Being Human Episode 3

The cool thing about this show is how the three main characters each have their own set of rules for their unique monstrous natures.  We learn in this episode that Sally can't touch other ghosts and use her mind to travel from place to place allowing her to get outside of the house for the first time.  But the most interesting part of this episode involves Aidan.

He invites the neighborhood over to join the neighborhood watch.  Like every neighborhood watch they had a cop come by and visit.  Only problem is this cop recognizes Aidan as the man who killed his father when he was only ten years old.  Aidan's story in this episode revolves around this and I don't want to give too much away, but I must say I'm surprised other vampire shows haven't had a similar story because it seemed ike a new take on the modern vampire.

Josh doesn't have as big of a role in this episode but I think that's because next week is going to be mostly centered around him.  He does reluctantly get involved with the neighborhood watch.  After next week's episode the three characters should be pretty well set up and hopefully the overarching story will begin to progress more and some recurring characters might start having better subplots and drive the show beyond just the set up.  I'm sure it'll happen, this show is based off of a BBC show in it's third season, but I did read an interview with Mark Pelligrino (Bishop) where he said they pan on taking the story in a different direction.  That will probably make the fans of the BBC show happy.

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Two Guilds, A Couple of Winners.

This weekend two of the largest organizations awarded their peers for their work in the film industry this past year. The Screen Actors Guild and the Directors Guild of America both picked the same film for their highest honor which may give us more of an idea of who's going to take home the Best Picture Oscar in a month.  The King's Speech is definitely giving The Social Network a run for its money and turning that race into a heated one.  We plan to see the winning film this week, as well as The Fighter and 127 Hours and we'll let you know what we think as soon as we do!

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

WINNER

The King's Speech (2010)

Other Nominees:

Black Swan (2010)

The Fighter (2010)

The Kids Are All Right (2010)

The Social Network (2010)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

WINNER

Colin Firth for The King's Speech (2010)

Other Nominees:

Jeff Bridges for True Grit (2010)

Robert Duvall for Get Low (2009)

Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network (2010)

James Franco for 127 Hours (2010)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

WINNER

Natalie Portman for Black Swan (2010)

Other Nominees:

Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right (2010)

Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole (2010)

Jennifer Lawrence for Winter's Bone (2010)

Hilary Swank for Conviction (2010/II)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

WINNER

Christian Bale for The Fighter (2010)

Other Nominees:

John Hawkes for Winter's Bone (2010)

Jeremy Renner for The Town (2010)

Mark Ruffalo for The Kids Are All Right (2010)

Geoffrey Rush for The King's Speech (2010)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

WINNER

Melissa Leo for The Fighter (2010)

Other Nominees:

Amy Adams for The Fighter (2010)

Helena Bonham Carter for The King's Speech (2010)

Mila Kunis for Black Swan (2010)

Hailee Steinfeld for True Grit (2010)

The rest of the awards and the DGA awards are after the jump

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Blimey! A Brit playing Superman!

Henry Cavill

You better believe it. Zac Snyder has got yet another Superman incarnation in the works, but that's kind of old news. This weekend he announced his pick to play Clark Kent's alter ego, and we think the casting is the dog's bollocks! If you haven't seen The Tudors, you may not be very familiar with the dishy British actor, Henry Cavill and, while this bloke's not who we would have come up with to play the role, we do fancy him as King Henry's right-hand-man. The more we think about it, the more we think the idea is jolly good. Now we're just waiting to see who's cast as the Man of Steel's bird, Lois Lane, and Bob's your uncle!

Want a list of British slang to translate my English into English? Click here!

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Food We Eat: Rumba

Rumba

Chips and Salsa

When the weather is nice, like it was on this late January weekend (76 degrees! seriously?),  we try to make it out to Rumba to sit on their back patio and enjoy some tasty Mexi-Cuban food. They start things off right by bringing out chips and salsa for you to snack on while you peruse their extensive menu, but don't fill up on them! You'll be glad you saved room for the scrumptious offerings Rumba has to offer. A mix of Mexican, Cuban and maybe a touch of American cuisine, everyone will be able to find something they've never experienced before. 

The Southern Chicken Salad is a staple for Mallory, and she LOVES that they're accommodating enough to sub out grilled chicken for the usually fried variety. 

Southern Chicken Salad

The Cuban is only one of the many dishes Justin has sampled (and loved-- clearly, since he couldn't wait for the photo to be taken before he dug in), but he's added it to his list of favorites.

Cuban Sandwich

One of the coolest things about Rumba is just next door lies Revolution, their music room which features some of the biggest acts in music at affordable prices.  (But the food is really the important thing here.)

