Weekend Update

I'm still gathering my thoughts and getting over the jet lag from the Conference (yes, I know it was a week ago, but I'm getting old). I've been working on two non-fiction proposals, trying to find the disk that has my novella on it, and doing research my historical YA. Oh and slowly easing back into my ballroom dancing classes.

Saturday was our monthly RWA meeting. This month we concentrated on critiques, primarily because its August and there is typically no one around at the meetings. About 6 people read at the meeting which was great, but in the future, I think we are going to have to tell people that they have about 20 minutes tops so that we can get everyone in and give them the attention that they need. People in the chapter are writing some really groovy stuff that I can't wait to hear more of which I think is fabulous.

Sunday, I met Liz Maverick and Stacey Agdern at Starbucks to do a little writing before we headed over to the movie theater to meet Leanna to see Bottle Shock. Liz and I discussed the fact that movies in New York now are $12.00, which we both felt was obscene particularly when watching an independent movie that cost $1,000,000 and couldn't get a deal after Sundance. We decided that there should be a sliding scale of movie prices. Blockbusters should be $12.00, but foreign films, and independent films should be cheaper. If the movie was made in someone's backyard with one camera, I shouldn't have to pay $12.00 to see it.

So how was Bottle Shock? Eh, it was okay. Alan Rickman was wonderful as usual. Chris Pine's hair though was so Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High that it bugged the heck out of me. And I had a real problem with the love interest banging both Chris Pine and Freddy Rodriguez, who I thought was by far the cooler dude. It did however make me want to drink a glass of wine, which Leanna, Stacey and I did after the movie. We went to this wine bar Wine and Roses. The Upper West Side is lousy with wine bars and Wine & Roses I have to say is one of the priciest of the bunch. Good wine though and I really liked my smoked salmon appetizer, but I could have bought the bottle of wine for what they charged for a glass.

I was intrigued by one of the previews, The Women, which is a remake of an old 1939 movie with Norma Shearer, Rosalind Russell and Paulette Goddard, which in itself was based on the Broadway play by Clare Boothe Luce. I've seen the original film and I saw the Broadway revival a few years ago with Cynthia Nixon. What struck me about the preview was how contemporary the story seemed. You know that old saying, the more things change, the more they stay the same? Well men still cheat, and women still need their friends, even the ones who comfort you and then stab you in the back.

The dude with the long hair and the attitude is the actor Toby Stephens as Rochester in the most recent version of Jane Eyre. Interesting that they darkened his hair for the role, since I suppose a ginger Rochester wouldn't fly. Anywho, he is now going to be playing Prince John in the next series of Robin Hood, clearly an attempt to get more women to watch this show since Robin Hood himself is clearly not a draw. I don't think I've met a woman who watches this show for anyone other than Richard Armitage as Sir Guy of Gisbourne or Keith Allen as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Now that Toby is going joining the show, I might actually have to watch this, particularly now that they've gotten rid of the most annoying Maid Marian on the planet. Seriously how many times did RA as Sir Guy sexily tell her to stay put, because he was trying to save her, only to have her run off and do something stupid? Like running off to join Robin Hood?

Come on, hot guy in leather pants, or wimpy guy who can barely grow a beard and lives in the forest? I don't know about anyone else, but my choice would have been Sir Guy, which is the whole problem with this series. When you want Robin Hood to disappear, and evil to win, the writers might have to go back to the drawing board (or hire a new actor to play Robin.)