Over the holidays, I went to a very special place: smack dab in front of my TV. Yeah, fine, I already spend a lot of time there. But rarely do I get to spend hours and hours of quality time with the DVR. Pure bliss. And when I did leave the apartment, I went to the movies. Even more bliss!

So because I'm still in a fog of TV- and film-induced joy, the most I can manage to do today is reflect on those days of uninterrupted entertainment.

(Note: I did do some reading, too. I finished Away by Amy Bloom, which was just OK, and I plowed through a pile of magazines. There; now I feel slightly better about my couch potato tendencies.)

1. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Practically perfect in every way. I've loved the score for a long time, especially "Johanna" and "Pretty Women." But the recent Broadway show (starring Patti LuPone) was a huge disappointment. So I'm thrilled that Tim Burton got it exactly right and did justice to Sondheim's genius. "A Little Priest" — aka the song-and-dance number with cleaver and rolling pin — is awesome. … continue reading

The promotion machine for Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street is in high gear as the movie's December 21 release approaches and, I must say, Helena Bonham Carter is a smashing Mrs. Lovett.

Her childhood friends are not surprised, according to Bonham Carter's interview in the December issue of Marie Claire. "One of my friends said, 'Of course you'll get the part. We called you Mrs. Lovett when you were 13 — you walked around with her horned hairdo for a year.'" Of course she did. … continue reading

Well, I didn't, but that comment just makes me love Helena Bonham Carter even more. I blogged in August about why — despite nagging twinges of "can this really work?" — she is the reason I'm excited for a musical releasing on December 21 that really is a (rather violent) gift for the holidays: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. That's right, instead of visions of sugar plums dancing, we'll have straight razors and special pies in which the special ingredient isn't love. (This may be more appropriate to the extended family dynamics around the holidays, anyway, if you know what I mean.)

The trailer hit the web yesterday, and I was on it right away. But before I start in (and yes, there will be starting in), take a look for yourself. … continue reading