Movie Monday: Emma Stone Takes the Lead, The Origins of Facebook, and a Lizard

Well... I did it. I signed up for a mail order movie rental program. No, not Netflix... Blockbuster. As a former employee to the video store chain, I want to give it a chance. I was given a 30 day free trial (which will convert to $11.99/month) at a store location that is in the middle of closing- they are offering it to keep customers (and I got a free DVD out of it- couldn't resist that!). So if I decide to continue to use it, be prepared to see a lot of newer films in my Movie Monday blogs.




Easy A



Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone), in an attempt to avoid a weekend camping with her best friend's parents, makes up a lie that implies that she lost her virginity to a college freshman. It is overheard and spreads throughout the school. Olive tells the truth to her friend Brandon (Dan Byrd), who then asks if there is a way to further the lie by acting like they had sex. This gives Olive a chance to help others like Brandon by pretending to sleep with them (in exchange for payment- in the form of gift cards). As the rumor mill dives further, Olive finds herself in situations she did not expect and must find a way to save her reputation.

I am starting to get to the point where teen movies are losing my interest. Yes, that can happen when you get older. I'm not saying I'm done with them; it's just that I am picky about the ones I decide to watch (looking for more quality). This one, being a modern day remake of The Scarlet Letter, I couldn't resist. Emma Stone finally gets a leading role, and she did very well. I look forward to seeing her in more leading roles in the future (and that she broadens her horizons past comedy). I loved how many big name actors had supporting roles in this film: Thomas Haden Church, Amanda Bynes, Lisa Kudrow, Stanley Tucci, and many others.

I loved how this movie was approached in a very smart manner, and full of 80's nostalgia. This film paid homage to Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Olive in the shower with a Mohawk), Say Anything (the scene in the yard, with speakers overhead), The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Pretty in Pink. I also loved the fashion decisions that Olive made, especially with the corsets. She had a lot of really cute ones that I would want to own myself (and thank you for acknowledging dress code in high schools in this movie... that omission has always annoyed me in teen flicks). This is a film that I recommend for a guilty pleasure. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Social Network



Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) is a Harvard undergrad. In fall 2003, he creates a site similar to HotOrNot.com that rates all the females at his university. This shuts down the server and catches the attention of a few fraternity brothers. They present them with an idea for an exclusive social networking site and want Mark to front the project. He ends up doing his own project and calls it The Facebook. After noticing the popularity, Mark expands his site to other schools. Then Facebook explodes into the massive social networking site that it is today, but not without a few lawsuits from the people that helped Mark get him to where he is today.

I've always had an interest in watching movies about the formation of companies (although most of them are documentaries). It's amazing to me how one drunken night in a dorm room perpetuated the beginning of Facebook. Yes, Mark is a confident, know-it-all asshole, but aren't many company CEO's like that, no matter the industry? One of the things that blew my mind was that I had no idea that Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), the Napster guy, was one of the people behind Facebook's success. This is one of those films that you will highly appreciate, but you will also realize that it's a film that you won't find yourself watching over and over again (and yes, I was on Facebook while watching this movie... it seemed highly appropriate to do so). Rating 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Rango



Rango (Johnny Depp) is a lizard that, through a traffic situation, gets thrown out of his family's car and finds himself in the middle of the desert. After escaping hungry hawks, he finds a local named Beans (Isla Fisher) who takes him to her hometown (named Dirt). After he brags (okay lies) about how he has killed and defeated many others out in the West, he proves his stories to the townsfolk when he somehow kills a hawk. He is made Sheriff and helps the town investigate why the water supply has run dry, but not without a few complications along the way.

This is one of those movies that, if I didn't have a kid, I would not have seen. I was glad to find a lot of adult humor in it. In the first 10 minutes, there is a very obvious reference to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Also, toward the end of the film, there is a Clint Eastwood lookalike driving a golf cart, giving Rango advice. I didn't think it was Eastwood voicing the character; it sounded more like Timothy Olyphant. Turns out I was right. This movie had a lot of the stereotypical western cliches: the stranger walking into a bar causing complete silence from the patrons, the newcomer becoming a sheriff, and lone walks through the desert. I thought it was a pretty decent way to introduce kids to western flicks, even if it was about animals. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

BC #6- A Pic of Something That Makes You Happy

I'm going to drift a tad off subject with today's blog. Yes, I will be talking about something that makes me happy.. in terms of preschool educational programming.

