2007-12-14 - 11:25 a.m. Movie Week continues at IHoP! Last night I saw The Golden Compass, under less than optimal conditions. Firstly, I hadn't read the source material, which might have contributed to my confusion on some of the plot points. I was never really 100% sure what was going on. (If anyone has seen the movie and read the book(s) and can weigh in on how faithful the film adaptation is, feel free to opine in the comments section.) Secondly, I saw it at my local movie house, which has bad sound to begin with, and then, last night, a blown speaker on top of that, so the dialogue was murky--especially when the animals were talking. But aside from all that, there was something about the movie--gorgeous and clever as it was--that left me cold and uninterested. I did really enjoy the daemons, though, and the super-cool flying machines. I've been watching the first season of 30 Rock on DVD, and from the get-go, have loved it. Funniest, smartest thing on current network TV (aside from The Office, of course, but in certain ways better). This probably is not an original observation, but the "Liz Lemon" character is the perfect amalgamation of Mary Richards, Rhoda Morgenstern, and Jerry Seinfeld. Anyway, I knew I loved the show, but the other day I had a moment with it. Tina Fey's character is delivering a monologue to a potential boyfriend, a litany of her embarrassing quirks (which Tina Fey may or may not have written herself, but it sounds like her), and one of them is "...When I was a kid, I would put on my fanciest nightgown, mix orange soda and cream soda in a champagne glass, sit in the dark and watch The Love Boat..." That line pierced my heart, cuz I used to do the same exact thing. Saturday night, all my older sibs were out having fun at parties and stuff, and I would pour a glass of ginger ale and pretend it was champagne, and I'd get dressed up and watch the Love Boat, by myself, and felt completely happy. Maybe lots of people did that, but for that one delicious, rare moment watching 30 Rock, I felt...represented. thoughts? (10 comments so far) previous - next blog archive contact