American Idol Top 8 - Well, 7 of 8... then I had to watch Adam's performance on youtube this morning...

I had to work until 9:15 last night, so we were DVRing the Idol... and when I got home at 9:35, I was told by my sister that Idol ran over and the DVR cut off the recording right before Adam. We scrambled to find videos of his performance on-line, or at least find out what he sang... I even called my parents up in Minnesota, but they could only tell me that his performance was brilliant and Simon gave him a standing ovation. So, naturally I was pissed off at Fox and AI's inability to keep their show within the time frame of when it's supposed to be on and had to wait until this morning to watch Adam's performance... thank you to the bajillion kind people who already had it posted. No thank you to Fox and American Idol.

Before I give you a run down of how I thought each contestant did last night/this morning, I need to blow off some steam about the show running over and some probable causes that could be fixed. First off... squeezing 8 contestants into an hour. Take away 16 minutes for commercials and you are left with 44 minutes... that's 5  1/2 minutes per contestant. The judges usually talk for forever and then there is a pre-performance package... OF COURSE THEY WERE GOING TO RUN OVER. Fox, you should have alloted last night's show 90 minutes... the contestants already barely get to sing on the show (90 seconds... maybe 2 minutes tops)... let's give them ample time. I would be for each kid singing an entire song, but alas... no time!

I assistant directed a TV show when I was an undergraduate... sure, our late night variety show was no American Idol, but live TV is live TV... I was responsible for making sure our show didn't run over our alloted time. Surely there is someone on Idol who is supposed to make sure they don't run over their given time as well. Maybe if someone kept the judges comments to a limited amount of time (and encouraged them to give most of their critiques toward the contestant instead of among each other)... I know it's easy to spout on forever about a given performance, but the reason I tune into Idol is to watch the contestants sing. I'm the consumer here... I'm the one who has Kelly Clarkson, Chris Daughtry, Taylor Hicks and David Cook CDs. I'm the one who is going to have Matt Giarud, Adam Lambert and Danny Gokey CDs within the next year... it'd be awesome if I got to see them perform when I watch Idol. ALL of them...

Which brings me to last night's telecast/my youtube adventure this morning...

Danny Gokey - Stand By Me - I was not over the moon with the arrangement of this song, but I am all for Mr. Gokey. He always delivers a strong vocal and puts his own emotions into whatever he's singing... and that is very likable in an artist.

Kris Allen - All She Wants to Do is Dance - That's funny, because I didn't feel like dancing during his performance at all... He kind of sucked the fun out of that song and I thought it was awkward that he was playing his guitar among all those people. It didn't work last week during Matt Giraud's song and it didn't work for Kris either.

Lil Rounds - What's Love Got to Do With It - Jimminy Christmas, get your own identity already. I'm still trying to figure out why the judges keep telling her she's an amazing singer... she's a good singer, but she has consistently hit some bum notes every week has given us nothing but 100% karaoke performances since the Top 13. She needs to get rid of the wigs, figure out who she is and just give it to us already. She completely deserves to be in the Bottom 3 this week, and I hope America puts her there. Give her one more week, but then just let her go already.

Anoop Desai - True Colors - I love when Anoop gives us a tender ballad... kinda makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I like that he went more the Cyndi Lauper route rather than Phil Collins, but still had the Anoop stamp on it. I like it when he does up-tempo stuff too, but he's so much stronger on his ballads. That probably frustrates him. Maybe he can figure out how to make up-tempo songs awesome too :)

Scott MaIntyre - The Search is Over - I didn't recognize the song until he hit the chorus and I realized that it was a song I knew/liked a lot... but he kinda butchered it. He should have used an accoustic guitar, but even that wouldn't have saved this performance. Part way through the song, I couldn't watch anymore, so like last week, I chose that moment to bring my dishes into the kitchen. I almost dropped them when I heard Scott unsuccessfully reach for some crazy high note that he shouldn't have gone for. I like Scott, but I still don't think there is any more room for him to continue on in the competition. There are just too many more talented people than he left and it would be unfair if someone like Kris or Anoop left before him, you know?

 Allison Iraheta - I Can't Make You Love Me - This girl can sing! I loved her song choice and thought she nailed it with her vocal maturity. Randy is right - she does remind us all of Kelly Clarkson. Same bubbly attitude, same huge voice... they even look a bit alike. Allison can sing her face off and I like that she's not all uppity about it. Very strong vocals and another solid performance from Allison!

Matt Giraud - Part Time Lover - Good for him for not using his piano and actually looking like he was having a really great time. I thought he seemed a little out of breath in places, but even that didn't take away from his more-soulful-than-even-Stevie rendition of one of my favorite Stevie Wonder songs. Sure, he looked a lot like Justin Timberlake in that hat, but that swagger was 100% Matt Giraud. I'm glad he has proved to Idol watchers that he is super talented with or without a piano... though I do enjoy his piano playing :)

Adam Lambert - Mad World - Haunting and very, very vulnerable. Everyone knows this as the song from "Donnie Darko" (and even Adam's wardrobe reminded me of the hooded sweatshirt Donnie wears over his skeleton shirt), but Adam seemed to make it personal and I really dug the simplicity of it all - him sitting in that chair bathed in creepy blue light. It was a great performance, even though it was pitchy in several spots. Was it deserving of Simon's standing ovation? Perhaps. Hopefully next week I'll get to see his performance on my TV instead of on youtube...

