Compulsively Oblivious

Craig Ferguson on Voting

2008-09-12T11:52:00.001-07:00

I've never paid much attention to Craig Ferguson...I'm too much of an old woman to stay up watching late night TV most of the time.

However, people link him to death on entertainment and gossip blogs, and I've been clicking on those links and listening and watching more and more over the last couple of months.

The man is flat out hysterically wonderful. Really fantastic. He's got that UK sense of humor that just flows out of him, effortlessly. Pair that with the timely topic of the 2008 election...and you get this piece of brilliance.

UCLA Football's new ad campaign

2008-08-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

Yeah, right.

DMB remembers LeRoi Moore

2008-08-20T13:53:00.001-07:00

Dave opens up the show

Dave Matthews stunned the crowd at the Staples Center last night, when, after opening the show with "Bartender," he stepped up to the microphone to make an announcement.

LeRoi Moore, founding member of DMB and world-class saxophonist, had died earlier that day from complications from injuries sustained in an ATV accident in June. He was 46. "We got some bad news today," Matthews said, and the entire place went silent almost immediately. He informed the crowd of Roi's passing, then added, "he gave up his ghost today, and we will miss him forever."

I heard many people gasp, saw hand fly to mouths in shock. Some cried, nearly everyone stood stoically, quietly, and tried to process. I am not a DMB fanatic; in fact, last night was my very first time seeing them live. Still, the intensity and gravity of the situation were not lost on me, and as they launched into "Proudest Monkey," I was floored by their ability to carry on.

And carry on they did. As it was my first live DMB concert, I have no basis for comparison, but they absolutely blew me away. And my roommate, who has seen them 14 times, told me that they blew pretty much every song right out of the water.

Boyd Tinsley rocks that fiddle

It was an amazing experience. So much so that I really don't have the proper words to describe it. So I will link to someone who did (and then some): Ben Wener of the OC Register. I do have to say that it was one of the most moving, heartfelt and powerful live performances I have ever seen.

I thank the band for sharing their nearly three-hour elegy to a lost friend. It was quite the experience. RIP, LeRoi Moore.

The Setlist:

Main set: Bartender / Proudest Monkey / Satellite / So Damn Lucky / Eh Hee / Water into Wine / Burning Down the House* / Dancing Nancies / Loving Wings / The Maker / Sledgehammer** / Grey Street / The Dreaming Tree / Crash into Me / Everyday / Anyone Seen the Bridge > Too Much intro > Ants Marching

Encore: Sister / Corn Bread / Two Step

This is why I love the Olympics: Men's 4x100 Freestyle Relay

2008-08-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this, you need to. Trust me. The power of Michael Phelps compels you.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/share.html?videoid=0811_HD_SWB_HL_L0194

What could have been - Buffy: The Animated Series

2008-08-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

Buffy: The Animated Seried was one of many oft-rumored and discussed follow-ups to the 1997-2003 television show that never quite made it to fruition (please add it to a list that already includes the Ripper, Faith and Spike spinoffs).

From what I recall, the animated series actually made it fairly far along in the creative process. However, there was never anything to show for it…until now. Behold the awesome and wonderful power of YouTube, which has a 3:35 promo of what the animated series would have been like, if.

I’m leaning toward the “glad this didn’t get made” side of the fence. Reverting back to high school, dialogue not as clever as it should be…plus, the Scooby Gang as cartoons just doesn’t work for me on a very basic level. It’s just plain WEIRD.

Welcome to LA, Manny!

2008-08-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, look.

I get that Manny Ramirez is far more than his .299 BA, 20 HR and 68 RBIs. He is far more than an absolutely dominating plate presence who makes the opposing pitcher more than a little uncomfortable every time he steps into the box. He’s more than the power hitter the Dodgers have been searching for with very little success for years and the likely missing piece that will help push the Dodgers into October.

I’m honestly not sure that I care.

Manny loves Manny. He’s a lazy left-fielder, indulged by the Green Monster. When he’s unhappy, he acts like a petulant child. Ask any Red Sox fan about the half-assed jogs to first, the seemingly-intentional strike outs and his imaginary “knee problem” and I’m sure they’ll be happy to speak their mind about what a headache Manny has become. For a notoriously rabid, loyal fan base that was hearts-in-their-eyes, over-the-moon in love with him…that’s saying quite a lot.

I won’t excuse Manny’s behavior, especially since I’m a big believer (especially when you’re being paid millions of dollars to play a game) in professionalism above all else. However, a change of scenery might do him a lot of good.

Manny says bye-bye to Boston.

That’s what I’m hoping, anyway, since as of 1pm yesterday, Manny Ramirez became a Dodger. In a move that sent shockwaves through the baseball world, the world of ESPN and the world of my office, Ramirez became the latest Dodger two-month rental in a three team trade with Boston and Pittsburgh.

The Pirates sent outfielder Jason Bay to Boston, and Boston and the Dodgers each sent two minor leaguers to Pittsburgh (outfielder Brandon Moss and RHP Craig Hansen, and 3B Andy LaRoche and RHP Bryan Morris, respectively). The Red Sox will pay the remaining $7 million left on Manny’s contract, and both the Dodgers and Scott Boras, Manny’s agent, agreed to waive the 2009 and 2010 options on his contract, each for $20 million. That means Manny will be a free agent at the end of the year and I’m sure several GMs are already drooling over the possibility of landing him for the 2009 season. Of course, such a thing won’t come cheap. Not when you have Manny’s ego and Boras’ money-grubbing to contend with.

Will Bay be a big hit in Beantown?

There’s no doubt that the Dodgers got the best end of this deal, at least in the short run. Manny was basically free; LaRoche has consistently underperformed during the two years the team gave him to prove himself at a big league level, and it’s too early to really say if and how badly the departure of Morris will be felt. The Red Sox got rid of their biggest headache and replaced Ramirez with Bay, who is comparable (at least in numbers alone) to Manny, 7 years younger and significantly lighter in the baggage department. The Sox also have a much better chance of hanging on to Bay than the Dodgers do with Manny. The Pirates held a fire sale before the trade deadline…who knows what they were thinking, really…but it’s definitely notthe best way to secure your first winning record since 1992.

There are a lot of question marks surrounding Manny’s arrival in LA today, but I can tell you this…I am ridiculously excited (so much so that I can hardly contain myself) to see him don Dodger Blue and step up to the plate against Randy Johnson tonight.

Whedonverse Friday: "The Cabin in the Woods"

2008-07-11T15:28:00.001-07:00

Earlier this week, MGM acquired and greenit "The Cabin in the Woods," a thriller written by the Joss-god himself.

As far back as last July (at Comic-Con in San Diego), Whedon described the project as "a horror film to end all horror films." All other details, including loglines or any description of the plot, are being kept closely uner wraps.

Nothing he touches is bad...nothing.

Drew Goddard, formerly a writer/collaborator on the Whedon-created "Angel," co-wrote the script with Joss and will make his directorial debut on the film. Whedon will produce.

"Cabin" is the first project to be greelit by new MGM motion picture head, Mary Parent. Parent is quoted calling the script "one of the most original and clever scripts I've ever read."

~*~

Of course it is, Mary...it's got Joss' fingerprints all over it. Here's hoping the project doesn't go the wasd of "Goners" or "Wonder Woman." As a horror-phobe, I'll start mentally preparing myself to go see it now.

The Twilight Trilogy Hits The Big Screen

2008-07-09T14:54:00.000-07:00

Since I'm currently in the middle of the third book (for the second time in just a few months), I'm ridiculously excited about the movie, which landed on the cover of EW this week.

The cover does Robert Pattinson absolutely no justice. He's MUCH better looking, and he's supposed to be ethereally beautiful in the movie...this cover is half of an epic fail. Kristen Stewart looks fabulous, however.

Twilight, the first book of the ridiculously popular trilogy by Stephenie Meyer, will be out as a feature film in December. The film stars Robert Pattinson (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) as Edward Cullen, a vampire who doesn't feed off humans, and Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, his mortal soul mate.

The books themselves have garnered Harry Potter comparisons (page-turning fantasy novels that attract readers of all ages). While I wouldn't place Meyer's novels on a pedestal anywhere NEAR that of J.K. Rowling, her books are ridiculously hard to put down and a great read...especially for a girl that loves vampires and werewolves as much as I do.

The teaser trailer.

Let the countdown begin!

Recap: Idols LIVE!

2008-07-08T17:06:00.000-07:00

I had the good fortune to see the American Idols Tour 2008 last night at the Staples Center. I went with my roommate, and we spent the entire night acting like ridiculous 12-year-old girls. It was fabulous.

I am going to attempt to recount my thoughts (with help from my twitter) from the concert. Hopefully pictures and video will follow.

I have to say, all of the Idols sounded just as good, if not better, live. I was pleasantly surprised, because there’s less “helpful voice magic” live than on television. In particular, Ramiele and Papa Johns, two of the top 10 I was never that sold on, wowed me live.

There was a dancing PopTart in the pre-show with Corey the warm-up guy. I wish I were joking. That’s all I really want to say on that.

This is the cardboard cutout I posed inappropriately with. Word.

I love Chikezie. After David Cook, he was my favorite Top 12 contestant. I was a little let down by his set, to be honest. He sang beautifully; his falsetto in particular was absolutely gorgeous live. I just wish he’d actually done at least one of the numbers he performed on Idol (“She’s a Woman,” anyone?). He did a great job, but as the opening performer he failed to draw me into the show as much as I would have liked.

I never cared for Ramiele when she was on Idol, but live her voice is incredibly powerful. Her fashion sense, however, hasn’t improved a single bit. To wit, my Twitter: “I think Ramiele is blind. That is the only way I can explain her outfit. Where are the fug girls when you need them?” Still, I really enjoyed her set, especially her final song, Maroon 5’s “If I Never See Your Face Again.”

Michael Johns is sexy. I don’t find him the least bit attractive, but wow is that man a bit of walking sex. He’s just charismatic, and when he declared that he arranged “this next, bluesy number just for the ladies” the whole place became all a-twitter. I waffled back and forth about him over the course of the season, but live he is FANTASTIC. His whole set was Idol on repeat, only much, much better. In particular, he rocked the hell out of “Dream On,” the song that actually got him booed from the show.

I’m not gonna lie. I left to get a pizza and a water (and take a picture of myself inappropriately touching a cardboard cutout of David Cook) during Kristy Lee Cook’s set. But she actually sang “God Bless America” as one of her three songs…can you really blame me? I thought not.

Carly Smithson is my hero. She is absolutely beautiful from head-to-toe and if you thought her voice was powerful on TV…she almost brought the place down with her power notes. I think of all the Idols, she chose her set list best. “Bring Me To Life,” “Crazy On You” and “I Drove All Night” complimented her voice perfectly. I was mesmerized and she gave me chills more than once.

Hands down, my favorite song of the night was performed by Brooke White. She rose up from a trap door in the floor playing the piano and singing “Let It Be,” which only gets better for me every time I hear her sing it. Nobody talked all that much, but she was adorably sweet and dorky and danced (fairly well, actually) while she sang Fiest’s “1 2 3 4.” However, it was her version of Coldplay’s “Yellow” that just stopped me cold. It’s really rare that a song actually makes me stop everything I’m doing – even thinking – and just listen. I was mesmerized and nearly moved to tears…and that NEVER happens to me.

Jason Castro is the most adorable person alive. I resisted his pull until last night, where I just fell in love with him completely. His stripped-down version of “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley was my second favorite of the night, and just seemed so very him. Listening to him perform “Daydream” live was also a highlight…because it just suits him perfectly.

I wish I could explain why, despite the fact that Syesha Mercado is one hell of a singer…no one seems to care about her. Her set was unbelievably strong; high energy, powerhouse vocals and a dress that I wish I could steal. Her final number, “Listen,” brought the house down. Definitely one of the Top 5 performances of the night. I think I might slowly be starting to love her.

David Archuleta rose, somewhat sheepishly, from the floor playing the piano as well. Only he got a smoke machine to help him out. Oh, and thousands upon thousands of screeching little girls (and plenty of women old enough to know better…like my roommate) helped herald his arrival as well. As my Twitter explained “Archie arrives via smoke machine and a fancy trap door. I’ve gone deaf.” I am happy to state that he is brilliant live. His version of “Angels” by Robbie Williams was one of my favorite numbers this season and it was gorgeous live. His mash-up of “Stand by Me” and “Beautiful Girls” was great as well. He seems to be having more fun on the tour than he ever appeared to on the show and I LOVE that. It makes him so much more fun to watch.

This is his tour outfit, apparently. What a hottie.

There is a video (that will never see the light of day if my roommate wants to live) of me absolutely flipping out when they announced David Cook. I believe I actually screamed more than once and jumped up and down (and replied “MY FUTURE HUSBAND! AHHHH!” when she asked me who it was I was screaming for). Bless my roommate, she stood up and freaked out with me…because that’s what good friends do. They don’t let you look ridiculous by yourself.

Seeing him live, finally…beyond words. Seriously. He was just…perfection. *happy sigh* His five-song set was really a mini rock show. Rocker Boy knows how to work a crowd like a front man and he pulled out all the stops. Working the stage, rocking out with the guitar, great banter with the crowd…I can’t wait for his solo tour where he’s not as crowded and is able to really take the audience on a journey with him…because it’s going to be amazing.

He sweetly dedicated “My Hero” by the Foo Fighters, the only song we hadn’t seen him perform before, to his brother. “Hello” and “Billie Jean” were showstoppers, and I had lots of fun every time the camera zoomed in on his backside. So pretty…

All in all, it was a really great show. Better than I was expecting, to be quite honest. I’m sad that I didn’t know there was a fan line after the show, because apparently David Cook spent quite a bit of time signing autographs and taking pictures and talking with fans. What a sweet boy.

Idols Tour 2008

2008-07-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

I am such a squealing fangirl right now, because in just a few short days, I get to see this up close and in person:

I will be the girl attempting to sneak on stage to hug David Cook...though I promised several of my friends that I wouldn't get arrested. Dilemmas.

Anyway, for the curious (and those who don't mind being spoiled) here is the set list for the tour.

Chikezie Eze:
"I Believe to My Soul" (Donnie Hathaway)
"Caught Up" (Usher)
"So High" (John Legend)

Ramiele Malubay:
"I Want You Back" (Jackson 5)
"Love Will Lead You Back" (Taylor Dayne)
"If I Never See Your Face" (Rhianna)

Michael Johns:
"We Will Rock You"/"We Are the Champions" (Queen)
"It's All Wrong, but It's Alright" (Dolly Parton)
"Dream On" (Aerosmith)

Kristy Lee Cook:
"Squeezing the Love Outta You" (Carolyn Dawn Johnson)
"God Bless the USA" (Lee Greenwood)
"Cowgirls"

Carly Smithson:
"Bring Me to Life" (Evanescence)
"Crazy on You" (Heart)
"I Drove All Night" (Cyndi Lauper)

Brooke White
"Let it Be" (Beatles)
"1234" (Fiest)
"Yellow" (Coldplay)

Jason Castro:
"Over the Rainbow" "
"Crazy" (Gnarls Barkley)
"Daydream" (Lovin' Spoonful)

Syesha Mercado:
"Umbrella" (Rhianna)
"If I Aint Got It" (Alicia Keys)
"Listen"

David Archuleta:
"Angels" (Robbie Williams)
"Apologize" (One Republic)
"Stand by Me" (Ben E. King)
"When You Say You Love Me" (Josh Groban)

David Cook:
"Hello" (Lionel Richie)
"Time of My Life"
"My Hero"
"Billie Jean" (Michael Jackson)
"I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" (Aerosmith)

2008 ESPY Awards Nominees

2008-07-01T13:52:00.001-07:00

I've said this for the past few years and I'm still surprised that I'm actally dead serious...if I could go to any major awards show, I'd go to the ESPYs. The show is always fun, everyone looks like they're happy to be there, it's not as stuffy or super fancy as other shows...and it's all about sports.

