Category Archives: Lists

Your Unofficial Guide to your new TV Addictions

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May is always an exciting/bittersweet time in television, as our favorite shows wrap up and stow away in their little TV hibernation caves and don’t come out until September. It’s also the time when network execs decide who won’t be coming out of their hibernation caves and which new shows will get a chance to play with the other shows. This is a horrible analogy, but you (hopefully) know what I mean.

Last week, the networks debuted the trailers for new pilots coming at us in the fall. Here are the most promising shows that actually have a shot of making it past one season*.

NBC

Comedy
Sean Saves the World {Thursday @ 9p}

Sean Hayes is back on TV! Not only that but he’s back on NBC on Must See TV night. aka Thursday, because NBC *peacocks* comedy. He plays a single gay dad raising a teenage girl, hilarity ensues.

The Michael J. Fox Show {Thursday @ 9:30p}

NBC is really gunning for nostalgia this season, as another TV legend, Michael J. Fox comes back to the small screen. He plays a man with Parkinson’s disease who returns to work because he’s bored and feels like he’s annoying his family. Anyone who can make fun of themselves to this degree is A OK in my book.

About a Boy {Tuesday @ 9:30p – Midseason replacement}
Based on the Hugh Grant movie of the same name, David Walton plays the dad part and Benjamin Stockham (the kid from 1600 Penn RIP) plays the son. Don’t really care if it’s good or not but I’m watching this because it’s executive produced by Friday Night Lights and Parenthood god Jason Katims.

Drama
The Blacklist {Monday @ 10p}

The world’s most wanted criminal, played by a creepy James Spader, turns himself in to the police and offers to give up info about other criminals they’ve been chasing for years. Apparently The Blacklist was the highest tested show among the past 125 pilots NBC has seen over the past decade, so it has to be good, right?

FOX

Comedy
Us and Them

Listen, if you’re going to put two people from two of my all-time favorite shows together, I’m going to watch it. And it doesn’t even matter that in an alternate world, the guy dated her mom. Of course I’m taking about the great Jason Ritter (who is Lauren Graham’s true love on Parenthood) and Alexis Bledel (who is of course Lorelai III). But somehow – somehow, it works.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine {Tuesdays @ 8:30p}

I’m going to be honest with you. I’m not sure if this show’s going to make it. On paper, it sounds great. This cop show stars Andy Samberg as an aloof officer and is executive produced by Mike Schur (the genius behind Parks and Rec and ex-writer/Mose of The Office). The trailer was just okay, but I’m hoping it’ll be better than I think.

ABC

Comedy
Super Fun Night {Wednesdays @ 9:30p}

Rebel Wilson. That is all.

Trophy Wife {Tuesdays @ 9:30p}

JOSH LYMAN!! JOSH LYMAN, YOU GUYS!!! Sorry. This is the first show Bradley Whitford has been on since I finished watching The West Wing, so I’m just excited he’s back on TV. BUT JOSH LYMAN!!!

The Goldbergs {Tuesdays @ 9p}

The Goldbergs is very Wonder Years-esque, but more of a quirky, Malcolm in the Middle type Wonder Years. It’s set in 1980s, so just watching it is like stepping into a

Drama
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. {Tuesdays @ 8p}

This involves Marvel and superheroes. I may not be particularly interested in it, but this will be a hit for sure.

CBS

Comedy
Mom {Mondays @ 9:30p}

Anna Farris as a single mom, who’s dealing with her own mom – Allison Janney? Yes, okay.

Drama
Hostages {Mondays @ 10p}

Toni Collette plays a Washington, D.C. surgeon who is scheduled to operate on the President. Except the night before, some random conspirators take her and her family hostage and threaten to kill her entire family unless she intentionally kills POTUS. Scary shit, y’all.

Intelligence {Mondays @ 10p/Midseason replacement}

This show has something to do with technology of the future and Lost’s Josh Holloway. I’m not really sure, but it looks really cool.

*unless it’s NBC, in which case anything is up in the air and everything will be cancelled after one episode.

Playlist of the Month: On the Road Again

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This is a special time of year for us here at Cookies + Sangria. Both of us consider the time we left our study abroad countries as an “anniversary” of sorts, and we’re both at 7 years now. It’s hard to believe, frankly. Although the whole “college girl who goes abroad and learns about the world and herself” thing is a bit of a cliche, that’s exactly what happened for us.

