The last couple of days I've been meaning to write about a few interesting news pieces that either got me really giddy or pique my interest. So let's get to it.
Good News: A couple of days ago, I was disappointed to find out that the Wes Anderson short that I blogged about wasn't available in the Canadian itunes store. BUT this morning a link to Hotel Chevalier fell into my lap and I wanted to share it with y'all. Enjoy! I can't wait to watch it when I get home..
TV News: Ryan Murphy, creator of such shows like Popular (!!!) and Nip/Tuck, is teaming up with Brad Pitt to produce a saucy new dramatic series, formerly titled '4 oz.' Joseph Fiennes will star as a transsexual family man.. Judging by the creative team and the actors behind it, this will be a sure hit! Another something, that I can't wait to get my hands on..
Movie News: Somebody teefed Francis Ford Coppola's script for his film Tetro. WTF? Bad move. Don't you know that the family will come after ya?
Music News: Does the latest Radiohead code reveal the date of their new album? Some are speculating that it'll be released in March of next year... YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Fine, so maybe I never came on here and pleaded with you all to listen to Feist's latest album, but I swearsies that I've been ALL ABOUT IT since I got a pre-release copy in late April. It was totally the soundtrack of my vacation in May (really perfect music for flying in the clouds!) and she's got some of the best videos of 2007.
One of my fave singles of the year is "1,2,3,4" - you may have noticed the new iPod commercials which prominently feature it. Well, like most tunes used in iPod commercials past, Feist is now seriously climbing the charts. I've got two things to say about this:
1. YAY FOR FEIST!
2. You jerks better not ruin the song for me. Or there will be HELL TO PAY!
File this under "F for fabulous"...or wherever you put your awesome news. The team that brought us two of my favourite movies, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, are working on a third (and fourth)!
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost told MTV that they are working on the script for a road movie called "Paul". They won't say much about it other than their typicals roles will be reversed, it'll be shot in the States and it's about "two British geeks in America". The other great news? This is in addition to the movie they'll be doing with Edgar Wright, the director and co-writer of both Shaun and Fuzz.
Be sure to check out Simon in Run, Fat Boy, Run a comedy (which made an appearance at the Film Fest) due out on March 28, 2008 (pushed back from an earlier fall release date because they wanted to avoid some competition from other movies in the fall.) The teaser trailer makes it look hysterical.
Nominations for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees have been announced. They are:
- Madonna
- Beastie Boys
- 60s "British Invasion" group, the Dave Clark Five
- Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen
- South Bronx DJ Afrika Bambaataa
- American rock singer-songwriter John Mellencamp
- the Ventures (Hawaii Five-0, Wipe Out)
- "Queen of Disco" Donna Summer
- 70s American disco/funk band Chic
Only 5 of these nominees will actually be inducted. I'm pretty sure Madonna will make the cut - I mean, c'mon - it's Madonna. But she is a first time nominee (it's the first time she's been eligible) so she may get knocked out of the running by Mellencamp, the Dave Clark Five and Chic, who have all been nominated in the past.
But I think it would be a shame and insult if Leonard Cohen didn't make it. His songwriting is no doubt the best in Canada and definitely one of the best in the world. Show us some Canadian love!
The annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on March 10, 2008.
Interesting Fact: In 2006, the Sex Pistols were still inducted, even though they had originally declined. Below is quite the opinionated letter they wrote to the Hall of Fame, sharing their disgust with the institution.
I love fall!!! I hope it stays like this.. it's perfect sweater weather :)
I saw Eastern Promises the other night - it stars Viggo Mortenson & Naomi Watts. I really liked it.. it's about the Russian mafia - it's quite violent though just to warn you - lots of blood!! YUCK!! I always have to turn away from the screen during yucky scenes - I'm a total suck! :)
Thanksgiving is next weekend!! I can't believe it's here already - it'll be christmas before you know it!! I'm not gonna be here for a yummy meal though.. I'm going away for the long weekend. Normally my mom makes candied yams, which is mashed sweet potatoes baked with marshmallows & brown sugar on top!! soooo ... good! But I'm heading to Vegas for a day, then Arizona for a day.. then Texas for 2 days.. should be fun!! I'm really excited to take a little vacation. One of my favourite restaurants is in Las Vegas.. it's in the Paris Hotel & it's called Mon Ami Gabi - they have the best Steak & Frites ..sooooo..yummy!! I can't wait to eat there.. hahahhaha!! :) If you're ever there, you should definitely go!!
Anyways.. gonna go get ready for MOD - Kat Deluna is on today..
We start the ep with our 13 finalists making the figurative leap from the high seas to the comfort of their hybrid transport and then to their environmentally-friendly home on dry land (I'm sensing a theme...and it's green)...and all without even breaking a nail! I think some of them lost track of their brains and dignity somewhere along the way...but that means more interesting shenannigans for us down the line, so I'm not complaining!
