with it—when the movie took another left turn, and we've suddenly got an ill-defined arch-nemesis and historical background on the characters that was, well, kind of silly. (Question: After listening to the hospital conversation between John and Mary, why, exactly, is she supposed to have hated him? Yeah, yeah, she was scared, but they wrote scenes for an angry woman, not a scared one. And then she had no reason to be angry.)

It seemed like nobody knew quite what to do with the movie after the setup. I know what I would have done: there was a wonderful developing-character story in the making there, and I really wanted to see what that character was going to make of the world. Instead, I got a boring battle and an unsatisfying conclusion.

Maybe it's time for some fanfiction.

Thursday 13

A Thursday Thirteen Twofer:26 Movie Moments that Make Me Smile Hugely (mild spoilers may follow) 1. "Who wants pie?" It Could Happen to You 2. "I Will Survive." The Replacements 3. "Write that down." Blast from the Past 4. "Baptism!" O Brother Where Art Thou 5. "He dies?" Shakespeare in Love 6. "This could very well be the stupidest person on the face of the earth. Perhaps we should shoot him." Ruthless People 7. "All You Need Is Love." Love Actually 8. "How do you think I feel? Betrayed, bewildered..." and "Are you afraid of my Guatemalan-ness?" The Birdcage 9. "Sweet mystery of life, at last I've found thee." Young Frankenstein 10. "I trust I need no introduction." Interview with the Vampire 11. "No more goat soup!" and "Americans." The Mummy 12. "You are drunk, and when you are drunk, you forget that I AM IN CHARGE!" and "I dwell in darkness without you and it went away?!" Willow 13. "Nuclear wessels." Star Trek IV 14. "You want a beer, you get your own beer." and "Naturals. My God, every one of you, naturals... We're gonna f**king die." Captain Ron 15. "But why is the rum gone?" Pirates of the Caribbean 16. "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." The Princess Bride 17. "Well, you can do whatever you want to us, but we're not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth the United States of America. Gentlemen!" and "Germans?" Animal House 18. "The light is green." Happy Texas 19. "Damn you! I'm not an actor, I'm a movie star!" My Favorite Year 20. "The Donger need food." Sixteen Candles 21. "Little Latin boy in drag, why are you crying?" and "That is Miss Anne Baxter in the Ten Commandments and those are the moves." To Wong Foo 22. "I've been burned by you before." Beauty and the Beast 23. "Walk Like a Man." Heart and Souls 24. "Snap out of it!" and "I'm so confused." Moonstruck 25. "I thought you were Joe, Jr." and "Get down on one knee; it's more romantic." While You Were Sleeping 26. "We'll see what the man's sellin'. THEN we'll shoot 'im." Secondhand Lions Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Thursday 13

Thirteen Memorable Movie Smiles You know the ones. Those smiles that add sizzle to a scene—or even an entire movie. Here are some of my favorites and the actors who pulled them off. Warning! Mild spoilers follow. 1. Verbal smirks. While Agent Kujan's back is turned, Kevin Spacey's Verbal Kint indulges in a small smile of secret amusement. The Usual Suspects 2. Vivian shines. With a certain spark that brought the world to attention, Julia Roberts uses her smile to show us the sweet romantic inside the brash prostitute. Pretty Woman 3. Vivi glows. In just one in a string of brilliant examples, Ashley Judd lights up the screen with her pearly whites. The contrasting scenes of Vivi's anguish only make that smile brighter. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood 4. Wednesday frightens. Trying to blend in with the perky terrors at summer camp, Christina Ricci's Wednesday Addams tries on a smile. The result is chilling. Addams Family Values 5. Hannibal terrifies. Anthony Hopkins said once that he found it easy to play Hannibal Lecter. If that's the case, he certainly tapped into his inner psychopath. Hannibal's smile still gives me chills 17 years later. The Silence of the Lambs 6. Maximus takes the next step. Remembering the wife and son he lost, Russell Crowe's Maximus speaks of seeing them again. Then he smiles, just a little. "But not yet." Gladiator 7. Everett chortles. "Baptism!" George Clooney. O Brother, Where Art Thou 8. Dr. Einstein is relieved. Fully prepared to be arrested, Peter Lorre's not-so-good doctor giggles with hysterical relief as he makes his exit. Arsenic and Old Lace 9. Ray loses his composure. Having entirely too much fun for someone getting paid for what he's doing, Dan Aykroyd can't quite keep a straight face as he delivers the line, "You never studied." It makes for a vibrant scene that always makes me smile. Ghostbusters 10. Shoeless Joe anticipates. "What are you grinning at, you ghost?" Ray Liotta's Joe has a secret he can't wait to share. Field of Dreams 11. Mathesar gets the joke. Ideals intact and his people saved, Enrico Colantoni's Mathesar cracks up, in true Thermian fashion. Galaxy Quest 12. Hicks doesn't need to be told. Unnecessarily reassured of Ripley's competence, Michael Bien's Corporal Hicks smiles wryly and says, "Yeah, I noticed." Aliens 13. The Pimpernel surprises. An elderly Frenchman asks Leslie Howard's Percy Blakeney if the woman he's in love with is another man's wife. Smiling with great charm, Percy replies, "No, it's my own!" The Scarlet Pimpernel And three irresistible extras: 14. Nikita breaks our hearts. Anne Parillaud's Nikita, as part of her assassin training, attempts a smile for her beauty coach (the stunning Jeanne Moreau). Nikita hasn't smiled in years and doesn't quite have it in her after all she's been through. Ouch! La Femme Nikita 15. Jack Sparrow succeeds. Our second-favorite cap'n tosses a perfectly devilish smile over one shoulder as members of the British Navy (and their fastest ship) fall neatly into his trap. Johnny Depp. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 16. Zula prepares to kick ass. Freed from her tether by one charitable stroke of Conan's sword, Grace Jones' Zula smiles with the sure knowledge that now it's a level playing field (even though she's outnumbered about 30 to 1). Rumor has it that Grace enjoyed filming this scene so much, she injured stuntmen and had to be asked to pull her punches. Conan the Destroyer Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Thursday 13

