Monday, January 31, 2011

The SAG Awards - 4 Thoughts on the Most Boring Awards Show Ever.


1. The Pre-show - You all know that I hate Guliana Rancic right? Actually, hate is a strong word - I am sure she is a lovely person. What I hate is that she has a job that she is continuously bad at - yet hasn't been fired. Her interview skills are lacking, her professionalism is non-existent and she seems genuinely overwhelmed by her surroundings. In the beginning, she declared that she wanted to "make love" to her shoes which made my stomach turn, then she tried to get "gossip" from Chord Overstreet about his relationship with co-star Naya Rivera (which she already stated had already been denied by both parties...so why ask again?). Her worst offense was not understanding the Sarah Palin joke that Tracy Morgan told - saying that it was "unsolicited" - she obviously doesn't follow entertainment news otherwise she would "get" the joke. Seriously, out of the millions of people that would love to have her job - I am sure they can find a much better candidate.

2. The Fashion - Slightly more exciting than the Golden Globes, yet an overall disappointment. We got some amazing dresses including the stunning Alexander McQueen dress that Mila Kunis wore. Mila was hands down the best dressed of the evening. The hair, the makeup - simply perfect. Other best dressed celebrities? I would say Heather Morris glowed with the nude color (or maybe it was blush?) gown - I almost didn't recognize her, her co-star Lea Michele looked amazing as well (although I worried about her and a possible "wardrobe malfunction"). My favorite style icon of the moment, January Jones, wore an unusual choice but I adored it - I just could not handle the "wave" hair updo. I usually could care less about men's fashion but Justin Timberlake rocked a really cool striped tie, while Cory Monteith had an amazing guitar tie clip that just proved his adorableness (in case you weren't aware that he is in fact the most adorable man alive - now you know). There were plenty of misses on the red carpet including Jenna Fisher who looked dowdy (hard to do with a body like that), Julie Bowen (I appreciate the risk and a pant suit can be super sexy if done right - but this jumpsuit was just trashy), Dianna Agron whose makeup was too harsh for her beautiful face and the dress was dull and Winona Ryder who apparently confused the event for her wedding day, while Jane Lynch dressed as her bridesmaid. Other stars suffered from dresses that just didn't fit their bodies - Amy Adams, Melissa Leo and Naya Rivera.

3. The Winners - Steve Buscemi stole another award from Hall & Cranston, while his show Boardwalk Empire won for ensemble for T.v Drama. I was surprised that Breaking Bad wasn't nominated or Fringe for that matter, but out of the nominated casts I would have chosen Dexter or Mad Men. Then again, I have not seen Boardwalk Empire - so I guess I can't judge fairly. Alec Baldwin - a comedic genius on 30 Rock, won for T.v Comedic Actor, usually I would have no complaints - however 5 consecutive times is a little much. It would be nice to see a new face up there - I was rooting for Ty Burrell (who consistently makes me laugh every week on Modern Family) or Chris Colfer (the scene they used in the highlight reel is one of my favorite Glee scenes of the season). The second I heard Betty White's name in the T.v Comedic Actress comedy - I knew she was an obvious win (given how much everyone adores her). How can anyone even compete with such a legend? Her show looks like complete garbage to me - but hey...she's Betty White. Modern Family took home ensemble for T.v Comedy - I can't complain about that (although Glee would be my first choice). In the film world - I love Colin Firth. I plan on seeing The Kings Speech this week but I am already convinced he deserves the award. I wasn't surprised that Melissa Leo and Christian Bale won for their supporting work on The Fighter - both are superb actors. I was actually surprised that Natalie Portman won over Annette Benning. I think Natalie will win the Oscar, but I figured Benning for this since it is kind of a popularity contest among actors. Since my picks for ensemble acting - The Town and Inception were not among the nominees - I would have chosen The Kids Are Alright.

