Katie loves the Oscars. Katie loves the often-berated award show so much that she talks in 3rd person. Katie couldn’t love the Oscars anymore unless they did something so wonderful, so out-of-this-world terrific that…

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin are hosting the Oscars.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been asking this question on the Popsyndicate forums for about a week now, but I’ll try it again here for those you of who listen to the show but don’t feel like registering on the boards: What do you want us to watch in the month of November?

We’ve gotten a lot of great suggestions from our listeners, but only 8 slots to fill, so we’re narrowing that down with the poll you see below you. Vote for the movie you love/want to hear us talk about/hate/want to hear us bitch about. Whatever, you get the idea.

Oh, and you can vote as often as you want this time twice, meaning that if there’s more than one movie that you want us to review, you can vote for both of them.

“We were warned…Roland Emmerich is about to blow up in our faces!” – Educated American Man

If you know me, and some of you do fairly well, then you know that I am head-over-heels in superlove (it’s a new type of extreme love) with disaster movies: Twister, The Day After Tomorrow, Armageddon, Deep Impact (guh, I know), Volcano…

Listen, I know they’re not the most perfectly made films of all time, so let’s get that straight. However, if you can’t sit back and enjoy watching the White House get exploded, crunched, zapped, lasered or whatever else(d), well then you have no sense of humor.

Disaster movies are what make humanity great. I just can’t get enough of them and I know I’m not alone. You better believe that on Friday, November 13, I’m going to feel like the luckiest woman in the world when those curtains part to reveal the masterpiece that I have been waiting for all my life – the ultimate disaster, captured on film for all to enjoy. The luckiest woman in the world.

I didn’t read Lehane’s Mystic River prior to seeing the film adaptation. The movie was good, but it never really charmed me the way it did others (Academy included). That said, when Leonardo DiCaprio is in a Scorsese movie, I will gladly make the effort to do some prefatory work/research. Besides, I heard some good things about Shutter Island and Dennis Lehane, so why not?

Why not is right. This was such a fun read. In fact, it was so fun that I couldn’t stop telling everyone around me how much fun it was with every passing chapter. “Oh jeeze, then the doctor was telling Teddy that he can’t leave the Island!” It was probably really annoying, and my apologies go out to the folks that had to suffer through my giddy, nerdy moments of lameness. The thing is though, I have no regrets! I want to encourage all of you to read it before seeing the movie. Why? Well, if the movie is bad (it could happen) then you will probably never be inspired to pick up the book.

Concerning the upcoming movie, the casting is seemingly perfect. Teddy Daniels was written for someone like Leo. And, my undying love for him aside, Mark Ruffalo will surely be a loveable Chuck Aule. I’m extremely excited to see how this plays out on film. If you’ve seen the trailer – and I’m sure most of you have by now – you may be discouraged because you feel as though you already know the ending. To that I say, “PFFFF!” There is much more going on here than some mere search for a missing patient—much more.

By Ryan Thies – HodgeBlodge 4^th Husband

I have a friend who once raised his glass and toasted: “If we play our cards right, our second wives haven’t even been born yet.”  We were 22 at the time.  I thought he was kidding, but now, years (and many relationships) later, I’m beginning to suspect that he wasn’t.

Time passes and circumstances evolve and when they do they change the way we view everything that was said and done prior.  This is especially true in politics–think: Congressman Mark Foley ranting against homosexuality now that you know he was sexting his young, male interns- but it’s also true in pop culture–doesn’t Michael Jackson’s unraveling ultimately change the way we all view Thriller?  My point is this:  I will never look at Ben Folds’ album, Songs for Silverman, the same way.

Ben Folds must get his dating advice from reality TV (possibly the Rock of Love bus) because he goes through wives like Larry King goes through, well, wives.  Ben’s currently on Wife #4–pretty impressive number to hit by the age of 43.  But the problem isn’t just his train-wreck of a love-life; well that probably is a problem, but my problem is that ultimately it taints (or at least changes) his art.  Like the statues at Haunted Mansion, suddenly Folds’ songs follow you, in the bad way, shifting their appearance as you look at them differently.

His first solo album, Rocking the Suburbs, was all about new love, about falling head-over-heals, and about white kids listening to Quiet Riot.  And clearly this second album was about him settling into married life, about reflecting on his life before her, and about Elliott Smith cheating in basketball.  I have listened to that second album maybe 30 times, but it wasn’t until Folds made a comment in concert (“the last album was a breakup album”)–while admitting that he and wife #3 were now divorced, while simultaneously unveiling wife #4–that the whole thing changed for me.  It was a bit much to drop all at once; maybe he’s actually been taking his advice from Lost and Jerry Springer.