Thirteen Things I'm Glad I Own (or share ownership in) We have some friends who are gearing up to set sail on their catamaran, the s/v Don Quixote. They've been purging belongings, in stages, for several months, realizing with each purge that the things they found essential last time are just not. I lack their perspective. I have many, many essential belongings. Here are 13 of the most essential. My MEBs. 1. My books. I am not one of those people who can read a book and call it done. No sirree, Bob. I read decent books at least twice, and I read good books... well, I haven't found a limit yet. 2. Ten thousand photos. They're jumbled, stacked, piled, stuffed, tucked away, saved to disc, boxed up, packed up, scattered about, and even occasionally framed or put into albums, and every one of them is precious. Especially photos of my babies! (at any age) 3. My bed. Our bed. The marriage bed. Haven, heaven, honeymoon, home. This is where I sleep, enjoy my books, read with my kids, talk with my kids, snuggle with my kids, sleep with my kids (rarely these days), contemplate the universe, and, above all, revel in and renew the force and solace and source that is my precious marriage to Frank. Plus our new bed is damned pretty. 4. The Super Toilet. Yes, it's sheer indulgence. Yes, it was too expensive. But oh how I love our Toto Washlet! Try sitting down on a heated toilet seat in the middle of a cold January night, just once, and then tell me it isn't an essential item! (And our friends like it, too!) 5. The computer. As a kid, with a dad in the industry, I had the privilege of playing with one of the first personal computers ever. I've been hooked ever since and now can't imagine life without one. This is where I WRITE, people! 5b. The wrist brace that lets me use the computer without agony. 6. Our video entertainment paraphernalia. Compared to the more video-oriented members of my family, I barely watch any TV at all, but our TVs and players and library of movies are cherished possessions nonetheless. We have movies to suit any mood, and having them *right there* when I need them is a pleasure. 7. My eyeglasses. The trees have leaves. My daughters have eyelashes. I can proofread billboards. I can see the computer screen without squinting or leaning waaaay forward. My eyeglasses are a wondrous thing. 8. My Crocs. Actually, all my shoes. But especially my Crocs. Hmm, it's about time for a new pair... 9. Certain treasured items of clothing. My Seahawks jersey, my Firefly t-shirt, my LIFE is Good t-shirt, my ancient but comfortably oversized "Windows 2000 Resource Kit" button-down shirt, my plush and racy-red bathrobe that Frank bought for me. Wearing these items never fails to make me feel good. Comfort clothes. 10. Our Sonicare toothbrush. I haven't had a cavity since we went sonic years and years ago. (knock wood) (yes, I know an atheist shouldn't be so superstitious, but I am ever All About the Contradictions) 11. The washer, dryer, dishwasher, microwave, and refrigerator. I lived on a boat without these for a while. (No, the boat refer does not count.) I appreciate them very much now. Very much. 12. The stuff in my hopechest. Mementos, letters, dried wedding flowers, newspaper clippings, baby clothes. It's our accumulative time capsule. 13. The jewelry Frank has given me over the years. Especially my wedding ring. This was one of the easiest TTs I've done. :-) Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Juno

Go see this movie.

