Top 10 Television Ships

I'm going to fully indulge my fangirly side and countdown my top ten tv pairings.  I was going to do my top movie pairings as well, but I only have about four or five movie pairings, so I'm just sticking with tv.  I'll do one pairing per post.  Here we go.

# 10

Starbuck/Athena

Played by: Dirk Benedict and Maren Jensen

            I have no justification for this one.  They were together for like the first third of the first episode and the rest of it was Starbuck ducking her in favor of (the far less beautiful) Cassiopeia, until Athena vanished from the show never to be mentioned again.  I adore everything about this show but their scenes together in the pilot instantly made me ship them.  I wish I didn’t because things really, really didn’t work out in my favor.  Oh, well.  I never pick the right pairings.  Anyway, I like them because she’s his best friend’s sister, he teaches her how to fly a viper, and she saves his life.  What more do you want?  The scene in the first episode where he tries to apologize to her and asks for a more serious relationship is the moment that truly got me.  I don’t understand why they included scenes in that episode that are so intimate but then spend the rest of the series back peddling on them.  Plus, they are so ridiculously hot.  Look at them.  Those are two gorgeous human beings.  They just look like a prince and a princess (because apparently I’m still five years old).

Best episode to watch:  Saga of a Star World



Book Review

Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy

&

And Then We Went Fishing

These two autobiographies by Dirk Benedict are unlike any autobiography I’ve ever read.  They are not just the stories about his life.  They are not simply made up of anecdotes.  They don’t exist to give you more information about the man.  Benedict has a lot of very strong opinions and I think these books, particularly Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy are a way of getting those opinions out there as fully as he can. 

His main point in Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy is ‘you are what you eat.’  Never have I thought so much about that phrase.  I rarely ever think about what I eat and when I do, it’s more about vanity (I want to be thinner) than about health.  I have to admit, I’m intrigued by his story.  When he found out he had prostate cancer, he shut himself away in a secluded cabin in New Hampshire and stuck to a very strict macrobiotic diet and healed himself.  I’ve never heard of anything like this.  I think rejecting doctors and going off on your own when you’ve been diagnosed with the big ‘C’ takes incredible courage and faith.  I’m not sure I have it in me.  On the other hand, Benedict has a very harsh view of doctors.  I don’t think they are as bad as he makes them out to be, but I see his point as well.  I don’t think anyone should blindly trust their doctors.  They make mistakes.  They’re human too.  The idea that you can avoid diseases that appear to be just a part of life now (cancer, high blood pressure) is nice.  I certainly believe it has merits.  We do stuff ourselves with junk food.  It’s so readily available and there’s so much of it.  I never finish a full plate at a restaurant because they pile so much food onto it.

            However, I don’t agree with everything he says.  He gets pretty extreme.  For example, he really believes that women belong in the kitchen and that they should be content with just being able to have children.  He sees childbirth as an amazing thing and he repeatedly says that women are stronger than men.  Thanks for the compliment, but, just because we can doesn’t mean we have to.  He basically says that all women who choose not to have children end up regretting it and desperately try to get pregnant when they’re older.  I sincerely doubt he knows that for a fact about every woman out there.  Off the top of my head, I can think of one woman I know who is at least in her late 50’s childless by choice and perfectly happy with that.  He doesn’t need to speak for women and I wish he wouldn’t.  Maybe I’m being too harsh and he didn’t mean these things in the way I interpreted them, but I’m just giving my opinion based on what I read.

            Aside from all of that, he is a deeply fascinating individual and macrobiotics is obviously something he strongly believes in.  And he’s still alive, cancer free, and in great health.  I think he made a pretty great life choice.  It made me think, how right is he about food?  Can cancer really be the result of all the junk food we eat?  That’s kind of horrifying to me.  A disease so awful and we do it to ourselves?  Are snack food companies just as bad as cigarette companies?  Possibly.  I think it is definitely something to think about.  No matter how I feel about some of his more sexist ideas, I can’t ignore his main point. 