How does it get better than that?

The official list of nominees was released today, and is available for viewing and voting at the official 2008 ESPYs Website.

Below, some of the more itneresting categories (and my choice is italicized):

Best Male Athlete

Tiger Woods
Tom Brady
Kobe Bryant
Alex Rodriguez

Best Female Athlete
Lorena Ochoa
Candace Parker
Danica Patrick
Lindsey Vonn (skiing)

Go Danica!

Best Moment
H.S. Softball Sportsmanship (This was the actualization of everything they teach you sports SHOULD be about when you're a kid, and that beats everything else in my book)
Lester's No-Hitter
Danica Patrick's first win

Best Championship Performance
Venus Williams at Wimbledon 2007
Josh Beckett in the MLB Playoffs
Rafael Nadal at 2008 French Open
Tiger Woods at 2008 US Open

Prepare for total domination.

Best Game
Super Bowl XLII: Giants over Patriots
NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Kansas over Memphis
NBA Finals Game 4: Celtics over Lakers (I'm not a huge basketball fan, but this game was amazing)

Best Team

Red Sox
NY Giants
Celtics
Kansas Jayhawks
Tennessee Vols Women's BBall
Red Wings

Best Play
Trinity Laterals (this was one of the most jaw-dropping things I have ever seen...and they did it for the win)
Manning to Tyree
Minnesota's Buzzer Beater (Hoffarber)
Rick Nash Goal

Best Upset
Appalachian State over UM in Week 1 of College Football (I LOVED this when it happened, not realizing that it would set thesage for one of the strangest, most upset-filled seasons of college football in recent memory)
Da'Tara wins the Belmont Stakes
NY Giants defeat the Patriots in the Super Bowl
Fresno State wins the College World Series over Georgia

Record-Breaking Performance
Barry Bonds
Tom Brady and Randy Moss
Brett Favre (broke the career touchdown record and the career interception record in conecutive weeks...but he's one of the best there ever was)
Usain Bolt

Brett Favre: All kinds of awesome.

Best Coach/Manager
Tom Coughlin, NY Giants (Even though he beat my beloved Packers in the NFC Championship game, what he did with that team was nothing short of astonishing)
Doc Rivers, Boston Celtics
Terry Francona, Boston Red Sox
Pat Summitt, Tenessee Lady Vols

The ESPYs, hosted by Justin Timberlake, will be broadcast on ESPN on Sunday, July 20 at 9pm EST.

If you get no-hit, you...win?

2008-06-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, the Dodgers became only the 5th Major League team since 1900 to win a game after being no-hit.

Angels starter Jered Weaver and reliever Jose Arredondo combined for nine innings of no-hit baseball...and lost.

Weaver was not a happy camper afterward.

Now, technically the game wasn't a no-no. A game has to go at least 27 outs (nine full innings) for it to be an official no-hitter. Still, it was something pretty special.

Jered Weaver was untouchable for six innings and Chad Billingsley also pitched a solid game of shutout baseball. The only run came in the fifth, after a series of defensive mishaps.

Matt Kemp hit a comebacker to Weaver, who bobbled the ball and allowed Kemp to reach base. Two pitches later, Kemp stole second and steamed into third when catcher Jeff Mathis threw the putout pitch into center field. Blake DeWitt's sacrifice fly cashed in Kemp's unearned run.

Kemp is learning to make smart baserunning decisions. Hallelujah.

It's the sort of game you definitely don't see every day, and the roar of the crowd after Takashi Saito struck out Reggie Willits to end the game showed that the fans knew it. The Dodgers and Angels knew it too, judging by the stunned jubilation exhibited by the victors and stunned silence of the losers.

This is a perfect example of why I love this game. You think you've seen or heard about almost everything...and then something like this happens. Even the most wizened, jaded fan sits up and takes notice of a game like this. I also take particular satisfaction that we were playing the Angels...as I hate them with the fiery passion of 10,000 suns (suck on that, Anaheim!).

Teaser Trailer for 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog"

2008-06-27T17:13:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how working your little butt off for 3 weeks means you have no time to blog.

I had to stop to post this, though. The latest from the strange and wonderful mind of Joss Whedon (featuring the awesomeness of Neil patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion).

You're welcome

The Rookie DeWitt

2008-06-11T16:51:00.001-07:00

I’ve been having a hard time seeing the silver lining in the Dodger rain cloud lately, but…

Congratulations to 3B Blake DeWitt for being named the NL Rookie of the Month for May!

No. 33, baby

DeWitt, who until this season never played above AA, was a last minute replacement at third after both Adam LaRoche and Nomar Garciaparra went down with Spring Training injuries. He’s taken full advantage of the unexpected opportunity, hitting .290 for the season with five home runs and 29 RBIs.

The rookie hit .322 with five home runs and 18 RBIs in May to earn the honor from Major League Baseball, beating out Joey Votto of Cincinnati, Geovany Soto of Chicago and Manny Acosta of the Braves.

From a personal standpoint, DeWitt has been an impressive addition to the Dodgers’ crop of young players. He’s a rook, which means he commits more errors than I’d like (of course, he DOES play third). However, he doesn’t seem to let the pressure get to him.

Some evidence? May 19th versus the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers mounted a 5th inning rally to tie the score at 5-5. In the bottom of the ninth, Reds reliever David Weathers gave up a single to Russell Martin (which he turned into a double on a throwing error by Paul Janish). Jeff Kent advanced Martin to third on a groundout. Weathers then intentionally walked James Loney and Matt Kemp to load the bases for the seven-hole-hitting DeWitt. He responded with a game-winning single.

He's a gamer.

I watched that game up close and personal. It was fantastic. What a kid. It’s a well-deserved honor and I’m excited to see what he’ll offer the team through the rest of the season. There’s ROY potential there (though I know, hard to think someone will beat out Fukudome).

Katy Perry

2008-06-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

I have sort of odd, random taste. To the point where I've stopped trying to explain to people how or why I like something. Often, there is absolutely no reason at all.

I cannot explain my love of Katy Perry. It just exists - and it's awesome. My roommate and I have been eagerly anticipating her first CD (which drops June 17) for weeks.

The video alone for "Ur So Gay" is beyond brilliant (and the song is just giggle-worthy and catchy as hell).

"I Kissed A Girl" is the single that's floating out there in Radioland now and garnering her some attention. It's danceable and fun and poses a scenario that men have been dreaming about since...well, forever.

She also does an absolutely fantastic cover of "Use Your Love" by The Outfield. But I'm going to make you Google it yourself...trust me, it's worth the time you'll spend.

From the front, it's great...

2008-05-28T16:05:00.000-07:00

I'm not a fashion person at all. I just don't have the time or the energy or the net income for such an indulgence.

Pictures like the ones below make me glad I'm not. However, they also teach an important lesson: look things over from ALL possible angles before making a decision. Unfortunately, my friend learned this AFTER getting super excited and realizing that, with gift cards she could buy the below purse for about 35% of retail cost. May you learn from her mistake.

So pretty (and cheap)!

Except...it looks like a butt.

2010: The All-Star Game comes to Southern California?

2008-05-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

Your host for the 2010 All-Star Game

ESPN is reporting that Angel Stadium has been awarded the 2010 All-Star Game.

I've been eagerly waiting for an All-Star game to come back to Southern California since I was a kid. I think it would be one of the absolute coolest things to see in person.

Obviously, I'd rather it be at Dodger Stadium. Unfortunately, MLB tends to show a bias toward newer stadiums or ones that have just undergone massive renovations. Dodger Stadium, though it's been improved and changed many times over the years, still essentially looks the same as it did when it opened. That's one of the things I love most about it, but unfortunately it also means that it tends to get ignored or overlooked when the All-Star committee makes their decision.

However, last month the Dodgers announced extensive, expansive renovation plans for Chavez Ravine. While I'm not a big fan of the plans overall, they do mean that we'll probably be angling for the All-Star game in 2013.

Wait until 2013?

Mark your calendars, Southern Californians. The big show is coming to town.

Cook wins American Idol

2008-05-22T11:18:00.001-07:00

David Cook after his win.

David Cook won American Idol.

David Cook also appeared sans pants in a Guitar Hero commercial.

Excuse me for a moment, my brain is broken.

…

DAVID COOK WON AMERICAN IDOL!!!!

Overcome with emotion. David Cook rocks.

I’m sorry, right now I have no journalistic, equal-opportunity integrity…I am so freakin’ happy right now I almost can’t take it.

Tuesday night’s final performances were amazing. I’m pleased that Simon Cowell apologized to Cook for unfairly putting him through the ringer the night before. While I don’t think he was “disrespectful,” he was definitely overly harsh.

Nice guys, fantastic singers. What a final two.

David Archuleta absolutely blew me away Tuesday night. For the first time all season, Archie went out on that stage and actually looked like he was fighting for that victory, and he was all the better for it. He was full of energy and charisma and the sheer power of his voice left me speechless. He gave three truly stunning performances, and I have no problem admitting that, overall, he came out on top. But just barely.

David Cook’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” was one of the greatest performances I’ve seen all season. It was absolutely gorgeous, powerful with emotion and just a stunning achievement. His second song wasn’t as successful, but I applaud him for challenging himself by taking on a new song for his third and final performance. The night was a lot closer than Simon made it out to be…both of them absolutely blew me away.

Wednesday’s show didn’t seem nearly as padded as I thought it would. Some of my favorite highlights:

- The very end of the embarrassing, extended “Love Guru” sequence, where Mike Myers tried to lather up David Cook and shave off his beard. Cook leans away and a giant glob of shaving cream drops off his face…right into the helpfully waiting hand of David Archuleta, who grabbed it and moved it off camera without missing a beat. Cue Cook and me laughing so hard we almost fall off our chairs. That, coupled with their hilarious exchange at the end of the Top 3 American Idol Extra clip package, screams “amazing comedy duo” to me.

- David Cook’s Guitar Hero commercial. Especially the extended one minute version. Hubba hubba.

Thank you, Idol gods.

- The duet of “The Letter” between Carly Smithson and Michael Johns. It absolutely rocked, and they both sound great together. They also dueted on the Today Show and were equally as awesome.

- David Cook’s goofy dance halfway through his duet of “Sharp Dressed Man” with ZZ Top. I heart him.

- David Archuleta’s duet with One Republic. What a kid and what a voice.

- Bringing out the guy in the cape who sang that made up I Am Your Brother” song in the auditions to sing on stage with the USC Marching Band. It made that guy’s life, and Randy and Paula getting up on stage to goofily dance along sort of made mine. SO WEIRD.

When they finally got down to announcing the winner, Ryan very dramatically stretched it out as long as possible. “The winner of…American Idol…2008…is…David……….Cook!”

*cue me screaming and jumping up-and-down in my living room, then hugging my roommate like I’d just won the lottery. Yes, really.*

Rocker Boy looks blown away. Because he is a classy human being, he defers for a few moments to Archie, who gets a healthy round of applause. Archie handles his second place finish with poise and grace, fading from the stage and into the Top 12 crowd to allow Cook his moment. David Cook, overcome with emotion, breaks down on stage. I’m not going to lie, I teared up myself. What a sweetheart he is. What a moment for him.

America's first look at David Cook. He had me at "Tommy..."

I called it from the beginning, and I’m so happy that I was right. His winning song wasn’t quite as bad as I was expecting. He did a great job signing it at least and managed to hold himself together, surrounded by the Top 12 and supported by Papa Johns, until the very end. It’s impossible to predict what the future hold for him, but I hope it involved Kelly Clarkson-Carrie Underwood levels of success. A rocker finally won American Idol.

This show reeled me in completely. I am amazed (but not surprised) by how big of a fan girl I became. There really isn’t anything quite like American Idol. For all the bad things you can say about it, it’s absolutely mesmerizing. I cannot WAIT until January. I know every subsequent season won’t quite live up to the joy of “my first time,” but I hope it’s another hell of a ride.

Congratulations, David Cook. You deserve every bit of your success. See you on tour, baby (I’ll be the girl trying to sneak by security…)!

"Time of My Life"

Dollhouse at the Upfronts

2008-05-16T10:48:00.000-07:00

The NY upfronts were this week. Essentially, it's the place where the media gathers to see and hear all about the fall schedules of all the major networks. They unveil their lineups, show presentations for new shows and roll out their stars for interviews, photos and the like.

On Thursday, Fox unveiled the Dollhouse trailer.

They also released a cast photo:

And a one-minute clip from the pilot episode.

Dollhouse will air Monday nights at 8pm on Fox beginning in January. It is the lead-in for 24.

Here is the show synopsis, as released by Fox.

DOLLHOUSE (Mondays, 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT): Joss Whedon, creator of groundbreaking cult favorites "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Firefly," returns to television and reunites with fellow "Buffy" alumna Eliza Dushku for a thrilling new drama, DOLLHOUSE. ECHO (Dushku) is an "Active," a member of a highly illegal and underground group who have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas. Confined to a secret facility known as the "Dollhouse," Echo and the other Actives including SIERRA (Dichen Lachman, "Neighbours") and VICTOR (Enver Gjokaj, "The Unit") carry out engagements assigned by ADELLE (Olivia Williams, "X-Men: The Last Stand," "Rushmore"), one of the Dollhouse leaders. The engagements cater to the wealthy, powerful and connected, and require the Actives to immerse themselves in all manner of scenarios romantic, criminal, uplifting, dangerous, comical and the occasional "pro bono" good deed. After each scenario, Echo, always under the watchful eye of her handler BOYD (Harry Lennix, "Commander in Chief," 24), returns to the mysterious Dollhouse where her thoughts, feelings and experiences are erased by TOPHER (Fran Kranz, "Welcome to the Captain"), the Dollhouse's genius programmer. Echo enters the next scenario with no memory of before. Or does she? As the series progresses, FBI Agent PAUL SMITH (Tahmoh Penikett, "Battlestar Galactica") pieces together clues that lead him closer to the Dollhouse, while Echo stops forgetting, her memories begin to return and she slowly pieces together her mysterious past. DOLLHOUSE revolves around Echo's blossoming self-awareness and her desire to discover her true identity. But with each new engagement, comes a new memory and increased danger inside and outside the Dollhouse.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20th Century Fox Television, Mutant Enemy Inc.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/WRITER/DIRECTOR: Joss Whedon

CAST: Eliza Dushku as Echo, Olivia Williams as Adelle, Tahmoh Penikett as Paul, Fran Kranz as Topher, Dichen Lachman as Sierra, Enver Gjokaj as Victor, Harry Lennix as Boyd

Lastly, an interview with Joss Whedon in the LA Times.

