I came across this article on my newsreader iPad app, Zite. It's beautiful because you get to customize your feed and it will automatically bring you more stories with the stuff you like or are interested in. Of course, anything by Mindy Kaling, I'm a big fan of.
Hence, this article by Alexandra Pusateri. Since I talked about my overwhelming love here, I think this article does an excellent job of summarizing The Mindy Project and also pointing about what it does well.
"Instead of taking cues from some other female-driven television shows where women in leadership have to exude masculinity or coldness, The Mindy Project is a lesson to the contrary. Bubbly and quirky, Mindy can come off as ditzy to some viewers' eyes, but looking a bit deeper, there's a lot more to her. Sure, she's a pop culture aficionado, but she's also incredibly intelligent and quick-witted."
I think that is part of my fascination with Mindy Lahiri (the character on the show). Yes, she is a hot mess sometimes, but she is a highly educated, successful professional woman. So what if she loves reality TV? So what if she hates exercising and can't cook with anything beyond a microwave? She's realistic and I love that.
The article gives a shout-out to Adam Pally, who plays Dr. Peter Prentice. "When Dr. Peter Prentice (Adam Pally from the nixed Happy Endings) is hired to replace Franco's character, he brings a raunchy, bro vibe to the show to contrast Mindy — and it fits. Peter's single-guy take on dating, girls, and guy stuff adds a dimension to The MindyProject that makes everyone even more likable." Believe it or not, I love Peter's character on the show. He is a bit much too handle sometimes, but just roll your eyes and look for the times when he is completely charming.
If you've spent any time around me, you will pick up on the fact that I love history. More than that, I have illogical romantic attachments to historical figures.
Particularly, Alexander Hamilton.
Oooooo. So much looooooove.
This fact was so apparent that at one point, my roommate painted me a portrait of A.H. for a birthday present. This crush is real and ongoing, 7 years strong, I'm telling you people.
However, this post is not solely dedicated to A.H. even though the man fully deserves his own post. And will probably get one at one point. This is to show you this slightly inappropriate blog that I just discovered thanks to a friend.
Mostly historical facts with some snark and pictures of attractive dudes, what more can you ask for? I love learning things that I didn't know before and this blog has it all. Random facts about pretty famous people. And the best part?! A.H. was the very first post. BOOOYA! Apparently, Alexander is a pretty popular choice. Why not?! The man was brilliant, founding father and duel-to-the-death type of guy.
No really, he died in a duel. Stupid Aaron Burr.
I will leave you with a rap about Alexander Hamilton that was sung in the White House. No joke, it's quite good and IT'S ABOUT ALEXANDER HAMILTON. What more do you people need?! ;)
To preface this post, I've wanted to see this movie for ages, like ever since I fell deeply in love with Tom Jones and his "She's a Lady" song.
I found out that it was featured on this movie with the super long title, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. Basically, it features Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and John Leguizamo as drag queens. And basically, they change everyone's live they meet.
It was a little hard to get past Swayze in a dress. But he was just so CLASSY. Seriously, I would have worn any one of Swayze outfits.
I found out that Swayze and Snipes were up for the Academy awards for best actor and best supporting actor. Dudes, they totally should have gotten it. You try acting wearing high heels and well tailored dresses.
Of course, it can't be Swayze night without another Swayze film. And that is the ultimate classic, Dirty Dancing.
Mmmmmhmm, folks, Johnny Castle. The sis and I have a lot of fun imagining the perfect casting of the ultimate remake. You know it's going to happen eventually.
This is what we think so far:
Baby: Jennifer Lawerence (seriously, she is basically perfect for every role.)
Johnny Castle: Tatum Channing
Baby's father: Mark Harmon
Baby's mother: Jennifer Grey (it would be perfect if she did a cameo as the mother)
uhhhh...that is about as far as we got. But it would be perfect if Hollywood would just listen to us!
Apparently, I need to watch Ghost, another Swayze classic. It's too bad he went so young and such a hard way to go. Very talented actor.
I can't help it.
I love him so much.
I had no idea what I was missing.
It's an odd sort of attraction.
He's enchanting; in a strange bookish way.
And as the Doctor he's brilliant, obtuse, adorable, vengeful, generous, awkward, hilarious and sweet all at once. It's quite an accomplishment being all those things at once.
Oh I love him, I love him, I love him, I do.
Any other Doctor Who aficionados out there??