            I have to say, I’m rather amused by some of what he says as well.  I find him a bit hypocritical.  He goes on and on about how his career doesn’t matter to him and how the success didn’t mean anything and it was all just part of a journey he had to take, but he didn’t care about the actual projects or the successes and failures.  Okay, that’s all well and good.  But, if that’s true and he’s so “above” it all, what’s with being so insulted that they made his Battlestar Galactica character a woman in the reboot tv show?  What’s with being insulted that his cameo was so short in The A-Team movie?  The fact that he bothered to comment on either of these things implies that he cares.  On some level, he cares. 

            And Then We Went Fishing improved my opinion of him as a person.  He showed some vulnerability and humility in it.  He wasn’t as preachy.  This book is a duel story about the birth of his first son and the death of his father.  I cannot imagine growing up with a father like Benedict’s father.  It does help me understand why he is the way he is, but his father seemed like a man who was not meant for family life.  I feel for Benedict and for his brother, his sister, and his mother.  I cannot imagine what they went through and I was tearing up by the end of it.  His father was shot by his brother after breaking into the family home one early morning.  He brought it on himself and Benedict says as much.  Still, I don’t know how a family recovers from something like that.

            The story of his son’s birth is far less depressing but it is quite suspenseful.  With all that goes on, you would swear he made the whole story up.  He and his wife wanted a home birth, given his feelings toward doctors, that makes sense.  Unfortunately, you can’t always get what you want.  And sometimes, you have no choice but to trust people other than yourself.  His wife (ex-wife) sounds like a remarkably strong individual.  She endured somewhere around 50 hours of drug free labor and she did it without complaining.  That’s more than I could handle.  The midwife and birthing attendants were frustrating because I got the sense that they weren’t taking things seriously.  Eventually, they had no choice and they went to the hospital.   Their son, named after Benedict’s father, was born a healthy baby.

            The juxtaposition of the two stories make for a very engaging read and it was very bittersweet.  He has a sort of poetic style of writing.  Sometimes, that’s frustrating because sometimes I just want the facts without getting all artsy about it.  Still, it was well written and, emotionally, it got to me.  In many ways, his kind of writing tells me more about him as a person than autobiographies that go through the writer’s life year by year.  It makes him stand out not necessarily because of what he went through, but because of how he reacted to his situations and how he chose to deal with them.  If you just want to read a viewpoint that doesn’t get a lot of attention, these books are worth reading.  If by chance, you are searching for a healthier way of living, these books are also worth reading. 

Top Movies I'm Looking Forward to in 2011

10.) Sanctum

A cave diving team goes down to an unexplored cave system when a tropical storm forces them into a life or death situation. 

I want to see this movie because it looks like a thrill ride.  I like cave movies.  I think it’s a great setting for terror and suspense.  Plus, it’s in 3-D.  While, I’m sick of everything coming out in 3-D and I rarely pay extra to see something in 3-D, this one looks like it might be worth it.  I’m wary of it, though.  On the one hand, The Descent is one of the best horror films I’ve ever seen and that has a cave setting.  On the other hand, The Cave looked to be just as cool as Sanctum does from the trailers and posters and it turned out to be a waste of time and money.  So, this could be a lot of fun, or it could be a huge disappointment.  It opens in February, so I won’t have to wait long to find out.

9.) Red Riding Hood

Set in medieval times, a village is stalked by a werewolf (or worwilf, if you like). 

I feel like I was tricked into nearly this same movie last year with The Wolfman, which was terrible.  But, I’m excited for a couple of reasons.  The first reason is that Amanda Seyfried is the star.  She’s one of my favorite young actresses but I couldn’t bring myself to see any of her 2010 movies because they all looked so sappy and melodramatic.  I’m glad she’s taking a break from that genre.  The second reason I’m excited is because Catherine Hardwicke is directing it.  She directed Twilight and even though I hate the writing and overall story of that movie, I think it looked beautiful.  It looked so serene and dreamlike.  If she can work that magic again here and make it just as gorgeous, then at the very least it will be a visual treat.  Plus, she didn’t actually write Twilight, so I don’t blame any of what I hate about it on her.  I’m a big fan of the medieval look in general, but there’s rarely a story I find interesting to go along with it.  But, a take on a classic fairytale is usually worth a look.  Then again, I thought Alice in Wonderland and Tim Burton were a match made in heaven and he managed to do what no other version of that story has done.  He made it boring.  Here’s hoping that this version of Little Red Riding Hood is better.

