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All posts in category Uncategorized

Embarrassing Things that Happened to Me in 2015

Facebook arguments

Ignored people at a party to blog angrily about superheroes

Started but completely stopped going to the gym

Loud, extended crying over the phone – in a Second Cup

Bought my 7th copy of Frankenstein

Verbal diarrhea

Celebrity crushes

Got some trivia questions wrong

But some cool things happened in 2015 too.

I got a new job and new glasses. 

Posted by allison o'toole on December 31, 2015

Posted by allison o'toole on September 4, 2015


Saying Goodbye to Leslie Knope 

Posted by allison o'toole on February 25, 2015


11 Questions – Liebster Nomination

5. Ideal vacation: go.

Chocolate. It’s the most delicious.

8. Do you think dolls are cute or creepy? 

And hopefully more than 2 updates on this blog?

Posted by allison o'toole on January 6, 2015


Recent Writing Round Up

The past month has been unexpectedly crazy, so let me begin by apologizing for/explaining my absence. I went to Fan Expo Canada at the end of August, which required a preparation (and then recuperation) period. I wrote up the Mike Mignola panel and the Women in Comics panel, if either of those subjects are of interest to you. I’m the Scarlet Witch in the centre of this dream team

I then took a week off to visit Chicago; it’s incredible how much you can do for free if you look hard enough (and have connections – a friend of a friend brought us up to the lab at the Field Museum). We stumbled onto art exhibit The Happy Show, a definite trip high light (and not only because it was free). When I came back I had some family stuff to deal with, and I’ve spent this week catching up on writing.

I’m bad at updating this blog at the best of times, but I’m good at having opinions, so I have been doing some reviews! At Paper Droids I do a weekly column called Gender Issues where I look at the representation of women in comics. I was hoping to get conversation going with this instalment especially but maybe this audience will be more receptive to talking than the site’s – what’s your view on problematic humour?

I also enjoy comics events, and I attended the launch party for Sex Criminals #1 the other night. It was weird, to say the least. If you’re not a comics fan, you might like my review of The Conjuring or my celebration of Mako Mori from Pacific Rim. I’ve also got this article about why you should read a series called Saga even if you’re NOT a comics fan, and I’ll be doing some “comics for newbies” articles soon as well.

For any horror fans in the audience, I keep writing horror comics reviews for Haunt of Horrors Press, if you’re looking for recommendations. You should also like us on Facebook; you can get our content and links from around the web, as well as info on a Kickstarter, and hopefully a print magazine soon! I’ve written about horror a number of times before on this blog too, if you’d like to hear my thoughts on the genre in general, vampires specifically, or other misc stuff. With Halloween just around the corner, you might also enjoy this bizarre collective comic about a skeleton. I’m addicted to this surreal, choose-your-own-adventure style webcomic.

Now that we’re on the subject of horror, the first season Hannibal came out on DVD this week, so you might like to check that out this October (if you’re not squeamish). It’s more psychological horror than a procedural about catching serial killers, so check it out if you like spooky stories, not so much if you like things explained and logical. This isn’t that kind of show. Todd VanDerWerff of the AVClub wrote this spectacular piece on the show but it’s full of spoilers. This kind of article is what made me want to write about pop culture (incidentally, their review of the Dexter finale also reminded me why I gave up on the show after season 5, and stole all the points I was going to make in a blog post on the subject, so blame Joshua Alston for robbing you of a better update).

Over the next while I’m going to start looking for a real job so I’ll continue to be very busy, but my best posts (such as the post on satire) tend to come out of flashes of inspiration rather than determination to write something down. If inspiration hits maybe you’ll hear from me soon, WHO KNOWS. For now, I’m sorry I don’t have a better update for you, but hopefully I’ve provided something interesting for you to read! For more frequent updates, follow me on Twitter, @AllisonMOToole.

by allison o'toole on September 27, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in misc, Uncategorized

Posted by allison o'toole on September 27, 2013


Hello new followers

Wow, I guess being on Freshly Pressed does wonders for publicity, doesn’t it? I update this blog when I can, and hopefully now that there are more of you here, I’ll be more motivated to do so! But in the interim between updates, feel free to check out my more regular writing for other sites – you can find links on the “My Writing Elsewhere” or follow me on Twitter @AllisonMOToole for updates.