Enough said.

But wait - I also have to say, "Ohmigod, where did Ellen Page come from?" She is amazing. She's beautiful. She's astonishingly talented. And she'll be 20 in a month, despite my having just proclaimed to Frank that she couldn't be more than Juno's 16.

Happy Birthday, Ellen! Thanks for our present!

Thursday 13

My Thirteen Favorite Movies (in no particular order) 1. Die Hard This movie was an original that has yet to be equaled. It was good enough to convert me from Bruce Willis hater (Moonlighting? gag me) to Bruce Willis fan. Humor, explosions, gorgeous bad guys, a head villain we could respect, Alexander Godunov stalking across a rooftop, and the Ode to Joy. What more could we want? Great quote: "...we'll be sitting on a beach, earning twenty percent." Exception: Some of the abysmal lines they gave Deputy Chief of Police Dwayne T. Robinson. There was no need to make him such a caricature. 2. Raiders of the Lost Ark There hadn't been an action movie like that in decades. Maybe there had never been an action movie like that. Indiana Jones might have been battered and cynical, but we loved him from the first scene. Great quotes: "It's not the years; it's the miles." "Indyyyyyyyyyy, the torch is going out!" Exception: They took too long to make the fourth one! 3. Blast from the Past I think I've seen this one about a hundred times. The dialog is crisp and fun, Adam is admirable and sweet, and the supporting actors are to die for. Sissy Spacek and Christopher Walken stole every scene they were in. Great quote: "There used to be something called a liquor store... Write that down." Exception: Some of the romantic scenes between Adam and Eve bog down a bit. 4. Clueless Pure fun, with one of the most romantic movie kisses ever. I think Jane Austen would have loved this one. Great quote: "I totally paused." Exception: She was probably supposed to be, but Brittany Murphy is overly annoying from time to time. 5. The 13th Warrior An intelligent, fascinating, expertly crafted action movie that I can watch over and over. Great quotes: "The thirteenth warrior is you." "Hurry to meet death before your place is taken." "The dog can jump." "No, boy, this is no day to be close to land." (We can relate.) "I cannot lift this." "Grow stronger!" "It's cavalry!" "I rather prefer a dragon." Exception: Harper, our weapons expert, says many of the props are anachronistic. I never noticed personally. 6. Gross Pointe Blank Take one neurotic hitman, the attractive DJ he can't forget, and a host of entertaining side characters, throw them together at a high school reunion, and watch the fun ensue. Great quotes: "This is me breathing." "Workers of the world, unite!" Exception: The awkward scene where Joan Cusack turns tough on the telephone. 7. Shakespeare in Love If I were stranded somewhere with only one movie to watch, this is the one I would want it to be. It's a delight and includes the best (partial) performance of "Romeo and Juliet" I've ever seen. Great quote: "It will be all right." "How will it?" "I don't know. It's a mystery." Exception: None. 8. The Usual Suspects Who is Keyser Soze? I'll never tell. Great quote: "Well, I believe in God, and the only thing that scares me is Keyser Soze." Exception: The changes between time and place are confusing to the first-time viewer. 9. Gladiator Russell Crowe seemed shocked when his name was called for the Oscar for Best Actor of 2000. We certainly weren't. His Maximus is deep and strong and I'd follow him anywhere. Great quote: "My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next." Exception: Dodgy editing in places, with costumes revealing that the scenes were not in the designed order. 10. A Fish Called Wanda Clever, intelligent, sexy, and side-splittingly funny. Great quotes: "It's K-k-k-ken, c-c-coming to k-k-kill me." "Wake up, limey fish!" "Avoid the green ones. They're not ripe yet." "I have dresses with higher IQs." 11. The Sixth Sense The big test: I knew the big secrets when I saw this movie the first time and loved it anyway. Great quote: "Grandma says hi." Exception: The deleted scenes should have been left in. 12. Snatch Guy Ritchie's masterpiece of overlapping stories, wacky characters, Desert Eagles .50, and assorted English accents. The milk-carton sequence alone makes this movie worth watching. Great quote: "Yeah, I like dags." Exception: Just a few very minor imperfections, nothing worth mentioning really. 13. L.A. Confidential A cast of exceptional actors turns this police drama into one of the greatest movies I've ever seen. Shotgun Ed. Great quotes: "Something has to be done, but nothing too original, because hey, this is Hollywood." "Some men get the world. Others get ex-hookers and a trip to Arizona." Exception: Ed and Bud don't call for backup at the Victory Motel. Honorable Mentions Love Actually The wedding. The comeback. The crush. Colin (the character). Colin (the Firth). Two hours of bliss (plus some really wonderful deleted scenes on the DVD). Let's get our asses kicked by love! Great quote: "I am Colin, God of Sex. I'm just on the wrong continent." Exception: Mr. Bean. Pride and Prejudice Beautifully condensed into the Good Parts Version, with stunning cinematography and a dreamy Mr. Darcy. Great quote: "I have the utmost respect for your nerves. They've been my constant companion these twenty years." Exception: Jena Malone's overblown portrayal of Lydia. The Long Kiss Goodnight Samantha's transformation into Charly is fascinating. And it blowed up real good. Great quote: "There may be many reasons not to kill you, but among them is not that you'll be missed by NASA." Exception: They missed the obvious line at the very end and it bugs me every time. She throws a knife to kill a noisy cricket and doesn't say, "Chefs do that." Mumford This is my guaranteed feel-good movie. Great quote: "You know what this feels like? When I was in high school, the thing I wanted most when I was stuck in class, the thing that I was desperately in pursuit of, was a hall pass. That's all I ever wanted. I loved moving freely around the school while everybody else was trapped in there. That's how I feel right now. Like I have some giant, all day hall pass." Exception: Martin Short. Except he probably does what he's supposed to do. Star Wars The quintessential space fairy tale, with special effects that are still damned good thirty years later. Great quote: "There's no mystical energy field that controls my destiny." Exception: None. Even the flaws are treasured friends. Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

