That's Entertainment!

I've been suffering from insomnia the past few days. Not the productive 'I'm up, I may as well work' kind but the 'barely awake during the day, up until 3am tossing and turning but too tired to move' kind.
Bleh.
The only good thing to come out of this is the fact that I'm catching up on television. I haven't watched much since the new fall season, either regular tv or movies, so I'm due for some serious couch potatoing.

Notes on a Scandal - chose to skip this one in the theatres because of the subject matter. Heavy topic. Lately I've been prioritizing entertainment over good acting (?? Yeah, I don't know why either). Well thank God for The Movie Network! Caught this AMAZING film a couple of nights ago and didn't regret a moment. Cate Blanchett and Dame Judi Dench were fabulous. Believable, honest portrayals of two not-particularly-nice woman who have you cheering for them despite their shady personalities and peculiar motivations. Two lonely people struggling for human contact/acceptance. It was brilliant. See it.

Catch & Release - Jennifer Garner, Timothy Olyphant, Kevin Smith. I loved this movie like I never expected to. That J.G. is such a cutie you just can't help but love her. She's so unglamorous yet somehow manages to come off as classy, true, genuine. Someone you'd like to hang with, be BFF. As for Mr. Olyphant (a yummy surprise), I knew I'd seen him somewhere before but the lack of mustache and western gear threw me off. He was Sherriff Seth Bullock on Deadwood. 'Course, that didn't come to me until 30 seconds before the end credits rolled.
Highly recommend this one. It feels like a low-key picture, but the depth will surprise you.

Double Dare - a highly entertaining documentary about stunt women, two imparticular - Zoe Bell (pictured right) and Jeannie Epper, that I had NO intention of watching, but was hooked within the first five minutes and very happily sat through the entire 1 1/2 hour show. Fascinating look at the world of stunt women, the challenges they face in a male dominated profession, blah blah blah. Zoe Bell, a young Kiwi who doubled for Lucy Lawless as Xena, was incredible to watch. By the end of the award-winning documentary (2004) we learn that she's been picked to double for Uma Thurman in Kill Bill.
Yeah - I know that doesn't SOUND interesting, but it was a good show. It had to have been to keep me awake until 2am.

C.R.A.Z.Y. - I don't know what to say about this French-Canadian movie except SEE IT. Not your standard Hollywood fare. Amazing performances, captivating story in a disturbing yet familiar sort of way, and will never be accused of being regurgatative. (is that a even a word? But you know what I mean, right?)

Finally, if you haven't been watching Dexter, why not?

If my insomnia doesn't end before the writer's strike, you'll be hearing the nitty-gritty on ants vs termites on the National Geographic channel.