Lil Rounds, Scott and Kris are my predictions for the Bottom 3 this week. Lil or Scott should go home... Kris has another couple weeks in him, but his performance this week was just a bit boring and not as strong as a few of the others.

Happy Idoling!

That was American Idol... more like "The Adam Lambert just took that song to CHURCH Show"

Fellow Idol watchers, did you vote for your favorite Idol this week? I did... about 50+ times, but more on that in little bit.

So, tonight's theme was pretty much a free for all... just pick a song that people download on iTunes. I thought it was supposed to be a super popular song, but I guess that wasn't the case... I like Celine Dion's "I Surrender" as much as the next gal, but I only downloaded it b/c Kelly Clarkson rocked the snot out of it on season 1 of AI... I had never heard the song before that, so that doesn't scream "popular" to me. And I should know, I listen to a looooooooooot of music.

Let's go in order of tonight's performers, shall we?

Starting off the show ("the curse of the first" as past Idolers Kimberly Caldwell and Brandon Rodgers called it on last week's Idol Wrap) was Anoop Desai singing Usher's "Caught Up". I love that song. I love Anoop. But I wasn't 100% over the moon with Anoop singing that song. I respect that he wants to be an R&B artist - he certainly has the chops for it - but he hasn't picked the greatest R&B songs this season to showcase that (see also when he sang "Angel of Mine"... great song, but not for his voice). I hope he makes it a few more weeks b/c I heart Anoop. 

Holy hell, what was Megan Joy singing tonight? Of all the Idol contestants, she and Lil Rounds have had the worst song selections of the season. Megan Joy's outfit was whack, the song was boring and she didn't look like she was connecting with the song or the audience. Look at her eyes when she sings... she looks kinda bored. She shouldn't have chosen a Bob Marley song. She keeps going on and on in interviews about how she loves Bjork... why didn't she sing a Bjork song? At least that would have matched her voice. Or sing Adele or Duffy or Amy Winehouse like the judges suggest. Geez.

And then there was Danny Gokey... a breath of fresh air after Anoop (sorry Charlie Bucket!) and Megan Joy (*she* gave me a headache). Danny, Danny, Danny... I don't love Rascal Flatts, but I liked your version of "What Hurts The Most". You could so tell that he was feeling every word he was singing... and that is infectious. There was pure emotion behind his eyes as he sang, and as an audience member, I appreciate that a lot. He's not just singing to sing, he's singing because he has to - because that's sometimes the only way you can express what you are feeling. Solid performance - very heartfelt.

Allison took a small step backwards this evening. And I'm not even talking about her outfit (I dug it - I just thought her hair was sticking up an awful lot)... good for her for bringing out her guitar (or "your ax" as Paula put it... Small tangent - WTF is up with Paula? She over prepares her little monologues after each performance... she usually doesn't make sense, but now she makes little sense with a lot of effort involved. Sometimes I fast forward through her just b/c I can't stand to hear musical nonsense. Small tangent over.), but I don't think that the guitar was necessary. She only used it for the opening run of notes and then the guitar physically seemed to be in the way when she was trying to grad the mic stand. I thought it was not a good arrangement of "Don't Speak". That's a great song, but I don't think that arrangement showcased Allison's singing skills very much.

I like how Scott looks up to and respects Billy Joel, but Billy Joel he is not :( Scott, "I Love You Just the Way You Are" doesn't have as strong of vocals as some of the other contestants - his tone is lacking and there is not much flavor to his voice - he kind of just belts it with his Disney-esque voice. (I still cannot get over how dead-on Randy was about that last week...) It was during Scott's performance that I chose to get up, leave the room and get a drink of water from the kitchen. I like Scott, but this was just not as strong of a performance as some of the other contestants. 

Matt Giraud, as promised, I called 1-866-IDOLS-06 for you this week... for about an hour. You are still my favorite contestant, even if you did sing a song by The Fray (not a fan of anyone who has songs on Grey's Anatomy... sorry!). I don't even remember the title of the song (I think it's "You Found Me", but I could be waaay wrong), but I will still download it. Why? B/c I heart Matt Giraud. He sang fine, but the judges are right - he should stick to the bluesy/R&B songs. I understand that Matt is more well rounded musically than that, but it he was smart, he would sing awesome bluesy songs to get himself a bit further in the competition, and then put whatever the heck he wants on his first album. Don't sell out to the man, but do go against what you're good at. Just because you like a song doesn't mean you should sing it... Not gonna lie, Matt Giraud is very, very talented at singing and playing the piano, and he is awfully cute - I would very much like to hear/see his performances for the next couple months.

Lil Rounds was once again a hot mess. She should not have sung "I Surrender". Why, if you want to be an R&B singer like Mary J. Blige would you sing CELINE DION? At least do a Whitney song, Lil! If you're doing to do a diva, at least do one in your GENRE!! I get frustrated when Lil Rounds picks the wrong songs because the judges have pimped her to be such a great singer/performer and for the 4th week in a row, she's chosen a crap song and done a crap performance. She looked completely disinterested during her performance and her stylists should be fired for putting her in that hideously unflattering dress. So she hit a couple good notes. That's not good enough...

Not when Adam Lambert follows you and sings the hell out of "Play That Funky Music White Boy". He took that song to CHURCH and back. He's a smart one, that Adam Lambert. He still had his slicked back hair and no fingernail polish look going on, but he brought back his little sexy moves, his crazy falsetto, and completely updated that song and made it amazing. Another crazy awesome performance from the most unique Idol contestant ever. Props to him for giving props to the band and the arrangement - he's very gentlemanly and obviously a seasoned performer who knows to give credit where credit is due.  I think he deserved to sing last this week after last week's stunning rendition of "Tracks of My Tears". Ah-MAZ-ing. Snaps to you, Adam Lambert. Je t'aime.