~*~

P.S. A very happy birthday to the hottest man in the universe, David Boreanaz!

American Idol: The David-David Finale

2008-05-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

Last woman standing. Good on you, Syesha!

I was almost convinced that Syesha might manage to unseat one of the Davids for a spot in the Top 2. Almost, but not quite. I had to give her the benefit of the doubt, considering that she outlasted Brooke, Carly and Jason despite never completely winning over the judges, the critics or the American public. She was Idol’s version of the little engine that could, outlasting the competition and continuing to climb higher and higher despite having the odds stacked against her.

It helped that, as Randy said, she peaked late in the competition. Whether it was strategy or just the fact that it took her a while to really get comfortable up there (considering she’s an actress/performer, I’m a mite suspicious), Syesha shone brighter and brighter in recent weeks. Of course, that could have been the sequined outfits she recently became so fond of.

Regardless of her improved performances of late, even she didn’t think she had a prayer of breaking up the David-David finale. That was very obvious when the first shot of the show last night showed her without a trace of a smile, looking like she was counting down the 50-odd minutes until her doom in her head.

Her performances Tuesday night didn’t do her any favors, and a lot of it wasn’t her fault. Randy’s choice for her – “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys – was both blatantly obvious and uninspired. Syesha rocked it as much as she could; she’s a technically gifted singer with great stage presence. But a song like that didn’t give her much room to make it her own…and indeed, that’s been the root of her problem all season. She’s never really put a personal stamp on anything she’s sung. Even when she lights up the stage, I can’t help feeling that someone else could’ve done exactly the same thing just as well. Gifted but forgettable. That’s Syesha.

I thought her personal choice, “Fever,” was her best of the night, despite the panning from the judges. It was fun and sassy and beautifully sung. Unfortunately, she was forced to end the night on a very sour note. A song from Happy Feet? Could the producers have made it any more obvious that they were setting her up to fail? It irks me a bit that it appears Syesha wasn’t given a 100% fair shot at cracking the Top 2. I don’t think there’s any way she would have regardless, but for the sake of credibility…

Syesha took her elimination with class and grace, and I like her all the more for it. She delivered a powerhouse final performance and kept her head up high; the last remaining bit of Idol cannon fodder.

Will it be David No. 1...

David Archuleta and David Cook are left, as Simon put it, to have a “humdinger” of a battle next week. Despite having the same name, the two couldn’t have followed more different paths on their way to the finals. Archuleta, an immediate crowd favorite, skated through on his adorableness and sheepish puppy demeanor and a voice that is smooth, gorgeous and mature beyond his years. He never met a ballad he didn’t like and earned points for his consistency and mad melisma skills.

...or David No. 2? (You know my vote!)

Cook, on the other hand, was more of a slow burn. A rocker with a soft side, he earned points for being one of the most inventive performers the Idol stage has ever seen. His arrangements, borrowed or original, turned everything from Mariah to Andrew Lloyd Weber on its head…with utterly fantastic results. Neither of them ever saw the Bottom 3, and they’ll face off next week in what I hope will be the closest race Idol has ever seen.

Rauschenberg Remembered

2008-05-13T10:07:00.000-07:00

The artist in his heyday.

I am not an art connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination. I don't really find much joy in wandering around museums or sitting and staring at a particularly fascinating piece for an hour or two.

However, I definitely have an appreciation for art. Whenever I travel to another country, I inevitably come back with a local piece or two. I like supporting local artists in Venice and Santa Monica. But that's neither here nor there.

When I joined Academic Decathlon in high school (yes, giant nerd alert) one of the artists we studied was Robert Rauschenberg. Rauschenberg made a name for himself in the pop art movement of the 1950s and 60s by crating "combines" - art that married paint and odd, everyday objects to create modern, three dimensional pieces. Rauschenberg's work got me excited about art for the first time in my life, and researching his pieces opened my eyes a bit to the broader world of pop and modern art.

There's something about his work that just made me happy (indeed, I often told friends that one of my goals in life was to own a Rauschenberg original). That's why I'm so upset to report that Robert Rauschenberg passed away yesterday at the age of 82.

Rather than try to describe what he did, I think it's better to just showcase it. I'm confident that his contributions to the art world will remain long after his passing.

"Monogram": perhaps his most famous piece.

Stop (1963)

Page 42, Paragraph 1 (Short Stories) (2000)

Retroatcive 1 (1964)

Pilgrim (1950)

Idol's Top 4: Castro comes up short

2008-05-07T15:38:00.000-07:00

Recapping Idol this week is tough (and honestly kind of dull) because the Top 3 seems to be a foregone conclusion. Last night, Jason Castro did everything to get himself booted short of saying flat-out, “Please, America, do not vote for me.”

I have no problem with Jason Castro signing Bob Marley. I take issue with certain artists supposedly being “off limits.” Yes, it’s not the best idea to try and sign Mariah or Whitney, but go for it if that’s what you’re feeling…as long as you understand that you will probably hear the phrase “pale imitation” in your critique.

However, Bob Marley was not a diva. His songs are fantastic, loose, spirited, reggae joints that aren’t vocally exclusive. And, c’mon, who better than Jason Castro to sing “I Shot the Sheriff?” Here’s the thing: Castro appeared to actually really dive into the song. He seemed more energetic and engaged with the song and the audience than I’ve seen him in weeks. That in mind, it’s really weird how, despite that, the song just really did not work. The vocals were all over the place; it was almost like he tried a little too much to channel Marley and ended up letting the song get away from him.

I'll miss the Jason Castro face. :-(

I was heartened when he started “Mr. Tambourine Man,” because I dug the laid back, folky vibe he infused it with. His voice sounded stronger and on key. He still seemed comfortable and engaged. I thought he was going to redeem himself in the eyes of the… “and the uh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh….” Oh, Jason. You just shoved that last nail right into your own coffin. Nononononononono. Simon, however blunt, was right. Even though the other three contestants were just “good” last night, I just don’t see any way he’ll avoid being the fourth place finisher.

I love Duran Duran. I love David Cook. How could I not love David Cook singing “Hungry Like the Wolf”? Sure, it was a fairly faithful interpretation (and he was forced to labor under the “this is the rocker’s week so he better be beyond amazing” weight dropped on him last Wednesday night) but he did a very solid job. The song suited his growly power vocals incredibly well, and I’ll confess my heart was all a-twitter when he stalked across the stage, promising “I’m on the hunt, I’m after you.” No, it wasn’t as groundbreaking an arrangement/performance as “Little Sparrow” or “Hello,” but when you’re singing songs that are “in your wheelhouse” can you really expect them to be?

His arrangement of “Baba O’Reilly” was much more inventive. He started the song on a slow build and slowly upped the tempo and the intensity until he gave his signature howl on “They’re all wasted – teenage waste!” However, I think 90 seconds wasn’t quite enough to give the song the proper slow build and crescendo that it needed to be truly fantastic. Still, Cook continues to be the most solid, creative performer on the Idol stage and he bounced back admirably from the criticism he received for his first song. To me, he’s still the one to beat.

I’ve stopped being impressed by the fact that David Archuleta is a precious, precocious 17-year-old moppet with an “aw shucks” demeanor and a beautiful voice that seems like it should come from a seasoned 40-year-old performer. Still, during an uneven night his “Stand By Me” and “Love Me Tender” were enough to easily make him the strongest overall performer of the night. I think the judges are almost always too quick to heap praise on Archie’s head, and that held true tonight.

Best of the night, no doubt.

His “Stand By Me” was gorgeous…and completely predictable. Archie is still too full of melisma for me, but he hit every single note with a seemingly effortless purity and grace. Best performance of the night. I wasn’t as big of a fan of his “Love Me Tender,” but that’s possibly because I have a very special place in my heart for that Elvis classic. There’s a depth and complexity Elvis brings to the ballad that a kid like Archie just couldn’t convey…his delivery fell a bit flat for me (and so did his two high notes at the end).

I wish Syesha Mercado would stop singing songs that were not only iconic, but have been covered by countless Idol wannabes of years past. She brought great energy and spirit to “Proud Mary,” but I don’t think she quite has the gravitas in her voice to pull off the Motown power hit. I was waiting for her to kick the song into high gear and it always fell just a bit short for me. Still, she’s come to life over the past couple weeks and I give her a lot of credit for persevering and continuing to improve late in the competition.

I found her version of Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” beautiful but forgettable. I’ve said many times that I just can’t quite figure Syesha out, and I’m going to have to stop trying…it’s never gonna happen. She’ll make the Top 3 and, barring an amazing upset, bow out gracefully (having gone much further than anyone expected) for the all-David finale.

Dodger Stadium: The Next 50 Years

2008-05-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

A little more than a week ago, the Dodgers unveiled a plan for “The next 50 years” of Dodger Stadium. I’ve taken that much time to process my thoughts on the changes and “improvements” proposed over the next handful of years.

I consider myself a purist when it comes to ballparks. A ballpark needs to have an atmosphere, a history, a beautiful simplicity that invites people to sit down with friends and family on a Sunday afternoon and watch a game. No frills are necessary, nor should they be required. All you need is your seat, the field in front of you and possibly a hot dog.

Artist rendering of the "new and improved" Dodger Stadium

I don’t need a cascading fountain in centerfield with flumes of water that shoot up when someone hits a home run. I don’t need a giant slide in left center that the mascot uses as part of his shtick. I don’t need a friggin’ pool in right center that people can rent out and watch the game from. In fact, add-ons like that only detract from the baseball experience. Things like that are unnecessary and silly and, in my opinion, suck the soul out of a stadium. For that reason, I dislike most of the newer ballparks. Give me the simple majesty of a Fenway Park or Dodger Stadium or even (god forbid) Yankee Stadium any day. Walking into one of those stadiums just has an inexplicably different feel – it’s just amazing.

That said, imagine my trepidation to learn that the Dodgers were planning tons of “upgrades” and “improvements” to my favorite place in the world. After looking over the plans put forth by owner Frank McCourt…I’m pretty worried. I’m afraid that these changes will alter the soul of the stadium in a way it can never recover from.

Pulled directly from the Dodgers website, here are three main changes that McCourt and company plan to implement:

Dodger Way - A dramatic, new tree-lined entrance will lead to a beautifully landscaped grand plaza where fans can gather beyond center field. The plaza will connect to a modern, bustling promenade that features restaurants, shops and the Dodger Experience museum showcasing the history of the Dodgers in an interactive setting.

The new main entrance - can you even SEE the stadium?

Green Necklace - The vibrant street setting of Dodger Way links to a beautiful perimeter around Dodger Stadium, enabling fans to walk around the park, outdoors yet inside the stadium gates. This Green Necklace will transform acres of parking lots into a landscaped outdoor walkway connecting the plaza and promenade to the rest of the ballpark.

Top of the Park - The Green Necklace connects to a large scale outdoor plaza featuring breathtaking 360 degree views spanning the downtown skyline and Santa Monica Bay, the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains, and the Dodger Stadium diamond.

The way the website describes the changes, it seems like they’re trying to turn it into a vacation destination or a shopping mall that just happens to have a baseball stadium in the middle of it. It seems less about baseball and more about how much money they can squeeze out of the internationally-recognized organization (that “LA” logo has long since ceased to just stand for a baseball team). I fear that by building out and up, they’ll suffocate the life out of one of the most beautiful parks in all of baseball. I think it would kill my soul to see the Dodger Stadium I know now disappear under glitz and shops and stores and frankly, corporate bullshit.

Buy, buy, buy. Oh, and there's also a game happening somewhere.

I’m all for making a stadium more eco-friendly and improving things like restrooms, food facilities, the parking situation and improved office space for employees and media (all also part of the future plans). But when baseball stadiums become more about what you can DO as opposed to what you’re going to SEE and experience…there’s a problem. I’ve watched it happen to other teams with a wrinkled nose and sense of disdain.

Call me a snob, paranoid or archaic…I don’t care. I go to a baseball game for the baseball and the atmosphere, period. I love that stadium more than words can express, and if it turned into something unrecognizable and corporate and fake…I think it would kill my soul a little. Just play baseball, guys. That’s all we need. I fear for the next 50 years of Dodger baseball, frankly.

RIP Buzzie Bavasi

2008-05-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked the passing of great Dodger General Manager Buzzie Bavasi, who led the Dodgers to four of their six World Championships, including their only one in Brooklyn. He was 93.

Buzzie worked as an executive in the Dodgers’ minor league system in the 1940s, helping Branch Rickey guide and integrate players like Jackie Robinson, Don Newcombe and Roy Campenella into the major leagues. Bavasi was also instrumental in creating the now-legendary Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida.

In 1950, the Dodgers promoted him to GM, a position he held until the close of the 1968 season. During his tenure, the Dodgers beat the powerhouse Yankees to capture their first World Series title. Following their move to Los Angeles, Buzzie crafted the teams that won three other Series – in 1959, 1963 and 1965 – and eight National League pennants.

One of Bavasi’s sons, Bill, is now the General Manager of the Seattle Mariners.

By all accounts (see the official press release here and ESPN’s take here) Bavasi was a true baseball man with countless admirers. He leaves behind a legacy virtually unmatched by anyone else in the game, and he will be missed.

*sigh* I’m hoping the 50th anniversary year of the Dodgers doesn’t end up marked by too many more of these…

Texting your way to love

2008-04-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

If you're in your 20s and this doesn't look and sound very familiar to you, then you probably live in a hole.

Absolutely spot-on hysterical.

Idol's Top 6: Syesha breaks out, Brooke breaks down

2008-04-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

Andrew Lloyd Webber, you are a cheeky bastard. I kind of want to write this whole review around you. But I won’t, because no one would read it. They want to hear about how Syesha blew the roof off the place last night, Brooke continued her televised mental breakdown and David Cook almost moved me to tears.

I will say that ALW was by far the best mentor of the year. He didn’t coddle the contestants or blindly give them oodles of praise. He offered constructive advice and criticism, even suggesting (rightly) that Carly pick a different song. The best part, of course, was his thinly-veiled flirting with David Cook. Watching Rocker Boy blush and go “Well, I’m 25, so…” when ALW told him to sing to him like he was the most gorgeous 17-year-old girl in the world made me laugh until my sides hurt. ALW, good on you. Though last night proved to be rather polarizing and bewildering as a whole, you were absolutely fabulous, dahling.

Anyway, Syesha Mercado is up first, singing “One Rock and Roll too Many” from Starlight Express, a musical I have never seen or heard, though I’m told it’s about trains who come to life and fall in love. Also there are people on roller skates. I wish I were making this up. I have a sneaking suspicion ALW may have been going through a Sgt. Pepper period while conceiving and writing this. Just a thought.

