"Well, I have been searching all of my days, all of my days. Many a road, you know, I've been walking on, all of my days. And I've been trying to find what's been in my mind as the days keep turning into night." ~alexi murdoch



I've been having audio problems, so hopefully it plays.

I promised movie reviews today, so here we go.

Tangled
This is my new favorite Disney movie. It's absolutely wonderful. It's an original, fresh take on an old classic, it's fun, the 3D animation is very well done, it's funny, it features the charming and expressive voices of Zachary Levi and Mandy Moore...it's just a really entertaining trip to the movies. It's seriously a lovely film that I highly recommend, no matter what age you are. I went to a sold-out screening and I'm pretty sure I was the oldest person there without a kid, but I still had a blast. It was fun listening to the reactions of the little girls sitting next to me.


The King's Speech
Here's another one that I highly recommend. Can we talk about Colin Firth for a minute? I love him. And I think he deserves an Oscar. He was nominated last year for his fabulous performance in A Single Man and he will undoubtedly be nominated again this year. I hope he wins (although I know I should wait until I see all the contenders' performances before I say that). Becoming George VI (Bertie) could not have been easy, but Mr. Firth manages to avoid caricature and gives a layered, realistic performance. Geoffrey Rush (who already has an Oscar) is also wonderful. I love him, too. Seeing these two actors work together is such a treat. This movie is a character piece and a historical piece, and it's a very good film.


Just because I love this photo, here I am with Geoffrey Rush. He really is a class act.

"You made this world, you made this world, you made this world. Thank you, thank you. You gave me life, you gave me life, you gave me life. Thank you, thank you." ~glen phillips



I have a lot to write about, but I'll spread it out over a couple of days. Tomorrow I'll post movie reviews for Tangled and The King's Speech (all I'll say now is Tangled is so freakin' sweet and give Colin Firth an Oscar already), but today I'll do a Thanksgiving picspam.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. Every year Thanksgiving dinner is held at my aunt and uncle's apartment and a whole bunch of us (like, dozens of us) cram into said apartment to enjoy the day together. This year's celebration was just as wonderful as ever.

I started the day with my lovely kitties, for whom I'm so thankful.

Every year we take a picture of the grandchildren on my mom's side of the family. There are seven of us. I am the oldest. I am also the shortest. I felt it was fair for me to commandeer a high spot this year.

It always takes us more than a few tries to get a good one.

Bess is a goofball.

I got to see my brother.

The game of Spoons always reminds my cousins of the time I lunged across the circle and wrestled a spoon out of my terrified youngest cousin's hand. I'm quite competitive. They won't let me forget the incident. But they're still always willing to play with me. I've gotten much calmer.

I think Sarah would be more justified in being scared of Bess now.

Like I said, Bess is a goofball.


On Friday we went to the Morgan Museum (they have a great Mark Twain exhibit right now) and had lunch there to celebrate my grandmother's 80th birthday together.

That day I took my immediate family to see Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson on Broadway (it's one of my favorite shows) and they got to meet my kitties. It was a great couple of days spent with family. I'm still digesting everything that I ate, and I'm thankful for the company I had.

"Wake wake up, get out o' your head. You gotta wake wake up, get out o' your head. You got a lot to live, you got a lot to live for. So bye bye bye misery. I'm gonna cut you into three and I'm gonna stay, I'm gonna stay." ~nico stai

Acoustic version:

Original version:

This is all I have in me right now. This song. It was used in last night's episode of Chuck, which is now my favorite episode of the show (in the three-and-a-half seasons it's had so far). I can't even tell you how brilliant Yvonne Strahovski was last night. She deserves an Emmy for this episode. If you're not watching Chuck, start now. Trust me. It's in it's fourth season right now and it's better than ever. I've been raving about it since the pilot aired (I was a fan from the beginning), and it's my favorite show ever. Yes, ever.

The acoustic version of this song is the one that was used in the episode, but the original version is also gorgeous. Seriously, Josh Schwartz is so unbelievably talented at using the best music in his TV shows. I watch/have watched all of his shows, and I still can't get over the use of music.

Now go and listen to this song over and over (both versions).