4. The Show - Hands down - the most boring award shows of the season. I know it boasts more face time with "celebrities" than other award shows because it doesn't have any of those so-called boring category's, but sometimes the funniest things happen with those "unknown" people. Plus, there is no host so the show has to rely on it's presenters to keep things moving. Yet, they paired people up awkwardly and literally had them read the boring words off the teleprompter. No improv = no fun. The only person I found amusing was Justin Timberlake who was literally pushing his co-star Andrew Garfield so he could be closer to the microphone (p.s Happy Birthday Justin - who turned the big 3-0 today...I totally feel your pain). There were really no highlights amongst the winning speeches except perhaps Betty White getting a little excited by her male statue and Julianna Marguiles thanking her in-laws which was super adorable. Oh and did anyone else notice Michael Trevino (from The Vampire Diaries) sitting at the Glee table? I know that the casts of TVD and Glee are pretty close but he is obviously dating someone...Jenna? Chord? (apparently Chord is dating everyone - now there are rumors of him and Mila Kunis. I am soo jealous. Of Chord...).

Saturday, January 29, 2011

4 Thoughts on 'The Dilemma'

So I went to see 'The Dilemma' last week - it was my mom's choice but I admit I didn't fight it. I am usually a fan of Vince Vaughn and figured it would provide some hilarious bromantic hi jinks. But alas, it was predictable, dull and void of any laugh out loud moments. Here are my thoughts on this film (including the only reason you might want to check it out).

1. Vince and Kevin - as I said in my review of Grown ups, Kevin James is kind of a dud. I hardly find him funny - he is slightly amusing at best. Vince Vaughn is one of my favorite comedic actors (I could watch Wedding Crashers on repeat for hours and of course Swingers), but he was disappointing in this film. He played that same fast talking, bumbling yet brilliant, big personality type character he does in every film and for some reason it just didn't work for me. I think it is because he doesn't have someone on an equal level to play off of (like Owen Wilson or Jon Favreau). The only scene that was amusing was his "toast" to his girlfriends parents at their anniversary party, but the scene was sort of ridiculous (plot wise) so instead of laughing - I was just irritated.

2. Winona and Jennifer - I am not sure why Jennifer Connolly decided to portray such a one-note character (you know the "perfect" girlfriend role). She is above this flawless stereotype. While Winona Ryder is horribly miscast as the manipulative shrew (and Kevin James wife. He somehow gets the 'Seth Rogan' treatment - girls that are too hot for him. Leah Remini, Winona Ryder & Maria Bello? For reals?). Winona was painful to watch in this film - except her scene where she showed how easy it was for her to cry (that was actually kind of brilliant to watch - and shows that she is in fact a talented actress). Both women were boring, linear and severely underused for their talent.

3. The 'gay' thing - so I remember all of this uproar about the scene where Vaughn says "electric cars are gay". I honestly never read more than the headlines to these stories so I assumed it was a part of much bigger scene that was offensive, which is why they were asked to cut it. After seeing it I am baffled at what the big deal was. I admit the line between funny and offensive is often blurred, but I was much more offended at films like The Hangover (I winced at the "paging Dr. F..." line. While I loved The Hangover - I never condone the use of this word). Lets focus on the bigger offenses before we start nitpicking. I understand the negative implications of saying something is "gay" - but this is often used as joke (even Glee had it's gay character, Kurt, describe their choreography as "gay" and that show is often applauded by gay rights activists). So, basically people just need to get a sense of humor. Humor is often offensive - get over it.

4. The foreshadowing - You can literally write the film yourself. Every moment is a foreshadow of what will happen a few scenes later. It was sort of a fun game to play as I sat through the boring dialogue and the somewhat depressing subject matter.

5. Channing Tatum - The ONLY reason to sit through the film. He was hilarious. It was refreshing to see him in a completely different role and surprising to watch him hold his own against Vince Vaughn.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Catching Up - 4 DVD's I Recently Watched


1. Grown Ups - I admit: I am not really an Adam Sandler fan. He used to be super funny - back in the Happy Gilmore days, but now I think he is sort of a one-note comedian. He basically yells a lot, insults people and oozes insecurity so he never really offends anyone. I am not really a fan of anyone in the cast (except maybe Chris Rock - who can kill a stand up show but can not act at all). Rob Schneider and David Spade, like Sandler, used to be funny back in the 90's but seem to continue the same ole shtick and Kevin James? - kind of a dud. The film was amusing (at best) but I hardly laughed out loud and found most jokes to be cliched or predictable. It didn't help that it just made me feel old, which I am guessing any middle age guy (I assume that to be the target audience) would feel even older - not exactly what one wants to achieve seeing a....what's the male version of a chick flick? Is there an official word? Anyway...it held my attention, had it's cute "boys will be boys" moments, but I can't think of anyone I would recommend it to.