We’ve both spent our fair share of time on the road and in the air since then, and we still love a good travelin’ song. Hopefully you do, too. Bon voyage, nos amis!

Check out the full playlist on Spotify!

Molly’s Picks:

Travel Light by Johnny Flynn and Laura Marling

When I was an astronaut I didn’t have my boots, When I was a coal miner I didn’t have the news, When I was a record store I didn’t have the blues, I travel light and that’s the life for me.

This is one of my personal travel anthems, and it doesn’t make a half-bad life anthem, either. Originally recorded by Diane Cluck and Jeffrey Lewis, I much prefer the Flynn/Marling cover.

Shambala by Three Dog Night

Everyone is lucky, everyone is so kind, On the road to Shambala

In Nicaragua, our driver had a CD with about 5 tracks on it. We listened to it about 900 times over the course of a month. This was one of those songs, and it always brings me back to that hot, dusty village. Maybe an odd pick, but for me it sums up those perfect travel experiences where everyone you meet on the road is helpful and kind.

California by Joni Mitchell

They said “How long can you hang around?”/ I said a week maybe two, Just until my skin turns brown

On more long-term trips out of the country, it’s a weird, ambivalent thing thinking about your homeland from abroad. You’re sort of enchanted with everything you see, and you’re sort of ready to pack up and head home, too. Not that home is perfect: Joni was writing during Vietnam, and I was traveling a lot during the worst of the Iraq mess. Travel can magnify your home country’s flaws and make you miss it terribly all at the same time.

Elias by Dispatch

Distance is short when your hand carries what your eye found

When I left Spain, I learned one of the secrets of traveling: if you do it right, it means that wherever you go, you will always miss someone. I missed my friends and family in the U.S. during my months abroad, but when I came home, I missed my friends and “family” in Madrid. It’s worth making personal connections with people you meet on your travels, even if you have to accept that you may go the rest of your life without seeing them again.

Clean Getaway by Maria Taylor

He felt just like love. Except no fear of losing, and it wasn’t tough.

It’s so amazing when you travel that wherever you are is just plain home to someone else. Rather than making you feel empty that you’re anonymous, it mostly just feels free. This one reminds me of moving to a city where I didn’t know a soul but my own, which is always good to do in your early 20s (before, like a used car, your shock absorbers start to go).

Honorary mentions: I love Safe Travels (Don’t Die), but it’s more relevant when somebody else is doing the traveling. Chicago is another travel song I love, but like most Sufjan Stevens tunes, it means about 3 different things to me and will probably find its way onto a different Playlist of the Month anyway.

Traci’s Picks:

3×5 by John Mayer

Today skies are painted in a cowboy cliche. Strange how clouds that look like mountains in the sky are next to mountains anyway.
This is a travelin’ song if I ever heard one. Driving down the road, taking in nature, the sights, but it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t have someone you care about sharing it with you. Not to mention the instrumentals are a perfect background for his picturesque lyrics. It just feels like you’re on the move.

Going Home by Marc Broussard

You know I was born to roam.

In the same vein as 3×5, this jam has a general driving/travel theme in the lyrics, and the music feel like you’re on an old-timey train – like Hogwarts Express – going through the US to your love.

Cathedrals by Jump Little Children

In the cathedrals of New York and Rome, there is a feeling that you should just go home – and spend a lifetime finding out just where that is.

When I studied abroad, I discovered this song and it really hit me. I had this weird emotion where I wanted to be back home in America, where everything was familiar, and where my friends and family were. But at the same time I wanted to explore every single city in Europe – a place where I was slowly calling home too.

Chocolate by Snow Patrol

This could be the very minute I’m aware I’m alive. All these places feel like home.

Gosh, if there was a scene in my autobiographical movie, where I was running through the streets of a foreign country with a handsome man and exploring everything, it would be set to this song.

Heads Carolina, Tails California by Jo Dee Messina

We can pack up tomorrow. Tonight, let’s flip a coin.

Ok, this song is admittedly corny, but we played this on our road trip from the east coast to LA constantly. The idea of just packing up and not knowing where to go next was an idea that I would never dare to do, but our semi-planned drive across the country was the closest thing I’ll ever get to flipping a coin and leaving.

