Top 5, Bottom 5: Alfred Hitchcock

I watched The Lady Vanishes earlier this month, bringing my total number of Hitchcock movies I've seen up to 20. There aren't a lot of directors I've seen 20 movies from. I've seen 37 by Woody Allen (only missing four) and 19 by Billy Wilder, another prolific director I love. But besides Allen, Hitchcock just might be my most-seen director.

Top 5:
1. Rear Window (1954, #9). Not only Hitchcock's best, but one of the best of all time. A perfect blend of mystery, suspense, romance and unexpected humor.
2. Psycho (1960, #103). I love how Hitchcock spends so much time building up the story, unlike modern horror flicks, which fill their movies with pointless jump scares and ominous foreshadowing. When the horror actually does happen in Psycho, it's even scarier because everything had been so okay up to that point.
3. Rope (1948, #107). This movie is one of the best one-room dramas ever, with excellent writing and interesting characters.
4. Strangers on a Train (1951, #125). This is hardly ever anyone's favorite Hitchcock, but it's one of mine. It's a wonderful premise and does an excellent job of portraying someone caught up in something far beyond their control.
5. Dial M For Murder (1954, #189). Like Rope, this one also follows the murderer rather than the hero, making you wonder if he's going to get away with it. It's a wonderful mystery with very interesting characters.

Bottom 5:
1. Shadow of a Doubt (1943, #1572). The premise isn't a bad one, but the writing and acting feel completely unnatural. I know many people love it, and I've heard it was Hitchcock's favorite, but I just don't get it.
2. Rich and Strange (1931, #1488). I'll tell you, I just can't remember much about this movie. It's probably ranked a little low, but that's what happens to movies that never grip me enough for me to actually remember.
3. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956, #1399). I'll take the original version over this remake any day. I think it's the endlessly repeated theme of "Que Sera Sera" that doomed this movie for me. It's been at least six or seven years since I saw this movie and I'm still sick of that song.
4. Saboteur (1942, #1369). Another one that I don't remember being bad so much as just being unremarkable.
5. Rebecca (1940, #1368). I've meant for awhile to give this one another shot. When I saw it, I remember being bored, but it's been probably ten years and I feel like I might enjoy it if I watched it now. Right now it's still low on my list because of my negative memories of it, but it might jump back up if I tried watching it again.

What are your favorite and least favorite Hitchcock movies?

Movie Reviews by Jessie (Part 3)

Oh, we still have more Jessie. So much more Jessie.

Good Will Hunting - Matt Damon!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh i am so much more than positive that i have heard this name before. i am sure that he was in a really good moviei saw like earl harbor or something like that. 

Earl Harbor was the less successful sequel, I guess.

Tom and Jerry: The Movie - well i really thought that for a cartoon movie it was quite original and really good. anyway i rreally thought that they had a good plot about the little girl getting stuck with her mean aunt and her dad being away or lost was it? i am not quite sure but once again back to the good plot. 

"Back to the good plot that I can't remember anything about. It was awesome. I wonder what it was."

Little Man Tate - Oh my geez. i am such a fan of Jodie Foster. her performance in all her movies is always riveting and she puts you on the edge of your seat when evr she opens her mouth to say something in most of the suspencing scenes she just happens to always be in. well anyway i think that this movie will be quite good 

do you know what really makes me ponder though. she is such a good actress at acting like a mother i have no dought that she would make an excellant mother off camera. well how come she has NO KIDS. i mean she is pretty and i am sure she could have a commited relationship in a SNAP. so once again i ask why the heck JODIE FOSTER is NOT married and has NO kids. she would be so excellent at being a mother and it makes me so mad to think that she may not ever have the chance. SHE DOESN"T HAVE ANY KIDS DOES SHE? if she does well good for her. i am almost completely sure she does not though.

I really hope she applies this same logic to all actors. To use another Jodie Foster flick for comparison:

"Anthony Hopkins is such a good actor at acting like a serial killer i have no dought that he would make an excellant serial killer off camera. well how come he has NO KILLS. i mean he is famous and i am sure he could lure people into his apartment in a SNAP. so once again i ask why the heck ANTHONY HOPKINS is NOT a serial killer and has killed NO people. he would be so excellent at being a serial killer and it makes me so mad to think that he may not ever have the chance. HE HASN'T KILLED ANY PEOPLE HAS HE? if he has well good for him. i am almost completely sure he has not though."

At First Sight -  i really think that i will be quite fond of this one. i mean look at thecover he is laughing and i love movies that make you laugh and since his actions are helping my opinion i think this movie will be

Sometimes I just stare at the screen and scratch my head when I read Jessie's review. I'm not really sure what else to do.

The Adventures of Huck Finn - i have a new likeness for elijah wood as well because he is doing a program to save the penguins that are effected by oil spills. the only problem i have with that is the fact that he is probably just doing it to get a jumpstart on his acting career even thpugh he totally doesn't need it because he has been in more than 17 movies and he is only what 18 or 19. that it is good to me.

Yeah, that silly Elijah Wood trying to further his acting career by saving the penguins. If I had been in 17 movies, I wouldn't be doing any of that nonsense.

Cheaper by the Dozen (the original version) - i think that i would like this movie in particular because the up to date one was a classic and i have no dought in my mind that this will be any less enjoyable. 

So I was laughing at this first paragraph and the confusing phrasing at the end and the notion that the Steve Martin remake is a classic, and then I read the next section of her review:

i would reccomend either one of the cheaper by the dozen movies to anyone who is a fan of classics and it is a family movie so it is nice to have afamily to watch it with. but you better hurry because there are only a few of them left. sad but sure.

Quick! Go find a family to watch this movie with! They're being killed off one by one! It doesn't need to be your own family or anything. Any family will do. See if you can get them to come out of hiding to watch this movie with you, because, really, you should be watching it with a family.

Gandhi - Oh my gosh . i had to watch this in my social studies class and although i am sure there is a lesson worth knowing i do not know it!!!!!!!!!
this movie was so boring i fell asleep. yeah i did not feel like i was going to fall asleep i actually did. i mean seriously i understand education is education and it is meant to be boring, stupid, useless, and mind boggling but i mean come on can they not spice it up just a bit.
JUST A LITTLE BIT AND MAYBE THEN WE WILL STOP SPITTING IN THE COFFE MUG YOU JUST HAPPEN TO LEAVE OPEN ON YOUR DESK, WHEN YOUR BACK IS TURNED.