2. Twelve - Wow. I never thought the sound of Kiefer Sutherlands voice could be so...grating. Seriously, within minutes I wanted to turn the sound off. The narration was unnecessary, awkward and caused my consensus of the film to go from bad to awful. Getting past that (I honestly can't) - the film itself really had no point. I think it was supposed to but it went off into a direction that was surprisingly unpredictable (I guess unless you have read the book - which I had not), but was also just plain weird. Did our main character, white Mike (yes, that is his awful nickname) learn anything? Did he change in any way? Did anyone? I'm gonna say no. The ending was almost a disservice to the entire film because it pretty much voided all of the bad decisions that these spoiled, narcissistic, self-indulgent kids made. I honestly could not bring myself to care about any of them - they are literally wasting their lives away so why does it matter if they live or die? Chace Crawford wasn't horrible, but I still saw a lot of "Nate" in his performance (his Gossip Girl character) probably because Chace just isn't a good enough actor yet - he is however very pretty to look at. Speaking of pretty - I just love Emma Roberts. While her character lacked depth or intensity (more from a writing and dialogue flaw than an acting one) I still think she was the best part of the film. I'm not even going to comment on 50 Cent as an actor - he scares me.

3. Eat Pray Love - Oh the many adjectives that describe this film...I'm not sure where to begin. Boring. Pretentious. Self-indulgent. Offensive. Contradictory. Boring. Anti-feminist. Hollow. Intolerable. Unrealistic. Did I say boring? So, the plot (if you want to call it that) is about a woman who suddenly finds herself in a loveless marriage (and then a tumultuous relationship with a younger man), decides to "find herself" by traveling the world. She has gone from one relationship to another her entire life and realizes that is an unhealthy way to live. She travels to Italy and eats a lot. She travels to India and prays a lot. She travels to Bali and then falls in love. So basically she "finds herself" for less than a year and then ends up in the exact situation- in a relationship. As a happily single woman, this is offensive - "love" doesn't necessarily mean "finding a man". It would have served the film better to end with her falling "in love" with... living. Plain and simple. I also think anyone who is religious would be offended by the characters actions - spending a few months praying everyday doesn't make you a spiritual person. Plus, how many people do you know that can literally take a break from life and travel the world to find themselves? Seriously. It hurts the film to have a character that 99% of it's audience can not relate to. It also hurts the film to literally bore its audience to tears. I want to cry just thinking about how painful it was to sit through. The only thing that saved the film is Julia Roberts - her charisma on-screen is undeniable. Ryan Murphy, how can you makes something as witty as Glee and then make this garbage? It just doesn't make any sense.

4. Paper Man - It seems to be a running theme in films I have been watching...self-indulgence. It's the best way to describe this film. Yet, it was done in a way that made me interested instead of angry. I knew the film was about a middle-aged man forming a bond with a young girl and at first I had no interest (seemed like Lost in Translation territory...what an awful film). But then I heard the cast and my interest peaked. Some of my favorite young actors - Emma Stone, Kieran Culkin and Hunter Parrish in one film?! Yes. Please. So...I might have to spoil some of the story to fully give my opinion - so *SPOILER ALERT*: I knew that Kieran's character was not real from the moment he entered the screen. Which is ultimately why the two main characters bond (although they never know that they both have imaginary friends). They do both realize that they are lost souls (for very different reasons). It recognizes the fact that depression has no bounds - it effects people for different reasons and sometimes no reason at all. I am pretty sure it is supposed to a surprise when it is revealed that Kieran is in fact not real - so in that respect the film fails miserably. However, I actually like the bond that is formed between our two "real" characters. I also appreciate that this bond is short-lived but significant enough to heal them both. Emma Stone gave an amazing performance - some award recognition would have been well-deserved. My big question is how does Hunter so easily transform himself into such a douche? He is seriously awesome at it (as can also be seen in 17 Again and sometimes Weeds). He might need to work a little on his Long Island accent (it sounded a little too Boston...) but now I am just nit-picking.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The Golden Globes: 11 Best & Worst Moments

As awful as the Golden Globes nominations were, the actual show was surprisingly entertaining. For the most part the right people won, the show was fast paced, the host was a genius (and controversial) and everyone seemed to be having fun. Here are the best and worst moments of the event.

