Yesterday ... er, two days ago (see, I'm still in a post-holiday fog), I posted the first half of what I watched over the break. Here's the rest.

8. Little Children

As a Kate Winslet fan, I was really looking forward to this one. But by the end, I was disappointed and even a little annoyed. The characters seem to create their own problems and not really learn anything from their experiences. And I'm not sure Winslet was the right choice for the role — not that I minded seeing her naked!

Here's a clip of Winslet shocking the other moms at the playground: … continue reading

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