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Personality Snapshot du Jour



Wendy Wegner

Meet Wendy: The Writer



 So, when was the last time you launched a website that landed on TIME Magazine's "50 Best Websites" of the year, or got 300,000 facebook fans in less than three months? If you were Wendy Wegner the answer would be, "oh, you know, in the last couple of years." And you would be serious. That website that TIME loved so much? It was Movieclips.com, for which Wendy wrote THOUSANDS of film descriptions. That facebook page with hundreds of thousands of fans? Stand Up To Cancer, a charity started by media and entertainment leaders which raises cancer awareness. You'd think with all this initiative she'd be some sort of entrepreneur, but this Los Angeles-based lady is a writer/reporter for Peter Greenberg Worldwide and Film Independent (which you know makes for some really interesting answers to a certain blog's questions). As if she isn't putting enough good out there, she's in it for the animals too. A strict vegetarian and animal rights supporter, Wendy's was one personality we were excited to snap(shot)! Find out more www.wendywegner.com

Have You Been There: What inspires you the most?
Wendy Wegner: Conversations with strangers. Whether I'm formally interviewing someone for an article I'm writing or just chatting with someone at the dog park, I love figuring out what makes them special. Everyone has a story worth telling.

HYBT: Do you have a mentor? Who?
WW: I've had many mentors over the years, and I'm really good about keeping in touch with people (aka never letting them forget me!) Bob Davis and Garrick Dowhen were my filmmaking mentors during undergrad - I'm still regularly in touch with Bob and he always introduces me to interesting (and often bizarre) films that most people have never heard of. Josh Welsh was my very first "boss" when I began my professional career at Film Independent. In addition to teaching me about the business, he taught me how to be an effective manager and he made me laugh every day (he still does!) Darryl Nickens was a fantastic screenwriting teacher and helped me find my voice while writing my first screenplay at AFI. He was tireless and committed to his students, even when he was battling a terminal illness. Mike Urban was my second year screenwriting teacher at AFI and started challenging me right away. The most valuable thing he taught me was how to develop my comedic voice. He believed that I could be funny, and it turns out, he was right!

HYBT: Where is the most interesting place you've traveled to?
WW: My mom was a marketing and branding director while I was growing up, and I was fortunate to join her on several business trips (for free!). I fell in love with London, Paris, and even went on a cruise to Tahiti where I really started to appreciate other cultures and the beauty in nature. However, a trip to Washington D.C. when I was in the 5th grade BLEW my mind. I learned a ton about our country's history, and was the first of 10,000 people in line to tour the White House gardens. For a 9 year old, that was pretty cool. Now I really need to kick the adult international travel into high gear...

HYBT: What is your favorite piece of art, be it a film, music, painting, etc.?
WW: Geez, that's a tough question. One of my favorite places is a room in the Norton Simon Museum. It's full of Degas dancer sculptures, but I think it's a combination of the art with the design of the room itself that really makes it special. On a good day, the sun shines down through the ceiling and it's incredibly beautiful. The New World is a piece of art that (and I really don't want to sound pretentious here) is truly an experience. I followed it to five different theaters in LA and have watched it half a dozen times since. The Mozart, the Malick, the Lubezki... it's incomparable.

HYBT: What effect do you think the place you grew up had on you and your work?
WW: More than the place I grew up, I think it's the people around me who influenced me the most. I've been lucky to have a lot of ridiculously funny and clever people in my life. I've also seen a lot of struggle - emotionally, health-wise, financially... in my family and in the community around me. At the same time, I was exposed to the opposite - great wealth, perceived perfection... maybe that is the result of where I grew up then (Redondo Beach - a beach town meets the "big city" in Southern California). It's kind of a land of constant contradictions, and I've written everything from broad comedy to period dramas and all that lies in between. Maybe that's why I named my blog "A Little Bit Funny."

HYBT: What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
WW: I feel like we're all more similar than we might think, so I'm not sure I can confidently say that I know I do something differently than most people. But I will say that I always eat my food in a clockwise, circular pattern, ultimately leaving me with "the best bite" at the end. If I have multiple items in my meal, I like to alternate bites between items so I don't run through the "best" thing first. I might be a little obsessive-compulsive when it comes to food.

HYBT: What's something you'd like to learn to do?
WW: I LOVE learning. I need to learn how to play the guitar - I love to sing, and want to be able to perform with just some strings and my voice. I also need to learn Spanish - my Rosetta Stone is impatiently waiting at home.