BEST:

1. Best Win – Chris Colfer. I was probably just as stunned as Chris himself. I tend to say the name of the person who I want to win as they announce the winner - so when I said “Chris Colfer” out loud as Leighton Meester announced “Chris Colfer” I was like “wait…what?!”. I read several critics who had Chris as the front runner but I honestly thought it would go to Eric Stonestreet (who would deserve it as well). Since my favorite supporting actor on television (Aaron Paul) was not nominated– I was rooting for Chris simply for that groundbreaking moment when an openly gay 20 year old receives a prestigious award. Chris's speech was perfection- beginning with “I think I dropped my heart somewhere between Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore – so if someone sees that can you please give it back to me?” followed by his awesome advice to kids who are told they can’t be who they are or accomplish what they want – “screw that kids”. Seriously, Chris - can you be any more adorable?

2. Best Speech – Jane Lynch. I adored her “falsely humble” speech. And I sort of love that she took a dig at miss Lea Michele (talking about how she will totally give her 14 year old fans attention when she has the time – Lea had come under some fire recently for ignoring the now famous 14 year old Haley Steinfeld … when she asked her for an autograph on the Paramount lot). Whether it was intentional or not it still made for awesome television. Plus she thanked the “deranged young man” Ian Brennan (the writer who is responsible for Sue Sylvester).

3. Best Dress – Olivia Wilde. THAT is an awards show dress - a showstopper. I am so bored with most of the dresses because they look like they are in a wedding (Jennifer Lopez) or going to the prom (Lea Michele). Plus - the color theme was either blush or emerald green - apparently those were the only choices this year. I would also include both Mad Men beauties who wore showstopper dresses as well (January Jones & Christina Hendriks) in siren red (how daring!) in the best dress category.

4. Best Ricky Gervais dig – “It seems like everything this year was 3 dimensional – except the characters in "The Tourist". I feel bad about that joke…no I will tell you why…I am jumping on the bandwagon. I haven’t even seen "The Tourist". Who has?” Hilarious because it is true. Runner up – “Two heterosexual actors pretending to be gay…so the complete opposite of some famous Scientologist then….what?…probably. My lawyers helped me with the wording of that joke”. Also, hilarious because it is true.


5. Best Hair – Most actresses seemed to forget to do their hair this year. At least Lea Michele’s messy up-do looked purposely done and I always love Christina Hendriks gorgeous red hair (complimenting her perfectly milky complexion….soooo freakin jealous).

6. Best Presenter – Robert Downey Jr. “I don’t know if an actress can do her best work…until I’ve slept with her”....“if I could…I’d give it to all 5 of you…at once….the award…right here center stage…in front of my wife…the audience…and millions of viewers.”

7. Best Supportive cast mate – Kaley Cuoco. I don’t watch The Big Bang Theory. However, I knew Jim parsons would win (and from what I have read – he deserves it). Kaley’s jump for joy as she read her cast-mates name was so adorable (and genuine….take note Lea).

8. Best “I feel old” moment – Trent Reznor looking like a grown up accepting a Golden Globe. I had a flashback to listening to NIN “Closer” when I was in junior high school (Yes...I am that old and Yes it is still to this day one of my favorite songs). Never in a million years would I imagine him looking so clean cut and mature. “Completely surreal” indeed.

9. Best Quote – Aaron Sorkin. “Smart girls have more fun”. Damn right. I also love Gervais at the end saying “Thank you to God…for making me an atheist”. I might have to start using that one.


10. Best chemistry – Jimmy Fallon & January Jones – their fake laugh was perfect. Although, I think Jimmy tends to make everyone around him instantly funnier.