Thanks for following, and I hope we can get some good conversations going soon.

by allison o'toole on August 19, 2013  •  Permalink

Posted by allison o'toole on August 19, 2013


Tonight marks my final night at Queen’s

The housemates are gone and the internet in our apartment is off, so I’m sitting in the mostly empty student centre so I can use the internet

I can hear people downstairs on their way to the final Throwback at the campus club

I was looking forward to having a night to pack by myself, but forced solitude always bums me out a bit

I’ve had a pretty incredible time for the past four years, both here and at the Castle in England

I’ll miss my housemates, being able to see them whenever I get home, when we would tell each other about the minutiae of our days

I’ll miss my choir, the constant in my life, singing every Sunday night

I’ll miss the Castle, experiencing Wales and Morocco and France and many parts of England for the first time, and getting to take itty bitty classes in a court yard

I’ll miss some of my English classes, having the free reign to discuss literature however I wanted to with people who wouldn’t be frightened off by big words or uninteresting subject matter

I’ll miss walking down to the lake on sunny days

I’ll miss trips to Dairy Queen in the rain and late night runs for Froot Loops and Classic Rock nights and Halloween with friends from Ottawa and choir rookie nights and housemate fashion parties and pre-drink sessions before a messy night at Ale or Stages

I won’t miss the arts-based budget cuts and Conservative, pro-rich-white-men attitude that pervades this university

but I’ve had some pretty incredible experiences and I wouldn’t trade them for the world

by allison o'toole on April 27, 2013  •  Aside  •  Permalink

Posted by allison o'toole on April 27, 2013


Review: Moonrise Kingdom

Because it needs to be said: I am a Wes Anderson fan. I don’t think enjoying his films is a case of ‘getting it’ or anything like that, but I can understand why some people wouldn’t like them – he uses the same aesthetic in every film, regardless of settings of time or place. His characters can seem interchangeable from film to film; the adults act like bored children, while the kids are tiny adults.

All of that said, something about most of his films really works for me. I love his single aesthetic, and I think it adds to the worlds he creates for every film. His obsessive attention to detail makes his work a visual treat even on repeat viewings; his literary and filmic references are a nice nod for nerds like me, and I find I can relate to most of his characters – even if they are mostly disenchanted rich white guys. So that’s why this weekend, instead of seeing Snow White and the Huntsman or Prometheus, I trekked to the only theatre in Toronto playing it to see Moonrise Kingdom.

The story is simple enough: a small island town is uprooted when two ‘troubled’ 12-year-olds run away from home to start a new life together having fallen in love. Drawn into the search for the young couple are the local deputy (Bruce Willis), runaway Sam’s Scouts master (Edward Norton), young Suzy’s attorney parents (Bill Murray and Frances MacDormand), and child services (personified by Tilda Swinton), called in when Sam’s foster parents no longer wish to care for him.

Newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as the star-crossed lovers are fabulous, and perform perfectly within Anderson’s style. Anderson showed in Rushmore that he could get wonderful performances out of young actors, and that ability is on in full form in this film. There are a number of impressive performances out of the many young actors. I had some reservations about how well Bruce Willis would fare within Anderson’s world, but he musters a quiet earnestness that feels right at home. The same can be said for Edward Norton, whose passionate Scouts master is at once pathetic and highly endearing. Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, and Frances MacDormand all do well with their supporting roles, giving their antagonistic characters some sympathetic qualities. Look out for fun cameos from Bob Balaban and Harvey Keitel, as well as regulars Jason Schwartzman and Eric Anderson. (Surprisingly, neither Wilson brother appears).

