What Happens When People Try to Use Untypical Words

From a tiny-L.A.-theatre show description:

IF LIFE IS NASTY, BRUTISH AND short, why shouldn’t theater be too? New Yorkers are sarcastic… Nahhh… Is a play set in 3 one acts that are cleverly nasty, brutishly smart and reasonably short? 60 minute short – In & Out before you know it.

I’m pretty sure “brutishly smart” is an oxymoron.

Alright, “brutishly” can be used in this sense. But it doesn’t connote well.

And yes, I meant to use “untypical,” not “atypical.” It connotes better.

Word of the day: “connote.”

The Odd Couple

I saw this:

Towing something like this:

Woo!

My car looks and drives like new! Just $500 later.

Silky Morning

Had a good morning, traffic was beautiful, and I was treated to a bit of nostalgia that kept me in a car for a bit even after I pulled into work.

Then it all went to Hades, when we had a bit of a disagreement over the capitalization of a letter.

Though if I just start watching the video, I can start smiling again.

Unbooked

I didn’t think it was possible, but I got rid of my largest bookcase worth of books this weekend. Space is just too much at a premium in L.A. I’m also over having “stuff.” I could probably get rid of 60 percent of my belongings and be perfectly happy. Here’s to trying.

Comic On

I’m trying to figure out exactly what kind of lineup TNT has going on today. Kill Bill, Vol. 2, then Ultraviolet, then The Fifth Element. Is it a comic-themed slate? Kick-ass female assassins with pregnancy vendettas? Milla Jovovich day? Sort of a combination of the three perhaps.

Washed My Car Today

Been a while. Why am I lazy about that? I need to clean out the trunk now. Also my bedroom.

Not So Independent

Not so great to start July 4 trapped on the phone for 45 minutes with someone you can’t understand. Trying to fix the Internet. Thanks for the lend, Great Hera. Without you my yearlong quest to blog every day would be destroyed. But the day turned out fantastic. Beach, hot dogs, Guitar Hero. Never played it before. Awesome. Rock on!

SYTYCD Voting, Elim Rounds 4: Wrap

Love the hair, Cat Deeley!

Jessica/Will

• Jive (choreographers Tony Meredith/Melanie LaPatin): This is less than impressive. Lots of energy but the movement seems overzealous. Sweet acro-lift though. Will is cleaner, sharper; Jessica just isn’t hitting fully.
• Lyrical jazz (chor. Mandy Moore): Will once again demonstrates his great articulation, but at times with the shoulders can look like Urkel (actually, put Will and Twitch together and you might just have that, with the glasses and all…). There’s passion in his movement but it doesn’t reach his face; Jessica, on the other hand, is selling this dance. Awesome choreography, and it’s about time we hear something from Heart on this show.

Comfort/Thayne

• Broadway (chor. Andy Blankenbuehler): This is the perfect style for Thayne. Comfort’s not quite as refined in her movement, not fully hitting. Good emotion though.
• Smooth waltz (chor. Edward Simon): Smooth waltz can be the death knell on this show, because it’s not the most exciting of dances. This one doesn’t totally grab, though it has a certain music-box quality and quiet sultriness. Once again, these two are demonstrating a good connection. Glad they’re paired up.

Kourtni/Matt

• Hip-hop (chor. Olisa/Cecely): Matt’s character is there; Kourtni’s isn’t. Choreography is fun and smooth.
• Mambo (chor. Alex Da Silva): It’s a little cruise-shippy. If this were American Idol, Simon might call it a bit karaoke, possibly excepting the lifts. These two are in danger and probably going home.

Chelsie/Mark

• Jazz (chor. Mandy Moore): These two have a fantastic connection. It’s not a super-compelling routine but it is solid.
• Fox trot (chor. Edward Simon): The dress overwhelms Chelsie a bit. To her credit, I didn’t even notice the wardrobe malfunction, aka “feather in the mouth.” She’s got the face for this dance. With the smile plastered on his face, Mark does serviceable work but it’s obvious he’s concentrating really hard on the steps. Nice ending pose.

Kherington/Twitch

• Paso doble (chor. Tony Meredith/Melanie LaPatin): This is a hard rock paso doble. Kher is into it. Twitch looks a tad silly with the shoulder pads, or “epaulets.” It’s respectable work though.
• Contemporary (chor. Mia Michaels): I’m not connecting with this dance. They look like they’re just bouncing around on a trampoline. They are, however, as Nigel says, committed.