HYBT: What's something about you that would surprise people?
WW: I think most people are surprised when they learn that I have a "dark side." I like to think that I'm a positive, happy, compassionate person. But only the people closest to me know that sometimes, you know, I can be bitchy. And I can be sarcastic. And I can be a bit selfish. Just ask my boyfriend Daniel - I'm sure he has some stories to share...

HYBT: Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
WW: Almost every exciting, creative, impressive idea starts off as something that seems impossible and "insane." Every film set is chaotic and that insanity *sometimes* results in amazing work. I think I like the way a crazed, overcrowded kitchen with a million ingredients scattered about can result in the most creative, delicious meal. It's overwhelming at first, but then the payoff is totally worth it.

HYBT: Who's your favorite television or movie character?
WW: Patrick Bateman from American Psycho is pretty remarkable and unforgettable. Ace Ventura is a close second (I'm serious)... But Scarlett O'Hara has mesmerized me since I was 6-years-old. She's vulnerable and bitchy, glamorous and scrappy, modern and yet traditional all at the same time. More than anything though, she's the ultimate optimist.

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Mine is Yours Review

This past Tuesday the Cold War Kids released their latest album Mine is Yours.  The band out of Los Angeles has always had a tendency to gravitate to more of a southern sound, and this album isn't different.  At times resembling Kings of Leon (maybe because it was produced by the same man who producer KoL's last album) and at other times they seem to be striking out in more of a synth or drum machine direction.  We've been fans of this band for a while now, especially their classic song "Old St. John," but we should make a disclaimer: this is their third album and we missed their second.

How can we be considered fans then you ask?  Well we can because we enjoy their music and didn't mean to miss their second album, and maybe someday soon we'll Grooveshark it and finally give it a good listen.  Anyway...

The opening and title track moves back and forth between piano and guitar riffs and more vocals screaming to the skies declaring "What's mine is yours!"  But the difference in this track from at least the first album, is more electro sounding opening, at first had us fearful they were moving in more of a Owl City direction, but they quickly quash that rumor and the following track is a feel good drum and guitar heavy romp, but you can't help but wonder  how good of a feeling the narrator is really having. 

With this album front man Nathan Willett shows off his yelling vocals that let you know what it's like to be hanging out with a guitar and singing about heartbreak on a humid night with the song "Broken Open" the ninth track. The guitar is gritty and southern and bouncy and fun.  He's okay with his heartbreak and he's going to let you know.  It's imagery of flooding waters almost reach a gospel pace with the repeated words "flow over me" sung out to the heavens.

The entire album is a balancing act of southern, dirty bass lines and bouncy electric guitar making it hard to believe that these boys are from Los Angeles.  We won't hold it against them, they probably listen to southern music most of the time anyway.  For a band that's been on the road most of the last six years you can tell they know how to make good driving music.  Give the album a listen and try to turn the volume up, this is good hanging out music and makes us wish it was late Spring.

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The Man in Black Fled Across the Desert, and the Gunslinger Followed

Yesterday, thanks to Collider.com I (Justin) discovered a lot of big news about an upcoming project of Ron Howard's that I'm super excited about.  Stephen King's The Dark Tower series is being brought to the big and small screen and Javier Bardem has been offered the lead role of Roland Deschain the last Gunslinger. 

The Dark Tower is largely considered to be Stephen King's magnum opus, a series of 7 books telling the tale of an anti-hero who is chasing after The Man in Black and searching for The Dark Tower across a barren fantasy landscape.  Think The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly meets The Lord of the Rings.  But there's also a catch. Almost 40 of King's other books have ties to events and characters in this series including the books The Stand, Salem's Lot, Insomnia, and Hearts in Atlantis.  It's been about 6 years since I've read these books but certain images from them have always stuck with me.

King had written the first four books in the series at a very slow pace over the course of nearly 20 years, but then he was hit by a van.  If I remember correctly he received a letter from a prisoner begging him to finish the series because he didn't want him to die before it was completed.  The accident seemed to light a fire under King and around 04 through 05 he published the final three books.

The interesting thing about the screen adaptation is that it's one of the most ambitious undertakings ever done in Hollywood.  It's going to be a trilogy of films with two seasons on television between the three films.  Ron Howard is directing the first film and from what Collider says the first season of the series.  No one knows who is directing the later two or the second season, but what we do know is that the first film is expected to arrive in theaters in 2013.  If they do this justice, this will be something you'll never forget.  It's a horror-fantasy-western-science fiction spectacle with shootouts and robots and scary creatures and everything in between, and I do mean everything in between.  Go out and buy the first book The Gunslinger today, you'll be glad you did.

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This is a test!

