The Emmy's: Best & Worst

The Emmy's were handed out last night - the results were quite surprising, the host was above average and the show moved pretty quickly. Here is the Best & Worst of the night:

Best:

1. Emmy fashion done right – To be honest, none of the fashion really stands out to me this year. There were a lot of “trends” to be seen - here are the ones that got it right:
Aubrey Plaza - simple, done right. Usually Claire Danes takes the cake on this one…but Aubrey looked so glamorous in this simple white gown – I didn’t even recognize her at first. Kate Winslet – red, done right. Red was obviously the biggest trend of the night – but Kate still stood out among the sea of red – the makeup, the hair, the smile: perfection. Heather Morris - flat chested, done right. Heather recently admitted that she had her breast implants removed, which was a little disappointing at first because her body was bangin’, but damn she still looks good. Welcome back to the flat-chested girls club, Heather. Claire Danes – sparkles done right. I’m not usually a fan of the strapless, sparkle dress but this one has an interesting color palette and a pattern that is hypnotizing. Dianna Agron – risky, done right. The dress was weird....weird color, weird drapey neck... but Dianna rocked it – you could tell that she felt beautiful which made her beautiful. And I can’t ignore the men – Cory Monteith – mixing it up, done right – men’s fashion bores me to tears but Cory mixed it up a bit with the white, textured bow tie making him stand out in the sea of penguin suits.

2. The surprise winners – I thought this years Emmy’s were going to be boring! I’m glad I didn’t place any bets on winners because I would have gotten them all wrong (except for Mad Men & Modern Family taking the big prize). I loved all the actors wins – especially Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen (who I griped about last year for not even being nominated!). I thought Chris Colfer would win (only because the MF actors would cancel each out in the category). The big surprise was Jim Parsons winning over Steve Carrell – This will definitely go down as one of the biggest Emmy snubs ever. Michael Scott is an iconic character that will live forever – how did he not get an Emmy for that? Anyway, I was happy to see Melissa McCarthy win (Tina Fey had her moment, but I was hoping for Amy Poehler). I don’t watch Mike & Molly (and I never plan to) but I loved Melissa in Samantha Who?. Over on the drama side of things, beloved character actors Peter Dinklage and Margo Martindale won for supporting roles– both were shocking but very well deserved. I know the people over at EW.com were ecstatic about Kyle Chander’s win (they are obsessed with FNL – should I start watching it?). It was really nice to see that Emmy voters really mixed things up and made it interesting (finally!).


3. 'The Office' sketch – I was dying through the whole thing. Aaron Paul!!! I fucking love him. Then Nathon Fillon saying “all the black guys at work call me ‘white castle’”. I actually lauged at Kim Kardasion (there is a first time for everything) – “what do you mean by work? Am I saying that word right…work?” And of course, Ashton Kutcher “I was wondering where the ½ man was”.

4. The funny stuff– Ty Burrell easily had the best speech – talking about what his deceased dad would think about his success. It was hilarious and sad at the same time. The nominees for Comedy Actress rushed the stage and then they acted like it was a pageant – complete with roses and a crown. Freaking hilarious. Jane Lynch threw in a couple of funny lines too – like “a lot of people are very curious about why I am a lesbian – ladies and gentleman…the cast of 'Entourage'.” The other thing that I thought was hilarious was during E!'s pre-show they focused on this whole “drama” between Sarah Hyland and Lea Michele because Sarah apparently made a joke about how Lea works a red carpet. She mimicked her poses and talked about how awkward it is to watch her do in person. Sarah is now being attacked by the wrath of Lea’s fans – poor girl was just making a joke with no malicious intent at all. The funny part is that the E! camera’s kept panning to Lea doing this exact same pose that Sarah made fun of…over and over…and over. Hilarious.

And the worst:

1. Emmy fashion done wrong - Katie Holmes – simple, done wrong. The plain blue dress will ill-fitting and unflattering – adding a gold belt doesn’t make it glamorous. Nina Dobrev – red, done wrong. Ok – the girl looks gorgeous, however I am just not feeling the Jessica Rabbit look. She looks uncomfortable which is far from sexy. Lea Michele – flat chested, done wrong (also red…done right). I love the dress, but Ms. Michele is usually known for showing off her non-existent cleavage. I don’t like the covered up look on her and because she is flat-chested the dress doesn’t fit her on top (side note…check out the pose). Evan Rachel Wood – sparkles, done wrong . The black sparkle dress was just way too overbearing for her petite frame. She looked like she was being swallowed whole. Gwyneth Paltrow – Risky, done wrong. Oh Gwyneth - did you really realize on the red carpet that your dress was see-thru…because I don’t believe you. The cut-out midriff genie/belly dancer dress was super unflattering. Joel McHale – mixing it up, done wrong. Still hot, but I just really didn’t like it.

