Macgirl Media Pick of the Week: It's the Great Pumpkin

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Halloween.  I love the scary, the gory, and definitely the sweet.  When I'm not fashioning fancy blood- squirting vampire fangs and eating copius amounts of candy, I take a half hour to watch the best Halloween classic, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

I really think everyone in America has seen this animation, and I'd hate to ruin it for the three adults who haven't watched it, so I'll hold back on the plotline information.  Suffice it to say, it involves the whole Peanuts gang, trick-or-treating, and a pumpkin patch.  Watch for the eeerie howls of Snoopy, and the cute costumes (poor Charlie Brown, he can't catch a break...) and the unrequited love all around. 

You can find the stand-alone DVD on Amazon:  It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Macgirl Media Pick of the Week: Peter Bjorn & John

On tour now, openers for the comeback of 2009, Depeche Mode, we have Peter Bjorn and John.  The trio are also to be seen at the XPoNential Music Festival, here in Philly this July 24-26.  I am very fond of the breakout hit in the US "Young Folks", probably my favorite song of the year in 2007. 

There are great gems on their new album, Living Thing, including the addicitve "Nothing to Worry About", which I can't get out of my head, nor would I want to.  So give this Swedish group a listen.  They are modern, fun, and have great lyrics to boot.

Check it out on iTunes: 

Macgirl's Media Pick of the Week (6/13/09)

Time for a throwback- to one of my favorite songs, by one of my favorite artists, with one of my favorite videos, by one of my favorite directors.  Whew!  Any guesses??

So the picture on the left gives it away.  My pick this week is an oldy but a goody- Let Forever Be, by the Chemical Brothers. 

It is simply a great song, on one of their best albums, Surrender.  But, equally genius, is the music video by Michel Gondry. 

Check it out:

Macgirl's Media Pick of the Week (6/11/09)

I've got a live one this week.  Well actually, it's more like a dead one. An undead one.

I have been obsessing over the DVD release of True Blood - Season 1 . How can you not get sucked in?  Great acting, great writing, lots of sexy scenes, and a nice sprinkle of humor and fun throughout. 

It's based in a world where vampires are coming out into the mainstream, and fighting for equal rights.  They are supposedly "safe" to society now, as there is a new product on the market:  Tru Blood...a synthetic blood substitute. 

If you have any interest in vampires you will love this series, I promise.  If you haven't joined on the bandwagon yet, order the first season now, so you can catch up before season 2 starts on June 14 at 9pm on HBO.

 Order it from iTunes, and help TDL too:True Blood Season 1

Macgirl's Media Pick of the Week (5/30/09)

I was thrilled the other day to find Birthdayclause left me a copy of the new Wii game by EA Sports, Active, under the birthday tree.

I have been Wii Fitting for the past year, standing on the balance board, doing my hula-hooping, and stepping in an advanced manner.  One year later, and I have only maintained my existing fitness level.

Enter EA Sports Active.  Holy crap!  Active is an appropriate title for this game. It is a real workout.  The first time I played, my thighs hurt for two days!  It was quick, easy, and I felt immediate results.  The trainers are likable and do a great job representing the moves expected of you.  One mode is a 30-day challenge that adjusts the routines for you each day, allowing for various parts to recieve focused attention.  Another mode which I like is the pre-set 30 minute workout.  You can chose the intensity and length of your workout.

For a game that actually makes you break a sweat, it is enjoyable, easy to use, and the graphics are neat and relaxing. The fast pace of this game beats Wii Fit with a bat.  Expect to keep moving, and enjoy the results!

PROS:  *Fun, strenuous, lots of different challenges.

CONS:  *The rubber band can be inconvenient to balance in your hands with the Wiimote and Nunchuck.  *I really liked the fit of the leg band, but another TDL tester had difficulty keeping it in place.