Yes, I'm still onboard. How thrilled does Orlando Bloom look to be back in this? "Good news, guys! Apparently I still exist!"
WONDER WOMAN Fan Trailer Does It Right
Fun Fact: In the actual movie business, shorts like this (re: semi-narrative 'demo-reels' for treatments of an existing property) get produced all the time as a way for a filmmaker to pitch their project (or why they'd be good for a specific project.) It's called "Proof Of Concept."
This isn't that - this is a "Proof We Can Do Big FX/Action On a Budget" from Rainfall Films (that's Rileah Vanderbilt, wife of "Frozen" and "Hatchet" helmer Adam Green as Diana). But if it were... I can certainly imagine WORSE ways to try and get Warner Bros. to pull the trigger on this franchise. "Girl Thor by way of '300" might be a bit on the literal side - or maybe "make it look like how Zack Snyder might do it..." was the goal - and it feels one dramatic can-opening away from being a Mountain Dew SuperBowl ad, granted; but if I'm Warner Bros. this is a movie I'd want on my schedule.
This isn't that - this is a "Proof We Can Do Big FX/Action On a Budget" from Rainfall Films (that's Rileah Vanderbilt, wife of "Frozen" and "Hatchet" helmer Adam Green as Diana). But if it were... I can certainly imagine WORSE ways to try and get Warner Bros. to pull the trigger on this franchise. "Girl Thor by way of '300" might be a bit on the literal side - or maybe "make it look like how Zack Snyder might do it..." was the goal - and it feels one dramatic can-opening away from being a Mountain Dew SuperBowl ad, granted; but if I'm Warner Bros. this is a movie I'd want on my schedule.
NEED FOR SPEED Trailer
Whenever I think about the state of video-game movies, I have to keep reminding myself that Spawn, Steel, Barb Wire and Howard the Duck all got big feature-film adaptations before Spider-Man did. With that in mind, here's the first trailer for the next very, very important gaming franchise to rate it's own movie, "Need For Speed;" which appears to feature Aaron Paul as the less interesting version of the guy from "Drive."
Y'ever see "student films" made by bro's who switched to Film Studies their sophmore year because their buddy showed them "Boondock Saints" and they thought they'd found their creative calling?
Well, I have - and they all have this same basic music and narration. So I understand if no one else finds this trailer gut-bustingly hilarious; but this looks like the first great comedy of 2014 to me. Can. Not. Wait.
Y'ever see "student films" made by bro's who switched to Film Studies their sophmore year because their buddy showed them "Boondock Saints" and they thought they'd found their creative calling?
Well, I have - and they all have this same basic music and narration. So I understand if no one else finds this trailer gut-bustingly hilarious; but this looks like the first great comedy of 2014 to me. Can. Not. Wait.
DC's Agents of G.O.T.H.A.M.
Wow, that didn't even take a day.
Effectively right after "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." had its premiere, Deadline landed the "exclusive" news that Warner Bros. is developing a comic-movie spin-off series of their own from "Mentalist" creator Bruno Heller. Surprising absolutely ZERO living humans, the DC franchise being spun-off... is Batman.
The title: GOTHAM. The pitch: The exploits of Commissioner Gordon in pre-Batman Gotham City... so, "Law & Order"/Criminal Minds"/"CSI"/etc but (presumably) with Batman villains.
Y'know what? That's actually a really good idea - and you can tell that Warners thinks so as well by the network in question: This is going to Fox instead of traditional DC-series home The CW, which indicates that Warners is confident that people might actually want to watch this show. Fans and pros alike have been talking about bringing Batman back to live-action television for awhile* (real talk: Between the Adam West show, "The Animated Series," both "Justice League" runs and "The Brave and The Bold;" episodic television seems to be where this character works best); and this is a great way of doing that without "lowering" their now Affleck-fronted cinematic cash cow to TV.
The big question, one imagines, is whether or not this will attempt to establish some kind of connection with the still-murky history of the new version of Batman set to debut in "Superman vs. Batman" - where they're already talking up the idea that he'll be a kind of grizzled "veteran" superhero in contrast to Superman's relative-newbie status. Not long ago that would've been an easy "no, Warner Bros. doesn't care about that;" but it's sounding more and more like the new Flash who'll be showing up on "Arrow" next season is meant to be part of the eventual "Justice League" feature, so who knows?
Continuity aside, one has to wonder what the setting for this is going to look like: James Gordon traditionally meets Batman either in middle-age or as an otherwise older man (he's a Commissioner, after all); so "before Batman" is a pretty long stretch of time. Will they go younger, with Sexy Fresh-Out-Of-The-Academy College-Age Officer Gordon learning the ropes? Middle-aged Detective Gordon? Older Gordon who'll meet Batman "any day now?" Maybe it's telling that Deadline's story only specifies that Batman won't appear - does that mean Bruce Wayne could? If so, it wouldn't be beyond the realm of logistical possibility to get Ben Affleck to throw on a three-piece suit and pull a sweeps-week cameo as "carefree playboy Bruce Wayne," hanging out on the periphery of this or that investigation while series regulars make unintentionally-ironic comments about his physicality, sleeping-habits, etc.
We'll see. Incidentally, "S.H.I.E.L.D." was good. Solid, good cast, sharp writing that only occasionally feels a little too Whedon for it's own good. Feels like almost every important character had two separate introductions - one for "this is X!" and one for "is it true about X's ominously-alluded-to mysterious backstory?," which would feel like too much ambition anywhere else but makes sense here. I'll have more to say about that tomorrow, so stay tuned.