2. The suprise losers -
So, I already mentioned Steve Carrell’s surprise loss, but I am also pretty upset over Michael C. Hall not winning. Since Bryan Cranston wasn’t nominated this year – I think everyone assumed that Jon Hamm would take it, but I thought for sure it was Hall’s year. He is by far my favorite television actor ever. I wasn’t really surprised that Glee lost, but I am a little bitter. I figured if it didn’t beat Modern Family in the first year, it certainly won’t beat it with its less impressive second year. Hopefully, season 3 will be award worthy. I also am disappointed that Louis CK didn’t win for writing – I disagree with his acting nod, but that show is brilliantly written.

3. The opening sketch – It wasn’t bad – it just wasn’t that great. It felt like it had too many cameos shoved into one space, it was hard to appreciate any of them. I thought Jimmy’s opening sketch was much better last year, yet Jane got a standing ovation (Jimmy did not – which was not cool!). I did think that the Mad Men part was funny – “you can fast-forward through commercials” – the look on Don Drapers face was priceless. But then it just made me miss Mad Men - which made me sad.


4. The not-so-funny stuff - How awful were “The Emmytones”! So awkward to sit through and I thought I could sit through anything Joel Mchale does….I guess that’s not true. Also, the announcer’s “jokes” while the winners were coming up to the stage were painful. I know I am alone in this but I didn't really think that The Lonely Island performance was that funny - I wish Justin was there...somehow I know he would have made it work. And the worst moment of the whole night: Charlie Sheen. You all remember that this man plead guilty to beating his wife…right? He is far from entertaining and I am really disappointed that he was even allowed on that stage (and then my heart literally broke when Jimmy Fallon stood up and clapped for him).

4 Things I Learned From 'Contagion'

It was probably not a good idea to see 'Contagion' the day that a dozen people called out of my workplace from having a "cold"....I am now convinced that I feel achy. The film was pretty disappointing - I think I expected more from such a fantastic group of people. I think it was trying too hard to teach us lessons about humanity, but I am not so sure these are the "right" lessons to teach. Here is what I learned: ***slightly spoilery***

1. When you cheat on your husband, bad things will happen - So Gwyneth Paltrow is our "patient zero" (which in theory makes no sense because she got it from shaking the hands of chef who was touching a diseased pig - did he not touch anyone else? Wouldn't people that ended up eating the pig get sick as well? Anyway...moving on...). The film sets up a very negative view of her by basically making her out to be a cheating whore. After contracting the virus in Hong Kong, she travels back to the states to her family (who I think live in San Fran...right?) - but makes a pit-stop in Chicago to sleep with an ex. There is not one single part of the film that makes you sympathize with her character and that is the films biggest mistake.

2. Bloggers are evil - "blogging is not writing. It's just graffiti with punctuation." Seriously, that is an actual line from the film when we first meet the ultimate evil "blogger" played by Jude Law. Not only does he represent the worst characteristics of the human race (greedy, manipulative, selfish etc) he is also representing the new "media" of today. A group of people who keep the truths hidden for their own personal or political gain - don't trust them! And was it really necessary to have him wear a prosthetic snaggle-tooth? A British guy with bad teeth? Not distracting at all...

3. Only a handful of people in the world are "good" - I think in situations like this, most people will inherently show both the best and worst of themselves. But I think that is too hard for some writers to portray - so instead they make characters "good" and some "bad". In this film, most of our main characters are "good" but the masses of people are "bad" (they riot in the streets, steal from banks and stores and cause stampedes instead of waiting on lines). I for one refused to believe that this is true of human nature. The film was released on the weekend of the 10th anniversary of a catastrophic event that proved that people come together and help each other after tragedy. That acknowledgement was severely lacking in the film (as was the acknowledgement that NYC even existed - every major city was listed as being infected except NYC....isn't that weird? Am I the only one who noticed this?).

4. Deadly outbreaks are far more entertaining when zombies are involved - The best way to describe the film is as a zombie film with no zombies (translation: Boring!). Yes, it had a fantastic cast of Oscar winning and nominated proportions, but it just had no depth at all. It went in a very straight line from A to B and never really crossed the line into interesting territory. I wouldn't say it is bad, I would say it is blah.

My Thoughts on 3 Films From Last Year

1. Somewhere - I am not a huge fan of Sofia Coppola - I enjoyed The Virgin Suicides but have complete hatred for Lost in Translation. I think she gets too much credit for mediocre work. Somewhere can pretty much be described the same way I describe Lost in Translation - which is irritatingly pretentious. It's about a famous actor who is just so bored with his celebrity lifestyle - so bored that he can't even appreciate a pole dancing routine performed by twins! (Probably because both routines were actually really boring and fantastically hilarious at the same time). The film lingers on every scene a bit too long to somehow capture his isolation but fails miserably. Then his daughter enters the picture (portrayed by the delightful Elle Fanning) and apparently the film is supposed to be about him bonding with her - but they never really bond. At all. Then it ends with him declaring "I am fucking nothing. I am not even a person." So profound...right?!! The only part that I enjoyed was the cameo by Benicio Del Toro in the elevator because it reminded me of the time he claimed he banged ScarJo in an elevator at the Oscars. That was on purpose...right?