Her performance was sexy, confident and absolutely crackling with energy and attitude. Syesha’s stance that she is an “actress-singer” was tested tonight, and man did she deliver. Musicals require a big voice and an even bigger stage presence. You have to act and emote with your entire body to a level that would be considered ridiculous on television or film. Syesha has always had attitude and personality to spare, but never in a good way. Last night, she found the perfect conduit for it. I was lounging on my couch in my pajamas at the end of a ridiculously long day, and I had to stop myself from giving her a standing ovation in my living room. The fact that the judges didn’t praise her like she was the second coming was a huge head-scratcher (of course, as the night went on that became a trend…ignoring the mistakes of the favorites and being far too harsh on the unchosen few).

Broadway star potential: realized

Poor Jason Castro was at a huge disadvantage from the get go this week. He and Brooke do not have the “big voices” required to sing Broadway numbers. So, I knew I wasn’t going to get soaring power notes and big runs and huge chest voice out of Jason’s version of “Memory.” I give him a lot of credit for deciding that the best way to go was to keep the emotion and power of the song but tone down the theatrics of it to make it something that suited his style. Unfortunately, his style is pretty much the anti-Broadway, which is perhaps why it was received so poorly by the judges. It didn’t fit the night, but it definitely fit him, and I think that’s more important. I felt like Jason connected to the emotion of the song very well and conveyed it in his voice and delivery. It was good, but it wasn’t great and it definitely wasn’t Broadway, which is probably why he’ll end up in the bottom three tonight.

Brooke White's tendency to warble a bit here and there during most of her songs is a part of why I could never fully jump on her bandwagon (that and the fact that she’s what I would become if my nightmares came true). Week by week, as she slowly breaks down before our very eyes on national television, the warbling has gotten worse. Last night, she sounded like she was gargling through “You Must Love Me.”

Of course, all of that came after she messed up the lyrics, stopped the band and then made them start over. I’m pretty sure my jaw hung open for about five minutes after that. The reboot obviously rattled her (but then again, what doesn’t these days? I’m pretty sure she’s the kind of person who leaps ten feet in the air and trembles when someone says “Hello.”). Her performance was a huge mess, warbly and uncomfortable and nervous and off kilter. The judges, obviously sensing that she’d break into a million pieces live on the air if someone said too harsh a word, were way too kind in their critique. Huge props to Paula for calling her out on starting over, though she’s Paula so it was said in the sweetest way possible. Simon patting her on the head by agreeing that he would’ve done the same thing in her position just meant my jaw hung open even longer.

Say bye bye to Brooke, America.

David Archuleta forgot the lyrics again, something I didn’t notice until my second viewing this morning on YouTube. Know why I didn’t notice? Because the camera conveniently cut away from his face the second he “went up” on his lines. Once is bad enough, Archie, but twice? And from a kid who has been performing since he could hold a microphone in his tiny toddler hands? Absolutely inexcusable. Look, props to him for taking a grand musical number sung by a girl (and a first soprano at that) and turning it into a crooning, adult contemporary song. We all know the kid can sing, and sing incredibly well, but I remain unconvinced that he should wear the idol crown…though the judges and producers obviously feel differently. Archie was given the lofty praise that should’ve been directed at Syesha, and the fact that not one judge called him out on his flub? Huge thumbs down.

Carly Smithson came back to life during last night’s performance of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” After weeks of looking uncomfortable and dour and tense, Carly let loose and put on a rousing, rocking show. As Simon said, she got a tad too shouty and borderline shrill on a few notes, but overall she was fantastic and reminded me why I picked her as one of my Idol frontrunners way back in Hollywood Week. Also, I want the shirt she had made.

This is what my brain did as soon as David Cook started singing and fixed those sultry eyes on me: G&^%&$R%Y$%^@!!!!! I was a little concerned with his song selection, but damn if he didn’t pull it off again. ALW said it was his most sensual, sexy song and I agree…if it’s sung well. Not only do you need to have the big, broad voice to pull this off…you really have to be able to just pour emotion into it. His “Music of the Night” nearly moved me to tears, and I’m definitely not the type.

I see you looking at me with those eyes...

I’m really glad he didn’t “rock it out” (with the exception of that last glory note). He’s already proved that he can rock, but this week he expand his range even further, showing that he can deliver a beautiful, soaring ballad with the same level of competency and success.

Bottom three is getting nearly impossible to predict this late in the competition, but I’m going to go Brooke, Jason and Carly…though I think it should be Archie instead of Carly.

The 1st 6th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational

2008-04-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I was one of the lucky few to attend the 1st 6th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational in Griffith Park. The whole event was just this side of utterly ridiculous…which is naturally why I loved every second of it.

Cheese. It brings the smiles.

140 different teams of grillers competed in four different categories that ranged from basic (only white bread, yellow cheese and butter allowed) to the slightly absurd (dessert grilled cheese sandwiches). A dozen folding tables surrounded the cooking area, where excited competitors doled out their creations to an eager, raucous crowd of judges. Everyone who ate was asked to submit a ballot that ranked the sandwich on taste, presentation and creativity.

I honestly had no idea there were that many ways to make a grilled cheese sandwich. There are very few foods that I love more than cheese, so Saturday was akin to a little slice of heaven. I had tiny finger grilled cheese sandwiches with Tillamook, muenster cheese on jalapeño cheese bread, and an unparalleled concoction that consisted of one slice white cheese, one slice yellow and a spread able cheese (I believe it was ricotta) on top.

An event like this brings out the, er, enthusiastic and the LA crazies. There was a guy wearing the bottom half of a bear costume, another in bright green furry boots, giant cheese necklaces, a woman in a wedding dress with cheese angel wings…you get my point. The free eats were only slightly more awesome than the people-watching I got done. I was hoping to find out who won before posting this, but sadly the results aren’t up yet. All in all, it was an incredibly random experience that I have to give a hearty two thumbs up.

I did not see this woman. I did see many of her kindred spirits, however.

I’m taking requests now to join me there next year. You know you want to come…

The Friday Whedonverse Roundup

2008-04-18T10:57:00.001-07:00

Two pieces of news caught my eye at the end of yesterday, thanks to the lovely people at Whedonesque.

Alan Tudyk, of Firefly fame, was cast as one of the leads in the new Kohan/Mutchnik (Will & Grace) pilot for ABC. The show is about two men - one straight, one gay (Tudyk) - who are business partners and best friends.

Tudyk as Firefly's Wash.

Tudyk is a great character actor and tends to shine playing semi-ridiculous characters in comedies (A Knight's Tale, Dodgeball, 28 Days). For a kid from Texas he also, inexplicably, is often asked to be British (A Knight's Tale, Death at a Funeral). He's great fun to watch and I'm crossing my fingers that the show gets picked up so I can watch him be front-and-center for once. He deserves it.

~*~

Joss Whedon announced three new additions to his Dollhouse last week, and one's a very familiar face.

Harry Lennix (Across the Universe) has been cast as Echo's (Eliza Dushku) bodyguard, a former cop. Newcomer Miracle Laurie will play November, a recurring character who does not appear in the pilot.

Joining Dushku in the "second go-around with Joss" category is Angel's Amy Acker, who was just cast as Dr. Claire Saunders. Acker was, in my opinion, the weakest link in the Angel cast. I never particularly cared for her as an actress, and she only became mildly interesting after morphing into Illyria. However, I have endless trust in Whedon and his ability to put together a top notch cast, so I'll keep mostly quite on this front.

I'm ready to be dazzled, Amy.

The first Dollhouse table read was yesterday, which mean the pilot should start shooting in the next couple weeks.

Kristin from E! has more specific pilot details for those that are interested.

I'm getting so excited for Dollhouse that I can hardly contain myself.

Idol Elimination: KLC, I'll Actually Miss You

2008-04-17T16:03:00.000-07:00

Have fun in Nashville, KLC.

I have to admit, my respect for Kristy Lee Cook shot up exponentially watching her last night. She was definitely well past her Idol expiration date, but I really don’t think she deserved to go home based on her performance during Mariah Week. Of course, at this point may people are voting for their favorite regardless (or for the body of work as opposed to the most recent week alone). On the other hand, humans tend to have pretty short memories…so her elimination was a bit of a puzzler for me.

She was the weakest performer left with zero shot of taking it all, but since her massacring of “Eight Days A Week,” KLC’s performances steadily improved, to the point that I really enjoyed Tuesday night’s country-tinged “Forever.” She won me over the point that I hoped incredibly hard that Brooke White would be the one going home. Her “Hero” was painful to watch, and she appears to be creeping ever closer to a breakdown with every passing week. It was cute when Brooke defended KLC to Simon, but once Ryan sent Syesha Mercado to safety, it was pretty obvious who was a goner. Little Miss Vanilla hasn’t worn out her welcome…yet.

Even though it was pretty clear Carly Smithson wasn’t in the bottom three, I wished America could magically change her mind as I watched her chastise Simon for being to hard on her and then desperately beckon David Archuleta over to her side of the stage like he was a puppy (which, okay…). Desperation is not an attractive look. In fact, I think the stink of it has clouded my mind the past few weeks. A second listen to “Without You” revealed it to be not nearly as bad as I thought. In fact, it was pretty good. I just couldn't hear it over the part of her that was screaming, "LIKE ME! GOOD GOD, PLEASE LIKE ME!"

I didn’t believe for a second that either Jason Castro or David Cook were in the bottom three, so I was a bit confused when Ryan started pulling the “you stand to my right, you stand to my left” bit. I think this week’s reveal was the silliest, most ridiculous thing I’ve seen on Idol yet…and I’ve seen some pretty odd things (people in capes, scary laughter, pratfalls, “Eight Days A Week” as a country song, etc.). Casting David Archuleta as the “deciding vote” topped it, though. Of course he immediately plopped down in the middle of the stage with an “aw, shucks guys” chuckle and shrug. He’s not stupid and he’s David Archuleta for the love of pete. You actually expected him to make a decision without his daddy present?

KLC really won me over, however, with her sing off. Perched atop the judges’ desk right in front of Simon, she unabashedly sang the first verse directly into his obviously uncomfortable face. I actually hooted with laughter. Add that to the fact that she spun around and walked away right after delivering the tweaked line, “'Still I burn on and on/ All of my life/ Only for a good comment from you” and it was absolute perfection. I kind of fell in love with her right there.

Respect, Kristy Lee. Respect.

In the end, it was time for Kristy Lee to go, I know. I just didn’t realize until she actually got the boot how much her self-deprecating sense of humor (“Kristy’s seat,” anyone?) and ability to keep her head up high despite the waves of dislike that were thrown at her every week actually earned her a lot of my respect, in the end. I wish her well post-Idol and look forward to what she brings to the tour this summer.

Andrew Lloyd Weber week is up next…and again I am worried. Not about what Archie will sing (c’mon, it’s totally “Any Dream Will Do”) but about what the heck my Rocker Boy is gonna sing. Then again, I worried about Mariah Week, and we know how that turned out.

Idol's Top 7: Long Live the Divas!

2008-04-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

I went into Mariah week fearing for the three remaining men in the Idol race. Mariah Carey is pretty much the epitome of the power-voiced pop diva. Her vocal range stretches eight octaves, and her astonishing ability to hit power notes and pull off ridiculous runs is second-to-none. Moreover, she infuses that strange and wonderful power into almost every single one of her songs. Restraint is not in the Carey repertoire (that is not a dig, I grew up on Mariah and I have mad respect for her as a vocalist).

Seriously, though: why is everyone leaning?

In a season where no one has really stood out as a diva-in-training (though Syesha has struggled valiantly to wedge herself into that category), it seemed a bit ill-fitting to have Mariah Carey mentor the Idols in general, male or female. At the beginning of the show, Simon pointed out that the women might actually be in for a tougher time because they would have to endure the direct comparison to the woman herself (and, this was unspoken, but it was there: “from what I’ve seen of the remaining women, no one will come close to living up to the Mariah standard”).

As usual, Simon turned out to be right (you smug bastard). While this was a good week overall for the finalists – indeed, for the first time I can remember, no one was downright bad – the men shone.

Raise your hand if you are surprised that, out of every single song in Mariah’s songbook, David Archuleta picked a message song with the Bible in it. Anyone? No? Didn’t think so. Here’s the thing: painful falsetto aside, he sang it very well. I was able to discern that much despite being incredibly distracted by the fact that he (or Papa Archuleta, who knows at this point) decided to don leather pants. If there’s one thing we know Archie can do, it’s runs. Of all three guys left, he was the most well-equipped out of the gate to tackle Mariah, and he delivered. Still, I continue to be under whelmed and slightly bored.

Just because I couldn't find a picture of the leather pants.

I got incredibly worried after I read the TMZ leak that reported David Cook would be singing “Always Be My Baby.” It is the epitome of the syrupy sweet pop song and the idea of Rocker Boy singing it made about as much sense as a hooker at the opera (sorry, Julia Roberts). But, once again, he showed just how good he is at choosing songs and arranging them (or finding existing arrangements) to suit his own personal style. His version was a slowed-down, slightly emo take that exploded at the end with his trademark power rock and roll howl. Other than one or two minor note problems, he was absolutely fantastic. The performance of the night, made extra touching by the fact that he was brought to tears singing for his cancer-stricken brother, who was in the audience.

The power note face: now familiar to millions.

Jason Castro came in a very close second with his bongo-backed, coffeehouse take on “I Don’t Wanna Cry.” He managed to actually hit his falsetto notes while completely reinventing the song. I almost don’t even know what to say about it, except that after he finished all I said was “YES.” Yes, Jason Castro, I am back on your bandwagon. Yes, I still think you have a bit of a problem connecting to what you’re singing, but you’re so adorably goofy and your voice is so easy to listen to that I forgive you. Bravo.

Even though the women sang well, I’m betting on an all-female bottom three yet again…and I shocked myself when I realized that Kristy Lee Cook probably wouldn’t be one of them.

I actually really liked Kristy Lee’s version of “Forever.” It wasn’t particularly groundbreaking in any way (apart from the minor country twang she infused through it) but her voice was surprisingly strong and tuneful and those power notes were winners. She was good, plain and simple, and her performance earns her the right to stick around another week…and this time not just because of her crafty song choice.

Given her attempts in recent weeks to prove how much of a diva she was by tackling the Whitey/Mariah/Celine oeuvre, this week appeared to be tailor-made for Syesha Mercado. Surprisingly, she chose a lesser-known Mariah song, “Vanishing,” and she sang it well. As Simon said, technically she was very, very good: on pitch, strong, clear, gorgeous. I think what has thus far stopped Syesha from breaking out completely (because I think she and Archie have the best, purest voices left in the competition) is Syesha herself. There’s still something just…off-putting and strange about her that prevents me from connecting to her as a listener. It’s what will ultimately prevent her from winning as well.

I say "WIN" for Syesha.

