Friday, June 8, 2012

When did this happen?

Yeah, I know I'm getting up there.  Let's try to stay away from the term "middle-aged" if we can for now.  I'm about to sound hopelessly and helplessly like an old fogey, lamenting the state of youth today, but when did stripper shoes make it into pleasant society? 

Exhibit A!


The only people who are able to walk in these things are strippers!  You know why?  Because they have their feet in the air, legs wrapped around a pole.  These shoes are NOT meant to be worn in public!  Oh, and as a public service announcement, those who attempt to walk in these ridiculous things?  You look like you're three and borrowed your mom's heels. 

I blame Snookie and her ilk for the downfall of western society. 

There, I said it.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

I'm SO behind the times, but I know what I like!

Ok, so everyone is aware I'm an insanely busy mom, with two kids in scouts (leader for one), a full time job I'm blessed to do mostly from home, and a husband who works nights and isn't around for the vast majority of kidlet fun--by which I mean homework, mealtime, bathing, the stuff that's hard--and all this is a SERIOUS drain on my social life.  Me and my dvr?  Best buds.  Netflix?  Close second.  I watch tons of stuff while sewing on badges, grading on my laptop, etc.  Problem is, while I watch stuff, I'm not necessarily CURRENT on my viewing choices.  But I recently saw a movie that wasn't really paid much attention that I simply must share, because I thought it was great.

I like all kinds of films, but a good ghost story gets me every time.  I like horror, but I need a good story to go with it.  A simple hacker slasher won't do, unless the back story keeps me hooked.  I recently saw a movie from 2010 called Let Me In that was simply genius.  Part of it was the casting.  Chloe Moretz of Watchmen fame played a glorious child vampire--since this is a 2010 movie, I don't think I'm giving any grand secret away--and I tell you, people need to watch for her in the future.  She is a fabulous actress with quite a range.  Kodi Smit-McPhee, the main character, was equally fabulous in the title role of a bullied outsider.  There's violence, to be sure, and there's no shortage of fake blood used in this flick, but this is not a movie without a serious emotional payoff.

The far and away gem of the film is the life Kodi Smit-McPhee's character leads.  His recently shattered family life is mired in an absent dad, a religious zealot of a mom, and a general feeling of lost-in-the-middle malaise that's only exacerbated by his school experiences as the punching bag of choice for some nasty middle schoolers.  His inner landscape is echoed in the bleak mid-winter setting where most of the action takes place.  His daily interactions with a vampire child become the brightest spots in his life, and she echoes that sense of enjoyment.

This movie is so much more than a vampire horror movie.  It's about finding a kindred spirit and simply keeping one's head above water emotionally and the choices we make--good or bad--when we make personal connections.  I highly recommend it!