Started a cloudy morning with this week's American Top 40. Casey skips us ahead over a decade to mid-January 1987. While the rest of the world was enjoying pop, R&B, dance, and heavy metal, I was just trying to figure out how to get along in school and deal with parents who were having problems of their own. Hits that winter included "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" by Wang Chung, "Open Your Heart" by Madonna, "Land of Confusion" by Genesis, "Control" by Janet Jackson, "At This Moment" by Billy Vera and the Beaters, "Notorious" by Duran Duran, "Walk Like an Egyptian" by the Bangles, and "Is This Love?" by Survivor. One of the biggest ballads of that year hit #1 that week, "Shake You Down" by Gregory Abbott.
I finished breakfast while watching the first two episodes on the second Scooby Doo disc. We first continued the 70s Scooby/Shaggy/Scrappy adventures. Some of these showed their age rather badly, notably "Scooby Doo 2000" (the guys are supposedly thrust into the future, but all they do is run into weird appliances) and "Punk Rock Scooby" (they mistake a Scrappy-like alien for the pugnacious puppy and join a punk rock contest). "When the Cicada Calls" from Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated (the gang has to figure out why a hoard of the title bugs are attacking the employees of a company known for their enviormentally-unsound practices) is a little better.
Headed out around 10:30. I need something to inspire my creative juices, and I thought a nice, long walk to Collingswood, the closest thing here to an artist's colony, would help. I've just been so angry at my artist for not being happier at work. Everyone keeps telling me I should be happy I'm making money. I know I should be...but I'm not. I know I should try harder to get out. I'm not sure what's holding me back. I'm hoping that tapping my creativity will give me an outlet to figure it out.
By the time I arrived in Collingswood, the clouds were gone, the sun was shining, and it was windy and in the 30s, perfect for mid-January in Southern New Jersey. I took my time exploring Haddon Avenue, Collingswood's main drag. I tried a "samosa" icing top from Sweet Freedom Bakery. It was the top of a cupcake with toasted coconut icing drizzled with chocolate. Sweet and a little gritty (they make their baked goods with vegan, kosher, and gluten-free products) but not bad.
I hit Jubli Beads and Yarn, a craft shop that specializes in the afore-mentioned items and gives classes in crocheting, knitting, and jewelry-making, next. I didn't buy them anything, but I explained about my situation with the Acme and not being able to attend many classes. They offered personal classes; I don't know if or how'd I'd pull that off or afford it, but I told them I'd keep it in mind.
My next stop was Two Oaks Thrift Shop on the next block over. They're not nearly as big as the store Erica used to work at (which now sells mid-20th-century furniture), but they did have a few interesting items. I walked out with three records, for Herman's Hermits, Barbara Streisand, and a two-disc set for Danny Kaye.
After a quick stop at the Collingswood Used Book Trader (I bought a hardback copy of the Carol Higgins Clark book Burned for a dollar), I decided it was time for lunch. My first choice was The Pop Shop. I'd forgotten that today was Saturday, and they do a lot of kid-oriented activities like Pajamas Luncheons. There was a long line, and the place was full to the brim with noisy families. Tortilla Press wasn't really all that much quieter, but there were only a few families, and it wasn't quite as crowded. As the only solo diner, I even got that small table by the corner window that looks out onto the corner of Haddon and Collings. I had a delicious "Breakfast Burrito" from their brunch menu, with eggs, guacamole, beans, and Tortilla Press' hand-made salsa on the side.
When I finished lunch, I moved on to Fruigli, the little thrift shop across the street that mostly specializes in vintage clothes, but found nothing. I was getting tired at that point, and Collingswood was still busy with the Saturday afternoon lunch crowd. I made a quick stop at WaWa for a drink, then headed back towards Oaklyn.
I took the long way back across Newton River Park. By that point, it was a gorgeous day for it. You'd never know it was cloudy in the morning. The late afternoon sun sparkled against a soft blue sky; the wind ruffled the deep green water and the remaining brown leaves. I even stopped and watched a duck family preen their feathers at one point. I wasn't the only person going for a stroll in the park, either. I ran into joggers, bikers, and my sister Rose walking her dog Toby. Rose offered to go to yoga with me on Tuesday again. I'm not working until 2:30 that day and was able to accept without question this time.
I made one last stop, this one at CVS (I wanted eggs, but they were out of them, but I did get bath beads), before finally heading home. After my two long walks (a half-hour each), I spent most of the rest of the afternoon doing things online. I wasn't really up to much else.
Made a tuna casserole with leftover vegetables, frozen peas, and the last can of tuna for dinner while finishing out the Scooby Doo set. "Recipe For Disaster" is another What's New, Scooby Doo? episode, this one revolving around a monster made of Scooby Snack batter attacks the factory where they're made. "The Faces of Evil" is a real oddity, from possibly the strangest Scooby Doo show ever made, Shaggy and Scooby Doo Get a Clue! Like the 70s shows, this one is Shaggy and Scooby alone. They're living in a huge mansion and getting their mysteries from Shaggy's Uncle Albert, and Scooby Snacks gives Scooby powers. In this one, their regular villain Dr. Philbes has figured out a way to clone himself and wear the duo out by sending the clones all over the world. When Scooby overdoses on Snacks, how will the two get the energy to get rid of all of this guy?
Epic made slightly more sense. This animated fantasy tale from the creators of Ice Age take us from prehistory to a world that exists in a forest alongside our own. The Leaf People battle their eternal enemies who are in charge of rot to keep nature in balance. Their queen (Beyonce Knowles) is about to choose an heir. She's attacked just after she picks a flower pod that will choose her successor and keep balance in the forest. Ronin (Colin Farrell) is the head of her warriors; Nod (Josh Hutcherson) is a younger member who has chosen to leave the Leaf People rather than follow their rules.
Nod's not the only one who's tired of dealing with strict rules and guardians who treat him like a child. Human teenager Mary Katherine is dealing with the death of her mother and being sent to live with her eternally distracted scientist father, who is firmly convinced that there's little people living in the forest. His daughter thinks he's crazy, until she encounters the dying queen in the woods. When she takes the pod from her, it shrinks her down to the size and speed of the Leaf People. Now she finds herself caught up in their struggle against the evil King of Rot Mandrake as she, her father, and Nod learn a lesson in how we're all connected to one another, whether we want to be or not.
Beautifully done, and probably the most realistic depiction of shrinking I've ever seen. When Mary Katherine is shrunk, she's able to jump higher and move much faster than normal humans, who seem to be slow, clumsy giants to the Leaf People. The animation is incredible, too, especially the eye-popping colors and the detail in the forest. Alas, all this is at the service at an extremely cliched plot that manages to hit just about every fantasy and hero's journey trope in existence. None of the characters are all that memorable, including the villain, who really has no motivation for what he's doing and the slug and snail sidekicks who are supposed to keep the pod moist.
I liked it enough that I didn't mind the rental, but the cliches are a little too thick here for me to buy. If you're more of a fantasy fan than I am or are into animation, you may find more in this one than I did.
No comments:
Post a Comment