Carly Smithson, what is your deal? Actually, I honestly don’t care anymore. I love your voice and you were one of my favorites at the beginning of the competition. But after a series of uncomfortable, slightly angry and tense performances…I just don’t know what to do with you. If you don’t look like you’re having fun, no one else will be either. Your “Without You” was good, though you wavered a bit on a few of the longer notes you were holding. But you’ve devolved into kind of a hot mess and it’s so disappointing, because you’re so much better than that. If you survive the week, you’ll be lucky.

Brooke White looked like she was performing on the train tracks, watching a giant locomotive race closer and closer and desperately trying to figure out how to finish “Hero” before she died. Seriously, re-watching her performance you can see (and hear) her get more and more panicked as the song went on. I’m not sure what the cause of her troubles were, exactly, but she fumbled on piano, which made her sing faster and throw her off beat with the music, which made her play faster, which started this vicious circle of badness that just kept getting funnier (if we’re being totally honest). The whole thing was pretty much a mess, and if I were her I’d be worried tonight.

Mariah herself was a decent mentor, if a bit self-indulgent. I appreciate that she actually offered suggestions instead of just lavishing praise…and she did seem genuinely intrigued/flattered by the different perspectives the Idols brought to her songs. Overall, Mariah Week was a success across the board…and I don’t think anyone is more surprised about that than I am.

Attempt to "curse" New Yankee Stadium Foiled

2008-04-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

I read this an hour ago and I'm still laughing about it.

Buried Red Sox Jersey Unearthed At New Yankee Stadium

There aren't many details yet (the whys and hows and whatnot), but the construction worker who did this should get free drinks in any Boston bar he walks into for the next month.

This would never happen except between the Red Sox and the Yankees. I love it. Hopefully someone else will succeed where that guy failed, because...well, the Yankees suck. :-)

Keep trying, Sox fans!

Idol Gives Back Week Takes From Michael Johns

2008-04-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

Ryan Seacrest, he of the shiny smile and surprisingly adept dance moves, became a schoolyard bully last night: first he knocked the wind out of Michael Johns by announcing that he’d received the fewest votes, then he kicked him while he was down with a “will we or won’t we boot you?” tease that ultimately ended in Johns being sent packing.

Lookit! He can't believe Seacrest either!

C’mon Seacrest, was that really necessary? It’s bad enough that you told Michael America loved him the least. Poor MJ, who’d never been in the bottom three before, looked like someone had sucker punched him (it was you, Seacrest, it was YOU!). Then you lifted his hopes by reminding everyone that no one got eliminated last year during Idol Gives Back week. By the time you got to the “but…” part of your little speech, Idol’s top Aussie looked positively green. I was far from Michael Johns’ biggest fan, but shame on you, Seacrest. That kind of cruelty is beneath you.

Michael Johns wasn’t going to win American Idol. Through the semis and his time on the big stage, he never really positively identified himself as a singer and fought a (losing) battle to straddle the rock-and-roll/blues line with varying degrees of success. Following his two strongest performances outside of Hollywood Week (his “Wee Will Rock You/We Are The Champions” medley and Dolly Parton’s “It’s All Wrong, But It’s Allright”) his rendition of “Dream On” was weak by comparison, but by no means awful.

Johns will join Chikezie on the list of “contestants who went home a couple weeks too early.” I can understand how Kristy Lee Cook avoided the axe this week: her performances over the last couple weeks have shown growth and improvement. Indeed, her “Anyway” was her strongest performance to date. She looked comfortable and confident on stage for the first time and it showed. I’m definitely not jumping on the KLC bandwagon (I still think she’ll go in the next two weeks) but she was good this week.

KLC loves America, America says, "eh, she's growing on us."

Syesha Mercado and Carly Smithson, on the other hand, deserved to be in the bottom three. What the heck happened to Carly over the past few weeks? She’s on a scary, self-destructive downward spiral. Each week, she stinks more and more of desperation while her performances just plain stink. Her version of “The Show Must Go On” was just an utter mess. She was off beat, awkward, vocally scattered and unhappy. It was wince-worthy and I hate to have to say that, because I really like Carly. She and KLC seem to be following opposite trajectories and I wish they’d switch places already. Bring Back “Come Together!” Carly!

The only other person worthy of any commentary (I was under whelmed by pretty much everyone this week) is David Cook. Who is ridiculously lucky that he didn’t end up in the bottom three. Rocker Boy has proved that he can give stellar performances of other people’s fantastic arrangements and last week he grew even more by delivering a slightly out of character, self-arranged version of “Little Sparrow” that stretched his already broad range of abilities even further. But “Innocent” was just plain bad, Rocker Boy. It was out of your vocal range, which you seemed to realize and attempt (badly) to correct mid-verse. The arrangement was shaky and, for the first time, you looked uncomfortable on stage. I have no doubt that he’ll come back stronger than ever next week but, well…he’s lucky he’s a hottie is all I’m saying.

A small footnote. I don't really have anything to say about Wednesday's Idol except "please give." But I wanted to showcase Annie Lennox's performance of "Many Rivers To Cross" because her performance and video package were the most powerful parts of the event.

The Dodgers: One Week In

2008-04-07T16:53:00.000-07:00

Barely a week into the 2008 Major League Baseball season and my Dodgers are 4-2, having taken 2-of-3 from the Giants (at home) and the Padres (at Petco).

Here’s what I’m liking:

- The defense of Andruw Jones. Him and his 10 Gold Gloves have already proved valuable out in center. I breathe much easier knowing that he’s out there instead of Pierre (he of the mad hustle but the anemic arm).

- Hiroki Kuroda, who was absolutely brilliant in his MLB debut on Friday, giving up three this and only one run in a 7-1 Dodger victory. He exhibited excellent control and a few absolutely filthy pitches. I can’t wait to watch him do his thing for the rest of the year.

Kuroda: ready to rock the Ravine.

- A 100% healthy Rafael Furcal. You can absolutely see the difference and it’s incredibly heartening. His range defensively has improved and he’s already had at least three or four fantastic defensive plays this year.

- A staff 1.70 ERA, the lowest in the Majors. Our pitching has pulled us through tough spots so far, and we have a very solid 1-4 rotation. Our bullpen, a weakness in recent years past, has thus far held strong (such a positive sign).

- Blake DeWitt. Third base (and their default choice to fill the hole) was suspect at the beginning of the season. But DeWitt has been solid at the plate – three runs and five hits in 18 at-bats – and even better defensively. He showed up to play and hopefully will continue trying to make Torre think long and hard about getting rid of him once Nomar and LaRoche return.

Here’s what I’m not liking:

- Our .229 team batting average as a team, the fourth worst in the Majors. Jones, Martin and Kent (among others) are all off to sluggish starts, and for a team not really known for their power and amazing run production even when they’re ON…this is troubling.

Peavy: One scary mo-fo.

- A continuing inability to beat top pitchers. Our only loss to San Diego came when we put our ace (Penny) up against theirs (reigning Cy Young award winner Jake Peavy). Peavy made every single person in that lineup look absolutely silly. As LA Daily News beat reporter Tony Jackson points out, “Since the start of last season, the No. 1 starters for the Rockies, Padres and Diamondbacks -- Jeff Francis, Jake Peavy and Brandon Webb, respectively -- are now a combined 11-0 with a 1.71 ERA in 14 starts against the Dodgers, who are 1-13 in those 14 games.” They’ll never go away, so we have to find a way to beat No. 1 starters…especially in our own division.

Here’s a big question mark:

- Torre. He’s got the biggest spotlight in town shining on him right now, and a ton of questions hanging over his head. It’s hard to say anything one way or another about his managerial skills a mere one week in. Two months from now, I may be saying the same thing. It’s really hard to say. There’s not much to call in to question and, conversely, there’s not a lot to praise to the heavens (thus far). I’ll say that I’m very comfortable with him at the helm; hopeful but not unrealistic. He doesn’t quite know our team completely yet, but he knows the game inside out. I trust in his experience and his skill, and I’m very interested to watch how much (if any) of an AL managerial style he tries to bring into an NL world.

New Kids On The Block had a bunch of hits...

2008-04-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

My sister is seven years older than me, and when I was little I wanted to be just like her. This explains why, as a 6-year-old, I loved New Kids on the Block. I actually had an 11x14 poster pulled from Tiger Beat or BOP or some other teen dream magazine that I made my mother frame and put on the wall (I made her use the one that I had a Disney character poster in because I was “too big for it now”). And I kissed it every night before I went to bed, I’m not gonna lie.

15 years later, Danny Wood is still odd-looking and Joey McIntyre is still pretty.

Rumors have been flying all week, but this morning on Today the band announced that, after a 15-year hiatus, they would be reuniting for a new album and tour. My female friends and I are already making plans to buy tickets. The opportunity to see “Hangin’ Tough” live in concert is just too good to pass up…especially since the members of the band are in their mid-to-late 30s now (and a couple of them stayed out of showbiz completely following the breakup).

Stay tuned to see if a friend of mine has one of her dreams come true by being the girl pulled on stage by Donnie for “Cover Girl.”

Ahhh...nostalgia for the "oh oh ohhh oh oh."

American Idol Top 9: Elimination

2008-04-03T11:59:00.000-07:00

Hey America, congratulations! You have no good excuse for leaving Kristy Lee Cook in the competition this long – SHAME! – but you definitely got it right this week. Booting pint-sized Ramiele Malubay (possibly the most fashion-challenged person I’ve ever seen on television next to Bai Ling) from the Idol stage last night was a just and proper ousting. I applaud you for the first time since we hit the Top 12. In fact, your bottom three was absolutely spot on…and unintentionally provided possibly the funniest moment all season.

Tiny Ramiele, sandwiched between the boobs of two blonde giants named Kristy Lee and Brooke White, sloooooowly looked heavenward and gave the most comical “what the heck is going on and how in the world did I get here?” look that I have ever seen. My roommate and I immediately started chanting “one of these things is not like the other, not like the other…” Way to set up the comedy, America. I approve.

Since hitting the big stage, it’s been glaringly obvious that Ramiele just isn’t on the same level as the other remaining contestants. How she managed to outlast Chikezie is a complete mystery (only slightly less puzzling than the “how did Kristy Lee even make the Top 12 at all?” conundrum). Her song choices fit her awkwardly and were almost always stale leftovers from Idols past. She never quite delivered on the second half of the “tiny person, big voice” label that Paula stuck her with. Also, the American Idol makeover boat seemed to miss her completely…I know that’s secondary to the singing, but let’s face it, it still matters. So, farewell Ramiele. See you on tour.

Kristy Lee didn’t sell her horse to pay for her ticket to Idol auditions. She traded it for some voodoo magic. That is literally the only explanation I will accept for why she is still in the competition. Country music, as Randy would say, is her "wheelhouse” and she still failed to impress Tuesday night. Some will blame poor song choice (long, complicated story songs should not be condensed into 90 seconds) but I blame the fact that she’s not a very good singer. Assuming Idol Gives Back week is a free pass, hopefully we’ll finally be saying goodbye to her the week after.

Brooke’s place in the bottom three this week is akin to Jason Castro’s placement there last week…it was really just a warning. Nothing to worry about, she’ll probably won’t find herself there next time…blah blah I’m bored. Which is usually how I feel when watching Brooke perform, so that’s par for the course. Brooke sang “Jolene” perfectly well if it were a song about puppies and sunshine. But it’s not: it’s about begging a woman not to steal your man. Might not want to smile while you’re singing it. Just a thought.

Two days later, I have no idea who the top performer of the week was. No one particularly “wow”-ed me, but everyone who escaped the bottom three was solid.

David Cook (thankfully okay after being taken to the hospital Tuesday night with high blood pressure and heart palpitations) arranged “Little Sparrow” himself and gave another strong performance. In my opinion, it wasn’t his best, but he continues to take risks and show off his range as a singer and is still the only Idol I can see paying money to go see.

This picture is entirely self-indulgent. Haircut = big win.

Michael Johns continued his climb back into the top tier with a gorgeous bluesy take on “It’s All Wrong But It’s All Right.” He was pitch perfect and charismatic (so much that I’m choosing to ignore the ascot) and I loved every second of his performance.

Yes, Michael Johns. You are all right.

Carly Smithson’s take on “Here You Come Again” was just plain great. She and Archie have the purest voices in the competition this year, and on a song like this her strengths really shine. I’m still waiting for her transcendent performance, though. It just seems like there’s still something she’s holding back and I want to see what it is! C’mon Carly!

You look like a pirate, but you sing like whoa!

I liked Jason Castro’s “Travelin’ Thru” quite a bit. It’s my favorite performance of his since “Hallelujah.” Great song choice for him and he looked incredibly at ease performing it up on stage. Plus, it was just a joy to listen to: smooth and light and pitch perfect.

That’s it. I’m totally and completely over the David Archuleta hoopla. Until he gets the same criticism as everyone else for doing the same thing week after week, I refuse to take him seriously. Yes, it was another ballad, beautifully sung…but Archie, I’m bored. Can he sing anything else? If Archie sang something up tempo would his carefully-crafted persona crumble before our eyes? I’m not convinced that he’s not a really amazing one-trick pony…and that just doesn’t cut it for me. Sorry.

Syesha Mercado, stop it with the Whitney. If you’d stuck with the milder, mellower version of “I Will Always Love You” all the way through, you would’ve been solid. But you didn’t and…mistake. That is all.

Tune in next week for Idol Gives Back, when my roommate and I will probably cry like babies through the whole damn thing.

Dodgers' Opening Day: 50 Years Later

2008-04-01T15:03:00.000-07:00

The “Field of Dreams” music started playing over the loudspeakers and out across the empty baseball field. All 56,000 of us knew that the Dodgers were planning something special for Opening Day 2008, the 50th anniversary of the team’s arrival in Los Angeles. Many of us, less than 48 hours before, watched the Dodgers play the Boston Red Sox at the LA Coliseum. That was pretty special by itself. I wasn’t sure how they’d top the nostalgic majesty of the Saturday night game.

Opening Day 2008: what a beautiful sight.

But then the center field wall swung open, and Duke Snider ambled slowly out onto the grass. He stopped in center field, his home for 15 years with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers, and waved to an awestruck stadium full of Dodgers faithful. The silence that pervaded while people processed what exactly they were seeing was deafening; the cheering that followed, ear-splitting.

Before we all had time to fully digest the Duke, out walked Wally Moon from the right field bullpen. Then Don Newcombe trotted in from the left field bullpen. Back and forth it went, the bullpens propelling “Sweet” Lou Johnson, Steve Yeager, Bill Russell, Ron Cey, Tommy Davis, Maury Wills, Steve Garvey, Jerry Reuss, Carl Erskine, Eric Karros, Steve Finley, Steve Sax, Fernando Valenzuela and Tommy Lasorda to their former positions.

Not without reason, I assumed that Tommy was the last of them. I leaned over to my roommate, who accompanied me to the game, and said, “I wish they could’ve gotten Sandy Koufax to come out. That’s the only thing that would’ve made this better. But he’s pretty private and almost never comes out to anything official anymore.” The second those words left my mouth, a slender, silver-haired man in jeans and a navy blazer walked out of the Dodger dugout. I swear my heart stopped for a second.