I'm just going to say it flat out: I'm a little reluctant to post this post. This is a trial run, okay? We'll see if it goes anywhere. Okay? Now that that's out of the way, let me explain. I've become quite the connoisseur of blogs as of late. Being a person with a blog, I need to know what's out there, right? Let me tell you what's out there. In the world of fashion blogs there are photos. Fabulous photos of fabulous ladies in fabulous outfits. It's all very fabulous. Don't believe me? Just look at this one, this one, or this one. And I personally happen to enjoy these blogs. Now, this could be due to the fact that they're truly fabulous, or that I have stalker tendencies (fingers crossed that it's the first one). In an attempt to nudge this blog  a little more in the direction of fabul spectacular, I might try one of these posts myself. Here goes nothin'!

My family had a little impromptu reunion this past weekend. By "impromptu" I mean, Mom called and said "hey we're all at Grandmother's house. You and Justin should come." I  hopped in the shower, quickly searched for a suitable outfit, grabbed some sorry-I'm-so-late-to-the-impromptu-family-reunion cupcakes (and Justin) and was on my way. You probably don't know my cousins, but let me tell you, they are cuties with a capital c. Cuties, I suppose... Always so prim and well put together. I wanted to do them proud, so I threw on an Anthropologie Cartonnier boyfriend blazer, over an old satin top, and Citizens jeans. I finished it off with a chunky Anthropologie necklace, super fun Blue Autumn Avenue bracelet and heels (these cousins weren't cursed with stubbs where their legs should be).

Extra special thanks to the mother dearest for snapping these shots, or more accurately, insisting that I bring my camera so she could play with it then forcing me to be her subject. Thanks to Justin too, for not complaining that I cropped him out of some of these... Oh, ok fine. Here's one with him too.

I would never suppose that posting a post such as this would make me fabulous like this one, this one, or this one, but it is kind of fun, no? No? Is it stupid? You can tell me if it is and I won't subject you to them anymore. Like I said, this a test. But if you're like me and maybe have the same inclinations, let me know! I'll keep 'em comin'(...from time to time)!

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Oscar Nods! Get Yer Oscar Nods!

The 2011 Academy Award nominations came out this morning and The King's Speech lead the pack with a whopping 12 nominations including Best Picture and acting nominations for all three of its lead actors. True Grit, which seemed to have been forgotten by other awards shows, followed closely behind with 10 nominations.

As far as Best Actor goes, it looks like a close race between Colin Firth, who took home the best actor Golden Globe for The King's Speech, and Jessie Eisenberg for The Social Network.  As for the ladies, it seems that the two to watch are Annette Benning and Natalie Portman. Both took home best actress Golden Globes in the "musical or comedy" and "dramatic" categories, respectively. But enough speculation! On to the nominations!

Best Motion Picture of the Year

127 Hours (2010)
Black Swan (2010)
The Fighter (2010)
Inception (2010)
The Kids Are All Right (2010)
The King's Speech (2010)
The Social Network (2010)
Toy Story 3 (2010)
True Grit (2010)
Winter's Bone (2010)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Javier Bardem for Biutiful (2010)

Jeff Bridges for True Grit (2010)

Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network (2010)

Colin Firth for The King's Speech (2010)

James Franco for 127 Hours (2010)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right (2010)

Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole (2010)

Jennifer Lawrence for Winter's Bone (2010)

Natalie Portman for Black Swan (2010)

Michelle Williams for Blue Valentine (2010)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Christian Bale for The Fighter (2010)

John Hawkes for Winter's Bone (2010)

Jeremy Renner for The Town (2010)

Mark Ruffalo for The Kids Are All Right (2010)

Geoffrey Rush for The King's Speech (2010)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams for The Fighter (2010)

Helena Bonham Carter for The King's Speech (2010)

Melissa Leo for The Fighter (2010)

Hailee Steinfeld for True Grit (2010)

Jacki Weaver for Animal Kingdom (2010)

Best Achievement in Directing

Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan (2010)

Ethan Coen, Joel Coen for True Grit (2010)

David Fincher for The Social Network (2010)

Tom Hooper for The King's Speech (2010)

David O. Russell for The Fighter (2010)

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
The Illusionist (2010)
Toy Story 3 (2010)

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Being Human Episode 2

Tonight SyFy's new hit show Being Human concluded it's pilot episode.  After the first part had over 3 million viewers it's a safe bet to think this show will last a while.  We receive a few answers to the questions from the beginning.  First it seems Aidan was turned into a vampire during the Revolutionary War, which is the likely reason he lives in Boston.  We also learn how Josh and Sally each reached their monstrous fates.