2. Buried - Aside from the multitude of questions that arise while watching this film - overall it is pretty boring (and ridiculous). I am indifferent on Ryan Reynolds. I don't think he is a strong enough actor to carry a film and aside from the abs he really isn't that hot. The film is 1 hour and 34 minutes of Ryan Reynolds in a box. It's worked before (127 Hours) but I don't think it worked this time. I have a hard time relating to characters like this because honestly my will to live is just not that strong. Seriously, if I woke up trapped in a box - I would just suffocate myself. Done. End of Story. Instead, he wakes up and spends his time panicking (and grunting a lot) and getting super aggressive with several people on the other end of his cell phone that are trying to help him (and they might if he wasn't such a dick to them). So here are my questions: Why does he insist on using his lighter - it burns Oxygen (that you need) and creates heat? Why would anyone think the best way to get rid of a snake is to burn it? Wouldn't he suffocate from the fire? Does 911 work from other countries? How does he get reception underground? Why is everyone he talks to so unwilling to help him (aside from his hostility)? Why does he hesitate on giving his SS#? Would a company really fire him for something they have no proof of (especially after all of the media coverage of his situation)? Why is this film so awful when 127 Hours was so interesting? The only good thing about the film is the ending. That was really well done.

3. Biutiful - I have written about my love for the partnership between Inarritu and Arriaga before. Some of my favorite films were created by these two (21 Grams and Amores Perros). I am disappointed by the dissolution of this partnership and hopeful that one day it will be reestablished. A few years ago, Arriaga ventured solo with The Burning Plain and it was so bland and predictable - it was completely disappointing to say the least. I had heard good things about Inarritu's Biutiful - but mostly because of Javier Bardem's Academy Award nominated performance. This nomination was well-deserved but as great as Bardem was, he was actually not the stand-out performance for me. It was actually his ex (the mother of his children) played by Maricel Alvarez. She blew me away with her perfect portrayal of what can only be described as a "hot mess". Sadly, her character reminded me of the late Amy Winehouse. The film was pretty boring though - the emotion was there but the story just wasn't that complicated. I think my super high expectations ruined the film for me.

Fall TV Preview: 16 New Shows To Watch

Fall TV is here - Last fall I picked 14 new shows to watch and only 3 survived to see another season ('Blue Bloods', 'Raising Hope' and 'Nikita'.....has anyone heard anything about 'Better With You'? I don't remember hearing any official cancellations....but it is not part of ABC's fall line-up...). This year I am up to 16 new shows (I am even stepping outside the box a bit and picking 3 shows from CBS!). I am really hoping for some winners - because a lot of my staple shows are getting a little stale ('Gossip Girl', 'Desperate Housewives' 'Chuck').

1. The Secret Circle - 7 little words: "from the creators of 'The Vampire Diaries". I. am. there. I really like Britt Robertson (from The CW cancelled series Life Unexpected) so I am happy that The CW decided to give her another chance. It is about a group of high school student who have "powers" and are reluctantly bound together - sort of like the dumbed down version of the brilliant British series Misfits (If you have never seen it - stop reading this and go watch it now!! One of the best shows I have ever seen). I am hopeful that this show has at least an ounce of the same wit plus I am a fan of Queer as Folk's Gale Harold - and he was severely underused on Hellcats so hopefully he has a meatier role on this show.

2. New Girl - It's pretty impossible to not adore Zooey Deschanel....right? However, I don't think she is the greatest actress....(The Happening). She only does really well if the character is similar to her own personality....and this show seems to hit the mark. She is awkward and quirky and thrown into contrived situations etc. So far, the commercials are not really that funny but FOX is really pushing for it (even giving it the after Glee spot) so I will watch...and hope for the best. On a side note - Damon Wayans Jr. is hilarious on Happy Endings. I am glad he is sticking with it and that they are replacing his character on this show. Good choice.

3. Terra Nova - How long have we been hearing about this show? First, it was supposed to premiere in January, then delayed, then we were supposed to get a "sneak peak" in May that was cancelled....now it is finally set to premiere this month but the question is do we still want to watch it? With so many delays and controversy....it kind of sends the message that this show sucks. However, I really like the concept - it is about a group of individuals from the future (the year 2149) living in a world destroyed by global warming who embark on a trip to the past (as in prehistoric) in order to "start over". That sounds cool right? The only way it will work is if the special effects are spectacular - which from the previews so far so good.