I found this from a friend's FB. Thank goodness for FB, right? How would we find anything cool without it? Well, I don't know much about these boys. I am guessing they are Italian. Yes, I know, my detective skills are astounding. They sound much more mature than they look.
Mmmmm. Italians. Especially ones that can sing.
This reminds me of a book (like everything does, right?)
It's called the The Silent Gondoliers by the same guy who wrote the Princess Bride novel. It's an interesting fairy tale. I recommend it if you are in need of a short story.
Actually, the only thing it has in common with the video is Italians and the song, 'O Solo Mio'.
But hey sometimes, that is all you need.
I love making lists, especially top ten lists. Since Bollywood is a recent obsession, I've decided to compile one long blog post dedicated to that which I love most. Aaaaand, I had some time on my hands when I finished taking a test and couldn't leave...
So, the rating is purely of my own devising.Expect a lot of personal opinion here and not a lot of legitimate movie criticism. There will be five categories. Music, Characters, Plot, Costuming, and Overall rating, out of five stars, the stars being this * symbol.
*= No bueno
**=Meh, could have been better
***=I liked it while I watched it
****=I loved it and showed it to friends and family
*****=Loved it, spread it around, and was still talking about it even after I returned the movie
/=half rating
To make it musically, the songs have to be memorable or catchy. Characters means that I like the characters portrayed or the actors that play them. Plot basically judges whether or not the story makes sense. I mean, some story-lines are ridiculous, but they still are good. Some story-lines are just dumb (and probably didn't make the list. Believe it or not, I have seen more than 10 Bollywood movies, so that makes me qualified to even make a top ten. Obviously.) Costuming! This is one of my most favorite parts of Bollywood films; the costuming. There was a rough patch there, in the late nineties, early 2000's where the costumes were really, just awful. But then again, fashion was awful everywhere...I mean, Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys were the trend-setters then...Yup. Not a great time for fashion. Lastly, there is the overall rating, which is the order of the list.
Let's start from the bottom and work our way to the top, shall we?
10. Saawariya
This was my very, very first Bollywood film, way back in the days when my family used to get movie rentals every couple of weeks. (I guess this fever was a long time coming.) It has been ages since I've seen it, but it has stuck with me. It has also served as a sort of litmus test for friendships. I knew when one of my then new college roommates had seen it that we were going to BFFs. I mean, when you live in the USA and have both seen a movie than is only marginally available, along with a handful of other strange or rare movies, then you know you have to be friends.
Anyways, back to the movie. It had a strange, unreal, poetic dreamlike flavor to it. Kind of reminds me of Moulin Rouge. I love movies that really take me to another time and place, and this movie was ambiguous enough, that you weren't sure if it was a fairytale or not. Needless to say, I wouldn't mind seeing this one again. The title links to the IMDb page, so you can find a summary because I am afraid that I would give too much away. Here is my opinion though: The story wasn't quite what I expected and I enjoyed it even more so because of that. The main character was adorable and a heart-stealer. The costuming gets the rating it does because of the whole feel of the movie; it was all so magical.
Music: **/ (Three and a half because one song was particularly memorable, even after all these years.)
Characters:**/
Plot: ***
Costuming:***/
Overall:**/
9. Bride and Prejudice
Just kidding guys, this might have been my very first "Bollywood" film. I put Bollywood in quotations because I am still not quite sure if I would classify this as Bollywood, mostly because there is just so much English! Haha, you get so used to hearing Hindi that listening to the movie in English is just odd. But it does have the typical song and dance. Aaand I love the wedding dance. I recommended this movie to a friend, except I forgot to mention that it was a musical, and it threw them for a loop when the first song happened. But I do love the storyline. I mean, it's Jane Austen's classic tale! Everyone loves a good love/hate relationship story that ends in marriage.
Music:****
Characters:**/ (Love Aishwarya Rai as Elizabeth, but not so sure I like Martin Henderson as Darcy.)
Plot:****
Costuming: *** (Really appreciate traditional Indian dress. It's so bright and colorful!)
Overall:***/
8. Pardes
Beautiful Shak Rukh Khan plays the best friend. He was basically adopted by a rich Indian businessman in American, and when his adopted father wants to arrange a marriage for his jerk of a (biological) son, he asks Shak Rukh Khan to make it happen. Besides the romance of the story, this story really made me think about the culture shock that Indian brides can go through. India is unique because of the tradition of arranged marriages but as India becomes more and more integrated with the world, they have to find a way to adjust their unique traditions with other cultures.