Best SNL Sendoffs

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Remember the pomp and grandeur of high school and college graduation? Saturday Night Live sendoffs are nothing like that, thank God. It’s more like that last get-together before all your friends took off for freshman year of college, or the final walk-through of your college house the week after graduation. It’s informal, and everyone is trying to be light-hearted. In most cases, you are genuinely happy for the opportunities ahead for your friends. But underneath all of it, there’s that knowledge that you have reached the end of the life you’ve gotten used to. A few tears, some laughs, and a lot of gratitude – here are a couple of my favorite goodbyes from cast members leaving Studio 8H.

Seth Meyers and Bill Hader

I wrote this post last week hoping against hope that I would be able to add another great goodbye from this weekend. I wasn’t disappointed. This included Stefan’s club attractions brought to life, Anderson Cooper, Amy Poehler, and the wedding of Stefan and Seth, who were sent off by all of the great Weekend Update regulars of the past several years. I loved it, and keep seeing new callback club characters every time I watch it. Which has been … some times.

Kristen Wiig

I cried watching this. I cried re-watching it. Then, I cried just thinking about it as an emotional Kristen Wiig took the stage as an SNL host this month. Everything about this was perfect. Poehler and Dratch even show up, which is exactly how I plan to leave every job ever.

A note: a few articles after the fact talked about how Jason Sudekis was clearly pissed off because he wasn’t clapping and dancing. I disagree – am I the only one who sees the man fighting back tears? I recognized the need to hang back, as another person who is terrible with permanent goodbyes. Seriously. When I said a prayer over my grandmother’s coffin, I think I told her “I mean, we’ll still get coffee sometimes or something.” When I visit graves of loved ones, I pray “don’t worry, we’ll totally keep in touch.” I get it.

Jimmy Fallon

We were just teens in the early 2000s, when this blog would have probably been hosted on Livejournal and called Cookies + Juiceboxes. And man, did we spend our fair share of study halls and lunch periods discussing the merits of Jimmy Fallon. So, how much did I love it when Jimmy went out on a parody of a classic high school flick right before we graduated high school for real?

On a related note, for all of you cringing at the YouTube video clearly snagged off of someone’s tv screen, let me tell you this. When I was in high school, we would have watched this as a camcorder video made of someone’s home VHS recording of the episode. And it would have been posted on Kazaa. And that’s if we were LUCKY, because we usually had to wait for someone to get off the phone so we could use the internet. I mean, we were practically accessing the internet via a tin can and string. You kids don’t know how comparatively okay you have it.

Gilda Radner

On my well-worn childhood VHS tape of The Best of Gilda Radner, there was the classic sketch “Dancing in the Dark.” I didn’t learn that it was also used as a farewell until years later. As fate would have it, Gilda’s dancing/comedy partner Steve Martin was hosting SNL the day she died, and this is how he said goodbye. Radner passed on early on a Saturday and there was time to assemble a tribute by showtime. Of course. In fact, she even would have been ready for prime-time.

A note: I wrote this post last week, as well as another mentioning Gilda that will be posted later in the week. I didn’t realize it at the time, but today marks the 24th anniversary of her death. The subconscious is a funny thing. Not funny “ha-ha,” like this classic song I’ll throw in for good measure:

Phil Hartman and Chris Farley

[http://www.buzzfeed.com/stacylambe/the-top-5-snl-departures?sub=1578360_309810]

Sorry for all of the tragedy and heartbreak in this post. I didn’t mean to. I still remember how shocked I was by both of these deaths.

All sorrow aside, this is by far the most ’90s thing you’ll probably watch all week.

Do you spy Sarah Silverman looking exactly the same 20 years ago as she does now? I think she bathes in the blood of virgins.

The only place I could find this video online was a Buzzfeed article with the exact same thesis as mine. No surprise there — Buzzfeed is always one step ahead of me. When I order a special at a restaurant, and they “just ran out,” I am almost positive that Buzzfeed ordered the last one. It’s like that.

Amy Poehler

As always, among the best of the best.

They Were In That?

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Celebrities had to start off somewhere before they became mega-famous, right? And for a lot of stars, they may have been in big movies a long time ago, but we had no idea they were in them. And it totally fucks with everything you thought you knew. Here are a few actors who were in that one thing that you never knew they were in.