11. Best "Aww you're cute" moment - Andrew Garfield - obviously nervous. After flubbing his line not once, but twice...he stopped and applauded himself for getting it right and then thanked the audience for being supportive. It was cute and humble.

WORST:

1. Worst Win – Seriously, If you aren’t giving the award to the brilliant Michael C Hall, then it undoubtedly should go to Bryan Cranston. Steve Buscemi is an awesome actor, but I can’t see him being as sublime as his competitors. Although – I am awaiting the dvd of Boardwalk Empire because I adore Kelly Macdonald and Michael Pitt. Who knows...maybe I might be eating my words soon.

2. Worst Speech – Claire Danes. OK…I get it - apparently she was fantastic in this film (I still find it hard to believe) but she needs to work on her speeches….using phrases like "this is sooo cool” “awesome experience” and “holla” in your speech makes you look like an idiot. (side note – I adore her style …if you go simple this is the way to do it. She looked fantastic!!)

3. Worst Dress – I am going to have to go with Halle Berry on this one – usually stunning, her dress was simply inappropriate for this event. Another Offender – Michelle Williams. I love the idea of the free spirit daisy dress, but the color and the print just were not flattering for such a beautiful girl.

4. Worst Ricky Gervais dig – I heart Ricky…I really do. However, I will admit he went a bit overboard. Usually he is able to straddle the line between being offensive and funny but this time he seemed to offend quite a few people (including the president of the HFPA, Robert Downey Jr., Tim Allen, Tom Hanks even his usual cohort Steve Carrell seemed annoyed with him). “The other is Tim Allen” was just plain mean.

5. Worst Hair – Tie. Scarlotte Johanson’s bride of Frankenstein up-do was simply awful. And Emma Stone – I know the blond hair is for her role in the new “Spider-Man” films but it does not suit her at all especially with the color of that dress and her overly orange skin. She is such a beautiful girl – I was so disappointed.

6. Worst Presenter – Michelle Pfeifer presenting “Alice in Wonderland”. First, I am unsure of her connection to the film. Second, she was so stiff and her face didn’t move. It was creepy.

7. Worst supportive cast mate – Lea Michele. I love how excited the cast got when Chris won – they all seemed to tear up a bit (I did too) but Lea seemed to be hamming it up way too much- obviously she knew the camera was focused on her. Maybe she is just that sensitive and emotional but I just found the whole scene a bit disingenuous.

8. Worst “I feel old” moment – Wait... Al Pacino already won a lifetime achievement award? TEN years ago? WTF

9. Worst quote – Robert Deniro’s whole speech was weird. He doesn’t usually talk much which might be a good thing because this speech was just awkward and not really funny. The worst part was after complimenting Matt Damon by saying one day he will be getting the Cecille B DeMille award and that he would be happy to be the one presenting it to him “If I am still alive”. What a downer.

10. Worst chemistry – Alec Baldwin & J Lo – that was just painful.

11. Worst "Aww you're cute" moment - Justin Bieber...sorry, I just don't get it.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Mid-Season Review: My Thoughts on 6 TV Shows

So we are about 1/2 way through the current television season and I just wanted to share my thoughts on some of my favorite shows - some exceed expectation, while others disappoint...