OK, it's reviews like this that make me think Jessie might be more part troll than I like to admit. But I'm pretty sure I also know people who think like this in real life. So I'm going to continue to believe she is real.

Meet the Feebles - this movie looks good and i really think that i would enjoy watching it. well What exactly do you think? yes i thought so. well we are not as judged as we thought we are.....now are we.

Well, that'll tell 'em.

On her review of Surviving Christmas, she gives us a lengthy plot synopsis and ends it with this:

it is nothing likw what i can see is flashing through your brain but it is one of the most enjoyable holiday movies that i have ever seen.

"Your puny little brains cannot even begin to comprehend the glory of the magnificent plot!"

Getting Even With Dad - well this is a first i must say. i really thought that my comedy hat was full to the brim and then i could tip it over but i was wrong. 

Is that what one does with hats that are full?

Duma - Oh my Geez. this movie was such a classic i do not even think a laugh is neccesary.

I have this image in my mind of someone watching, say, Some Like it Hot with Jessie, where she constantly reprimands them for laughing. "Oh my geez, Samantha. This movie is a classic. I do not think a laugh is necessary." Or maybe "neccesary." I can't decide whether that should be pronounced "neckesary" or "nechesary."

Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas - i love any chistmas

Jessie's thoughts on Christmas movies, summed up in four words.

The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course - Oh my gosh. this is totally defacing. these people should be ashamed of them selves. You do not put a movie with a guy that just died and was a world renound hero on the site. its MADNESS>

Jessie seems to think that Flixster should have removed the Crocodile Hunter DVDs from their entire database after Irwin's death. Surely that's the best tribute to those who have passed away. Erase their existence from our websites!

Joseph: King of Dreams - I still have this movie because my grandmother says it it is nice to have spirtial movies every day you run out of chocalate. She is so weird sometimes.

Well, at least we know where Jessie gets it from now.

We're still not done, because this section covered a pretty tiny selection of reviews. There were just so many that needed to be quoted. The next one might be the last one (I think we're nearing the end) but I just don't know anymore.

Sunday Scriptures

This week was not so good at having regular times with God. I'm still struggling to find a good time of day to do it when I can regularly get into it and not get distracted. Hoping next week will be more productive. In the meantime, have one Bible verse.

Monday - Psalm 106:15
He gave them exactly what they asked for—
    but along with it they got an empty heart.

Top 100 Showtunes: 100-91

Several years ago, on my Facebook, I did a countdown of my all-time favorite showtunes. Since then I have discovered quite a few new shows and new songs, and I figured it was time for an update. So for the next several Fridays, I'll be counting down my all-time favorite showtunes from #100 to #1.

Before we start, first of all, I'm only including songs that came from musicals that were produced on the stage. As much as I love the musical numbers from Singin' in the Rain, Moulin Rouge!, and the vast selection of Disney movies, they belong on a different list.

Secondly, I want to quickly give some honorable mentions... er, mentions, to the many shows that are very solid (and have solid cast recordings) but never made it onto this list because they didn't have any songs that really blew me away on the level of these other songs. My sincere apologies to Bat Boy, Bye Bye Birdie, Cabaret, Camelot, Catch Me If You Can, The Evil Dead, The Fantasticks, Fiddler on the Roof, In the Heights, Into the Woods (I'm as surprised as you are none of the songs quite made the cut), Miss Saigon, Oliver!, Once On This Island, Promises, Promises, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Side Show, Sweeney Todd, Urinetown, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and 1776.

All right. All that being said, and all those lovely musicals having been acknowledged... On to my top 100!

(* after a song title indicates there is adult language in the song.)

#100. "Through the Looking Glass" from Wonderland. I've said before that my love for this show is very, very difficult to explain, so I'm not going to work too hard. There's just something about the music here that is very moving to me. I enjoy triumphant battle cry type songs, and even though this is a very mellow poppy kind of battle cry, it still makes me smile every time I hear it. But I can't really justify my love for it, so it chills out here at the bottom of the list.



#99. "I'm Not That Girl" from Wicked. Even though my love for this show has waned a little bit, I still really enjoy it, and I still think this is one of the quintessential unrequited love showtunes. (The others will all be in my list later.) I really enjoy the simplicity of the tune, and I like that it stays stoic instead of getting melodramatic. Elphaba chooses to ground herself in reality, trying to remind herself that she's just not that kind of girl and never will be... as much as it hurts.



#98. "Just One Step" from Songs for a New World*. The first of many songs by the phenomenal Jason Robert Brown on this list. It's a hilarious, furious song sung from the POV of a spoiled rich woman protesting that her husband won't buy her a fur coat. The music is fantastic, and it is ever so fun to sing along to. The version I present here is excellently acted but the piano often drowns out the voice, so if you want to hear it more clearly, this is the cast recording version.



#97. "Transylvania Mania" from Young Frankenstein. This musical is based on the movie of the same name. At this point in the show, the villagers have come to investigate Frederick Frankenstein's house, worried that he's building a monster just as his infamous grandfather did (which he is). Frederick's helpful assistants Igor and Inga try to distract the villagers with a sudden dance sequence, and it almost works, until the end. Besides the fact that it's so creative about rhyming words with "Transylvania" and "mania," this song is just fun to watch, listen to, or sing along with.



#96. "Legally Blonde" from Legally Blonde. There's an upbeat reprise of this song later, but this one is just gorgeous. Based on the movie, it tells the story of blonde, flighty Elle Woods' journey to law school, initially to win back her ex, but then she discovers she actually loves studying law and thinks she might be good at it. In this scene, she's just found out that she only won a prestigious internship because the professor wanted to sleep with her. She's devastated and thinks maybe she was never cut out to be anything important anyway, maybe she should just go home and hang out on the beach with her friends and be mindlessly pretty forever. It's the flip side of "I'm Not That Girl" - a heartbreaking song about resigning yourself to what seems to be your destiny and not trying to push for anything else.



#95. "Ol' Man River" from Show Boat. My taste in showtunes leads toward the modern, and a lot of the classic musicals or songs from them just don't move me that much. This song, however, is incredible. It's sung several times throughout the show, using the Mississippi River as a metaphor in its commentary on oppression and hardship. The melody and lyrics are both absolutely haunting. Such a beautiful song.