Early on the cliffhanger from the last episode is resolved in the first ten minutes, and Josh has to deal with the consequences of his werewolf nature through out the episode.  Also it's nice to see that so far Aidan isn't just a ripoff of David Boreanaz's Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.  Aidan is an American vampire through and through.  Having watched Joss Whedon's Buffy and Angel last summer, I've begun to have a skewed view of supernatural shows.  True Blood is essentially a rip off but with nudity and harsh language. So far Being Human seems to stand apart from those three shows.

Sally is trying to come to terms with her sudden break up from her fiance, even though neither of them wanted to break up, and it was her death that split them apart in the first place. One of the best lines from this episode was when she said "I'd crap rainbows!" at the thought of him actually seeing her.  However, I kind of wonder if maybe there is more to her death than what we know thus far.

At the beginning of the first episode Aidan accidentally kills a girl from work, Rebecca, on their first date.  When Bishop, the leader of the Boston vampire's clean up team arrived on the scene they didn't just clean up, they turned her into a vampire.  She's now haunting the park killing when she can.  It's when Josh discovers her that we discover that vampires don't like the taste or smell of werewolves.   She's a wild newborn vampire and always ready to cause trouble.

Having been a huge fan of LOST I'm actually glad that this show doesn't end with a huge cliffhanger at the end of every episode.  I liked it on LOST but that show also kind of made me expect it in everything and look for it and kind of ruin other shows.  Luckily with Being Human I've been surprised at how the episodes end, and I'm pleasantly surprised that they're not "HOLY CRAP!" moments every time.  Anyway, tune in next week for a short recap on episode 3.

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In Case You Ever Wondered...



Possibly you

 You might be a zombie. Ok it's likely that you're not, but how do you know? Lucky for me, I read the book You Might Be A Zombie and Other Bad News from the editors of the entertainingly insightful website Cracked.com. You might know them as the people who brought you Mad Magazine and Mad TV. You're loving it already, aren't you?

The truth is this book's got little to nothing to do with zombies and everything to do with truly interesting information about all sorts of random things (trivia-lovers: take note). And it's all wrapped up in a sarcastic little package, tied with a bow of hilarity. Can you name 5 famous artists who didn't come up with their signature creation? What about 3 colors that are secretly controlling your mind? You could if you'd read this book (I'm not telling, by the way). All the articles have over-the-top titles, but are totally legit and backed up with well-researched information.

When I adressed those trivia-lovers earlier I was not including myself. I'm typically just not that interested in random facts seeing as how Who Wants to be a Millionaire was cancelled (wasn't it?), and I missed my chance at the big bucks. However, I found myself not only reading, but enjoying reading this book every time I picked it up. Many of my sentences began with "Did you know that..." when I had the book in hand. It changed my life!

Ok I wouldn't go that far, but it did expand my body of knowledge and it definitely made me laugh and I'm willing to bet it would for you too!

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Updates

Bruce Jenner

We're taking a cue from Bruce Jenner and working on a little blog facelift. Please be patient with us (and keep reading!) while our blog is a bit of a mess!

UPDATE: Right in the middle of our restructuring, blogger encountered a little glitch which caused all recently uploaded headers to be blurry :(  Hopefully will be fixed soon! 

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Cupid 'Round the Corner

With Valentine's Day less then a month away it's time to start thinking about yours (Valentine, that is). Figuring out what to get for that special guy or gal in your life can be tricky. Lucky for you, we've compiled a list of some fantastic ideas that will show your sweetie you care.

For the Fellas

One Night on Dickson print

Is your guy a current or former patron (or maybe just an admirer) of Dickson St.? Help him commemorate his college days with this stunning 36x24 Dickson St. nighttime scene print. Composed by a local artist, this print would class up any pad or office. Check out One Night on Dickson's website for more information and other Dickson-centric art including canvas art and photo prints!



Toms Shoes

Feeling philanthropic? Grab your guy a pair of Toms shoes and rest easy knowing you not only made him more stylish, but also clothed the feet of a child in need. If you're in Little Rock, you can pick some up at The Clinton Museum Store (how random is that?). If you're outside the area, you can order them online.

Dead Space 2

For all the gamers out there, this is a big one...apparently. Dead Space 2 is hitting the stores January 25 and all the big critics have given the game at least a 9 out of 10 (some were higher). We're thinking you'll rack up major points if you show up with this one on Valentine's Day.

Classic Shaving Set

Shaving is something he's already doing, but if he's still buying 12-packs of disposable bics it's time for an upgrade. Let him be the pampered one for a change with a cool set of shaving essentials from classicshaving.com. The site has plenty of options, but we're fond of this vintage set. We've also heard from a reliable source that the lavender shave cream is excellent.