1. The Vampire Diaries -From my previous posts you know that TVD was my second favorite new show last season (following very closely behind Glee). Well, luckily season 2 is still going strong. The dialogue is still witty, the pace is still blink and you'll miss it, the plot is twisted and surprising and the characters become more complicated with every episode. So much has happened already - it is almost hard to process. Seriously, in one episode Damon snaps Jeremy's neck (and we discover that Jeremy is now immortal - with the help of a special ring. However, the question remains whether Damon knew this before he "killed" him with such ease) and Caroline is turned into a vampire (kudos to Candice Accola for her heartbreaking portrayal of this transformation). Other major plot points that have occurred during this season already: Mason (Tyler's Uncle - played by the super hot Taylor Kinney - score another point for the amazing casting director) comes to town and reveals that he is a werewolf - then gets his heart ripped out (literally). Tyler then accidentally kills someone (causing his own werewolf transformation - again kudos to Michael Trevino for that scene - amazing). Katherine is back - revealing her big secret - she never loved Damon (ouch that must hurt) AND she is actually still in love with Stefan (I still don't buy it) and is now officially locked in the tomb that she was originally supposed to be locked in. There is the mysterious "moonstone" which holds the key to vampires being able to wonder around in the daylight (and I think werewolves turning on non-full moon nights...right?). oh and Elena and Stefan pretended to break up then they really broke up. There is a bunch more but I think you get the point - it doesn't let up. I don't think there has been a boring episode yet. Another highlight for me is Nina Dobrev fantastically portraying both Elena and Katherine effortlessly allowing for believable "doppelganger hi jinks." I love that in the Masquerade episode they point out the obvious (Katherine has curly hair, while Elena's is straight). They also consistently infuse the show with humor like when Stefan tries to be funny by saying that the Lockwoods could be "ninja turtles" or when Caroline remembers what a dick Damon is and tells him "you suck". The biggest compliment that I could give this series is that it finally fills the void that Buffy the Vampire Slayer left behind. (side-note: As hot as Paul Wesley is, I am worried for his health....he would be just as hot with just a little bit of meat on his bones)

2. Community - The absurdity continues. Let's see...where do I begin? First, there was an episode that revolved around our favorite college study group getting trapped in a KFC space machine. Then, the Halloween episode was about zombies. No really - everyone turned into zombies. Oh - next came a very solid episode when they searched every one's bag (and souls) for Annie's missing pen. Top all that off with one of the most genius 30 minutes of television ever - a stop motion animation Christmas themed episode (sure to be a television classic). Besides the absurd plots - there is also consistent, reflexive and hilarious dialogue. Soooo many quotable lines I don't know how to narrow down my favorites but I will try:

*Police Officer: Fact: In 100% of all fake gun shootings, the victim is always the one with the fake gun.

*Shirley: Jeff, you don't have a bag?
Jeff: I could never deprive the world of the portion of my chest the strap would cover.

*Abed: Troy, make me proud. Be the first black man to make it to the end.

*Britta: Guys go home and make socks with your name on it.
Annie: If a guy wants to make a puppet of me, that's hardly your concern.

3. Desperate Housewives - this show should officially be cancelled. It is on it's 7th season and it had a good run. It used to be one of my favorites, but it gets worse and worse every year. I loved a few years ago when they jumped the show forward (although a tired plot device - it infused a whole new dynamic into the series) but it is already getting stale - the show needs something "big" in order to thrive again (and not tornado big). Who really wants to see Terri Hatcher cleaning in lingerie? Seriously...who? And the whole "feel bad for me because I am poor" would be a great twist to her character if it were true. Being on a budget doesn't make you poor it makes you normal. And did you see the "horrible" apartment she lived in? And the furniture? Not exactly the Ikea discounted furniture that actual poor people would be grateful for. I'm not really a fan of Vanessa Williams (she over-acts) and I am not really feeling her arrival on the show. In my opinion subtle bitches are more effective than loud and obnoxious ones (like Dana Delany). I hate that she had an affair with Lynette's husband (Tom - love him!) because it is completely out of character for him. I know it is mean but I find the relationship between Bree and Brian Austin Greene to be completely unbelievable. They have zero chemistry (and the fact that in reality he is banging the hottest woman on the planet makes it a little hard to believe he would find Bree hot – just sayin'). The Felicia Tillman/Paul Young plot is an interesting storyline to bring back – but so far it has been predictable – of course his new wife was Felicia’s daughter. Did that really surprise anyone? The only interesting storyline is the switched at birth story – how awful would that actually be. Especially when you see more of yourself in your actual daughter than the one you have been raising. It is heartbreaking to watch and I have to give credit to Eva for her performance this season. Overall - just another disappointing season so far.

