An underappreciated talent.

Not to mention, one of the hottest men on the planet!  :)

Blair Underwood

Be seeing you.

A genuine hero of mine has died.

'Prisoner' actor Patrick McGoohan dies in LA

The Prisoner

Patrick McGoohan

Your brilliant and prescient ideas still ring true. Safe journey.

Ghouls.

I just learned of actor Morgan Freeman's car crash in Mississippi, which has left him in serious condition. That is sad enough, but further reading revealed that some lookie-loo tried to take a picture of him with his or her camera phone while Freeman was being loaded into an emergency vehicle.

Apparently, the actor was lucid, and joked, "No freebies, no freebies."

God bless him, his patience and sense of humor. I'm not sure I would have responded in the same fashion.

It's bad enough someone would want an image of Freeman while he's in pain and physically debilitated, but I'm CERTAIN this camera phone asshole's hope was to sell the image to some tabloid.

Fucking ghouls. Where does it end?

So pleased.

The X-Files: I Want to Believe had the right balance of everything that made the show what it was in its most brilliant moments. All of the elements that fans of the show enjoy are in place--drama, action, suspense, creep-out factor, humor--but the movie had a quietness to it that at first seemed foreign. As the narrative unfolded, however, it made so much sense for the film to be presented in that way. It need not be an event picture; by the end, I think you'll agree the contemplative approach was perfect. It creates a very intimate experience.

The visual backdrop (all of the beautiful snow) gave the film a dreamy, almost nostalgic quality--perfect for those of us lost in our memories of the show. It was like being inside one's very own X-Files snow globe. We there-from-the-beginning fans are growing older--right along with the principal actors--and it drives home how much, and how little things have changed.

The film is set in real time, and explanations emerge to explain the current state of things, but never in a way that seems forced or expository. Certain changes--ones that might have been shocking had they been introduced in such a casual way during the course of the series--seem perfectly natural.

Everyone's work is solid; there are some fantastic moments that I won't fully give away, but one involves an assist. :) Also, there is a riotous bit that involves W. That's all I'll spoil. Oh...except for a recommendation: stay for the end credits; you'll get an amusing and sweet send-off.

Grade: A. I needed this movie in my life. Thank you, Chris Carter, Gillian, David, and everyone else involved.

Official The X-Files: I Want to Believe Film Website

Final shots from the KITH tour.

Kevin McDonald has really good energy. He's a sweet guy:


Superstar Dave Foley...it feels otherworldly to be in his presence:


And I know it's fuzzy as hell, but since I've got another picture of myself with Bruce McCulloch, I'll post it for my own viewing pleasure:


I met Scott briefly, but didn't get a photo, and didn't get to meet Mark at all...*sniff*. Next tour, next tour. *Sigh* :)

More KITH magic...

So, I went to see Kids in the Hall again--this time in Cleveland--and somehow by the grace of Whomever, I got a 2nd row seat, without even trying. It was so wonderful to watch the show so close I could practically count the leg hairs underneath the boys' pantyhose.

And I got to meet Bruce again--and most of the other members this time. Bruce remembered me, told me they didn't often have "pretty goth girls following their tour," to which I laughed and said, "I'm a goth girl?" He replied, "Well, maybe just a little," with a smile. We then posed for this photo, where I proceeded to grin the grin of a dorkily excited, googily 14-year-old girl. It was marvelous.


Pics with Kevin and Dave to come soon. But this one had to have its own entry.

Back to reality now, Alexandra. :)

Still basking in my warm, fuzzy post-KITH glow...

I've been an avid fan of Kids in the Hall since 1992, after their show began airing on Comedy Central (I never had the dough to subscribe to HBO). Their eclectic, off-beat, intelligent humor has influenced me greatly over the years (in all facets of my life, but especially in my acting, writing and directing) and after the first time I saw them, I knew they were plugged into the screwy way I saw things. It was such a pleasure when I got to see them live in Los Angeles, back in 2000. So, when I heard they were touring again, I happily plunked down my $50 and drove to Nashville to see them, last night. Despite the shitty sound system of the venue, the show didn't disappoint, and the energy of all the guys together is nothing short of phenomenal. They are truly a force of nature.

Now, I love all those boys--they're all crazy talented--and probably have had a crush on each of them at one time or another, but Bruce McCulloch has always been my favorite. Out of all the Kids, I have found his work to be the most risky, unusual and off-center. That resonates with me--as mentioned, his work has provided a rubric for much of my own performance and writing. In short, Bruce fucking rocks. When I heard the crowd chatter that the Kids were going to do a brief meet-and-greet before hopping on their bus, I decided I'd hang out, just to see if I could get a quick close-up glimpse or maybe a hand-squeeze from the object of my adoration/affection. Wow, did I get one better! Not only did I get to meet Bruce, fawn all over him, tell him how I had ripped him off in my own work (to which he replied "Please! Rip me off!" with a laugh), but he placed a 100% unsolicited kiss on my cheek when giving me the hug I did ask for. *sigh* I think I floated out of the building.

