Sweeney Todd “The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (an adaptation of the stage musical) is an amazing Horror/Musical film directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd, Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett and Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin. It took me forever to see this movie but I now find myself infatuated with it and the music attached to it.
Okay, so it can be a little gory at times. But the blood and gore are done in a stylized way and were not too disturbing. There is also some crass language, but the bulk of both of these are done in song which makes them easier to stomach I think.
I can’t get the music out of my head. One of my favorite songs is “My Friends” (below). I love the melody and the vocals at the end of the song.
Note: the original video I had posted here was taken off of Youtube because of copyright issues (no I didn’t put it up…) I’ve replaced it with one that only shows pictures from the movie and fixed some of this post to reflect that change.
While I can listen to the whole soundtrack, I find myself repeating this song as well as “Pretty Women” and “Epiphany”.
The use of color in this film is amazing. As you can see from the pictures in the clip above the bulk of the film is shot dark and moody. Which makes the scene where Mrs Lovett is singing about her dreams (in the song By the Sea) really stand out as it is done in really happy colors.
I love Johnny Depp in creepy roles and him singing is a bonus. I think that he and Helena blend their voices beautifully.
If your interestead and haven’t seen the movie yet I would. Also if you haven’t visited the site http://www.sweeneytoddmovie.com/ I would do that as well, it’s got all sorts of fun stuff on it. I enjoyed this movie so much and now that I’ve finished with this post I will be watching it again.
These are two things that I only take off to shower, do dishes, or perform. Other than that, they never leave me. I love these rings because they remind me of Disney, and Chris (my favorite place and my favorite person).
The one on the right I’ve had for a little over a year (and I bought it myself), the one on the left a little more than a month (Chris bought that one). Both I admired while on separate trips to Disney World. Both were bought after getting home and realizing I really wanted the rings, through Disney’s Mail order service (info Here).
If you don’t already know, it’s one of my dreams to work for Disney. These rings serve the purpose of reminding me of that dream and simultaneously help me remember all the good trips I’ve had to Disney World. With Oma, Aunt Michelle and Ted. Again with Oma, Aunt Michelle, Mom, Patrick, Sarah, Erin, Taylor, Aunt Steph and Uncle Ken. Twice now with Chris. It is my favorite place in the world.
I think everyone needs a favorite place. Mine just happens to be Disney and these rings, are two of my favorite possessions.
Warning: I’m about to be very nostalgic and sound like an old lady…
I’ve been noticing lately that cartoons and kids shows in general are not of the same quality that they were when I was a kid. Kids shows don’t seem to have some of that witty humor that, though it was lost on me as a child, allowed older people to watch the shows alongside kids and not get bored. While I think Teletubbies are cute. I certainly wouldn’t call them quality programing and they surely don’t have that dual audience in mind (and is that show currently being made anyway?).
I found myself on amazon this evening searching for some of my old favorites. Some, have been brought back on DVD, some are just the old VHS tapes being sold. But it’s nice to see that they’re still around. Here are just a few of them.
I miss all of these shows and many others… Mr. Rodgers, The Mickey Mouse Club, TailSpin, too many to mention…. I feel like todays shows for younger kids are just sad. There are a few shows, like Dora and Little Einsteins that are kind of clever. But shows like those are few and far between. And the shows aimed at kids just a little older are full of rude children who get away with everything. I know it makes me sound old, but television was so much better when I was a kid. At least for kids shows.
I hope that children’s programing returns to something like what I remember. I would be so happy if we had a few shows that were just fun, didn’t involve kids being bad and getting away with it. I can’t be the only one who feels like this. I feel like the shows were so much more interesting when I was a kid. Even now I could sit down and watch these shows and be perfectly happy. I have my doubts that there are very many shows on today that will have that same appeal.
Hopefully there are some budding producers and creative people in the television industry that feel the way I do. Hopefully they’ll act on their feelings. If not… When I have children they’ll be watching videos of my old shows and won’t know what live TV is.
I warned you.
I must admit, that like it or not I am obsessed with Americas Next Top Model. I know I know, it’s not exactly the kind of show I thought I would ever watch either, believe me. But there is something about this and other fashion shows that just draws me in.
Maybe it’s because I can see what goes on behind the camera and within the girls during the shoot. Maybe because I think it would be very cool to be a model, photographer, or designer (graphic or fashion) in the industry. I find these kinds of shows enticing, exciting and interesting.
Put aside the drama inside and outside of the house that the contestants share. And also try to forget the endless bickering. What you have is a look at girls trying to be pretty and the artful photography that comes out of this show, I think, is pretty amazing.
They’ve done shoots with the models falling…
Covered in paint…
Hanging on a rock wall…
And even normal fashion stuff like posing in water with another model…
And what I find great is that even if the girls don’t win, they have all of those photos to put into their portfolio. And many of them go on to be in national ad campaigns.
This is Michelle from cycle 7 in a magazine ad (she didn’t win, she didn’t even make top 3).
I find the world of fashion interesting and confusing all at the same time. On the one hand I cannot see myself spending thousands of dollars on one outfit. But on the other hand, the amount of thought and effort that goes into making these clothes and the ads that sell them is incredible.
