I saw Ice Princess this afternoon. It was actually better than I expected, and I very much expected to enjoy it. Michelle Trachtenberg was generally excellent (necessary warning: I always liked Dawn), Joan Cusack was funny, most of the time, and some of the most annoying cliches of movies with high school girls and individual sports competitors were, thankfully, avoided.

Most importantly, MT's transition to high-class skater wasn't QUITE as completely-and-utterly-impossible as the trailers implied it might be. And none of the nerd jokes were super-offensive, and most of the science seemed accurate.

It was probably better to the now-me than The Mighty Ducks, which I just recently watched. I doubt it will have the same national effect on figure-skating that little flick had on hockey, though.

I recommend it, if you like these kinds of things.

Speaking of movies with inane twist endings, husband rented Saw. I have to say, it's been a while since a movie left me feeling both irritated and physically ill.

And I wasn't even paying that much attention.

You might enjoy Javier Grillo-Marxuach's take on it.

Huh. He has a livehournal. I went to high school with Javi. I think I shall leave him a comment and hope he remembers me.

Jars, Angel will not be a chick - that was a false spoiler.

Oh thank Christ. Why must the internets lie to me? Why?!

Waste of a perfectly good Cary Elwes, in Saw.

Idris Elba will have a big part in a TV movie about genocide in Rwanda called "Sometimes in April". It airs on HBO tonight, but they always put their stuff on video so I thought you'd still like the tip even if you're not a ..TV crackwhore...I mean, HBO subscriber.

What about Ashley Judd as WW? She's not my fave actress, but she's bulked up for films, and done some action, and I would vastly prefer her to Biel or Alba.

I saw Ring 2 this afternoon. Save your money folks, there's like one scary moment in the entire film.

Though it did get me out to see the previews, including Monster-in-Law which I'm eagerly anticipating. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall of the set where Jennifer Lopez and Michael Vartan could be comparing notes about their exes...

ETA: I should be careful when griping about lack of scares—I just unexpectedly ran across the climactic stained glass skylight scene of Suspiria while channel surfing. Argento was so over-the-top they must have needed rockets to get the actors to set.

What did Judd bulk up for?

As far as I can tell, Monster In Law is about a snotty WASPish woman being horrified that her son has brought home a Latina fiancée. A comedy about that, I mean.

The thought makes me cringe, despite ample opportunities, I'm sure, for Vartan to be affable.

I don't so much see it as being a Latina issue... I imagine if Vartan's character brought home the Virgin Mary as his fiance Fonda's would fault her for being holier-than-thou.