The Movie Project

I decided to do my favorite movies for this week's Thursday 13. This led to quite a little project in categorizing and prioritizing movies, and to the discovery that my favorite movie list is quite long. On Thursday, I will announce my top 13, but here are the top contenders in each category.

Keep in mind...
* I could only count movies I've seen, and the movies that live in our home (and thus could remind me of their existence) had a much better shot of making one of the lists.
* Once I included a movie in a list, it was disqualified from other lists.
* While some of these are Great Movies, most are simply my personal favorites, the movies I enjoy watching again and again. No pretentions here.

If you think I missed something, put it in the comments and I'll consider it for my top 13 on Thursday.

Ensemble Cast
Apollo 13
The Big Chill (added 2/21)
The Breakfast Club
L.A. Confidential
O Brother Where Art Thou
Pulp Fiction
Snatch
Sneakers
The Usual Suspects

Music and Dance
Blues Brothers
Chicago
Coal Miner's Daughter
Sister Act
Top Hat
Young Frankenstein

Paranormal
Ghostbusters
Interview with the Vampire
Resurrection
The Sixth Sense

Fantasy
Field of Dreams
Just Visiting
Ladyhawke
The Mummy
Willow

Sci-Fi
The Abyss
Back to the Future
Galaxy Quest
The Matrix
Men in Black
Star Trek 4
Star Wars
Stargate
Terminator

Horror
Aliens
Blood Simple
Jaws
Pitch Black
Tremors

Epic/Tour de Force
Braveheart
Dances with Wolves
Forrest Gump
The Godfather
The Ten Commandments

Drama
Falling Down
A Few Good Men
Good Will Hunting
Ordinary People
Regarding Henry
The Shawshank Redemption
The Silence of the Lambs

Classic
Arsenic and Old Lace
Ball of Fire
Casablanca
It's a Wonderful Life
The Quiet Man
Roman Holiday
The Scarlet Pimpernel (Leslie Howard)

Sports
Bull Durham
A League of Their Own
Major Leage
Mr. Baseball
The Replacements

Western
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Maverick
Silverado
Stagecoach
Unforgiven

Foreign
Amelie
Das Boot
La Femme Nikita
Sanjuro
Tampopo

Action
Die Hard
The Fugitive
Gladiator
Gross Pointe Blank
Lethal Weapon
The Long Kiss Goodnight
Mission: Impossible
Speed

Action Adventure
The 13th Warrior
Captain Ron
The Count of Monte Cristo (Jim Caveziel)
Pirates of the Caribbean
The Princess Bride
Raiders of the Lost Ark

Comedy
Okay, this category was really hard. In order to include more of my faves, I broke it down into three arbitrary subcategories.

Gutbusters
Animal House
Big Trouble in Little China
A Fish Called Wanda
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
The Ref
Ruthless People

Light Comedies
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
The Birdcage
Encino Man
Happy Texas
Liar Liar
Trading Places

Comedies with Heart
Accepted
As Good as it Gets
Blast from the Past
Bulworth
Clueless
Dave
EdTV
Mumford
My Favorite Year
My Cousin Vinny
Secondhand Lions
Sixteen Candles
To Wong Foo...

