Dreaming of Nightmares

yeah, I know. I'm tapped in the head.

But seriously, I can't wait for the new Nightmare On Elm Street, which opens this Friday. I generally can't stand the current trend of revamping the cherished 80's movies of my childhood. There is actually a short list of movies that if anyone touches, I'll have their balls. With a spoon. I guess Nightmare would have been on that list, not only as an 80's-Film-You-Don't-Fuck-With, but as a Horror-Movie-You-Don't-Fuck-With. There are hordes of fans out there who squealed with delight to hear that Rob Zombie was directing a new Halloween, only to be disappointed, utterly. And Friday the 13th? I couldn't even bother watching, hearing derisive reviews and a general consensus of suck. Why should this new "Nightmare" be any different? And why do I care so much?

I have a confession, dear readers. I'm warped in the head. Freddy Krueger captured my youthful imagination like no other movie. Perhaps because this particular bogey-man was interwoven in my most beloved of past-times, dreaming. I dreamt on Elm Street, wandering rainy streets at night looking for the house I knew to be sieged by supernatural terror. I was never afraid in these dreams, and Freddy wasn't necessarily evil, simply an entity to face. The mortality of life hadn't settled in yet, and even death was an adventure. (I was a terribly macabre child) I begged to see "Nightmare IV" in the theater (and did)- and I don't know how I'll explain to the youngling that he's named after The Dream Child.

So I have a vested interest, let's leave it at that. Now, the question remains, will it be any good?

The trailers have me thinking, maybe so. 26 Years Later, and movie production is infinitely more spectacular. The special effects alone should be worth the movie ticket. And I have to give them credit: there are some identical scenes in Nightmare '10 - and some interesting new ones as well. But what about our favorite deranged slasher, Freddy? The iconic Robert Englund *was* Freddy. (as a side note, he made a spectacular guest appearance on an episode of "Bones" two weeks ago, chock full of Freddy humor) Who could possibly fill his shoes? I love Jackie Earl Haley - Watchmen is a personal favorite - but will he be a BBQ'd Rorsharch and nothing more? I'm nervous like a teenager going on a first date...

Tha-thump, Tha-thump.

What are your thoughts? Epic FAIL or Franchise Revival?

oh, and expect a *thorough* review by Monday. The laundry will wait.



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Listening to: Coheed and Cambria - In The Flame Of Error
via FoxyTunes

An Extra Serving of Awesome

so here it is, version one of the Anti-Stepford overhaul. after all that designing and coding, I have a hefty butcher knife sized headache coming on... but don't feel bad, guys. It was a labor of love. *snark*

you love me.

what's the general consensus?

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Listening to: Soundgarden - Spoonman
via FoxyTunes

Ode to Hildebrandt(s)

Even as a wee lass, I wasn't very good at the "girly" thing. You know - sugar, spice, everything nice, rainbows and butterflies. Screw that shit. In my early teen years, my idols were ass-kicking, Lycra wearing instruments of vengeance and justice. My thirteenth summer, slathered in bug spray at the picnic table, I mirrored my older foster brother and carefully drew from a 2 1/2 X 3 1/2 card these amazing heroes and villains - creating 8 x 10 homages to telepathy, pyrokenisis, super-strength and every other mutant power imaginable.

Over time my drawing skills improved (I was never terrible, to give myself credit. But whoever says art isn't work needs a punch in the face.) Throughout my teens I produced countless renditions of these beloved characters... drawing comfort from their strength and weaknesses, trials and tribulations. Walkman - the cassette kind, to be clear; and if you don't know what a cassette is, go play with some Teletubbies in traffic, ok? - and sketchpad were my companions, and drawing Angela's righteous and gory adventures in Spawn became my peace, my blood-colored rainbow.

Throughout college and my subsequent adulthood, I've revisited those days from time to time, but never with any genuine effort or concentration. I repeat; Art is WORK. Whenever the desire to create would tickle my fancy, frustration got the better of me, as the lithe powerful forms I used to draw with ease eluded me.

I've recently been suffering one of these artistic seizures, and haven't been too impressed with my results. Normally, now's the time my infamous A.D.D. kicks in and pulls me to another of my chaotic interests. As in "Screw This, I Don't Want To Play With You Guys Anymore". But I'm finding there's something compelling me to invest a little more time and effort into this endeavor, and damned if I'm not daydreaming a leisurely afternoon with some A Perfect Circle, my watercolors and ink, and a sexy femme fatale in a mask. Ahh, the fodder for Comic-Con wet dreams everywhere...

I have the immensely talented Hildebrant Brothers to thank for much of my childhood inspiration... during my misspent youth I had collected almost the entire Marvel Masterpiece 1994 Series of Comic Book Cards, each a shrine to artwork and the glory of a world where good and evil may have worn masks, had fiery multiple personality disorders (ohh, sweet Phoenix), and tormented souls (♥Spawn♥) but by and large, they were better beings than we could ever hope to be, awesome terrible creations of our imagination that were simply projections of the desires in all of us. And, they made tights and utility belts look damned good.