*Young Bruce Wayne was supposed to become a part of "Smallville" at one point, but the character and storyline were rewritten into Oliver Queen instead once the run-up to "Batman Begins" got under way.
Effectively right after "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." had its premiere, Deadline landed the "exclusive" news that Warner Bros. is developing a comic-movie spin-off series of their own from "Mentalist" creator Bruno Heller. Surprising absolutely ZERO living humans, the DC franchise being spun-off... is Batman.
The title: GOTHAM. The pitch: The exploits of Commissioner Gordon in pre-Batman Gotham City... so, "Law & Order"/Criminal Minds"/"CSI"/etc but (presumably) with Batman villains.
Y'know what? That's actually a really good idea - and you can tell that Warners thinks so as well by the network in question: This is going to Fox instead of traditional DC-series home The CW, which indicates that Warners is confident that people might actually want to watch this show. Fans and pros alike have been talking about bringing Batman back to live-action television for awhile* (real talk: Between the Adam West show, "The Animated Series," both "Justice League" runs and "The Brave and The Bold;" episodic television seems to be where this character works best); and this is a great way of doing that without "lowering" their now Affleck-fronted cinematic cash cow to TV.
The big question, one imagines, is whether or not this will attempt to establish some kind of connection with the still-murky history of the new version of Batman set to debut in "Superman vs. Batman" - where they're already talking up the idea that he'll be a kind of grizzled "veteran" superhero in contrast to Superman's relative-newbie status. Not long ago that would've been an easy "no, Warner Bros. doesn't care about that;" but it's sounding more and more like the new Flash who'll be showing up on "Arrow" next season is meant to be part of the eventual "Justice League" feature, so who knows?
Continuity aside, one has to wonder what the setting for this is going to look like: James Gordon traditionally meets Batman either in middle-age or as an otherwise older man (he's a Commissioner, after all); so "before Batman" is a pretty long stretch of time. Will they go younger, with Sexy Fresh-Out-Of-The-Academy College-Age Officer Gordon learning the ropes? Middle-aged Detective Gordon? Older Gordon who'll meet Batman "any day now?" Maybe it's telling that Deadline's story only specifies that Batman won't appear - does that mean Bruce Wayne could? If so, it wouldn't be beyond the realm of logistical possibility to get Ben Affleck to throw on a three-piece suit and pull a sweeps-week cameo as "carefree playboy Bruce Wayne," hanging out on the periphery of this or that investigation while series regulars make unintentionally-ironic comments about his physicality, sleeping-habits, etc.
We'll see. Incidentally, "S.H.I.E.L.D." was good. Solid, good cast, sharp writing that only occasionally feels a little too Whedon for it's own good. Feels like almost every important character had two separate introductions - one for "this is X!" and one for "is it true about X's ominously-alluded-to mysterious backstory?," which would feel like too much ambition anywhere else but makes sense here. I'll have more to say about that tomorrow, so stay tuned.
*Young Bruce Wayne was supposed to become a part of "Smallville" at one point, but the character and storyline were rewritten into Oliver Queen instead once the run-up to "Batman Begins" got under way.
"AGE OF ULTRON" SDCC Teaser Leaks
You'll find out what I thought of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." tomorrow. Until then, here's a REALLY fortuitous "leak" that hit YouTube right around the same time the series was hitting TV. It offers more-or-less the first look at Ultron (SPOILER: He looks like Ultron.)
"Blue Is The Warmest Color" Trailer
Here's the first U.S. trailer for "Blue Is The Warmest Color," the lesbian romance from France that was this year's big winner at Cannes - a move that was seen as reflective of the film's high acclaim but also possibly a statement of support for the country's then-recent legalization of gay marriage.
Even still, there was some controversy: Not so much over the subject matter or the content (the sex scenes between the two women are apparently so NC-17 explicit that the filmmakers and actresses have been fielding "did they or didn't they" questions since the premier) but over the reception; with some chiding (straight) male critics and voters for allegedly overpraising the film because it aroused them. Meanwhile, the author of the graphic novel it's based on has expressed disagreement with the adaptation, claiming that it presents too much of stylized, male-fantasy version of a female/female relationship. Either way, it's being touted as a Best Picture contender even though a technicality makes it ineligible to compete for Best Foriegn Language Oscar.
We'll see when it comes out. I think it'd actually be amusing to have a new-millenium version of the once-common phenomenon of highbrow European dramas pulling big bank in the U.S. on the basis of explicit sexuality.
Even still, there was some controversy: Not so much over the subject matter or the content (the sex scenes between the two women are apparently so NC-17 explicit that the filmmakers and actresses have been fielding "did they or didn't they" questions since the premier) but over the reception; with some chiding (straight) male critics and voters for allegedly overpraising the film because it aroused them. Meanwhile, the author of the graphic novel it's based on has expressed disagreement with the adaptation, claiming that it presents too much of stylized, male-fantasy version of a female/female relationship. Either way, it's being touted as a Best Picture contender even though a technicality makes it ineligible to compete for Best Foriegn Language Oscar.
We'll see when it comes out. I think it'd actually be amusing to have a new-millenium version of the once-common phenomenon of highbrow European dramas pulling big bank in the U.S. on the basis of explicit sexuality.