#94. "One Knight" from Wonderland. And to follow up that deep and poignant song, we have this, one of the silliest songs on this list. It's a boy band parody sung by the White Knight to Alice, asking her to let him be her guide through Wonderland. The thing is... I have such a weakness for boy bands. I love them. A lot. And even though this song is deliberately ridiculous and cheesy and the choreography is hilarious... as I'm giggling at it, I'm also a little melted by it. This song was definitely one of my obsession songs in 2012, and although I'm sure this will eventually slip out of my favorites list, for now it still belongs.



#93. "Screwed-Up People Make Great Art" from Striking 12. And here we have the first of many entries by the band Groovelily, many of whose songs are impossible to find on YouTube and I'll have to link you directly to their own music page for an audio-only experience. This song is from their New Year's Eve-themed show that creatively tells the story of The Little Match Girl, interspersed with the story of the depressed guy reading about her. This song gives us a little background on Hans Christian Andersen as the author of The Little Match Girl. It's funny, clever, and entertaining... and it taught me all sorts of fun facts about how twisted poor HCA's life was.



#92. "Bye Room" from john & jen. john & jen is a fantastically interesting musical about a woman's relationship with her brother and then her son, who is named after her brother. This song features her and her son as he is getting ready to head off to camp for the first time and is saying goodbye to everything in his room. I love the song's cheerfulness and playfulness and it's still one of my favorite songs to listen to.



#91. "Terminal Illness" from 13, which starts at about 2:42 into this clip. I've always had a fondness for cheerful-sounding songs about terribly morbid things, and this one certainly is that. The plot here is a bit complicated, so let's just say that the main kid singing is Evan, who is the new kid at school and is trying to do everyone favors to get on their good side. Right now he needs to get a bunch of tickets to an R-rated movie, and he recruits Archie, who has muscular dystrophy, to play on his illness to get the tickets. The song cheerfully suggests that if you have a terminal illness, you can get away with just about everything, because "no one says no to a boy with a fatal disease." The video below is from the Broadway cast but the audio is sometimes terribly muddled, so once again, here's a clearer audio-only option.



Next Friday: #90-81! Nine more weeks to go!

4 Things I Can't Handle Watching In Movies

I have an acceptable tolerance for gross things in movies. I'm not terribly squeamish, although I don't particularly like excessive gore. But there are a few things I just can't handle watching on screen. So here is the tiny, weird list of gross things I can't watch in movies.

1. Throats being slit.
For some reason this is the absolute worst of all gory things for me. Heads and limbs being chopped off is fine, blood spewing is fine, but I cannot watch throats being slit. I just can't. I closed my eyes during large portions of Sweeney Todd.

2. Vomit.
All other bodily fluids can show up in gross-out comedies and gory movies, but this one just... ugggh. I can't watch or listen to other people vomit in real life without being a little sick myself, and I can not handle scenes where, for example, someone falls in someone else's vomit. Even just thinking about it is making me nauseous. Note, however, if somebody's mouth is spewing something that is clearly not vomit, that's not a problem. So whatever weird milk products all the deadites from Evil Dead were constantly leaking from their mouths is just fine. Well, I mean, it was disgusting, but at least it wasn't vomit.

3. People brushing their teeth.
I have no idea why this one grosses me out. It's not a staple of horror movies because it doesn't gross anyone else out, which means it shows up in random movies all the time and I have no warning. There's something about seeing somebody else's foamy spitty toothbrushing lather that makes me gag a little.

4. People's big toes being hurt.
This is perhaps the most specific item ever on a list. I remember an early episode of House where a kid had a nightmare that his toes were gangrenous and had to be amputated, and I was completely grossed out and couldn't watch it. Some of it has to do with the fact that I frequently feel sympathy pains for people and it makes my own toes hurt, but my toes aren't particularly sensitive, so I have no idea why this is so specific to my toes and, even more specifically, the big toe. The rest are uncomfortable to watch being hurt as well, but I can handle it. Fingers can be gangrenous and amputated, that's fine. But not the big toe. Also, stabbing or shooting scenes where somebody's big toe is stabbed or cut or shot off. Can't.

Honorable mentions (the things that I can watch without feeling sick, but I sure don't like them)

People being stabbed in the eyeball - Missing eyes don't really bother me, but I don't like seeing things go through eyeballs.
Flesh being pulled back - Another kind of weird one, but it really grosses me out if I see someone cut a layer of flesh and then just peel it back. There are a lot of medical hospital scenes that make me go, "Ew, yuck."
Limbs being bent in directions they shouldn't be - It's always disconcerting to me when I see a dead body in movies that has its arms or legs bent in the wrong direction. *shudder*

Do Introverts Need to Learn to Speak Up in the Classroom?

This article by New Hampshire teacher Jessica Lahey has been making the rounds on the Internet. In it, she talks about how she has debated her class participation grade but decided that it's important to keep it because:

As a teacher, it is my job to teach grammar, vocabulary, and literature, but I must also teach my students how to succeed in the world we live in -- a world where most people won't stop talking. If anything, I feel even more strongly that my introverted students must learn how to self-advocate by communicating with parents, educators, and the world at large.

She continues, saying that introverts need to learn to speak up and articulate their needs, concerns and thoughts to succeed in life.

I am not challenging Ms. Lahey's decision to keep class participation as a part of her grade. I'm an introvert who is passionate about education and I absolutely support including class participation. I do think there is one aspect that needs to be considered in the introvert vs. extrovert participation debate, though, and one that was not addressed in this article.

Many introverts hate speaking up at all, but I have found that they overwhelmingly hate impromptu or spontaneous speaking up. The difference between these two is vast. I am comfortable articulating my thoughts and I am comfortable with my knowledge of most subjects, but if you suddenly turn to me in the middle of a lecture and ask me a question about what I've just heard, it catches me so off-guard and makes me so uncomfortable that, even if I absolutely know the answer, it takes me a few seconds of awkward filler words until I get back on my footing and can respond intelligently.

As an introvert, I have found that the times where I need to answer something instantly and unexpectedly are actually very seldom. Times when I need to speak up nearly always fit one of the following categories:

• It's at a time when I know I am going to be expected to speak and have some idea of what I'm going to be asked about. (Job interviews, jobs I've had)
• It's a casual enough situation that I can openly say, "That caught me off guard. I didn't know you were going to ask me something. Give me a second, let me think," and then I can get my bearings. (Social interactions with friends)
• I have the time to craft what I want to say and can tackle it in a one-on-one situation. (Questions/answers that are sent via email, concerns or thoughts that don't need to be dealt with immediately. I was the person who approached professors after class to quietly ask them a question I hadn't figured out how to say publicly in class yet)

Introverts being quiet is not always a matter of not being willing to speak up. Sometimes it's a matter of not having anything to say yet. We take time to think things over. We process things slowly. If you tell me I need to find something to say quickly, I can do it, but it won't be interesting or important or, probably, representative of whether I've actually learned or not.