Music:**/
Characters:**** (Oh-my-freaking-goodness...so Shak Rukh Khan's character does the stupidest, most dramatic, possibly most romantic thing ever, potentially suffering severe nerve damage. We all screamed, like seriously screamed when it happened.)
Plot:***
Costuming: ***
Overall:***
7. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
This is the most recent one. We watched it last night. Since I cannot pronounce all the different k-words, I use its shortened nickname: K3G. So much simpler. The best part of this movie? So much eye-candy. I also loved the relationship between the brothers, and the portrayal of a mother's love. So touching.
Music:**/
Characters:*** (Kajol's character was slightly annoying, but her younger sister was even more so. I wouldn't mind just watching Shak Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan the whole movie, but having better female characters would have made the movie that much better.)
Plot:****
Costuming:** (One of the characters has NO fashion sense. She wears bell-bottoms with the front cut out, so it's capris in the front, bell-bottoms in the back. Ulghhh)
Overall: ***/ (I wanted to love this one more than I did. I mean, it has Hrithik Roshan aaaaand Shak Rukh Khan. But I didn't absolutely love it, which made me sad inside.)
6. Vivah
Super sweet movie detailing the growth of relationship between a recently (arranged) engaged couple. The girl is sweet and loyal. The boy is super cute and is head-over-heels in love. The plot took a completely unforeseen turn towards the last hour or so of the movie. It was interesting, but I don't think it was completely necessary. It could have ended much sooner, still with the same ending! But still, I like it. This movie made me want even more than ever that arranged marriages were acceptable in LDS culture. ;)
Music:***/
Characters:****
Plot:***
Costuming:***
Overall:***/
5. Dhoom 2
If you recall, I shared a video from this movie previously here. This is an action/romance/buddy-cop/heist/thriller movie. Can you believe it, all in one?! Mr. A (Hrithik Roshan) is the world's most successful thief and a cop and his sidekick have decided to take him down. The movie goes from India to Rio, with music and dancing included. Aishwarya Rai is a girl thief who intrigues Mr. A, so he takes her on as a protege (that's the romance part). I watched the songs over and over again. :) Have yet to see the first Dhoom...
Music:****
Characters:***/ (Just because I love Hrithik Roshan sooo much)
Plot:****
Costuming:***
Overall:****
4.Om Shanti Om
This was my first Shak Rukh Khan movie. I love, love, love him. I remember a girl telling me about this movie like last year, and I was like, 'yah, yeh, whatever'. Little did I know what joy this movie beholds! This movie has it all: reincarnation, character growth, bad guys, 70's parody, aaaand Shak Rukh Khan. Seriously, he is so so beautiful. At first, the movie starts out in 70's Bollywood and Shak Rukh Khan is hidden under hideous polyester and 70's mustache. Just wait though. Wait. He comes back. Modern day and BUILT. Based solely on Shak Rukh Khan's presence, he puts this movie into the top five. The plot isn't that bad either. It's also somewhat a parody of modern Bollywood with a lot of special appearances from lots of big names. It's funny cause the more I see, the more people I begin to recognize.
3. Jodhaa Akbar
I already posted about this movie here, so I won't go through my rave review again, but just to let you know, this is what started it all. This is also really the only historical one I've seen so far. I have started watching Lagaan (another historical Bollywood, but this time about British India) but haven't finished it yet, so I am not sure where it will fit in this whole list thing. Keep an eye out.
Music:****
Characters:****
Plot:*****
Costuming:**** (The mustache was a little weird, not going to lie...)
Overall:*****
2. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ)
I want you to know that this is the longest running film in Indian cinema. It's been playing constantly for something like 15 years! I hope it keeps playing long enough that I can actually see it in India, someday (new life goal, yes indeed.) This movie also set the bar in Bollywood for romance. In another film, its entire premise was based on DDLJ. The main couple, Raj and Simran, have become synonymous with true love. True love, I tell you.
Music:****
Characters:*****
Plot:*****
Costuming:***
Overall:*****
And now, ladies and gentlemen, here is my top choice. Ready?
I don't know what it is, but the whole story of best friends who fall in love gets me every time. Well, this is really two, almost three, love stories, but only one broke my heart. Seriously, I was simply in tears at intermission. I loved Shak Rukh Khan (Rahul) and Kajol (Anjali). They have this sweet handshake thing that they do, between them. It's a sign of true friendship. And Rahul's little girl is quite adorable. AND his HAIR. I don't know how he does it, but his hair is absolutely beautiful every time!