Channing Tatum

You know him, you love him, but did you ever put together that he was the hot guy Amanda Bynes was bro-ing with/mackin on in She’s the Man? Wonder if those two still keep in touch…

Hugh Bonneville

You know him as the honorable Lord Grantham from Downton Abbey, but when I saw he was in the Masterpiece Classic, I literally thought: ‘Oh my GOD that’s Bernie from Notting Hill.’ He play’s Hugh’s buddy Bernie in the film, and if you recall, he was the friend during the dinner when they first all met Anna (Julia Roberts) and he had no idea she was a huge movie star. 

Andrew Lincoln

This Brit plays Rick Grimes on The Walking Dead, a show I don’t even watch and honestly have no interest in watching. But Again, to me he’s an actor from another Brit-featured rom com – Love Actually! This shot tells it all.

Mischa Barton

COACHELLAAAAA

Speaking of Notting Hill, long before she went on a downward spiral both as Marissa Cooper and IRL, Mischa was a kid actor, including her scary stints in The Sixth Sense and the girl who worked with ‘Leonardo’ multiple times in Notting Hill

Alexander Skarsgard

All around hottie with a body (ew, hate that I just typed that), Alexander comes from a family of actors, so naturally he started out young. In fact, he’s barely recognizable as a young lad in Zoolander. can you believe he was the dude who screamed ORANGE MOCHA FRAPPACINOS?!? I used to yell that shit all the time. God, I was obnoxious.

Jay R. Ferguson

Does anyone else find Stan really obnoxious but endearing at the same time? Well in the 80s, apparently he was endearing enough to have a pull out poster in Bop magazine. The dude was a teen heartthrob! What?! Jay was in Evening Shade and The Outsiders TV movie based on the Rob Lowe film.

Teen Heartthrob, smizeing

Diego Klattenhoff

Despite the fact that he was an adulterer on Homeland, I actually kind of liked ‘Uncle Mike’. The episode he had with the brooding Dana and actually acted like more of a Dad than Brody proved that there was more to him than a soldier or a betraying best friend. I miss Homeland. Anyways, did you know that he also hooked up with Rachel McAdams in Mean Girls? Check out Regina George and Shane Oman – special appearance by Amy Poehler!

Mandy Patinkin

Okay, not over Homeland yet. Good old Saul. Of course Mandy Patinkin is an accomplished actor, both in film, tv, and on stage, but if you only associate him as Saul, it may be weird to think that he was also this guy in The Princess Bride

Best of: So You Think You Can Dance Auditions

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One of my favorite parts of summer TV is coming back today, and I could not be more thrilled, since So You Think You Can Dance is probably my fave reality show of all time. I started watching halfway through the first season, but that season doesn’t really count anyways (sorry Nick Lazzarini) because no one was really watching, and the fab Cat Deeley wasn’t the host yet. Now about to enter its 10th (!) season, there have been hundreds of amazing dancers that have wowed the judges and inspired thousands watching. Here are a few memorable auditions from the past 9 seasons to get you back in the dancing mood!

Travis Wall, Season 2

Travis is somewhat of a SYTYCD legend, as he started out as a contestant in season 2 and became the runner-up. But he solidified his mark on the show by becoming a choreographer, earning Emmy noms for his work on SYTYCD as well as a group piece on Dancing with the Stars. Among the Emmy nominated dances, season 7’s Fix You by Robert and Allison, which will make my cry every time I watch it.

Donyelle Jones, Season 2

Donyelle had this light about her when she danced, and it made for a compelling routine every time she took the stage, eventually finishing in third place. She and frequent partner Benji (who went on to win) were like my OTP back in the day, but alas, she married her longtime boyfriend, and he turned out to be gay. Oh well.

Hok Konishi, Sesaon 3

Hok tried out in season 2, nearly made it to top 20, but since he’s originally from England, he wasn’t able to get a visa. He tried out again for season 3 and ended up landing in 7th place.

Joshua Allen, Season 4

Ok, so Joshua is a hip hop dancer. However clearly in this audition, he has so much potential that it’s clear why he won season four. I mean, that Russian? Hello? Where did you come from?

Ellenore Scott, Season 6

Ah, season six. Otherwise known as the ‘lost season.’ This season was overlooked by many, because for some reason, FOX and show producers decided to air it in the fall of 2009, right after the summer season had ended. Rude. But Ellenore was one of the best from S6, and made it to the top four.