So apparently this show has jumped on the celebrity message bandwagon and this week the message they want to teach us is that...wait for it...smoking is bad! Stay tuned next week when we learn that we need to "Just Say No" to drugs and that recycling is good. Are their seriously people out there who don't know this? Wow. The girls' shoot shows us the two sides of smoking...the glamourous facade and the medical side-effects. So smoking is both fierce and gross...interesting perspective. Mila, my least favourite so far, thinks her chemotherapy hair is hysterical...so she wins my "Prized Idiot" award for the week. I still cannot believe they picked this ditz over that girl from Alaska! After the shoot, Bianca lays the smack down with Lisa making it clear that a lap-dancer won't ever be chosen as the Top Model. Clearly Bianca has never watched the show before. Bianca apologises but cops to the fact she only did it so that her nasty side won't become an issue with the judges. Again, she has clearly never watched this show...the bitchier you are, the longer you remain around to keep things interesting! It's Top Model 101.
The Challenge for the week involves each of the girls showing off their personal style using clothes from Old Navy. Hmmm...I don't know about you, but I shop there occasionally and they only have one style to begin with. Saleisha manages to stand out somehow and wins the chance to appear in an ad and a $1000 shopping spree in the store, which means she should be able to get about 999 pieces of clothing all of which will fall apart after she's worn them once. I joke, I joke...sort of.
You knew Heather's Asberger's Syndrome would come into play sooner rather than later and it does. The girls constantly talk about how weird she is and she's starting to feel them push her onto the sidelines as the resident "freak". This girl is not prepared to stay there, however, and seriously takes the girls to task in front of Tyra and the judges...I liked her before but know I'm kind of rooting for her. Also growing on me? Ebony. She's reined in the bitchy behaviour but apparently that's what gave her that model glow because she lands in the bottom two with Mila (rock on!). I was really hoping they'd give Ebony another chance...and thankfully, they do. Mila "Cancer is Funny" is going home - so why was she even here in the first place? Whatever.
Tyra takes the opportunity to build on the fact this season is all about sending, like, positive messages and stuff to all those impressionable girls out there. Didn't they already do a model with causes shoot last season? They really should've saved that. But her big announcement? No smoking for the rest of the competition...they are putting their money where their finely stenciled mouths are (in a manner of speaking) and following up on the message they want to send. One small, teetering stilettoed step for females everywhere...
Tune in next week when the DTs hit the girls and the bitches come out to play!
With the start of the new TV season, a lot of emphasis is put on new shows - their style, content, performances, stars, etc. But not much is ever mentioned about opening title sequences, those first few crucial moments that can potentially hook the viewer. However, the good folks over at Entertainment Weekly have taken it upon themselves to list the best 15 Classic TV Openers.
I think they have the list all wrong. They highlight shows such as The Six Million Dollar Man, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Miami Vice. (The only ones I sort of agree with are The Simpsons, The Monkees, Get Smart, and Mission: Impossible).
But I think it's a generational thing. I didn't watch many of these "classic" shows as a kid. See, if I was compiling my own list, I would have to highlight more recent opening sequences such as the one to the wonderful and catchy Jem (man, I love those Misfits). Or Beverly Hills, 90210. Or Friends. Or Saved By The Bell - all opening sequences that are instantly recognizable and great to sing/bop along to (well, with the exception of Friends which is merely annoying on the best of days).
The sad thing is, opening sequences are slowly becoming a thing of the past. Notice how Lost, Heroes, Grey's Anatomy and Brothers & Sisters have all ditched a fun little ditty in favour of a few seconds of a title shot? It's still a bit too early in this TV season to see what opening title style the new shows have opted for, but keep an eye out - those Sailor Moon-type sing-alongs might no longer be there for you.
If there was a world record for crashing and burning into the depths of naughtiness, La Lohan would be a fierce competitor. When Mean Girls was a box office and critical hit, her star began to rise like a teenage boy at a pillow party. Suddenly she was hosting MTV award ceremonies and Saturday Night Live; she was striking album deals and showing up at the hottest parties. But when you're barely 18 and the world is your oyster, temptations are your prime rib. Especially when you're hot & red-headed. With a raspy voice.
Ah, remember when her relationship with Fez from That 70s Show was such a big deal? The age difference? The public displays of affection? That's Disney-level scandal. That's nothin'. That's child's play.
At the age of 18, she drops to minus Kate Moss thin, and the rumours of drug abuse and anorexia begin to swirl. Around the same time, her father is sentenced to 1-4 years in jail and we start to learn that Linds' mom may be more of a party animal than she is. Without the support of a solid family, Lindsay starts to fall deep - but at the same time, seems to be enjoying it.
Things go crazy in 2006. Car accidents! (The first two, she's the victim). No less than FIVE hospitalizations (exhaustion! stitches!). Her drug and alcohol abuse escalates and she admits to attending AA meetings for at least a year. The cute little Lindsay Two-Two from Parent Trap is but a figment of our imagination, and even her 12 year-old sister Ali seems to be taking naughty lessons from her big sister.
