Wordless Wednesday - Neon Loki

Dana's Terrific Tuesday!

What, Tybalt?
Huh?

I got an AWARD?!?!?!?
OHMIGOSHOHMIGOSHOHMIGOSH!!!!!!!!!!

THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU GEORGIE!!!!!!!!!
This is the BESTEST surprise EVER!!!!!!!!

Oh. I have to share it with Loki. That's okay. I like Loki. Loki plays with me and herds me and helps me steal mommy's car for joyrides when she isn't around and I get to wear my pink scarf and it flies out behind me all pretty when we have the windows rolled down and Loki turns up the radio and we FLYFLYFLY down the highway in the big red metal monster and it is so much fun and OH NO MOMMY ISN'T SUPPOSED TO KNOW ABOUT ANY OF THAT!!!!!!!!

I hope she doesn't read this today.

Mancat Monday - The Blahs

Well kitties, today I have another bad case of the Monday blahs.

The good thing about the 4th of July weekend was that I had mommy for three whole days.

The bad thing about this weekend was that mommy was sick all weekend and had to go to the doctor Thursday afternoon for what she calls "sinus crud" and a fever.

Mommy is back at work today, but still feels pretty nasty. She has this annoying cough that can even keep a kitty from napping. I can't imagine what it is doing to her.

So to perk mommy up, I thought I would post a picture of one of her favorite things: my cute little nose.



Mommy LOVES my nose and mouth and whiskers. She has to tickle my cheeks all the time and tell me how cute I am and give me kisses. I let her do it because I'm a generous mancat.

In other happier news, Karen Jo gave me this totally AWESOME award!

"The 'Arte y Pico' award was created and to be given to bloggers who inspire others with their creative energy and their talents, whether it be writing, artwork in all media's. When you receive this award it is considered a 'special honor'. Once you have received this award, you are to pass it on to at least 5 others." Karen Jo honored me with this award for my Friday Movie Reviews! Thanks so much, Karen Jo! I am so happy that you enjoy them.

Karen Jo is right. The hardest part is deciding who to pass this great award on to! After much careful thought, I would like to present this award to:

Marilyn Monroew, for her creative work in poetry.
The McKittencats, for sponsoring their dad's GREAT short story on their bloggie.
Gandalf and Grayson, for the GREAT story we all got to contribute to last week.
Kashim and Othello, for their wonderful graphic work that they share with all of us on the catblogosphere.
And last but not least, the gang at Whiskers and Purrs, for their unique and creative way of blogging. They always put a smile on my face!

Friday Movie Review - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Happy 4th of July, everykitty! This Friday I am completing my two-part reader's request from Diamond Emerald-Eyes by reviewing Tim Burton's version of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Directed By: Tim Burton
Written By: Roald Dahl (book)
John August (screenplay)

As I mentioned last week, the original version with Gene Wilder will always be my favorite. So I have to admit some bias in the following review.

Mommy and Grandmama were super excited when they announced that this movie was being filmed, and that Tim Burton was directing it and Johnny Depp was starring in it. It just seemed far too good to be true. They were prepared to be dazzled by it and love it. Knowing how much mommy loves Tim Burton, Roald Dahl, and Johnny Depp, I was also prepared to be dazzled by it.

We were all disappointed.

It's not all bad, kitties. Tim Burton does his usual amazing job with the visuals. The color and lines and cinematography are just as unusual and incredible as always with a Burton creation. The use of light and dark, the camera angles, the choice of color - they are all wonderful. And Danny Elfman wrote the score, which is always a big winner with my mommy and me. We love his work. There is a suitable creepy and slightly off ambiance about the whole film that screams Burton, and usually makes my mommy happy. I mean, just look at the use of light and color in the screenshot below! Look at the shape and lines! It's great.


However, no matter how much I tried, I could not separate this movie as a work of art on its own. Inevitably I kept comparing it to the original, and I found it lacking. Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka was more subtle - he seems at first just an eccentric man, but as the film goes on you begin to wonder if he is really a sweet and innocent chocolatier, or if there is something more sinister about him. You try and give him the benefit of the doubt as the children one-by-one become eliminated by seemingly incredible mishaps, but soon you begin to suspect that Wonka had planned it out that way all along. In this version, Depp's Wonka is seen right away to be strange. He is obviously inept in social situations. His pale skin, too-perfect teeth, and squeaky purple latex gloves scream "CREEP!" at you as soon as he arrives on the scene. There is no question in the viewer's mind that Wonka has planned all of the mishaps in advance, and that he has absolutely no sympathy for the children or their parents. Depp and Burton's Wonka is clearly disturbed, whereas Wilder's Wonka was much more mysterious and harder to figure out.

However, there is hope for the movie. For example, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" sheds a light on the true nature of squirrels! As many of you know, the twins and I are constantly taunted by Timmy the Squirrel and his various family members and friends from our very own front porch. I had hoped that after mommy saw this scene with a mob of squirrels attacking a little girl, she would find them less adorable and know why the twins and I want to rid ourselves of the sneaky menaces once and for all.

It didn't work. Mommy still thinks they are cute.


And, after all, this movie does have Johnny Depp in it, and Johnny Depp seems to be a reason for mommy to watch movies quite often. From several comments made during my movie reviews before, it seems my mommy is not alone in this opinion.

However, even mommy had to admit that Johnny didn't do anything for her in this movie. She had thought that Wonka would be done by Depp in such a way that she would just ooze all over the floor after watching it from the hotness of it. (Mommy is strange. She thinks Gene Wilder makes a melt-worthy Wonka.) Instead, mommy was just kind of creeped out by him. She never thought she'd live to see the day when Depp could be anything other than, in her words, eye candy. Maybe it's the wig.


I have to give "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" just one paw up instead of my usual happy two paws up. It is just as artistically filmed as you would expect of a Burton movie, but it does not meet the expectations or standards that I expected in comparing it to the original version. Don't get me wrong, kitties, it is worth a watch, especially if you are a fan of Burton. Just don't expect to fall in love with it or to get blown away.

Thankful Thursday and Meme

Happy July 3rd, everykitty! I'm getting ready for the big 4th of July holiday a little early. Having Independence Day just around the corner has me thinking of how thankful I am that I live in a country where mommy and other beans are allowed to protest against injustice and cruelty and do their best to make the world a better place for both beans and furries. So many horrible things have happened and continue to happen, but as long as we do our best I know we can all make a difference! I am also thankful that while we have lost many friends lately, we have all remained close and supportive, and have even gained new ones. And one of my best mancat buddies, Jasper, tagged me for a meme! So I will do it now.

Here are the rules:

Link to the one who tagged you.
List the rules on your blog.
Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours.
Tag some blogger friends with links.
Leave a comment on their blog to let them know they've been tagged.

OK - here goes! 6 quirky things about me.
Hmmmmm . . . .

1. I like to leave the room mommy is in, and then cry and yowl at her to let her know that I miss her. When she calls me, I'll come back right away and snuggle and purr like I had forgotten where I left her.
2. I've mentioned this before, but I love doggie food crunchies. I love to play with them and bring them to mommy and CRUNCH them all in her bed.
3. I like to watch television. Action movies and cartoons are the best, but really anything with lots of color and movement can keep me entertained. None of the other furries will really watch TV - Loki will watch Animal Planet every now and then, if there is a doggie agility trial on.
4. I love Almost Dad but I am jealous of him, too. If he gets too close to mommy or infringes on our snuggle time, I'll worm my way in between them and claim my spot on mommy. But I still love to sit on him and get skritches.
5. I put up with my doggie brother Loki and my doggie sister Dana, but I don't really bond too much with them. Loki's tail is fun to play with, but he won't let me, and Dana is very loud and bouncy and bigger than me. The girls love both the doggies, but I'm a mommy's boy all the way. I love all of my furry siblings, but mommy is and always will be my favorite.
6. As you all know, I love love love to steal straws! I also, however, love to steal mommy's undies, mommy's socks, mommy's gloves, mommy's sweaters, any kind of plastic wrapper, and mommy's little stuffed animals. I hide all of my treasures the best that I can, but mommy always finds them . . . eventually. If I bat my treasure under a door and can't get to it I'll cry and scratch until mommy gets it out for me.

Hmmm . . . I'm not sure who hasn't done this one . . . I think I'll tag Dana's friends Billy and Renna! TAG! YOU'RE IT!

Wordless Wednesday - Neon Ivy

Spooky - too many niptinis yesterday?

Dana's Big Birthday Blowout Bash!

OHMIGOSHOHMIGOSHOHMIGOSHOHMIGOSHOHMIGOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can you believe it? It's my BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am all of FOUR now! I'm a grown LADY!

And I feel SUPER special because Zoolatry not only made me the PRETTYPRETTY birthday card, but they also helped me build my DREAM HOUSE! Just LOOK!

It's my very own PLAYHOUSE!!!! Now Billy and Renna and George and Fagin and all of the other great kitties and doggies and buns and hams and any other furry friend can come over and visit with me and play with me in my very own extra special super fun PLAYHOUSE!!!!! This is where my BIRTHDAY PARTY is at today!!!! I AM SO SUPER EXCITED!!!!!!

My kitty brother TYBALT is in charge of the BUFFET and he did a SUPER GREAT AWESOME JOB! Just look at it all!!!! There is something for everyone!
(And for the buns, I have a fresh veggie and herb garden behind the playhouse! Help yourselves!)

My sisters HOLLY and IVY are in charge of the PARTY GAMES! I think they have a huge game of TAG and THUNDERING HERD OF ELEPHANTS planned!

And my big brother LOKI volunteered to be the DEEJAY! So we are gonna DANCEDANCEDANCEDANCE! I'm already wiggling and shaking my booty, I'm so excited!

C'mon, everfurry! Let's start the conga line! Right out the back door and twice around the garden!