8.) Winnie The Pooh

No synopsis yet.

This is a classically animated movie featuring the characters of the Hundred Acre Woods.  Winning the Pooh and his friends were a big part of my childhood.  I adored them.  I even named my first dog Tigger.  I watched the tv show, I bought all the movies, I had stuffed animals, and I discovered that I love the taste of honey (I never would have tried it without Pooh).  These characters are so sweet and innocent.  How can you not love them?  Every child should be exposed to them.  They’re just pure childhood playfulness and I’m so happy that it’s being animated the way it was when I was a kid.  Craig Ferguson is voicing Owl, so there’s a bonus.  I just want to take a trip down memory lane with these characters.

7.) Fright Night

A teenager discovers that his neighbor is a vampire, in this remake.

This came to my attention because I follow David Tennant’s career.  I was thrilled that he had been cast in a mainstream movie after his US television show fell apart.  I was prepared to go see it just for him, but the rest of the cast furthered my interest.  Anton Yelchin and Colin Farrell also star.  This is supposed to be more comedy than horror and I love comedic takes on traditionally scary ideas.  I know all three of these guys can handle comedy.  And Martie Noxon wrote the screenplay and anyone who wrote for Buffy is okay by me.

6.) Source Code

A soldier keeps reliving the last 8 minutes of a dead man’s life in order to catch the bomber of the train he was riding.

One name.  Duncan Jones.  The genius who created Moon is directing this and that’s all I need to know.  I wasn’t too excited based on the trailer, but trailers can be misleading (the Moon trailer was not great either).  The premise is interesting and if the writing and directing is strong enough, it could be brilliant.  Jake Gyllenhaal is the lead and I’ve been a fan of his for a long time.  Michelle Monaghan also stars and she has a tendency to get on my nerves, due to how unbelievably obnoxious her character was in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.  Still, like I said, I have faith in Duncan Jones he can make the story live up to its potential.

5.) Red State

A group of people run into a group of extreme fundamentalists in middle America.  Horror ensues.

This is a horror film written and directed by Kevin Smith and I feel like it’s been in the works for years.  I’m glad it’s finally coming out and I’m glad Smith is finally branching out of his safe zone.  When I went to see Smith at a Q&A last year, there was a group of nutty, religious protesters.  I was scared.  I was really scared.  I kept expecting the building to blow up or something.  I’m a Christian.  I believe in God and that belief is important to me.  But, for the life of me, I will never understand how people who claim to be believers can be so full of hate.  I don’t understand how they can be so judgmental, so heartless, and so ruthlessly cruel.  That’s not what Jesus was about and that is not how he taught us to treat others.  Is it any wonder that so many people are soured on Christianity?  Look at the image we have.  It breaks my heart.  Anyway, from what I’ve heard him say on the subject, Smith feels the same way.  The trailer looks genuinely disturbing and I think it could seriously creep me out but I also think there will be a larger point to it.

4.) Sherlock Holmes II

Holmes and Watson go up against Professor Moriarty.

The first one was great.  I saw it four times in the theater.  Guy Ritchie seems to have a mixed reputation so I was hesitant, but he did a great job directing the first movie.  Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law made a surprisingly effective duo and as long as that stays at the heart of the story, the next one could be just as good.  Stephen Fry joins the cast for this one and I don’t know how I feel about that.  I’m grown more and more disillusioned with him as a person over the last couple of years, but I still can enjoy his performances.  Having him onscreen with Downey Jr. has the potential to be a verbal explosion and I am looking forward to him being reunited with Law.

3.) The Adjustment Bureau

A politician goes against the future Fate has for him by pursuing a relationship with a ballerina

Interesting idea.  The trailer has Fate (or the controllers of the universe) personified and it’s almost as if the world is a stage and the people are just puppets.  Freaky idea.  Matt Damon and Emily Blunt star in this thriller.  The forces in the movie look so overwhelming that I don’t see how Matt’s character can come out on top.  But, maybe that’s the point.  That you can’t fight fate.  Isn’t that usually the moral of stories like this?  But, they might surprise me and go with a free will is stronger ending.  I don’t know.  But, I can’t wait to find out.