Now, at the ripe old age of 21, she's already been to rehab several times, and is currently in the middle of her longest stay yet. In July, she's arrested for her alleged second DUI and cocaine possession (which she claims was not hers). This is a girl out of control, a girl who goes beyond the slightly appealing nature of "naughty", a girl who may be second to only Britney Spears when it comes to a trainwreck of a life at such a young age. All we can say is, "SAVE LINDSAY!" Even a rehab centre is releasing advertising solely based on Lohan's reputation. We can't wait til the autobiography penned at the age of 30...
I don't know about you guys, but I thought this show got a lot better in this episode. Am I completely sold on it yet? Not quite...but I'm still willing to give it some time to improve some more. On that note - here's what went down:
Dan spends a good portion of the episode enacting his very own version of Waiting for Godot, as he literally stands outside her building and just waits for her...having awkward conversations aplenty with Lily and with Nate. Nate gives him the solid advice that sometimes women are just hard to understand...wow, free faux-deep platitudes, how kind of him. You know what else is hard to understand? What B and S see in him...but I digress...
We also get to see some nice Lily and Rufus (or as I shall now call them, Loofus) interaction - where we learn a little bit more of their past together. The bad? Rufus apparently hasn't seen the useful end of a showerhead in awhile and needs to clean up his greasy self stat or he is in danger of losing his position as "hottest dad on tv".
Jenny pays a visit to her new icon, Blair, and doesn't seem to be at all distracted by the fact that B has apparently wandered in from a 1940's film noir. Who wanders around with that much makeup and in a negligee? I didn't even know they still made those! After quizzing Jenny on her erstwhile hero worship of S, B decides to take pity on her new underling and gives her an expensive dress she decides she doesn't want anymore. Jenny, consider your soul sold for a piece of haute couture - for shame.
All the pretty people then attend a brunch thrown by Chuck's dad - including Dan, who S invites to join her, but excluding Rufus and Jenny, who spend the day as poor people do - chatting about blogs and shopping (naturally). I wish I was poor enough that I could shop all the time. Chuck and Dan start to re-enact the rumble scene out of West Side Story (can't wait to see their high kicks and pirouettes) but end up getting pulled apart before either one of them can get crowned the Ryan Atwood of this particular class warfare dance number.
S (aka worst date ever) abandons Dan in favour of trying to find out why her BFF is giving her the cold shoulder. Her answer comes from Nate who admits to spilling the beans about their hookup. S is naturally not happy and her angelic demeanour slips as she gets into a major argument with B. There's a lot of unflattering names flying around, all of which are awesome and bang on. It is at this point that Serena's character finally seems interesting to me...no more victim-like martyr attitude so I say bring on more of that bitchiness! Despite all this, Nate and Blair...or Nair as I shall now call them...remain together. Hookay. Chuck, being the gentleman that he is, decides to spill the beans about Nate and S to Dan, who doesn't take it well...but manages to give Chuck a matching black eye to go with the other before taking off. I say keep running, Dan, these people are so not worth your time (or your hotness). Go back to your hot dad and your cute sister and forget about this crazy, lunatic fringe!
Things I Liked:
- They cut back on the Gossip Girl interludes but when she did pipe up, her lines were good and less cheesy. Also, Kristen Bell continues to deliver her lines with a panache unmatched.
- The music continues to rock. The Music Supervisor for this show has worked on both The O.C. and Grey's Anatomy, so it's no wonder...I want to be her when I grow up.
- Dan. He's hot...his family is awesome. Give them their own spin-off and can everyone else.
- Blair. She's a bad girl but they've done an excellent job of giving glimpses that their is more than meets the eye.
Things I Can Give or Take at This Point:
- Loofus. I am slightly intrigued by their past but still don't see much chemistry between them...but I want to like their story. The jury is still out.
- Serena. She is supposed to be the centre of the show but except for that glimpse of her inner-bitch, I'm not feeling it.
- Jenny. I like her but riding the fence between good and evil (S & B) will get old quickly, so I hope they give her more to do.
Things I Wouldn't Miss If They Suddenly Disappeared Down a Black Hole:
- Chuck. Rich bad boy stereo-types have been played to death - if they don't give him layers soon (see Logan in Veronica Mars), I'm not interested.
- Nate. His personality is flying so low, it's beneath the radar. I wouldn't notice if he disappeared all together.
Episode Rating: C-
What does everyone else think? Are you going to keep watching? or has it lost your interest already?
Don't you want to fly to any city you want to and see Finger Eleven perform with Sum 41, huh? Don't you want to bring a friend and pick out your concert rider and get your own green room? Don't you want to introduce Finger Eleven on stage, HUH? Don't you want to win a Gibson SG GT?!?!?! COME ON!
There's only two more days for you to enter this contest, so get crack-a-lackin'. It's way easy - use your digital point & shoot or even your phone, record a quick clip telling us why you should be a member of the band for a day, and upload it like you would a photo. Make sure there's no copyrighted material!
Get your ass in gear, or this guy could be the winner!! He's got some pretty sexy dance moves...