Escape to The Movies: PRISONERS
Surprise! The trailers aren't giving the whole movie away, after all!
"Intermission" talks critics and GTA V.
"Intermission" talks critics and GTA V.
End of An Epoch
Hiroshi Yamauchi, the former president of Nintendo, has passed away at the age of 85. Video-Games have lost their Walt Disney.The importance of this man to the gaming industry cannot be overstated. He was the one who decided to change his family company's direction away from traditional toys and playing cards toward electronics and ultimately video games. He made the decision to branch out into American and European markets. This was the man who tapped then-unknown Shigeru Miyamoto to create what would become Donkey Kong.
This was the man who willed home video gaming back into existence as a viable worldwide business when it was all but dead. It's neither exaggeration nor hyperbole to suggest that the entirety of modern video-gaming - everything from the first Game & Watch titles and every single thing that came after - was built on the foundation he laid. More incredible still, he remained in charge of the company all the way into 2002 and had an active role in all major company decisions well into the GameCube era. It's impossible to imagine what this industry would've looked like without him... or if it would even have existed at all.
Gomeifuku wo inorimasu, Yamauchi-sama.
ZERO CHARISMA Trailer
ZERO CHARISMA came out of SXSW with a lot of hype behind it, and the new trailer reminds us why: This looks really, really good. Film is dark comedy about a guy who starts to go unhinged when his sole sense of power and accomplishment in life - unquestioned supremacy within his local tabletop RPG game - is threatened by the arrival of a more forwardly-mobile, sociable "hipster" nerd player who his pals are maybe starting to like better than him:
Is Justin Bieber Playing Robin???
This comes from Justin Bieber's official Instagram feed, tweeted along with the hashtag #robin??It is almost-certainly bullshit (the prevailing theory is he's promoting a Funny Or Die sketch), and the giveaway is the script itself: At this stage there very likely isn't a full script, if there was it wouldn't be out in the wild with a full-detail cover page using the actual title, the logos both look "off," etc.
That said... I wouldn't be at all upset about this. I'm too old to like (or even understand the appeal of, truth be told) the kid's music... but I also too old to be personally affronted by it or by his existence. Yes guys; nonthreatening, vaugely-effeminate boys who can sing are popular with teenage girls. That's not a new thing. Get over it.
To be honest, I would be "for" this strictly on the sole and sufficient basis that it would indicate a massive tonal and target-demo shift away from both "Man of Steel" and "Dark Knight," and also because it would make horrible, horrible Batfans' heads explode, and that's a great service indeed. I love me some Batman, folks, but at some point his fandom morphed into probably the most vile and awful of geek subcultures (and I'm NOT the only guy who noticed this) and at this point I'm inclined to support anything they'd hate on general principle. Remember, these are people who are petitioning the White House to prevent Batman from being played by an actor who is guilty of having been photographed smiling and appearing in comedies.
But, whatever. It is VERY unlikely to be real. What IS likely (plausible, at least) is that it's a brilliantly coordinated stunt. There's a vocal contingent of Batfandom that hates Robin on principle (they're the same guys raging about Ben Affleck, mostly), and this little bit of Bieber self-promotion could serve as way of inoculating them: The genius of Justin Bieber's career is that he embodies the sliver of overlap between "irrational-cannot-shut-up-about-it-LOVE" and "irrational-cannot-shut-up-about-it-HATE" in teenybopper pop-music, and if Warner Bros. was to announce a Robin in the near future whoever it was would no longer be the worst possible choice. Everybody wins.
Honestly? Since it's become pretty clear that WB isn't looking at their shared-universe DC movies to be source-material mash-notes a'la Marvel's crop up to this point, it might be a more interesting idea to let supporting-players like Robin be opportunities to experiment with unconventional casting, a'la "Man of Steel's" Jenny Olsen (who probably would've been more controversial if that film had given two shits about anybody in Metropolis.) A female Robin (Carrie Kelly, Stephanie Brown, somebody new, etc) would be quite the attention getter, especially since non comic-reading people likely have no idea that there have been female Robins. Plus, it would remind embittered manchildren of the "The Dark Knight Returns" - the Living Gospel of the Grim n' Gritty era, so there's also that.
The Scarecrow
A "Viral Sensation" of Fiona Apple crooning an ironic-sad cover of a "Willy Wonka" song over maudlin "Captain Planet"-level wordless moralizing about "natural" food that's actually a longform advertisment for an iPhone game that is itself actually an advertisement for Hipster Taco Bell?
Yeah. I'm gonna go have some Qdoba...
Yeah. I'm gonna go have some Qdoba...
"HOMEFRONT" - Statham vs. Franco
Below, the trailer for the previously unheard-of "HOMEFRONT," which features Jason Statham as a rural blue-collar All American dad (who I'm going to assume speaks with a heavy British accent as just one more level of daring people to mess with him) whose daughter gets into a scuffle at school and - having apparently inherited kung-fu genetically - earns her family the ire of the white-trashy family whose bully son she throttled. Standard stuff? Okay, maybe... except Bad Guy Dad happens to be Evil Redneck Meth Kingpin James Franco!
Oh, and also: Screenplay by Sylvester Stallone. So... yeah.
Oh, and also: Screenplay by Sylvester Stallone. So... yeah.