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Listening to: Jeff Buckley - Your Flesh Is So Nice
via FoxyTunes

(The Triumphant Return Of) SuperNerdSaturday

For the first time since its inception, I'm back with this shrine to all things geek here at the Anti-Stepford. And man, has it been a geeky six weeks over here...

To recap, when last we visited, I was drooling with anticipation for the newest installment in the Final Fantasy series. It had been eons since I had lost myself in a quality RPG, (The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion may have been the last...) and Squaresoft/Enix has always had a place in my heart. Shortly after creating SNS, I got my wish. Many long hours and sleepless nights ensued.
Bestie, gamer geek extraordinaire, and I shared custody of this epic three disc behemoth, creeping clandestine into the other's room, extracting the current disc like it were made of gold, taking care not to the wake the other, who was more than likely asleep with the menu screen on indefinite loop (for those hardcore gamers out there, waking with your controller in hand is part of the joy... "Dearly Beloved" - the title screen track from Kingdom Hearts, is one of my favorites).
Three discs. Holy shit. Bestie and I devoured the game with glee, grinding levels and smiling with every familiar reference - from Cid to the Moogles (Kupo!) We plodded along with high hopes. Trading impressions and boss battle tips as the days progressed. Being total, well, nerds.
Two things happened during the course of playing this game. Number One: I broke my hard drive. Sonofamuthafuckin whore in Babylon. Yeah. And having not connected to XBox Live in some time, I'm pretty sure all my save data is burning in hell with said hard drive. This is the quintessential FML.

BUT, as I lamented the hours invested, I realized I didn't care all that much to start over again. Are you kidding me? This is a FF GAME. Replay Value is equivalent to Unobtanium. Should've been a minor bump in the road, but it wasn't.
For starters, the leveling style was largely reminiscent of the the Sphere Grid in FFX, this time represented in Crystals that are earned at the end of battles. There is no Gil earned through battle, and no EXP/MP. A little jarring at first, but manageable. I'm used to many different flavors of the same enchilada... But I digress. The Battle System is an interesting hybrid of turn based and real-time, using Paradigms (Battle Strategies) as active combat. Once I got the swing of things, I found that I loved this new attack system. But my eagerness and excitement were quickly dimmed as I progressed through Disc One. The game, known for its sweeping open realms, is largely linear in this installment. Don't get me wrong, I love a good story line (The mind blowing twist in StarOcean? Aerith?) but this one draaagggeeedd. Maybe it was the absolute lack of free exploration, and the less than stellar characters, but I wasn't grabbed the way I was hoping. I wanted to eat, sleep, and breathe Final Fantasy XIII until I puked. And not to be a spoil sport (*hint, hint* don't read if you don't want me to ruin it for you, kthx) - but NO Airship? NO towns to explore? Seriously?!? An overall feeling of disappointment is all I left with (and for the record, Bestie as well, who has far more comparative knowledge on the subject, and to whom I defer to in all things Holy and Console related) Perhaps I'll revisit it in the future, but for now, Mass Effect 2 is up at bat.

In other nerd-er-iffic news, Dr. Who returned last Saturday night on BBC America with Series 5 - the debut of the 11th Doctor played by Matt Smith, and his companion, Amelia Pond, played by Karen Gillan. Mr. Anti-Stepford and myself were trepidatious. Who could *possibly* replace David Tennant? I cried like a bitch during "The End of Time" & "Journey's End", not gonna lie. Eleven better be a demigod, or there's no hope.

I was caught completely off guard. The rambling, goofy Doctor played by Matt Smith is endearing and affable, his Scottish companion quirky and full of spunk, without all of whining of Donna Noble. Not to mention she's smokin' hot. Wouldn't mind making her breakfast ;-) Again, I digress...
With the departure of David Tennant, head writer Russell T. Davies also left the series, only adding to my doubts about this new Doctor. But once again, color me shocked and awed, the spectacular script writing promises an engaging story line and plenty of room for the characters to grow. Don't get me wrong, I'll always love 10 and Rose, but I'm giddy for tonight's installment of Episode Two "The Beast Below".

My, how I ramble. So much to catch up on, only so much mindless babble one can write in one day. The natives are restless, and its time to unplug and soak up some sunshine.

What nerd flag are YOU flying of late? Hmmm?


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Listening to: Coheed and Cambria - Welcome Home
via FoxyTunes

Early to Bed, Early to Rise. Crap.