To follow up on Jen's blog, I too am a fan of Wes Anderson. A Huge fan, in fact, huge may be a bit of an understatement. I own every Criterion collection dvd and cassette pertaining to his works. Whenever I watch one of his movies, I'm always shocked at how few movies Jason Schwartzman seems to be in, given his obviously advanced level of acting. That led me to think about all the other underrated actors out there, who, for whatever reason, have been shunned by the box office. Here's my un-official list.
1. Christian Bale - unbelievable talent, fantastic choice in roles, strangely escapes most people (unless of course you count Batman Begins fans, of which I am one.)
Best Role: Patrick Bateman (American Psyco)
2. Chris Bridges aka Ludacris - did you see Crash? Not the best movie, but you can't deny his talent.
3. Jared Leto - yes he may seem like a smarmy bastard (and may in fact be a smarmy bastard) but given his list of film choices, you have to respect the guy. He's passed up fantastic roles for his band, which, in retrospect, may or may have not been the best idea - but he only does the roles he wants to do and does a great job doing them.
4. Cate Blanchett - have you seen the trailer for the upcomming Dylan biopic? "Holy shit". That's all I have to say.
I am FURIOUS! FUUUUURIOUS! Last night's episode of Beauty & The Geek did NOT pan out as I had hoped. Here's a quick recap:
After picking their bedrooms, the teams were given their challenges. First up were the Geeks who had to master the music genre that is Rap. Everyone was scared, except, it seemed, lil' William who gave his man-ish Beauty Jennifer a confident knuckle-punch handshake. After lots of practice, the boys (and girl-Geek Nicole) got dressed up in their bling and headed out to the club to perform... for Three 6 Mafia! (Those Oscar-winning "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" guys... yes, you heard that right: Oscar-winning). Hilarity enused as Nicole awkwardly ordered everyone to "smell my money" as she shook her booty and then Joshua rapped about his "caramel cutie" whilst trying to keep his pants from falling down and John growled through his rap while grabbing his crotch and juggling his balls (wait - that doesn't sound right...) ANYway, the winner ended up being Will who rapped about how hard it is out here for a Geek, meaning he and his teammate Rebecca were safe from elimination.
Then the Beauties had to have a debate! On current events! More hilarity ensued as no one knew what the eff they were talking about, if they even talked at all (here's lookin' at YOU, Jennifer). But then Sam the Himbo had a stroke of genius dumb luck as he had a rebuttal that actually sort of made sense. He won the challenge, saving himself and his teammate Nicole from elimination.
Then things went sour as the two safe teams put up John & Rebecca for elimination as well as - I'm fighting back tears here - Tony & Amanda! I cried out in pure shock and horror. NOOOO! Tony & Amanda are so unbelievably cute together that I wanted to see them stick around for as long as possible. Then what sent me over the edge was Tony's heart-warming confessional to Amanda, saying how hard it is for him to open up to people. Amanda fought back tears and offered Tony a tissue, who was too proud to take it and instead wiped his tears on the sleeve of his blue button-up shirt. It was too gut-wrenching to watch. I wanted to give them both hugs.
Then, after some nail-biting trivia questions, Tony & Amanda sadly could not hold up to John & Natalie in the Elimination Room and they were sent packing.
Tony. Amanda. You will be missed. Wear your bow ties with pride.
Listen up, Marianas fans: your big chance to meet the boys is HERE. Breathe, breeeeeeeatthheeee, it's gonna be ok. NOW, are you listening?
Here's what you gotta do:
1. Try to get a spot in the MOD audience. Call 416-870-MUCH (6824) and choose option #3. They'll be here next Wednesday, October 3! 2. Make a sign to show how much of a Marianas Trench fan you are! 3. If you can't get in the audience, still come to the station and stand outside the window with your sign! 4. Be here by 4pm!!
I will personally, yes, the glamourous and elegant moi, I will choose the best signs to compete in a trivia showdown. And get this!!!
THE WINNER WILL GET TO MEET AND INTERVIEW MEMBERS OF MARIANAS in the greenroom! (And we're gonna videotape it, oh yes).
Rumours are flying that High School Musical co-stars Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens are no longer dating!
It is being reported that Zac was the one to end the relationship. What was the reasoning? Was it maybe Zac gettin' all saucy with his Hairspray co-star Nikki Blonsky? Or was it Vanessa's recent nudie pics getting posted all over the world wide interweb?
Whatever the case may be, girls and boys everywhere can now keep dreaming that yes, maybe they have a damn chance with one of these two...
I don't have any crazy stupid human trick talents. I can't even turn my eye inside out or take my face off and put it back on. But these videos (click! click!) are pretty stupid awesome - the first dude (now known as I Have No Life Houlihan) cracks me up with his hand fart rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody". I don't even know if he's actually doing it, but I was laughing like a 9-year-old boy. Also cool: the dice tricks and the perfect circle.
Can you do any stupid human tricks? If you can, the first person to post a cool one to Show Me Yours wins something. I don't know what, but it'll be something.
