Essays, Interviews, Observations, Pop Culture, Stories, and other Dodginess

Top Five Amanda Peet films

Posted on December 25, 2011

It’s Christmas, and I’ve always wanted Amanda Peet for Christmas, so here goes.

I fell in love with Amanda Peet during her run on the late ’90s/early ’00s series “Jack & Jill.” She was pretty and funny. The kind of gal who can make strange faces and still look hot.

In my wank opinion, these are her top five films. In no particular feckin’ order.

Please Give

2010 – This was an indie fav that was on many top ten lists for the year in cinema. Amanda is Mary, some sort of spa chick with an ass tongue. The only problem I have with this film is she bangs Oliver feckin’ Platt for God’s sake. It’s a swell flick ’cause it also stars the oh-so beauteous Rebecca Hall and indie darling Catherine Keener. And one of the dudes from “American Pie” has a small role.

Rebecca Hall and Amanda Peet

Igby Goes Down

2002 – Amanda plays Rachel, a heroin addict who passes out on the shitter. But otherwise she’s pretty gorgeous and brings a classic Peet quality to this film. She also pretty much forces herself on Keiran Culkin’s Igby. Jeff Goldblum plays a total wank in the film and Claire Danes is Sookie before there was Sookie. There’s a good use of a Coldplay song in this as well.

Changing Lanes

2002 – A good year for Ms. Peet. Some critics believed she was best supporting actress Oscar-worthy for her small role as Ben Affleck’s wife. Mostly for the scene she has in a restaurant with her hubby, basically saying it’s OK he cheats – her father cheats on her mother –  just don’t fuck up the Wall Street law firm future. She’s dominant in the scene. Probably one of the best Peet scenes ever.

Amanda giving it to Ben

Whipped

2000 – Oh Lordy, I haven’t seen this in awhile and I doubt many people have but give it a shot. If you like “Cougar Town” then you’ll be glad to see Brian Van Holt play one of 3 friends Peet’s Mia character dates (without them knowing it). She makes them look like assholes and has some good lines. One involved ass-play or ass rot but I’ll have to watch it again to confirm.

The X-Files: I Want To Believe

2008 – Yea, yea, she’s got a small part (bigger than Changing Lanes I think) and some people weren’t fond of this film but it was far superior to the first X-Files movie, in my brain. The best X-Files episodes were the stand-alones. I wasn’t into all that alien shit. This is a stand alone (although the shitty title begs to differ). Even Roger Ebert gave it a pretty good review (3 1/2 stars!). Anyway our girl plays an FBI agent and just when I get comfortable with that she falls down an elevator shaft.

Yes, I’ve left off “Something’s Gotta Give,” “2012,” “Identity,” “Saving Silverman” and some other shit. I believe she’s in Syriana so I need to check that out. And I think she’s in an upcoming Terrence Malick film so that’s gotta be gorgeous.

She’s also a really good guest on David Letterman. Up there with Julia Roberts as far as female guests on his show.

And she’s married to one of the dudes behind “Game of Thrones.”

Amanda, your table is ready

How to Say Goodbye in America

Posted on December 22, 2011

It’s a tough business, trying to make in the New York fashion scene. Staying on the HBO schedule? A little tougher, it seems.

I realize the-now cancelled “How To Make It In America” wasn’t for everybody. But that’s why it was on HBO. Remember, “it’s not TV, it’s HBO” or whatever.

When I watched HTMIIA I really felt as if I was in New York’s East Village. I was with Ben and Cam as they tried to pitch their Japanese-denim jeans.

I sat on the couch in my Sears flannel watching the show but during those 30 minutes on a Sunday night  it was warm CRISP hoodie. I could taste the Rasta Monster in place of my Diet Pepsi (never cancel a show with Luis Guzman).

I smoked a joint with Domingo.

I kissed Rachel.

I missed Shannyn Sossaman’s Gingy Wu but welcomed Nicole LaLiberte’s LuLu.

My iTunes library is filled with the musical discoveries from the show.

I’ll miss the between-the-scenes still photos collage featuring the characters in their current environ.

LuLu and Cam

Maybe HBO needs to expand their original programming. Two nights per week is not enough. I guess they feel obliged to leave those other nights locked up for repeated showings of movies like “Couples Retreat.” And now it’s nonstop offerings of “The Dilemma.” Let’s lose quality like HTMIIA and “Bored to Death” but keep showing shitty Vince Vaughn movies.

They’ve  kept “Enlightened” – which is fine. I like the show. Like one critic said, it’s shot beautifully like an Indie film.

“How To Make It In America.” 16 half-hour episodes. C’mon, that’s not enough time to make it anywhere. And I want to know what happens to Kappo during his prison stint.

Hey girl, nice glecks

Posted on December 21, 2011

When I was a wee I heard my dad often refer to my aunt as “The Fly.” It didn’t dawn on me until later when I realized it was because she always wore these giant oval glasses that turned into shades in the sun. “The Fly.”  Big-ass sunglasses.

Stunna shades.

They’re everywhere. I’m not sure when this came into vogue, these huge, big-assed sunglasses. When they did I probably thought to myself, ‘ah…this won’t last.” Oh but was I wrong. They’ve thrived.

I’ve gotten used to it. A beautiful gal is a beautiful gal. I just sometimes hate to see that face all covered up with plastic and darkness.

So how about this?

Or this? She’s smokin’ in more ways than one.

She's smokin'

Finally, gotta love a gal in wayfarers

Why yes, I do enjoy your specs

I’ll take any of those three over this