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.

I had today off from work (supposedly to Christmas shop but I’m braindead and have no idea what to get anyone) so WM and I went to see The Princess and the Frog.

We got our tickets, got our popcorn and headed toward theater 9. One of the trailers featured a guy (Gerard Butler, my love) in prison, eating his last meal. It seemed a bit dark and long for a trailer. Then the cast started dropping the F-bomb. We then realized (after far too long) that we were actually in theater 8, watching Law Abiding Citizen.

Ooops.

Anyway, here is everything I knew about the movie going in: First Black Princess, 2D animation, New Orleans/Katrina, Oprah.

I really hope EVERYONE can get past all of that (some well-deserved, some a bit over the top) hype and see the movie for what it is: a BEAUTIFUL, FUN, FUNNY and POIGNANT story of Tiana, a hard-working girl from New Orleans who wants to make her own dream come true. Wishing on a star comes secondary.

The movie’s opening card is a Steamboat Willie animation with the “Walt Disney Animation” title. Very nice, since this is Disney’s first classic 2D animated feature since 2004′s Home on the Range. Remember that one? No? That’s okay. I didn’t either.

The music was catchy New Orleans-style jazz. I admit to doing a bit of dancing in my seat the whole way through. I wasn’t the only one.

Looking for a message in this Disney Classic? There are quite a few:

• Working hard vs. partying
• Haves vs. have nots
• Being boy crazy vs. keeping a level head
• Good magic vs. bad magic
• Working for your dreams vs. wishing for your dreams
• What you WANT vs. what you NEED

But funny enough, I never felt beaten over the head with any of these themes. For example, when Tiana and her mother left Big Daddy’s house via streetcar, you see a change from the mansions to the smaller working-class housing. You immediately know Tiana’s family doesn’t have as much as Big Daddy and Lottie. But Tiana’s family doesn’t whine about being poorer or having to work harder. They just are and do.

And yes, Virginia, there is a happy ending.

But I need to tell you something every review I’ve read failed to mention: there will be tears. Serious sad tears. At one point, everyone in our theater was sniffling or crying. I cried, WM cried, kids cried. If your youngling can’t bounce back quickly from a very sad moment to a very happy one, then I’d actually suggest you want a bit until they can.

I loved this movie. I will buy it when it comes out on DVD and own it forever.

Rabbit rabbit!

Mondays suck after great weekends. Here are the highlights:

• WM and I went to see Wolverine on Saturday night. This is a BIG deal for me as I really don’t like sitting through movies much. It was pretty good. I don’t have an “X-Men” comic background so I entered with no predispositons for/against the characters. Because of that, I like the Victor (Sabretooth?) character more than the Logan (Wolverine) one. This girl ain’t right. After the movie we went to the Cheesecake Factory for dessert. Mmmm…
• I discovered the glory of the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. WM had used it before, but I wanted to try it on the grubby marks that are always on the refrigerator door handle. And it worked! Then I tried it on the cabinet corners (my kitchen and bathroom are all white) and it worked! Light switches! Dishwasher handle! I had no idea how dirty things were until Mr. Clean opened my eyes. Now, actually, I’m somewhat depressed.
• Mom wanted me to make a necklace for one of her friends. I always enjoy that kind of thing. I’m very pleased with how it came out. I have pictures which I’ll post after the recipient receives the necklace. I had a dream the other night that I started a blog just to chronicle my beading/jewelry making adventures and it managed to make a few dollars, too. I also had a dream I had a pair of cute brown flats to wear to work today, so I’m not too sure of putting stock in what I dream.

The only lowlight is I *think* I *may* be coming down with a cold, which is par for the course for me. I always get a cold in June. But I’m not doing the Vicks Vapo-Rub gimmick this time. Nosiree. I’m doing the Zicam nose swab gimmick instead. The runny nose I had this morning stopped, so we’ll see.

Anyone know when I can take the swab OUT of my nose?