"If this is redemption, why do I bother at all? There's nothing to mention, and nothing has changed. Still, I'd rather be working for something than praying for the rain. So I wander on, 'til someone else is saved." ~james vincent mcmorrow



Oh, Bruce. Bruce, Bruce, Bruce. You make me so proud to be from New Jersey. You really, really do. And Jimmy Fallon? Pretty freakin' cool. I love this. I posted the video for "Whip My Hair" awhile ago (scroll down), and this is the best cover ever. Jimmy Fallon as Neil Young, joined by The Boss. Hopefully this video isn't deleted too quickly. I can't get over Bruce's "I whip my hairrr...." I will be watching this video over and over and over.

"I can say it, but you won't you believe me. You say you do, but you don't deceive me. It's hard to know they're out there, it's hard to know that you still care. I can say it, but you won't you believe me. You say you do, but you don't deceive me. Dead hearts are everywhere. Dead hearts are everywhere." ~stars



I have a new favorite word: pfod. Thanks, Chuck.

I haven't posted kitten pictures lately, so here are two that I just uploaded. I can't tell you how much I love coming home to these little guys. They're just so wonderful. Click for larger versions.



That's all for now. They're just too cute for words.

"Now the world can be an unfair place at times. But your lows will have their compliment of highs. And if anyone should cheat you, take advantage of or beat you, raise your head and wear your wounds with pride." ~yeasayer

I first saw Yeasayer perform live a few years ago, when they opened for The National in Central Park and not many people knew who they were. I could tell they were something special.

I'm quite behind on movie reviews. I don't think I've written about The Social Network (and that was ages ago), Unstoppable (I also saw that a long time ago, at a screening), Red, Conviction, Morning Glory, and now 127 Hours. Oh, and Love and Other Drugs, but I signed a waiver so I don't think I'm allowed to write about that one yet. These are going to be short reactions because I don't have a whole lot of time. I'm skipping The Social Network because all I need to say is that it's amazing and most people have already seen it, anyway.

Unstoppable: This is really good for what it is. It's an action movie and it's a suspenseful, well-paced one with some cool stunts and good acting from Denzel Washington and Chris Pine. This is classic Tony Scott.

Red: A whole lotta fun. It's hilarious, action-packed, and features a great ensemble (made up of Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, and Morgan Freeman).

Conviction: The performances made this for me. Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell are great as always, but it was the supporting cast that really stood out to me. Juliette Lewis is riveting in her very small amount of screen time. Clea DuVall, Mini Driver, Peter Gallagher, Melissa Leo, and Ari Graynor are also solid. The screenplay is really weak, but the performances really saved it for me. I need to say one more time that Juliette Lewis is brilliant. Seriously.

Morning Glory: Rachel McAdams is charming, and Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton are also quite good, but this wasn't anything special.

127 Hours: I think this one will get an Oscar nod for best picture. Danny Boyle is on a roll. Seriously, he is one talented director. He manages to keep you interested, even though practically the whole movie takes place in one tiny space. It's really fascinating. It's beautifully shot; I love the way that light is used. I love the soundtrack. And I love, love, love James Franco. Go see this.
(Click the full screen button on the bottom right corner of the trailer so you can avoid the stuff covering it here.)

"No longer, no longer what you ask. Strange steps, heels turned black. The cinders, the cinders, they light the path and these strange steps take us back, take us back." ~yeah yeah yeahs



Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal are currently promoting "Love and Other Drugs" (I love both of them but I've seen the movie and it's not very good), and I love this interview snippet. First of all, great song choice, Anne. I love that song, too. I'm making it the song of the day. From now on I'm going to try and post a song at the beginning of every post, and it'll be the song from the post's opening lyrics.
And Jake is too funny.


I have to admit that his song choice is kind of addicting. It makes you want to, well, whip your hair back and forth.

"Pray to the simple machines that do not rely on belief, the softness of steam and of gears, their energy is surely pure. The kindness of engines is not in you. Claire, you do it perfectly." ~matt pond pa

I love that song. I love that it's called "Claire." I love songs with my name in the title. Another favorite is "The Thrilling of Claire" by The National. Neither of these songs paints a very positive picture of a girl named Claire, but that's okay. I kind of like that.

I'm trying something new to share music. If it works correctly, you should be able to listen to "I See the Light" sung by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi right now. Just press play.