Sandy Koufax walked out to the baseball mound where he pitched a perfect game on September 9, 1965 (among other accomplishments too numerous to mention here) and the crowd went absolutely crazy. I honestly couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The parade started with one of the greatest centerfielders to ever play the game and ended with arguably the greatest pitcher baseball has ever seen. When Koufax walked up to Snider and shook his hand, I thought I was going to die of joy on the spot.

Erskine, Koufax and Newcombe: too awesome for words.

Honestly, the Dodgers could have lost the game that followed 12-0 and I wouldn’t have cared at all. Thankfully, they won only their second Opening Day game in the last seven years (both, funnily enough, against the Giants). Brad Penny, though he struggled with his control in the first few innings, impressed in his 2008 debut, giving up no runs and scattering five hits over 6 2/3 innings. Offensively, the Dodgers scored three runs in the bottom of the first, two off of Jeff Kent’s fifth career Opening Day home run. They added two more runs, one in the second and one in the sixth, to coast to an easy 5-0 victory over San Francisco.

Without a doubt, yesterday was the greatest baseball experience I have ever had…and possibly one of the best days of my life. I know my dad was watching from somewhere as well, loving every minute.

NOTE: My own pictures to come, once I get them off of my camera.

Make like it's 1958

2008-03-30T22:53:00.000-07:00

Last night, I, along with 115,299 other people, watched the Dodgers play baseball at the Los Angeles Coliseum for the first time in 47 years. As part of their season-long celebration of 50 years of Los Angeles Dodgers baseball, the organization held a one-night-only exhibition game versus the World Champion Boston Red Sox.

Both teams during pregame introductions.

I’m not exaggerating at all to say it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

In 1958, when the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, they were the first team to foray into California. However, they had no stadium. So, from 1958-1962 (while Dodger Stadium was being built in Chavez Ravine) the Dodgers played baseball at the Los Angeles Coliseum…a venue designed for football. Squeezing a baseball diamond into a football field created some interesting dimensions, to say the least. A standard baseball field is about 375 feet down the left-and-right field lines and about 400 feet to straightaway center. The left field foul pole inside the LA Coliseum was a mere 251 feet from home plate, which they compensated for by erecting a 42-foot high fence (hoping to discourage easy home runs). Centerfield and right field were also a bit further away. Righties salivated, while lefties like Dodger legend Duke Snider saw their productivity decline. Dodger lefty Wally Moon so perfected pulling homers to left that they dubbed balls that cleared that fence "moon shots."

It was definitely an odd place to play, but the Dodgers made it work for their first four seasons in Los Angeles, before their current home opened on April 10, 1962. Late in 2007, I heard a rumor that the Dodgers would be returning to their first LA home for one night only. Immediately, I promised myself I’d do anything (selling a kidney, performing a hit, etcetera) to get my hands on a pair of tickets.

I don’t know that I can adequately describe what it was like to sit through that game. My late father grew up in Los Angeles and undoubtedly saw at least a couple games in the Coliseum with his two brothers and my grandfather. When I was a small child, he taught me to love the Dodgers and, more importantly, the game. Playing baseball and going to games bonded us throughout my childhood and up until his death two years ago (indeed, the last thing we did together was go see Japan face Mexico in the World Baseball Classic at Angel Stadium in Anaheim).

Being there was absolutely overwhelming for me as a daughter, a lifelong (and incredibly die hard) Dodger fan and as a lover of the game of baseball. Before the game, the Coliseum commission dedicated a plaque to legendary Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully. Vin has been the voice of the Dodgers since 1950, when they were still in Brooklyn. His is one of the most beloved, enduring voices in all of sports. The roar of the crowd in mere anticipation of his introduction was deafening. When he stepped to the podium the applause and cheering died down and picked back up again three times. After the first of such resurgences, Scully, ever the humble man, said, “Aw c’mon, it’s just me.” He then rededicated his award to each of the 138 million fans who have come to see the Dodgers over the last 50 years, because he sees himself in the same boat as us: a man, standing on the curb who was lucky enough to watch all of the “heroes” pass by.

Because of Coliseum renovations, the left field foul pole was a mere 201 feet away.

Center and right field during pregame warmups.

It’s hard to get an idea of how ridiculous the dimensions really are without seeing them in person. The Dodgers essentially employed a five-man infield (at one point, CF Andruw Jones took a putout at second). A shallow pop fly was halfway to a home run. Balls that hit the net in left field dropped like rocks. It wasn’t the prettiest of games: the Dodgers went down 7-1 before coming back late to score one in the eighth. Boston brought Jonathan Papelbon on in the bottom of the ninth and the Dodgers mounted one of their trademark mini-comebacks that fell a bit short: Papelbon gave up a two-run shot to Double-A player (and probable Opening Day third baseman) Blake DeWitt to bring the Dodgers within three…but that was it. The Dodgers lost, 7-4.

I could’ve cared less. I mean, I got to be there. I got to see it and imagine what it must have felt like to be a fan 50 years ago, when baseball was brand new to Southern California and many people were seeing a game for the very first time. The Dodgers came to Brooklyn three years removed from their very first World Championship and won their second in their second year at the Coliseum. I don’t know that there’s anything that can top what I saw last night for the sheer joy that it brought me.

Me, pretty much the happiest girl alive.

Go Blue!

Oh, I almost forgot. One of my favorite moments of the night: someone started the wave, and it went around the massive stadium six times…and every time it passed the Boston and Los Angeles dugouts, the players themselves stood up and joined in. It was just that kind of night.

Four more in the "Dollhouse"

2008-03-28T15:37:00.000-07:00

Joss Whedon is infamous for casting relative unknowns in his television shows. Most of the central casts of "Buffy," "Angel" and "Firefly" had very few credits to their name before being welcomed into the Whedonverse (yes, that is what we call it). Joss has a knack for picking ridiculously good-looking, talented actors that work well together as a team and embody their characters so well and so fully that you wonder how they hadn’t been discovered before he plucked them from relative obscurity.

I know, it sounds like I’m giving one man an awful lot of credit, but all you have to do is watch a few episodes of any one of his shows to see just how well his ensembles mesh and work seamlessly as a team. No one is above anyone else; in fact, Whedonverse cast members often comment on how their costars continually forced them to “step up their game” onscreen.

I mention this, of course, because four new actors have been cast in “Dollhouse,” Whedon’s latest television venture (which received a seven episode order from Fox just before the WGA strike last year).

Tahmoh Penikett, best known as Helo on "Battlestar Galactica," has been cast as Paul Smith, an FBI agent (and romantic foil to Eliza Dushku’s Echo) trying to unravel the mystery of the Dollhouse.

Fran Kranz (“Welcome to the Captain”) will play Topher Brink, a young genius responsible for “imprinting” the dolls.

Dichen Lachman, an Australian actress, will fill the role of Sierra, a doll who tries to befriend Echo.

Enver Gjokaj is Victor, a male doll and friend of Echo’s with a gift for impersonations.

I’ll follow Whedon anywhere he goes, and I can’t wait for the first look at “Dollhouse.” Maybe Comic Con? *rubs hands together in eager anticipation*

Idol's Top 10: Elimination

2008-03-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

Chikezie just knew his time was up. You could see it in his face the moment he stepped on stage to have one of those painful, drawn out center stage conversations with Seacrest. His face fell even further when Syesha Mercado joined him, and by the time Jason Castro (somewhat surprisingly) rounded out the bottom three, all hope was gone.

I'll miss you, Chikezie. No one's name is as fun to say.

Jason’s presence in the bottom three was akin to a slap on the wrist for his uninspired, lazy take on “Fragile.” Syesha, despite continuing to come off as uninteresting and slightly false, was coming off one of her strongest performances. With those two as company, there was just no saving Chikezie…and he knew it.

With the elimination of Chikezie (at least two weeks too early in my opinion), season seven lost one of its richest, most beautiful voices. After David Cook, Chikezie was easily my favorite Idol. I loved his infectious energy, the way he worked a stage, his brilliant smile and…the kid can sing. I’m really disappointed that I won’t get to see him take the Idol stage anymore, because you never knew what to expect.

Case in point:

Top 16 Week = the softer, beautiful ballad side of Chikezie

Top 12 Week = the stage-stompin’, rockin’ side of Chikezie

He was arguably the most versatile performer left in the Top 10. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to console myself with the knowledge that he’ll be on the tour this summer and I’ll get to see him again.

So, who dodged a bullet (because if I had my way, that’s not what the bottom three would’ve looked like)?

How on earth Ramiele Malubay didn’t go home last night is absolutely beyond me. I can’t remember a single performance of hers that was more than “just pretty good.” The judges have called her “karaoke” more times than I can count. Her song choices are boring and overdone, and she’s shown me absolutely nothing that proves she belongs on that big stage. I know she was sick this week and she’s a good singer, but if you haven’t wowed us at least once by now…

Kristy Lee Cook is on borrowed time. She knows it, we know it. As such, she responded with the shrewdest song choice I’ve seen all year. Who’s going to vote out someone singing “God Bless the USA”? I rolled my eyes skyward when I found out what she was performing and was instantly annoyed that I’d have to listen to her sing another week…but it was a freakin’ brilliant move on her part. And, as much as I hate to admit it, it didn’t suck. Definitely her strongest performance on the big stage. Idol is turning into Dollywood next week, and Kristy Lee’s country twang would suggest that she’ll coast through next week as well. Will no one put me out of my misery? Please? I will give you a cookie.

I was only wowed by two people last night: Michael Johns and my rocker boy David Cook (who is now the desktop background on my work computer, by the way).

Welcome to the big stage, Michael! You finally made it. After starting on a suicide slide way back in the semis (and, let’s face it, pretty much coasting through on your dreaminess) you busted out a “We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions” medley that brought your plummet to a screeching halt. The song choice was perfect, the performance was busting with charisma (I don’t find him particularly attractive and I have to admit, he made me a little weak in the knees) and your vocals were strong and clear with just a hint of roughness around the edges. Awesome, awesome, AWESOME. If you can keep this momentum going into next week, you might climb back in to my Top 5.

When Simon Cowell calls your performance “amazing,” I don’t honestly know what else there is to say…but I’ll do my best.

I’ve said it before and I will continue to say it: David Cook is the smartest Idol contestant this year by far. He knows what he’s capable of and he obviously has musical intelligence in spades. As a result, his arrangements - borrowed or not, he knows where to find them and how to make them work - are fantastic, often surprising, and yet still work comfortably with his slightly raw, emo-rock voice. His song choices, though not always what you’d expect (I was worried when I found out he’d be doing “Billie Jean”) are spot on and his voice, though it sometimes takes him a line or two to really get going, is strong and absolutely gorgeous.

Woo gratuitous shot of the pretty!

He’s a bit of a smug bastard, but not so much that it makes him unappealing. Indeed, if you want to be a rock star I think you have to be a bit cocky…it’s part of the persona. Overall, I think he’s the strongest “complete package” in the Idol crop this year. With this performance of “Billie Jean,” (on top of “Hello” in the semis) and his two Beatles Week songs, he’s made himself the singer to beat.

Starting at Third for the Los Angeles Dodgers...

2008-03-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

Not that they ever really had one to begin with, but the Dodgers have lost both of their potential starting third basemen to injury over the past couple weeks.

Andy LaRoche tore a ligament in his right thumb during a Spring Training game on March 7. The injury required surgery and will keep him out of the lineup until at least mid-May. He and Nomar Garciaparra were expected to battle it out for the starting spot in the hot corner, but Garciaparra was hit on the wrist by a pitch later in the same game.

Garciaparra continued playing in Spring Training, but the pain in his wrist worsened over the course of this week. An MRI on Wednesday revealed a microfracture, akin to a bad bone bruise, on his right wrist. It’s possible that he won’t be ready for Opening Day.

Blake Dewitt, a 22-year-old who has never played above Double A (though that was the case with Matt Kemp as well and look how he turned out) and Tony Abreu (still not 100% after abdominal surgery) are the leading candidates to start at third if Nomar isn’t ready by the 31st.

Nomar: more wrist woes (is this 1999? Or 2001?)

Because the injuries to LaRoche and Garciaparra are short term, General Manager Ned Colletti resisted any suggestion of looking for outside help to fill the hole at third. Here’s the thing, though: I’m not convinced that either one will be what the team needs at the hot corner. The Dodgers haven’t had a truly permanent third baseman since Adrian Beltre left in 2004. Even then, Beltre was an above average fielder and a solid (but not spectacular save for his 2004 breakout season) hitter. Over the past three seasons, countless forgettable players have drifted in and out of the five spot, always failing to impress enough to stick around.

LaRoche: Future master of the LA hot corner?

Garciaparra is a shortstop-converted-into-a-first-baseman-then-shuffled-to-third-by-default when James Loney stepped up his game and became a minor phenomenon in the second half of 2007. LaRoche is a third baseman, but a very young one who failed to impress in his limited time in The Show in 2007. Now, fingers crossed that one of them will step up this year and bring back some pride to the position at Dodger Stadium. If not…well I’ll be sighing a lot during the season wondering why we didn’t go after Miguel Cabrera harder when he had the chance.

Idol's Top 11

2008-03-19T16:12:00.000-07:00

Kristy Lee Cook murdered my absolute favorite Beatles song.

I’m having a hard time thinking anything beyond that. I was slack-jawed in disbelief the entire time, from the strangely building 80s-esque techno build up of the background sound (I really expected there to be a musical crescendo followed by lasers…and I’m kind of disappointed that none of that actually happened) to the odd choice of power notes. I should’ve seen it coming: after her “hoedown in Hell” performance of “Eight Days A Week” last Tuesday, how could anyone think she’d do better with “You’ve Got To Hide Yourself Away”? I suppose it was partly my own fault, but my morbid curiosity got the best of me. Now I have to play the real version over and over and over again until the memory of Kristy Lee dulls a little. It’s going to take a while.

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen (wow, that's hard to spell)

I’ll focus on something else. I did spend some time wondering why the shoulder pads were missing from her hideous sheer-sleeved monstrosity of a prom dress from 1989. I also spent a few seconds hoping there was a (possibly malfunctioning) trap door in the floor of the stage (I imagined it was somewhere to the left of her and tried to use my mind powers to get her to take just a few steps). But none of that was enough to stop her from tainting the memory of “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” for me forever. Thankfully, she was so absolutely horrendous and dull that there’s no way she’ll be back next week…right, America? RIGHT?!

That’s out of the way *huge sigh of relief*. Now I can move on to everyone else.

Does anyone else think that Amanda Overmyer sometimes gets drowned out by the band? I’m not sure if it’s because she sings in such a low register (and thus not as loudly) or if she just sings notes so close to what the band is actually playing that they blend together, but I can’t hear half of what she’s singing any given week. I should also possibly explore the possibility that I just plain can’t hear certain notes, but…I’d rather not depress myself, so I’m going to pretend that’s not a possibility. Anyway, I actually liked Amanda a lot better this week than I have the past few weeks. Her voice, which normally grates on me after about 10 seconds, never did while she was covering “Back in the USSR.” Plus, I had a lot of fun watching here. Whatever it was that turned her into a sourpuss (to borrow a word from my grandma) has thankfully disappeared and she turned in one of the most engaging, entertaining and charismatic performances of the evening. Obviously, she had technical problems, but I think she’ll stick around until next week. Despite Simon’s comment that she’s in danger of becoming “boring,” I think the “anti-Idol Idol” niche she inhabits is still novel enough to keep her around a couple more weeks.