Escape From Tomorrow
You might remember hearing about "Escape From Tomorrow" during Sundance, usually in the context of the idea that no one outside Sundance was ever going to get to see it. It's a surrealistic indie/underground psychological horror movie ("David Lynch doing 'The Shining'" is a description I've heard) about a middle-aged guy during the last day of his family vacation at a huge theme park. Having received a phone call from his boss that his job will not be waiting for him when he returns home, he tries to hold things together (and keep the news from his family) while taking his daughter to the rides and attractions... where he begins to have nightmarish visions (or are they) of dark, sinister and even supernatural "things" happening in the park. So... corporatism, evil-under-surface-of-family-values, mass-market entertainment as opiate, you get the idea.
The hook? The theme park in question is Disney World, and much of the film was actually shot there. Covertly. Guerilla-style. Without any permission or consent from Disney. Using consumer-grade cameras, phones and actors blending into the "regular" crowds. Because of this, everyone figured this would become a permanent underground fixture and nothing more, since surely Disney would sue over unlicensed use of their... everything, pretty-much. But, as it turns out, the Mouse House has opted to go "hands-off" on this one (so far) and now "Escape From Tomorrow" is hitting theaters and VOD on 10/11. Below, the first official trailer:
I'm actually not especially surprised that Disney hasn't gone hardline on this one. As a company, they have a quixotic policy when it comes to their copyrights - you can find oceans of clearly-infringing fan videos, mash-ups, etc. on YouTube, but they seldom get pulled down. Their view seems to be that the pennies hypothetically saved on wrangling such material are worth foregoing in the longer-term goal of keeping fans onboard the highly-lucrative brand love-train.
I haven't seen the film itself yet, but I want to and I'm curious to see what the reaction will be. Most of the Sundance reviews seemed to ultimately concede that the actual film isn't precisely a masterpiece (guerilla-shoots like this rarely are) in terms of it's storyline, pacing etc; and from descriptions a lot of the "family-theme-park-as-den-of-evil" shtick sounds a bit warmed-over. So it'll be interesting to see how it's received by audiences outside the industry/press festival circuit who aren't likely to be as immediately appreciative of the logistics and audacity behind a shoot like this.
The hook? The theme park in question is Disney World, and much of the film was actually shot there. Covertly. Guerilla-style. Without any permission or consent from Disney. Using consumer-grade cameras, phones and actors blending into the "regular" crowds. Because of this, everyone figured this would become a permanent underground fixture and nothing more, since surely Disney would sue over unlicensed use of their... everything, pretty-much. But, as it turns out, the Mouse House has opted to go "hands-off" on this one (so far) and now "Escape From Tomorrow" is hitting theaters and VOD on 10/11. Below, the first official trailer:
I'm actually not especially surprised that Disney hasn't gone hardline on this one. As a company, they have a quixotic policy when it comes to their copyrights - you can find oceans of clearly-infringing fan videos, mash-ups, etc. on YouTube, but they seldom get pulled down. Their view seems to be that the pennies hypothetically saved on wrangling such material are worth foregoing in the longer-term goal of keeping fans onboard the highly-lucrative brand love-train.
I haven't seen the film itself yet, but I want to and I'm curious to see what the reaction will be. Most of the Sundance reviews seemed to ultimately concede that the actual film isn't precisely a masterpiece (guerilla-shoots like this rarely are) in terms of it's storyline, pacing etc; and from descriptions a lot of the "family-theme-park-as-den-of-evil" shtick sounds a bit warmed-over. So it'll be interesting to see how it's received by audiences outside the industry/press festival circuit who aren't likely to be as immediately appreciative of the logistics and audacity behind a shoot like this.
Stop DISNEY From Ruining Movie Theaters
I'm not a fan of how watered-down and toothless the internet has rendered the "mobilizing" consumer outrage via letter-writing, petitions, boycotts, etc - it's so damn easy to now legitimate greivances now fight for attention with (and get afforded the same weight as, i.e. NONE) asinine fan petitions to change the casting of Batman. That having been said, when a corporation makes an ASININE decision that promotes something truly stupid... yeah, I've got ZERO problem saying they should get inundated with angry letters, phonecalls, etc.
With that in mind, lets ALL bug the ever-living HELL out of Walt Disney Inc. for THIS abomination: They want to start encouraging people to bring their iPads to movie theaters to play games along with the film.
Before everyone jumps down my throat: Yes, I can tell that (by all appearances) this is for a special-engagement thing where doing this is the "point" of the screening (a re-release of Little Mermaid, in this case.) But the precedent is just all-around bad news. "iPad/Phone-enhanced" screenings is one stop away from "iPad/Phone-ALLOWED" screenings, which is another step towards kissing the idea of asking the mongrel hordes of Joe & Jane Sixpack and their 2.5 rugrats to behave like civilized human beings in movie theaters goodbye.
Hell, time was bringing kids to a movie theater was a good way to teach them how not to be assholes in public: "Sit down, behave yourself and shut the fuck up because there's a movie up there for you to watch" was good training for "sit down, behave yourself and shut the fuck up because we're in court/church/a-nice-restaurant." Now, "family moviegoing" seems more an more like a way for exhausted parents to inflict their brood on everyone else for a few hours ("No, fuck YOU everyone else whose different life choices I desperately envy right about now!")
This should get nipped in the bud. "People who value a good theater experience are attacking Disney in waves!" should be a story on Deadline/Variety/etc tomorrow. At the very least, they should be shamed into having to issue an apologetic/clarifying "this is only for specific showings" press-release - at BEST, they should have to do a "face-saving" move of putting a message about how you SHOULDN'T bring you're goddamn iPad into a "normal" theater before the screenings.
