The first time I tuned into ABC Family was years and years ago. Other channels had been showing previews for an ABC Family drama about a girl and a horse. Still heartbroken over the loss of my beloved Caitlin’s Way (they totally stole the plotline!), I decided to give Wildfire a try.

The premise was sketchy. The plotline was ill conceived, and the acting was terrible. But there was a snarky heroine and the beginnings of a love triangle…and lots of unnecessary drama. Needless to say, I was hooked.

Ever since, I have been a loyal — albeit, skeptical — ABC Family viewer. Sure there were some shows I skipped. (I mean did anyone actually watch Kyle XY? ) Somehow I never did get the Secret Life bug, and I never watched that one about gymnastics. But for the most part I’ve reveled not only in their oh-so-cheesy, made-for-TV movies (Mario Lopez Holiday in Handcuffs was cute okay?), but their hour long dramas, too. Greek will forever be one of my favorite ABC family shows. And yes, I did watch Wildfire all the way through. I was a loyal viewer of the TV version of 10 Things I Hate About You, despite the horrific pilot and now I DVR Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game every week without fail.

I love the drama and suspense that The Lying Game now brings to my Monday nights. I love the clothes and the cute boys and the never ending questions (Who is A? Someone please tell me!) that the little liars bring on Tuesdays. I loved the quirky cuteness of Greek and 10 Things. And I love that they continue to make really horrible Bring It On sequels. Read More »

Okay, so a couple of weeks ago my weekly ten listed my top ten worst chick flicks ever. And you ladies had some pretty strong reactions to it and some pretty varied opinions. But amidst all those opinions I’m pretty sure I got the idea that you like chick flicks. And so do I. (Just not those.)

I love chick flicks. Lots of them. There are so many amazing movies about women and for women, some about love, and some about life, that are labeled as chick flicks. And I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve watched them more times than I can keep track of.

So with that in mind I thought I’d dedicate this week’s weekly ten to my favorite chick flicks of all time. Some are recent and some are not so recent,  but they’re all pretty damn great.

10. Miss Congeniality. Oh Sandra Bullock, how I love you! It’s refreshing to watch a movie and see a woman who’s more comfortable holding a gun than she is walking in heels. She doesn’t need a man, but she gets one any way and that’s kind of great. Don’t you think?

9. Thelma and Louise. Girl power, ladies. Girl power. This is a story about friendship and fun (and felonies). Even if they do end up driving off a cliff together at the end of it, they do it together, right? Oh don’t look at me like that. It’s a fun movie.

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[Ladies, meet Meredith, the newest addition to the CollegeCandy team. She's a BU student, a movie buff, and an all around fantastic chicadee. She'll be our resident movie gal, giving us the ins and outs of the new releases and telling us whether or not its worth it to fork over $12 for the latest flicks.]

Easy A is the story of “anonymous” high school student, Olive (Emma Stone). Olive tells her story to her webcam in a monologue-esque tone. Although it is clear that she is addressing an audience, this is very clearly HER story. She explains how her friend Brandon asks her to tell everyone that they had sex so that people would think he was straight. In an effort to move the plot along (and because Olive is a great friend), two minutes later, Olive and Brandon are banging on the walls of a party for their faux-sex sesh.

Soon, every nerdy guy is asking Olive to do the same for them. And before long (and after many fake sex sessions) she ticks off the group of Christians at her school, led by Marianne (the retired Amanda Bynes). After a scuffle in an English class that is reading The Scarlet Letter, Olive decides to go all out and put a red A on all of her clothes. For those who have forgotten the plot from the Sparknotes version that they read in high school, The Scarlet Letter is about the Puritan protagonist, Hester Prynne, being forced to wear a red “A” (for “Adulterer”) after getting pregnant out of wedlock.

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While getting a much-needed pedicure the other day (seriously, I felt bad for the poor girl who had to get up close and personal with my gnarly feet), I found myself watching (and sobbing with) The Notebook.  I don’t know why, but my neighborhood nail salon has multiple plasma TVs that are constantly showing chic-flicks. And I like it. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of a woman massaging your feet while you immerse yourself in The Proposal. But I digress.

Obviously, most girls will agree that The Notebook is the most romantic movie of all time. We love the passion, the romance, and idea of ever-lasting love. We cry every. single. time, we watch it. We want our very own Noah, a guy who wants us badly enough that he’ll dangle from a Ferris wheel just to ask us out.

