Monday Musing: Who’s in for a timeshare in Wonderland?

There is one thing this little junkie can’t get enough of, and that’s whimsy! I am sure that it will not be too big of a surprise for you to learn about how ridiculously excited I am for visionary Tim Burton’s 2010 release of Alice in Wonderland 3D (see photos above, and try not to have a glee-related heart attack). Click here and here to see some awesome (and official) Burton concept art for the film and photos. I will hopefully get to see some new bits about this sure to be exhilarating film at the 2009 Comic-Con in San Diego in a few days (Burton will be at “the Con” for Alice and 9).

This got me thinking about how whimsical Burton is, and how much I loooove the Alice in Wonderland story. I thought I’d give up my favorite things Wonderland for you to check out to get you equally pumped for Burton’s new masterpiece:

1. Lewis Carrol’s books Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There

Strange. Often unpredictable. Seriously awesome. I like Through the Looking Glass a bit more than it’s predecessor, only because you get to meet the Jabberwock, Red Queen, and some serious chess-themed goodness. Plus, the whimsy-ridden illustrations by Sir John Tenniel? Yes, please!

2. Alice in Wonderland (1985)

Singing! Dancing! Cameos galore! You may go for the Disney classic animated version, but if that’s true you certainly have never seen this live action dream come true. It’s about three hours long and combines the story lines from Carroll’s books. Plus check out some of the cast: Scott Baio, Roddy MacDowell, Telly Savalas, Ringo Starr, Shelley Winters, Ernest Borgnine, Beau & Lloyd Bridges, Carol freaking Channing, Sammy Davis Jr., Sally Struthers, Pat Morita, and John Stamos!!! An 80s child’s dream come true. Sample time!:

Love Connection: No Doubt

At little junkies, we want to set you up with the best of the best so you’ll never be lonely. So, stop (!) in the name of love, and check out:

Name: No Doubt
Occupation: Ska/Reggae/Rock/Punk/Pop/Electro band of merry men and girl
Residence: Presently touring, so…everywhere

Likes: Bob Marley, horn sections, wacky dancing, wackier fashion, and taking a break from each other.
Dislikes: Taking a break from each other, lack of hair bleach, and being pigeon-holed in a particular genre.

Junkies, it’s been a looooong five years since No Doubt shut it down, and Gwen went off to disco-pop to the sound of her own drummer. But fret no more, because the band is together again, on tour over the summer with plans to jam and gather inspiration for a new album!! I was at the July 5th show in St. Paul, MN and it was a-maze-ing!  Bedouin Soundclash was the first opening act. Who, you may have asked? Well they’re the awesome and oh-so muffiny Reggae, Rock, Punk and Soul fusion band from Canada that has stolen my rasta-come-lately heart twice now. (Yeah, I said Canada, Reggae, and awesome in the same sentence). They were perfect compliment for No Doubts’ Rock Steady phase with a pinch of Tragic Kingdom.

Next on the bill? Paramore. For what better lead up to the monstrously iconic female powerhouse, Gwen Stefani, than Tennessee’s own spunky vocalist Haley Williams? Any good Twilight fan would have gushed over Paramore’s Decode finale, and I was glad to see two strong female artists dominate an energy packed show. Oh and guitarist, Josh Farro’s on stage gymnastics (with instrument in hand, btw) were pretty sweet, too.

On to the main event. Bios might say the gang is approaching (or at) 40’s door, but that can’t be true! They’re still in their early twenties, and I am still a pre-tween with a way too kick ass taste in music than most of my comrades were allowed. Gwen, Tony, Tom, and Adrian bounced off of the walls with the energy of a pack of six year olds on Pixie Sticks. I felt like I was listening to the Tragic Kingdom album for the first time all over again, danced it up, jumped about, and ate up every joy-filled second of the set list which included Gwen doing a dozen push-ups before tearing up Just a Girl, and a Paramore/Bedouin Soundclash assist on a cover of Adam and the Ants’ Stand & Deliver.

Sunday Sundries: The Guild

I think it is a pretty good thing to wrap up Ladies Week with a plug for one of the funniest shows I’ve seen in a long time: The Guild. The show is an independent web series about the quirkiest group of online gamers you may ever meet, and what happens when their worlds collide (online and off). Plus, each episode is only about three to six minutes long! Interesting tid bits about the show: fans supported the entire first season via PayPal donations, and their YouTube channel has nearly 60,000 subscribers.