Appropriately, it's not easy to find where to send a complaint to the Disney Corporation. For now, here's their guest services page. If I find whatever email/number it is people use to lob complaints at this particular monolith, I'll post it then.
With that in mind, lets ALL bug the ever-living HELL out of Walt Disney Inc. for THIS abomination: They want to start encouraging people to bring their iPads to movie theaters to play games along with the film.
Before everyone jumps down my throat: Yes, I can tell that (by all appearances) this is for a special-engagement thing where doing this is the "point" of the screening (a re-release of Little Mermaid, in this case.) But the precedent is just all-around bad news. "iPad/Phone-enhanced" screenings is one stop away from "iPad/Phone-ALLOWED" screenings, which is another step towards kissing the idea of asking the mongrel hordes of Joe & Jane Sixpack and their 2.5 rugrats to behave like civilized human beings in movie theaters goodbye.
Hell, time was bringing kids to a movie theater was a good way to teach them how not to be assholes in public: "Sit down, behave yourself and shut the fuck up because there's a movie up there for you to watch" was good training for "sit down, behave yourself and shut the fuck up because we're in court/church/a-nice-restaurant." Now, "family moviegoing" seems more an more like a way for exhausted parents to inflict their brood on everyone else for a few hours ("No, fuck YOU everyone else whose different life choices I desperately envy right about now!")
This should get nipped in the bud. "People who value a good theater experience are attacking Disney in waves!" should be a story on Deadline/Variety/etc tomorrow. At the very least, they should be shamed into having to issue an apologetic/clarifying "this is only for specific showings" press-release - at BEST, they should have to do a "face-saving" move of putting a message about how you SHOULDN'T bring you're goddamn iPad into a "normal" theater before the screenings.
Appropriately, it's not easy to find where to send a complaint to the Disney Corporation. For now, here's their guest services page. If I find whatever email/number it is people use to lob complaints at this particular monolith, I'll post it then.
ROBOCOP Remake Trailer
Fuck. Every. Single. Solitary. Thing. About. This.
Seriously. There's not one thing in this that doesn't look terrible or at best painfully plain and generic. I hate everything I'm seeing here, with the possible exception of Michael Keaton - him I just feel kind of bad for.
Seriously. There's not one thing in this that doesn't look terrible or at best painfully plain and generic. I hate everything I'm seeing here, with the possible exception of Michael Keaton - him I just feel kind of bad for.
Other Blog
Busy week, I'm having one. Here's some stuff about The Ongoing Penny Arcade Thing from the other blog.
Big Picture: "Summer's End"
It's a Top-Ten list. No, I don't feel particularly worried about having drafted it before tonight's screening of
"Riddick."
"Riddick."
Day 15 - Find a blog buddy
Day 15 - Find a blog buddy. I discovered this tenent early on with my blog. Actually, I had a starter blog, a very obscure starter blog (in other words, I had no readers). I knew I had to find at least one thing that appealed to a niche group, thus Thrift Shop Commando was born. I began by highlighting my thrift shop finds. As I stumbled onto other blogs, I found a group that shop secondhand and then model their ensembles in fashion posts. I knew I had found my kindred spirits. It is so much fun being part of the modeling/blogging/thrifting community. I routinely link back to that group and am still discovering others that make me smile.
Have you found your blogging buddies yet?
Have you found your blogging buddies yet?
Day 14 - Update a key page on your blog
Day 14 - updating the old blogeroo. I change my blog background about twice a year. Recently, I tightened up the blurbs on what my blog is about, or at least attempted to. I think it is kind of difficult to describe exactly what I do in all of my glory.
I've got my Moi page (aka About Me) down to a T.
Are you all updated and happy with your blog?
I've got my Moi page (aka About Me) down to a T.
Are you all updated and happy with your blog?
Watch The Karate Kid (2010) Movie Online For Free Without Downloading
The Karate Kid a good remake of a classic film. It's an entertaining film for entire family. The good thing about this movie is that it's completely different from the original. Setting this movie in china was a good decision and the fight scenes were good. Overall, it's a funny movie that has an important message about standing up for yourself. Enjoy. How to watch The Karate Kid For Free - click on the play icon in the middle of the screen and wait for movie to load. Enjoy the movie.
if you want to watch The Karate Kid (2010) movie online on full screen, All you have to do is click on play icon. It's very easy. It's very easy. It's very easy. The Karate Kid 2010 Online Free Here No Downloading Required.
Enjoy watching and Don't forget to leave a comment to let others know that video is working fine.
Mad Tea Party and a Barbie Fashion Show!
Mad Hatter Mike (my brother IRL) welcomes you to this year's Mad Tea Party ~
The Muffies and Maddies came wandering by, what did they spy?
Granny Madame Alexander was the featured poetry reader.
There were Tyrano rides and carriage rides.
And a Barbie fashion show! Bikini Barbie led off with the latest in swimwear.
Camo Barbie styled the boot with dress trend.
Scuba diving Barbie showed off her tan and athletic wear.
At every tea party there are pastries - this year the guests enjoyed an old-fashioned strawberry-rhubarb crisp, recipe here.
Please leave a comment and "thank you" for stopping by! Here is the link to the other participants A Fanciful Twist.