Billy Bell, Season 7

Billy made it to the top 20 on season 6, but had to drop out because of a mysterious illness. Because the judges loved him so much, they allowed him to come back for season 7, and placed 6th. Also, season 7 was the one where they were all dropping like flies, because Alex Wong got hurt and Ellen DeGeneres replaced him, Ashley Galvan was also injured and forced to leave the competition and all-star Allison hurt something too. Dropping like flies.

Lauren Froderman, Season 7

LoFro! The winner of S7 came into the auditions not really prepared and went on a whim, and it worked out well for her.

Melanie Moore, Season 8

Another one of my faves, she is so elegant and sharp and bubbly all at the same time.

Kyre Batiste, Season 8

Ok, but how cute is this guy. AND his grandma!

Amber Williams, Season 8

Amber didn’t make it too far, but all I can say is FIERCE. I’m sure she’s doing well even without SYTYCD on her resume.

Leroy Martinez, Season 9

One of the most inspirational auditions ever, Leroy was just a bundle of joy and I wanted to hug him through the TV screen.

Cyrus Spencer, Season 9

Cyrus ‘Glitch’ Spencer: Real life robot? Probably. He did make it all the way to the final 4, so possibly not human.

Eliana Girard, Season 9

Damnnn girl, those legs! Ballerina Eliana became the first co-winner along with Chechon, and totally deserved it.

Ninja Twins, Season 9

“We consider ourselves socialites of LA. We’re like the Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie… but we’re broke.” Hilarious.

Secret Couples That Aren’t So Secret

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Because Hollywood is so Hollywood, it’s notorious for its brief, fickle, incestuous relationships between actors. Celebrities get married, and they break up 72 days later (looking at you, Kimmy K). But then there are couples you don’t really hear about that often and fly under the radar. Surprise, surprise, these are usually the ones that have lasted the longest. Or at least longer than most. Check out some celebrity couples that you may have never known were happily married.

Adrian Pasdar and Natalie Maines

Heroes reunion with Zaquinto!

How you know him: Nathan Petrelli on Heroes

How you know her: Dixie Chick

Status: Married since 2000, have two sons

Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally

Tammy alert!

How you know him: Ron Swanson, creator of the Pyramid of Greatness, lover of meats.

How you know her: Karen on Will & Grace, also Tammy 2 on Parks & Rec

Status: Married since 2003

David Cross and Amber Tamblyn

Cutting the cake on their wedding day!

How you know him: Tobias Funke, the never nude on Arrested Development

How you know her: Joan of Arcadia and Tibby on Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants

Status: Married since 2012, together since 2008. And since you’re wondering, she’s 29, he’s 49.

Taran Killam and Cobie Smulders

attractive couple is attractive

How you know him: One of the funniest cast members on SNL, impersonator of Andy Cohen, Michael Cera, and Robyn.

How you know her: Robin Scherbatsky/Robin Sparkles. Proud Canadian.

Status: Married since 2012, together since 2004. Have an adorable three-year-old daughter Shaelyn.

John Slattery and Talia Balsam

sterling’s gold.

How you know him: Silver fox Roger Sterling on Mad Men

How you know her: Roger Sterling’s ex-wife, Mona Sterling

Status: Married since 1998, have one son

Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone

can you feel that steam heat?

How you know him: Air marshal on Bridesmaids, the guy in the Target music teacher commercials

How you know her: Megan in Bridesmaids, Sookie St. James-Belville on Gilmore Girls, and possibly the best SNL host ever

Status: Married since 2005, have two daughters

Brian Benben and Madeleine Stowe

legit just found out this couple existed. i thought he was gay. oops.

How you know him: Dr. Sheldon Wallace on Private Practice

How you know her: Victoria Grayson on Revenge

Status: Married since 1982, have one daughter

Jay Mohr and Nikki Cox

ugh ew.

How you know him: Comedian, Jennifer Aniston’s love interest in Picture Perfect, douche agent in Jerry Maguire

How you know her: Unhappily Ever After, Nikki, Las Vegas

Status: Married since 2006, have two kids

Melissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield

loving him was red

How you know him: Danny Concannon on The West Wing

How you know her: Child star/ Laura Ingalls Wilder on Little House on the Prairie

Status: Married this past April

Richard Schiff and Sheila Kelley

speaking of the west wing…

How you know him: Toby Ziegler on The West Wing

How you know her: One Fine Day, Lost, Aunt Carol Rhodes on Gossip Girl

Status: Married since 1996, have two kids

Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet

How you know him: Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones

How you know her: Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show, previously married to Lenny Kravitz, mother to Zoe Kravitz

Status: Married since 2007, have two kids

The Great DiCaprio

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In December 1997, I went to the movies with my friend Mel and decided to check out this film called Titanic. At the time, it was slowly building buzz, and since we were 12 years old, we had nothing but free time on a Saturday afternoon. Turns out that viewing of Titanic turned into the first (of five) times I’d see the film, and an obsession with the film and Leo took over my life.