Katee/Josh

• Contemporary (chor. Mia Michaels): This dance has magic in it. Katee performs beautifully. Outstanding work by her; she may redeem herself yet. Josh is solid and there for her. Excellent connection and chemistry between the two. Incredibly difficult and awesome choreography. One of the better routines of the season.
• West Coast swing (chor. Benjie Schwimmer): Fun choreography with a neat rhythm. She’s a bit too loose. Josh has got the character for it.

Courtney/Gev

• Hip-hop (chor. Olisa/Cecely): As usual, the musicality and lyricality is in the choreography. There’s a tad less chemistry than usual with these two. Good movement, and surprisingly Courtney kind of outshines Gev.
• Broadway (chor. Andy Blankenbuehler): Awkward at times but has good vignettes. They clean up good, don’t they? Neither really seemed to have the Broadway style down, though.

Elimination Round:

Tyce DiOrio Broadway routine to “Money, Money,” my favorite song from Cabaret. Not loving this recording and am a bit bored by the dance.

First two up, of course neither Twitchington nor Josh and Katee are in danger, so we know we’re looking at three out of the last five up. Which means Kourtni/Matt, probably Courtney/Gev because they’re paired against Chelsie/Mark, and probably Thayne/Comfort because Will is pretty popular.

Fantastic popping routine from Robert Muraine, to C+C naturally. Nigel really gives him a hard time and gets the digs in about quitting in Vegas.

Solos:

• Kourtni: Always does beautiful solos. Except she’s kind of screwed because there’s little likelihood they’ll drop either Courtney or Comfort.
• Matt: Much the same as ever, great articulation.
• Courtney: Little sloppy on this one. First time in danger, the desperation seeps through. This could put her in jeopardy.
• Gev: First time seeing him in his style and it’s a beaut. Fun and high-energy; awesome, especially the floor shimmy.
• Comfort: Cool moves, aggressive but with intricacy. Not the best of her solos so far, however.
• Thayne: This is quirky, has a unique style. I really like it.

So Matt definitely out (I hope), because I really think Thayne has more potential and heart in his dancing. Kourtni bests Courtney on straight solos, but big K is out because it’s highly unlikely they’ll pair her with shorty Gev.

And indeed, Kourtni and Matt bid adieu. Dance on!

Cheers

My blog and I celebrated our six-month anniversary yesterday. Well, that’s not exactly true. We’d been seeing each other on and off for more than a year, but it got hot and heavy in November and December. We moved in together on January 1—not without a little trepidation, I might add. And it’s still tough. They say you form a habit after 21 days, but it sometimes still feels like a chore. And this thing can snore really loud. Never mind the nagging to get a post in before midnight. But I’m projecting. The nagging’s in my head, and Reviewsion is no more responsible for it than my husband is for my guilt over not cleaning the bedroom.

It often seems I get five ideas for posts just when I can’t get to a computer, and then when I do, I find the ideas have evaporated like 5 a.m. dreams. So vivid when you wake up, so incomprehensible after you’ve snoozed a bit longer. Is it an excuse?

Well, anyway, happy anniversary to me and myself! Here’s to another six months—or more?

Almost There

Once upon a time, I issued a call for a new utensil, as neither a fork nor a spoon (nor chopsticks for that matter) would’ve been of much help in eating the slippery chopped salad from La Brea Bakery, or other salads just like it.

Yesterday I purchased a Fresh Express salad—it was delicious, I might add—and was pleasantly surprised to discover a new sort of eating implement included:

“Use it as a fork! Use it as chopsticks!” the packaging exhorted. Alas it did not work quite so easily as either of those utensils. Yet there is progress being made!

Hello, Dark Ages

There is a teacher in Ohio (figures) who recently was fired by the school board for failing to adhere to the science curriculum. He “preached Christian beliefs about how the world began” and “discredited evolution.” And ultimately the school board decided that was grounds for firing him. Fair enough, and good for them. This is an interesting tidbit from the Columbus Dispatch article:

“Complaints about Freshwater’s teachings were made by teachers and people in the community for at least 11 years, a school administrator told consultants. Freshwater has taught eighth-grade science in the district for 21 years.”

But what about the part where he BURNED CROSSES ONTO STUDENTS’ ARMS? That doesn’t seem to be too much of a factor in the school board’s decision. The next Dark Age is upon us, it would seem. What kind of Renaissance will follow?