Rounding out the Top 9 was Kris Allen with his decent arrangement of "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone". Good for him for playing the keyboard - showed a different musical side of himself. I thought he was going to sing a Jason Mraz song, but I sit corrected. I don't think that this is the kind of stuff he would sing all the time... but this was another solid performance delivered out of the side of his mouth :) (I'm not knocking him - I think that's kinda endearing). He's had a few good weeks in a row now and deserves the praise he's been getting.

I hope next week's theme is better - something that will challenge the Idols and further weed out the weak links (*cough* Megan Joy). Bring back Broadway week - that always throws the Idols for a loop. All I know is that Megan Joy, Scott or Lil deserve to be in the Bottom 3 this week. I'm not being disrespectful - everyone else just brought it this week (or brought it more, anyway... Scott was a big improvement from last week's hot mess).

So long as Matt, Danny and Adam coast few to the Top 3, all will be well in my book :)

Ode to Paul Rudd

It’s nice to see the rest of the country hopping onto the Paul Rudd wagon… I’ve been on board since high school but it seems to have taken the general public a bit longer, even though he’s been making an impact on American Cinema since the mid ‘90s.

Rudd is on the cover of two very prominent magazines this month – the April issue of Vanity Fair (where he stands in a barrel next to his frequent co-stars Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen and Jason Segel) and the March 27th issue of Entertainment Weekly. His latest movie, "I Love You, Man" is getting great reviews and Rudd is getting the recognition he deserves.

Although Rudd is mostly known for his comedic roles, he has done some dramatic films, as well as plays. Right after I graduated from college in June of 2006, my sister and I road tripped to New York City to take in some Broadway shows – including the closing night of Three Days of Rain, the Richard Greenburg drama which starred Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper and Paul Rudd (!). To be perfectly honest, I am not and will never be a Julia Roberts fan – especially after seeing her robotic performance in Rain. Unlike most of the rest of the crowd, I was at the play to see Cooper and Rudd and was blown away by both of their performances.

My sister and I had seen many shows before this one, so we were well aware that it would be possible to get pictures and/or autographs of the actors at the stage door at the close of the play. When the curtain fell, we bolted down the balcony steps and out the lobby entrance and made a beeline toward the stage doors. Because it was the finale of the show, and because Roberts is a huge media/paparazzi draw, 45th Street was filled with hundreds – nay, thousands – of people. Since my sister and I had ticket stubs from that evening’s show, we were squired to a holding area by the stage doors.

After waiting awhile, Roberts came out and began scrawling her autograph on peoples Playbills. Everyone has their arm stretched out in order to get as close to Roberts as possible and after she scribbled her way through the mess of Playbills, she ducked back inside the stage doors. When my sister and I brought our Playbills closer to our persons, we realized Roberts had not signed mine. That was actually film by me – I wasn’t there for her anyway and it just reinforced my stance that I am just not a fan.

Soon Bradley Cooper and Paul Rudd came through the stage doors – if you can believe, they are both way more handsome in person than they appear on screen. The two men began signing away, Playbill after Playbill. I was fortunate to get both of their autographs – and I will treasure that Playbill till the end of time. During their signing session, Roberts came outdoors again and went over to the other side of the holding area to sign more autographs. Cooper and Rudd hung over by my side of the holding area, so I decided that I was going to talk to Paul Rudd, since he is my favorite American actor. The day before, I had met my favorite British actor, Ralph Fiennes, so talking to Rudd was going to fulfill this movie-geek’s wildest dreams.

Lots of people were screaming, so I thought for a fraction of a second and decided that if I was to get Rudd’s attention, I couldn’t just scream what every one else was screaming (which was mostly Anchorman quotes or stuff about Friends). I was proud with what I came up with:

"I loved you in The Chateau!"

And just like a scripted movie moment, Paul Rudd (who was facing away from me) turned around and looked right at me. Oh those sparkling blue eyes… but I digress.
He looked me dead in the eye and said in a surprised tone, "You saw that? You and like nine other people."

As my heart melted, I told him that my best friend had recommended it to me and he said, "Tell your best friends I say ‘Thanks’!"

So, in honor of Mr. Rudd and his 2nd place opening at the Box Office last weekend, with a respectable $18 million for "I Love You, Man", here are my thoughts on some of the 22 of his movies I have seen. (With great sadness, I have to admit that I haven’t seen "Role Models" yet… I know it just came out on DVD a couple weeks ago, so in due time I will obtain a copy and watch it over and over again).

Let’s start at the very beginning, shall we?

CLUELESS (1995) – Josh

Even though I thought it was a bit creepy that a guy in his twenties would fall for a high schooler (As if!), I found myself crushing on the character of Josh when I saw this movie back when I was in middle school. In Clueless, Rudd’s Josh is sarcastic, funny, goofy and just a nice guy. He teases Cher, but it’s out of love (awwww). Dug his character and his faux-grungy wardrobe of flannel shirts.

OVERNIGHT DELIVERY (1998) – Wyatt Trips

They show this all the time nowadays on Comedy Central, but I had never heard of it in the late 90s when it came out. Rudd and Reese Witherspoon star in this little road trip movie… pretty cliché and cheesy, but this is the first time we really get the sense of Rudd as a romantic/likable/charmingly goofy leading man (Clueless was a good warm-up, this is more of the real deal). This is not a great movie, but it’s watchable because of the leads and chock full of sarcastic banter, of which I am a huge fan.

WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER (2001) – Andy

"You taste like a burger, I don’t like you any more."

One of the few movies where Rudd plays a jerk, but it’s to such an extreme that you still find him oddly charming and see why the female camp counselors are attracted to him. His physical comedy skills are really put to use when Andy is told to put his lunch stuff away. He sweeps his plate and utensils off the table, then reluctantly goes around the room and with great unhappiness and laziness, he picks up each item one by one, as if it’s the worst chore anyone every had to do in his entire life.

THE CHATEAU (2001) – Graham Granville

Small movie where Rudd and Romany Malco (his co-star in 40 Year Old Virgin) play brothers who are set to inherit property in France but run into trouble with the housekeeping staff. Quirky and cute – Malco and Rudd are great together.

TWO DAYS (2003) – Paul Miller

Not the greatest movie ever made, and it’s super depressing, but Rudd brings it as Paul Miller, an actor who has given up on life and plans on committing suicide in two day’s time. The standout scene is when Rudd’s character goes on a casting call and reads – a very powerful moment that shows you that Rudd is more than just a great comedian, but super talented when it comes to dramatic parts.

ANCHORMAN (2004) – Brian Fantana

Everyone has seen this movie and quotes it a bajillion times, but you know what my favorite part of the movie is? When Ron Burgandy tosses to the first of several segments about the pregnant panda at the zoo and we the audience are treated to seconds of pure comedic bliss – Rudd raises his head, brings the microphone to his mouth as his eyes lock with the camera and he says, completely seriously, "PANDA WATCH!" Makes me laugh every time.

THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN (2005) – David

Again, another comedy that everyone has seen and quotes all the time, but one of my favorite parts, again, is a little Paul Rudd moment that you probably haven’t noticed. You know the scene where the Smart Tech guys are on break the day after the shellfish girl throws up on Andy? Cal (Seth Rogen) and David (Rudd) are smashing fluorescent light bulbs on the ground – watch Rudd’s face… he smiles like a kid who’s content playing with his favorite toy. Too funny. And then to cap it off, Cal hits a bulb against David’s leg and David has one of my favorite lines in the movie, "New pants, man." Another brilliant Rudd moment is during the finale – right when everyone starts singing "This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, the Age of Aquarius… AQUARIUS!!!!!! Aquarius." For the first time… Rudd jumps into frame, then proceeds to do the choreographed dance moves with the rest of the Smart Tech guys… but as the sequence ends, he flings his arms back, puffs out his chest and prances out of frame… Brilliant.

I COULD NEVER BE YOUR WOMAN (2007) – Adam

Underrated Rom-Com from Amy Heckerling, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Rudd as her younger love interest. Rudd does this crazy wonderful dance routine during a club scene… I hadn’t laughed that hard in awhile. This movie is currently in the Dump Bin at your nearest Wal-Mart… it’s worth a watch, if only for the dancing.

I LOVE YOU, MAN (2009) – Peter Klaven

There are too many positive things to write about this movie and Rudd’s performance. This is the first really big studio-driven comedy that Rudd has headlined (I’m going to overlook "Over Her Dead Body" which I haven’t seen yet, but I have DVRed to watch very soon… though I don’t expect much from it) and he nails it on every level. He’s funny, he’s endearing, he’s likeable and most of all, you can relate to him because the plot is realistic and Rudd sells it. You can see how Peter is a girl’s guy – he’s romantic and seems to understand women. He’s not a womanizer – he just needs some male friends. He and Jason Segel make a great on-screen team, playing off each other’s quirks and mannerisms. You want Peter to make friends and you are happy when he is happy – when he’s slapping the bass or just saying "Slappin’ da bass!" you had a smile on your face, admit it.

Paul Rudd is a funny guy. He’s always great doing press on TV – his interviews with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show get funnier each time he’s on. Awkward dancing sometimes erupts – it’s glorious.

If you haven’t gotten hooked on Paul Rudd and his amazingly talented acting skills by now, please go to the nearest bus station, buy a ticket and HOP ON ALREADY!

Oh *hell* no, America - Matt Giraud in the bottom 2 this week on Idol - RIDICULOUS!

Yes, I know this is a movie blog, but American Idol is in full swing and takes up multiple hours of my week. Deal! (I am working on a massive blog dedicated to my favorite American actor, Paul Rudd, so that'll be posted soon, I promise).

So, anyways... the Idol.

Tonight was the results show and Matt Giraud was in the bottom three... nay, the bottom two... WTF America?!

First of all, there are many talented contestants this season. There are a few guys (and perhaps one little cranberry haired young lady) who I think will do very well this season, as well as Post-Idol. Second of all, there were three or four performances this week that were waaaaaaay worse than everyone else... instead of Matt Giraud in the bottom, Lil Rounds or Meghan Joy could have easily filled that slot.

Let me explain...

This week's AI theme was Motown (!) Sooooo many great songs to pick from from soooooo many of the greatest artists in music history. No one should have picked a wrong song, but alas - some of the song choices were whack.