The story of young love against obstacles is not a new one, but it is hard not to get invested in it. What sets this story apart is the world going on beyond the central figures. Comparative little time is spent developing the supporting characters, but we still get a sense of their lives and relationships – in standard Andersonian fashion – through a glimpsed conversation, a casual line of dialogue, or a photo placed on a desk. The relationships, as always, are central, but this film has more action than Anderson’s previous live-action films. Like The Fantastic Mr Fox, Moonrise Kingdom feels like a storybook, perhaps one of the fantasy stories loved by the heroine. Aesthetically, Anderson’s films all resemble ornate dollhouses, this one with pure love at the centre. Even their names, Sam and Suzy, seem picked out of a book for children. There is something reminiscent of Peter Pan and Wendy about the leads in their more childlike moments – they try so hard to be adults, but with so many unhappy adults in their lives, why would they want to grow up? And like a storybook, it ends with a flood, a chase that ends on a rainy rooftop, and softening villains.

Moonrise Kingdom fills the checklist of things to watch out for in a Wes Anderson film; if that won’t get in the way of your enjoyment, and if you’d like to watch a not-so-quiet character comedy about young love and flawed people helping or hindering it, then I highly recommend this film. by allison o'toole on June 11, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in movies, Uncategorized

Posted by allison o'toole on June 11, 2012


My Nerdy Weekend Extravaganza!

Sorry again that I was so late with my post about Morocco, but to make up for my tardiness, you can have two posts in one day! This weekend was equally, if not more exciting than the last. I did a lot, and I almost feel like I should be making two separate posts, but I think there was some continuity to the weekend, in that I spent most of my time immersed in fandom despite being away from the Internet. Confused so far? Me too. I’ll just start at the beginning. This weekend was a long time coming, and much planning went into it. My friend Michelle and I have been calling it our romantic weekend getaway, because we’re inseparable at school, and we decided to go and see an “anti-Valentines” show on the most “coupley” weekend of the year, then stay together in a private room. The show was part of a series at London’s Criterion Theatre called Stories Before Bedtime, featuring actors reading short stories at 10:30 at night. My reasons for being there: Tom Hiddleston reading Tennessee Williams’ “The Kingdom of Earth” and Russell Tovey reading Ovid’s “The Art of Love.” For all two of you who aren’t yet aware, I’m nursing an embarrassingly large celebrity crush on Hiddleston, which started when I saw him play Loki in Thor. Tovey played George on one of my very favourite shows, BBC’s Being Human (which sadly just jumped the shark, but that’s a post for another time). Both men are immensely talented, so needless to say, this was a big deal for me. We all know how I get with my obsessions.

Anyway, we headed into London on Friday morning, but due to train delays only arrived in the afternoon. After burritos for lunch, we checked in at our very classy hostel in Soho – the gay area of London, of course. We went first to pick up our tickets (which had been hastily purchased by phone in Cambridge weeks before), and asked as nonchalantly as possible where we could find the stage door. The guy at the box office was really calm about telling us, and didn’t seem to think that we were creepy, obsessive fangirls for asking – although he wouldn’t have been too far off the mark if he had. Afterward, we walked around London, got some shopping done, as well as some photos of Westminster Abbey and the surrounding area at sunset. We decided to dress up for the occasion, so we got ready, and headed out for dinner. We found this really funky little vegetarian restaurant off Regent Street, and after dinner walked down to the theatre.

My first impression of the theatre was that it is gorgeous. Old architecture, gold embossing, and tiled walls make for a very Victorian atmosphere. My second impression was of the crowd: “oh my god, we’re all from Tumblr.” The audience was probably 85% female, and while I hate to stereotype, it was simple to pick out the bloggers, especially since they made up most of the population. I suppose I should explain that Mr. Hiddleston has an enormous and very passionate following on Tumblr – so passionate that he received most of the questions in the Avengers panel at the New York Comic Con, surprising the panel and most of the reviewing journalists at the event.

