Friday, July 24, 2009

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince


Movies that have been taken from my favorite books are always so hard to review. It doesn't matter how good of a job they do making it, there are always those page-to-screen differences that are difficult for me to swallow.

The Harry Potter movies have probably done the best job of being worthy of their printed counterparts. Each one, in my opinion, has totally lived up to the phenomenon. The visual effects, the casting choices, even the *cough* adapted screenplay. The same can be said for the latest installment.

While there was nothing new or especially exciting in The Half-Blood Prince, it was still completely enjoyable. A good mix of humor, suspense, drama, action, first-time love and teenage turmoil.

What I love the most is watching these child actors and the characters they play grow and develop before our eyes. It makes it so real for me, seeing them actually grow from baby-faced eleven year olds learning how to use a wand to grown adults fighting the forces of evil and developing relationships between themselves. I have loved watching Hermione's and Harry's friendship blossom and mature throughout each movie, something I actually never picked up on in the books. I can't get enough of Ron and Hermione's love/hate relationship and seeing the starts of their denial that there is something more. And surprisingly enough, I have really enjoyed watching Malfoy transform into the tall, tormented man that he is now. That is why I LOVE the movies. I almost feel like a proud mother bird watching her babies take flight for the first time. (Forgive me the cheesy metaphor.)

What I can't stand is the obvious changes they made. My goal is to one day make a movie from a widely popular book EXACTLY AS IT WAS WRITTEN, and then cut out less-important parts for the sake of time. I understand there are certain things that may need to be juiced up a bit to be visually appealing, but I am sorry--cutting out ENTIRE scenes only to add in completely NEW and embarrassingly POINTLESS scenes is ridiculously uncalled for. And changing the way the most pivotal romance plays out is just insulting to the masses of fans who know these books inside and out. And while I'm on a roll, I know that England isn't necessarily known for its sunny weather, but why did everyone have to look like they were one bout of the flu away from death? Everyone had a pasty gray palor bordering on ghost-white that actually started to make me feel a little ill myself just looking at. I didn't get it. Oh, and I really think it should have been rated PG13. Any movie with crawling corpses and a reference to dragon testicles should not be rated PG.

All in all, I really did enjoy it. I can't say I loved it as much as the Order of the Phoenix, but it's not too far behind. If you love HP and haven't seen it yet, well...you call yourself a fan?

Movie Queen Rating: G (for Great)

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Is It November Yet?

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking how it's been waaaaay too long since I've done a Twilight-related post. That's so weird, because I was just about to do one! Freaky.

I am so out of it, Twilight-wise. I didn't even know the official New Moon movie poster had been released until I saw the actual poster at Walmart, like in the swinging poster rack, between Hannah Montana and The Jonas Brothers.


I hate it. Well, not all of it. I'm lovin' Edward. (Obviously.) I'm lovin' Jacob. I'm hatin' Bella with her painted face and engagement picture pose and the fact that they are making it look like she has cast Edward aside for Jacob. Hi, poster people...read much?


Meet the Wolf Pack. Grrrrrrr......


Interesting tidbit: One of them is in Stephenie Meyer's ward.


Well hellooooo freshly shorn Jacob.

It's amazing how a little wig removal can turn a little "ha ha ha" into "oo la la"


This picture makes me think of that joke from grade school...

"Got ya where I want ya, now I'm gonna eat ya."



Even though this scene rends my heart in two, this picture is hilarious. It looks like Edward is about to be sick in Bella's hair. If you ignore the grimace, you can tell just how dramatic this scene will be.



This picture almost has me batting for Team Jacob. Almost.


Only 4 months to go...

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Very Vanilla

Today at the grocery store I saw a girl I hadn't seen since high school. She recognized me before I could pull the "I didn't see you" stunt and said hi. On any other day I would have been mortified that I had on no makeup and my hair was pulled back into a wet bun, but today I had actually taken a shower and gotten dressed, so I was feeling pretty good about myself. I walked off with my head held high and a smile on my naked face.

Today I am dreaming up new names for my blog. I wish I could change it daily. The possibilities are endless, and I can't choose just one. I'm seriously considering "Alicia's Blog."

Today I feel like warmed over death, with a sinus headache, a persistent cough and the feeling that I have ceased spinning but the rest of the world is in a full speed spin cycle. A vast improvement from yesterday, so I decided a shower was in order. And clothes that I didn't sleep in.

Today is about a million degrees and I long to be by the pool. But the fact that I know it's a million degrees outside means I finally ventured outside of the house, so, kudos to me.

Today is vanilla. Maybe tomorrow will be chocolate.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Blehhhhhhhhhhh


So, I'm here, sick again. I know what you're thinking, "She gets sick a lot." But really, I just always get sick in the spring and summer, when the rest of the world gets it in the fall and winter. I'm weird like that. This time it's the beloved head cold, at least it's not the flu. But I'm still miserable and wishing I could be put out of my misery. I am missing the pool, blogging, and living life in general. I even started my Harry Potter movie review and have yet to finish it. Needless to say, there will be no Teaser Tuesday tomorrow. But if the stars align, maybe there will be less nasal pressure and phlegm.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Teaser Tuesday