Initially track one, Bastard, was just another Folds song about the weird people who have crossed his path.  Maybe it was about his father, or just a father-figure; but clearly it’s just about the passing of an old man, I told myself. But then Folds changed the context.  And suddenly the song wasn’t about some quirky old man, suddenly Bastard was about Folds’ fears of dying alone.  Did he mean it that way?  I have no clue, but all I know is that the song will never be the same simply because of some context that I would never have considered.

This album was released while all of us presumed he was happily married.  Sure there were songs about marriages that didn’t last (You to Thank) but he was open about those because he was happy now…right?  Even the song about his daughter, Gracie, was just about the fears that all dads have about their little girls growing up.  I mean it’s not weird to write a song for a 4-year-old saying that you hope you taught her everything she needs to know…right?  And all the songs about being with a crazy chick (Trusted) or about relationships that had hit the skids (Sentimental Guy, Time) or about a relationship with a crazy chick that hit the skids(Landed), I mean he just wrote those now because he was able to reflect on all the bad relationships he had in the distant past…right?

But he wrote about happy times too.  After all the last track of the album is about walking on the beach with his wife, and it’s called…Prison Food. Oh.  I guess I didn’t really think about that.  Or about the fact that the refrain is “Alone/Alone again” over and over again.

I guess it was all there, right in front of me, but I never really bothered to wonder if maybe there was something in his life that we didn’t know yet.  I guess it never occurred to me to wonder if a guy that had been married three times in his 30s was possibly not on his last marriage.  I guess ultimately it makes sense why so many artists say so little about themselves personally, their art is completely at the discretion of the listener, but presumably they would like their art to stay above whatever mistakes they make personally.

All of this has lead me to listen a little closer, and think a little wider about music- or at least about the people that make the music.  And it’s lead me to suspect that it’s entirely possible that, if he plays his cards right, Ben Folds will one-day release an album about a woman who isn’t even born yet.

[They took down the Expendables trailer - cause it was so bad probably:)]

A team of mercenaries head to South America on a mission to overthrow a dictator. Also, it’s dumb probably. Sorry guys, I know a lot of you are stoked on this.

The Wild Things by Dave Eggers

I didn’t want to wait for the Reviews in Review: October Books Edish post to mention this little wonder. Why? Well, that should be obvious for a couple of reasons: 1) The movie is coming out in two weeks and 2) there is no way that I can walk around living life without saying word-one about this story.

Okay, now that my face has adequately dried from the damp and pathetic red mess that it was five minutes ago…

…don’t worry. I would never spoil anything for you. Some of you may even be thinking, “Pffff, what’s she going to spoil? I was reading this book when I was four years old. Come on!” Well, jerk, that is certainly not the attitude you’re going to want to have while reading this or seeing the film. I hope that you won’t act that way at least. I hope that you’ll dig down deep – or not so deep for those like myself – and find that little you, and put them on your shoulders and take them along for this wonderful journey.

Now, I want to address some basic questions.

Is the book good? Yes.

Did I cry? Yes, the end was…

Would I read this to my children? That’s rather presumptuous of you to ask. I mean, I’m only 26 years old. What are you implying? That my biological clock is ticking and since I am a lady I must be thinking about having kids? How dare you ask me that! And yes, I will absolutely be reading this to little Utah Jack and Indiana Danger.

Will the book be the same as the movie? You may have heard by now that this novel is an extension of Sendak’s original combined with the upcoming film’s screenplay. That said, I think Eggers probably puts it best when he says (in the Acknowledgement section):

“The children’s book Max is, after all, a version of Maurice, and the movie Max is a version of Spike. The Max of this book, then, is some combination of Maurice’s Max, Spike’s Max, and the Max of my own boyhood.”

Eggers also says, “…along the way, while getting lost, Max-like, in the thicket of the plot, I found other pathways into and out of the island…”

So, are they exactly the same? No. And how fortunate we are that this is the case. Now, not only do we get to read a fantastic new version of a childhood love, we get to see a new version of said new version of previous mentioned childhood love.

I’m so excited. Ahem, now please excuse me while I go cry for a bit more before wandering out the streets to scream “Arrrrooooooo” at passing cars.

Yippee!

If you’d like to follow along with the ShowShow crew, please feel free to check out the complete calendar (click on the tab at the top of the site)! Or, if you’d rather just listen to the stupid garbage we have to say, you can download the show at showshow.podomatic.com or find us on iTunes. While you’re there, please take a minute it write us a short review. We’d love that. Really.