So how do you encourage classroom participation for people like this?

Well, it's simple. You give them an idea of what they'll need to say. I was always grateful for teachers who said things like, "Do the reading and come to class with at least 2 thoughts or questions. If I call on you, you will share one of them with the class." This lets classroom introverts plan ahead. If they are called on, there may be a momentary panic of "they need me to talk," but they have something to fall back on.

Another possibility is to structure classroom participation so that it lets the introverts some control over when that happens. "I expect you to ask at least ten questions this quarter." "You need to offer constructive criticism on at least one student's project throughout the semester." This makes it much more likely that they will speak up when they do have something on their minds, as they know they have to speak up at some point anyway, but they don't have to do it on command.

Learning to articulate your thoughts is absolutely an important skill. Learning to spontaneously reveal your unformed opinions and unprocessed thoughts in front of a crowd of your peers is less vital.

I'd be especially interested to hear from any of my education major friends who disagree with me on this or are much stronger on the "you must speak up in class!" idea than I am. What do you see as the essential value of pushing students to speak up publicly? Do you think any of that is undercut by encouraging speaking up preparedness? Do you agree that the way I'm phrasing these questions is awkward and terrible?

Sunday Scriptures

OK, since Sunday Sims is on indefinite hiatus (its resuming depends on me being able to figure out where exactly I put the Sims 2 disk once I got Sims 3), I want to do something new.

I've been having difficulty finding motivation to do my individual Bible/prayer times lately, so I decided I'd do something a little bit more public with it. I am in the middle of reading through the entire Bible. I read until I find something that jumps out at me, even if I can't quite figure out why, and then I underline it and pray about it. In Leviticus and Numbers, I frequently read chapters at a time, while now as I'm in Psalms I've occasionally stopped every other verse.

So every Sunday, I am going to post the verses or passages I was struck by throughout the week. No comments, just the verses themselves. Right now I'm reading through it in the Message version, just as a fresh take on it, so that's the version that will be posted.

Here goes:

Tuesday - Psalm 104:29-30
If you turned your back,
    they’d die in a minute—
Take back your Spirit and they die,
    revert to original mud;
Send out your Spirit and they spring to life—
    the whole countryside in bloom and blossom.

Wednesday - Psalm 105:5
Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works;
    be alert for signs of his presence.

Friday - Psalm 106:4a
Remember me, God, when you enjoy your people.

As you can see, I was not as good about doing this faithfully as I hoped, but that's part of the reason I'm doing this. Here's to next week!

My Wedding Planning Experience

A friend mentioned to me that she hoped I'd blog a little about my experience planning my wedding for this summer, so I thought I'd do just that and share some of the details.

First, let it be known that I am not design-minded or decor-minded. I was never one of those girls who cut out pictures from magazines or saved pictures in a "wedding" folder on my computer or used Pinterest. (For anything.) I also didn't go to a lot of weddings, due to a combination of not having a lot of friends, the few I had living far away or not getting married at all, and rather disliking parties.

But I absolutely want a wedding for myself, for various reasons that I won't discuss now. Maybe in another blog. Not necessarily a fancy wedding, but I want one.

Here's the thing: Seeing as how I am not design-minded or decor-minded and have not been present or observant at very many weddings, all the little trappings that go into a wedding just kind of leave me dumbfounded. To me, how something looks decoratively has so little to do with what's going on at the actual event that I frequently don't even notice. (I could not tell you the decorations or look or theme of any of the weddings I have attended in the past, except for the two I was actually in, and then only because I helped to set them up.)

I picked a set of wedding colors, but to be very honest, I'm still not really sure what one does with wedding colors, aside from the fact that the bridesmaids' dresses match them. (Another fact I learned from the weddings I was in and the outfits I pulled together for them.) After I chose them, I discovered that your colors are supposed to match the time of year in which you have the wedding, and I rolled my eyes and said, "Forget that. I picked some colors. What more do you want of me, etiquette, huh?"

Flowers are apparently important. I guess people have flowers at weddings. If they'll enhance the experience for others, I'm happy to have them. I just don't understand them or notice them.

Besides flowers, other decorations probably should happen at some point. I am delegating that entirely to a couple of my friends, because I haven't the faintest idea what would an appropriate sort or amount of decorations. Ooh, those probably go with my wedding colors, huh? Yes! Another use for them!

Even things like picking out wedding invitations is difficult for me, because it constantly comes down to these questions: Are they pretty? Do I like them? And my constant answer: I don't know, and I don't know.

Fortunately for me, the design part is what other people around me seem to be most excited about, so I've been able to say, "You! You like stuff and ideas for prettifying things. Will you prettify some things for me?" and they say, "You'll let me help?" and I say, "YES PLEASE." Because if all of this was up to me to plan, we'd get married in a blank, mostly empty room and play board games with everybody for awhile afterward and snack on chips and soda and maybe some cake. I would be just fine but everybody else would be sad, or at the very least confused, and I probably shouldn't make people travel from several states away just to play board games with me and eat chips.

So I rely on my friends around me to make my wedding look nice. I'll make the executive decisions when they ask, but I'm trying to conserve my wedding energy for these two most important aspects of the day:

1. The music. Instead of a DJ or a band, we're just doing iPod playlist, and I will have that thing figured out down to the last note of the night.
2. Most importantly, figuring out how to get this to work so we can do it at the reception. Because if it works, then no matter what happens the rest of the day, I will win at weddings. (Strong language in that clip.)

Anti-Love Mix 2013

Sadly, I didn't acquire much new music over 2012, so I didn't have a lot to drawn on when creating this mix. I ended up with a bit of a compromise - many of these songs are new to me this past year, but a lot of them are older songs that could totally have ended up on an anti-love mix somewhere along the line, but they didn't for some reason.

1. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? by Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. As always, I like to start off the mix with less of an anti-love flair and more of that "do they don't they like me" cutesyness. As long as it's not definitely reciprocated. It's just too sad to start off a mix with something super dark. But don't worry. The sad songs are on their way.