Link to my 2012 irreverent post on the Mad-Tea-Party.
Yeah Write's 31dbbb has been pre-empted for this day's post. The challenge instructs the blogger to "Take a trip to the mall," I just took a detour to visit my Mad Tea Party friends!
Peace frog and garden toad are the greeters.
Invitees this year are the Madames: Madame Alexander Goldfish and Madame Alexander fairy doll.
And the Muffies: Fortune Teller Muffy Vanderbear and Mardi Gras Muffy Vanderbear.
A Mad Tea Party, of course, hosted by Vanessa of a Fanciful Twist.
There was glam and glitz, joy and spritz (cookies, that is).
It is, you know, the party of the year!
Granny Madame Alexander was the featured poetry reader.
There were Tyrano rides and carriage rides.
New Barbie styled vintage wear (Barbie clothes made by my mom, circa 1960s).
Scuba diving Barbie showed off her tan and athletic wear.
Fashionista Barbie glammed in evening wear.
At every tea party there are pastries - this year the guests enjoyed an old-fashioned strawberry-rhubarb crisp, recipe here.
Please leave a comment and "thank you" for stopping by! Here is the link to the other participants A Fanciful Twist.
Link to my 2012 irreverent post on the Mad-Tea-Party.
Yeah Write's 31dbbb has been pre-empted for this day's post. The challenge instructs the blogger to "Take a trip to the mall," I just took a detour to visit my Mad Tea Party friends!
Day 12 - Develop an editorial calendar for your blog
Day 12 - developing an editorial calendar for my blog just chafes on me. I prefer to think of my blog as a place to exercise my creativity and free-flowing ideas. I'm not selling or promoting anything. I really do not want to commit myself to structure. I also never apologize for NOT posting. If I post, I post - if I don't, I don't. I can bet 9 times out of 10, the bloggers audience has not even noticed if a blogger hasn't been posting.
My readers can pretty much bet I will be posting something every day. Since I don't write lengthy dissertations, it is pretty easy on the eyes.
Blog buddies - ya gonna post that calendar or not?
My readers can pretty much bet I will be posting something every day. Since I don't write lengthy dissertations, it is pretty easy on the eyes.
Blog buddies - ya gonna post that calendar or not?
Day 11 - Come up with 10 post ideas - I've listed hops and challenges.
Day 11 - Come up with 10 post ideas. While I have never been at a loss as to what to post, something always comes to mind. Most hops have a theme. Only once have I been kicked off of a blog hop for "not following the rules." I especially like the writing and photography challenges. I have also found unique link ins such as:
No. 1: The upcoming Mad Tea Party post with Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist on July 13th.
No. 2: Le Mysterieux Carnival. This group is quiescent all year long with the exception of October or All Hallows Eve.
Those two sites require some creative photography and highlight some truly inspired bloggers.
I also keep an eye out for blog hops, in particular hops that I have not participated in before. If you just hop around with the same group of people, you will never encounter new blogs and potential new readers.
No. 3: I'll be joining a no-rules blog hop monday-mingle with Tough Cookie Mommy.
No. 4: I glommed onto sarahsblogoffun.com - this gal has THREE blog hops coming up. One this month for the new and timid blog hopper.
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No. 5: No-rules blog hops are the best. There is one every weekend at Sincerely, Paula
No. 6: Low pressure participation hops such as Unknown Mami
No. 8: How could I forget the annual http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/? That is the best challenge of all and is scheduled every April. Those posts practically write themselves *chorkles to self.*
No. 9: I am thinking Nicky and Mike, the duo behind We Work For Cheese, will be hosting some type of month-long writing or photography challenge (fingers crossed).
No. 10: When all else fails, there is Pinterest. What I mean is that bloggers cross-post on Pinterest any challenges or events. It never hurts to look there for inspiration. As long as you don't get sucked into looking at all the pretty pictures (guilty as charged).
No. 1: The upcoming Mad Tea Party post with Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist on July 13th.
No. 2: Le Mysterieux Carnival. This group is quiescent all year long with the exception of October or All Hallows Eve.
Those two sites require some creative photography and highlight some truly inspired bloggers.
I also keep an eye out for blog hops, in particular hops that I have not participated in before. If you just hop around with the same group of people, you will never encounter new blogs and potential new readers.
No. 3: I'll be joining a no-rules blog hop monday-mingle with Tough Cookie Mommy.
No. 4: I glommed onto sarahsblogoffun.com - this gal has THREE blog hops coming up. One this month for the new and timid blog hopper.
No. 5: No-rules blog hops are the best. There is one every weekend at Sincerely, Paula
No. 6: Low pressure participation hops such as Unknown Mami
The idea is that you enjoy your city (or suburb or town), take pictures, and then share them with your bloggy friends and family.
If your “Sunday” happens on a Friday, that’s fine, just post the pictures on Sunday. If you live in a suburb instead of a city, I don’t care; I still want to see it. If it’s raining and you’re stuck inside, take a picture of the view outside your home. You can even cheat and take pictures one Sunday and post them the next Sunday.
No. 7: At the beginning of the year Vicki-2bagsfull will host the Grow Your Blog hop - tons of participants!No. 8: How could I forget the annual http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/? That is the best challenge of all and is scheduled every April. Those posts practically write themselves *chorkles to self.*
No. 9: I am thinking Nicky and Mike, the duo behind We Work For Cheese, will be hosting some type of month-long writing or photography challenge (fingers crossed).