Matt Giraud started the show off right singing Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On". I would have been content if he would have stayed behind the piano, but he got up and BRUNG IT front and center stage. His voice is smooth and he's a great performer. He deserves the praise he's getting and the comparisons to Justin Timberlake and Michael Buble are valid. Each week since the Top 13, he's had solid performances... his version of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" is the most played song on my iTunes (20 plays and counting) and I only downloaded it less than a week ago. There was no way on Earth he should have been in the bottom two this week. I usually wait until later in the season to vote, but starting next week, I will be 1-866-Idol-0something for Matt Giraud.

Kris Allen gave another solid performance this week - I really liked his take on "How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You". Him and his guitar are a good match for each other - with his little side-mouthed singing... he hit some awesome notes this week and I'm glad that America voted him into the Top 13 even though we didn't see anything from him before the Top 36.

Another consistently strong performer is Adam Lambert. He's different, that's for sure. You can tell he is very comfortable on stage and knows how to work his instrument and the camera. He's been all over the place with types of performances, but they are always on pitch and interesting. Last week's version of "Ring of Fire" was insane - and though I felt somewhat uncomfortable watching him sing, there is no denying he is very, very good. (He's very easy on the eyes, but when he started groping the mic stand and making sexy eyes with the camera, I couldn't watch without giggling a little bit :) ) I liked his Elvis-inspired look this week... I also thinks he looks a bit like Ewan McGregor circa Moulin Rouge! (2001)... dark hair, light eyes... almost the same nose/mouth/chin. He'll be around on Idol for awhile and I'm fine with that.

Another one of my favorites this season is Danny Gokey. I dig his different glasses each week and his high-energy performances. He even took "Jesus Takes the Wheel" to white people's church last week, which I enjoyed. I look forward to when he (or anyone this season, really) REALLY takes a song to Church... Gokey's back story is sad, but it's inspiring to see him singing each week. I only wish his friend would have made the Top 13 too :(

My other favorite guy is, of course, ANOOP! I have been rooting for Anoop (as well as the other 4 listed above) since the audition rounds. Anoop is awesome - he can sing a mellow ballad, and then turn around and give a rousing performance of "My Perrogative" - Love It! He's adorable to boot, and I like seeing his parents cheer him on each week.

As for Scott MacEntyre (sp?) - I like him just fine, but he doesn't have what it takes to win this competition. He seems like a super nice guy, he sings pretty well and plays the piano just fine, but he's not a showman like some of the other guys. Randy's right - he's got a Disney voice.

I was so glad to see Michael Sarver leave tonight. It's not that I didn't like him - but between him and Matt Giraud (swoon), Matt Giraud deserves to continue on in hopes of becoming American Idol. Sarver seems like a nice guy and he sings all right, but there was no way on God's green earth that he's better at singing/performing than Danny, Matt and Adam. He should have gone home last week instead of Alexis Grace, but good for him for making it to the tour.

As for the girls...

I was a fan of Lil Rounds during auditions, but she hasn't wowed me at all these past 3 weeks. During Michael Jackson week, she sang "The Way You Make Me Feel". Not the most challenging song in his song book. And she did horrible during Grand Ole Opry week... "Independence Day"? Fine, do that song, but make it your own! Turn it into a hot R&B track, don't just sing it how Martina McBride sings it and look bored as hell while you're doing it. And then this week - "Heat Wave" - she shouted the entire song! That's not musical at all, that's just loud. You best do better Lil Rounds, or all your hype will be for naught.

Alexis was my favorite girl in the Top 13, but she got ousted, so then we're only left with Lil, Megan Joy and Allison. Oh, Meghan Joy, you are KILLING me, Smalls. I dig your quirky singing voice, but pick better songs and quit the dancing. You totally chose the wrong song this week - first off, with your vocal stylings, you shouldn't sing Stevie. Pick a female artist or girl group and look at their tracks. Pick one that you could make bluesy/jazzy. Don't. Sing. Stevie. EVER.

Allison, Allison, Allison. You rocked the beJESUS out of "Papa Was a Rolling Stone". That last run of notes was CRAZY AWESOME. I dig you and your red hair and uncensored comments (like the other week when you said you didn't cut yourself... that was priceless). This 16 year old is super talented and very much deserves her slot in the Top 9. Keep going, girl.

America, please do not let Matt Giraud be in the bottom 2 ever again this season... The boy is crazy talented and it would make me (and probably millions of young women across America) very sad if he was not crooning at his piano for the next couple months.

Need to reference someplace funny? Use Ohio... everyone's doing it

Have you ever realized just how many times Ohio (or cities/locations in Ohio) is the go-to state for comedic references? Or even as just a "random" Mid-West location that people on either coasts can go to for their various plot point? Over the last couple weeks, I've been watching a bunch of TV (be it TV on DVD, reruns, or new episodes of current shows) and here is just a smattering of examples of shout-outs for the Buckeye State:

- 30 Rock (TV on DVD, Season 1) - there is an episode on the 3rd disc called "Cleveland" where Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) and her boyfriend, Floyd (Jason Sudeikis) go to Cleveland for a vacation... there is even a song all about it during a montage which shows Jacobs Field, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Tower City. The song name-drops The Flats, Euclid Avenue, etc... "The Cleve" is the place to be on 30 Rock - you can pet police horses, women are first in line for hot dogs, and Liz Lemon can be a model/show host. Floyd gets a job offer in the Cleveland area (as he always hoped he'd end up in Lakewood or Shaker Heights) and asks Liz to move with him, but she stays in New York and the series continues...

- The Office (TV on DVD, I forget which episode, but it's one of the later seasons) - They mention a branch in Akron. Granted, there is an Akron in Pennsylvania, but when people here "Akron", they think of Akron, Ohio.