2. I Want Somebody (Bitch About) by Kristin Chenoweth. You pretty much all know my dislike for country music, but, guys, it's Kristin Chenoweth. You can't go wrong with her. This is a cheerful enough song to go at the beginning of the mix but it's definitely in the "someday my prince will come" category of songs... and it's definitely about not having someone.

3. Come Back to Me from On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, sung by Brent Barrett. This year, I ended up connecting with a bunch of songs about separated lovers. (I am sure this is in no way influenced by my being in a long distance relationship since last May...) So here are a couple of them in a row. Although the songs occasionally imply the two are together, I find they work well if you imagine they're break-up songs as well.

4. Love Song Without Metaphor by Groovelily. I really like cheerful-sounding songs about sadness, loneliness, and melancholy, and this is one of those. Also, Brendan Milburn can sing anything and I'll believe him.

5. Come Back With the Same Look in Your Eyes from Song and Dance, sung by Linzi Hateley. The main character in this song is crazy insecure about a long distance relationship, to the point where it segues nicely into the next category which is bad relationships.

6. One More Night by Sam Tsui. My favorite cover of a Maroon 5 song that went crazy popular this year, and the song is almost as infectious as the toxic relationship he's singing about. The song's about not being able to really break it off from a bad relationship.

7. Not Like the Movies by Katy Perry. This may actually be my favorite Katy Perry song ever, a haunting tune about realizing that the relationship you're in is not at all the one you've dreamed about, and hoping for somebody better.

8. I Know You Won't by Carrie Underwood. A heartbreaking tune about being with somebody who clearly doesn't love you as much as you love him. I absolutely love the chorus... Carrie sings each line like some sort of mourning cry. This song kind of breaks me.

9. So Sick by Sam Tsui & Max Schneider. The first song I added to this mix, actually. I've heard the original version and, nope, I don't like it nearly as much as this one, which is much more vulnerable and sad a break-up song.

10. People Are Strange by Echo & the Bunnymen. A nice dark classic cover about how being and feeling alone makes everything else seem darker and worse too (even if it isn't). Such a satisfying song to listen to on whiny URL sorts of days.

11. Take Away My Dreams by Groovelily. I can't believe I didn't have this on last year's. It is possibly my very favorite depressing song ever, about wanting to give up on all your dreams. And like I said... Brendan Milburn can sing anything he wants and make me believe it. It is so very sad

12. Gloomy Sunday by Sarah McLachlan. And right on the heels of that, here's the song that QI deemed the saddest song in the world, and Stephen Fry doesn't lie to people. Apparently this song was blamed for a wave of suicides in the 1930s. While I find it mostly cathartic, I'd never want to end a mix with this song. But don't worry, the next song will put some of these dark emotions to good use.

13. You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette. That good use is screaming out your anger. This is my very favorite "sing along with loudly in the car" song because it feels so very good to sing along with it. Of course, you have to learn the lyrics, otherwise you just end up going, "Cuz a dub dabba dub dubba mabe wubba nub ba ya OPEN WIDE, NOOOOO!"

14. Here's Your Freakin' Song by Bowling For Soup. They're awesome to sing along to angrily too. This one's passive aggressive snarky rather than... well, rather than "every time I scratch my nails down someone else's back I hope you feel it," and it's about a bad relationship rather than a break-up, but it's oh so satisfying for when you need a good anti-love song.

15. Build a Wall from Shrek the Musical, sung by Brian D'Arcy James on the original Broadway cast. A little milder than the previous two, but it's still cranky and wonderfully antisocial and painful.

16. Nicest Thing by Kate Nash. I absolutely love the sad violin in this (and usually I hate violins). I love the simple melody and vocals, and I love that the lyrics are so heartfelt and specific and clearly directed at an actual person instead of being one of those vague songs that really doesn't mean much of anything. This right here is my favorite unrequited love-specific song of the year. If you don't listen to anything else on the mix, check this one out.

17. Leap by Groovelily. Here's a rather more hopeful song. It's about being cautious and scared and afraid to try anything new... but for something like relationships, eventually you just have to go for it and leap. I hugely identify with this song and find it rather empowering.

18. Live by Paul and Storm. We're now getting into a couple of the sillier ones... and this one is a heartfelt song sung from a Dr. Frankenstein-ish sort of character wanting to create himself a girlfriend. It's very pretty and sweet... and goofy.

19. One Knight from Wonderland, sung by Darren Ritchie on the original Broadway cast. I've written about my irrational love for this show before, and this song absolutely had to be included in this song. It's sung in the style of a cheesy boy band ballad, and somehow it does exactly what boy band ballads are meant to do to girls... it melts me. I don't know why. It just does. I'm pretty sure it's 90% Darren Ritchie's voice.

20. Haven't Met You Yet from Smash, sung by Nick Jonas. A nice song, and I really enjoy the softer feel to the song (see, Nick Jonas, you don't always have to suck. Just stop doing big dramatic musicals that require you to not be poppy). I also wanted to end this mix on a hopeful note, as always.

If you want to download my mix in its entirety, you can find it here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?3dnk3g5nfu2et41

Happy February.

Movie Reviews by Jessie (Part 2)

Let's tackle the second half of Jessie's movie reviews, which, actually... is not the second half of her reviews. I miscounted how many there were, so this is more like the second third of her reviews. So there will be at least one more edition of this, possibly even two if I hit a lot of particularly good ones.

The Number 23 - this looks like it has a good plot but he becomes his worst fear, so i do not thhink i would like it too much considering i am not a real axe murder, kill everyone you know in a really evil way type of movie gal....................

If you don't read all the way to the end, it looks like Jessie is working very hard to convince us she's not really an axe murderer. Perhaps a little too hard...

Lolita - well this is not

Are you sure it isn't?

One Crazy Summer - well this looks interesting but i am a little confused. okay so John Cusack takes his bullying son sailing before or after he meets Demi Moore, Where the heck is nantucket and unless he is going to ove there he is going to deal with the weasely real estate agent.

This was the first part of a long, rambly review about how she couldn't tell what the movie was about. Most importantly, the synopsis never told her where Nantucket is, and she is quite unhappy about that.

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown - charlie brown i such a classic trilogy. there are about three diferent charlie brown movies just for one holiday and then they just have movies that are about many different situations.

...? What's the trilogy? What are the three movies for one holiday? There were two Christmas movies, but only two...

Fantasia - WOW!!!!!! this is like a disney musical.