Dogs in Space portrait

What guy wouldn't get a kick out of seeing his "best friend" in space? If you can sneak his pooch away for a couple of house, Dogs in Space Photography will photograph the dog on a green screen and create a custom photo of him or her in space. All photos come mounted and framed. These are a super fun, quirky gift.

For the Ladies

Cupcakes on Kavanaugh and Cupcakes on the Ridge

Guys, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Girls don't want a dozen roses. You know what they want a dozen of? Cupcakes. You know who makes amazing cupcakes? Cupcakes on Kavanaugh. Designer cupcakes are starting to be really trendy all around the country and it's for good reason. They're so cute and way more special than that cliched box of chocolates. Check out Cupcakes' facebook page for info!

Ember Heart Tee

Here's an option for the guys who want to do something good. Ember Boutique is donating half of the proceeds of these adorable heart tees to Women and Children First. This is an amazing twofer because your lady will love this stylish (and comfy looking!) tee and she'll wear it proudly knowing that you did something great for the community!

Your Story Bracelet

These custom-made cuffs allow you to give the gift of personalized, wearable art. They come in tons of cute designs and each features a photo of something your girl fancies. Your bracelet can be customized to display a photo from her favorite vacation (like the Taj Mahal in the photo above), her pet, the two of you, or anything else that makes her smile. There's no end to the possibilities. Check out Blue Autumn Avenue's facebook page for more designs and info.



"In Love" Bubble Bath



If the name doesn't say it all I don't know what does. Any bath would immediately be made a billion times fancier with the addition of this bubble bath by Lollia available at Anthropologie. And it comes in such a pretty bottle, she might be afraid to open it. That's just something she'll have to sort out for herself.

Custom Name Charms

Simple but sentimental, these charms are perfect for a girl who's not into anything too frou-frou. Box Turtle will hand stamp these sterling silver or gold charms and have them ready for you in just a few days. These smashing little necklaces are special enough for Cupid, himself. Check out Box Turtle's website to place your order!

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Holy BREAKING POP CULTURE Batman

 

Although it has previously been rumored that Tom Hardy would be in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises no one quite knew who he would be playing.  The word is out this morning that he is playing the character of Bane, how this will fit into the rest of the Nolan Batman universe remains to be seen.  Bane is a character who get's strength from super steroids, and at one point broke Bruce Wayne's back (the story that made this character famous) putting Batman out of crime fighting for a while.

The other big news is that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selena Kyle.  Savvy Batman fans will know that Selena Kyle is the alter ego of Catwoman.  Entertainment Weekly noted that the press release from Warner brothers made no mention of this fact.  I think this is all around great casting,  Tom Hardy was recently in Nolan's film Inception. 

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Golden Globe Get-Ups

Mallory here! As far as swanky ensembles go, most of Hollywood brought it last night at the Golden Globes. Having (so, so sadly) missed the stars sauntering down the red carpet, I had to wait to see the goods until said stars popped up during various points in the show. I do have to say, I was mighty impressed with their selections... for the most part. There is always going to be a flop or two by a star we had high hopes for (what was with the neopolitan-hued mess Heidi Klum sported?) and there will definitely always be those who are just plain eccentric (ahem, Tilda Swinton, let us in on the joke too, huh?). However, overall Hollywood did me proud. A few gutsy moves were pulled and nicely executed. Here are the highlights.

from left: Andrew Garfield, Robert Pattinson, Justin Beiber, Johnny Depp and Jake Gyllenhaal

Granted, the guys have it pretty easy (get a tux that's well tailored and make sure your shoes match). However, these five seemed to really get it. I like how the younger guys went with the long, traditional ties that keep them looking modern and cool and Jake pulled off the bowtie nicely. Of course you can't expect average from Johnny Depp and I think the no-tie look suits him just fine...though I'm not sure about that gangster chain he's got. Speaking of added quirks, I think it's perfectly acceptable for youngster Justin Beiber to wear sneakers with his suit. It looks polished and flows well, but he's only got another year or two before he needs to step it up and wear big boy shoes.



clockwise from left: Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, Colin Firth and his wife, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt


Plenty of well-clad couples walked the red carpet hand-in-hand. Robert Downey Jr. went for a bit of a casual look in this silver suit and red tie, but still looks sharp. Michael and Catherine looked elegant as usual, which is just the norm for these two. I loved Kyra Sedgwick's saffron colored dress, which was punctuated with turquiose and gold accessories. She gets bonus points for how comfy the dress looks and Kevin looks as cool as ever in his Sunday best. Angelina has already shown up on tons of best-dressed lists. Why, one might ask, when she wore a mundane, long sleeved, nonchelant, floor length Versace? Why is praise being heaped upon her? Because it was green. Is this what it's come to? She's worn basic black and lifeless shapes for so long that when she actually switches it up a tiny bit she's suddenly a style maven? I think Angelina's found the flaw in the system. Brad looks 007-ish though, no? Did anyone else catch the down-to-earth moment right before commercial when Angie was fixing Brad's tie? I sometimes forget they're real people whose ties sometimes get crooked.


