Hedwig and the Angry Inch

I recently went to see Neil Patrick Harris in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" on Broadway.  I'd seen the movie, so I was familiar with the story; I'd also listened to the soundtrack several times, and love the music.  The review in the NYTimes was outstanding (and Ben Brantley is hard to impress).  Plus, who doesn't love NPH?

All this is to say that I went into the show with sky-high expectations.

And I was completely blown away.

For those unfamiliar with the show, it's basically a 2-hour monologue by Hedwig, as she reflects on her life.  It's punctuated with rock music, which Hedwig also performs.  The actor playing this role is on stage, at the center of attention, for the entire time, singing and dancing and climbing all over the set.  The physical stamina simply to get through the show is incredible.

Hedwig's life has not always been kind to her, and there are several quieter moments between the rock'n'roll - during these moments, NPH would take the time and allow Hedwig to process what has happened to her.  Sometimes there would be absolute silence for a long stretch (it felt like at least 2 minutes to me), and you could hear a pin drop in that theatre.  He had such command of the stage that the audience was his to do with, as he wished.

I can't imagine doing this show 8 times a week - the emotional roller coaster is so intense, even as an audience member, and I was at the 7PM show (ended around 9); there was another show starting at 10.  It's completely unbelievable to me that anyone could do that entire show again with only an hour to recover.

Beyond simply the physical and emotional requirements of performing the role, I was blown away by NPH's command of the character.  As I said, he's on stage without a break for nearly 2 hours.  In that time, he did not break character for a single millisecond.  He completely embodied his character, from the way he stood, the way he spoke, the way he moved, the way he carried himself, the way he had very natural-looking character tics.  It was amazing to watch - he was completely invisible as himself.

In the movie, all the flashbacks are shown as they happened - with various other characters interacting with Hedwig.  In the show, she merely tells us about her past.  And I actually preferred this.  Without the distractions of other performers, Hedwig's life (and pain) became much clearer.  And with such amazing acting, it was impossible not to be affected.

I wanted to meet NPH at the stage door after the show - to get a picture and autograph, yes, but also to tell him how much I enjoyed his performance.  (Unfortunately, with only one hour between shows, he didn't greet audience members.)  On the one hand, I'm sure that he knows how much we (as an audience) appreciated his work - we were abundantly clear during the performance and curtain call.  On the other hand, this was the best evening of theatre I've had in a very long time, and I wanted to tell him so.

On a personal note, while I was watching the show, it brought into focus why I love being in theatre so much.  I want to be as good an actor as he is (I know I'm not that talented, but hey, it's a goal) - and I want to be on a stage, fully in character, singing and dancing and in the spotlight, holding the audience's attention completely.  Something to keep working for. :-)

"Everything I want"

This is inspired by this post on Veronica Varlow's blog.  She's doing a series on "getting everything you want in life," and this particular post was about taking risks.  At first I was disappointed, because I feel like there isn't a goal that I'm working toward, or some fabulous passion that I need to follow no matter what.  The truth is, I like my boring life.  I like my job; I like my hobbies; I like my house.  None of it is particularly exciting, but I find it all enjoyable.  I don't feel like I need to take risks to live in the moment.

But then I was thinking about some other stuff I've been dealing with; namely: guilt.  I realized somewhat recently that I carry around a ton of guilt, often for things I can't control.  I feel guilty about everything.  Pick a topic.  Every other sentence I say starts with "Sorry."

Ever since I realized how much (unnecessary) guilt I feel, I've been trying to figure out (a) why and (b) how to change my outlook.  The "why" was kind of easy - I think if I feel bad about screwing up, it'll prevent me from screwing up again.  I think if I feel guilty enough about things I should change, I'll work harder to change them.  Never mind that some (most) of these things are out of my control, or in the past.  The guilt just clings forever.

Now on to (b).  This is harder.  I'm terrified of giving up my guilt.  I'm so used to it - it's almost like security blanket.  What if I start living guilt-free, and then I start thinking I can do no wrong, and I turn into a total hedonist?  I know it's not likely, but I keep clutching onto that guilt like it's the lifeline keeping me from drowning in selfishness.

And, in a vicious cycle, I feel like I must be a terrible person (or at least not a very good one) if I feel so guilty all the time.  And then I feel guilty for being a terrible person.  And repeat.

So, going back to VeVa's blog.  What I want in life is to feel better about myself.  To not hold so many self-grudges.  To let things go.  To learn from mistakes, and then move on.