I’m with you, sisters; I watched that movie alone on a Friday night once and sobbed into a large order of Pad Thai. And that was my 6th viewing. But yesterday when I watched it again (yes, I stayed at the nail place for 2 hours so I could see the whole thing), I actually got a little angry.

One of the most endearing parts of the movie is when Noah is chasing Allie, trying to ask her out. He hits on her, follows her, risks his life to ask her on a date, shows up wherever she is and even comes up with a sneaky plan to surprise her with a double date at the movies. Eventually she gives in and 10 minutes later, they are madly in love, smushing ice cream in each other’s faces and kissing it off.

As a woman, I watch that and daydream about having someone want me enough that he’d do just about anything to get close to me. I find it sweet and romantic; Noah knows what he wants and goes for it. The same happened with Patrick in 10 Things I Hate About You, Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything, and countless other dudes in every other romantic comedy ever.

But what if the roles were reversed? Read More »

Be still my heart.

Chick-flicks have always been my favorite excuse for simultaneously whining and crying about my lack of a boyfriend, and also day-dreaming about improbable romantic movie scenes happening to me.

Even though we usually tear up (or start flat-out bawling, depending on your current romantic situation), no girl can resist the chick-flick. Or, more accurately, the dreamboat main characters that make our hearts swoon for 90 minutes (and then again when we watch the DVD alone on a Friday night and cry into a bowl of Thai food). Those boys are just so…perfect. And I can already tell – because I’ve watched the trailer 47 times – that John in Dear John is going to be the same way. I mean, he’s the quintessential bad boy with a heart (and rock hard abs). And have you seen him crying in the commercials?

I get all hot and bothered just thinking about it.

Which is almost the same reaction I have to these 10 mega-hunks – the hottest, sweetest, greatest and most adorable chick-flick leading men of all time. What girl wouldn’t fall in love with (and possibly have to change her pants after thinking about) these boys? Read More »

Thanks to our friends over at Broadway.Tv (Click there to watch the video interview), I was able to interview none other than Miss Julia Stiles for CollegeCandy’s “5 Questions We Ask Everyone.” Julia and Bill Pullman are co-starring in the Broadway show “Oleanna,” a play about tension between a college student, Carol (Stiles) and her professor (portrayed by Bill Pullman). Though Julia is familiar with the stage, this is her Broadway debut (and she is unfamiliar with wooing her professors…).

I met with Broadway.Tv in the press room for Oleanna where cameras and reporters interviewed Julia, Bill and director Doug Hughes, firing questions about the intricate plotlines and the dynamic relationship between the two characters. “Oleanna” only has two actors on stage for the entire play and the high drama between the two characters was a primary focus for all the reporters. Both Stiles and Hughes likened the performance to “a sporting event,” noting that working on the play is so powerful, the emotions are akin to an adrenaline rush.

I was able to sit down with Julia and chat with her one-on-one and capture her insights on the play, college and… Sesame Street?

5 Questions We Ask Everyone:

1. What’s the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?
The most trouble I’ve gotten into? Oh my God. Well you know, I’m very good at… not getting caught. It’s not that I’ve not gotten into trouble, I’m just good at not getting caught.

2. What are some things you can’t live without?
Running and swimming. I love exercise. It helps me blow off steam, helps to calm down.

3. What’s your motto/advice you live by?
I wish I had a motto. I don’t know. It’s like one of those things I’ll think of later.

4. What’s your favorite song to belt out at the bar/in the car/for karaoke?
I’m obsessed with “I Feel it All” by Feist and of course “1, 2, 3 ,4″. I just saw that she did that for Sesame Street. It’s really awesome.

5. Ten years from now you will be….
I’d love to be still working, acting, doing what I love. You know what’s funny? I can’t even think beyond March, until this play closes. Read More »

We’re back with another edition of G.W.W.E. (Guys We Wanna Eff)!

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the sizzling it-boy of the moment, and apparently has a penchant for projects beginning with numerals instead of letters. He has been on my radar since his days as Tommy Solomon on 3rd Rock from the Sun. Man, remember that show? Besides the fact it was gut-bustingly funny, it rocked because JGL played the unconventionally-hot teen boy that was irresistible to my young lust.

Then, to confirm his pop-star status, he starred in one of the most iconic coming-of-age flicks of the 90s, 10 Things I Hate About You.

But a lot has happened since then.  Shortly after 10 Things, JGL took an acting hiatus to study French at Columbia, and developed an appreciation for the smaller things in life. He left college just shy of graduation to begin acting again, this time in plays and on the indie movie circuit. Now, he’s a fully matured adult with his first headlining role in the indie “it” movie (500) Days of Summer, opening today.