Olivia Wilde in Marchesa,  Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad
One trend we saw a lot of on the red carpet was sequins. How fun is Olivia Wilde's Marchesa gown? Now, I'm not usually a fan of the poofy, fairy princess look, but she gave it an edge with her stick straight mane and gold spiked booties that looked like they might bite if you got too close. Jennifer Lopez, on the other hand, just looked dowdy. That matronly cape is a little more "Super J.Lo" than stylish Jennifer.

Scarlett Johansson in Elie Saab, Sandra Bullock in Jenny Packham
Two more who jumped on the sparkly bandwagon were Scarlett and Sandra. Thanks, you two, for showing up in basically the same dress in different shades. It makes it much easier to compare your looks. Scarlett looks polished with her (slightly bride-of-frankenstein) updo and pink champagne toned, hip-hugging dress whereas Sandra just looks like a hot mess with those thick bangs hanging in her face and rumpled grey dress.

Natalie Portman in Viktor & Rolf, Michelle Williams in Valentino
I might get railed for this, but I thought Natalie Portman looked adorable all aglow with her pregnant self in her pink Viktor and Rolf . Yes, the red flower kind of made her look like a walking Valentine, but come on, the lady's pregnant. There can't be that many options available. There's no doubt she was strides ahead of Michelle Williams, who normally pulls off the bohemian look so well. Not this time, Michelle. Looks like she reconstructed Granny's muumuu. Floral fail.

P.S. Natalie made my night when she outright hee-hawed at her own "he wants to sleep with me now" joke during her acceptance speech. Such a loveable nerd!

Lea Michele in Oscar de la Renta, Julianne Moore
Pink is not an unusual color to see on the red carpet (see photos above), but it can't be a go-to color for jsut anyone. Lea Michele chose a hue that perfectly compliments her skin tone and chesnut locks. The silouette is also playful and fun and befitting of someone her age. Julianne Moore, sadly just didn't get it right. That huge, hot pink bubble on her shoulder is downright pagenty and there are some colors that redheads just can't pull off. She should leave the pink and red to Christina Hendricks who, for some reason, totally can.

January Jones in Versace, Halle Berry in Nina Ricci
January Jones is hot. All I can say is that there must have been rolls and rolls of strategically placed tape keeping everything in place. Her dress was, no doubt, revealing but it was still a dress. She balanced the cutouts on the top half by being fully fringe-covered on the bottom half. Halle Berry looks like she forgot to put her dress on and strutted out in her slip. Or maybe a one-piece bathing suit and cover up? All it would have taken to make this dress gorgeous would have been a full skirt. Halle normally knows better. I guess she deserves those diamond handcuffs for the crime against fashion that she's committed.

Kaley Cuoco, Nicole Kidman in Prada
January may not be the best time to don a nude colored dress, since no one has yet had the chance to become the bronze beauties they undoubtedly will be in, say, June. That said, Kaley Couco's playful ruffles add shape and dimension to her ensemble. Nicole just looks plain and washed out in her flesh-colored Prada. I thought she knew how to work that china-doll complexion by now...

Anne Hathaway in Georgio Armani, Leighton Meester
This last look has me baffled. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something that makes Anne's style acceptable and Leighton's style hideous. Is it the pattern? Color? Fabric? Hairstyle? The fashion critics seems to agree with me, but none seem to give much reason either. Help! Tell me what you think in the comments!

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Being Human... is it Worth It?

from io9.com

Justin here.  Maybe it's television's fault that I haven't been able to find a good show to watch since the finale of Lost last May.  Every show we've tried to start watching the past to years has either been canceled or quickly lost our interest.  Flashforward was an interesting show and ABC decided to give a super long mid season hiatus and everyone lost interest.  V never kept me interested and this season's Undercovers never really showed the spark to make it past 13 episodes.

So it was with some trepidation that I decided to watch SyFy's new show Being Human.  Based off of a British show of the same name it follows three characters each with their own quirks in the city of Boston.  One's a vampire (Aidan), one's a werewolf (Josh), and they just moved into a flat with one ghost of a girl (Sally).  It kind of sounds a little like Twilight, but the show is in on that joke making a quick tongue and cheek reference, also it's way less melodramatic and not geared toward teen girls.