In my first 24 hours, I made a conscious effort to not let my mind run through those same old ruts.  I tried to catch any negative thoughts, take a deep breath, and let the thought go with the exhalation.  I also promised myself that if I did fall into the old traps, I wouldn't feel guilty about feeling guilty.  (Yup.)

At one point today, I took a moment to try to think of myself how I imagine others see me.  And you know what?  I think, objectively, I'm a pretty decent person.  I care a lot about others.  I do my best.  I'm honest to a fault.  I give others the benefit of the doubt and try to see things from their point of view.

It was eye-opening.  I always think of myself through this veil of "If only I could be better," and it makes me seem like a failure in my own eyes.

So, for the next 7 days, I'm going to try to congratulate myself when I do something well, or treat someone with kindness, or handle a situation with aplomb.  Just a quick, "Hey, good for you!" to recognize that I don't suck at everything.

I know I'll make mistakes, and there are times I'll still feel guilty, but I'm going to focus on giving myself more positive encouragement, rather than beating myself down.

*teeters at edge of cliff*
*flexes wings*
*and...jump!*

The Opera

Recently I went to my very first opera.  Wait, let me back up a bit...

The overture to the Magic Flute is on one of the Mozart compilation cd's that I own.  I always liked it, so a few years ago I had the bright idea to get a recording of the whole opera.  It's perfect study / work music, since all the lyrics are in German so I can't get distracted trying to sing along.  And, it's about two and a half hours long - perfect for a study session.  Anyway, I wound up listening to it a lot in grad school and I grew to really enjoy it.  So I started checking the Philly Opera schedule from time to time, hoping they'd do a production.

Finally, this year, they did.  I pretty much had to go (even though the tickets were more expensive than I'd expected).  I didn't have anyone to go with, but that's ok.  I got dolled up, took the train into town, and found my seat at the Academy of Music.

Quick sidetrack: the Academy is a beautiful building, with wonderful acoustics.  There's a newer Performing Arts Center (the Kimmel) just down the street, and don't get me wrong, the Kimmel Center is very nice, but - the Academy is sort of what I picture when I think of going to the theatre.  Maybe it's because, when I was young, my mom took me to see the Nutcracker there.  Maybe it's the ornate decorations, the gilded instruments in relief lining the balcony, the painted ceiling murals, the chandelier.  Maybe it's the gaslight lamps on the exterior.

I'll admit I was a little nervous before the show started.  Opera has always had a veneer of the hoity-toity, and I was afraid it'd be too stuffy for me.  I needn't have worried.  "The Magic Flute" is a fairytale, about a prince who must pass several trials in order to prove himself and win the heart of the princess.  It's also a comedy, and this production really played up the comedic elements of the story.  The second male lead (Papageno) was hysterical.  He was such a good comic actor that at times I'd forget what a wonderful bass voice he had - until he sang his next aria.  The three "ladies" were also pitch-perfect (pun totally intended).  Their voices blended beautifully, and they also played up the comedy, causing more than a few guffaws from the audience.

The set was also interesting.  It was designed as a labyrinth through which the characters travelled as they moved from trial to trial.  The pieces of "hedge" could be moved and reorganized to provide a variety of courtyards and corridors in the labyrinth; at one point the three "spirit guides" even appeared on top of the hedge and sang down to the princess wandering below them.

But my favorite was undoubtedly the Queen of the Night.  She's the villainess, and she doesn't appear much - just one aria in each act, and a few minutes to be banished at the end.  However, her two arias are the highlight of the vocal pieces (in my opinion).  Her aria in the second act is my favorite piece in the opera.  It's also incredibly difficult.  As she stepped onstage to begin it, I had a moment of concern.  Years ago, when I bought the cd, I'd done some research on which recording was considered the "best."  So I was used to listening to this song being spot-on, each note perfectly placed and supported.  Who knows how many takes they did in the recording studio to get that right?  Would I be disappointed by a live version?

Yeah, that was unnecessary.  She hit it out of the park.  It was absolutely mesmerizing.  I'd overheard two gentlemen sitting behind me when they were discussing the opera during intermission, and heard enough to realize that they come to the opera with some regularity.  When the Queen of the Night finished her aria, I heard a soft "Wow" from behind me.  And, yes, she was that good.

