Hearts to Hardwick

First a confession. I remember when I was younger, I felt a pang of sadness when I found out an older actor had died. I was in my early teens and very vividly remember my sister being very short with me and asking me why I cared. Today I strained my brain to remember who had died. First I thought it was Gregory Peck, but saw he died in 2003. Then I thought maybe Cary Grant, but I would have been three at the time. Then I googled It's a Wonderful Life and yep, Jimmy Stewart in 1997 is an classic actor that died around the right time. Wow, so callous, but I think I figured it out.

Yes, I never knew Jimmy Stewart personally and I didn't even see many of his movies. Recently a good friend's father died and I suppose that sadness I got when I heard the news was based on knowing someone I love was going through a difficult time. And as of now, my sister and I are on better terms so I know she wouldn't be snippy if I were to ever mention it.

But then last week I read that Billy Hardwick died. Here I am stuck between the two scenarios where I've listened to every Nerdist Podcast (less the Vince Gilligan episode due to Breaking Bad spoilers) and know so much about Chris Hardwick like he's a good friend in a one way mirror. I feel bad and wish him peace even though we have never met. (Well, we met once at his book signing, but you know what I mean.) His show got renewed and his birthday is today and I'm just thinking that I hope he's doing well and he's surrounded by real support. 

It doesn't make me creepy stalker fan lady, but it still feels strange to be emotionally invested like this. All though, some people are really obsessive about Han shooting first and are devastated about certain characters that were killed off in Game Of Thrones, so I guess I'll be okay for now.

Black Friday Shoes

This year I made the decree that I will NOT subject myself to Black Friday shopping this year. That is, I will not stand in line to save five dollars on a pair of shoes. When I made said decree, my husband said he wanted to go out into the craziness, but not buy anything. Or more accurately, not stand in line like an idiot.

I shopped for ten minutes and was in line for an hour and ten last year in just one store. And just this morning, I stepped in dog crap. I hate that millisecond of debate if it's worth it to clean the treads or just declare shoe bankruptcy and toss them. One time I tossed a pair and then later that day dug them out of the trash to clean them.

The point is that pair of shoes that I stood in line for were now my back up shoes while my hopefully no longer stinky pair air out. They have been demoted to the back up pair. I should learn from this moment that no item is worth the time wasted in line.

I appreciate the people working in retail posting on their Facebook walls that they are making a similar decree because people should be home with their families instead of helping cheap obsessive bargain hunters buy crap they don't need. I think people can do what they want. I personally have just decided that I do not want to be a cheap obsessive bargain hunter buying crap I don't need this Black Friday. Wish me luck.

Coincedence?

I was listening to The Film Vault last weekend and Anderson flixfessed the movie The Last Supper. I saw this movie a few years ago and remember the premise but didn't remember the end. Had to go on Wikipedia to remind myself what happened(spoiler alert: everyone dies). And then a few days later, Jonah Ray mentions it on Tte Nerdist Podcast. It blew my mind that this random movie was mentioned twice by unrelated podcasts. I only noticed because it's not like it's national news (or even odd silly news), but just this older movie and one of the podcasts isn't movie related.

Then I saw an ad for the movie Last Vegas and immediately called it Vegas Space Cowboys. You know, old guys getting together for one last big blah blah blah. Then I had to think if any of the guys were in both and how many Oscars are we talking about? Well, Michael Douglas, Robert DeNiro, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline have a total of six wins and fifteen nominations. Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, James Garner, and Donald Southerland have six wins (including one honorary) and fifteen nominations. 

By the way, I am proud I could name the actors and mostly nail the awards (though I was off based on the whole producer crap) with a small assist from IMDb. The nomination for best sound editing for Space Cowboys does not count in this calculation. Nor do the wins and nominations of the others beyond the top four(sorry James Cromwell and Marcia Gay Harden). Also I'm not going to break it down into acting, directing, producing because Eastwood and Douglas have non acting awards.

And after the final count I just realized how cool it is that the numbers match. Last Vegas is more spread out and Clint Eastwood is doing most of the lifting for Space Cowboys (sorry Donald Sutherland).

But just to blow your mind, when I was young, I read in the newspaper an article about the movie Heartburn starring Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. They have since been nominated and won more awards since I read it, but as of today, the have a total of six wins and twenty-nine nominations. Just for fun, if you throw in Kevin Spacey who plays "Subway Thief" you have eight wins and thirty-one nominations.

You see where my brain goes when I let it and have an internet connection to look things up? Man, I need a new hobby. Or a real one. Oh, but the point of me bringing up The Last Supper and Space Cowboys is that I thought Last Vegas was Vegas Space Cowboys. Well, then I walk into my local deli this week and see it playing on the TV. Spooky? Crazy? Random? Yes to all, but now that I wrote about it, I can move on. Stupid award and nomination mental side track. Still cool though.

Breaking Brain

I feel like I have to go internet silent or blind so I can get past the explosion of reaction to the Breaking Bad finale. I just got access to Netflix and thus can go on a marathon, but feel like I want to avoid being ultra depressed lately. Hope everyone enjoyed the show and they get the urges to write about it out of their system. Maybe everyone will right about the government shut down. Or something that truly matters instead.

Spacey

In an attempt to deal with not having more Simon Pegg/ Edgar Wright things to watch as I already saw The World's End*, I am re-marathoning Spaced.

(*Mini review: Loved this movie. I consider it to be the weakest of the Cornetto Trilogy, but just right below Shaun of the Dead. And of course Hot Fuzz is my favorite movie so we have our ranking. But loved it, wanted to watch it again immediately, and can't wait to get it on DVD.)

I love this show, but I have a small dilemma. It is free on Hulu and I have watched both seasons like six times. I don't have to buy, but feel I should monetarily support the artists. But despite what I said about buying the DVD of The World's End earlier, I do not like buying more DVDs and would instead just want a copy on my laptop I could access whenever I wanted.

Man I love having easy problems. I'll will now distract myself with more Spaced. You do the same while it's still free.
 

Celebrity Sighting #CFN

My husband was kind enough to let me drag him to Lake Tahoe to see Graham Elwood and Chris Mancini do stand up. Holy crap it was awesome. I will not go into details because I want to keep this amazing experience to myself, but I'll just leave you with these two words: gang bang. Wait no, that's wrong: palm strike!

License Plate Game 2013

Since I was young I would start the game when I got out of school and it would end when school started, and it was usually around the middle of August when I did start school, but I saw a commercial that claimed that August 15th was National First Day of School (fascinating marketing for school supplies), but so many schools start after Labor Day, and also I haven't been in school for almost a decade, so I'm just calling today the end of my quest.

Here are the elusive states I did not cross off my list: Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Vermont. My trip to Las Vegas was a huge help since we were in the car for about ten hours each way. So until next summerish, the game is over.