I was the epitome of Titanic fan girl. I cut out every single Titanic ad from the newspaper and taped it on my wall. I somehow had the script and would watch along with my VHS tapes. I then proceeded to make a checklist of Leo movies I needed to see, and thus began my sub-obsession with Mr. DiCaprio. Luckily, he turned out to actually be a great actor, not just another teen heartthrob that would come and go (looking at you, JTT).

So in honor of The Great Gatsby coming out today, here’s a look back at some of my favorite Leo performances from over the years, proving that just like a fine wine, he just gets better with age. And also, it’s a damn shame he hasn’t won an Oscar yet.

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

*Spoiler in the video!*
A young Johnny Depp plays the title character who has to care for his mentally challenged younger brother, played by Leo. It’s crazy how Leo just transforms into this character, and at just 19 he got his first Academy Award and Golden Globe noms.

The Basketball Diaries (1995)

Looking back, my parents probs shouldn’t have let me buy this movie because it’s not reallly about basketball like the title sounds. Leo plays a teen drug addict, and I’m pretty sure I’m still scarred from watching it as a 12 year old.

Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Do this day, this is still one of my absolute favorite Leo movies. Everything about this adaptation was spot on, and actually made an old Shakespeare play fresh, new, and relevant. The California setting combined with the excellent soundtrack is something that only Baz Luhrmann could pull off, which is yet another reason why I cannot wait to see The Great Gatsby.

Titanic (1997)

Titanic is a story of… are you kidding me if you don’t know what Titanic is about or haven’t seen the movie you shouldn’t even be reading this right now. GTFO. Here’s a deleted scene from the movie, instead!

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Tom Hanks chasing Leo around the country? Yes. Sign me up.

The Aviator (2004)

Leo played the insane Howard Hughes in this film, and don’t get me wrong, he was amazing and all, but I watched this movie in the theater. I couldn’t believe how long it was. 169 minutes aka almost 3 hours, which to be fair, is shorter than Titanic. HOWEVER, i was not expected it to be that long and I couldn’t get my mind off anything else but getting out of the theater.

The Departed (2006)

Next to The Town, this is one of the greatest Boston films ever, and like anything Leo does, he puts on the Boston accent with ease, without overdoing it like a lot of actors tend to do. Plus how can you go wrong with Matty D, Marky Mark and Jack all in one film?

Revolutionary Road (2008)

This movie is not a happy one. Like Titanic with all its sinking into the ocean, was a comedy compared to Revolutionary Road. As amazing as it was to see Leo and Kate back together, it was still a really depressing film, so here’s a clip of Kate professing her love to Leo when she won the Golden Globe in 2009.

Shutter Island (2010)

So how much of a mind fuck was this film? Leo went back to good old Beantown for this movie, which was based on a great Dennis Lehane novel. Any time there’s a psychiatric ward involved, I know I’m going to be a little freaked out. This was no exception.

Inception (2010)

Speaking of mind fucks… Just when Leo messes with your head in Shutter Island, he does it again with Inception. Except like 10 times worse. I remember having to just sit in the theater for a good 2 minutes without moving while the credits rolled to figure out what happened. I still don’t think I know exactly what happened, and I’ve seen it like 3 times. DREAMS ON DREAMS ON DREAMS, Y’ALL!

The 90s Take Over Mad Men

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We’re  six episodes into the sixth season of Mad Men, and we’ve already been introduced to a bunch of new characters. But here’s the thing about the show: creator Matthew Weiner keeps everything so under wraps that even the guest stars are kept secret. Elisabeth Moss (Peggy) said in a recent interview that the people who come in to audition don’t even know exactly who they’ll be playing, who they’re acting with, or what the actual scene is. She said the writers change all the character names in the audition sides and they’ll make up a different story line, but it still contains the same type of drama that the real story line has. And then they shred everything.