We were seated in practically the centre of the third row. The seats went right up to the stage (there was no orchestra pit), so we were maybe 10 feet from the stage. The stage was dressed more than I expected, with two chairs front and centre, a writing desk to my right behind them, and a bed to the left. I noticed that the young woman next to me was also alone, and learned that like most of us, she was there for Hiddleston. Shortly after introducing ourselves, the lights dimmed and without any introduction or fanfare, Tovey and his co-star from Him & Her, Sarah Solemani came onto the stage, and read the introduction from Ovid. They read three times throughout the show, and were absolutely hilarious. I knew Russell was funny, but Solemani probably got the most laughs of anyone in the show. Some of her jokes were apparently spontaneous, like when she paused after saying that “women should come late.” The mostly-female audience exploded into laughter, and it took Russell a moment to see why – then he too started giggling. She also demonstrated women’s “purring” during sex with a “meow.” But Russell was great too, even when he flubbed a line and confessed “I have no idea what I’m saying.” They moved around the building (doing one section from two boxes), and played off each other very well, so they kept the show lively. They spoke on the subjects of obtaining a partner, keeping said partner, and of course, sexual positions. It was hilarious and I was hugely impressed.

After the introductory bit to Ovid, Niamh Cusack read a sort of modern re-imagining of Beauty and the Beast. It was the story we all know, only with references to telephones and cars. It was pleasant, and more like what I was expecting – she read us a story. I felt a bit bad for her though, since she was soft spoken and not adequately mic’d, so you could hear the audience shifting in their seats, as well as the subway going by beneath the theatre while she spoke. Matters weren’t helped by the fact that she was sitting behind the desk, which makes it difficult to connect to the audience. That said, she did read well, and did it by candle light, which was terribly atmospheric. The story was more something I’d like to be read before bed, so she actually conformed to expectations.

After another Ovid interlude, the lights went down and “I am a Man of Constant Sorrow” from O Brother, Where Art Thou? came on. Excited whispers went through the crowd as Hiddleston walked out in what I could immediately tell was a tank top and coveralls, the arms of which were tied around his waist. The lights came up, and happily excited gasps erupted when we could see that he was covered in dirt. He opened his mouth and rather than his usual gentle, posh British voice came a surprisingly accurate Tennessee accent. This story was in the first person (so essentially a monologue) about an uneducated man who falls for his dying brother’s “loose” wife. Given the erotic subject matter, I thought I kept my composure with remarkable tact, although Michelle insists that I was squirming. I was better off than the woman hyperventilating behind me, and the one falling over in front, at least. Aside from my fangirling, he was excellent. He read with his usual expressiveness, and was completely in character the entire time, changing his voice and body language the few times he spoke as different characters. Telling a story as the woman, his body language was absolutely hilarious, and he got a few unexpected laughs. He is an immensely talented actor, and he was on in full form. I had a great time, and was completely absorbed in the story.

After a group bow, Michelle and I headed to the stage door along with our new friend – and a huge crowd of girls already waiting there (all of the people I had picked out earlier, I have to say). Russell came out fairly quickly, and I managed to get a photo with him. Michelle, whose love for him is evidently stronger than mine, was way less cool about it than I was, despite all of our friends expecting the opposite. She asked him to sign an advertisement for the event without his name or picture on it (which confused him hilariously), and then got a photo wherein her eyes are closed. She calmed down after that spaz attack, which was good, because we had to wait around for about 40 minutes. In the crowd, we befriended another fan, who happens to go to school with a friend of mine from Tumblr, and who was also on exchange in England. It’s a small world.

When Hiddleston did finally come out, it was obvious that he was exhausted and just wanted to go home. Even so, he did sign a few things with a smile, and the crowd was remarkably quiet. I felt too guilty to ask him for anything, so I just flashed a camera light at him a few times. He got in a car and left, so Michelle and I walked home, our new friend Natalie helping make sure we got there. We tried to go to bed, but in our excitement just talked about the night for about an hour before we could even think about sleeping.