4. Suburgatory - I pretty much want to see this show for two reasons: Jeremy Sisto. One of my favorite television actors - he should have won an Emmy as Billy Chenowith on Six Feet Under. I am interested to see him in a comedy. Is he funny? I can't picture it. The second reason to see the show is for the promo image of the main girl (City girl - culturally intelligent) standing next to the suburban girl - head to toe pink complete with furry boots and shorts so short that the pockets stick out). The picture kind of reminds me of Mean Girls - which would make an awesome television series....hint...hint.

5. Ringer - Any Buffy fan (and there are a lot of us...) will be watching this. SMG has a cult-like following that set really high expectations. She is finally returning to television (where she belongs) and we are trusting her judgement - this show must be good if she is in it right? It is described as a "neo-noir saga with a trippy twin twist." I'm not really sure exactly what that means but it does mean that we get SMG in 2 different roles!! In the words of my second favorite vampire Damon from TVD (my first favorite is obviously Spike): "Doppelganger Hijinks ensues". I can't wait!




6. Revenge - I have no idea what this show is about - but the poster looks pretty cool right? I like Emily VanCamp - she's adorable and I can't really see her playing a "vengeful" character so that should be interesting.

7. The Hart of Dixie - I am noticing a theme of female driven shows this season.... I admit...this show looks absolutely awful. I am calling it now...it will be cancelled within 4-5 episodes. I will still watch those 4-5 episodes for Rachel Bilson. The most adorable girl ever. It is pretty much Sweet Home Alabama turned into a show (and I am NOT a fan of that film at all). On the bright side -Josh Schwartz (the creator of The O.C) is involved and it also reminds me of the really cute show October Road - but that show got unfortunately got cancelled after 2 seasons.

8. Person of Interest - I will always support JJ - so obviously I will be watching this show. There are a lot of other reasons to watch as well, like the Lost connections - Michael Emerson (who will have to work extra hard to NOT be seen as super creepy Ben) and the use of flashbacks to reveal character back story's. The show has a really interesting concept of predicting crimes and/or criminals by using super-advanced technology and it is an extremely topical concept of how far is too far when it comes to protecting the American public.

9. Once Upon a Time - Ok...weird concept alert: a show about the origins of fairy-tales but it is for adults. That is either a really genius concept or a disastrous one. I like that the story is described as a "puzzle" similar to Lost - but then again so many shows describe themselves as being similar to Lost that it has lost all meaning now. I like Jennifer Morrison (from House) but Ginnifer Goodwin is hit or miss for me.

10. Pan Am - Taking a cue from the ever popular retro-style Mad Men - this series takes place in the 60's about a group of stewardesses and pilots globetrotting and around the world. The show is said to be based on women's "actual experiences" but I have to see it to believe it. Christina Ricci is another actress that is hit or miss for me - I don't think this role fits her at all but I will make my final judgement after I see the pilot.

11. Charlie's Angels - Another show that I will be watching out of pure curiosity to how bad it will be. I loved the original show - although I am too young to really remember it. I do remember watching re-runs as a kid though. I enjoyed the film (the first one). I think my biggest issue is casting Minka Kelly (who I describe as the bland JLo). I do like Rachael Taylor (who was most recently on Grey's Anatomy). The best part though is that IMDB lists my favorite 24 alum Carlos Bernard in the cast! Tony Almeida is God.

12. American Horry Story - It is created by Ryan Murphy (Glee, Nip/Tuck) so it is guaranteed to be phenomenal and innovative....at least for the first season - then it will probably begin a steep decline into ridiculous, over-the-top plots. I have been anticipating a terrific horror show for years now - The Walking Dead is a good start, but I am confident that Mr. Murphy is genius enough to pull it off even better. The show is about a family who moves into a creepy house that has driven former residents to do bad things (like murder). The cast is fantastic - Connie Britton, Dylan McDermott, Jessica Lange and newly cast Zachary Quinto (which officially puts my stamp of this will be awesome approval on it).

13. A Gifted Man - Patrick Wilson. That is all. Oh wait...Julie Benz too.












14. Up All Night - I miss Samantha Who? so freaking much!! I am glad Christina Applegate is in a new show - and with Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph it seems pretty promising. The show is about a couple who embark on parenthood while the father stays at home, the mom goes off to work (as a daytime talk show host) trying to juggle motherhood and her overbearing boss. It could be funny as long as it lives up to it's promises of avoiding the cliche's.

15. The Playboy Club - I hate myself for wanting to watch this show - especially when you have Gloria Steinem calling for a boycott due to its glamorization of an era when male dominance was normal. I don't think that much has changed since this era - at least where the media is concerned. It was only a few years ago that The Girls Next Door was on the air - Playboy is still as popular as ever and male dominance is still "the norm". I don't think it is fair to attack one show just because it is a little more "obvious" in it's depiction of sexualizing women. I think the show looks decent - hot girls, hot guys, a murder-mystery soap like drama. So screw my feminist brain and count me in.

