"The Muppets" in Review

I grew up on the Muppets. I love the Muppets. In fact, The Great Muppet Caper is one of my top ten favorite movies of all time, both for its hilarity and its nostalgia.

So with glee I traipsed to the movie theater this weekend with a load of family members to see the newly released "The Muppets" starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams. For the first twenty minutes I was perfectly delighted. It was funny and energetic, and the first musical number was a jolly treat. (Despite the obvious choreography editing to keep Jason Segel from "dancing.") After that, the magic petered out a bit (with the exception of a hysterical soul searching song about being a muppet or a man). The energy dropped off significantly, the celebrity cameo's were mostly wasted, Amy Adams was underutilized with her singing and dancing talents, and Kermit was a total downer. A DOWNER! How dare he.

But even after my indignation, I think most Muppet fans will like this movie, and a lot of other movie-goers will enjoy this movie enough to make it worth the price of the ticket. And wouldn't you know, much to my dismay, the movie got a 98% fresh on RottenTomatoes.com.

Wes Anderson: A Love Story

I hardly know how to begin speaking of Wes Anderson. For me his scripts always have the exact balance of drama, heartbreak, humor, and quirk to satisfy the bitter-sweet realities I crave in movies. And on top of that praise, each movie is a rich visual feast. What is comes down to is his attention to detail. Every aspect of the film, be it script, costume, music, set, etc., directly services the characters or the story, yet nothing feels wasted, gratuitous, or superfluous. Watch any of these titles and see for yourself.

And that, dear friends, is why I am overjoyed with anticipation of Mr. Anderson's new film Moonrise Kingdom. I don't know much about it except that the cast is amazing and what the these photos can tell me. I mean, come ON, how great are these costumes? Answer: They are super great.

Picture Pages: I Want to Go to There

Sometimes I see things on the Internet. Things I have never seen before and know nothing about. Things that are beautiful and make me immediately say "I want to go to there" à la Liz Lemon.

This is a house somewhere in Switzerland. (I managed to lose my original link and thus any specific information.) I'm sure I'd be fine milking cows and being snowed in and what not if I lived here. Right? RIGHT?!

This is Trinity College's library in Dublin, Ireland. I can just image how this place smells of old books and wood polish and learning. Mmm...learning.

Awesome Sweater is Awesome

I want, nay, need this sweater from Gant by Michael Bastian. It is so kitchy, yet not old fashioned. But it's a mens sweater, and I'm afraid those two cardinals would "perch" a little too smugly and 3-D-ly on my chest. (Thanks, grandma.)

Bonus: Much of Gant's website looks like it was ripped right out of The Royal Tenenbaums. Wes Anderson's movies always look so delicious.