So because of that, identifying guest stars on the show has become much of a game for me now. Like, ‘Guess which actor you know from that one thing because he/she is now playing a new client on Mad Men.’ It’s gotten to the point where every new character I see, I wrack my brain to figure out if they’re someone or not. 80% of the time it’s just some lucky unknown, and the remaining 20%, it turns out to be Alex Mack. It’s really messing with my flow of watching the show. What’s even more unnerving is that most of these people have been in 90s/2000s TV shows! Remember when Mr. Belding was on the Cool Whip episode last season, or even Clarissa’s Dad from Clarissa Explains it All who plays Pete’s father-in-law?

Here are some other notable 90s guest stars from this season…

Linda Cardellini

Who She Plays:

Sylvia Rosen, wife of the Doctor, mistress of Don. (ugh)

How You Know Her:

Lindsey Weir in Freaks and Geeks, Sam Taggart in ER, Velma in Scooby Doo.

Harry Hamlin

Who He Plays:

Jim Cutler, the head of accounts for Cutler, Gleason and Chaough

How You Know Him:

Creepy Aaron Echolls in Veronica Mars, Michael Kuzak in L.A. Law, husband to Lisa Rinna

Ted McGinley

Who He Plays:

Mel, the head writer on Megan Draper’s soap opera

How You Know Him:

Jefferson D’Arcy in Married… With Children, Roger Phillips in Happy Days, and the ‘Patron Saint of Shark-Jumping’

Craig Anton

Who He Plays:

Screen shot 2013-05-06 at 12.20.35 AM

Frank Gleason, partner at Cutler, Gleason and Chaough ad agency

How You Know Him:

Lloyd Diffy (Phil’s Dad) on Phil of the Future, MadTV, that one episode of The Office where he called out Michael for sleeping with Jan

Danielle Panabaker

Who She Plays:

Screen shot 2013-05-06 at 12.25.11 AM

Daisy the Stewardess that Roger hooks up with.

How You Know Her:

Brittany Aarons in DCom Stuck in the Suburbs (pictured here with SNL’s Taran Killam and Brenda Song), Jacey Jeffries in the iconic Lifetime original movie Mom at Sixteen, Is in Read It And Weep – aka forever a teenager to me

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The Best (and Worst) of the Met Ball

Posted in Entertainment, Lists, Outfit Girl by

Monday marked the annual Met Ball in New York City, and it’s regarded as one of the biggest fashion events of the year. Some have even touted it as the Academy Awards of the East. Which is weird but okay. It’s where fashion and Hollywood meet at the stairs of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and we’re not just talking Gossip Girl.

What’s great about the Met Ball is that the stars aren’t afraid to wear grand, elegant, edgy, head-turning gowns. I mean they’re rubbing elbows with the likes of Anna Wintour, Vera Wang, Tory Burch, Zac Posen, etc. etc., so they have to be on top of their game.

To help you get acquainted with the festivities, here’s some of the best and worst dressed at the Met Ball over the past few years.

Best Dressed

Solange in Rachel Roy, 2012

Emma Stone in Lanvin, 2012

Kristen Wiig in Stella McCartney, 2012

Michelle Dockery in Ralph Lauren, 2012

January Jones in Versace, 2012

Camilla Belle in Ralph Lauren, 2012

Emily Blunt in Calvin Klein, 2012 (and bonus JKras bc they’re just too cute together!)

Worst Dressed

Sarah Jessica Parker in Alexander McQueen, 2006

Victoria Beckham in Valentino, 2003

Diane Kruger in Prada, 2012

Shaliene Woodley in Christopher Kane, 2012

Chloe Sevigny in Miu Miu, 2012

Mary Kate Olsen in The Row, 2012

Elizabeth Banks in Mary Katrantzou, 2012

Odd Celebrity Run-Ins I’ve Had

Posted in Entertainment, GSOY (Gratuitous Story of Yourself), Lists by

Here’s a myth about living in Los Angeles: I see celebrities all the time. I do see them occasionally, but it’s not like I see one every day. However, when I do see one, it’s usually in the oddest of places and involves an awkward exchange of words. Here are some that come to mind.