I'll admit that I don't know when I'll go to the opera again.  Yes, I had a spectacular time, but I was also very familiar with the music.  And, let's face it, The Magic Flute is an incredibly accessible piece of theatre.  I even saw some teenage girls in the audience - not something I necessarily expected to see.  But, having seen my first opera, I'm no longer intimidated by the concept.  It can be a really fun night of theatre - even when sung in German, performing music that was written 222 years ago.

"She's a bass!"

When I get sick, I lose my voice.  When it comes back, it starts in the lower registers first.  This makes me sound very different from my normal self, as demonstrated in this phone call (note: I am an only child):

Dad: "Hello?"
me: "Hey Dad."
Dad: "Hello?"
me (straining to be louder): "Hey Dad."
Dad (totally puzzled): "Dad...?"
me: "Can you hear me?"
Dad: "Who is this?"
me: "It's (me)."
Dad (dead serious): "No, it can't be."
me (trying to scream): "It's me.  My voice is ruined because I'm sick."
Dad: "Wow.  I never would have recognized you.  What happened to your voice?"
me: *headdesk*

I Can't Cook

I've been feeling under the weather, so I decided to try Wil Wheaton's vegetable soup recipe.  However, the recipe looked a liiiiiiiiittle out of my depth.  All that chopping?  I'm way too lazy.  If I buy vegetables that need to be chopped, they simply won't get eaten.  So instead I created a Cheater Version:

1) Read original recipe four times.  Decide it looks way too hard.
2) Go to food store.  Rejoice that they have a pre-chopped carrot/celery/onion mix (guys, this was created for people like me).  Buy  two of them.
3) Add pre-sliced mushrooms, a can of diced tomatoes, 2 cans of tomato sauce, and garbanzo beans to the cart.
4) Toss in some frozen dinners, since you're there.  No need to come back later when you decide cooking is too hard.
5) Get home and realize you forgot the bread.  Decide that chips & salsa is just as good as bread, right?
6) Scrounge for large soup pot.  Realize large soup pot has never been used before and needs to be cleaned.
7) Clean out all the science experiments from the fridge, while you're at it.
8) Toss all ingredients in the pot and turn on heat.  Resolve to either clean stovetop or hire a cleaning service.
9) Google cleaning services in your area and submit an online price estimate form.
10) Put on a load of laundry.  Discover that enough laundry has accumulated for three loads, and there's still a load in the dryer that hasn't been folded. (yay.)
11) Play on twitter and pinterest until the soup is ready.
12) Realize you don't have a ladle.  Sing "Ladle, ladle, ladle, I made you out of clay..." to the tune of the Dreidel Song while you open every drawer and cupboard, thinking that a ladle may have magically appeared in your kitchen when you weren't paying attention.
13) Give up and use a spoon instead.
14) Eat.

I can't believe I wrote the whoooooooole thing...

I just finished my first NaNoWriMo.  With three hours and fifty-three words to spare.  :-)

I kinda can't believe I did it.

When I heard about it, it sounded like something I'd like to do...once I was finished grad school.  So I graduated last December and started trying to think of an idea.  My plan was to work on hashing out the plot, setting, characters, etc. between December and October, so that when November came I could just write.

Well, I didn't do quite as much planning as I'd hoped (I was originally going to make a very detailed outline in October.  That didn't happen.) but I guess it was enough for me to expand on and flesh out into a 50,000-word bohemeth.

I'd been telling myself all year that I was going to treat this more as a writing exercise than a chore.  If my story only lasted 20,000 words, then that was 20,000 words I wouldn't have otherwise written, and that's still an accomplishment.  I promised myself that I wouldn't get uptight if I fell behind schedule or didn't finish the storyline in November.

And then as I got closer and closer, I started thinking, "Hey, maybe I can make this 50,000 words after all.  And maybe I can even finish it in November.  I mean, maybe.  Still no pressure, right?"

So overall it was fun.  There were definitely times when I wanted to do something else, or just put the computer away.  There were times when other stuff came up and I didn't have the time I wanted to do my writing for the day.  But somehow I managed to do it.

And now I can't wait until next year.

Hair Stylin'

My hair is very straight and flat, so I go to a little old Japanese man to get my hair done.  He knows how to make it look nice, with more volume and movement, and he's also hilarious.  The last time I got my hair cut was just before I was going to London for a trip.  When my hairdresser found out, he said, "Oh, I'll give you an extra-nice hair style for when you flirt with all the British boys!"

This time, we were talking about the unusually warm summer here.  I mentioned that it hasn't been too much of a problem for me, as I enjoy the hot weather.  My hairdresser immediately advised me to insist to my (imaginary) boyfriend that he have a home in Hawai'i.  He said, "It should be in your contract.  If your boyfriend doesn't have a home in Hawai'i, you cannot date him.  Make him sign that."