Rudolfo's sobs could be heard from the trapeze. Ever since Absiddy's confession, he had been beside himself. How could she do it? Renesmee was his sister. Despite her big hair and freaky voice, he loved her. She was the only sister he had. He had been traumatized enough when he'd heard of the freak avalanche that had taken her life while on vacation in the Bahamas, and now to learn that not only was she murdered, but at the hands of his beloved Absiddy! It was just too much. He had to get away.
Putting his unicycle in his pocket, he stalked out of the big top and whistled for Poopsie, his elephant. Climbing on, he patted her head and said, "Well girl, I guess it's just me and you from here on out." With a broken heart and black face paint streaking his face, he headed toward the highway, thoughts of revenge filling his brain. With one last glance over his shoulder toward the tent that had been his home for almost a year, he started on his journey.
He had no idea where to go. Somewhere he was needed. Somewhere he would belong. Somewhere with warm weather and a TGIFridays. Suddenly, he knew exactly where to go. With a new found hope, he turned Poopsie westward. He only hoped Celine Dion could use him in her act.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

My Crap List

I haven't done a tag in a looooong time, and actually I had sworn off tags altogether, but this one appealed to me. Lauren did it here. This is my list of

Things Most People Love That I Most Definitely Do Not:

1. Oprah

She's a swell person, very giving, but I do not, never have, and never will, watch her show.


2. Hairspray

I won't say I hated it, but I guess I didn't see what everyone loved about it.


3. Julia Roberts

Yeah, yeah, she's America's Sweetheart, yeah she's got a "Mega-Watt Smile." Yeah, there's something about her that makes me want to throw my shoe at the movie screen.


4. Romantic Comedies

Oh, the cheese! Oh, the sugary-sweetness! Oh, the gag reflex!


5. Michael Buble

Okay, I'm not blind. The man is smokin'. I'm not deaf, he has a voice like butta. But I already didn't like his music...and then he cheated on Emily Blunt. Lo-ser.


6. Nuts

How many times can I use my gag reflex as an excuse on this list?


7. flats

Call me unfashionable, call me out of touch with today's trends, but, although I think they are adorable to look at, I cannot bring myself to wear them. They will forever be cemented in my brain as the hideous shoes we wore with brown pantyhose to go to church dances when we were fourteen.


8. So You Think You Can Dance


I tried, really tried, for the second year in a row, to get into this show.
Not happening. (Don't hate me, Rachael.)


9. Running

Now, I know I'm not alone in this, but I do know there are many people who loooove to run. I am not one of them. I never will be. I hated to run even as a kid. I just don't get it. At all.


10. Facebook

There are many reasons I dislike facebook, and all of them without ever having been on it. Right now I'm one of maybe three un-cool people not on facebook, but you just wait. In a year (or ten) I'll be one of three very cool people to already be sooooo over that trend.


What do you not love that most people do?

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Teaser Tuesday

I know I promised a Teaser Tuesday, but then my wonderful husband gave me the best surprise on my blog! So we can just pretend it's still Tuesday. It's my blog, and if I say it's still Tuesday, it's still Tuesday. So, without further ado, I present to you....Teaser Tuesday.

I was pondering this, gazing out the window once more, when I realized that the spot I had been staring at had changed. The black square I had been accustomed to now had a shape within it. My brain caught up with my eyes and I recognized the shape as a human figure. My breath caught in my throat and I froze, my heart beating wildly out of my chest. It was him. It had to be him, who else would it be? He was staring right at me. Could he see me? I didn’t move, didn’t breathe for what felt like two minutes. Just when I felt like I was going to pass out, he walked away from the window and disappeared into blackness.

© A. Leppert 2009

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Don't worry Forever is 9 years closer now!!!

Hy my love!! I just wanted to tell you Happy Anniversary and that I love you so much. I don't know how to make this look good, you know the way you and all your lady friends do, but what do you expect from someone in the "lack of creative...ness" department. Anyways, Happy 9th Anniversary!!!! Its been a great trip so far and it looks like it just gets better from here so buckle up and enjoy it as much as I plan on enjoying it. I love you and look forward to keeping you happy for yet another year.

Love,
Bill

Sunday, July 5, 2009

She's Aliiiiiiiiiive!

What's this? I have a blog? Hmm...maybe I should update it, what do you think? (Thanks for the subtle hint, Marisa. ;) I don't think I have ever been this absentee for this long in the world of blogging before. Life just hasn't slowed down, and any spare time that I don't have a raging headache (all ten minutes of it) is spent writing my novella. (Yay!) Check in Tuesday for some teasin'.

So, what has kept me so occupied? Here's a look in pictures.


I got to babysit this sweet little boy (my newest nephew, Calvin)


Jasper was so curious about the strange creature infringing upon his territory.


For Father's Day I made this for Bill:

Yup, a candy bar poster. I'd never made one, and I had soooo much fun doing it.
He loved it.


The other morning I woke up to my kids yelling and laughing hysterically.
Upon inspection, this is what I saw:


That would be my cat up on the built-in shelf just below our ceiling. After five months of living here, he decided that morning was a good morning to trying jumping up there. Needless to say, he succeeded.

(Macy offering to catch him if he jumped.)


Our 4th of July was fabtastic. Every year the whole fam goes to my parents for a BBQ and a whole day of swimming.


Despite the fact that Macy got her usual sun-and-heat-induced headache, we still managed to watch fireworks for the first time in years. It was great.

Between swimming lessons and spending every day at my mom's pool, we're pretty water-logged. I'm fairly certain my kids are growing gills. It's turning out to be a great summer.