It kind of is, huh?

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - i am a fan of the ones before although i think that the people who watch this have no life.

Is she implying she also has no life, or is she saying, "Well, all the ones up until this one are for people who have lives, but THIS one is just for losers"?

Piglet's Big Movie - my ALLTIME favorite character from the trinities of Winnie the Pooh is Eeyore. he is so cute and is so easily pleased and my mom said he reminded her of me but i do expect quite alot from people who have proven they can give more than what is nessecary. i kinda dislike people like that because they are SUCKUPS. any who i L-O-V-E EEYORE!!!!!!!!

She did talk a little bit at the beginning of this review about how she liked Piglet, but what I've pasted here is probably 3/4 of what she wrote. I am a little bit confused about what she thinks about people who have proven they can give more than what is necessary... and how that relates to Eeyore.

Cats Don't Dance - back when i saw this i thought it was great but now i think it is fabulous. 

Well, she's rated it 4 stars now, so apparently "fabulous" = 4 stars, so does "great" equal... higher or lower?

Little Women - i would recommend this movie to anyone who loves classic stories about how people are torn apart by war and poverty but are a family all the way. wow i sound so much like fortune cookie but i am such a big fan of this movie i think i can live with that for now.

What fortune cookies has she been reading?

Hannah and Her Sisters - this....... looks really good. i know someone named hannah and she is one of my very good friends

Well, there you go, everyone reading this blog should also go see it, because my name is Hannah. I even have sisters.

An American in Paris - Oh mygosh. who puts these movies on the site because i would like to tell them they have excellent taste. this is a total classic and i would love it. the only problem i have with this movie is this guy has to decide who he is going to swoon into like falling in love with him? or shall i say swindle, trick and FOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She has marked it as "want to see." I'm a little confused as to whether she has actually seen this movie or not. I'm sure if she had seen it, Gene Kelly would have swooned her into falling in love with him.

Devdas - looks an old classic. i am totaally for new things but you can not beat the classics. there is just no way. this looks really good. to me it looks like a murder mystery/ lovey-dovey movie and ihaven't heard of any of the actors/actresses on the casting list but i will give the benefit of the dought because it looks like a total classic. now what did i say i like about classics? oh yea, EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!

A movie she has not seen, from 2002, which she has decided is a classic. And she sure likes her classics.

And let's end with a review that I don't think I can even bring myself to comment on:

The Holiday - OH my Geez. i want to see this movie so bad it is so not even funny. Cameran Diaz has now made it on my "LOvely actors/Actresses" list. KAte Winslet has been in the infamous movie Titanic which automatically puts her on the list. Jude law is a new actor i just found out about but i believe his performances give him a good referance until i can study any other work he has been in. Jack Black is a good actor but i must say that he has been in some of the stupidest movies.

like school of rock. the concept is he teaches a bunch of kids how to have fun. well lets see there are about a billion movies like that so it is so not original and although he played the character right i believe that that movie was not his best. I will not even get started on his movie Nacho Libre. All i can say is that when i saw what little i walked in on( i went to check on my brother and sister who wanted to see it) i was asked to leave the theatre and almost escorted out of the theatre!!!!!!!!

Female Bloggers Talking Purity

...3 serious posts in a row? 2 of them after I wrote a serious post apologizing for the unlikelihood of serious posts in the near future? SURPRISE!

Those of you who connected with the blog I wrote last August about emotional purity may find it interesting that the issue of purity is suddenly gaining momentum in the blogging world, specifically in the world of female evangelical bloggers. Fred Clark over at Slacktivist has rounded up some of the more prominent posts floating around, and they're all worth reading, really.

I don't agree with all their conclusions. (But it's a large variety of them, so I'd hardly expect to.) I do still believe in saving sex for marriage, and I believe in encouraging that, which some of these bloggers now argue against. But I am delighted that some of these questions are being asked, because I have some serious issues with the way that the issue is being addressed in the church as a whole.

The "emotional purity" concept has good intentions but horrific consequences when taken seriously.

I have heard many teachings on modesty that turn into blaming women for men's sin, when in most other situations the church teaches we are each responsible for our own sin and our own self-control.

I meet people growing up in the culture of purity who frequently have odd and unrealistic expectations of their future relationships because of these teachings. These people often go into marriage with no idea how to cultivate a healthy sexual relationship.

I think the emphasis on avoiding sexual images and situations often ends up oversexualizing everything.

In an attempt to keep the "unmarrieds" from having sex, the church makes promises it can't keep about relationships, marriage, and sex, which leads to disillusionment for people who did everything the right way and never saw those promises fulfilled.

The metaphors and intensity with which we talk about purity hint to those who are not virgins that they are unloved and unlovable. I'm thinking illustrations like the one where a chocolate bar is covered in various gross things and the conclusion is, "Nobody wants that." Or where the $10 bill is ripped into pieces and we're told what was once valuable is now useless.

I'm glad this issue is being discussed actively right now. Hopefully it will make some people think and pray through what they have been taught. Even if they end up coming back to the same core belief that sex is intended for marriage (as I did), questioning and reexamining your beliefs is never a waste of time. It gives you the opportunity to see where those beliefs have been tainted by shame, judgment, and self-righteousness, and to work instead to season them with grace, compassion, and humility.

Introverts and Online Interactions

I subscribe to a couple different introvert-centered blogs, and recently ran across this post over at Introvert Zone.

To quote the main question being asked of the community (by an extrovert):

I’ve notice that amongst several of my introverted friends, they have a different persona when online. Introverted friends become more outspoken, mannerisms change drastically. Is is just my friends who are a special case, or do many introverts have the same situation? Or is it just a personal perspective, since I have difficulty separating my real life personality with internet personality?

First of all, for me, yes, I am much more comfortable with online interaction than I am with "real life" interaction, and have been since I was about ten or so. Many of my closest friends are people I met online or interact with the most online. So I feel like I definitely know what the original poster's talking about and I have answers to his questions.

The main point that I'd like to make to that poster is this: I have found that introverts don't necessarily change who they are online, they're just allowed to be who they are. The social trappings that follow us around, exhausting and infuriating us, don't exist as much in an online format. We can relax a little bit. We can be ourselves.

Off the top of my head, I can think of three distinct reasons why this is the case.

For one thing, there's less social obligation to speak. If you're in a room full of people and you never say a word, people eventually start looking at you strangely, start asking you questions directly to make you speak up. Online, that kind of pressure is lessened.