I love my hairdresser.  I told him to never change.

Another crazy conversation

I'm going to London soon, and have recently become somewhat obsessed with the BBC "Sherlock" (as well as Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays the title character).

friend: are you super excited?

me: I am indeed

friend: I feel like you're going to get off the plane and just scream "Benedict Cumberbatch," then go to warp (complete with animation), and six seconds later, as Benedict is quietly reading in bed, you will fall from the ceiling into the other half of the bed

me: I'm laughing so hard I scared the cat away

oh man tears are running down my face

friend: good

then make it so

me: so I watched the first episode of another show he was in

in which he plays a mathematician

and at one point is explaining equations

hot man...talking math...it's like porn to me

friend: auto-defenestrate

me: but I'm on the first floor?

friend: you can throw someone out a window at any elevation

Maggie

Recent IM conversation between me and a friend:

friend: now if we could just get you control of magnetism, we'd be set

me: I love that you assume I'm secretly magneto

BECAUSE I AM

friend: impossible

he already exists

but you could be magenta

me: that is my other secret identity

friend: so you're both magneto and magneta?

me: Just call me "Maggie"

Geek girl, part 1

Today I needed to buy a new pair of boots, so I headed off to DSW. But I realized that every time I thought of it, I was saying "DS9." (I guess I've got Trek on the brain.)

I mentioned this to my friends, and my friend Andrew said "DS9 > DSW."

I gasped. "Star Trek or shoe shopping?? Andrew, you can't make me choose. I need both in my life."

Yeah, I'm a geek. And a girl.

The Writer In Me

Recently at work I've been doing a lot of writing (for an engineer). And I realized...I'd forgotten how much I like to write. I like sitting down with a pen and a piece of paper, and organizing my thoughts, and putting what I want to say in order, and thinking about how to transition from one point to the next. I like crafting paragraphs, closing my eyes and listening to the rhythmic tapping of my fingers on computer keys, feeling the flow of thoughts pass onto the screen. I like searching for a particular word to express what I want to communicate.

It just suddenly hit me. I've been away from writing (serious writing) for so long, and it was like a little aspect of myself popped up and went, "Oh hey, remember me? We used to have such fun together!"

In that vein, I'm hoping to participate in NaNoWriMo this year; I've never written anything novel-length before, so I expect it will be quite a challenge. Usually I start strong with a story, but then peter out and end it quickly. So I figured I should spend a year planning everything and making detailed notes. Then, when November comes, I can just write flat-out. I was getting a little nervous, because it's nearly the end of December and I still had no idea what to write about. I wanted to just get the seed of an idea by the end of the year; then I'd spend the rest of the time before November fleshing things out and creating a plot and characters and setting. I want to have a lot of notes and a detailed outline so that I know I won't lose steam on the plot.

And finally (cliche alert) it came to me in a dream.

No, I'm not going to say what the idea is. I want to flesh it out and determine a direction for the plot. But I'm certainly hoping that, come November, I'll be able to turn it into a novel.

Stay tuned...

"I'm a mouse now. Mice are cool."

This year, for the first time in a long time, I decided to decorate for Halloween. Usually I'm too busy, between work and school, but this year I really wanted to make the extra effort and add some spooky cheer to the house. So I went to a flea market and found an armful of stuff for about $3, including this little beauty:

Is the Doctor dressing up as a mouse for Halloween?

At first I thought, "Oh how cute, a mouse with a pumpkin!" Then I saw he was wearing a fez, and I snatched him up before anyone else could come close to buying him. My friend suggested I make a bow tie for him (because bow ties are cool), so I added that detail.

Fast-forward a few weeks to my birthday. My friend had let me know to expect his present to arrive, so I wasn't terribly surprised when I found a box from ThinkGeek on my doorstep. I rushed inside to cut open the tape when I heard the Tardis.

For the first second, I thought it was my phone, until I remembered that my phone no longer has the Tardis ring-tone (boo). Then, for a good 2 seconds, I was convinced that THIS WAS IT, the Tardis was really going to materialize, and I was going to start my adventures with the Doctor.