2.) Limitless

A writer gets his hand on a drug that opens up his mind.  His life begins to change but maybe the drug isn’t the miracle he thought it was.

The first time I saw the trailer, I was not impressed.  It looked pretty messy, all style and no substance.  But, reading more about it, I think it could be interesting.  It’s based on a book called The Dark Fields and I would love to read it but I can’t find a copy.  They’re rereleasing it about a month before the movie comes out so I guess I’ll track it down then.  Bradley Cooper is the star and to be honest, the main draw for me.  I love the man.  This is a type of movie I haven’t seen him do and I’m interested to see how he handles it.  I’m getting more and more excited about this the more I think about it.  I hope it isn’t a letdown. 

1.) Paul

Two geeks travel across America and run into a real alien.

Yay, the new Simon Pegg and Nick Frost movie is finally coming out.  I’ve been waiting for this one since 2007.  In addition to Pegg and Frost, Seth Rogan and Jason Bateman are in the cast as well.  Rogan is hit or miss nowadays but I still love Bateman.  I’m sad that Edgar Wright didn’t direct this one like he directed Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, but the chemistry and banter between Pegg and Frost is strong enough to carry the movie anyway.  I love Simon and Nick, separately and together, and they’re playing Comic Con loving geeks in this one which cuts to the core of me.  The trailer looks good and above any other movie this year, I really hope this one lives up to my expectations.

P.S. This list is based on the movies I know are coming out this year.  I’m sure there are a lot of other great ones coming in 2011 that I’m not yet aware of and who knows, maybe none of the movies on this list will make my top ten of 2011.  We’ll see.

Top 20 Most Influential People of 2010

 

20.) Olivia Wilde –

          Movie/Show: Tron: Legacy

Why: Because she’s so fun and funny and she manages to look awesome while sporting an asymmetrical hairstyle.  She made her Tron character, Quorra, strong but still innocent.  She plays one of the most hated characters on House but still keeps an awesome attitude. I’m so happy that she’s proving all the haters wrong by becoming a star.

         

19.) Gina Bellman-

          Movie/Show: Leverage

            Why: Because she’s over 40 and gorgeous and doesn’t have to dress like a slut to prove it *coughLisaEdelsteincough* Because she gets to play a con artist.  Because her Leverage character, Sophie, lies and fools everyone for a living.  That fills me with so much hope for female characters, I can’t even say.  Sophie is strong, intelligent, and fun loving.  She’s nurturing without being overly being smothering or stereotypical about it.  We need more characters like her on television.

18.) Sam Rockwell-

          Movie/Show: Moon

            Why: Because I never gave this man a second thought until I was blown away by Moon.  That was one of the most beautiful performances in one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen.  It’s a crime that he was overlooked at Oscar time.  He’ll make that movie stay with me for a long time.  I now know that he’s an actor to keep an eye on.

17.) Helen Mirren-

          Movie/Show: RED

            Why: Because she handled a lot of big guns in RED.  She kicked so much butt in that movie that it’s ridiculous.  She had nearly every fist pumping moment in that movie.  Here’s a woman in her mid sixties starring in an action movie and stealing every scene she was in.  If that’s not talent than I don’t know what is.

16.) Arthur Darvill-

          Movie/Show: Doctor Who

          Why: Basically, for being what Jack and Mickey couldn’t be; a successful, fulltime male companion to the Doctor.  For not settling for being second best.  For actually getting the girl instead of playing back up to the Doctor.  Arthur’s character, Rory is sweet, smart, and incredibly loyal.  He waited for Amy for 2,000 years.  What guy can say that?  He’s going to get to play one half of the first ever married couple of the TARDIS and I can’t wait.

15.) Freema Agyeman-

          Movie/Show: Doctor Who, Law and Order: UK

            Why: On Doctor Who, she played my favorite companion, Martha Jones.  Martha was pragmatic and stronger than she was ever given credit for.  When she saved the world, she did it on her own, using her brains.  She wasn’t given superpowers to do it like Rose and Donna were.  Martha deserves more love than she gets.  At least on Law and Order: UK, people freaking appreciate her.  Freema just has the bubbliest personality and she always seems so happy and energetic.  She’s like a ray of sunshine.  I hope she continues to get good roles because I guarantee that I’ll happily follow her career wherever it goes.