David Archuleta remembered all the words to his song this week! To quote Chikezie’s mom “Praise Jesus!” (or the diety of your choice, in interest of religious equality). Archie’s starting to freak me out because I can’t, for the life of me, figure the kid out. He’s a 17-year-old cartoon character. Dude, he’s the human incarnation Snuggle from the old Downey ads…with a slightly deeper voice. He’s so humble an inoffensive that he offends me. I just don’t believe that he’s real, and it’s really off-putting. His version of “The Long and Winding Road” was technically superior to any of the other performers last night (though I thought he overdid the melisma) and those sparkling eyes and adorable smile pretty much win the whole world over in 3.2 seconds. But will he ever pick songs and sing them in a manner that is age-appropriate? You can’t be big, cuddly stuffed animal and a 40-year-old crooner at the same time. My brain can’t handle it. Still, he’s got a beautiful voice that I love to listen to and he rebounded nicely from his major blunder last week.

I’m starting to think that Michael Johns just really isn’t all that smart. Anyone with two brain cells to rub together wouldn’t have even fathomed trying to condense a long, complex song like “A Day In The Life” into 90 seconds. Even if he sang it beautifully (which he didn’t) it still would’ve been a bit of a patchwork mess. The funny thing is, like with Amanda, I really enjoyed listening to him sing this week…though their performances were technically subpar (I think I may be a bit “off” myself). I’m not a big fan of Michael’s voice in general – something about it turns me off – but I liked it a lot last night. Random aside: the guy walks like one of his legs is shorter than the other. Seriously, he has a strange lean to the right thing going on…what’s that about? He’s crap at choosing the right songs and is still on the fast track to booting himself out of the competition…just not this week.

Everyone took acid during the break between Michael and Brooke White. And I include Little Miss Vanilla in that accusation as well. It is the only way I can even begin to explain away what happened next. She got up and did a wobbly 360 (with a “Woo!” thrown in for good measure) exactly like that one aunt in your family who gets drunk at all the family gatherings and decides to dance when there’s no music. Then she approached the microphone stand and did what I can only assume was part of a choreographed dance routine she learned while on the drill team in junior high. Hand gestures and offbeat swaying and shoulder rolls and…I can’t possibly go on. Through it all, she looked ridiculously bright and shiny and happy and…yellow. Fugly dress on top of everything, Brooke. Shame. To top it all off, apparently Brooke is quite the chatterbox. She hasn’t really been criticized across the board before (that I can recall) and wow…thank goodness because the girls never shuts up. I wanted Seacrest to go over and clamp a hand over her mouth to stop all of the word vomit. Just no, Brooke. I’m annoyed that even Simon couldn’t bring himself to tell you to be quiet (which he would’ve done to any of the other contestants who tries to pull the same thing). He did, however, decide to describe her performance as “wet”…whatever that means. Nobody made any sense at all.

Watching this sober is scary. Seriously.

I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that I’ve said nary a thing about her singing anywhere in the giant paragraph above…it was passable. The end.

David Cook is definitely a bit of a smug, cocky little mofo (at least on stage)…and I love it. I’m not gonna lie. His performances are often a bit weird for me because they’re so dichotomous: he’s magnetic and he knows how to work a stage and have a good time, but he often seems disconnected from the audience and/or the song he’s singing. It’s incredibly strange and I have a hard time trying to explain it. I honestly believe (despite my obvious bias) that he and Archie have been the two consistently good performers going all the way back to Hollywood Week. His “Daytripper” was easily one of the Top 3 of the night, and hopefully he quieted some nitpicky haters by declaring in his package that he borrowed most of the arrangement from Whitesnake. The performance was fantastic, from vocals to instruments to his stage presence (I personally had no problem with the vocoder). The thing with Rocker Boy is, during almost all of his songs, I can actually picture him singing them to a sold out arena. Out of all of the Idols, he’s the only one I can picture (right now, at least) actually finding success outside the Idol bubble. Also, his segment was responsible for the most hilarious part of the show (second best – Ryan very obviously shilling the iPhone and then the camera cutting to the judges holding out their Coke cups in mock salute):

*Ryan nearly knocks David in the head with the mic stand and David mock falls over*

Ryan: Sorry about that…here let me grab you.

David: *gets up* I’m good, thanks.

My roommate and I had to pause the Tivo because we were in hysterics.

I just re-watched Carly Smithson’s performance of “Blackbird” and man, was Simon extra cranky and harsh last night. Usually, underneath the surliness he actually does have good, solid advice to offer…but last night he was just awful (and gave slightly nonsensical critique) to most of the performers. “Blackbird” is one of the most redone and overdone songs ever in life, but she did a beautiful job with it. It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, arrangement-wise, but vocally it was strong and clear and really just gorgeous. Carly has an amazing voice and I hope she continues to display her range, vocally and musically. I think I underrated her in the semis; she grows on me more every week.

I need to break here for a sec and talk about Simon. His insistence last night that certain people were becoming “boring” and “predictable” mystified me. People like David Cook and Amanda have very specific singing styles. If they were to deviate from them too much, they’d sound horribly out of place (and probably get torn apart by Simon for sounding “a mess”). This isn’t to say that they’re two-dimensional and one-note, rather that they should know their limitations as a singer and put on a performance that stretches the bounds of their abilities but doesn’t break them. Why is it a bad thing that Amanda knows better than to try and sing a ballad? Why would you want David Cook to do something to make him sound more like, say, David Archuleta? Someone please explain this to (admittedly) a music novice because I just don’t get it.

We need to have a talk, Jason Castro. It’s “Mih-chelle,” not “Mee-chelle.” That drove me NUTS. Also, you dialed your stoner persona up to 11 last night and that was just a wee bit too much. You looked sort of silly throughout that entire song, almost like you were going, “Hee, lookit me I’m singing in French…oh, now back to English. Singing in different languages sure is neat!” I think you get lost in your own little world when you sing, which is fine because you’re so charismatic that the audience is drawn in anyway, but this was just…weird. I’ll give you this: I really, really dislike “Michelle” but, in the vein of Michael and Amanda, I really enjoyed listening to you sing it. People love you so much that you’ll be fine for next week, but…get yourself under control, dude. Either smoke a little more pot or a little less, but find that balance or people are going to start to notice that serial killer smile and run away from their TV sets in terror.

What a loveable, goofy mofo. I'll have what he's having.

Holy pleasant surprise Batman! Syesha Mercado, way to rebound. She did a really nice, understated job with “Yesterday.” She couldn’t resist throwing in a few power notes (and we know that she can hit them and hit them well) that rang a little false for me, but overall it was a really solid performance. I think it’s telling, however, that while I managed to write huge paragraphs on almost everyone else…I’ve run out of things to say about Syesha four sentences in. I don’t think she has much staying power because she doesn’t have that much of a presence. Of everyone that Simon has ever called “forgettable,” I agree with him most about Syesha. I just don’t care that much about her.

I really, really want everyone to stop hatin’ on Chikezie. Next to David Cook, he has my favorite voice in the competition – smooth and velvety and just a joy to listen to. He always looks like he’s having fun and he’s almost completely fearless when it comes to trying a semi-“out there” song or an unusual arrangement. As a result he’s been really hit or miss, but there’s something about him that I really, really love. He gave two separate performances last night, which was rather weird. “I’ve Just Seen A Face” is another of my favorite Beatles songs, and when he started out by turning it into a ballad, my brain rebelled. But as I listened, the “nononononono” mantra in my head quieted and I fell in love with the slowed-down version. And then came the harmonica (which he’d only learned a couple days before), which led into part two of the hoedown that Kristy Lee Cook started last week. Possibly the most awkward musical transition that I have ever seen. Here’s the thing, though: the up tempo second half of the song was pretty freakin’ good as well. I enjoyed it a lot. However, he should’ve picked one or the other (finite decisions are your friend, Chikezie).

I love Chikezie...join me on the bandwagon.

I’m sad that I have to write about Ramiele Malubay last…because I was told the last spot is the “pimp spot,” reserved for a top performance. I don’t have many positive things to say about her performance (or her appearance, but that’s of lesser importance). Ramiele just can’t seem to help sounding like she belongs in a karaoke bar. I do karaoke a lot, and I’ve met several “karaoke professionals” who literally spend their evenings going from bar to bar singing. They’re (comparatively) very good singers in the karaoke universe…but they don’t belong on a stage with paying customers. Ramiele lacks “that certain something” that you need to be a good performer. Her voice just isn’t powerful or mesmerizing enough to really enrapture a crowd. She sings well, don’t get me wrong, but she’s uninspired. I think she’ll make it through this week (barely) but not much longer.

Overall, this was an incredibly strange night. Everyone seemed just a bit off kilter…was there a full moon last night? So odd. If Kristy Lee Cook doesn’t get kicked off…I may do something drastic.

Two ideas from opposite ends of the awesome spectrum

2008-03-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

When I finally kowtowed to American Idol back in January, I mentioned my general distaste for reality television. I try to avoid most of it on principle, but considering I work for a company that has an alternative (read: the fancy industry word for "reality") department, it's kind of difficult. What I do love, shamelessly, is hearing which alternative pitches have been picked up by various networks. I heard about two such pickups this weekend while at dinner with some friends.

Welcome to the March edition of "Good Idea, Bad Idea."

Good Idea

While I'm not a huge horror movie fan, I absolutely love the strange, scary and supernatural. MTV's Fear is one of the best shows they've ever produced. I heart Ghost Hunters. Anything with vampires brings me great joy. I love it when my pulse races and my heart pounds and something threatens, just out of sight, to jump out and scare the bejesus out of me.

The CW recently picked up eight episodes of 13, a horror-themed reality show that uses freaky, fear-inducing challenges (no doubt, many will be homages to scenes from scary movies of yore) to weed out the scaredy cats one by one. Though EP Sam Raimi and company have yet to decide on a locale - a creepy small town, an eerie lakeside retreat and a dilapidated cabin in the woods are all under consideration - expect lots of screaming, heavy breathing and bleeped out curses from the contestants staying there.

Might I suggest this lovely abode?

I love this concept. I think it's fresh (well, as much as you can be in an increasingly tired and contrived reality universe) and absolutely bursting with potential. If done well, not only will the audience be titillated and thrilled watching other people freak out on camera, it will actually force the contestants to confront their own fears and anxieties (thus adding depth to the show and making it more fun to watch).

Bad Idea

WTF MTV?! I Wanna Be Paris' New Best Friend? Really?!?!?!?!

I had no words (beyond a horrified "NO WAY!") for this when I first heard about it. A reality show where people actually compete for the right (misfortune?) to be Paris Hilton's new best friend? How did this get green lit? Who thought this was a good idea?

This is a classic example of the reality genre being abused and reduced to the least common denominator. People are actually auditioning via videoblog entry to participate in the show. Hopefuls are supposed to convince America, vie blog posts and vlogs, why they "deserve" the "privilege" of being the newest member of Paris' entourage. Net users are asked to view these online pleas for attention and free "fame" and vote for their favorite(s). The top vote getters make it on to the show.

You'd actually compete for this?

I shudder to think of the challenges...or the degree of empty-headed, vain, desperate wannabes that will end up actually allowed to be on television. I admit, the huge online element is the only interesting part of the concept. The posting of vlogs and blogs as "auditions" and the fact that the casting process is actually being done by participants/potential viewers is an intriguing twist on the reality concept. I think that using the Internet effectively is the next frontier for reality programming...and it has yet to be harnessed really effectively.

I'll keep an eye on the development of this otherwise completely inane and useless show for that reason alone. I'm seriously ashamed that it exists at all, however.

Idol's Top 12

2008-03-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

Idol fanatics have been telling me for two months that the big stage changes everything. I reacted the same way a guy who's trying to get in your pants does when you ask him if a dress looks good on you: "oh of course, uh-huh, sure it does." Right words, entire lack of conviction.

Last night I got smacked in the face with how wrong I was, because the new Idol stage sent 32 million people Through the Looking Glass, to a land where Chikezie blew the roof off the place and Archie missed music cues and forgot the words to 'We Can Work It Out" three times. Because I've been ill for the past few days, I still don't completely believe what I saw. Thankfully, YouTube is there to remind me.

Wow. I'm still lacking the proper words to describe Chikezie's "She's a Woman." It gave me chills and made my jaw hit the floor. Phenomenal. The arrangement was inspired, his energy was infectious and it was easily the best performance of the night. What a way to introduce yourself to the big stage, Chikezie. I hope this performance silences all of the haters who have been clamoring for him to get booted the past two weeks.

Big win, Chikezie. BIG.

David Archuleta, on the other hand, fell flat on his face on the big stage. And, I'll say it, I'm not entirely convinced the timing of his meltdown wasn't a bit too perfect. The semifinals set him on the flight path of Icarus: he seemed to be in danger of peaking too early and coming crashing back down to earth. His performance was an absolute mess, but I'm not surprised that he was still grinning like an idiot after it was all over.

He missed notes. Forgot the lyrics. Finally looked 17 and vulnerable. All of that, and he still probably got the most votes last night. Because his failure last night brought him firmly back to Earth in the best way possible: it proved he wasn't superhuman. By floundering his way through Stevie Wonder's (I'm sorry, I thought this was Beatles night, my mistake) version of "We Can Work it Out" showed people that he was normal after all. And everyone ate it up. Yes, Paula (!!) took him to task for forgetting the lyrics and Simon rightfully called it "a mess," but they said it all with a smile and a pat on the back and a "We still love you, you little cutie pie!" tacked onto the end.

I don't know if he was genuinely so nervous on the big stage that he choked or if it was a cleverly-concocted stunt, but either way, Archie wins. I'm both fascinated and appalled; I can't wait to see how far this schtick takes him.

If God has ears (and was listening last night instead of, I dunno, working on that world hunger thing) Kristy Lee Cook's version of "Eight Days a Week" will take her no further than tomorrow. I cannot think of a strong enough word for how completely horrendous, horrifying and completely awful her performance was (though those are three good adjectives to start with). I think she should be forced to hand write apology letters to Paul and Ringo for turning the song into what they force country music haters to listen to on the way down to Hell.

Seriously, it kind of sounded like the music they play in the freaky boat tunnel in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The banjos and fiddles and country twang just kept getting faster and faster and Kristy Lee stood in the middle of it all looking slightly lost and slightly maniacal at the same time. What a ridiculously misguided decision...I cannot describe how much I hated it. Worst thing I've seen all year (and considering I saw Amanda sing "Carry On My Wayward Son," that's saying something).