Happy Spooktacular, Everyone!

~Wynne

In Jonathan Mostow’s new movie starring Bruce Willis, Surrogates were created to help those less capable to live fuller lives. For example, if you were unable to walk, you could jack into a Surrogate and be on your merry way – skipping, running, par-quoring, jumping up walls and onto cars and other general Spiderman verbs. Surrogates allow you to live a life without pain or risk of dismemberment.

However, even if you were jacked into a beautiful (or handsome) Surrogate, dressed to the nines, happy as a clam, and you walked into the theater to watch this movie, you would STILL feel the brutal force of awfulness hit you at every receptor. The pain would be great, the effect permanent – a catatonic state of “why, oh why!?” wherein you wander the planet alone, aloof and soulless.

Ahem, Surrogates was bad. Real bad. I was hoping that at the very least I would be able to laugh through it and cheer each time Willis picked up a gun. I was wrong. Instead, I was angry, bored, angry, frustrated, confused, bored again and then just sort of baffled. James Cromwell, why do you insist on creating evil future doom all the time? Why do you do it? You know how it will end for cryin’ out loud. You were in I, Robot weren’t you. Okay then, come on!

Before I cease this rant I want to leave you with a final thought. Surrogates can do everything. They run, smile, drive, eat, drink, ski – you name it. Oh wait, there is one thing they can’t do – dance. Yes, apparently the systematic testing of the Surrogates fell short of Dancing 101. In one of the first scenes you are introduced to a Surrogate dance club, and guess what, they are all dancing the robot. Yep, this is that kind of bad.

There, I’m done. If I had a Surrogate right now I would skydive into Michael Ferris and John D. Brancato’s homes (they were the screenwriters) and shake them into submission, all the while screaming “You actually achieved what I once thought was unachievable! You made a bad movie despite the fact that Bruce Willis has a gun in it! How did you do it? How and why?!”

Weed Man: The Remarkable Journey of Jimmy Divine
By John McCaslin
An account of the unbelievable exploits of a Jimmy Moree – a law-abiding citizen turned million-dollar drug trafficker, who, amidst sometimes unbelievable, hilarious and escalating circumstances, risked life and limb to both make – and give away – a fortune.

I can’t say that I read this book by choice. It was recommended to me by a friend. I also can’t say that I enjoyed it. Maybe it’s my fault. Maybe I’ve already watched so many drug-smuggling-themed movies, so this offered me nothing new. A mellow guy starts running drugs, gets rich, gets over it, quits and now lives his life. Okay, anything else you’d like to add? No? Sigh.

A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father
By Augusten Burroughs

I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. I say that because after reading and watching the film adaption of Running with Scissors, I decided that Burroughs wasn’t for me – I guess I just don’t dig his style. However, the extremely dark nature of WATT pulled me in almost immediately and in the end the creepy and sometimes horrifying father figure changed my opinion of the author (slightly). It’s quick, it’s scary – it’d be a great October read.

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment
By Steve Harvey

“Women should listen to Steve Harvey when it comes to what a good man is about. Steve Harvey dispenses a lot of fabulous information about men. It’s more than the average man will usually tell you. Steve Harvey will give it up.” — Aretha Franklin

Jessica read this book to me and since then I have referenced it almost once a day. Not only are there some incredible quotes, but Harvey has some pretty practical things to say. I know, I know. Look at the cover – you’re not going to pick this one up, are you? Well fine, but know that you are missing out on some great memories.

For example, a few of us brought this book to Mimi’s Café and read it while enjoying a light dinner. The waiter – was his name Joe? – overheard us and couldn’t help but join in the conversation. The result: a close look into the life of our waiter, a lesson learned about why women shouldn’t have to pay for things and an understanding of the “Three P’s.” It’s actually really great.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog
By Muriel Barbey

I came across this book while blindly searching for a new read. I needed something and I needed it fast. So, I looked at some best-seller lists online, walked to Borders on my lunch break and – VOILA! – there it was. The Elegance of the Hedgehog. When I reached for it I had no idea that this book…this book with its awful cover, this book about two women, this book that became a publishing sensation in France, this book that I never wanted to end, this book that has already passed its fiftieth reprint, this book that did end, this book that has been adapted for film with a release date of 2008/2009, this book that was written with the beauty of a camellia… I had no idea that this book would change my life.

As soon as I turned the final page I wanted to begin again. I could honestly talk about TEOTHH all day long. So, if you’re interested please, please, PLEASE go pick up a copy and let’s talk. Everyone deserves to read this. Everyone.