- Private Practice (an episode from a couple weeks ago) - Charlotte asked Coop to marry her and she wants to exchange vows in Vegas. Coop, on the other hand, wants to get married in Cuyahoga County, underneath a huppa. It was established in a prior episode that Coop is from Ohio.

- How I Met Your Mother (TV on DVD/current season as well) - Ted Mosby, Architect, hails from Ohio... probably because Josh Radnor (the charming actor who plays Ted Mosby) is actually from Ohio. More specifically, the Columbus area. One of my friends actually knows his dad through their work. Where the characters come from is super important on HIMYW - they mention that Ted is from Ohio, Robin is from Canada and Marshall is from Minnesota. The cultural diversities of these areas are often times weaved into plot lines... Marshall's Minnesota bar, and then the Canadian bar where he brings Robin were great. Especially the Canadian Karaoke... we don't need the words, everyone knows the song - "Let's go to the mall... TODAY!"

- Gilmore Girls (reruns on TV - I think Season 2 or 3) - Rory's grandfather is out of town on a business trip to Akron. Again, I know there are Akron's in other states but Ohio, but come on...

- Saturday Night Live (current season as well as past seasons) - Three sketches stick out in my mind, though I am sure there are more. One recurring bit was if they needed a drunk college kid during Weekend Update, s/he was usually wearing an Ohio State University sweatshirt. Another sketch was a pre-spring break sketch set at the Akron-Canton airport. A third sketch just happened recently - a bit about making up excuses to get yourself out of situations - was set in Logan, Ohio.

Of course there are other shows and movies that reference or even take place in Ohio... The Drew Carey Show, Family Ties,  WKRP in Cincinnati, The "Oh" in Ohio, The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio, the Major League franchise, Bye Bye Birdie, American Splendor, Go Tigers!, etc...

Maybe this just interests me because I've spent a lot of time in Ohio. I wasn't born in Ohio, but have lived here for a majority of my life and it makes me chuckle when places I grew up around are referenced in movies or on TV.

Do you get a kick out of your hometown/home state being mention in (or the setting of) your favorite TV shows or movies?

Happy New Year - maybe I should make a resolution to post more often...

Bonjour,

I had off from work today and thought that I should write a post... not because I have anything super important to say, but I haven't posted in awhile, and I feel that if I took the time to set up a blog, I should at least write something every once in awhile, right? I think one of my New Year's Resolutions will be to post at least once a month. We shall see if I keep to it :) 

So, what's going on...

Well - I just finished reading the entire Twilight series. So - spoiler alerts for those who haven't read the books - if you don't want me to ruin anything for you, don't start reading again until after you see a string of these ******************** below.

I have a bone to pick with the Twilight series. To be perfectly honest, I had no idea what Twilight was until I saw a trailer for the movie last spring. Through the pressure of advertising, I saw enough Twilight commercials to pseudo-pique my interest. I went and saw the movie on opening weekend, just to see what all the hype was about. The movie was chock-full of teen angst and poorly executed special effects. I could understand why females were majorly crushing on Edward Cullen - he's an attractive vampire who seems to be the "good bad boy" and is all about being in a committed relationship. Swoon, right? If you are a teenage girl - yes. 

I am not a teenage girl anymore - haven't been for the last 6 years - but I get the appeal of high school movies. For those who aren't in high school, these movies represent something to look forward to. For those in high school, perhaps you can relate the characters because you might be experiencing some of the same feelings of the characters, or they may remind you of people you know. For those of us out of high school, we watch high school movies and can look back at our own high school experiences and reminisce or just chuckle to ourselves because we know better now that high school should not be the best time in our lives.

Right - Twilight - so I take in the movie as well as the comments of the scores of women young and old surrounding me and decide I need to read the series for myself to see how this all plays out. I bought Twilight and read it over a few days. Turns out I liked the movie better - sure, the plots were mostly the same (the movie did take some cinematic liberties, but that is to be expected), but I was just astounded by how much I did not like the way the book was written.

I felt that the characters changed moods/facial expressions multiple times in the matter of mere sentences. I know high school kids like to change their minds, but come on - it seemed like every sentence, Bella was happy, sad, frustrated, confused, down on her looks, clumsy, and/or defiant. Pick a mood and stick with it. I'm not mad at the characters, as they do not exist (duh) - I'm disappointed with the author.

I think it's awesome that Stephanie Meyer wrote this series, which a lot of people have read and attached themselves to as huge fans (I believe they are called "Twihards"). But I not only have a problem with the ever-changing (like, multiple times within one sentence, ever-changing) emotions of the characters, I have an issue with some of the themes - namely body-image and ownership.

Body-image is a huge deal in the Twilight series... and it's always the same character getting down on herself - Bella Swan. Bella spends a good portion of her time oogling over Edward's stunning face/body/hair/voice/smell/etc...  and then she ALWAYS mentions how she is so plain next to him and can't believe how anyone as beautiful as him would want to be with someone like her. We get it - the vampires are a beautiful race of undead people. Congrats to them. But Bella shouldn't always be such a Debbie Downer about her own appearance. Meyer doesn't describe our heroine as anything remotely unpretty, nor is she represented in the film that way (Kristen Stewart is pretty - there is zero question about that), but every few pages it seems, Bella mentions something about physical appearance. But then, after she becomes a vampire, her attitude about her appearance also changes - she finally believes that she is beautiful and feels like she finally looks the part of Edward's wife.  Awwwwwww.