Monday mornings could be one of the worst days of the week. I mean I could be alone on this one ... but then again some people like the smell of their own farts - to each his own! Anyway, this past Monday I'm rushing around getting ready for work doing what I do. I finally get out the door, into my car, and begin driving down the street after returning home once already because I realized I had forgotten my bag. A police officer pulls up beside me and motions to roll down my window - it's nine in the morning on a Monday, I'm grumpy as Oscar thinking what can this guy possibly want?! If it's directions, I'll tell you where to go! Anyway, he asks me to pull over after I make a turn, so I make the turn and pull over thinking why me?! This dude walks up to my window and asks me if I know why he pulled me over. And do you know what he told me? Because I wasn't wearing my seat belt - are you kidding me, on Monday morning, you're going to pull me over essentially on my street and give me a seat belt ticket??????? I wasn't even off my street when he must have noticed, give me a break, I mean doesn't he read the papers, look at what's going on in the city right now! But let me guess he's looking out for my safety. What a way to start the week...thanks BUD!
Whatz good everybody! So here we are again with the third installment of my muchmusic.com blog (Check out installments ONE and TWO)... And this time around, I got some shit to get off my chest!!! At this point in my Career, I am getting tired of promoters, radio programmers, media, etc! Besides the wonderful supportive MuchMusic family, there are not really any other outlets supporting urban music (i.e. R&B, Rap/Hip-hop) in this country!!!
I know that 60% of the urban music out there is cliche, but there are a few of us out here who actually try to do something different!!! For example, when I write a record, the first thing that comes to my mind is "how can I make this record as commercially appealing and different as possible." I don't do threatening music, I don't do gangster rap. I make songs for women! I make party music, and every now and then I will throw in a record that actually means a lot to me! Either way, I am over people not booking us and not supporting us until we break over to the American side of things!!!
This is where musical genre becomes transparent though! This applies to everything, entertainment wise! This is why actors, comedians, and singers make it in the states and STAY in the states, because when they were trying to get some love in Canada, the country brushes them off! We are the ONLY country in the world that has a problem with supporting our own talent. Maybe it's because we are so damn close to America, or maybe because we suck American dick so much that the semen in our eyes is blinding us to our own talent! So, let's start supporting our talent, before America takes our next Russell Peters or our next Jim Carrey!
In Conclusion, as a unit, can we start fully supporting our talent? So when the greats make it worldwide, they PROUDLY represent this otherwise GREAT country!!! We need show promoters!!!! We need Media Magazines, and we NEED SPINS radio stations!!!!!!!! Do yourselves a favor and take a page out the book of MuchMusic! Thank God for Moses Znaimer!!
Over the past 4 weeks I have had the opportunity to play Halo 3 on Multiplayer and the Campaign from a regular TV to a nice HDTV. The following is a mini review that tries to stay away from giving you too many story spoilers.
First off, Halo 3 does not re-invent the game, because it's part of a trilogy of sorts, so it doesn't need to. If this is your first time playing Halo then you will be able to jump right into the game. For those who follow the trilogy you will be able to pick up the story from where it left off in Halo 2.
Now onto Halo 3.
The game itself has some nice graphical additions. Almost everything has been upgraded - yes, you can still see some areas that look 2D but for the most part they added texture to where it was needed. Items you interact with look better, people you kill die with gushing agony, (well except for the grunts), things you blow up...well you get the idea.
I was also pleasantly surprised at the variety of levels you go through in the campaign, no cookie cutter maps here, just vibrant jungles, frozen wastelands and futuristic cities. I am sure you will have your favorite maps in the end.
You can also interact with your environment a bit more - items are not nailed down as much. This is not to say you can destroy everything or take everything, but you can move things around more and knock over items. This can work in your favor - say you knock a large crate of items into a group, they will have to go around it or over it. You will also be happy to know that if you find a turret of any kind, Alien or Human, you can take it with you.
You can also interact with your environment a bit more - items are not nailed down as much. This is not to say you can destroy everything or take everything, but you can move things around more and knock over items. This can work in your favor - say you knock a large crate of items into a group, they will have to go around it or over it. You will also be happy to know that if you find a turret of any kind, Alien or Human, you can take it with you.
The controls are mostly unchanged, how you pick weapons up and drop weapons has been moved to the right bumper, you also do get the addition of the item button, which allows you to deploy and make use of equipment. While that doesn't change the way you control the game itself, it does affect the way you develop your strategies.
One of the biggest surprises for me was the improvement of the computer AI. (Theirs not mine). The computer AI was very impressive, at times you can see the AI forming strategies based on what looked like emotional reactions to fallen comrades. At other times I found myself cursing, "Why won't he just stand still?!" This has to be one of the best evolutions to the game.
One more item to note, I did play this on two different TVs. One was HDTV and the other was a regular TV. They both looked great. The biggest difference on the HDTV for me was seeing more detail in the distance, seeing more shadows and the feel that I had more peripheral vision.