And while JGL has always been a cutie, these days there’s no denying he’s 100% smokin’ hot.  Trailers and clever ads for (500) Days of Summer reveal his intelligent, understated, and refined attractiveness that’s effing driving me crazy. Add a French accent to the mix and he can 3rd rock my world any day–summer, winter, whenever!

I know that most people are excited for beach trips, suntans and reading for pleasure this summer, but what’s getting me revved up for the next three months is the totally rad summer TV lineup. After all, sometimes we need to take a break from road trips, slip and slides, and parties and soak in laziness.  Agreed?

And with all the amazingness that summer TV has to offer, kicking back with a Diet Coke and some Smart Pop (and probably some aloe to rub on that “I’m having so much fun I forgot to put on sunscreen” burn) will be just as good as a day at the wave pool. Actually, considering the amount of chilren that pee in that place, this is a whole lot better.

Secret Life of the American Teenager
June 22

The Secret Life is back, baby!! When the season ended, Amy delivered baby John, Ashley moved in with her dad, Grace + Jack = 4-ever, and Adrian ended up alone.  Season Two brings more baby mama drama for Amy, and SOMEONE WILL DIE! (Duh duh duuuuuh.)

Army Wives
In Progress

Think being a soldier in the army is hard? It is. But the Army Wives have their own troubles: falling out of love with their husbands stationed in Iraq, starting a career, kissing a doctor (boss), getting a motorcycle, sending their sons off to war, having an affair… it’s a rough time!! And that was only one army wife.  This circle of women is tough! They fight off stalkers, tend to husbands with PTSD, deal with the death of family members, and battle the vicious tongues of the other prying wives. This show is incredibly moving and drama-rific; perfect for a summer night.

Nurse Jackie
In Progress

Oh yeahhh! Edie Falco is back on the tube. Unfortunately, she is no longer Carmela Soprano.  Instead she plays Jackie O’Hurley, an emergency room nurse in New York City.  Jackie is brilliant, sarcastic and witty, but super flawed and abuses meds to get through the days.  I smell drama.

(PS. For those looking for a Twilight fix, Peter Facinelli plays a doctor on the show! Hotness.) Read More »

A while back, the editor of this very site put out a query: “Give me a Top 10 list of your favorite High School Movies.” I told her I wanted in – after all, who doesn’t love to indulge in a little HS drama? So I sat down and started listing. Only I discovered that including just 10 was more impossible than winning 8 medals in one Olympic games. And I am no Michael Phelps.

So, I listed 10. The first list of what would soon become many. After posting, many of you seemed quite angry with my decisions. Your comments were full of ALL CAPS and lots of exclamation points!!!! You were upset that I had left some classics off the list. Perhaps you didn’t notice the “Part 1″ in the title, or perhaps you just needed everyone to know of your love of The Breakfast Club.

Not that it mattered; I was clearly coming back for round 2. So here it is – another 10 gloriously angsty high school flicks. Get that Smart Pop ready, ladies; these high school dramas are gonna rock your lockers! Read More »

When I get back to school after spring break it is the end. In fact many middle aged people have told me (with their usual unsolicited advice) more recently than usual that college was the best four years of their lives and after they graduated it was all downhill from there. Then after dispensing their advice and patting my head, they coughed up a lung, because that’s what old people do.

Now I’ve done some math and considering some of these people are in their 50′s now, the “downhill from there” means the last 30+ years of their lives have been nothing but sorrow, disaster, and failure. The most promising part of their day now is their daily dose of Activia yogurt (people over 40 can’t eat solid foods…clinically proven) and reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond.

So with those thoughts in mind my friends and I created a bucket list with everything we want to do before we graduate. We crossed off the easy stuff first. Anything involving stealing, obscenity, or a combination of the two was completed within the first week. But now we are left with the trickier things.

Number 14: Fall in love. It was so easy to write down and yet it’s so hard to accomplish. Riddle me that.

Number 3: Actually watch The Bucket List and decide who of our friends is Morgan Freeman and who is Jack Nicholson. I’ve been putting that one off since I know I’ll get assigned to be the Jack Nicholson of the bunch.

Number 7: Bring a murdered ghost back through a seance and solve the mystery of their death. This one has so much red tape I don’t even know where to begin. First of all, it’s already been done in Now and Then and they had a better soundtrack to do it. Second, we can’t agree on who to bring back (I voted for Amelia Earhart). Thirdly, no one wants to do it in their own apartment in case the ghost lingers. Read More »