14.) Kyle MacLachlan –

          Movie/Show: Twin Peaks

            Why: Because, frankly, Agent Cooper is one of the greatest television characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching.  By looks alone, I figured stereotypical FBI agent, cynical, stoic, cold, is going to hate being in this town.  What did I get instead?  A happy, friendly, open to believe anything guy who loved the town and the people in it.  MacLachlan made the show for me.  He put it on another level.  He’s not all that terrible looking either.

13.) Billie Piper-

          Movie/Show: Doctor Who, Secret Diary of a Call Girl

            Why: On paper, Rose Tyler is a pretty vile character.  She’s selfish and treats her family like garbage.  She walks around believing that she’s the most important girl in the universe (and the Doctor’s more than happy to indulge that belief).  She’s jealous of any woman who so much as looks at the Doctor.  Luckily, Billie Piper played her and she brought a charm and sweetness to Rose making it impossible for me to hate the character.  Billie went from a mediocre pop princess to a surprisingly capable actress.  I love her even more on Secret Diary of a Call Girl because she’s carrying the show there.  Other characters flit in an out but you’re with her character completely, inside her head.  Billie plays the drama as well as the humor with a dignity she seems to always carry with her even when she was singing Honey to the Bee.

12.) John Barrowman-

          Movie/Show: Doctor Who, Torchwood

            Why: Because another year has gone by and he’s still my hero.  He is unashamedly himself no matter what.  He makes me want to be like him.  He has a passion for life that I’ve never felt.  He loves his career, he loves his family, and he loves his partner.  He has worked very hard to get where he is.  Best of all, he is always incredibly gracious to his fans.  He knows that we love him and he loves us right back.  Plus, he’s the hottest man on the planet.  True story.

11.) Alex Kingston-

          Movie/Show: Doctor Who

            Why: Because I hated the character of River Song in series 4 and Alex went and turned her into one of my favorite female characters of all time in series 5.  River is just about the flirtiest flirt who ever flirted.  She would do anything for the Doctor and she clearly enjoys knowing something he doesn’t know.  I can actually take River seriously as a love interest for the Doctor.  That’s something I was never able to buy with Rose who was just a silly little child.  She’s so mysterious as well.  Who is River Song?  I can’t wait to find out.

10.) Emma Stone-

          Movie/Show: Easy A

            Why: For being the surprise of the year.  I’d seen her before but she was never given the chance to shine like she was in Easy A.  She was funny.  She’s a young woman who is pretty and funny.  Who would have thought that was possible?  It’s rare that a woman gets to be both and pull it off in Hollywood.  She proved to me that she’s star material.  I’m excited to see what comes next for her.

9.) Carey Mulligan-

          Movie/Show: Doctor Who, An Education, Never Let Me Go, Wall Street Two

            Why: So Sally Sparrow became an Oscar nominated star.  That’s amazing.  It was over a year ago when I just knew Carey Mulligan as Sally Sparrow from one of the greatest Doctor Who episodes of the new series.  Now look at her go.  She’s become a much respected young actress and she’s getting fantastic roles to really show off her talent.  It’s always a good thing when a Doctor Who actor hits it big and as of now, she’s the biggest success story they’ve got.

8.) Matt Smith-

          Movie/Show: Doctor Who

            Why: Because he took on a daunting task.  He took over the role of the Doctor from David Tennant.  You’ve gotta be pretty brave to try that.  What’s more, he did a great job.  His Doctor has been the best thing about series 5.  Smith is the youngest actor to ever play the role but really seems the most like a very old man trapped in a young body.  His Doctor is a total nerd and captures the manic energy in a different way than both Tennant and Eccleston.  I can’t credit him enough with making the last series worthwhile and letting me keep my love for the show and the character.