We'll come back to multiplayer in a few days, and I will tell you more..after I OMGWTFPOWNZU. (translated: Own you online)
When word spread that Wes Anderson (the genius behind Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaum and Life Aquatic) made a 17 minute prologue titled Hotel Chevalier for his new film The Darjeeling Limited I was beyond stocked. But as life would have it, my dreams were later crushed when I heard that the short film would never see light of day.
However, I'm VERY happy to report that the short which stars the gorgeous and talented Natalie Portman and the endearing Jason Schwartzman will be available on itunes for FREE TOMORROW!!!!! I ain't kidding around... So from one Wes Anderson fan to another, I thought I'd share this news with all of y'all..
Do you believe it - there was a time when Lindsay Lohan was a good girl. Like, a truly nice girl - innocent, drug free, drink free, and a virgin, even.
She was eleven.
When La Lohan debuted in The Parent Trap, the only publicity swarming her image (more like lightly fluttering around her image, but we're not picky here) was the positive kind. "Precocious Little Lohan Will Be a Star!" Impressively, she pulled off playing twins on screen and it wasn't long before she became the perfect Disney-type princess. Freckles! Red hair!! Cute lil raspy voice! Was the raspy voice our first clue? The raspy-voiced ones always go naughty...
After Linds charmed the world with her performance in Freaky Friday, her profile as a brat started to rise, but she was still young and adorable. But underneath it all, her dysfunctional family and own behavior started a new kind of legend right around when she released the ironically titled Mean Girls....
Nice rating: 3 Hilary Duff Heads
Next: La Lohan vs sex vs alcohol vs drugs vs danger
It wouldn't be Tuesday without the weekly Hills recap.. So what did the wacky gang get up to this week?
* Lauren attends Jason's housewarming party and meets his new ice queen, I mean girlfriend, I mean fiance, Katja.
* Whitney is given the responsibility of handling the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus shoot. Bad idea.
* Heidi goes wedding dress shopping with our favourite slut Jen Bunny and registers with Spencer at some shiteous homewares store (i.e. think Heidi's engagement ring)
WTF Moments:
* Whitney takes the band out the night before their shoot.. Professional much? I don't buy the whole 'we thought we should entertain the band' speech.
* Jen Bunny gives Heidi credible advice. Since when?
* JASON ANNOUNCES HIS ENGAGEMENT AT A KEGGER PARTY?!?!?! One classy dude.
* The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus act like divas on the set of their photoshoot- well, just the one guy - But seriously, who are they and why do we care? They should be so lucky that Teen Vogue ACTUALLY wants to feature them... This is pretty much the highlight of their career...
Spencer's Douchebag Move Of The Night:
Heidi: You still haven't told your parents that we're getting engaged?
Spencer: (Blank expression)
Heidi: Why, are you embarrassed?
Spencer: (Still Nothing)
Worst Nose Job Of The Night:
* Goes to Heidi Montag. While Jen, actually needed a nose job (I barely recognize her with one), Heidi looked better without it. Now, she just looks like a barbie..
I was meant to be a singer. I know it's hard to tell, mostly because I almost never sing. I always mean to connect to the emotion behind the words, behind the velvet voices and the endless verses. If it is easy to tell someone is lying with their eyes, it must be even more accurate a test with their voice.
That's why music can be so powerful and emotional. It can render me helpless in tears, lost in a memory or dazed in my thoughts. It's the actual music in a song, but most frequently it's the human connection of the actual voice, and whatever that evokes. If you can't feel it, it's probably not really there.
If the eyes are the window to the soul, the voice is sound of the accompanied score. It's how our soul sounds and the soundtrack to our lives.
I often find myself taking out my old records and listening to them for hours until I find a new track that shakes me out of my vintage vinyl coma; Alicia's back!
But for now, here's some old Billie Holiday for Sunday mornings and to tide you over until Ms Keys drops her record on November 18.
I'm a huge fan of director Julie Taymor. Her 1999 feature film Titus, was visually stunning. She followed it up with the colourful Frida and the sensory overload experience that was Broadway's The Lion King. So when I saw the amazing trailer for her latest flick Across the Universe, I was stoked: a full-blown musical, told through the songs of the Beatles.
Maybe my expectations were a bit too high, because this movie disappointed me. What happened, Julie?
I think the problem is the overly simple, seen-it-before, cliche-ridden plot: A young immigrant (Jim Sturgess) comes to America in the 60s to find his birth father, and gets wrapped up in the Rock n' Roll revolution and anti-war protests. A few psychedelic drug and war montages later, we're supposed to care if the boy gets the girl (Evan Rachel Wood).
But when this movie shines, it shines. Highlights include "I've Just Seen A Face" set in a bowling alley, "Let It Be" contrasted with the deadly consequences of war, "I Want You" as a freaky Army recruitment dance number, and "Strawberry Fields" emphasized with great art work.
Unfortunately it's the celebrity cameos that stall the action of the film, especially Bono as a hippie party entertainer and Eddie Izzard as a bizarre Circus Conductor. Their scenes are just pure filler and obviously thrown in for their star power, as if there was a fear the leads couldn't carry the film on their own; however both Jim Sturgess and Evan Rachel Wood deliver the goods. Who knew Evan Rachel Wood could actually belt it out?
