Scooby Doo meets a Wiccan rock band

So my kids have a lot of the Scooby Doo and What's New Scooby Doo episodes on DVD. Today they wanted to watch this one, like three times. I didn't mind because it's one of my favorites and I love the music in it!

This one is called "Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost" and it's a full-length feature rather than a 30 minute flick. Basically, Mystery Inc. goes to a small town and the mayor tells them they have had sightings of a ghost (nothing new there). They see this rock band playing "I'm a Hex Girl" and of course, they assume that these scary goth girls are probably behind the ghost sightings. I love this episode because they meet the girls who explain to them that they are "Wiccans", who believe in honoring nature. This is also the only episode I've seen in which the Ghost is a real ghost and not just someone wearing a mask. The episode is called The Witch's Ghost because the ghost is that of a woman from a long time ago who was a "real witch". (and yes, she is evil) Now, I understand this is a cartoon, and as far as that goes - I appreciate the fact that they took liberties to explain in simple terms, that a Witch is not necessarily a Wiccan, although it did bother me a little that the Hex Girls kept exclaiming "We're NOT witches; we're Wiccans!" To ME it's one in the same but I guess to main stream media there is probably some confusion. I guess I could take offense, since many Neo-Pagans consider themselves "Witches", and this is just another case of media showing "Witches" as bad, scary, or evil, with wild magical powers, etc. But, at least they tried to impart a little about Wiccan beliefs, no matter how small the reference was and how simply it was put. I'll take it anyway I can! LOL ! Anyways, my Favorite part of the episode is the music-video portion at the end, and I have found the video to go along with it!



The first part is the first song that Scooby and the gang encounter, so you can see why they were a little freaked out. (except for Fred, who apparently has a thing for gothic chicks ....heeheheee)
The second song starts at about 1:55 and this is the part I love!


this is the sing-along version I also found on YouTube, in case you want to know the words.

And if any of you are wondering "What exactly is a Wiccan?" and are worrying about whether or not you will let your kids watch Scooby Doo anymore, here's a short FAQ;

What is Paganism?
The Definition of Paganism is as follows; Pagan; Definition - 1. follower of a less popular religion: somebody who does not follow one of the world's main religions, especially somebody who is not a Christian, Muslim, or Jew, and whose religion is regarded as questionable (sometimes considered offensive) 2. polytheist or pantheist: a follower of an ancient polytheistic or pantheistic religion.

What is Wicca?
Wicca is a Neo-Pagan religion, meaning it is a modern reconstruction of Pagan faiths.

Who do Wiccans and Pagans Worship? Do they believe in God? Do they worship the Devil?
Pagans and Wiccans will vary in what Deities they prefer.... but with a common belief that God/Goddess/Divinity is a part of Nature. The energy of the Divine is within all of us, all of nature, and many Pagan and Wiccan beliefs are focused around the beauty of nature and the seasons. The Devil, or Satan, is NOT a part of Pagan or Wiccan beliefs; most do not believe in Satan, devils, or Hell

My Sister's Keeper

Okay, it is time. I have been holding this in all night and day, and I have to let it out! I will do this in two parts; Book Review and Movie Review.

"My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Piccolt
I loved this book. Yes, it was a tear jerker. The author does a really great job of tackling some hard subjects; Childhood Cancer, family problems, making choices as parents, and dealing with the concepts of children's rights. The characters are believeable and each has a voice throughout the book - you can actually see all points of view and decide for yourself what you want to make of it. The underlying story is one of love and how we make sacrifices for others, and when to know and accept that we have sacrificed all we can. I read this book earlier this year and it has become one of my favorites, I reccomend it to anyone who likes to read. Even though it is not the type of book I normally read, I was really suprised by it, and it has helped me try to broaden my horizons when it comes to what type of books I will read.

Now, the movie.....

Last night (Sunday) I went to see the movie with some friends. Of the 5 of us, 3 of us had read the book, and we had high expectations. We left the theater extremelly dissapointed, and yes, even pissed off!!!
I know that many movies have to leave things out, so I was expecting it to be not exactly as the book. There is only so much you can do in translation of book to film. (Example; Twilight ) BUT, this movie went beyond the acceptable "leaving things out" - to the point that I don't think ANYONE who has read the book will leave this movie feeling good about it. Here is my official list of complaints;
#1 - they left out a main character!!! The woman who was assigned by the courts as the Gaurdian AdLitem had a huge role in the book, and she is NOT EVEN IN THE MOVIE!
# 2 - There was an important side story with the Gaurdian AdLitem and the Lawyer, Campbell. Of course, without one character, you pretty much have to leave that out. But this also leaves the character of the Lawyer quite unfulfilled and lacking in substance through the movie. You don't get to know him at all.
#3 - there were also important things going on with the brother in the book; and they totally left that stuff out as well. I stated before I can understand when they leave things out, but these events were groundshaking and shaped the family dynamic in a strong way - how can you leave that out???
#4 - this is the BIG ONE. The Ending is wrong. I mean, they have the absoluter wrong ending, the book did not end anywhere close to the way they ended the movie, and the whole point of the book was lost by changing the ending. Not only was the ending of the movie predictable and anti-climactic, but that is NOT THE WAY IT ENDED!!

AAARRRGGHHHHHHH!!!! (screaming & pulling out my hair)

Okay. My opinion has been stated. If you plan on reading the book, Read it!! It is well worth it!! But save yourself the pain of dissapointment and DON'T see the movie if you read the book!! Just forget they ever made a movie and savor the book for what it is!!
If you don't plan on reading the book; go ahead and see the movie, but know that you are missing the main point. Or if you want to, see the movie first and then read the book; if you are prepared to let go of all preconceived notions created by the movie before you read the book. Whatever. Just don't come telling me you liked the movie, unless you think you can survive my sacrastic wrath......

The Proposal

Saturday night I went and saw "The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock. We were wanting to see "The Hangover", but it was sold out. The Theater was packed with people going to see the new Transformers movie, which was playing on 4 or 5 screens. So we opted for the romantic comedy which was starting in 10 minutes.

I have to say, it was pretty funny. Not "Super Troopers" funny, and definatley not "SuperBad" funny.... but I was laughing. Sandra Bullock always does so good in her movies. I still love "Miss Congeniality". In this movie she plays a rather coldhearted business woman, I mean she tries to feed a puppy to an Eagle in an attempt to get her cell phone back. But of course, like all puppy-hating business women, we eventually see her soft side. Betty White is in this movie, which, in my opinion, made it even better. I love Betty White!! I am now in the mood to watch some old reruns of The Golden Girls.

Oh, and when you go to the movies you always get to see some cool previews. I saw a preview for a movie called "Surrogates" with Bruce Willis and I think it looks really cool!! Look it up, if you haven't seen the trailer - it looks like a really fun sci-fi/action flick.