16. 2 Broke Girls - I will not be watching the other Whitney Cummings show Whitney - because I don't think she is funny. However, this show is described as 'Laverne & Shirley' on crack. That alone makes me laugh. I love, love, love Kat Dennings. And I love the idea of struggling young people - because it always bothers me when people in their 20's have their shit soo together (beautiful apartments, loving parents, respectable jobs) but complain about how "messy" their lives are. The only show that was able to pull that off was Friends. I will judge this show completely on what their apartment looks like - because they are supposed to depict "2 broke girls" who live in NYC - so they better live in a closet. Otherwise I will turn it off.

The VMA's: The Best and the Worst

I know I am a few days late to discuss the VMA's but there was this whole hurricane thing going on that kept me a little preoccupied. Luckily, I am home now...safe and dry. I was able to watch the VMA's - power went back on just as the show aired - overall the show itself has been on a steep decline, but this years wasn't as bad a the past few years.

Here are the highlights -

1. Adele - Probably the biggest highlight of the night - the only performer who didn't feel the need to go over the top. She just stood up there and sung her heart out and it gave me chills. 'Someone Like You' is my favorite song on her album - I often burst into tears while listening to it so I actually have to turn it off sometimes. She got a well-deserved standing O from the audience and made the entire show worth watching.

2. Jessie J - Yes, it totally sucked that the poor girl was in a leg cast and had to sit through the entire show. It was awkward to see her writhe around in that weird electric chair-slash-throne. Yet, I give her props for going through with show at all - if her leg is in a cast then she must be in some pain (I'm not even sure what her injury was and don't care enough to look it up...). She became a highlight for me when she sang 'Firework' after Katy Perry & Kanye won for 'E.T' and she sounded a million times better than Katy. I found that hilarious. Then Jessie won my heart by busting out with TLC's 'Scrubs'.

3. Twitter - It is totally more entertaining to watch a bad awards show while reading hilarious tweets - my favorites were from @questlove (which for some reason have vanished from his twitterfeed) - my favorite was while Britney was accepting her MJ Vanguard award he tweeted "I. Can. Read." He also made a funny comment on Kanye rooting for Chris Brown as JayZ sat in his chair and pretended like he didn't exist but I can't remember the exact phrasing. I also loved @EWTimStack who wrote "I have no idea who Young the Giant is but I do know that Jared Leto played Jordan Catalano. #neverforget #imreallyold" - Because that is exactly what was going on in my head at that moment. Also, you can officially call me a Demi Lovato fan - I love her for calling out all of the people who were commenting on her weight gain - the girl just got out of an institution for having an eating disorder. We should be worried if she wasn't gaining weight. People are just jealous - because dayum she looked good.

4. The Amy Winehouse Tribute - Two people I am not a fan of: Russell Brand & Bruno Mars. Yet, I have to admit that they did a stand-up job in paying tribute to the late Amy Winehouse. Russell is completely annoying to listen to and he speaks too fast - so it was hard to hear exactly what he was saying - but the gist of it was that yes, she had a horrible disease of addiction but that didn't define her. She also had this incredible talent that made her special. He used the terms "loose canon" and "crazy" which I think some might find disrespectful but I appreciate his candor. Bruno Mars performed an amazing rendition of 'Valerie' (although I would have rather seen the Glee kids doing it). He sounded fantastic and the whole theme was very fitting and respectful.

and the lowlights:

1. The Britney Tribute - The blink-and-you-miss-it tribute was pretty painful. First, why not get well-known artists to pay tribute to her? Instead of a bunch of back-up dancers (no offense to them - they danced their asses off) - I just think she deserved a bit more respect. Speaking of RESPECT - back the fuck up Lady Gaga or Jo or whatever you want to be called when someone is accepting a lifetime achievement award. Stealing the spotlight is not cool - have we learned nothing from Kanye? AND don't even get me started on the poor girls "speech" which she read from a teleprompter. My friend says that Britney reminds her of a marionette now - with everyone else pulling strings controlling her every move and this whole disaster proves her right. Can the poor girl not even have enough freedom to speak her own words from her own heart? Are they scared that she might go batshit crazy again? The speech got even more awkward when it turned into her introducing Beyonce who quickly stole her thunder by announcing her pregnancy in the most adorable way possible.

2. Katy Perry - This girl gets on my last nerve. I enjoy both 'E.T' and 'Firework' so I have no problem with them winning...but "Video of the Year" really? Does she deserve that much credit? 'Rolling in the Deep' should have won (clearly...) but then again I haven't watched either video....because I honestly haven't seen a video in YEARS. Do they actually even exist anymore? Anyway, back to Katy - I just don't see the talent and I consistently read bad things about her from critics - so I am not sure why she is winning awards. Plus, seriously what was with the cube on her head.