As for ownership - that is all over the books. And the ownership I write of isn't about owning objects, but people. Edward is very territorial about Bella - she is his. And I get that she also says that he is hers - they are in a relationship and belong to each other, that's okay by me. But there is a lot of "SHE IS MINE!" actions/reactions from Edward that left me shaking my head while I was reading. This usually happened during passages regarding Edward and Jacob. Speaking of Jacob - that whole imprinting thing got to me. I knew he was going to imprint on Renesmee as soon as she was born - everyone had to end up in the family (see also Harry Potter series, and even Star Wars). But all those wolves who imprinted on their mates - notice that the males imprinted on females - and the females didn't have any say in it - it just happened and everyone accepted it. I am not against cultures with arranged marriages, but I'm also not against free will. And I thought it was a bit creepy that Jacob and his other werewolf friend both imprinted on babies/toddlers.

All of this is just my opinion - I mean no disrespect to anyone who is a fan of the series.

****************************************

What else? Oh! It's Awards Season :) The most wonderful season of the year!!

The Golden Globe Awards are on this coming Sunday, the SAGs are soon to follow and the Oscars in another couple months! I have not seen as many films as I would have liked to by now, but a lot of the smaller stuff (like The Wrestler, Frost/Nixon, Milk and Revolutionary Road) haven't come here yet :( 

Of all the big-nominees, I have seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Doubt. I did not like the former, but was a big fan of the latter. Benjamin Button just was not as impressive as I hoped it would be. I'm not a Brad Pitt fan, but I thought that since he was decent in his previous films with Fincher, that this film would also be an exception. Alas... the story was nothing to write home about, though the cinematography and locations were brilliant.

Doubt was pretty good... I still wish I would have seen the play, but you can't go wrong with Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis. Some of the camera angles seemed overly forced, but I loved the locations and the script. PSH is intense - I love him more and more with every performance.

As for the TV front... shows will be starting up with new episodes this week - I am very much looking forward to the return of 30 Rock, Bones and Saturday Night Live. If you have not started watching 30 Rock yet, what is wrong? Do you not like to laugh? It is the greatest show on television - I kid you not. Bones starts new episodes next week... the Gravedigger will be returning in a few weeks (probably during sweeps) - I'm also hoping for the return of Zack Addy... though I doubt that'll happen. SNL is new this week - Neil Patrick Harris is hosting (w/music guest Taylor Swift)... this has the potential to be one of the best shows all season as NPH is soooooooo funny and talented. Maybe there will be some singing? I hope so!

Guess what else starts next week? AMERICAN IDOL!!!!

Yes, I am not ashamed to admit that I have been looking forward to the return of American Idol since after they crowned David Cook (!) the winner of Season 7. I love the auditions, I Love Hollywood week, and I LOVE when they hit the Top 12!!! You know you sit and judge all of those singers like you were up there sitting next to Simon. (BTW - Simon is my favorite judge!)

I hope they have good themes this year and that they do another Idol Gives Back - not only are there usually amazing performances, but it's nice that AI can help raise $$ for children here in the USA and in Africa.

The Reality Channel has been running Season 7 in its entirety - and yes, I have been watching. It's funny to see who in the Top 12 they really focused on throughout the beginning of the competition. Good for Jason Castro for doing as well as he did - they never showed him singing until he was in the Top 24. David Cook will still be my favorite from last season, but I feel like I need to apologize for how nasty I was toward David Archuleta in some of my posts from last year. He's a good little singer, and since the show has released a CD... and his first two singles are beyond catchy. So, sorry I hated on you David Archuleta.

Well - I should get going - perhaps do some baking? Maybe watch a movie?

I hope you have a wonderful day :) 

See ya next month?

Wow - I am a horrible blogger...

... which is not to be confused with "Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog". I wish I had a sing-a-long blog, though. That would be kinda awesome.

So, why haven't I updated since August?

Hmm.... I honestly have no idea. But, I'm here now, so I will write and perhaps you will read. I'm fairly sure no one reads this anyway, so I could probably make up some super elaborate story about my whereabouts the past few months and no one would be able to call me on my bluff...

Well, today is November 18th and 2 things happen today:
1. Bones Season 3 comes out on DVD
and
2. David Cook's first album ("David Cook") drops

They are atop my Christmas List, as in these harsh economic times it is not financially wise to drop $30-$40 on "fun" things when I could use that money for food or gas for my car. Curse you, Economy!

Hopefully things will turn around... see we just elected Barack Obama as our nation's leader, so my fingers are crossed that he will lead us back to better times. "Yes We Can"

Woot :)

So, I went and saw Quantum of Solace on opening day... and it was pretty good. Until Casino Royale, I wasn't really a James Bond fan. I had seen most of the Bond movies, but only as an innocent bystander (my dad and brother are fans of the franchise). But then Casino Royale/Daniel Craig come along and whooooooooosh, I am now a fan. See, Bond Franchise, all it took was a great script and a great actor and then you could acquire a larger demographic of fans.

Quantum of Solace was good - not as good as Casino Royale, but it was still entertaining. I love action movies - car chases, gun fights, fist fights, people chasing people on rooftops, boat chases are all very acceptable forms of entertainment in my eyes. Quantum had all of that, but the story was a bit off... too much plot for such a short movie. Less than 2 hours? Come on!