4. Modern Family - Did anyone else notice the weird coincidences between Modern Family and its biggest award show competitor Glee? First, they did a show about religion the same week Glee did. Then they did a flash mob mall scene (which Glee did last year) using the 90's En Vogue song Free Your Mind (which Glee did a mash-up of in the same week this episode aired). WEIRD. Anyway, that being said...I still enjoy this show. It keeps me laughing every week. The kids have really shined this season- especially Luke (who is actually a genius in real life - which makes him even more hilarious). I loved when he avoids getting hurt during the earthquake but then walks into a wall. I also cried when Luke admits he would choose to live with his dad if his parents divorced - his reason "he would need me more". OMG. Heart breaking. I also loved the flash mob scene (although stale) only because Mitchell killed it, while Cam painfully tried to dance along. Favorite quote so far? It’s like they say…sometimes, when God closes a door, he closes it so hard that your wife can’t get out.- Phil.

5. Fringe - Season 3 of Fringe has been FAN-freakin'-TASTIC. It is exactly what JJ shows do best – reinvent themselves. We are fully thrown into the alternate universe that the season 1 finale introduced us to. I love Altivia (or Fauxlivia if you prefer...). I love that John Noble is just as fantastic at not being crazy (his alter ego is completely sane). I love that they got Pacey and Altivia together (I hated the thought of Pacey and Olivia together because I love their brother/sister relationship that they have) but it works now because it’s not really the true Olivia. And now that Olivia returned to her correct universe – her relationship with Pacey is officially tainted (I mean he had sex with someone that is exactly like her but not her). This show has truly become the next Lost. It is the only show on television that you actually have to pay close attention to. Two universes are literally at war with each other – how much more epic can you get right? I got chills when Pacey receives the phone call telling him that the woman in his bed is not really Olivia. I love how he outwits Altivia in the end. Joshua Jackson has done a fantastic job in the most recent episodes, expressing the pain he is in for making such an egregious error (a perfectly acceptable yet unforgivable error). He has created a very solid character - I might have to stop calling him Pacey and learn his characters actual name (Will? John? I have no idea...). It still continues to focus on "fringe" cases while keeping the bigger picture in the background - like with the super creepy "Marionette" episode. It also continues to be eerily similar to Alias - the pieces that have to be put together (the vacuum device thing) is reminiscent of the Rombaldi device. Should I start looking for the number 47? I am broken hearted that the show has been moved to Friday nights and that it was ignored by the Golden Globes. If this show gets cancelled I will seriously throw an all out hissy fit.

6. Gossip Girl - Another show that has had its day. Time to move on. It has been nothing but predictable. Does anyone believe a thing that comes out of Georgina's mouth? Of course that baby wasn't Dan's! Although he did have the funniest line of the season so far (Do you know how hard it is to keep a baby alive?!). I am happy they got rid of raccoon eyes (Jenny used to be such a great character!) but then they kept bringing her back for random revenge plots. I am not a Katie Cassidy fan (she sucked on the reboot of Melrose Place) but she was better on this show. I was intrigued by her mysterious plot - but then they just dragged it out for fooooorrreevverr. It became mind numbing and pointless. And there was zero payoff. I enjoyed Chuck being nice for all of 2 seconds - but I am happy it didn't last. They should just cancel the show and do a Chuck and Blaire spin-off. Speaking of Blaire....are they seriously going to hook up her and DAN? For reals? She can do better.

Friday, January 7, 2011

4 Reasons Why "Jonah Hex" is On My "Worst Films of 2010" List

With the good come the bad - directly after watching "The Kids are Alright," I watched the horrible film "Jonah Hex". It was pointless, boring and unoriginal. Here is why it is added to my "worst of" list:

1. The story - Another graphic novel turned action film. Another super-hero story told in a dark film noir style. Another lame attempt at creating an original film (the only thing that made it different was that it was turned into a western). The plot was that our "hero" is trying to get revenge on "the bad guy" that killed his family. But the hero isn't exactly likable and we don't really know much about him (other than he has a "special" relationship with a prostitute). Creating a film where we are alienated from our main character creates the biggest problem of all - it isn't accessible.

2. Megan Fox - I love her - not just because she is hot (I actually think she has potential to be a great actress). She was perfect for her role in both Transformers films and she nailed her role in Jennifer's Body (a film that I actually liked). This film is a disaster, but Megan is hardly to blame. She did a respectable job. The only problem with her in this film is that she is way too skinny for this role - her corset barely fit her (instead of seeing cleavage we see rib cage). What happened to her?