3. Lady Gaga/ Jo - Not a fan of this "alter ego" crap but that isn't the part that bothers me. It bothers me that she sounded so fantastic (one of the best of the night) yet, NO ONE is talking about that because they are focused on her "dramatics" instead of her "talent". But that is her own fault. AND yes, she reminded me of a bad impersonation of Adam Goldberg and no, she can't act so I hope she doesn't think she is going to be an actress now...

4. Chris Brown - I am sad for the Chris Brown situation. He is an incredible dancer and performer - I just can't support him. I am someone who loves to believe that people can change - just because someone makes a horrible mistake doesn't make them a bad person right? But every time I give someone the opportunity to change my mind - 90% of the time they fail (but the 10% is worth it....like Mark Wahlberg for example). Chris Brown started off in the right direction - public apologies, anger management but none of it seemed to work instead of proving that he is in fact a "decent guy" he instead further pushes himself towards the "angry black male" stereo-type (throwing chairs through windows, going on homophobic tirades on twitter). So, Chris - You had your second chance and you blew it. Now get off of my television.

4 Reasons to Watch 'Trust'

I completely forgot about this film that I was so excited to see this past Spring. 'Trust' was directed by David Schwimmer (I am a fan) starring Clive Owen and Katherine Keener (can't go wrong!). I watched it on DVD the other day and I was really happy with the outcome (well..not exactly 'happy'....disgusted is a more appropriate term) - here are reasons you should watch it:

1. It’s more compelling than a Lifetime movie – I thought the topic seemed a little like LMN territory. The story is a creepy tale of a teenage girl who gets involved with an online sexual predator. You can totally picture that film right? Predictable plots, clichéd teenagers and melodrama galore. However, this film was as far from those things as you can get. The film relies on the believable vulnerability of this young girl. Most films paint teenagers as stupid and gullible – tricking the audience into believing that something like this would never happen to their smart and confident teenage daughter. Annie, played brilliantly by newcomer Liana Liberato, seems like “normal” teenager – a bit naïve but ultimately very realistic. The fact that someone like her falls into this trap should scare the shit out of you – especially if you are a parent.

2. It focuses on the “grey” area – The sad part of the whole film is that Annie believes that she is in love with this man and that he is in love with her. At first, I was a little baffled – how could she really believe that? But the film paints a picture of what it’s like being a teenager these days and it seems pretty isolating. When other girls your age are talking about blow jobs and taking their tops off at parties – you would easily get confused about what is “right” and what is “wrong”. I think part of her knew that it was wrong but admitting that isn’t the easiest thing to do. It is a hard thing to deal with when the entire world (your best friend, your parents and the authorities) tell you that you are wrong. Her teenage stubbornness persists until the end.

3. The acting will knock your socks off – Clive Owen was fantastic – best I have seen him yet. There are two scenes that stand-out- The first one is when he goes to his work event and realizes that he is part responsible for sexualizing teenagers (he is in advertising and is behind a very sexy American Apparel type ad campaign featuring young girls in their underwear). The scene has very little dialogue – it is just all in his facial expressions and it is breathtaking and heartbreaking at the same time. The other scene is the last scene he has with his daughter – when he apologizes to her for not protecting her – seriously I was bawling. Katherine Keener was also great as always - but the story never really focused on her that much.

4. The ending will make you sick to your stomach – Ok…that is not really a good reason to see it but it is true. Besides the fact that you will likely feel queasy through it’s entirety, you will in fact want to vomit after the last scene. I can’t imagine watching it if I was a parent of a teenage girl, yet I would recommend it to all parents – it teaches a strong lesson awful things can happen to anyone- even good girls with loving parents.

13 Films to See This Fall

I can't believe how fast the summer went by!! Are you ready for fall?? Here are the films I am excited for:


1. Shark Night 3D (9/2) – 2 reasons I want to see this film: 1. Dustin Milligan. He's the guy that played Ethan on the first season of the new 90210. I love all of the changes that they made for the second season of the series - except getting rid of his character. I think he is a solid actor, he's cute and I would like to see him succeed. 2. The film plays into my irrational fear of lakes. For some reason I have no problem swimming in oceans because they are so vast - what are the chances of running into something scary like a shark? However, a lake has boundaries and the water is dark - I am convinced that a shark somehow ended up in the very lake I am swimming in and is stalking me under the water. The best part is that it will play in 2D as well...woohoo!!




2. Contagion (9/9) – A film directed by Steven Soderbergh, starring Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, JUDE LAW, Gwyneth Paltrow, Laurence Fishburne and Bryan Cranston?? I am all in. The trailer reminds me of The Stand but I doubt that this film will come close - it will probably be closer to Outbreak. I don't think a film like this is all that healthy for the human race - we are already paranoid enough - this film will inevitably make things worse. It does look interesting though - in all of it's melodramatic glory.