Josh & Aidan hate the fact that their afflictions will force them to eat & kill innocent bystanders.  Sally can't leave the house and can't even remember how she died and her normal human fiance has no idea she's haunting their old house.  The vampires of Boston want to bring Aidan back into the fold, and don't take a liking to his rooming with a werewolf.  Josh ran away from his whole family once he was cursed and now his sister has shown up in town and recognized him and is wanting answers.

Mark Pelligrino who played Jacob on Lost plays the leader of the vampires, Bishop, and masquerades as a policeman.  There's humor and drama in this show, and it took some twists that I wasn't expecting.  While it's not as graphic as HBO's True Blood, there's still enough bite to this show to pique my interest and I hope to remember to watch it again next Monday night at 9/8 central.  I want to know what's going to happen and hope this show will continue to be decent and for that reason if you get an opportunity to watch the pilot between now and then, I suggest you do. 

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Spheres of Arum

Well the final leg of the Oscar race is finally on after a weekend of awards.  Both the Golden Globes and the more prestigious Critics Choice Awards were held this weekend in Hollywood and the narrative for Oscar season seems to be shaping up.  Here's a list of the winners of the Globes in the film categories.

Best Motion Picture - Drama

The Social Network (2010)

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

The Kids Are All Right (2010)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Colin Firth for The King's Speech (2010)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Natalie Portman for Black Swan (2010)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Paul Giamatti for Barney's Version (2010)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right (2010)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Christian Bale for The Fighter (2010)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Melissa Leo for The Fighter (2010)

Best Director - Motion Picture

David Fincher for The Social Network (2010)

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

The Social Network (2010): Aaron Sorkin

Best Original Song - Motion Picture

Burlesque (2010/I): Diane Warren("You Haven't Seen The Last of Me")

Best Original Score - Motion Picture

The Social Network (2010): Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

Best Animated Film

Toy Story 3 (2010)

Best Foreign Language Film

In a Better World (2010)(Denmark)

One of the key things to note about the Golden Globes is their complete snub of True Grit.  They seemed to attempt to make up for this by featuring the 3 leads as presenters over the course of the night.  Jeff Bridges very well could give Colin Firth a run for his money, and many are looking at a possible upset by True Grit over The Social Network.  There were two categories that showed that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association were a little out of touch with reality which were Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical and Best Comedy or Musical.  Most of the films and performances in these two categories were panned by critics and audiences alike.  Awards season is a political game that requires the players involved to keep attention on themselves and the Globes serve this purpose.  

The Critics Choice awards, listed below this paragraph, more closely resemble the potential Oscar nominations.  Again The Social Network won best picture, best director, and best screenplay.  But an interesting thing to note is that The Fighter won two acting awards and the award for Best Acting Ensemble.  Inception won most of the technical awards including Best Cinematography.  Why is all this important?  The Screen Actors Guild awards are in two weeks and they also represent the largest voting block in the Academy.  If SAG goes with The Fighter it and The Social Network could cancel each other out leaving it open for True Grit or Inception or The King's Speech, with Inception having the technical side's votes for Best Picture.  We'll just have to wait and see!

Critics Choice Awards:

Best Picture

The Social Network (2010)

Other Nominees:

127 Hours (2010)

Black Swan (2010)

The Fighter (2010)

Inception (2010)

The King's Speech (2010)

The Town (2010)

Toy Story 3 (2010)

True Grit (2010)

Winter's Bone (2010)

Best Actor

Colin Firth for The King's Speech (2010)

Best Actress

Natalie Portman for Black Swan (2010)

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale for The Fighter (2010)

Best Supporting Actress

Melissa Leo for The Fighter (2010)

Best Acting Ensemble

The Fighter (2010)

Best Director

David Fincher for The Social Network (2010)

Best Original Screenplay

The King's Speech (2010): David Seidler

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Social Network (2010): Aaron Sorkin

Best Animated Feature

Toy Story 3 (2010)

Best Young Actor/Actress

Hailee Steinfeld for True Grit (2010)

Best Action Movie

Inception (2010)

Best Comedy Movie

Easy A (2010)

Best Foreign Language Film

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)

Best Documentary Feature

Waiting for 'Superman' (2010)

Best Song

127 Hours (2010)("If I Rise")

Best Composer

The Social Network (2010): Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

Best Cinematography

Inception (2010)

Best Art Direction

Inception (2010)

Best Editing

Inception (2010)

Best Costume Design

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Best Makeup

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Best Visual Effects

Inception (2010)

Best Sound

Inception (2010)

 

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