Then I realized the sound was coming from inside the Think Geek box. I opened the box to find a Tardis cookie jar! Cookies + Doctor Who = awesome, amirite? Also, as my friend said, "It's a talking cookie jar. How could I not get it for you?" I think it goes perfectly with my Halloween Doctor-Mouse. :-)

After Halloween, I'm thinking of making a voodoo doll of myself and storing it in the Tardis cookie jar. Maybe that'll encourage the Doctor to finally show up.

Halloween

Halloween's coming up! Costumes and candy! Huzzah!

So let's say you're a girl, and you'd like to dress up, and show off your femininity, but you don't want to be a "slutty" version of anything. (Seriously guys, there's a "slutty Big Bird" costume. Humanity is doomed.)

What are your options?

1) Princess
OK this one's easy. Find a pretty dress, add some costume jewelry and a tiara, maybe some long white gloves, and you're ready to go. Burst into song at random moments and the transformation is complete.

2) On the flip side, you could try a Disney villain. Not quite as easy as the princess costume, but about as many characters to choose from. Maleficent, the Wicked Queen, the Evil Stepmother, Madam Medusa or Madam Mim, even Ursula, are iconic and playfully wicked. Bonus points if you dress up as Maleficent in her dragon form.

But what if you're not a Disney person? (Get the hell out of my blog.)

OK, OK, what if you'd rather be a little more kick-ass? May I suggest:

3) Sci-fi babe
There are a ton to choose from: Zoe from Firefly, Janeway from Star Trek, Ivanova from Babylon 5, Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica, River Song from Doctor Who. Get some old military-ish clothing, a fake gun (or heck, a squirt gun, and call it "irony"), and perfect your steely gaze. (I'd recommend not going as Leia, because you know half a dozen douche-canoes are gonna ask you to go put on your metal bikini.)

Oh, you're not a sci-fi fan? You're more literary? How about:

4) Literary lady
Any character from Austen or the Bronte sisters would work. Liz Bennett, Anne Eliot, Jane Eyre...Find a nice period dress, do your hair in a bazillion curls, and practice being headstrong while following perfect etiquette.

But guys, it's Halloween! It's supposed to be scary!

5) Spooky stuff
There are always the old standards: ghost, vampire, zombie, the Grim Reaper. Death from Sandman is a fairly low-key costume to pull off, and appropriate for the season. Or wear a nightgown backwards, dribble green food coloring on your chin, and go as that girl from The Exorcist.

As a last resort, if you have no time to throw together a costume, just wear your regular clothes and say you're a hipster and that "Halloween is just another commercialized extravaganza." Then drink your Pabst Blue Ribbon and expound on the reasons mainstream culture is turning everyone else into sheep.

A Lovely Weekend

Last night (Friday), I went to the Art Museum for Art After 5. There was some live jazz playing; I had a glass of red wine; and I wandered through the galleries. (And Impressionism looks even better when you're slightly buzzed!) It was a wonderful date - with myself. I need to take me out more often. ;-)

This morning, when I woke up, I found out that New York has now legalized same-sex marriage! 6 states down, 44 to go. And when I looked outside my window, there was a baby bunny in my front yard. I tried to take a few pictures without scaring it away.

Then this evening I tried a new local beer (well, new to me, anyway) and watched the Philly Union game. The first half had me worried, but we pulled it off in the end! My poor cat; she was very confused by my chants of "DOOP DOOP DOOP!!"

All in all, it was quite a nice weekend.

Rugby

I like to have a ballgame on in the background while I study. I prefer baseball, but pretty much anything is fine. (I've watched a soccer game on the Spanish channel. That was fun.) So last night I'm flipping though channels and come across a rugby game: England vs. US. Fantastic! I hadn't seen a rugby game since I was in New Zealand.

I had forgotten how physical that game is. It seems like 90% of it is large men ramming into each other head-first. And they don't wear safety equipment. Like, no pads or helmets. They have basically the equivalent of a swim cap they can wear, but that's only to prevent them from getting cuts and bleeding all over the field (according to the announcer) because if you bleed you have to leave the field.

THIS IS A PROBLEM. Bleeding profusely from one's head is such a problem that they made special caps to prevent it. And they're "optional" equipment.

It was morbidly fascinating.

And we got creamed. When I first saw the game, I was like, "Does that say England 23 - USA 3? That seems like a large disparity." Yeah, it was England 59 - USA 3 when I finally turned it off.

So You Think You Can Dance

A: hello

me: hello yourself

A: what are you up to tonight? homework?

me: supposedly
also watched So You Think You Can Dance auditions

A: yeah, i don't know what that's all about - you should probably stop watching that

me: well I just like the auditions
once they get into the "people stories" I stop watching
I'm like, "I don't care about these people. Just dance."

