Davy Jones.

December 30, 1945 – February 29, 2012

I was seriously shocked to just read about Davy's death. I don't even know what to say.

The Monkees have been my favorite band for ever so long. Usually, the music a person loves as a 6 year-old is NOT the same music a person loves as 17 year-old. And, even if you do still like it -- it's more out of a nostalgic fondness. Not so with The Monkees. There has never been a time in my life where I couldn't listen to their music and absolutely love its genius and loveliness. 

And the TV show -- utter mind-smushing beauty. (And don't even get me started on their movie. THAT THING IS LEGITIMATE SATIRIC BRILLIANCE.)

I think The Monkees are hugely misunderstood and underestimated.

They were definitely an extremely talented and interesting band, but they were also a "happy" band. Listening to their music  or watching their show is just a happy experience. 

Davy Jones completely embraced that part of the band's role. He had fun. He was especially good on the show, using his acting experience at an advantage. Here is a typical "Davy moment" on the show.

Also, he never gave up on the band or its fans. He was also active in trying to get The Monkees into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (the fact that they haven't been added is just idiotic). 

Anyway, I don't know what else to say except that Davy will be missed.

My favorite Davy song:

ANOTHER typical Davy moment:

Davy + creepy, inhuman back-up singers on one of The Monkees' TV specials:

Davy being SO Davy while guest-starring on The Brady Bunch:

-Millie

The Millie doesn't know how to handle life anymore.

Kate's new post is the reason why.

Head over to her blog to discover why she is tied and gagged AND WATCHING A BRILLIANTLY AWESOME MOVIE STARRING THE ABSOLUTELY PERFECT TYRONE POWER!

Laugh at her hilarity, but don't listen to her. She's actually insane. Her lovely room is an elaborately designed padded cell. It's the only logical explanation why she still doesn't love Ty...

Ty's pondering the question, but he just doesn't understand either.

-Millie

The Millie is happy. (She will continue to irrationally hate George Clooney though.)

 Yes. Jean Dujardin won.

His acceptance speech contained a mention of Douglas Fairbanks, a bit of dancing, and a quite a bit of random yelling in French. It was perfection! (It sadly, did not contain ANY singing.)

And later, when The Artist won Best Picture and all the French people decided to storm the stage, this happened:

Are they TRYING to make me explode from the adorableness?!

Anyway. This marks the first time I have ever seen the Oscars all the way through.

Well, most of the way through. I missed the first fifteen minutes. Then, I managed to get a live-stream of it on my computer. This lasted for a couple of hours and then it got shut down. Then I got another live-stream, but it was dubbed over in Spanish. I may have taken four years of Spanish -- but I am pathetically not fluent.  And then, I managed to get the family TV (my TV is not working currently). But, that only lasted until Amazing Race came on. And then I managed to beg my younger brother to let me watch it on his TV in his room, while sitting on the floor. During the begging time, I missed the In Memoriam (something I REALLY wanted to see).

And then, I got to watch the last 30 minutes hanging out on my brother's clothes-strewn floor.

THIS IS ANOTHER REASON WHY I DO NOT WATCH THE OSCARS.

THEY CAUSE ME GREAT PERSONAL STRESS.

It was all worth it though.

Because I got find to out that Jean Dujardin's favorite things about America are its cinnamon rolls and being allowed to take a free right at red lights.

And I got hear the brilliant director Michel Hazanavicius say this: "I want to thank three person: I want to thank Billy Wilder, I want to thank Billy Wilder, and I want to thank Billy Wilder." *be still my heart*

Anyway, all-in-all we can be glad that Jean Dujardin won and that my math test was postponed until Tuesday (tonight's planned studying did not occur as planned) and that Alfred Hitchcock was mentioned by Jean Dujardin (if he could have just slipped in a mention of Ingy, my Darlin' Darin, and perhaps The Magnificent Mr. Milland-- well, I would just have to be in love with him forever). 

Of course, I casually mentioned on Facebook that I was happy about Jean Dujardin winning and I got some crazy person arguing with me. O_O "The Artist didn't deserve any awards...it was just created to win awards...blah blah blah."

Seriously.