Why is this show a perfect fit for ladies week? On the fictional side, three of the six main characters are women–that’s an interesting thing to see when you enter the male realm of gaming; and no, they’re not hyper-sexual Angelina Jolie in Hackers style women either. Also, the main character, Codex, is played by Joss Whedon darling, Felicia Day…who also happens to be the creator, writer and producer of the series (props!). Interesting tid bits about Felicia: her first acting job was the role of Scout in a theatatrical production of To Kill a Mocking Bird & she started college at 16, majoring in violin performance and mathematics (holla!).

I’m keeping this short, because you should just leave here and watch every webisode, laugh, and thank me later. They have two seasons down and ready for your viewing pleasure, and the third is set to be released this August! So catch up!

Well…I’ll give you Season 1, Episode 1 to entice you:

Watch The Guild on:

• Watch the Guild.com
• YouTube
• Blip TV

WTF Friday: X-[wo]Men

1963. It was the year that Betty Friedan blew the minds of women everywhere with The Feminine Mystique, the U.S. backed the overthrowing of the Ngo Dinh Diem regime in Vietnam, racism was peaking, Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech, Kennedy was assassinated. A tumultuous time indeed. It is also the same year that Stan Lee introduced comic book afficionados everywhere to the X-Men.

With that backdrop, it’s no surprise that X-Men became one of the most diverse cast of characters in the Marvel Universe and that rascim, integration, and equality were the major themes. What I am going to present today is a rundown of some of the most fracking awesome X-ladies ever–with women like these around what the frick is everyone else’s excuse for not creating strong female characters (maybe Pixar could learn a thing or two from looking into them for inspiration).

Junkie1’s Top 5 X-Women

Mystique: The Femme Fatale (Urge to use Betty Friedan-related play on words rising, riiiising…subsiding)

Name: Raven Darkholme (Nice!)
Powers: Shapeshifting, being awesome
Debut: 1978

Supervillain extraordinaire, assassin, reformed the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (which later became the Freedom Force) , blue skin. Talk about a puppet master–Mystique knows how to work her power to control any situation. She was also foster mother to several mutants (score). A lady may never disclose her age, but apparently a hermaphrodite lets it slip: nerd lore maintains that Mystique is over 100 years old. Also, she was originally intended to have a bisexual relationship with Destiny (the product of which was kick ass blue teleporter, Nightcrawler), but the plan was shot down by the Comics Code Authority and Sabertooth became her baby daddy. Boo to intolerance.

In the movies: Rebecca Romijn seriously rocked it. She took Mystique from semi-nude novelty to heartbreakingly loyal rebel. What do I love the most? How she always makes a comeback, even after Magneto left her to make her own way (douche).

Rouge: The Renegade

Name: Anna Marie (in some cases Marie or Anna Raven)
Powers: Absorb powers and memories through skin contact AND she can fly!
Debut: 1981

Rogue is a feisty, defiant southern belle that kicks major ass and rocks a truly funky hairdo. One of the most interesting things about her is her power. Physical contact is a no no! Her gift is–wait for it–also a curse! Both handy for day-saving situations, and tragic since she longs for any degree of contact with another person. Does she become a hermit and take to a shack in the woods? No! She pulls up her boots, scores one of the hottest X-men (Gambit), and punches the poo out of every baddie in sight. She is also a bit of a mystery. Most of her backstory (and name) were on lockdown until about 2001.

In the movies: My greatest sadness is that Bryan Singer’s series made her out to be a weak child, and Brett Rattner’s abomination wrote her off as a quitter. Btw, did you know in the comics her foster mothers were my #1 and her lover, Destiny?!

That [Doesn’t] Suck Thursday: Star Trek

Five truths I can share post Star Trek screening:

1. The only thing even remotely hoey about Zoe was her skirt. Women everywhere rejoice. (Take note, Megan Fox.)
2. My God, man! Karl Urban actually rocked it–yeah, the guy from Pathfinder–and so did everyone else!
3. Zachary Quinto would be hot with a bag over his head.
4. That crazy, red, crabby hoo-hah monster is the unholy lovechild of a Rancor and the bug from Starship Troopers.
5. I know this is science fiction, because only in an alternate reality could Iowa be that happening.