Mario Lopez

Okay, this is technically way before I lived here, but a good story nonetheless. I was visiting family here in 2003, and I got tickets to see American Idol. I went with my dad, who honestly, I don’t think he had any idea what was going on, but I also made a sign that said, ‘I came all the way from Rochester, NY to see Justin win’. Yeah. Justin Guarini. Anyways, during commercials, the audience warm up guy announced that Mario Lopez was in the audience. I naturally freaked out because if there is any TV series that encapsulates my youth, it’s Saved by the Bell. So I got the balls to go up to him (because other girls were doing the same thing too) and I asked him for his autograph on a piece of paper ripped from a small notebook of the gal behind me in line. There he was, AC Slater, flashing his smile and dimples at me. He asked me what my name was and I said, ‘Traci’. He said oh how do you spell that? And I was all ‘T-R-A-C-I’, but apparently said it really fast, because he looked confused and it literally said, “To Traici, Love Mario Lopez.” To make it worse, I told him how much I love SBTB and how I’ve seen every episode, to which he smiled again and I ran away like a little girl.

Mindy Kaling

My friends and I were at Yogurtland, a popular self serve fro-yo place. We were sitting outside eating and I thought I spotted Talan from Laguna Beach go inside. I came up with a reason to get napkins just to see if it was in fact him. Turns out it wasn’t. Also turned out that the dispenser was out of napkins, and since I needed them anyways, I decided to go up to the cashier to ask for some. When I went up there, there was only one cashier, and I let her know that they were out of napkins. And then a line started forming and it took waayy too long and I started feeling guilty about just getting fake napkins. I said outloud, “You’d think they’d have more than one person working here, right?” Then a voice next to me said, “I know right?” Yeah, that person that responded to my offhand comment was Mindy Kaling. I ran away like a little girl.

Damien from Mean Girls

Ironically at the same Yogurtland, but a different time, I saw Damien (Daniel Franzese) with some girl. I think I was staring at him for too long because we made eye contact and he looked at me with some concern. A year later I saw him handing out flyers for a theater during a Christmas open house.

Jon Heder aka Napoleon Dynamite

I was picking up food I ordered from my favorite restaurant, Aroma cafe. There’s a TV behind the registers that usually plays old timey movies, and the one that was playing that day was a really odd one that was super low-budge and featured some woman with a huge gold headdress. While I was waiting to pick up my food, the guy next to me said, what movie is this? The cashier said it’s called She. And without even thinking that I shouldn’t be part of the conversation, I said, ‘She? That’s the name of it? So weird.’ Then the guy next to me looked at me and nodded in agreement before saying something else, and I realized I made small talk with Napoleon Dynamite.

Whitney Port

My friend Thom was visiting us in LA, and my roommate Meghan and I took him to one of the greatest cupcake places/tourist spots in the city – Sprinkles. This place is so popular that there is always a line out the door at the Beverly Hills location, but it’s so worth it. While waiting in line, a couple girls got out of a car and came up to us frantically saying, ‘We need a guy to sing happy birthday to!’ and I was like ‘Holy crap, that’s Whitney from The Hills! Slash it’s actually Thom’s birthday!!’ I immediately pointed to Thom, but he was having none of it and she’s like do you want to do it? We’re in a scavenger hunt and I need to sing happy birthday to a guy.’ Thom said no and she moved on. Ugh come on!

Tim Allen

At the stationery store I used to work at, a lot of celebs would come in looking for assistance, and I would have to act cool. I’d say the biggest star to come in was Tim Allen. At the time, I was by myself, and on the phone with a customer. Then I heard a man say, ‘excuse me’ and I turned around and it was Tim the toolman Taylor. He started asking me about an ink refill for his pen, and I promptly came up with an excuse to call the customer on the phone back. We didn’t have what he wanted, but he and his daughter ended up buying some stuff anyways. When he was checking out he said, “I’ll Paper your Goose.” The name of our store was Paper Goose.

Duck Lips

Duck Lips then…

Duck Lips now…

L.A. isn’t really known for its walkability. Everyone here drives. So often when there’s someone walking across the street illegally, I turn on the road rage. Last month, this very thing happened. I was coming to a stop in traffic when this guy just runs across the street to his car. I thought he looked familiar, like he went to my college or something because he looked super hipster and that’s my natural train of thought in LA – Emerson or celebrity? And thanks to Molly’s previous Full House where are they now post, I realized it was the guy who played Duck Lips on Full House who illegally crossed the street in front of my car. How rude.