And that theme song/opening title sequence was sooooooooooo bad. I was glad the rest of the film did not reflect the horrificness of that fiasco. Bond songs, even if the movie is crappy, are usually great, but this one was not. Not good at all... And all those naked women writhing in the sand dunes? I know that fits the usual trend of opening sequences, but Casino Royale's opening title sequence didn't have any naked women and it was awesome. (And "You Know My Name" by Chris Cornell was a frickin' great Bond theme)

What else, what else?

I'm trying to think what else I've seen in recent months that is worth mentioning... I liked Kevin Smith's latest movie - "Zack and Miri Make a Porno". It was really sweet... beneath all the curse words is a really heartwarming tale of friends falling in love. I like most of Smith's movies, so I wasn't surprised that I liked this one so much.

I'm really looking forward to "Australia"... love the director, love the actors, love the epic feel of the trailer. Even the font they use for the movie's title on the poster harkens back to films of the 30s and 40s. Love. It.

Other movies I'm looking forward to are "Revolutionary Road" and "The Reader". Is it a coincidence that they both star Kate Winslet? NOPE. Winslet is my favorite actress and always turns in a stellar performance. In "Revolutionary Road" she once again stars with Leonardo DiCaprio, but instead of a boat sinking, it looks like their marriage starts too... the trailer is amazing and I think you should check it out. "The Reader" co-stars my favorite actor in the world, Ralph Fiennes (!), and takes place during/after the Holocaust, so you know it's going to be powerful. I've just started reading the book, so I don't know how it's going to end yet, but so far the book is really interesting.

Turning to the television, we've had a few weeks of new primetime shows. The biggest letdown has been Heroes. What the hell happened? The first season was amazing. The second season was crap. This third season... leaning more towards crap as well. Has it jumped the shark? Yes... yes it has.

Two other shows that also have been nothing but melodramatic smut have been Grey's Anatomy and its spinoff, Private Practice? WHY DO I KEEP WATCHING THEM? I think it's a sickness... I don't want to watch them, but I feel like I have to.

Denny's been back on Grey's for a couple weeks now - WHY? He's dead! There is a rumor floating about that Izzie has a brain tumor and that's why she keeps seeing him and interacting with him. I would be okay if this rumor is true - I honestly would be glad if Katherine Heigl left the show and attempted a movie career. She was okay in "Knocked Up", but "27 Dresses" wasn't exactly "When Harry Met Sally..." now, was it? She, if she makes movies, I can avoid seeing them... if she's still on Grey's, that means I still have to see her for a little bit every week. My stomach can't take her or her storyline anymore. The saving graces on Grey's are McSteamy and new doc, Dr. Hunt. They should have their own show.

And Private Practice... everybody's just having sex all the time - do they not practice medicine at their practice? I guess not. Even my love for Tim Daly cannot save this crappy show in my eyes. The one redeeming factor is that Dell is back at the practice... he went away for a week, and then was working at the real hospital, but now he's back. And he wants manly colored scrubs!

One hour shows that have been tolerable this season are Numb3rs, ER and Bones. Numb3rs is not great, but it's not bad either. I like all the math and the relationship between the Epps boys and their dad and co-workers. I do not like the new FBI lady, though.

ER is in its final season. I started watching the show when I entered college, so I've only seen about 6 seasons. This season has introduced us to some new people and brought back some old favorites. It was really great to see Shane West's character a few weeks ago and Anthony Edwards last week. The show has been through some ups and downs and County General has hired a wide variety of doctors and nurses over the years and have lost a bunch along the way. What is going to fill the 10-11 slot on NBC when it's gone?

And then there's Bones... oh, Bones. I got hooked on this show a couple years ago via my mother and reruns on TV. My mom majored in Biology and loves murder mysteries, so this show is right up her alley. I like the science and murder stuff, but find the Brennan/Booth Moonlightingesque relationship to be interesting. Not every episode is a winner (like the one about the guy stuck in the art sculpture - what a weak episode!), but some are downright great (last week's one with the peek into Booth's troubled past was touching). I hope the show continues on an upward path and doesn't succomb to being cheesy.

The greatest show on television, however, is 30 Rock, hands down. That show is super funny every week. I hope the rumor (which I read on ew.com) that they are courting Jon Hamm (from "Mad Men") to be on for a few episodes is true. I had no idea who Jon Hamm was, but then he hosted SNL a few weeks ago... he's super handsome and funny, so I am all for him being on 30 Rock. If we can't have Jason Sudeikis as Floyd, then PLEASE OH PLEASE bring in Jon Hamm.

The Office, My name is Earl and How I Met Your Mother, the three other 1/2 hour shows I watch weekly, are all solid so far this season. Keep it up, comedies... there are too few of you who are watchable and the country needs to laugh.

Saturday Night Live has been providing some large laughs this season. Just this past weekend, Paul Rudd and Beyonce (with a little help from SNL fave Justin Timberlake) tore it up. The hosts have been pretty funny this season and there have been some very entertaining episodes. Thanks to Tina Fey's Sarah Palin impressions last month, the show enjoyed some of its highest ratings in a long, long time.

And that's all the news that is fit to print. I'm currently filing out grad school applications, so that's taking up some time (along with a new job). Before I typed this sucker out, I scanned some of my articles and made them into PDFs... I felt all smart because I knew what I was doing with the scanner even though I haven't used this one before. Yay me and technology :) Now I just need to locate my flash drive, then my technology infused day will be a complete success.

I hope you are staying warm (we have an inch of snow on the ground!) and that all is well. Enjoy some movies and/or some TV shows. Maybe crack open a good book or magazine! It's the holiday season and we all deserve to be merry :)

Have a good one!