Category Archives: Movies

Musings on movies

Us and Her

Posted on January 25, 2014 by moniacal @ X Rated

Yesterday afternoon, I went to the movies by myself and saw Spike Jonze’s Her. Starring Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore Twombly (a great name that is fittingly formal and childish), Her is the story of a man who enters into a … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Movies, Pop Culture | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Springsteen and I: A Review

Posted on July 23, 2013 by moniacal @ X Rated

Springsteen and I, directed by Baillie Walsh and produced by Ridley Scott, is a documentary made almost entirely of home videos, blended with some rare concert footage, that chronicles the meaning of Bruce Springsteen as told through the lens of … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Movies, Music, Pop Culture | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

I Heard He Killed A Man…

Posted on May 14, 2013 by moniacal @ X Rated

Last week, after having read The Great Gatsby for the first time in at least a decade, I had a dream that I went to see the movie, but in my dream, the movie was a cartoon. Granted, it had … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, The Printed Word | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Year In Review

Posted on December 20, 2012 by moniacal @ X Rated

I love making lists. I particularly like to make “to-do” lists on sticky notes. However, I also like “best of,” “worst of,” “honorable mention,” and “recommendation” lists as well. So, with this in mind, I am compiling what I’d like … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Life, Movies, Pop Culture | 8 Comments

Previously On…My Life Before Cable

Posted on October 25, 2012 by moniacal @ X Rated

Previously on My Life Before Cable, we saw our heroine, book in hand, down 30 pounds, with an active, though   sparsely read, blog. Tonight, we find her balled up on her sofa, kernels of cheddar popcorn clinging to her sweatpants, … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Movies, Pop Culture, TV | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

What Are You Watching?

Posted on June 9, 2012 by moniacal @ X Rated

The spring semester has ended (though I’m still teaching and taking a class) and summer approaches, which usually signifies, for me, the beginning of gorging on sun and books. However, this summer break, I’ve taken a different route, much to … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, Pop Culture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Tony Stark Is Gay: A Theory

Posted on May 24, 2012 by moniacal @ X Rated

I should begin with a disclaimer: with the exception of the very basest of facts that almost anyone would know by virtue of growing up in America and/or being deeply immersed in all things pop culture, I don’t know squat … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Bullies Suck

Posted on April 26, 2012 by moniacal @ X Rated

When my parents moved us out of Philadelphia to the wealthy suburbs of New Jersey (though we were not wealthy ourselves), I knew they did it for two reasons: safety and schooling. My parents grew up in South Philadelphia and, … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Movies | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Humanity: It’s Contagious

Posted on September 25, 2011 by moniacal @ X Rated

I’ve often heard it said that there are no atheists in a foxhole, but if you experienced 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, or last night’s viewing of Contagion, you realize that not only is this saying wrong, but the exact opposite is … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Movies, Politics, Pop Culture | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Prince, the Artist, and That Guy: The False (and disappointing) Relationship Choices for Women

Posted on April 4, 2011 by moniacal @ X Rated

Ariel loves Eric. Bella loves Edward. Sookie loves Bill. Angela loves Jordan. Patti loves Robert. Simone loves Jean Paul. No one loves That Guy. We all know the story: girl meets handsome, rich “prince”; the two fall in love within … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Movies, Pop Culture | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments