Monthly Archive: August 2008

Entertainment Week: Movies/Television

Welcome to Entertainment Week on the Prairie Box. Audience participation required (suggested? demanded?). It’s the first week of August which means summer, as we know it, is quickly coming to an end. So this week I’m interested in what the masses do for fun.

Today’s question isn’t limited to summer viewing though:

What is one of the best movies and one of the best television programs you’ve seen in 2008? And why?

(Only answer why if you can do so without dropping spoilers. Oh spoilers! The bane of my non-cable-watching existence!)

I’ll go first. For movies I’ll pick Wall-E for all its Pixar-y goodness. It was great to see a movie on the big screen that my whole family could really enjoy. And while watching the film, I was very aware that I wasn’t catching every fascinating detail, that there was a lot more to discover during future viewings. Wa-a-ll-eeeee! Ev-ah! Who could resist such charm? For tv shows I’ll go with a recent delivery from my Blockbuster queue: Mad Men. I almost quit watching the show (note that it’s not recommended for everyone) because it got dark and somewhat discouraging. But I love history that comes alive and with Mad Men I’m constantly wondering about historical accuracy as it relates to the show’s central office, a marketing firm on Madison Avenue. It may not be the “best” of 2008, but certainly one of the most interesting programs I’ve seen.

Summer Kid

smileysmiler

God made kid faces irresistible so parents couldn’t stay mad for, oh, say tantrums in Walmart, too long.

I love my summer kid. Wet from the sprinkler, shiny face turned upwards to me, echoes of “you’re the best mom!” from dinner the other night playing in my head. I know every parent thinks their kid is the best… But Livia, you rock. I love you, sweets.