3. The rest of the cast - While I am usually a Josh Brolin fan - he did nothing special in this film (except make me not care about his character at all...). There were some awesome people in this film that had very little to do like Michael Shannon, Lance Reddick and Aidan Quinn - blink and you will miss them.

4. It felt long - The film was only an hour and twenty minutes yet it felt like forever. It just kept dragging on and on. It was repetitive and linear and just plain uneventful. They could have added a little humor to make it watchable.

3 Reasons "The Kids Are Alright" is One of My Favorite Films of 2010

Woohoo! Another great film from 2010! It became so rare that I feel like celebrating every time I find one. "The Kids are Alright" was a beautiful, well-acted and unique family drama that was entertaining from beginning to end. Here is why it was added to my "Best of" list.

1. It wasn't what I expected at all - I'm not really sure what I was expecting. Originally, I though it was a lesbian drama, then it was nominated as a "comedy" for the Golden Globes so I had no idea what I was in for. Luckily, it was neither. It was a family drama (with some comedic moments) about the obstacles that couples face when trying to raise kids and maintain a healthy relationship. It was also a reminder that the unconventional family has now become "normal". It has a simple message that "life is complicated" and that "people make mistakes" without being cheesy or preachy.

2. The story - It is a story that hasn't been told before. The catalyst for the plot is that our couple used donated sperm to start their family. The kids are now practically adults and find their "father". He decides that he wants to be part of these kids lives which creates an entirely new family dynamic (some other surprising things happen as well - but I don't want to ruin it). It was original, yet simple.

3. The acting - Annette Benning killed it. Seriously, her role was a very difficult one - a borderline alcoholic who is somewhat controlling and uptight, yet her world is turned upside down- so in order for the film to work we must sympathize with her (which I did - I totally felt her pain). Julianne Moore also did a great job at a very different role for her (sort of a flaky and misguided character). Mark Ruffalo is always lovable and I really think Josh Hutcherson is a great, young up and coming actor (he was the super adorable kid in Bridge to Terabithea now a mature young adult choosing complicated material - I am excited to see where his career takes him). All of the actors played their roles with heart and subtlety - they all felt like "real" people. Oscar nominations all around!!!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

3 New Shows to Watch

It's that time of year again - television mid-season time. While I mostly look forward to returning shows (like "Southland", "Parks & Recreation" "V" & "Archer"), there are also a few new shows that I will be watching (I cut back to 3 due to the fact that I have too much television to watch already!! So while "The Cape", "Body of Proof", "Fairly Legal" and "Off the Map" all look interesting...I just simply don't have the time right now).

1. Perfect Couples - 1/20 - Sure...it's been done before (and poorly), but someone's got to get it right eventually right? The show is a comedy about the lives and relationships of 3 different couples which if done well could be the next Friends (I contend that we have found the next Friends - it's called Cougar Town). It is also sort of like the new show Better With You except that show is 3 different generations of couples within the same family. I am most excited by the cast - mostly unknowns but I really liked Christine Woods on Flash/Forward and am glad she found another job. I also like Hayes MacArther (I met him once - decent guy) and Olivia Munn is really funny (and gorgeous!).

2. Mr. Sunshine - 2/9- Yeah Matthew Perry! I heart him! I watched Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip just for him (and Sarah Paulson - super adorable). I have no idea what this show is about...something about sports right? Not exactly my forte - however one of my all time favorite shows is Sports Night - (HELLO Peter Krause, Josh Charles & Felicity Huffman in one show!!!) So if this show is anything like that then count me in!

3. Skins - 1/17 - So BBC Skins is a fantastic show - Seriously utterly brilliant television. I am convinced that an American version will suck (maybe if it was on Showtime and not MTV it might have a shot of being decent, yet look at the reviews for their remake of Shameless (again a genius BBC show) - I have read nothing but bad things). I will watch the first few episodes for myself just so I have proof when I claim how awful it is. I am also awaiting the uproar from various parental and political groups when they realize how scandalous it is (if they follow in the original's footsteps - just imagine Gossip Girl times 100 - sex, drugs and lots of alcohol leads to lots of bad behavior). Let the fun begin....