As an example, take RinkWorks, a fantastic online community I'm a part of that consists mostly of introverts. I am often in the chat room there all day long, but I may only be actively chatting for maybe an hour or so total. It's not at all uncommon for every single person in the chat room to be silent for a couple hours, until someone breaks the silence by posting an interesting link, and then it's silent again for another 45 minutes. There are people who sit in the room for hours and say only one or two things that entire time.

(Newbies who are used to more fast-paced chat rooms are thrown by this. We occasionally get somebody who wanders in, and says, with 20-30 seconds between each post:
hi.
hello.
hello??
why is no one talking?
man this place is dead
And then they leave.)

This, to me, means I am more comfortable actually speaking up. The pressure to "say something" often leads to me saying stupid things, or just clamming up and refusing to say anything at all because I'm afraid I'll say stupid things. Take the pressure off, and I became much more relaxed, much calmer, and much less nervous about speaking up.

Secondly, when I do have something to say, I can work out exactly how I want to say it. Many introverts are seen as having nothing to say, when really, they're just still processing how to say it. Online, this is not as much of an issue. Introverts often express themselves best in written form because it lets them work out the words they want to use without having to constantly verbally backtrack. What I say is precisely what I mean to say online. I have stated it so that there is little danger of it being misunderstood. Online interaction is the perfect answer for those of us who only finish constructing our replies after the conversation has moved on to something else.

Online forums are brilliant for this. You can answer a question days after it's been asked, and it's not any sort of social faux pas. Even in most chat rooms, returning to an earlier topic with an answer is usually considered acceptable. You don't have to think fast to be able to participate, the way it often is in real life conversations.

Third, when I have something to say and know how to say it, I don't have to feel like I'm pushing my way into a conversation. People don't have to stop "speaking" to listen to me. My words are there for them to read whenever they want to. Or they can ignore my words. It doesn't matter to me, as long as I feel like I'm not intruding.

Obviously, there are situations where I feel like I'm intruding on an online conversation. I'm always hesitant to comment on a post somebody left on somebody else's Facebook wall, as an example. But, for the most part, online interaction is much more open to one-off comments from lurkers than real life interaction is.

Those three things together mean that I am far more comfortable in online situations. I don't have to grasp for meaningless words, I can say exactly what I mean, I can say what I want without getting in other people's way. As a result, I often come across very differently online than I do in real life. But while I occasionally hear arguments that online interaction masks the true self, I'd argue that the personality I exhibit online is the truest version of me. It's full of qualities I exhibit offline in situations where I feel comfortable and qualities that get hidden or lost when I am uncomfortable.

I'd love to hear thoughts from... well, pretty much anybody on this subject. Introverts, extroverts, members of other online communities, people who've never been members of online communities... does this sound familiar? Does it sound crazy? Do you think your online persona is the same or different from who you are offline? Let me know in the comments!

(Incidentally, if you're an introvert who likes online communication and think RinkWorks sounded awesome, feel free to wander into the chat room via my link.  Extroverts welcome as well, of course, but like I said, chat often moves slowly... so don't get impatient. We're friendly, though we are all grammar nerds and tend to insist in capitalization and punctuation, heh. If you do wander in, I go by ThePhan.)

A Few More Thoughts on Depression

Yup, I'm dealing with it again.

I had a really bad bout from August to October or so, and then it tapered off, and I'd been feeling pretty OK, and then it started attacking again a couple weeks ago. I do think this is one instance where it is being heavily fueled by circumstance - these coincide with the times when I've been away from Jacob the longest. (The fiercely independent "YOU DON'T NEED A MAN TO BE HAPPY" voice in my head is mad at me for letting that fuel my depression, but then the more rational voice says, "Well, you ARE marrying the man, so clearly you love him, so it is perfectly reasonable for you to be extremely sad at not being with him.")

Anyway.

There are a couple things I have noted about my bout with depression this time around:

1. My blog might be pretty fluffy for awhile. I've had about 15 "serious" blogs I've been meaning to write - things about church and introversion and quotes I read and movies besides just random lists. But when depression hits, it robs me of my motivation and my energy to find the words to say what I want to say. And I care about finding the words I want to say. I don't want to just throw out a first draft and be like, "Yup, good enough, done."

I don't know when I'll get around to writing a couple of more serious blogs again. I'd like to, but if those are the blogs you're holding out for, it might be a little bit.

2. Taking basic care of myself becomes much harder than usual. Yesterday morning it took all the energy I had to motivate myself to get out of bed, put on clean clothes, and brush my hair and teeth. I had nothing left to give to things like putting my coat on or climbing in and out of the family van, much less socializing with people at church. When I'm depressed, showers and eating just don't sound like they're worth the trouble. If I'm not careful, I'll go a couple days without eating. (I'm sure a fair amount of this is aggravated by my arthritis, which also robs me of movement and energy.)

3. It's cyclical, and breaking the cycle is hard. I get depressed that I'm not accomplishing anything, and then that depresses me so much it paralyzes me and I can't get anything accomplished, and then I get depressed that I'm not accomplishing anything all over again.

4. Motivational speeches from friends don't work. Not so much this time, but in the past I've had well-meaning friends encourage me to get stuff done and help hold me accountable - "You should do this today!" "Go get some work done and tell me when you've finished!" "Just get one thing done today and you'll feel so much better!" If I was just feeling lazy, this would absolutely work. I love having people I can report back to. However, if I'm depressed, what ends up happening is this: every time I fail to accomplish something, I am overwhelmed by thoughts that I'm letting that person down. I start withdrawing from them because I don't want to admit today was my twelfth bad day in a row and I still haven't finished that application for the job I actually want. I start imagining their disappointment and their thoughts of, "Why haven't you gotten it together yet?" and instead of motivating me, it paralyzes me further.

Withdrawing from everyone and going the route of depression alone is obviously not a good answer. Loving support from friends and family is clearly important. But I'm learning what methods of support work for me and which ones don't. This is good, this is a step up. I had a friend who offered to help me by letting me report successes to her, so I told her I'd love to accept her help but she had to promise me she wasn't going to expect anything so I wouldn't feel like I was letting her down. We agreed on this arrangement, and I'm hoping that if I never feel like she's expecting success from me, I'll be freer to actually find success and share it with her without guilt.