Wall-E, Wanted, Get Smart, Kung Fu Panda

Wall-E: Excellent. Four out of four stars. Who gives a s*#! if it’s largely a silent movie? Movies were silent to begin with, and emotions are perfectly conveyed through the characters’ actions, expressions, and nonverbal sounds. Everyone can understand this anyway—think Charades—and so it’s excellent for all audiences, regardless of age, etc. Plus it’s not boring in the least; in fact the silent bits are almost more entertaining than when the dialogue kicks in. It’s got some excellent messages wound in as well, to say nothing of the beautiful Pixar aesthetic and attention to detail. Go see this movie, if for nothing else than the pre-show short, Presto. Cute bunny and plenty of slapstick (nonverbal) stuff.

Wanted = Equilibrium + The Matrix. James McAvoy as sad sack turned preternaturally gifted assassin Wesley Gibson is adorable and sexy, with plenty of comic hammy bits mixed with badass Jason Bourne action. Angelina Jolie gives Fox a girl-next-door quality, despite the tattooed roguishness. Morgan Freeman is his usual excellent self, and there’s plenty of great support from the rest of the ensemble. But disregarding the acting, the movie is just something that’s a lot of gory fun to watch. Even if action isn’t your thing, office drones will rejoice at the growing of Wesley’s cajones, through which they may live vicariously. Personally, I just want to say I find Fox’s final action a bit perplexing, even though I get the point of it.

Get Smart: Not the best spy comedy—to tell you the truth, I preferred I Spy, though apparently no one else thought that one was any good—but I enjoyed myself. Steve Carell’s comedy here is pretty typical of what we’ve seen from him so far, but he still gets the chuckles. Dwayne Johnson continues to wield the People’s Elbow, getting better film by film and proving and improving his comic chops. Alan Arkin also has excellent scenes. Anne Hathaway is solid. Ultimately, the film gives enough of a nod to the show without duplicating it completely.

Kung Fu Panda: Very enjoyable. Solid voice work by Jack Black as Po the Panda and Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu (without researching, I have no idea what kind of creature he is, frankly, perhaps a lemur?), though the rest of the cast is a bit underused. It’s Po’s story, so I guess it’s sort of appropriate. Lots o’ Star Wars-type mythology here. The flick is run through with plenty of humor, but the shining star is the production/art design. The colors, the scenery, everything is gorgeous. A close second to Wall-E as far as animated films of 2008 go.

SYTYCD Voting, Elim Rounds 3: Wrap

Filing late this week; I was busy both Wednesday and Thursday nights so I didn’t get around to watching the shows till Friday. But to be fair, I made all my assessments as I watched, and not after I knew who was eliminated.

1. Cat looks like a ragdoll this week.

2. Is the ability to raise one eyebrow really high a requirement for hosting?

3. How did I miss that Cyd Charisse died?

4. Cyd Charisse is a really cool name for a famous person.

Twitchington, dancing hip-hop (choreographers Tabitha and Napoleon): Kherington’s even more gangsta than an understated Twitch here it seems; she’s surprising me at how well she’s doing at this style but at times it seems she’s pulling a little too much face. Tons of energy here; but Taboleon tells us it’s a complicated routine, which doesn’t necessarily come through all the time—which could be a testament to how well they’re doing it, or else the judges continue to kiss the choreographers asses even when it’s not deserved.

Courtney/Gev, dancing rhumba (chor. Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin): Okay, that’s not really a dress Courtney’s wearing. This pair is performing okay this week. It’s essentially sex on a stage, but for some reason they’re not connecting with the audience. Or at least with me, compared to last week’s contemporary routine. Courtney is quickly becoming my favorite girl this season.

Man, between some of the costumes, the dances, and the judges’ comments, this show’s getting a bit raunchy!

Chris/Comfort, dancing jazz (chor. Tyce DiOrio): I love the song choice (”The Beautiful People”) and choreography—been waiting for a bit of Marilyn Manson. Comfort’s tribal, Chris doesn’t seem to have a hard bone in his body. He’s not an appropriate partner for Comfort, as demonstrated initially with last week’s krump. Overall I think they performed well and were very hot. I could agree with judges’ assessments that it needed to be more animalistic/aggressive.

Jessica/Will, dancing disco (chor. Doriana Sanchez): Jessica has good movement but at every turn she is outshined by Will; he’s just such a clean dancer with such a huge body vocabulary and integrity of movement. As disco can be, it’s sometimes a tad cheesy, but they execute several awesome lifts.

Kourtni/Matt, dancing contemporary (chor. Sonya Tayeh, SYTYCD first-timer): They achieve the comic-book look intended. It’s fun, sharp, whimsical, quirky, though a bit bizarre in spots. Great performances and characters from the both, and they’re in excellent sync.

They Jump Straight to the Mean

So this video is titled “Dumbest Kid Alive.” But he’s not really dumb; he just miscalculates, as kids sometimes do. It’s still pretty hilarious though