Music:****
Characters:*****
Plot:*****
Costuming:**/ (It was hideous at the beginning, but got better as time went on.)
Overall:*****
Honorable Mentions: Jaane tu--ya Jaane na; includes the three requirements for a boy to become a man. Plus some great quotables. "Uh, sir, the terrorist is meowing..." Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani; interesting look at the role of media in the govt., especially where corruption is concerned. However, some awful costumes and some silly moments.
Well, there is it. My top ten list. As you can tell, Shak Rukh Khan is slightly over-represented (5/10 movies!) but I can't help it! I just adore him so much. Next most represented, Hrithik Roshan, of course. Believe it or not, there were actually some SRK (Shak Rukh Khan) movies I've seen that didn't make the list. Sometimes he does make silly ones.
Oo, what I'm looking forward to? The first superhero Bollywood film. Hmmmmmmmm. :)
Just so you know, still in the Bollywood phase. I was sick this weekend so of course, what better way to nurse a cold than to stay in and watch crazy action-drama-romance-musicals?
I submit that there is no better way.
The movie above is from the movie Dhoom 2. It has the same people that were in Jodhaa Akbar. Hrithik Roshan is a beautiful, beautiful man. (Trust me...just google him. So pretty...)
Who can dance.
What more can you ask for?
So, here is the song that encapsulates my entire weekend.
Fun, huh?
p.s. Dhoom Machale roughly translate into "Rock On".
Normally, I don't get a whole lot of time during the school year to watch TV. (This is what is known as a good thing, because if I started watching a lot of TV, NOTHING would get done, I promise you. I have enough to do as it is, and I excel at procrastination well enough that I don't need anything else to add to my delaying tactics.)
BUT
Over Christmas break, however, it is a different story. What does one do with all the time in the world? Watch TV. Good TV, not lame ones. Ok, I know I have been guilty of fascination with iCarly...and Victorious...Dang Nickelodeon...
The point of the post is, I found Leverage.
A modern day Robin Hood and his band. They are thieves who are talented in their own special ways, who come together to help those who can't help themselves against the rich, powerful, and morally corrupt. "Sometimes the best bad guys make the best good guys." Or something like that.
And this ^ this is the beautiful man that is just the cherry on top of a good TV show. He's so beautiful, with his long hair and angry-ness. La! Love, love, love.
Thus, sharing time ends.
Have a darling day!
So, me being me, I dislike Halloween intensely. You would think that dressing up and exaggerated makeup would be right up my alley right? Well, yes, until I got about twelve. Then Halloween stopped being about being creative and started being scary. I don't DO scary. Trust me. If you haven't had the opportunity to watch a movie with me, then you wouldn't understand. I get very into my movies. So scary movies scare me right out of my pants. So this year, to avoid all of that mess that comes with grown up Halloween, I escaped home to my parent's house and helped my little sister extract candy from nice neighbors. AND more importantly, I rented old movies. Like, my favorite pastime EVER! I got The Four Feathers(1977), Captain Horatio Hornblower....Gregory Peck is amazing!!!!!.... (1951), and Captain Blood...dang it, they don't make 'em how they used to!!!.... (1935). On our way back into town, me and Denay started making a list of actors, or characters or just awesome men in general who epitomize the essence of manhood. Here is what we got so far... (if you feel that we have missed someone essential, please comment. We want to celebrate as many awesome manly men as possible...)
Gregory Peck
also: Atticus Finch, Horatio Hornblower
Cary Grant
also: Dr. Praetorious
Errol Flynn
Humphrey Bogart
aka grumpy man, but a man nonetheless...
Laurence Olivier
Paul Newman
Yul Brenner
Steve McQueen
Rhett Butler
from Gone with the Wind
Mike Rowe
aka "Dirty Jobs" host
Henry Feversham
from "The Four Feathers" book
The Count of Monte Cristo
aka Jim Caviezel
Sean Connery
James Garner
Robert Redford
Dustin Hoffman
George Clooney
Fred Astaire
Tom Burlingson
aka The Man from Snowy River
Will Smith
Superman in the Gym (earlier blog post...)
Batman
Val Kilmer
Sully
aka the mountain man from "Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman"
Robin Williams
because of Jumanji, Bicenntenial Man, Genie, and Mork
Robert Downey Jr.
Nay says Patrick Swayze...but I disagreed...he goes on a maybe list.
There, there I can't think of anymore at this moment. Got any ideas? Let me know! :D