As an artist, especially as a visual artist, I find the shapes and colors used within the modeling industry very thought provoking. It’s all about lines, angles, color and all of the other things you learn about in school, the media just happens to be people and clothing that costs thousands of dollars. So when you look at it from that angle… I guess it’s not such a surprise that I enjoy these shows so much.
Filed under: Holidays
Happy Easter everyone!
It’s spring time and that means that it’s time for the Easter Bunny to come and bring all of the good little children candy and toys. I just hope his little feet don’t freeze in the snow.
This Easter eve I spent some time participating in one of my favorite traditions, dyeing eggs. It’s always fun to take something from nature and improve on it. What better way than by making it multi colored???
We created some beautiful eggs.
And some inspiring messes…
I love getting to stretch my creative wings with something so simple. It’s great just to sit around, play with other people and create…. Memories.
Here’s hoping that you create some memories this weekend. Happy Easter!
Filed under: Computers
I’ve always been into customizing my life. As a teenager I would alter my clothing, adding patches, beads, or drawing with wash out markers. I made pillows and decorations for my bedroom. Even now, my apartment has touches of my own, not just store bought things used as pictured.
I recently customized my desktop and made it as cute as my Little Pink Laptop is.
I had the help of a really cute site Pixelgirl. If you’re looking for icons, or new desktop backgrounds I highly recommend this site.
Filed under: Uncategorized
I have always been a Daddy’s Girl. I used to sit at his feet in the living room and watch golf while eating cheese popcorn. I didn’t really like golf, the cheese popcorn was good… But I was mainly interested in hanging out with my Dad. When he was gone on long trips over seas I would sometimes sit on the floor and watch golf, just to feel like he was there.
My Daddy wrote me notes while he was at sea, drew me pictures, sent me tapes… I still have them all. I miss the days when I could sit in his lap and be read to, when we would go outside and play catch, fly kites, you know… Little girl stuff.
When I went to New York for a summer he always told me how proud he was of me. He still tells me that.
Today is my Daddy’s Birthday! Happy Birthday Dad! Thanks for everything.
(this is not a picture of my dad and me… But it reminds me of happy times)
My friend Mollie sent me a link to a very cool fashion site the other day 80’s Purple.
I’m a giant fan of Disney and this site has a bunch 0f Disney Couture Jewelry here are a couple of my favorite pieces.
Once I was done drooling over the Disney Jewelry I browsed the rest of the site and found a brand that I think I may be buying pieces from in the future. It’s Sound Girl and here are a few of the pieces I really like:
Thanks Mollie for introducing me to such a great site!
I get lost in the music, lost in the way my fingers graze the keys, the way my internal rhythm effects the rhythm of the music. I enjoy the way music sounds when I am the one playing it. It’s hard to explain. I don’t think I’m very good but… There is something so soothing/relaxing/healing about the way playing music makes me feel.
I suppose I could just teach myself how to play, but I want to do it right. I have a wonderful teacher (who happens to be a friend of mine and like a sister to me) Tess, who is an amazing piano player herself and a gifted teacher. I don’t think I will ever play like Tess does. She inspires me, she helps me, she is SO encouraging. Plus, taking lessons with her gives me an excuse to hang out with her (though I suppose that means that I’m paying her to be my friend…)
Anyway, piano is my thing. My just for me thing. I play, for no other reason than… I’ve always wanted to.
What’s your “Something Just for Yourself”?
I just got back from an amazing performance at the “North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie.
The “Evanston Dance Ensemble” put on a fabulous show to Beetles music called FAB!
Some of my favorite dances in this show included “Blackbird” (choreographed by Eddy Ocampo) a fast paced solo performed by male dancer Zada Cheeks, a member of Especially Tap Chicago, BAM! and also the Corpo Dance Company. I am not normally drawn to jazzy dances (I’m more of a contemporary ballet/modern girl) but this piece was amazing. At one point in the dance Zada goes from a kneeling position and rolls up over his feet to a standing position. Standing that is… On the tops of his toes, in jazz shoes. WOW!
“Hello Goodbye” (choreographed by Christina Ernst) was also very good. Although on the simpler side as far as dance moves the thoughts and story behind this dance are great. The dance starts off with a girl standing center stage, she watches as an older man and woman come on stage and apparently meet, followed by a younger man and woman. They are soon joined by a boy (about the same age as the girl) and two children (also a boy and girl). It was a very nice dance about a family and being together. I really can’t do the dance justice here but it was truly touching the way emotions were conveyed. At the end it is apparent that the older woman (the grandmother) is no longer with us and the dancers pass a “ball” of air to each other, perhaps passing her memory to one another. The dance ends with Grandma standing with her back to the audience and the rest of the dancers watching as the two children lift the air cupped in their hands towards the sky. As I said, I cannot truly do the dance justice, but I had to try to explain it because it was really worth noting. It was just a heart warming dance.
This was the third time I have seen this company perform (I previously attended “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” and “2007 a Dance Odyssey”) and each time I am impressed by how the dancers are showcased. The dancers in this company are truly talented, they perform alongside the professional guest dancers and blend beautifully. Truth be told, my favorite dancers from the show were not the professionals but members of the company. These young artists obviously enjoy what they do and their stage presence is astounding. Both the Artistic Directors (Bea Rashid and Christina Ernst) and the dancers should be very proud of the work they do. Well done!