But overall I left the theatre feeling "meh".
At least the soundtrack is great - the 2-Disc Deluxe Edition is currently set on repeat on my iPod.
As all the new shows and their pilot episodes come raining down on us, sometimes the returning gems get lost in the deluge. So I thought I'd highlight what has to be one of the best hours of television I've seen in a very long time...the opener of the 6th season of Family Guy.
This year, Seth MacFarlane (Creator and all around genius) decided to open with a very special episode - a re-enactment of Star Wars. I know what you're all thinking...that has been done to death (they even manage to make that point too)...but I can honestly say this is the best I've ever seen (okay maybe not counting Spaceballs...because awesome)...and as an aside, they got the official "blessing" from Monsieur Lucas to go nuts on this one - which I'm not sure he's done before (but I could be wrong).
A disclaimer - I like Star Wars but I don't love it...but nevertheless, I don't think anything went over my head. However, I was a Dr. Who geek back in the day so when they had a old-time reference to that show? Well...let's just say I think only dogs heard my shriek.
The premise? Quahog gets hit by a blackout and instead of cracking open a book (Brian's suggestion is met with ridicule - maybe he should use this time to work on that novel he keeps talking about), Peter tells the tale of Episode IV - A New Hope...cue rogue scrolling paragraphs through space (which go off an amusing Angelina Jolie tangent). The casting is inspired: Lois is Leia, Peter is Han Solo, Chris is Luke, Stewie is Darth Vader (natch), Brian has turned brown and become Chewy, and the pervy old man (whose name is Herbert, who knew?)is Obi Wan. But the award for best casting choice goes to Quagmire and Cleveland as C3PO and R2D2 (with a fro)...seriously... Meg is absent except for popping up as the monster thingy in the garbage room in the Death Star - the casualty of the lack of female roles to throw her into in the story.
Highlights include:
- the cantina band on Mos Eisley asking for requests but rigging it so they just keep playing the same song over and over (catchy tune though)
- shouting out to composer John Williams, only to have him killed by Stormtroopers and replaced by Danny Elfman (who Chris offs with a lightsaber)
- Stewie pointing out that the design flaw in the Death Star that will spell disaster could easily be solved with a piece of well-placed plywood
- Peter finding a couch in the Death Star that, despite being shot at all the time, he wants to take with him to use on the Millennium Falcon
- Intergalactic Proton-Powered Electrical-Tentacled Advertising Droids! Say that 10 times in a row...
And that's just some of them...every couple of minutes there was a classic moment but I'm too lazy to type them all up. Check out the episode (in 5 parts) and see for yourself!
Did anyone else watch? What did you think? What did you love or hate?
Hey everyone! Hope you had a good weekend! I did what I talked about before - worked on that soon to be electric car! It's coming along nicely. Took out the radiator and the exhaust ... if you don't know much about cars, that's stuff my electric car won’t need. But it was a good weekend for me. My past few weekends haven't felt like they have been long enough! But finally I had one where I felt I could relax and get some rest, not to mention it was a beautiful weekend to be outside!
I don't have much else to report on ... did any of you do anything fun and crazy on the weekend? And do you have any bands I should check out? I'll try and get to them and then hopefully talk about it in my next blog! Anyway I should get going ... I find if these are too long they can get boring and I don't want to bore you, so talk to you soon!
Friday night I went to check out "Move On Up" - a breakdancing/freestyle street dancing competition that was held at the Berkeley Church as part of Manifesto's weekend-long urban music and art fest.
I was blown away by the creativity, innovation and variety of dance crews and performances. Everyone who performed was stellar. There was your usual break moves - the flare, the freeze, etc. - but some crews opted for moves that reminded me more of hi-brow modern dance performances I've seen.
The soundtrack to the evening was provided by DJs Dalia and General Eclectic, and a performance by Subliminal who took beat-boxing to a whole new universe.
I was hoping for a battle to end the night, but Rated X was the clear judge and crowd fave, walking away with not only a $2500 prize, but a dance scholarship from one of the Judges, Miss Prissy.
Hey everyone! I've been pretty regular with the blogs once a week for about 6 weeks!!! I must say I'm impressed that I remembered. But now I haven't talked to you all since Vfest. Well lets see ... that electric car I have talked to you about before - I started it! It's now a project underway! I'll have more to tell you once I get further with it. I'll even be making a website to post pictures and I'll hopefully toss some videos up on Youtube. Once the project is finished, maybe we can do something with it on MOD.
And speaking of MOD we have Foo Fighters coming in today! It's going to be a great show! I'm a fan of the band and can't wait to have them in. They have made some great music. If you don't know the Foo Fighters well you should pick up some of their albums - if you are a rocker you will love them! Anyway I should get going but I also wanted to tell you all to check out Sick City on the much website - we have their first spin and they are an amazing band! Go listen to their stuff and I’ll talk to you guys soon!