5. I have to have to have to remember that, ultimately, I'm okay. I have a place to live. I have loyal friends and a wise family and a thoughtful fiance, and they all love me. Arthritis aside, I am fairly healthy. I have space where I can go to be alone and space where I can be surrounded by friends. I know who I am and what I want in life.

Most importantly, I know the depression is temporary. It may not feel temporary. But in the back of my mind, I know that these feelings come and go. It may be another week, or another month, or another year, but I've never had a serious depressive period that lasted longer than a couple months, and most likely it won't this time either. If I can keep it together through this season, eventually I will be back in another good season.

There's not really a "point" to this blog other than to share a few thoughts from my own experience and apologize for any impact it may have on my blog. In closing, let me share one of the most (perhaps weirdly) comforting songs for me when I'm in the middle of one of these bouts - "For Now" from Avenue Q.

Movie Reviews by Jessie

One of the movie websites I frequented most in high school was Flixster. (I still use it some now, although much less than I used to.) It let you write movie reviews and rate the flicks you've seen, and encourages social interaction with other users on the site.

Then, one day, I discovered Jessie. She was clearly one of Flixster's younger users, although I never quite figured out quite how young. She had an iffy grasp on English spelling and grammar, as well as a habit of reviewing movies she'd never seen... but she certainly had plenty of opinions. I shared her profile with a group of my good online friends, and we loved reading the many mini-reviews she wrote and giggling about them. Her profile's still up on Flixster, so I figured I'd share a few of my favorites.

If Jessie ever somehow finds this blog, may I say to her: I'm sure you've grown up into a wonderful person. Hopefully you've kept your love of movies and continued to articulate what you loved about them. Just also know you once brought great joy to a snarky group of people. :-)

On to the reviews.

Cold Mountain - i watched this movie but i did not think that it was as good as it could have been. i think that if i gave it potential it did not reach it. well anyway the acting was great but i thought that the plot was poorly portrayed.

I didn't realize that I was the one handing out potential to movies.

The Perfect Holiday - well i love the holidays and holiday movies. I think iwould like this movie because i just would.

Good enough reason for me.

The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines - I loved this movie so much. I think these riveting stories are so interesting and i truly enjoy the wonder and mystery of a libraian on the search for a great mystery

Well, who doesn't enjoy the mystery of a librarian looking for a mystery?

Little Mermaid 3 - great classic disney movie snd just as the two before it a total classic with an awesome story line and meaning. such an exquisite tale of love in a form people of all ages an understand. one of my favorites.

One of the most entertaining things about Jessie is her loose grasp of the word "classic." She applies to just about everything.

Live Free or Die Hard - I saw the last half of this and i am dying to see the whole movie through. [...] I reccomend this movie for any thriller movie seekers because i left the theatre satisfies with what i saw, all wuestions answered and a smile on my face. WATCH IT. 

She only watched the last half of the movie but all her questions were answered? Were those questions like, "What happened in the first half of the movie?"

1408 - a bit scary but i'll bite,

This review wouldn't be that confusing except for the fact that she ranked it half a star, while the review sounds like a fairly positive review of a movie she hasn't actually seen yet.

License to Wed - I am such a comedy person and i would appreciate a funny film like this. First of all Mandy Moore and Robin Williams have played in some of the best movies i have ever seen. Anyone in movies with them must be talented and i think i would enjoy it immensley. LOOKS HILARIOUS>

I don't even know where to begin with this one.
Apparently "comedy people" are the only ones able to appreciate funny films.
I'll grant you that Robin Williams has been in some pretty great movies. But I have a terrible feeling she's basing her love of Mandy Moore off of A Walk to Remember.
Also, did you know that anyone who is in movies with talented people is also talented? Because sometimes those talented people sneeze on the non-talented people and they catch the talent.

Transformers - Anyway i would like to see how the cars actually transform since i could never figure it out.

This is just a portion of the review, but I like the idea of her sitting, puzzled in her room, thinking, "How do cars turn into robots? I just can't figure it out! If only there was a movie to show me!"

Stardust - Now this movie looks intersting but i am also not into the whole fantasy thing so once again not sure if i would like it. I know i want to see it but i am not sure if it is worth it. Although i have heard extremely good things so i think i could find pure satisfaction by watching this thriller.

Did she just change her mind halfway through her review?

Hairspray - Well now i am not sure if i want to see this. i would have to see the first version of the movie first to make a biased decision. 

And we all need to make sure our decisions are as biased as possible.

Spider-Man 3 - I went and saw this movie te day after it came out!!!! It was so popular we got some of the last 20 tickets left in the county!!!! The movie was so good.... I think it was the best of all. it had a really good plot, it had its moments, good and bad, i really think that the thirs movies are the best of theother two. This movie was the best Spider-MAn and i highly reccomend it to anyone looking foward to a good plot, great action, expertly crafted moments and THE BEST MOVIE IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This one is most fun if you read it out loud.

Man on the Moon - Jim Carrey is so funny and i believe that the description they give of the movie, shows the sheer hularity the film with probably show. I mean he plays a character that is dead and i coud not read the rest but i think he will make the character very witty and funny!

The sentence "Jim Carrey plays a character that is dead" does tend to convey sheer "hularity." What more do you even need to read?

Miracle on 34th Street - Also Elizabeth perkins was in Matilda and Mrs.Doughtfire when she was onle 10 and 3!!!!!!!!!!!! She is an amazing actress but i have not seen much of her lately.

Maybe because you're looking for Elizabeth Perkins rather than Mara Wilson?

Meet the Robinsons - My little sister wants to see this movie but i do not think it looks very good. It is kind of like another version of Annie but with a guy who travels in the future, while Annie just goes somewhere else. The two movies have the same concept though and i think that is cantradicting the old version. Anyway the only good thing i have to say is that it looks funnier than Annie but in a big way, much much stupider!

Jessie also has some interesting ideas about remakes and sequels. Sometimes she states vehemently that she hates them, sometimes she proclaims them to be the best thing ever because she just can't get enough of them. And sometimes she decides things are remakes that have nothing to do with each other and then complains about them contradicting each other.

Babe: Pig in the City - i am not a real country gal so i was not too intersting in it but i must say it was a generally better movie than i thought it would be. the little pig travels to the city but because he is a country pig everything is new and unusual and he has to figure out what the heck he is doing. well i thought it was good when i saw it but ........

The review ends there. We are left in suspense!

All righty. I've poked through about half of Jessie's reviews. Let's save the rest for another blog, shall we? Indeed we shall.