7.) Dwight Schultz –

          Movie/Show: The A-Team

            Why: Because I discovered The A-Team this year and he’s by far the best part of the original show.  He was so funny on that show.  The man is extremely talented and it’s a shame that he didn’t have bigger career.  Obviously, he had comedy down.  But Fat Man and Little Boy showed me that he could play straight drama just as well.  Schultz made me hate Oppenheimer and love Murdock.  I don’t know how the others could keep up with him on The A-Team, especially Mr. T (that’s not a shot at Mr. T…okay yes it is).  The more Murdock was in an episode, the better the episode was.  Simple as that.

6.) Dirk Benedict-

          Movie/Show: The A-Team, Battlestar Galactica

            Why: Okay, truth be told, I have mixed feelings toward the man.  He comes across as pretty sexist and occasionally douchey.  But, the man cured himself of cancer by changing his diet.  No surgery or medicine, he just trusted himself.  That’s pretty amazing.  He’s led a fascinating life, whether I agree with his opinions or not.  He raised his two kids on his own and I admire a man who is willing to do that.  Plus, onscreen, he was ridiculously charming and handsome.  Jeez, was he hot back in the day. 

5.) Jessica Biel-

          Movie/Show: The A-Team

            Why: Because she played the token female in an action movie but she did it with dignity.  She was more than the love interest.  The only time she even kissed the leading man was a plot point and not purely a romantic thing.  She was one step behind the guys the whole time.  She had her own lackeys for crying out loud.  She was driven and ambitious.  She didn’t take crap from anyone.  As my sister put it, “she’s scary.”  But, I don’t think she crosses the line into just being a rigid bitch as often happens in these movies.  She has every reason to be mad given her situation.  I usually hate anyone who is not automatically on my favorite character’s side but I like her.  She makes me want to be tougher.  Plus, how many former 7^th Heaven stars can say that they still get regular, high profile work?  Yeah, that’s what I thought.

4.) Bradley Cooper-

          Movie/Show: The A-Team

            Why: Because for some reason I didn’t fall for this guy in The Hangover but it suddenly clicked with The A-Team.  Maybe it was because he was kind enough to walk around with his shirt off for a while during it.  He’s so nice and genuine in interviews.  He’s a big movie geek too, which is always a plus.  He’s funny, he’s sexy, and he’s charismatic.  He needs to do more action movies because he definitely has it in him.  But, he should also keep doing comedy because he’s too good at it to give it up.  He also needs to keep his hair long.

3.) Edgar Wright-

          Movie/Show: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

            Why: This guy is the only non actor on my list.  He’s a writer and director and he had to be included.  I wish he would make more movies than he does because he is one of the most meticulous directors around.  There is so much detail in his work.  He obviously cares about what he’s doing and has a passion for it.  I have to watch his movies several times to catch new details each time.  I’m sure I still haven’t spotted them all.  He’s a genius and he’s tragically underrated.

2.) Melinda Culea-

          Movie/Show: The A-Team

            Why: Oh, this woman.  She just got a crappy deal.  She was phased out of the show in early season two due to a persistent and misogynistic George Peppard (I hate him).  As Amy Allen, she was a surprisingly talented actress.  She brought weight to the show and to the character.  She did have good chemistry with Schultz and Benedict and there was so much potential in her character.  I hate that it was never realized.  They could have done things with the character of Amy.  Instead, more often than not, she was in the background.  Still, when she was allowed to shine, she really did.  She had more going on as a character than it appeared.  She could be manipulative.  She may have been soft spoken but she was extremely determined and she went after what she wanted and made no apologies for it.  She had a blast getting in on the action with the guys (on the rare occasions she was allowed to).  I love the character for all of that and I love the actress for trying in an impossible work situation.

1.)  Sharlto Copley-

          Movie/Show: The A-Team, District 9

            Why: I am endlessly fascinated by this man.  He’s so wacky but clearly very smart.  What amazes me is that he didn’t start out as an actor.  He was a successful behind the scenes man.  He ran his own business.  He was a producer among many other things.  He fell into stardom almost by accident.  When his friend Neill Blomkamp made District 9, Copley was only supposed to produce but Blomkamp eventually decided that he wanted him to play the lead.  For someone who was not a professional actor, he completely carried that movie.  And that movie was wonderful.  Copley’s story is so unique and I wish him nothing but continued success in this new chapter in his life.  Also, he’s hot and I’m shallow.  What?