3. Drive (9/16) – I am not a big fan of "car" films but Ryan Gosling is sexy (and actually a good actor) so I am excited for most of his films. The trailer looks pretty good - and the car scenes are mixed with some pretty intense drama and action.






4. Money Ball (9/23) - Ugh! How boring does that poster look??!! But despite the poster Director Bennett Miller claims that the film is "not a Baseball movie" instead it is about the struggles of the sport. There have been a lot of set-backs in making the film, but Brad Pitt seemed intent on keeping it going so I have faith that it must be good...right? Plus I love Philip Seymour Hoffman!

5. Dream House (9/30) – At first glance, this film seems like yet another haunted house horror film revolving around creepy children but then the trailer gives a huge plot point away - the father (played by Daniel Craig) just got released from a mental hospital and he is imagining that he lives with his family in their home but his family is actually dead (they were murdered in the house and he was the prime suspect). I question why they would give so much away in the trailer but my conclusion is that they wanted to separate the film from a "horror" film and make it clearly a "psychological thriller" and there must be some other twist to the film that the audience will not be aware of (I am guessing the twist involves the mysterious neighbor played by Naomi Watts).





6. 50/50 (9/30) – Obviously, I will see this based on my love for JGL alone. But, I think the trailer looks really good - it is a combination of a touching film about a guy getting diagnosed with Cancer mixed with some humor (hopefully, they didn't show all of the funny in the trailer) and some hardcore bromance. It's a hard subject to make funny - but I have faith that JGL can pull anything off.

7. What’s Your Number (9/30) – So they turned the cancelled 2008 CBS television show called The Ex List (a show that I actually liked) into a film (although they have not admitted this at all). It's about a woman who learns that she has already dated her soul mate - so she revisits the past men in her life to find "the one". It's not exactly my type of film - and if it starred Kate Hudson/JLo/SJP or anyone of that nature I would not see it. But it is Anna Faris. I adore her. That is all.

8. The Ides of March (10/7) – This poster alone makes me want to see the film. Oh yah and George Clooney. And Ryan Gosling. And the rest of the awesome supporting cast. And the trailer.

9. In Time (10/28) – Aw look at that serious face my baby is making in that poster - isn't he adorable? The film looks.....interesting. At the very least it is original which is refreshing. The idea of "time" being given a monetary value is an interesting topic - it has a Gattaca feel to it (I loved Gattaca...). However, if it could very well turn out to be awful - borderline laughable.













10. A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (11/4) - I loved the original Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle it was ridiculous in plot but bountiful in laughs and entertainment. Plus it made NPH relevant again.
I saw the sequel (Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay) but I honestly don't remember a thing from it. I am a little confused as to why they are releasing a Christmas film almost 2 months before the Holiday (perhaps so it doesn't get confused with an actual family Holiday film. I also don't understand why it has to be in 3D!!?? Anyway, I am sure it will be hilarious (and possibly forgettable).










11. J. Edgar (11/9) – I actually don't really want to see this film - I feel like it will be really long and drawn out (as most Clint Eastwood films are) but I think that it is definite "Oscar bait" material so I feel obligated to see it. At least the screenplay was written by Dustin Lance Black (who did a fantastic job at turning Harvey Milk's life into a big Hollywood biopic), so it could be interesting. Leo is sure to give a fantastic performance as always.









12. Breaking Dawn (11/18) - Totally kidding you guys....











13. The Descendants (11/23) – Alexander Payne's films always have a nice balance of drama and comedy. Plus Matthew Lillard. Love. Him.

4 Reasons I Didn't Want See 'Glee: The 3D Concert Movie'

So 'Glee: The 3D Concert Movie' bombed at the box office this weekend. While the expectations were never really that high - I think at the very least the producers expected to get their money back from opening weekend (which they will eventually). I really don't think anyone doubted that it would crack the 'top 10' (it came in at 11). The funny thing is - I am a huge fan of 'Glee' yet I wasn't all that excited about the film. So if I (someone who can practically recite every episode) don't want to see it, then who does? Here are some reasons why I wasn't excited (and yes, I did actually go see it out of obligation as a fan of the series...my thoughts on the film are also below):


1. I've already seen it - As most fans of the show have - either in concert or via the endless video clips on the Internet. I didn't go to the concert. The sole reason for this was that as much as I would love to see Lea Michele sing 'Don't Rain on My Parade' live, I simply can't handle the hoards of screaming teenagers. Luckily for me, the wonders of the Internet allow me to watch it anyway.