Meeting famous folks you dig is admittedly, always a little exciting, but when you meet an idol--especially one who's so open, gracious and charming--well, it just makes for one awesome, awesome evening. See you in Cleveland, boys!

Some Bruce brilliance:


Daves I Know:


My Pen!

Can't wait can't wait.

So, I've gone back and started re-watching The X-Files from the beginning to get me all ramped up for the film release in July.  Tonight, I watched a run of excellent episodes from the 2nd season that I probably haven't seen in a good 10 years.  It's so satisfying to revisit something that gave me so much pleasure in the past, and then finding it to be just as entertaining and engaging as before.  My favorite of the night was "Humbug," the first deliberately "funny" episode written by the amazing Darin Morgan (he also penned a number of fantastic eps for the 2nd season of Millennium--I see he's now working as a consulting producer on The Bionic Woman, but he needs to re-emerge as a writer) and it had me cracking up.  If you were a fan, you'll recall the "freak" episode with Jim Rose and Michael J. Anderson...and some of the funniest bits from the entire run of the series...particularly when Mulder falls on the bed of nails and quips "It's more comfortable than a futon."

Anyway, don't wanna turn into a fan girl, but this is just getting me even more excited about the next film.  It's been five years since the end of the series and ten since a film, so I'm practically drooling.  Rumor has it that the movie's going to be a stand-alone, but that seems a little strange, given the fact that Mulder and Scully were essentially on the run from the FBI and many others at the end of the series.  We'll see.  Either way, I'll be front and center come July 25th, and I'm likely to be sitting there with my Mulder and Scully action figures in hand.  :)

Now that all the smoke has cleared...

...and most everyone's had their say...I figure this article/eulogy is appropriate:

Heath Ledger (1979-2008)
I read this in a hard copy of Rolling Stone, and I think the edited version presented there has more impact. However, the online version is still affecting, and just like when I saw Brokeback Mountain, I was absolutely wrecked by the final line.

Random thoughts...non sequiturs...ramblings...

So, is it just me--or does the older author Michael Cunningham gets--the more he looks like Michael Palin?

No matter; they're both really amazing and inspirational. Just an observation.

~~

I've been visiting McDonald's lately...not because I have any great love for it, but because I want to take a stab at their big Monopoly game. Pathetic, I know--but what are you gonna do when you're as poor as me, yet with so many goals that require big bucks? Anyway, I order my customary iced tea today, and the girl who rings up my order--who has already struggled for what seems an endless amount of time to find the key for hot fudge during the previous customer's order--makes me think, "mine will be easy for her." But no. She manages to give me a large iced coffee instead--and after having to wipe off the drenched cup (apparently, she can't fill a styrofoam receptacle, either) I literally gag on the first sip. I hate coffee. I can't tell you how much I find the taste disgusting. The two worst things on anyone's breath, in my opinion, is coffee and cigarettes, and I avoid both. It took a literal hour to get the funky aftertaste to go away. Why didn't I notice it was coffee, you ask? Well, I was thinking of sex or something (as was she, apparently--not paying attention to where she was headed with the cup), and you have to admit coffee and tea share the same color, when they're coming from the mass dumping spigots of a place like McDonald's. Perhaps I should stay away and just put my dollar into the lottery, if I'm gonna jettison my earnings into the big vortex of chance. I make better tea, anyway.

~~

All of my new tattoo work is itching so bad, I feel like I have scabies. I always forget between tattoos how annoying the healing process is. Not only did I get the new ouroboros image on my arm, but I had Donald touch up my old sacral tattoo from '91, plus add a little shading to my ankle piece. Jesus, I'm scratching at myself like some homeless person. It has become such an absentminded act that my Metaphysics instructor mistook my grimace while digging away at my arm during class as frustration over a particularly complicated explanation of the bundle theory. Eeyah, I'll be glad when these things heal and I can relax.

~~

Valerian Root=bad for Alexandra. I've gotten into a habit of staying up really late to study (or just to toss and turn with insomnia), and then coming home after school (on the days I'm not working) to sleep for a couple of hours. This has, of course, created a vicious cycle, and I'm exhausted during the day. The other night, I remembered I had purchased some Valerian Root that was on sale last year in anticipation of the insomnia I have when I'm under stress. I took it at about 2 in the morning, and woke up in a cold sweat at 5 am, after just having a series of dreams that were beyond disturbing. It was if I was in some sort of Lovecraftian otherworld, where the walls were made of flesh that exuded macabre organ music that somehow had a scent, and all the inhabitants were chittering, psychologically threatening entities. During those terrified moments in the dark, I recalled I had read somewhere that Valerian sometimes causes bad dreams in some people.

Yeah, no shit. Guess I'll pass on the next dose.