As a mother, I have been up to date on educational shows on PBS and Nick Jr. While it's awesome that my son watched Sesame Street like I did, there are a few new shows that have caught my attention. Some of them include Blue's Clues, Ni Hao Kai Lan, and Wow Wow Wubbzy. There is one show that has caught my attention more than the others and it has caught the attention of teens, college students, and Brangelina.

Yo Gabba Gabba!



This show was created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz, two fathers that felt disappointed in children's programming. They had done some amateur videos as teens, but had no experience in creating a television show. They just wanted something that was entertaining and featured popular musicians and celebrities. They got their big break after posting their pilot on the Internet and found themselves sitting in an office, talking to the creative director at Nickelodeon Preschool. Yo Gabba Gabba debuted on August 20, 2007.



What I love about the show is that it expresses all of the creative mediums out there: art, music, computer design, dance, and expanding the imagination. Kids learn to create simple art projects with Mark Mothersbaugh (lead singer of Devo, among many other talents). Biz Markie demonstrates different styles of beatboxing. Children are featured showing off their dance skills as well as making silly faces. There are video game styled activities that resemble classic Atari games (like Pitfall). There is also a segment called Super Martian Robot Girl, which is a comic book styled story segment featured in every episode.

Now, about the guest bands and artists.... they are featured on the Super Music Friends Show. DJ Lance and the group gather together to watch a performance by underground and indie rock artists. Some of the guests include The Aquabats, Jimmy Eat World, The Ting Tings, Cornelius, The Shins, and Electrocute.



In the segment called Dancey Dance, a celebrity makes an appearance and teaches everyone how to do a simple dance. Some of the funnier teachers include Andy Samberg, Elijah Wood, Tony Hawk, Sugarland, Jack Black, and Sarah Silverman.



Now that I have introduced many of you to the awesomeness that is Yo Gabba Gabba, I will end this with my favorite song from the show (which Hot Topic sells a t-shirt about this song... and I just might have to buy it, hehe).

BC #5- A Song To Match Your Mood

Well, it's the beginning of March. At this time each year,  I'm not thinking about St. Patrick's Day or Spring Break, just yet. Before either of those things happen, I get to celebrate something else: my sister's birthday (March 10th). Instead of finding a song to match my mood (per se), I am going to share a few songs with you that remind me of her.

Bobby McFerrin "Don't Worry Be Happy"



When my sister was 4-5 years old, she was a bit of a whiner and a drama queen. In some of the instances where she would act like this, my Dad would play this song to help get her in a better mood. It worked every time. :-)

Hanson "MMMBop"



When my family and I lived in Lee's Summit for about a year, my sister and I really got into discovering our own personal tastes in music. I had become a hardcore fan of No Doubt (this was when Tragic Kingdom was climbing the record charts). In 1997 a new wave of pop music emerged, starting with the Spice Girls. Then Hanson arrived and started to take over my sister's CD player, her clothes, her walls, and the television. By my 14th birthday, I knew the words to every single song on the Middle of Nowhere album (yeah, she played the CD a lot). So whenever I hear a Hanson song (aside from "Yearbook") I think of my sister and the days where she was all about the brothers from Tulsa.

The Rembrandts "I'll Be There For You"



This is one of the few shows that my sister and I watched together in our teens (and, for me, my early 20's). She is the one that got me to start watching the show (and I'm so glad she did!). I actually have this song as her ring tone.

So as I get ready to celebrate my sister's birthday in a few days, I will probably play these songs, just for fun. You know, after I think of something to get for her. :-)

BC #4- My Parents

Ah, my parents... the reason why I exist (yes, I am technically giving them a shout out for having sex). I am happy to be their daughter and would like to share with you some things about their past, how they met, and how they are doing today (not too much, but just enough to get a backstory).

My Dad was an only child. He was born in Brooklyn, NY. When he was in grade school, his family lived in Warrensburg so my Grandma could attend classes at UCM (which was called Central Missouri State College at that time). They moved to Independence where my Dad graduated high school before attending Central Missouri State College and the University of Missouri, where he received his education degree and competed in swimming and diving.