Every once in a while there is a video that comes along where I think, "Wow - that's pretty good." I had this reaction when I saw Dragonette's "Take It Like A Man."
It starts off with lead singer Martina, in a dressing room, taking off her wedding ring, wearing a great cherry necklace and denim cut-offs. What proceeds is a fun, cheeky 70's romp on a porn set. I'm all over the subtle gender role reversals and the not-so-subtle sexual imagery. It obviously rips off Boogie Nights, but it does it well.
Also the clothes are fantastic. I mean, there's a 70's inspired American Apparel popping up on every street corner nowadays - Dragonette has captured quite the trend.
The song is pretty damn good too.
Even though I love this vid and will defend it to the end, I realize that it may be slightly offensive. Does it go too far?
I'm back from LA.. got back really late on Tuesday night - and of course I got sick when I was away!! :(
I'm still on antibiotics which sucks--they always make me feel yucky!! :(
LA was really nice - I was only there for 2 days.. so it was short but sweet! I hung out with Tyler from Theory of a Deadman at the recording studio.. he's just finishing up doing the vocals for their new album.. the studio was really nice.. I didn't get to hear any of the new stuff though, so we're all gonna have to wait until the new album comes out in early '08!!
Howard Benson is producing their album, he is so intelligent it's ridiculous - I actually learned something from interviewing him. He's worked with so many amazing/popular bands.. My Chemical Romance, All-American Rejects, etc.etc.
Totally off topic - but I feel the need to talk about it!! I have a new favourite tv show - DEXTER!!! Oh my gosh.. it is BRILLIANT!!
I am obsessed.. I just watched the whole season (on-demand) in a week. You have to watch this show.. it's so well written, the actors are great.. I just love, love, love it!! The 2nd season starts September 30th - so try to watch the first season before then! Michael C. Hall is the lead actor, he was on Six Feet Under (another great show).
The people at Vice Films are desperate to raise funds for a group of young Iraqis who were featured in the recent documentary Heavy Metal in Baghdad. The movie, which premiered at this year's Toronto International Film Festival tells the story of Acrassicauda, Iraq's only metal band.
The chaos in their home country has forced the band members to flee to Syria. However, on October 10th, 2007, the band members' visas will expire. The Syrian government has made it clear that they will not renew them, and are threatening to send all Iraqi refugees back to the volatile country. In a recent statement Vice said, "We don't need to stress just how dangerous this will be for them. It could very likely be a death sentence, and the time in which we can help them is quickly running out."
Vice has set up an emergency fund for these young men, and are asking for donations to assist Acrassicauda in leaving Syria for a safer haven. The band has no bank accounts, so Vice has setup a Paypal account on their behalf. Vice stresses, "No donation is too small. By giving as little as ten dollars, you can be a part of keeping the heavy metal dreams of four young Iraqi men alive." The war has now all but destroyed their dream of living in peace, growing their hair long, banging their heads, and shredding as loud as they want.
The goal is to raise $20,000 USD for the band. These monies will allow the band to purchase flights and to have survival funds when they arrive to their new country. In an effort to protect them, Vice cannot divulge where they are going until they arrive there safely.
Oh dear God. I hesitate to even mention this because it truly is overkill, but in this new world of YouTube-meets-Celebrity, it is interesting nonetheless.
Turns out that Chris Crocker - that crazy "Leave Britney ALONE!" guy - has signed a development deal with 44 Blue Productions. 44 Blue co-founder Rasha Drachkovitch says that "Chris first got on our radar a year ago," but somehow I don't believe that. Rasha obviously only jumped at this opportunity due to the massively-high viewings of Chris' YouTube rant.
But whatever the case may be, this Chris character is so damn annoying, that I predict his "docusoap" won't even see the light of day.
Regardless, lesson learned: Make a fool of yourself on YouTube and become famous. Just make sure to check your dignity at the door.
Last night we began with 30 girls on a cruise ship, and by the end, we were down to our top 13. Which, as we all know, had already been announced AGES ago! Talk about a filler ep. But that's ok, cause with Tyra continuing her ham show (no headwraps this time!), a blatant bitch, some win'ing & grin'ing (holla at the exotic dancer) and one contestant demonstrating her bikini wax skills on TyTy (clothes on! clothes on!) and then smacking her ASS - yes, it was a promising start.
Some thoughts:
*How hilarious was it that TyRant got all Dr. Phil on some of the girls (channelling Dr. Phil on ANTM, channelling Oprah on the Tyra Banks Show?) - informing Ebony that the reason she acts tough and bitchy is because of her tumultuous upbringing. "I want you to know that." ENLIGHTEN ME, TYRAAAH!
*How in the bejebus land sake's alive did Mila make the top 13? Everytime she was on screen, I had to cover my eyes. Although admittedly, she doesn't look so bad in the group promo shots. But still: FIRST TO GO!
*Most gorgeous award goes to... and it's a tie! Saleisha and Lisa! If I'm not mistaken, I had chosen them pre-show. Al