~~

I know it's no longer cool to like Bruce Springsteen, but I find merit in his work. Plus, his politics are awesome. I just ripped The Rising and am currently listening to it. His writing is very simple, but it's very good:

"Lonesome Day"

Baby, once I thought I knew
Everything I needed to know about you
Your sweet whisper, your tender touch
But I didn't really know that much
Joke's on me, well it's gonna be okay
If I can just get through this lonesome day
Lonesome day

Hell's brewin' dark sun's on the rise
This storm'll blow through by and by
House is on fire, viper's in the grass
A little revenge and this too shall pass
This too shall pass, yeah I'm gonna pray
Right now all I got's this lonesome day
Lonesome day

It's alright it's alright it's alright
Yeah
It's alright it's alright it's alright
Yeah
It's alright it's alright it's alright
Yeah
It's alright it's alright

Better ask questions before you shoot
Deceit and betrayals bitter fruit
It's hard to swallow, come time to pay
That taste on your tongue don't easily slip away

Let kingdom come I'm gonna find my way
Yeah through this lonesome day
Lonesome day
Lonesome day
Lonesome day

It's alright it's alright it's alright
Yeah
It's alright it's alright it's alright
Yeah
It's alright it's alright it's alright
Yeah
It's alright it's alright it's alright
Yeah
It's alright it's alright it's alright
Yeah
It's alright it's alright

Lonesome day
Lonesome day
Lonesome day

~~

I find Leonard Nimoy's voice incredibly soothing. Perhaps it's all of the early childhood viewings of Star Trek and In Search Of... that have wormed their way into my brain to create some sort of subconscious response, but the timbre of his voice is so incredibly peaceful to me. I've been watching a bunch of episodes of A&E Mysteries that he narrated, and I just feel so good, afterward. I want him to record all of my reading assignments.

Cool interview with one of my faves.

Christian Bale

The Long Way Round.

So, anyone who knows me well knows of my obsession with Ewan McGregor, which started six or seven years ago. After seeing him in an episode of "ER" and having him on my radar for a while, I decided, "Hmm, he's a pretty good actor. Let's see what else he has to offer." I delved into his body of work, and thus, my adoration began.

Yes, a lot of my attraction is rooted in the fact that he's damned hot--he pushes all of the Alexandra turn-on buttons: Celtic, boyish but masculine, funny, sexy and impish--but my appreciation goes deeper than that. I've always found him to be head and shoulders in talent above nearly every actor of my generation (and particularly over those who are younger). He has always put me in mind of the older greats--like the late Richard Burton, Albert Finney (and I noticed way before he played the younger version of Finney in Big Fish the striking resemblance...). As an actor, I've always appreciated his willingness to take risky roles (The Pillow Book, Velvet Goldmine), and dig himself feet-first into them, with unblinking commitment. His intuitiveness (at least as it appears on this side of the camera) as an actor is enviable.

Anyway, I've been meaning to watch his motorcycle documentary, The Long Way Round, since it came out, but it always seemed to get pushed back by other things. I picked it up the other day and consumed the whole thing in two days. For those not in the know, The Long Way Round features McGregor's bike journey with friend Charley Boorman from London, across Europe and Asia to New York. Literally. On motorcycles. Across 15 countries, and specifically through areas of Siberia and Russia that no one has dared to tread in decades--chock full of unnavigable dirt roads, washed out bridges, bears and lots and lots of mosquitoes.

The show was wrenching, funny and riveting. The insane journey, originally brainstormed by McGregor, took months to launch (people doubted they could do the trip, gee, wonder why?), and when finally mounted, presented challenges that even the über-prepared McGregor and Boorman (and stalwart support team) couldn't have envisioned. I found myself completely caught up in their trials, their triumphs, their emotional ups-and-downs.

The beautiful thing about this series was its examination of human endeavor and spirit. It was also an interesting look into the male psyche. Typically, when a man feels the need to conquer, he looks to bed as many women as possible to make himself feel more like a man. But after he becomes a committed husband and family man, what's left to conquer? The open road, of course! McGregor and Boorman's adventure was the contemporary equivalent of New World explorers launching out to sea. Watching the process of these two men becoming more of themselves the further they traveled was intoxicating. As Charley grew thinner and thinner and Ewan's beard grew to mountain-man proportions, their emotional layers continued to peel off with each successive video diary.

I can't recommend it enough. It was inspiring and incredibly uplifting. When I was preparing this blog, I looked up their website and discovered not only is there an extended 10-episode version of the series (it's on my public Amazon wishlist, *hint*), but they are currently on another journey together, this time traveling from Scotland to South Africa. I can't wait to see the next chapter in their travels. Safe journeys, good men--I wish I were with you. I may not be a man, and I may not ride a motorbike (although, now I'd really like to!), but the aching desire to be free, to explore and to evolve runs deep in me, too.

The Long Way Round