My Mom was the fourth out of five kids. She was born and raised in the Ballwin/Manchester/Ellisville area of the St. Louis metropolitan area. When she was five, her sister (my aunt Brenda) was killed in a car accident, and it greatly affected the entire family. Several years later, my Grandpa had a job transfer, so they moved to Grandview, MO (only my mom and my aunt went with my grandparents since both my uncles were already establishing their own lives in St. Louis).




My parents met when my Mom decided to join her friend in competing on a trampoline and tumbling program. My Dad was the coach. After a few years having the coach/athlete relationship, it transitioned into something more. Although they were in love, they had to deal with the fact that they have a 16 year age difference. It was hard for my Mom's parents to be okay with the fact that my Dad was so much older than her. I don't know all the details regarding this, but it ended on a happy note. My parents were married on August 16, 1980.

One of their favorite social activities my parents did in the early 80's was go to the Bijou Theater in Westport every Friday and Saturday night to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show. They went twice a night with some of their mutual friends and have seen it with a live audience approximately 300 times (for me, it's going to be difficult to break their record since Kansas City only has a monthly showing... oh well... they better be proud that their passion for the cult film has rubbed off on me LOL).



When I was born, I was immediately introduced to a lot of their activities. They took me to movies (like Return of the Jedi and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom... even if I was asleep most of the time). I went with them to trampoline meets and was passed around between the other coaches and athletes. I also knew how to do the Time Warp when I was still in diapers.

After my sister was born, we were a complete family. We traveled together to meets (and my sister and I joined the team when we were old enough to compete). We went on family vacations to California and Las Vegas. We established our own traditions for family activities, which included dining out, miniature golf, going to the movies, playing board games, shopping, and spending time with both sides of the family. My sister and I are very well versed in pop culture and music because of their tastes in music, movies, and celebrity trivia.



After moving to Lee's Summit, my parents got out of the trampoline world. All of their athletes were moving on with their lives. But, after a few years, my Mom wanted to do it again so she started coaching a team in Lees Summit. Dad eventually came back to it as well (and I even started working at the gymnastics facility).

My Dad retired from teaching a few years ago. He now coaches the swimming and diving teams for Blue Springs High School and has led the girls team to state a couple times (and once they won state). He's also on the board of a Credit Union. My Mom works at an orthopaedic practice. They both still coach the trampoline and tumbling team, with a new generation of athletes that have done very well in competitions.

My parents celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary last year. I wish them to have many more years of happiness.

BC #3- My First Love

March 26th, 1998:
I am attending an in-school workshop with an author I enjoyed, Vicki Grove. My friends Theresa, Ashley, and Ben sat with me. The girls and I were discussing the school dance that was a couple months away. As we were discussing it, Ben turns around (he was sitting in front of me) and asks me to the dance. I had a crush on him for a few months and I happily accepted.

Ben and I had our first date shortly after that. We went to see the movie Lost in Space with a couple others (I think it was his twin brother Nathan and one of his two girlfriends at the time-- yes he had two girlfriends). We saw the movie at the AMC theaters in town (which not long after our first date closed for good. It is now an Office Max). Sometime after the 8th grade spring dance, we officially called ourselves a couple.

Between 8th and 9th grade, we spend a decent amount of time together. I went to some of his baseball games, he wrote me letters from Boy Scout camp, and we saw several movies. One of them was Armageddon, which gave us our song, Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing."

We entered high school ready for an awesome four years. We figured out when we would see each other between classes and sat together at lunch. I attended his football games occasionally. One Friday night, watching the varsity game, we somehow got into a conversation about kissing. We were with his twin brother and my friend Kathryn. Both of them knew we hadn't kissed yet (which at that point we were together for about six months). Nathan demonstrates that it's easy and kisses Kathryn (to her surprise). Hours later, my Mom picked all of us up and took the twins home, Ben was retrieving his bag from the trunk of the car and decided to kiss me. I felt like I was in heaven that night. A couple weeks later (and a lot of kissing later), we go to Homecoming together and have a blast!

Christmastime 1998:

Ben calls me two days before Christmas and breaks up with me. I am upset and seek out my friend Ashley for moral support. The next day, Ben's mom brings him over to my house. He gives me a present and asks me to forgive him for breaking up with me. I forget about how hurt I felt and was happy we got back together.

Over the following year, we have many enjoyable times. We see several movies, hang out at birthday parties, go mini golfing, and I even attended church with his family. I attended his football and baseball games and saw him perform with the high school orchestra, like any good supportive girlfriend should. :-) We also fell in love. We were open and honest with each other and loved when we had time for just the two of us.

During our sophomore year, Ben gained several friends through orchestra and theater. Several of them were girls and I sensed that they were jealous of me because I was with Ben, especially at my Sweet 16 birthday party, where he serenaded me with a song in front of everybody. I ignored the feelings of animosity with those girls and reminded myself that Ben was with me.

Yeah, that didn't last much longer.

 

Christmastime 1999:

Two days after Christmas, Ben called me. His best friend Khalid was in town and I was ready to go over and visit with them. That never happened. Ben broke up with me instead, and this time it was for good.

It took me a really long time to get over him. For one, we never stopped hanging out. It's very difficult to move on when we continued to sit together at lunch and hang out with the same group of friends. Then he cheated on his next girlfriend with me, which made me feel like he wanted me back so I let it happen for several months. After that whole mess ended (as in he and I stopped seeing each other in secret and after they broke up), our relationship with each other had shifted. We became friends.

In our first semester of college, we had a mini reunion of sorts. We visited each other a few times (I was in St. Louis and he was in Kirksville, which was about a 3 hour drive). To me, it was enjoyable because it was comforting and it brought back good memories.

Today, we remain friends. Even though Ben was my first love, I don't have any loving feelings for him anymore. After all the years, I finally realized that we were never meant to be together and I was fine with that. I also think that it's really unique that we continue to have a great friendship and any feelings we had for each other in the past will never get in the way. I attended his wedding last fall and have become friends with his wife. He was my high school sweetheart and I will never forget the good times we had as a couple.

Literary Thursday: The Almost Moon

Yay! I finally finished reading a book since I declared doing Literary Thursday blogs! I apologize for those who were anxiously waiting for me to do a book review, but the book I read took me longer to read than I thought.

The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold



Helen Knightly is a middle aged woman who is taking care of her ailing mother. They have had one of the strangest bonds as mother and daughter, but a strong one. Helen soon finds herself doing the unthinkable. In a moment of anger, she suffocates her mother, leaving her dead. Helen then finds herself doing a lot of unthinkable things for the following twenty-four hours while reflecting on the past with both of her parents.

When I first read The Lovely Bones in 2004, I was amazed at how brilliant Alice Sebold had written the story. I wanted to read more of her works. The Almost Moon came out in 2007 and I read a couple reviews that portrayed that it wasn't very good. As it turns out... the reviews were right.

I normally enjoy all the books I've read, so to finally find one that disappointed me makes me a little sad. The most prominent reason for my disappointment was how the present day to past events were just all over the place. You'll read about how Helen is driving from her mother's to her house and you suddenly are reading about two to three past scenarios that she's reflecting on. I mean, I know that's how the mind works sometimes, but to try to represent that kind of thinking into words were not executed well. There were a few instances where I didn't realize the story transitioned and had to reread parts.

Helen did a lot of things in the 24 hours after killing her mom. She cleans and hides her mother's body, she has sex with Hamish (the adult son of her best friend), she gets her ex-husband to come in town to help her, and other things (hey... I can't spoil all the details of the book to others that want to read it). If I were in that situation (which I don't see that ever happening, murder is one of those things I'd never put on a to-do list), I don't think I would be able to keep my composure, let alone do a bunch of activities.

With all the characters in the story, my favorite was Mr. Forrest. He was the neighbor of Helen and her family while growing up. He was extremely cultured in the arts and photography and Helen was fascinated with his lifestyle. To be honest, I wish the book was about him because that would have been a more interesting and exciting read.

Overall... this was not worth the read. I'm glad I only paid two dollars for the book (at a Borders that was closing their doors). I might give it another try in 10 years or so and see if I connect to it as an older woman. Hey, you never know!

Rating: 1 1/2 out of 5 stars

BC #2- The Meaning Behind Your Blog Name

KCMovieGeek:

This one is pretty obvious. KC stands for Kansas City, the place that I have called home for my entire life (with the exception of my semester in St. Louis and a couple months in Fort Scott, KS-which is technically on the outskirts of the KC area). Movie Geek... come on! I'm a self proclaimed movie geek and have blogged a lot about movies in general, so my nickname is part of my blog address.



Organized Chaos!:

Organized Chaos is a phrase I have been using since I was 16. When deciding on a theme for my high school's yearbook my junior year, someone suggested Organized Chaos. I loved the idea and remembered designing some spreads with that theme. We ended up using a different theme, but the phrase stuck with me. When I was a senior I took an English class that gave me college credit through UMKC. Our final project was to come up with a portfolio showcasing what we did that semester. The phrase Organized Chaos immediately came to mind and became the theme for my portfolio.

To me, Organized Chaos represents life and all its unpredictability. But in life, we have our own standards that make the chaos in life manageable. For my blog, I do have a focus that pertains to movies and pop culture, but I tend to blog a lot about other things (not to mention I enjoy taking on blog challenges, obviously). So in my crazy little world of blogging, I have it all organized and labeled so everyone can have access to certain types of blogs like the ones about movies or the ones that focus on my personal life.

BC #1-Introduce Yourself, Recent Pic of Yourself, and 15 Interesting Facts

Hello... my name is Casey. I am a movie geek, a former trampoline and tumbling athlete, Scorpio, hopeless romantic, aspiring writer, single mom, book worm, knowledge seeker, an eclectic music listener, optimistic, outgoing, and kind hearted Kansas City girl. I am a lot of other things, but I can't give myself away entirely (gotta save the really special qualities of myself for a select few).


And now for some interesting facts about me (which are different ones from the 25 Facts About Myself I did last year).

1. Unless it is snowing or raining (or if there is a sheet of ice on the ground), you can find me walking around my house (outside) wearing only socks on my feet.

2. When I was little, I was a huge fan of Snoopy. I watched Snoopy Come Home 5 times a day (from around age 18 months to 3 years old) and my parents made his doghouse out of construction paper to hang on my bedroom wall.

3. Of all of the guys I have dated/had a relationship with, most of them are friends with me on Facebook. I just have the ability to become friends with my exes after a certain amount of time. My ex-husband Brian? Yeah, that will probably never happen.

4. When going to college in St. Louis, I acquired my first pet. It was a maroon and teal beta fish from Walmart. I named it Diesel.

5. I like peas in soups and other stuff, but never alone.

6. I have never been to a state East of the Mississippi River... except Wisconsin.

7. I collect all the state quarters. I am working on having two complete sets: one from the Denver mint and one from the Philadelphia mint. I also have other random coins in my collection.

8. I have never fired a gun.

9. I LOOOOOVE muscle cars: Camaros, Mustangs, Firebirds, GTO's... all of them! I especially love the late 60's and 70's models. One of these days I will own one :-)

10. I have a chicken pox scar on my nose. I love that it's there since it makes me feel more unique.

11. I hate white walls. That's the one thing I dislike the most when living in most rental places... I want to make the space personal and I don't get the liberty to splash color on the walls. It drives me crazy when I can't do that.

12. I never get rid of movies or Cd's, unless they stop working or I bought a DVD to replace the VHS copy.

13. After my divorce was finalized, I had to have my engagement and wedding rings cut off by a jeweler (they wouldn't come off because of pregnancy weight gain). I can still see the indention on my ring finger... almost 3 years later.

14. If there is an Amber Alert in my area... I do not hesitate in posting it on my Facebook, Twitter, send texts, etc. I don't care if you get annoyed by it... I am spreading the word in the hopes that more people are actively looking out for the well being of the missing child.

15. There are two reasons why I joined Twitter: Kevin Smith and David Cook. Needless to say, I've utilized the site beyond following celebrities, LOL.

The 30 Day Challenge for Bloggers

How is it that on the first day I started posting the 30 Days of Truth blog challenge in November, I come across a DIFFERENT challenge? This is one of the benefits to following other blogs... you never know what you are going to come across. This one does seem like it's going to be easier than the last one. So, like the last one, I am going to post these consecutively for 30 days. I hope you guys enjoy these blogs as much as the last challenge I accomplished!

Now, for the list of blogs you will be reading this month:

Day 1: Introduce, recent picture of yourself, 15 interesting facts

Day 2: Meaning behind your blog name

Day 3: Your first love

Day 4: Your parents

Day 5: A song to match your mood

Day 6: A picture of something that makes you happy

Day 7: Favorite movies

Day 8: A place you've traveled to

Day 9: A favorite picture of your best friend

Day 10: Something you're afraid of

Day 11: Favorite tv shows

Day 12: Something you don't leave the house without

Day 13: Goals

Day 14: A picture of you last year - how have you changed?