A redundant and obvious statement. but staying up so late at night makes for one tired (and yes, occasionally cranky) Anti-Stepford. My circadian rhythms have always been a little froggy - more akin to club-goers and scene-sters than your run-of-the-mill housewife. What can I say? I like the moonlight. ::wicked grin::

Generally speaking, I hit the lottery with the youngling as far as sleep patterns go. He's always been a pretty good sleeper, and even when he was a mewling Kewpie Doll, he would still let me sleep until 8:30-9:00am. (keep your snide comments to yourselves, jealous parents! I've heard it all ;-p) But lately, in the past few weeks, we've developed a pattern of waking earlier and earlier. I can only attribute this to one of two things. Either the Alien Invasion has begun, and my son is a Visitor in disguise, or the burgeoning Spring and earlier sunrise are turning my adorable little vamp-son into (gasp! sob!) - a morning person.



No! It can't be! What is this world coming to? Next thing I know, he'll be demanding clothes from L.L. Bean, tending to his financial portfolio, and (I can hardly bear to think it) voting Republican.

No. Not me. NOT my child.

::sniffle... sniffle::

Perhaps I'm being a little melodramatic. I DO find that these earlier mornings, while hell on my brain function and major cutting into Mommy-Time (Falling asleep, first beer in hand, blows.) are pretty damned productive. I tend to have the house tidier, and have more time during the day to get shit done, and can catch up on my Glenn Beck...

Wait. Shit, I was having a nightmare. ::slaps herself::

there, that's better. *yawn*



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Listening to: Goldfrapp - Slippage
via FoxyTunes

Why I Love Jon Stewart

I hate the news.

I admit, I'm not well versed when it comes to the treacherous waters of politics. I consider myself reasonably intelligent (despite my best college-hazed efforts) and have a base understanding of many of the issues facing our country today, and a respectable grasp on our nation's history. But I just can't find the energy to watch CNN or FOX News to dissect this memorandum or that candidate's pandering on every single issue. The Health Care Reform Bill, Foreign Policy, Legalizing Marijuana - all of it frustrates me, not because I don't care, but, basically, because of the politics. The endless squabble over, what to me, is common sense. Perhaps ignorance truly is bliss.

But as an adult, a mother, a wife, an American, I have a responsibility of awareness and participation. So where do I turn for my news? Every media source has its own spin - catch phrases like "Liberal Elite" and "Socialist Reform" saturate every broadcast, and I'm just smart enough to know that I don't know enough to trust the sources.

Enter Jon Stewart to save the day.

Now, aside from the fact that he's a handsome, charming Jewish boy, the man is freaking hilarious. The wry humor he imparts during his broadcast is side-splitting at times - making the news much less bitter to swallow. But the real genius in the Daily Show is its honesty, and ability to laugh at itself. Coupled with Stewart's bottomless wealth of knowledge, historical and current, I find the show thought provoking and insightful. I don't necessarily agree with everything he has to say, but I take many of the same stands politically, and can appreciate that rather than dumb down the news, or assume that the masses are sheep to be herded, Stewart caters to an audience of intelligence.

Even for those who are violently opposed to his politics, you have to appreciate the honesty and humility in his reporting.

And of course, his sweet dance moves...

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Bernie Goldberg Fires Back
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

AWOL

Shit. I've done it again.

Gone AWOL for an indefinite period of time, abandoning my little niche in the ether... well, in my defense, it certainly wasn't intentional. Or (for once) due to my A.D.D. and fickle nature. My computer crapped out on me over a month ago, and with no way to access the World Wide Web and all its glory, Anti-Stepford sat ignored in the corner, collecting dust and pouting with indignation.

So, like a neglectful parent, I'm hoping to make it up to ... myself? my huge (*snark*) readership? anywho, I digress... and no, there's no shiny new bike to buy my affection. Hopefully a worthy post or two will set things right.

And what a long month its been...

I took on even more cleaning/remodeling projects. Braved the last remnants of winter while anxiously looking for the sprouting of spring. Considered starting a garden. Watched every episode of The Big Bang Theory. Played Final Fantasy XIII for hours on end, only to find it utterly disappointing. (more on that later - it hasn't escaped my attention that today is also SuperNerdSaturday) Struggled. Laughed. Cried. Drank a little whiskey. Enjoyed some kickass live shows at Guru. Dreamed. Drew. Lived.

And today, lost a friend.

Social networking is a curious thing... news travels lightening fast, spreading in ripples and swelling. A friend from High School, with whom I'd reconnected via Facebook, passed suddenly in the night of pneumonia. Leaving me gazing out the window on this grey and rainy day, contemplating the fragility and relative futility of it all. This tenuous moment that we are graced with - to live and connect, grow and love - do we ever truly appreciate the magnitude until its gone? Is the memory we leave for our loved ones our only legacy, our truest impact? How will I be remembered when I'm gone?

*sigh*

there are no easy answers.

Rest In Peace, Jeff. Your heart was too big for this world.






















Jeff Rhodes



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Listening to: Puscifer - The Humbling River
via FoxyTunes