Wow, this post is already stupidly long, isn’t it? Well, it’s only halfway done! The next day, Michelle and I caught a train to Brighton, where she met up with our classmates who had a field trip there, and I finally met some of my “Buffy Friends,” about who I’ve spoken before – Janet, Kelly, and Shaun. They were all just the best people, and exactly how I imagined they would be. I mean, I’d being speaking to them since 2007, so obviously I knew what they were like, but it’s different when you can attach an actual voice and body to a person. We met up in the mall, where I was greeted by a sign written in yellow crayon, proclaiming the event “Allison and Wee Frosty’s 1st International Buffy Convention.” (Janet had assumed correctly that I would be bring my Loki bobblehead, who I’ve named Wee Frosty, and has been the subject of many photos of my trip that I’ve been posting daily on my Tumblr.) Everyone signed the poster afterward, like a yearbook, and I put it up in my bedroom when I got home. They took me to Harry Ramsden’s, apparently a popular fish and chips joint in the UK. After lunch, we went back to Kelly’s hotel (an adorable B&B), and played an old Buffy boardgame, which was ridiculously complicated, but fun. There’s not so much to tell that makes a good story to anyone else, but we were all able to catch up with each other in person, which was new and exciting. After the board game, out came the presents. I still feel horrible that I brought exactly nothing to the event, but they insisted that since I was the visitor to the UK that I was the subject of the party, so they all brought incredibly thoughtful gifts. Janet made this unbelievable cake, decorated with blood and the logo for Joss Whedon’s production company, Mutant Enemy. She also made a wooden stake out of chocolate icing, and put a heart shaped hole (filled with icing) inside the cake – so it was a stake through the heart! So clever! Kelly brought a bunch of things, like perfume flavoured of orange blossom (my general moniker online), a book of Buffy quotes, and some lovely British tea (which I drink as I write this). Shaun added to my Loki obsession with some toys, and (I still can’t believe this) gave me his copy of the first Buffy comic, along with a yellow crayon. I barely kept myself from crying after all of this. The internet can really bring people together, and here is proof. Unfortunately, we only had time to watch Dr Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, since Shaun hadn’t yet seen the whole thing (*gasp*) and then depart. Janet graciously took all of us to our destinations for the night, including bringing me back to the castle. It was so hard saying good bye to everyone after so little time, but I really hope to see everyone again one day, even if not together. Another member of our little group was unfortunately sick, and unable to attend, so I hope too to meet you one day too, Laura!

I wish the second part of this entry could have been longer, as it was just as amazing and special, but it’s so hard to explain lunch with friends, you know? For those who haven’t had a friendship like this, the explanation is literally impossible to explain. I mean, we’d known intimate details of each other’s lives for years, but occupying the same physical space seemed to solidify something about our relationship. I’ll miss all of you terribly, even though we will continue to speak to each other online, the way we always have.

This weekend was just incredible. I’m sorry this post had become so long, but I need to write all of it down so I don’t forget anything.

Fandom is the best. by allison o'toole on February 12, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in anecdotes, pop culture, Uncategorized
Tagged travel

Posted by allison o'toole on February 12, 2012


Morocco: An Over-reliance on the Kindness of Strangers.

So I’ve been here for awhile, and I’ve done a lot, much of which has been school. I’ve been into London a few times (in fact I’m headed back tomorrow, but you’ll hear about that next week), I’ve seen Cambridge and Rugby and some adorable British towns, but the most exciting weekend trip I’ve taken so far was to Morocco. Two friends, Brenna and Diana, organized the whole thing, and flew to Merrakech in the hours between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Ji, Jesse, and I flew out to meet them on Friday afternoon. Our plan was to meet them in a fairly prominent location, Jemaa El Fna square, and walk together to the hostel. However, once we got there, we couldn’t find our friends, none of our cell phones were working, and we had no idea where the hostel was. We decided to wander the square and have some dinner, but eventually anxiety began to set in. Payphones weren’t working, none of the locals had heard of our hostel, and eventually the shops began to close. Luckily, a man in a shop let us use the wifi on his iPhone, so we found directions to the hostel from the square, and his friend brought us to a notable landmark. We apprehensively started down the indicated alleyway, when another man found us and showed us where our hostel was. We ran in, found Brenna and Diana, and much hugging happened. We all went out and had excellent late night mint tea, then headed to bed.