I almost replied with this gif (this tells you the type of long-sleep deprived, over-worked, over-studying, calculus-failing mood I'm in):

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But, then I remembered that I'm going to his sister's wedding this week and that this person is actually pretty crazy and that he has previously tried to convince me that the Thin Man remake is going to be great (and that Zac Efron is a great actor). Soooo. I restrained myself.

Where is this post going?

I DON'T KNOW.

I really need to go actually and study calculus and read some Booker T. Washington (LOVE HIM) and some W.E.B. Dubois (don't quite love him whenever he's mean to Booker T. Washington) and I need to write an article for the college newspaper (STUPID JOURNALISM CLASS!).

Good night all!

-Millie

P.S. I almost forgot. The Facebook guy told me that my irrational hatred of George Clooney was wrong. SERIOUSLY. I SAID IT WAS IRRATIONAL AND HE SAID IT WAS WRONG. O_o

I don't even watch the Oscars....BUT THIS GUY BETTER WIN.

I never watch any of the award shows, because I've usually never seen any of the nominees (until months/years later). Of course, I always look up who won, check out the highlights, look at the red carpet slide-shows (and apparently, I have terrible taste because I always love the outfits that are "awful." Seriously. Helena Bonham Carter's Golden Globe's dress last year was AWESOME.)

This year, however, I've somehow seen a few of the Oscar nominees (it's actually quite shocking) and even some of those that should have been nominated: Kung Fu Panda 2 was nominated but Tintin was not. WHAT?!

Anyway. After all of this thoughtful pondering, I have come to the direct and obvious conclusion that The Artist needs to win everything and Jean Dujardin ESPECIALLY needs to win Best Actor.

There are several important reasons why Jean Dujardin (I'm gonna keep fully typing out his name, because it is SO much fun to say. Not since Gabriele Ferzetti has a name caused me such joy) needs to win.

So, in order of importance:

5. To keep George Clooney/Brad Pitt from winning. I can't stand 'em.

4. To become the first French Best Actor winner.

3. This. 

2. Because his smile role in The Artist was actual brilliance and perfection.

And, of course, the most important reason:

1. I really want to see what he does when he wins. Will he start dancing or mimicking Douglas Fairbanks like at the Golden Globes? Will he start singing "La Marseillaise" like he did at the SAG awards? I NEED TO BE ABLE TO YOUTUBE SOME AWESOME JEAN DUJARDIN AWESOMENESS ON MONDAY MORNING.

Heck, I'm almost considering awkwardly watching all 50 hours of the ceremony by myself. JUST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

Anyway, this is kinda a terrible post to post when I haven't posted anything in so long (news about the reschedulement of the Bradford blogathon will be coming very soon). But, I had to voice my support for Jean Dujardin (it's so much fun to say). If he loses -- I will continue to irrationally hate George Clooney until the day I die.

Watch some brilliance from The Artist (spoiler alert):


-Millie

Bradford Dillman Blogathon. It's a little late, BUT IT IS HAPPENING.

Yeah, so you know that post from three weeks ago that was titled something like NOTHING WILL STOP THE BRADFORD DILLMAN BLOGATHON or such?

Yeah.

I feel absolutely terrible about that. These past few weeks have been frighteningly busy.

Calculus is to blame.

I'm a failure at it.

But, I promise that this blogathon will happen. It may take a few days/weeks, but it will happen. And, I'm excited, because I have actual posts to write.

Also, SEVERAL people participated in the blogathon during its scheduled time. I will be posting those posts post-haste! They were all awesome!

I'm really sorry guys. I would have much rather been here marveling in the wonder of The Evil Smile than doing whatever it was I was doing in calculus (I still don't understand).

I'll probably be absent for much of this quarter, because Calculus is seriously insane. BUT NEVER FEAR, this quarter ends on March 23rd. AND I AM LITERALLY COUNTING THE DAYS!

-Millie

Ben Gazzara.

August 28, 1930 - February 3, 2012.

Ben Gazzara was a brilliant actor -- on the stage, in film, on television. He brought his Gazzaraness to everything.

He's one of my favorite actors to watch because he was so striking and unique. It's impossible to forget one of his performances. He could be doing the most lazy acting job in the stupidest movie, and STILL be utterly fascinating. He just WAS fascinating.

He will be missed.

They'll all be missed. :'(

-Millie