No. 10: When all else fails, there is Pinterest. What I mean is that bloggers cross-post on Pinterest any challenges or events. It never hurts to look there for inspiration. As long as you don't get sucked into looking at all the pretty pictures (guilty as charged).
Day 9 - Join a Forum and participate!
Day 9's challenge is to Join a forum and start participating. Well, you don't have to tell me twice. In fact, I am already a member of two blogging forums, one is the The Sits Girls, a website where "women get social." They host bloggy boot camps in different cities, the next one is:
The other forum is Blogher, with their tagline being, "Life Well Said." It is a whole lot of blogging going on.
While I am not extremely active in either forum, I do pop in from time to time or link up onto a forum discussion that piques my interest.
Are you a joiner?
The other forum is Blogher, with their tagline being, "Life Well Said." It is a whole lot of blogging going on.
While I am not extremely active in either forum, I do pop in from time to time or link up onto a forum discussion that piques my interest.
Are you a joiner?
Day 8 - Interlink your old blog posts
Ah, lucky number Day 8, marching along on my 31dbbbs. I have written a link post before, but haven't done one in quite awhile. My preferred interlink is to the 50th Anniversary of the Seattle World's Fair in 1962. My first retrospective post is here and the second is here. These are images from our family photo archive.
On a separate topic, I thought I would have to remove "art" from my featuring so much more tagline. I did manage to pop in to Interfaith's Great Finds in Sutter Creek over the weekend for their 50% everything sale. This framed fashion image watercolor was well worth the $15 marked-down price. There was an original price tag on the back of $95 and labeled San Francisco Artwork by Susan Miller.
On a separate topic, I thought I would have to remove "art" from my featuring so much more tagline. I did manage to pop in to Interfaith's Great Finds in Sutter Creek over the weekend for their 50% everything sale. This framed fashion image watercolor was well worth the $15 marked-down price. There was an original price tag on the back of $95 and labeled San Francisco Artwork by Susan Miller.
Day 7 - Write a Link Post
Day 7 - Write a Link Post. I tend to link to other blog posts quite often. I subscribe to the adage, "give credit where credit is due." When I enjoy a certain post, I'll gladly link back to it.
The SITS Girl site encourages bloggers to form "tribes." Link to that recent post create-a-successful-blog-by-building-a-tribe.
Join a community. The SITS Girls is a great place to start. Sign up to be a featured blogger. When you sign up for this, you agree to comment on the featured blogger each day. But take it a step further. You’ll notice during “roll call” people send well wishes to the featured blogger of the day. Usually a link to their own latest blog post is attached. Take advantage of this, and check out a few that look interesting to you. Another SITS activity you may want to participate in is their Sharefest on Saturday mornings. You’ll find a lot of great blogs to follow!
The SITS Girl site encourages bloggers to form "tribes." Link to that recent post create-a-successful-blog-by-building-a-tribe.
Join a community. The SITS Girls is a great place to start. Sign up to be a featured blogger. When you sign up for this, you agree to comment on the featured blogger each day. But take it a step further. You’ll notice during “roll call” people send well wishes to the featured blogger of the day. Usually a link to their own latest blog post is attached. Take advantage of this, and check out a few that look interesting to you. Another SITS activity you may want to participate in is their Sharefest on Saturday mornings. You’ll find a lot of great blogs to follow!
Comment. Don’t just sit back and wait for people to come to you. Take the opportunity to start the “connection” process by commenting on those blogs that resonate with you. This is a great opportunity to start online relationships. Comment on someone else’s blog, and they’ll often take the time to come over and visit yours as well. I don’t comment on blogs expecting that to be the case, but this is how I started to get to know many of those who I now consider part of my tribe.
Connect on other social media platforms. Follow those whose blogs you enjoy on other social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc. When someone reaches out to me in this way, I am going to reciprocate. We might not end up being the best of online friends, but it’s a great way to meet new people and learn more about each other.
Be generous and share. Share content that you feel will appeal to your fan base. Chances are if you liked another blogger’s post, your fans will too. And believe me, your fans don’t want to just see post after post of your own content. They like to see variety! And it goes with saying that your online friends will also appreciate your efforts!
Go to a blog conference. If you can swing it, I’d highly recommend attending one of these. One of the things I loved about the Bloggy Boot Camp I just attended is that we switched tables frequently in the morning, allowing us to meet new people each time. If you go to a conference that does not do this, make an effort to strike up a conversation with different people throughout the day. Exchange business cards. When you get home, follow up. You never know, that person might turn out to be your next great online friend!
Be realistic. If you’re a brand new blogger just starting out, don’t expect to create a tribe of blogger friends among those with ten thousand followers. They’re at a different stage than you. Absolutely it’s fine to comment, follow them and share their content, but ultimately you are going to be better off connecting and building online relationships with those who are in the same place as you. I’m not saying that you won’t ever connect with someone who has a much larger following. But don’t expect to build a tribe of bloggers that way.
Be consistent. If you continue with these activities day after day, you will make all sorts of great online friends, and you’ll be well on your way to finding your tribe!
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Day 6 - Top Blog Tip
Within this 31 days to build a better blog, there are links to tips and tutorials for bloggers. I think I have an old version of the workbook, because the links to the articles were some years old. I would like to learn more about a cloud-based work environment. I'm not quite sure how that concept works.
