Brandon Adams

A while back, on my Mighty Ducks post I promised you a Brandon Adams post. The other day... long story... my termite guy mentioned to me that at Fear Fete this year (I mentioned that a few years ago I missed Tony Todd at Fear Fete) the cast of The People Under the Stairs will be there. It's a really good movie and guess what? BRANDON ADAMS IS IN IT!!! So after my near-meltdown over missing Tony Todd I've decided that wild horses couldn't keep me away this year. Let me tell you a bit about Brandon Quintin Adams, as IMDB knows him... not me, though. I'm on a first name basis with him. Well, a first and last name basis. Basically, I'm too lazy to add the middle name. Whatever. 

So let's start at the beginning, shall we? And let's save the best for first. Best of all, besides The Mighty Ducks and D2 of course, is a movie called Polly: Comin Home. Not the one about the parrot, this one is the black version of Pollyanna. Keshia Knight Pulliam and Phylicia Rashad from The Cosby Show are also in that movie, along with a zillion other stars. It's a musical, so he sings and dances and sets little ten-year-old hearts aflame. In fact, if you really want to see him dance his way to the honor seat of my little-kid heart, just watch Moonwalker. He was a little MJ and he Moonwalked and everything. Super cute. 

Then came the 90s, with stills of him from The Sandlot and The Mighty Ducks pulled from Bop (or whatever magazine) decorating my little bedroom walls. Here in the 90s is roughly where I saw The People Under the Stairs, which actually came out in '88. I really liked it, I like scary movies. Which brings us to Fear Fete. Watch for that post in late October!

Hamilton

Hiya, pals! This Thursday I'm going to give you a little peek into my life at the moment. My life is mostly comprised of Hamilton lyrics right now, so that should be easy enough.  In case you're not familiar with Hamilton (are you seriously trying to tell me you're not riveted by the founding of the US Treasury Department?), let me explain. The most sought-after ticket in Broadway history is this hip hop/rap/show tune mashup that features amazingly talented minority actors portraying our founding fathers and their loved ones. I feel like I held out as long as I could, because I didn't want to listen to the soundtrack before I'd seen the show, but that thing has been sold out since before it opened, with no end in sight, so I just went ahead and listened to it. Then I waited as long as I could -maybe two weeks- and I bought it online. I mean... I had to. 

My house the minute the discs came in

If you know me at all by now, you've guessed that the part that impresses me the most is the writing. Lin-Manuel Miranda is this amazing story teller and lyricist who actually described the title character as "handsome, and boy does he know it..." AND THEN HE CAST HIMSELF. That's guts, folks. Good thing he pulls it off, eh? They spend a lot of time complimenting his eyes, and okay. Yeah, I can see that. You win this round, Miranda! But you're on thin ice! Just kidding, but they really are gorgeous eyes, though. My favorite song in the soundtrack is Helpless, and there's one line where Eliza says that she's trying not to cry because there's nothing that Hamilton's mind can't do, and it occurs to me every time I hear it to wonder if Lin-Manuel Miranda's wife Vanessa spends a lot of her time trying not to cry because there's nothing that her husband's mind can't do. It certainly seems like she would feel that way, and I hope she does. In fact, that's the way I feel about my husband, and it's something that I can genuinely say that I wish for everyone. It's a wonderful way to spend life. 

Oh. Too sappy? Sorry about that. Back to Hamilton. Anyway, if you buy the music, you get the whole show. There's not really any speaking; it's all in the songs. I feel qualified to pick a favorite character, just from the soundtrack and definitely, easily, this is King George. He sings a kind of beautiful, joyous love song to America that includes the phrase, "I will kill your friends and family to remind you of my love! La da da da daaa..." I mean, just go find it. And give Say No to This your undivided attention. Let me know what you think. 

Star Trek 50th Anniversary

Today is the 50th anniversary of the first time Start Trek ever aired. I haven't been a Trekkie long, but I've definitely crossed a line somewhere along the way into fanaticism. I wrote about Trek before a time or two, and if you've read them you know all about it, with one exception. Drumroll, please... I got a new tattoo! 

Don't mind me, I stand on chairs for weird leg photos

You may recognize that design from Captain Kirk's mug in Start Trek Beyond. I've been trying to find a licensed version of that mug to buy, but I don't think there is one. I don't like the idea of buying a knockoff of something fairly priced (but if you can find me a high quality Louis Vuitton knockoff, hit up that comment box!). Since I can't find a real one, I'm looking for a good reproduction of that mug. I've seen a lot of them pop up but the cup itself is usually the wrong shape. If you make a good one or know who does, make sure to comment below. 

The real reason I've called you here today, though, is because I'd love to find out who actually designed that image in the first place. Please pass this along to anyone you can think of, who might know or even if you think they'd know who to ask. I want to let the artist know how much I love it. If it was my design, I'd love to see it inked onto someone. Thanks, pals. I'd really appreciate it!

Stranger Things

Alright, you've seen Stranger Things, right? If there one thing I love it's a Netflix original, and this one doesn't disappoint. It's about these three kids who try to find their friends after he disappears walking home from a day of D&D. They team up with a telekinetic girl named Eleven (a terrifying implication, because where are the other ten?) and try to find and defeat the Demogorgon. 

The best part is the pure nostalgia of it. If you were kicking around in the 80s you'll see a lot of things that will bring you right back. The props and set dressings aren't the kinds of things they used in 80s movies, they're the kinds of things normal people really had in their houses. What I call the 'grandma couch'... that brown couch with the wagon wheel and flowers... you know the one; that's the kind of thing you'll see. They've even got Winona Ryder, arguably one of the best parts of the 80s. She's really great and gives an amazing performance but the real stars are the kids. I didn't really have a favorite kid while watching the show because they're all legitimately talented actors. But since I've finished, I've seen this video:

This kid's been a Broadway star for years now and he's seriously got some pipes! His name is Gaten Matarazzo (no relation to Heather Matarazzo from The Princess Diaries). If you look him up on YouTube you can find tons of videos of him singing, and they're all wonderful. Here's my favorite:

It's great. Click it, you'll love it. Let me know what you think down below.