It's from the upcoming animated movie Tangled. I'm so, so excited for this movie. First of all, I love the Rapunzel story, and a new take on it is really intriguing to me. Second of all, Zachary Levi and Mandy Moore are the main voices. If you're not already aware, I'm in love with Zac Levi. And I think Mandy Moore is great. One of the best things about the movie is hearing them sing together. Zac Levi has a really, really good voice (of course Mandy Moore does as well, but Zac's vocal ability is more surprising to people because it's not what he's known for). I really want him to do Broadway. For now, though, this is enough. I love this song, and I can't wait for the movie.

Here's the trailer:
And a nice interview with Mandy and Zac:

"And I don't know whose baby you are. No, I don't know whose baby you are. No, I don't know whose baby you are. If we didn't have to worry about money we'd be all right. If we didn't have to worry about money we'd be all right. If we didn't have to worry about money we'd be all right." ~roadside graves

That's from a song released earlier this year called "Liv Tyler." I love it.

On Thursday Nic and I saw Angels in America: Millennium Approaches (part 1) at the Signature Theatre. We subscribed to the theatre's season just so we could ensure that we got tickets for this show, because it's just such a brilliant play. I have the HBO miniseries and I love it, but I was too young to catch the play when it originated on Broadway. It's a seven-hour play so it's split into two parts, and we're seeing part 2 (Perestroika) later this month, so these comments are just related to part 1. I really enjoyed this production. It's a very small space, so it feels intimate, but the production elements are still impressive. Even though I knew the angel was coming at the end, I was still taken aback by her appearance. Acting-wise, I thought Zachary Quinto gave the most impressive performance. Who knew the villain from the TV show Heroes (he was the villain, right?) could turn into such a complex, sensitive, heartbroken, angry gay man? Well, I actually wasn't surprised at how wonderful he was (I've been a fan for awhile), but some people might be. Christian Borle was fine, Zoe Kazan was fine, Billy Porter was fine, Frank Wood and Bill Heck were very good...it's just such a thrill to see this groundbreaking play performed onstage.

Angels In America - Signature Theatre Trailer from Signature Theatre Company on Vimeo.

Tomorrow Nic and I are seeing The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway, starring Pee-Wee Herman (Paul Reubens) himself. I've never actually seen any of his shows (at least not that I remember). It should be interesting, though.

"You twist and whisper the wrong name, I don't care nor do my ears. Twist yourself around me, I need company I need human heat. I need human heat." ~frightened rabbit


I had a great weekend. On Saturday afternoon my brother arrived and we went out to dinner at Vynl, one of my favorite restaurants. Then we met up with my friend Leah for the Frightened Rabbit concert. I've seen them live before and I'm always impressed with what a good live show they put on. I just love their music so much, and seeing them play it live and singing along is just so much fun. We were in the center of the front row, so we had a perfect view. I filmed the whole show, and you can watch it here. I want to post a few songs here, but it's impossible to choose just a few. I'll give it a shot, anyway. I apologize for my singing. I couldn't help myself. Sometimes it's me you're hearing, and sometimes it's the girl next to me.

Good Arms vs. Bad Arms: What can I say? This song is heartbreaking and gorgeous.


The Twist: This one was really cool because Scott invited people wearing Halloween costumes to come dance on the stage during the song. It's also a fabulous song.


Don't Go Breaking my Heart feat. Craig Finn of The Hold Steady: Yeah, Craig Finn showed up. I was stoked. I love him (I just saw The Hold Steady in concert a few weeks ago). I love his dancing. What an amazing combination of talent in this performance.


Keep Yourself Warm: I love this song. I can't help but think of a certain Chuck episode when I hear it. What was cool, though, was that Scott sung a snippet of The National's "Bloodbuzz Ohio" at the end. You know how much I love The National.


Poke: And finally, a video that I didn't film but that I have to include. I told Leah and Brett before the concert that the only song I cared about hearing was "Poke." I've heard all my other favorites live before. I wanted "Poke." And Craig played it. By himself, with his acoustic guitar. And it was indescribably amazing to me. But for some reason that was the one song that I didn't film; I don't know what happened, my recorded screwed up. I was a bit devastated. Luckily someone else got it, though. My brother is the guy with the bald head, and I'm in front of him.


Really, though, go watch all the videos when you have time. It was such a good concert.

I extracted audio from my videos, so here it is:
Get Your Own Player!
I'm devoting this post to Frightened Rabbit, so I'll try to post about the play I saw on Sunday tomorrow.