A: you sound like some sort of deranged dr. frankenfurter

me: I'm laughing so hard my upstairs neighbor is probably wondering what the hell is wrong with me

Overreacting

Did you ever have one of those times where you're in a place, and you're supposed to be there, but it's a place that not everyone is allowed to go, and you're not normally there, and then someone official sees you, and you feel like you need to launch into a 10-minute explanation of why you're there, and that you're allowed to be there?

I'm doing a "girls in engineering" thing tomorrow at a local high school, and today was the set-up. So I wandered around until I found the classroom I'll be in, so I could put all the supplies there. Now, when I was in high school, I was often in school after-hours. Between theatre and a half-dozen other clubs, most of the teachers / administrators / custodians at least knew me by sight, and knew that if I was going into a classroom or supply closet it was probably for a legitimate purpose and no cause for alarm. But that was a decade ago, and this was not my school. No one there knows me. So I'm stumbling around, looking for the light switch, when I see this very professionally-dressed woman coming down the hall. Oh no - a teacher?? She probably knows the teacher who works in this room, and is wondering what the heck I think I'm doing, and here I am in jeans and a sweatshirt (that I realized, upon arrival, had stains in about 6 places...I should have just taken it off but I was cold DON'T JUDGE ME). Looking like some kind of vagabond, and not at all like a reputable engineer preparing to encourage young ladies to explore careers in math and science.

It was a moment of panic.

Luckily, she was a fellow presenter. And did not question my right to be in someone else's classroom, at all.

(This post doesn't really have a point, sorry. I'm waiting for my friend to call me; we're going to watch Rocky Horror Picture Show and eat chocolate ice cream because we've both had a bad week and nothing cheers you up like Tim Curry in fishnets and a big bowl of ice cream. So I'm blogging to keep myself occupied. Also, we don't actually live near each other, so we'll be watching the movie simultaneously and messaging each other to keep a running commentary. It's an experiment!)

Nathan Fillion is an Awesome Donut

A conversation between myself and two (equally nerdy) friends (edited for clarity):

A: i never quite got into firefly
does that make me evil?
everyone loves it?

B: did you watch it from the beginning?
i didn't get it at first either

A: i did

B: i still don't like the movie

A: well, the movie was a bit tacked on

me: the movie was just totally different in tone
and I'm not sure hating it makes you evil, but it might make you crazy

A: oh no, i don't hate it
just not in love

B: but nathon fillion...
nathan

A: mmmmmmm...........
i mean, yeah he's alright

B: he's not your type

me: ok, see this is what makes me certifiably insane
I <3 <3 <3 Nathan FIllion

B: but platonically

me:EXACTLY
he's pretty much awesome sauce covered in awesome
but I don't find him attractive at all.

B: i don't really find him attractive
nice body in Dr. horrible, but not really
shouldn't the awesome be covered in awesome sauce
not the other way around

me: either way
maybe he's an awesome jelly donut with stuffed awesome sauce O_o

B:ookay
he's an awesome donut

me: he is an awesome donut!

They're practically the same movie!

Recently, I spent a weekend visiting some friends. Since a few of them had never seen "Rocky Horror Picture Show", we watched it. Then, being in the mood for another movie in which Tim Curry is ridiculous, we watched "Clue." And it struck me that there are similarities between the two:

1) Tim Curry stars in them (duh)
2) Both include scenes of a dinner party gone wrong
3) The butler did it (ok ok, technically Riff-raff is a "handyman." I think my point stands.)
4) The "bad guy" gets kneed in the groin
5) Aggressive dogs keep people from leaving
6) Both take place in a castle / mansion in the US
7) It's raining when the guests arrive
8) The guests don't know what they're eating until it's too late
9) Someone comes "back from the dead", only to be killed again a short while later (Eddie, Mr. Boddy)
10) Alcoholic beverages get splashed all over the table, in between glasses.

Living up to my name

I've realized I have a fairly eclectic taste in movies. I love old classics (like Casablanca, Sabrina and Bringing Up Baby), modern action-blockbusters (like Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones and the most recent James Bond films), Disney movies (like Beauty and the Beast, The Princess and the Frog, and the severely underrated Hercules), and also camp (both the purposely campy, like Rocky Horror Picture Show and Doctor Horrible's Sing-along Blog and the unintentionally hilarious Shark Attack 3: Megaladon).

Yep, I'm weird.