2. It panders to teens - Remember when Glee first aired - it focused on Mr. Shue taking over the Glee club?? He was a huge presence on the show, as were the other teachers. The show, although partly about a group of kids, was an ADULT show. Obviously, plenty of teens watched it and enjoyed it - but it bothers me that they are also controlling it. When the first episode of season 2 aired - the character, Jacob, very memorably "reported" on the Glee clubs "gay summer" and said to Mr. Shue "Did you know there is a forum on my blog begging you to stop rapping" and he responds "wait, kids don't like it when I rap?" and Jacob shakes his head no. Then, guess what happened?? - a whole season went by without any of Mr. Shue's awesome rapping!! When did the creators start caring about what the "kids" liked? This film is aimed towards "kids" in the same vein as the Justin Beiber and Hannah Montana concert films and it makes me feel old! Stop it Glee!

3. The actors stay "in character" - Honestly, this is probably the biggest reason that I didn't want to see it. When I read that this film would be a faux-documentary style about the McKinley Glee club making a 3D concert film - I was dumbfounded. That doesn't even make sense - why on earth would they be making a film let alone be performing a sold-out concert at a huge venue? I want to see behind the scenes footage of what it takes to put this tour on. Forget that, I want the world to see how much work these actors have committed themselves to because I adore every single one of them. I want to see them interact with each other and their fans. This is a film that I would be excited about. The "in character" thing is bullshit and to make matters worse, my favorite "character", Finn, isn't even in the film aside from the performances (because the actor, Cory Monteith, was recovering from food poisoning the day it was filmed). That totally blows.


4. 3D - Like I have said before, 3D films give me a headache - it's usually not worth the trouble for me (and I have spoken to many others who feel the same way). The film should have been released in good ole 2D so that it was more viewer friendly.


Overall, I think the film is borderline mediocre - I have more bad than good things to say about it. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone even 'Glee' fans.

Here are my highlights of the film -

1. Most of the performances - I would say that about 85% of the performances were awesome. Lea Michele's performance was stunning (of course she was brilliant in 'Don't Rain on My Parade' but she also shined along side Chris Colfer in their duet 'Happy Days are Here Again/Get Happy'). It made me crave for the future when she is back on Broadway. Harry Shum Jr's dancing was a big stand-out (as always). The most surprising highlight for me was The Warblers. I was so over them on Glee but they sounded fantastic (along with Darren Criss). I was very impressed. They "owned" that stage more than The New Directions did....






2. The Mini-Warbler - Seriously, who found that kid? He is freaking adorable.









and some lowlights -


1. The 3 fan "stories" - To be blunt - I could give a fuck about these people. I have a lot of harsh words for this whole premise but I don't want to seem hateful. So the nicest thing that I could possibly say is that the stories are too contrived and I agree with Entertainment Weekly that it felt very "self-congratulatory" on behalf of the creators of Glee. I think they need to stop trying to change the world and go back to being a funny, bitterly sarcastic show with awesome white guy raps.

2. Cory - It breaks my heart to say anything bad about someone so perfect...so I won't. Ok...maybe just one thing - as I said above, I am under the impression that he was sick while this was filming so kudos to him for even getting on a stage and performing in front of a camera and thousands of people. However, 'Jessie's Girl' was probably the worst performance of the show. He did sound fantastic in all of the group numbers (especially 'Somebody to Love' which they shoved in after the credits so most people already left the theater). And I really wish they focused more on him during "Born This Way" and "River Deep, Mountain High" because in the Internet clips I have seen he is really funny in them (which is what the film needed some more of). Ok....I am done. That hurt my insides.


3. The fans - After watching so many Internet videos of the concert, I did regret not actually going. But then I saw this film and thanked the skies above. Fans are crazy!! I admit that as a teen I went to numerous *NSYNC concerts - and even had second row seats but us *NSYNC fans weren't nearly as crazy as fans nowadays. Or Maybe they were and I just was too enchanted by Justin Timberlake to notice. However, I have never been the type of fan that wants autographs or anything - I would never wait in one of those meet and greet lines because I have nothing to say. I also would never reach my hand up and want a performer to touch me in the middle of a concert - do you know how sweaty they are under all those lights dancing around?? EW. Do not touch me with those sweaty hands. Plus the performers should probably think twice about reaching their hands out - I watched a video of some lady pulling Darren off the stage (which was hilarious and scary at the same time). Also, the fans were distracting once the 3D camera panned out the audience members were in focus and it was really annoying. My friend who came with me also mentioned how annoying the camera angles were. It didn't bother me that much until I winced when I thought we were going to see directly up Naya Rivera's short mini-dress number she wore during 'River Deep, Mountain High'.


4. The "in character" concept - So I already stated my dislike for the concept - but the actual "in character" moments were really annoying. The biggest problem is that these actors are not great improv actors and I am pretty sure they didn't get lines to memorize - so the whole thing fell really flat. None of them seemed "in character" at all. How great would it have been to have Mark Salling teach us how to disc golf (which is what he did during downtime) or have the audience join Cory and Naya interacting with fans at one of their AT&T meet and greets? That is what real fans want to see!! I'm calling for a re-do of the whole film.