We were up early the next morning for the tour, but realized that we hadn’t quite taken out enough cash – on top of that, the closest cash machine was broken, and no one spoke much English, so we were a bit short, and knew we’d have to worry about it later. Thankfully they still let us do the tour, despite being 13 Euro short, and let us pay later. We took a bus tour into the mountains, saw a gorgeous Kasbah (where parts of Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia, among other movies, were filmed), snowy mountains, expansive desert, and much local colour. The tour bus had a soundtrack consisting solely of Moroccan music (which frequently sounded very traditional), Bryan Adams, and Phil Colins. It was an interesting mix. We took many photos, and I’ll just throw some onto the end here, because I’m feeling lazy.

The high light of the trip though, was that night. We were dropped off in front of some camels, which we rode for about an hour in the moonlight. In theory, this should have been lovely, and it was, with the exception of some fears regarding my camel. He was much rougher than the others, so I was in pain in some already tender areas by the end of the trip. To make matters worse, he seemed to be dying. I know nothing about normal camel behaviour, but periodically, mine would make a groaning sound, then throw back his head, and he would make an awful gurgling sound in his throat while his tongue lolled out of his mouth. I thought he was in the death throes, and my friends would not stop teasing me for killing my camel, especially since he was the only one the guides took away when they dropped us off at our Berber tents. Thankfully, Bubbles (as I aptly named him) was reporting for duty the next morning, but I rode a much calmer camel, so my morning ride was much more pleasant.

The night in the Berber tents was phenomenal. We were immediately given dinner, with a Moroccan soup, chicken Tagine, and orange slices sprinkled with cinnamon. After dinner, both tour groups (all in all around 20 people) crowded around a fire and listened to some African drumming. Once the group was down to about 10 of us, they taught us the refrains of a few songs, and even a few drum beats. We then piled into our tents, and slept in about 5 layers of clothes under 3 blankets each. The 5 of us were all in one tent, and stayed up talking for a bit because Jesse insisted that we tell her stories before she went to sleep. I slept quite well, considering, although I had a bit of a fright when I woke up to the sound of wild dogs barking.

The next day started off very well, with the aforementioned camel ride at sunrise. However, we realized around 12:30 that there was no way we were going to get back to Merrakech in time for our flight. We were able to communicate this fact to our bus driver, who managed to arrange to have us take a taxi back – a 4+ hours ride. With 5 people in a 4-seater car with doors that didn’t lock. With no seat belts. With a driver who didn’t speak a word of English. That was probably the most memorable part of the trip. I was one of 4 people jammed in the back seat, and it was a little cramped, but the ride was just gorgeous. We had to get back through the mountain, and we stopped for a bit in this tiny completely non-tourist village. The trip was dirt cheap, considering, and we got to the airport in good time for our 8 pm flight… Only to learn that it had been delayed because of snow. None of us had any substantial amount of money left, so we just got what food we could, and tried to get some work done – or in my case, some sleep.

Eventually we did get a plane, and the taxi picked us up when we finally got in around 5:00 am. I got to bed at 6:00 am, and was exhausted the next day, but overall it was a pretty incredible experience. I’m glad we did the tour, because it let us see a lot of stuff we wouldn’t have otherwise, and I got to ride a camel to sleep in the Zagora desert. However, I would never go with that tour company again (don’t use I Go Morocco, is what I’m saying), and I think the sketchy cab ride was probably what all of us will most remember in 20 years. We all agreed that the other stuff had been amazing, but you do tend to better remember your more authentic experiences, and anything that happens because of desperation like that is bound to be much more memorable than what a tour sets up for you. Posted in anecdotes, Uncategorized
