LadyGypsy.net – the blog of Kimberly Dowd of New Jersey

WM and I saw Cowboys and Aliens last week as part of a special advance screening. Working for a dying industry has its benefits!

I expected absolutely nothing from this movie. I expected to walk out 20 minutes in.

Because I hate movies to begin with.

Well, not exactly hate. Movies with me are simply pass/fail. I’m not wired to passively sit 2+ hours in one spot and be amused by whatever I’m shown. When I read, I control the pace. When I do crossword puzzles, my brain and fingers are working. When I play World of Warcraft, I choose my own adventure.

Back to the movie. In the late 1800s, Jake Lonegan (Daniel Craig) finds himself near the town of Absolution with a metal brace around his wrist and no memory. Turns out, aliens have been stalking this two-horse town, abducting residents for the usual battery of crazy medical probing. And something else.

Harrison Ford plays Col. Dolarhyde, a brash and cruel former Civil War Colonel-turned-rich-rancher. Because he’s the richest guy around, his son Percy is a complete tool who bullies the poor residents of Absolution.

Olivia Wilde plays herself in a Western-style dress. Her character’s name is Ella, but make no mistake, she’s Olivia Wilde. She sticks out like a sore thumb. So much so that people in the audience would giggle when she appeared. At least the plot explains away why she’s so … atypical.

Naturally, Lonegan, Dolarhyde, and Olivia Wilde find themselves part of an Absolution-based posse off to find the alien hideout and get their kin back. They call the aliens “demons” which made total sense to me. What would you think if you lived in an era without the concept of space travel?

Here we go: I LIKED THIS MOVIE. They didn’t play it like a cornball spaghetti Western parody. They played it like a Western, and I couldn’t help rooting for this plucky little group to win. Yes, there were a few “huh-what” moments, but again, I wasn’t expecting Henry V. And Daniel Craig wears chaps well, which was a nice counter to the completely-expected Olivia Wilde naked-from-the-back scene.

From WM: “Watching Harrison Ford chew up scenery for two hours is always fun. It was darker than expected, but very akin to Independence Day. ”

And I think that’s why I enjoyed it. You will too, though I probably wouldn’t bring skittish kids. Like WM said, it got pretty dark at times.

Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century by Sam Kashner
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I finally finished this book after putting it down twice because I never expected to be bored by the furious love story of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

Once you make it through to the point of their first marriage the book loops over and over. New movie. New gaudy jewel. New place to live. New fights. New movie. She’s always the most beautiful and intelligent woman to ever walk the earth. He’s always wracked with guilt for abandoning family/stage/roots. They were both alcoholics and pill poppers. Shampoo, rinse, repeat.

The most interesting part for me was not their crazy opulent lifestyle, but how much Hollywood changed from their hey-day to the end of their careers.

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Just when my brain is squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezed dry by NaNoWriMo (still on track, story still stinks), in comes the Friday Five to give me literal and figurative things to write about!

1. Do you prefer to be in the driver’s seat or in the co-pilot’s chair, literally and figuratively?

Literally & Figuratively:
If there is someone who would rather take control, that’s great. But let’s not confuse the co-pilot’s seat with the backseat. I love being the navigator/second in command, both in the car and in RL.

2. Do you have a lot of baggage, literally and figuratively?

Literally: I think we have 4 suitcases, so not too much.
Figuratively: I do, but it’s fully claimed, inspected and put away in an orderly fashion. So while it’s there (and who doesn’t have it?) it’s not falling out on my feet while I’m entertaining.

3. How much junk have you got in the trunk, literally and figuratively?

Literally: Not much at all. Some jumper cables that don’t work. A few reusable shopping bags. Tire jack.
Figuratively: It’s the stuff legends are made of. Baby got back.

4. At celebrations where people are drinking, are you more likely to be literally or figuratively drunk as a skunk?

Literally: I don’t think skunks get drunk often, so yes, I’m literally as drunk as a skunk.
Figuratively: Not anymore. I’d rather have 2 good glasses of wine than 16 foul-tasting shots or watered down beer.

5. What’s something you enjoy that’s literally cheesy, and what’s something you enjoy that’s figuratively cheesy?

Literally: Have you tried the queso burrito at Qdoba? OMGeezers….yum! It’ll stop your heart but you’ll have a smile on your face!
Figuratively: The Saturday night Sci-Fi channel movies, namely the really bad ones like Sharktopus! Have you seen this? It’s wretched.

But it really made me want to vacation in Puerto Vallarta.