Day 15: Bible verse

Day 16: Dream house

Day 17: Something you're looking forward to

Day 18: Favorite Place to Eat

Day 19: Something you miss

Day 20: Nicknames

Day 21: Favorite Picture of yourself ALL TIME Why?

Day 22: What's in your purse/wallet?

Day 23: Favorite Movie

Day 24: Something you've learned

Day 25: Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs

Day 26: Your Dream Wedding

Day 27: Original Photo of the city you live in

Day 28: Something that stresses you out

Day 29: 3 Wishes

Day 30: a picture of yourself this day and 5 good things that happened since you started the challenge

New Music Tuesday: Music Videos Galore!

I would like to apologize for not having a music blog last week. I was starting to write it when the latest Britney Spears video triggered me to write a blog for The Pitch. Now that I have taken care of that blog, I can get down to business and present a lot of new music videos I have watched the past week.

Greyson Chance "Waiting Outside the Lines"



Hey! It's the kid that was featured on Ellen Degeneres' show for performing Lady Gaga's Paparazzi on the piano! I am happy to see that his talents have given him a career in the music industry. I really enjoy this song and video and hope to see more of him in the future.

Yellowcard "For You and Your Denial"



The first thing I noticed about this song? The combination of alternative rock music and the violin (or is it the viola?) blended well together. It's a very good song and a good video. I need to listen to more Yellowcard.

Britney Spears "Hold It Against Me"



Before this video made its debut, I had a feeling it would be over hyped. I was right. There is too much going on and some of it doesn't make sense. I do not get the double Britney/ fight scene. I don't see the point in it. And the image of red lips... what is she trying to do, pay her own homage to The Rocky Horror Picture Show? I think this video could have been a lot better than how it ended up.

Panic! At the Disco "The Ballad of Mona Lisa"



As someone who discovered the song "Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Their Clothes Off" a few months ago (yeah, I know... a few years late), I was excited when I saw this video on the Mtv Hits channel. I like how it has that western/speakeasy kind of feel to the video, with a little bit of Zombieland (with the rules) and Wild Wild West (with the industrial type inventions scattered throughout the house). I'm curious to see what the rest of the new album will be like.


Ke$ha "Blow"



Ke$ha just introduced a new level of weird, even for her. The whole mythological unicorn thing came off as very odd to me (like making The Neverending Story look completely sane). Then, out comes James van der Beek. Whoa... he's in her video. Then I notice she's making out with a unicorn. Classy touch promoting bestiality *gag* Then there's the name calling war between James and Ke$ha, which I thought was pretty hilarious. The "monster" reference makes me curious if that was Ke$ha's way of poking fun of Lady Gaga... as Gaga calls her fans "little monsters." Yes, this video even ended strangely, with James' head mounted on the wall.

Dr. Dre feat. Eminem and Skylar Gray "I Need a Doctor"



Dr. Dre has returned... and has a few things to say. The lyrics are very powerful, between Emimen pleading for Dre to come back as his mentor, the beautiful voice of Skylar Gray, and Dre's calling out of the people he used to work with that have basically abandoned him the past 10 years. I loved seeing the highlights of Dre's life since 2001 (especially his marriage and family time) and how the video portrays a prolonged absence due to an accident that left Dre in a coma. The video is simple and beautiful and the lyrics are the reason why there is a story to tell in the first place.

Lady Gaga "Born this Way"



I had hoped that this video was going to possibly be on the simple side, given the message of the song. How stupid of me to have that momentary lapse in judgement when it comes to Lady Gaga's videos. I would have been happy without the 2 1/2 minute intro leading up to the song, even though it was definitely stimulating. It took me a few viewings of this video to go from "What the hell did I just watch?" to "Okay, now I understand and it's pretty cool." I loved how Gaga used the theme to Vertigo in her intro (which the theme always creeped me out/mesmerized me). I also really like the skeletal makeup on her face... it was very well done. Overall, I pretty much enjoyed the video but the cynical side of me **KNOWS** it will be parodied to death!

Yeah, I think seven videos are enough for this week. See you next week!