Day 5 - Email a blog reader
Day 5 - Email a blog reader. So the challenge recommends emailing a new blog reader. Easy peasy. I respond to every email - guess it is the "corporate" in me. I manage a company and even when I receive 500 resumes for a receptionist position, I email each and every one. Even if it is a rejection, it is nice to know there is SOMEONE that responded.
Do you reply to emails or not?
Do you reply to emails or not?
Day 4 - Analyze a top blog in your niche
Day 4 - Analysis. Oooo, analysis, not my strong forte. While I can do it, I don't enjoy it. Another problemo with trying to analyze a blog in my niche, is that there AREN'T any. Sure, there are thrifting blogs, and fashion blogs, writing blogs, photography blogs, but I combine ALL of those elements. From time to time, I even attempt humor.
I do admit to visiting numerous blogs to see what style I like and what writing voice is utilized. I admire the unusual and quirky, the bold and the bright (see my blogrolls).
What is your favorite unusual blog?
I do admit to visiting numerous blogs to see what style I like and what writing voice is utilized. I admire the unusual and quirky, the bold and the bright (see my blogrolls).
What is your favorite unusual blog?
Day 3 - Promote a blog post
Day 3 is Promote a Blog Post and do I have experience with that! When I posted my Traveling-yellow-skirt post, I linked up with every fashion board imaginable. While that post is not number one on my top five (my Top 10 movie countdown is No. 1), I certainly pushed it, and pushed hard to make it one of my Top 5 posts.
What is your favorite post? Give a link at the comments so I can pop by!
What is your favorite post? Give a link at the comments so I can pop by!
Day 2 - Write a List Post: 5 fashion must-dos
Day 2 for the challenge is Write A List Post. Hm, my listyroo will then focus on fashion. This past year I have so far participated in the Traveling Yellow Skirt Freak Show, modeled in Vogoff Magazine, posted on Visible Monday and other fashion boards. With six months of the year remaining, here is a LIST of upcoming fashion-related MUST dos!
Number 1 Fashion Must-Do:
Post on Spy Girl's 52 Pick-me-up link in. She has posted 52 ways to remix your closet with a weekly link in.
Number 2 Fashion Must-Do:
Hop onto a fashion link up of black and white ensembles. I just missed the linkup hosted by Menopausel Supermodel
Number 3 Fashion Must-Do:
Continue to linkup with Patti at Not Dead Yet Style for her Visible Monday. She hosts weekly, so I (or anyone else), can join the fun any time.
Number 4 Fashion Must-Do:
PUSH that fashion envelope! I'm shooting for cover girl of Vogoff Magazine 2014 issue, link to the 2013 issue http://vogoff.homestead.com/
Here were the last 3 cover girls of that irreverent online mag ...
Number 5 Fashion Must-Do:
Musn't be afraid of color. Last week I picked up these two pieces at my fav thrift spot, Thrift Town.
What is a Fashion Do for you in the next six months? If nothing, at the VERY least wear an Ugly Christmas Sweater and linkup with me on my Countdown to Kitschmas!
Number 1 Fashion Must-Do:
Post on Spy Girl's 52 Pick-me-up link in. She has posted 52 ways to remix your closet with a weekly link in.
Number 2 Fashion Must-Do:
Hop onto a fashion link up of black and white ensembles. I just missed the linkup hosted by Menopausel Supermodel
Number 3 Fashion Must-Do:
Continue to linkup with Patti at Not Dead Yet Style for her Visible Monday. She hosts weekly, so I (or anyone else), can join the fun any time.
Number 4 Fashion Must-Do:
PUSH that fashion envelope! I'm shooting for cover girl of Vogoff Magazine 2014 issue, link to the 2013 issue http://vogoff.homestead.com/
Here were the last 3 cover girls of that irreverent online mag ...
Number 5 Fashion Must-Do:
Musn't be afraid of color. Last week I picked up these two pieces at my fav thrift spot, Thrift Town.
What is a Fashion Do for you in the next six months? If nothing, at the VERY least wear an Ugly Christmas Sweater and linkup with me on my Countdown to Kitschmas!
31 days to build a better blog challenge, Day 1 - The Elevator Pitch
Glutton for punishment, you say? Yep, I admit it. Day 1 challenge is The Elevator Pitch through Yeah Write's 31 days to Build a Better Blog.
It is suggested that a blog have a tagline. That, I already have, "swooping into thrift shops searching for quality and collectible items."
I do sum up the gist of my blog in my header, but let's go all out for the elevator pitch:
My blog is about having fun. I highlight my thrift shop finds but the majority of my posts are geared toward writing and photography challenges. I'll throw in a fashion post or a random one filled with goofy images. I wrap up the year with Countdown to Kitschmas. I highlight things that delight me. Join me in my journey!
I've hopped onto Kristi's mop-it-up-monday, there are over 400 participants on this linkup!
It is suggested that a blog have a tagline. That, I already have, "swooping into thrift shops searching for quality and collectible items."
I do sum up the gist of my blog in my header, but let's go all out for the elevator pitch:
My blog is about having fun. I highlight my thrift shop finds but the majority of my posts are geared toward writing and photography challenges. I'll throw in a fashion post or a random one filled with goofy images. I wrap up the year with Countdown to Kitschmas. I highlight things that delight me. Join me in my journey!
I've hopped onto Kristi's mop-it-up-monday, there are over 400 participants on this linkup!
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