Family
Beauty and the Beast
Homeward Bound
Hook
Monsters, Inc.
Mulan
ET
Hocus Pocus

Romance
Always
Heart and Souls
Love Actually
Moonstruck
Pretty Woman
Pride and Prejudice
Romancing the Stone
Sense and Sensibility
Shakespeare in Love
While You Were Sleeping

Friday fill-in

Movie quotes edition. I'm not sure what it says about my life that I knew the actual quote, actor, and/or movie for 5 of 6 of these. The exception was the Val Kilmer quote, since my favorite line from that movie is "I'll be your huckleberry."

1. "I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, the incredible pomposity of certain Potions professors." ("bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses" — Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone")

2. "Why is my free time always gone?" ("the rum" — Johnny Depp as Cap'n Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest)

3. "Harold, *everyone* has the right to make an extra-large batch of Fantasy Fudge at Christmas." ("ass out of themselves" — Ruth Gordon as Maude, Harold and Maude)

4. "Nine companions, so be it. You shall be a minor league baseball team." ("the Fellowship of the Ring" — Hugo Weaving as Elrond, LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring)

5. "Nonsense, I have not yet begun to pout." ("defile myself"— Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday, Tombstone)

6. "Mama says they was magic shoes. They could talk better English than myself." ("take me anywhere" — Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump, Forrest Gump)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to finding something to look forward to, tomorrow my plans include random acts of organization, and Sunday, I want to watch the Seahawks fry the Falcons!

Guess what!

MJ, Chloe, and I went to downtown Seattle today to soak up the atmosphere. We strolled into Pacific Place, a relatively new upscale shopping complex to go with the other upscale shopping complexes down there, and saw a movie poster for...

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull!

After doing two minutes of research online just now and seeing how long ago Lucasfilm announced this, I realize many of you might already know this, but...

The film is due out May 22!

And...

Karen Allen is in the cast! Marion returns! Yay!

I was worried they would pick Kate Capshaw—she is Spielberg's wife, after all—but maybe they realized that Marion was always our favorite Indy chick.

The release date coincides with the start of LIFE is Good 2008, so I foresee an unschooler invasion of the theater nearest the Vancouver Red Lion. Who's with me?

Thursday 13

Thirteen Books and Movies that Show How Cool Unschooling Is Books 1. Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan 2. Stargirl and Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli 3. Skellig by David Almond 4. Birds, Beasts and Relatives by Gerald Durrell 5. Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat (also a great movie) 6. Diary of a Fairy Godmother by Esmé Raji Codell Note: If you think you're too old for any of these, think again! Each is a great work of literature, suitable for all ages. Movies 7. Accepted 8. Breakfast Club 9. Ferris Bueller's Day Off 10. School of Rock 11. Groundhog Day 12. Adventures in Babysitting 13. Mumford 13. American Dreamer (Okay, okay, so that's fourteen, but I couldn't decide which one to leave off.) Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Zoo review

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

Frank and MJ just wrote to tell me all about watching "Zoo." To read the report, use your mouse to highlight the empty space below. If you want to have the fun of discovering MJ's performance yourself, don't do that.

MJ's scenes are at the very end; she brought the movie to a close. Frank says she's very cute. MJ is most excited about the fact that she is listed in the credits!!!!!!!!! She's "the unknown girl."

Frank says the dry facts of the case aren't really included. Instead, it's very atmospheric. He says:

"The director [Robinson Devor] obviously tried VERY hard to not make these people seem creepy; but they are SOOOO creepy, it came through anyway. Yeech!

"In one sense the most fascinating part was the comments by one of the actual guys (Coyote?) about his interaction with Jenny and John when they came to take the horse. He pontificated on and on about how they knew nothing about horses and didn't understand horses like he did.

"But then again, who'd want to understand horses in that way?"

One note for all: Jenny, MJ's boss at Hope for Horses, was displeased with their use of one of her quotes in the movie. In it, she says something about understanding. Frank says it's pretty clear from her earlier comments in the film that she doesn't really understand, but Jenny was still unhappy that her words were taken out of context, making it appear as if she might condone what happened. She does not.

For those who know that MJ was interviewed by the director, we are sad to report that no interviews were included in the special features.

Zoo

MJ's movie, "Zoo," is now available on DVD. Remember, the subject matter of the documentary is bestiality, so this will not be for everyone.

Long live John McClane!

The STUN group gives "Live Free or Die Hard" an assortment of thumbs up! We all really enjoyed this movie. Sure, it's a sequel, but it's a *good* sequel, arguably better than the two sequels that came before it. And it makes for a fun trip to the movies, especially in such good company!