The other Cook in the competition, however, translated nicely to the big stage. David Cook, looking like someone rubbed a balloon on the back of his head right before he went onstage (I generally have no problem with his hair, but last night it was just badbadBAD), tore it up with an uptempo rock take on "Eleanor Rigby."

David's charisma levels wax and wane from week to week, which is something he'll have to work on. But I'm glad he proved that he could still give a command performance without his guitar in front of him. He continues to prove that he's one of the most talented people in the Top 12, and it brings me great joy.

Hey David..."Why Don't We Do it In The Road?" Heh, get it?

Chikezie, Rocker Boy, Archie and Kristy Lee got extreme reactions from me. Everyone else fell somewhere in the middle.

"Jason Castro is for people who find Jack Johnson too edgy." In one sentence my friend Mike perfectly summed up the dreadlocked folk singer. I actually enjoyed his rendition of "If I Fell." It was a little too breathy for me, but I liked that he tweaked the song here and there to make it his own but not so much as to suck the soul out of it (pay attention, Kristy Lee!). He continues to show every note when he sings on his face (when reaching for the high notes the eyebrows shoot up and the shoulders tense) which is incredibly distracting and annoying. Jason has a good vibe and a nice tone to his singing voice...I kind of wish he'd do something a little more uptempo though.

Carly Smithson screamed and stomped around a lot in a bright blue mini dress. Next to Chikezie, she was the performer who brought the most to the stage: charisma, energy and the powerful voice. I thought it was a bit overdone, though. It felt like she was trying just a little bit too hard. In fact, I went back and re listened to her performance with my eyes closed, just so I could listen. The vocals, which were just fantastic, got sort of lost in her performance and that's a shame. I felt like she got drowned out by her backup singers a couple times as well. The performance, while strong, was just a bit off balance for me.

I really didn't like Brooke White last night. I understand that many amazing singers have imperfect voices, and that often those imperfections elevate a certain song to another level (please see Jeff Buckley's version of "Hallelujah" for reference). However, I thought Brooke butchered "Let It Be." She was cute sitting at the piano and I understand the vibe she was going for...I just think she fell flat. The imperfect notes and inflections made me wince, to the point that I wondered if she was recovering from laryngitis. It wasn't horrible, but I really, really didn't enjoy listening to it. Just no.

At least Brooke was interesting, which is more than I can say for Ramiele Malubay and Syesha Mercado. I can't really remember what either of them sang, just that it was dull and completely unremarkable. They're both in trouble, especially since this isn't the first time they've been accused of such.

I have nothing more to say about Amanda Overmyer that I haven't already said. Except to second my roommate's suggestion that she should've performed "Why Don't We Do It In The Road?" Heh.

I can't decide whether Michael Johns or David Hernandez is more likely to join the two girls in the bottom three. Michael's "Across the Universe" halted his semifinals downward spiral...a bit. I thought he ave a stronger performance here than anywhere in the last three weeks, but his voice still really doesn't impress me. Perhaps it's a case of not being able to find the right song, but at this point, dude, I'm not willing to cut you that much slack. David, on the other hand, way over performed. He was trying too hard and it was painfully obvious. He's got IT (the vocals and the charisma and *ahem* the dancing ability) but he's overselling it. Pull back a notch, dude.

I'll forget you as soon as you're gone. Sorry.

I think Syesha's going home tonight. Though it should be KristyLee (damn you, country fans!)

Idol's Top 16: The Girls

2008-03-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

When something is amazing, you can gush about it (or you know, if you want to be professional, praise it in a controlled manner). When something is absolutely awful, I find it fun to gleefully rip it to shreds (the evil part of me has lot of fun). But when something is just middling and unremarkable and middle-of-the-road…it’s hard to know what to say about it. Welcome to the dilemma of trying to analyze and critique last night’s American Idol.

I always try to support people (and characters) fortunate enough to be named Amanda. Historically, this has been hit or miss for me. Amanda Bynes is a good physical comedian, but (with the possible exception of her role in Hairspray) her career is entirely forgettable and unremarkable. I love Mandy Moore, but she loses huge points for going by “Mandy” (if you are not a blonde cheerleader or a dog, you should not allow anyone to call you this). Amanda from Can’t Hardly Wait was played by Jennifer Love-Hewitt. Enough said. Amanda from Melrose Place was a bad girl bitch who slept with anything with a Y chromosome (I suppose some people would find that awesome…). Amanda from Ugly Betty does indeed have layers (and she’s hysterical), but she’s an empty-headed Barbie doll.

Then along came Amanda Overmyer on Idol. She made it this far because she’s actually different: her voice (whiskey-soaked and raw as it is) is far and away the most unique in the competition. Unfortunately, that doesn’t make it fun to listen to. I’m really disappointed; I tried valiantly to learn to love her over the past three weeks. I just can’t get behind her, though.

Represent our name better. Seriously.

“I Hate Myself For Loving You” is the absolute perfect song for her (and happens to be my karaoke song of choice) and she did a technically proficient, rockin’ job of it. But I still didn’t like it very much. I think she’s got enough support to make the Top 12, but I can’t bring myself to care either way. Especially when she doesn’t seem to care all that much herself. I have a sneaking suspicion that she doesn’t really want to be there anymore. The fire in her earlier performances is gone, she never looks comfortable in the Idol universe and, when Simon tries to coax a smile out of you, you know there’s something wrong. I’m sad to say that she’s the latest in a line of like-named girls who falls far short of earning my adoration and solidarity.

On a happier note, Carly Smithson is slowly but surely winning me over. Once again, she and Brooke White delivered the strongest performances of the evening and are definitely through to the Top 12. Carly gave me goose bumps during the chorus of “I Drove All Night”: the strength of her voice and her ability to hit every single one of those notes (and it’s not an easy song) really got to me. Brooke White earned props for completely reinventing Pat Benetar’s “Love is a Battlefield” (though it’s one of my favorite Benetar songs and I’m not convinced it should ever be reinvented). Brooke has a very solid identity as a performer and she’s smart enough to remain true to it. She turned in a really good performance for the second week in a row and I’m curious to see how the big stage will treat her.

Is that Amy Winehouse on her arm?

Covering the divas (Whitney, Mariah, Celine) is a huge no-no on this show. I get it, I’ve heard it countless times before. Simon will automatically hate it because there’s no way anyone could do it better. I don’t understand why, six seasons in, contestants haven’t learned to just stay away from their songbooks. Are they really big-headed enough to think that they, of all people, will be able to take it on?

Asia’h Epperson and Syesha Mercado both ignored that cardinal rule and sang “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “Saving All My Love For You,” respectively. I thought they both did a great job. Neither did anything new with their songs (and really, what could you do?) but they delivered strong, tuneful Whitney-wannabe performances. Asia’h continues to show fantastic stage presence; I just love watching her perform. And, unlike many other bloggers, I actually like the slight rasp in her voice (though that is perhaps the best argument as to why she should avoid diva songs). Syesha continues to be the male equivalent of David Hernandez for me: I love her voice, but I feel like she’s holding something back…and because of that, she doesn’t hold my interest for very long. Also, it was really unfortunate that she sang last on a night where Idol ran short on time because it meant she got really short-changed on feedback. I hope they both make it into the Top 12 (and I think they probably will).

Ramiele Malubay has lost her mojo. Her ''Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now),” while solid and in tune, was lacking any sort of emotional impact. Randy’s right: she seems to be over thinking and way too caught up in singing the right thing in the right way at the right time. Her performances look like they’re an awful lot of effort and as a result, she’s incredibly boring to watch. I want her to stick around, though. I think if she can rediscover her confidence she’ll be great fun to watch.

What the heck happened here?

That leaves Kristy Lee Cook, who is the female equivalent of Luke Menard: she’s been getting better each week but she’s just not good enough. There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot to her other than curly blonde hair and skinny girl cleavage. I appreciate that she took Simon’s advice and played to her strengths, infusing Journey’s “Faithfully” (awesome song, BTW) with a bit of a country tinge. I don’t think she has the potential to get any better than she already is, so I’m hoping she’s the second girl to go tonight.

Kady and Kristy get my vote to be ousted. However, this week was so strong (for the men) and so mundane (for the women) that the results show is probably going to be incredibly unpredictable.

A short coda to this entry: who the hell dressed the girls last night? High-waisted pants look good on no one. Tiny Ramiele looked dumpy in her shapeless skirt and zip up hoodie. Surprisingly, Amanda was the only one who looked nice and normal last night. I felt like I was having a fashion nightmare (and I feel like Idol knows it too, seeing as there still aren't pictures of the Top 8 girls up for me to point to and mock). Not cool on all counts.

Idol's Top 16: The Guys

2008-03-05T15:14:00.000-08:00

Now that we’re in the final week of Idol semifinals, the obvious question is: who will make that Top 12? The men of Idol, called out in the first week for not “bringing it” as much as the women, have stepped it up the past two weeks and rocked some amazing performances. I have no doubt that they’re a stronger group overall than the women…which makes choosing the Top 6 guys a ridiculously difficult task.

I kind of like that it’s so hard, though (even if it means that likely my first minor heartbreak will come on Thursday). Last night’s performances were full of surprising song choices and strong vocals. I heart the ‘80s. With a fiery passion. So here’s the breakdown:

David Cook, I will tell you how to win my heart (even though you claim that you haven’t got a clue): sing “Hello” by Lionel Richie exactly like that. It’s no secret that Rocker Boy won my heart way back in the audition round, but his performance last night was the first one that proved to everyone that, without a doubt, he’s one of the Top 3 male performers in the competition.

Last night he out sang every single one of the guys, Archie included. He got a haircut, shaved that soul patch, avoided the minor pitch problems that have colored his past performances and upped his charisma factor by a power of 10.

Hello to you too, Rocker Boy.

What I’ve really been impressed with, however, is how successfully David Cook has arranged the songs that he’s chosen. He’s been able to bring the songs into the “now” without overdoing it, and tweak them to fit his own vocal style. I think he’s one of the contestants with the most solid grip on what his strengths and weaknesses are as a singer, which is a huge plus. Hopefully I’ll never hear Randy tell him that “that wasn’t the song for you, dawg.”

Simon is right: Rocker Boy isn’t afraid to take some risks, and when they pay off, they pay off big. My jaw dropped watching him last night: he turned a syrupy ballad into a powerful, electric guitar-backed emo rock song.

David Cook secured himself a place in the Top 12, and I agree with my friend Dave: he stole some thunder from Archie.

Paula, in one of the only coherent comments she made all night, commented that David Archuleta’s performance of “Another Day in Paradise” proved that he wasn’t a hologram. I thought his performance was great when has he not been great, let’s be honest) but seemed a touch choreographed and superficial. He was also *shockgasp* a bit pitchy on a few of the notes. He’s still one of the only performers however, to give me chills when he hits those power notes. His voice is so clear and strong and pointed (seriously, it cuts right through your heart) that I’m wondering if the docs who fixed his vocal chords didn’t work some magical voodoo on him while he was anesthetized.

Archie continues to be confident and polished beyond his years, which is actually starting to weird me out a little. Precociousness has always seemed mildly creepy to me, and while he’s not on the level of the “I Am Sam” era Dakota Fanning, it’s still mildly unsettling. He was definitely dethroned this week. I hope this Rocker Boy – Little Pop Phenom throwdown continues well into the Top 12.

Jason Castro will also get through, though I’m still not completely sold on him. Simon said that Jason got better every week, whereas I think the exact opposite is true. I’ve liked his performances less and less every week. That’s not to say that I’ve ever disliked them – he’s enjoyable to listen to (please note that I said listen) and he’s definitely got his own angle on the contest (very chill and folksy).

He’s never wowed me, though. Everything he does is sort of blandly good. His stoner persona doesn’t help with that, and the goofy, slightly worrying faces he makes while he performs doesn’t either (it makes him less bland but not in a good way at all). I just don’t get why everyone is falling all over themselves to praise him. Still, because everyone who’s not me is, I’m pretty sure that he’s safe.

So that’s Archie, Rocker Boy and Jason Castro who are through to next week. There’s only one guy who definitely WON’T get through – Luke Menard.

I honestly don’t know how Luke Menard, with his fashionably floppy hair and piercing eyes and chiseled jaw and manly stubble and beautiful smile, made it this…oh wait. I do. Please re-read that first sentence. I feel bad for Luke, because I actually think he’s gotten better every week. He’s just not good enough. Also, he’s boring and forgettable. Because of all that, he’s history.

Why are you still here?

Three of the other four guys will also make the Top 12 – Chikezie, Michael Johns, David Hernandez and Danny Noriega – will go on to the big stage. I’m finding it nearly impossible to predict which one of them will go home.

Because I know what an Australian accent and pretty smile can do to a girl (hang on, trying not to swoon at the thought), I’m going to bet that Michael Johns is staying, despite the fact that he falls apart vocally a little more each week. I was never a huge fan of his, but last night he lost me for good. Horrible song choice. Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” is one of my favorite ‘80s songs. Michael Johns butchered the hell out of it. His voice was just one thousand kinds of wrong for it. He couldn’t hit the important notes and just made it sound awkward and disjointed. Also, I think he was doing his best impression of a “real rock and roll star”: stumbling around the stage in a faux drunken stupor, wondering why the lights were so bright and how it came to be that all of these people were staring at him. None of my criticism matters, however, because America loves him.

I’m going to go against the general consensus of the blogging world and say that I think Chikezie is also safe. Yes, he went back to his Hollywood Week song (“All The Woman I Need”) for last night’s performance. I would’ve liked to see something different. Still, I thought he gave a very solid performance. I like his voice a lot; it could use a bit more polish, but he’s so much more fun for me to listen to than, say, Jason Castro.

Listening to Simon critique him, however, made me realize that I don’t understand where the Brit is coming from most of the time. I mean, I do: he’s judging the commercial viability of the performer more than anything else. Simon judges whether the performance he just saw would sell records. It’s a very impersonal judgment, but it’s also a judgment that’s hard to relate to if you’re the average person watching at home. I trust his opinion but it often bewilders me. It’s the fact that I think most of America views performances like Randy and Paula (more personally) that makes me think that Chikezie will go through to next week.

Simon Cowell doesn't care what you think. Really, he doesn't.

That leaves me to choose between Danny Noriega and David Hernandez. Has Danny Noriega’s larger-than-life personality, which I think helps overshadow the fact that he’s one of the weaker singers left, finally worn thin? Has America finally realized that, despite being a really good singer, David Hernandez is kind of forgettable? I’m having a hard time deciding which scenario is more likely to be true.

I wasn’t a huge fan of David Hernandez’s song choice. He’s so much better on up tempo songs. However, his voice is beautiful and I love listening to him sing. I wish there wasn’t a question that he’d make it through, because he’s more than earned a spot in the Top 12. I could care less that he used to be a male stripper. That has less than zero to do with his vocal ability. I wonder how much America will care, though. I want to have faith that, as a whole, we’re bigger people than that, but…

Danny Noriega has more personality than the other seven men combined. He’s snarky and sassy and gives the greatest reaction shots I’ve ever seen on a reality show…but how has this blinded America to the fact that he’s given three middling performances in a row? “Tainted Love” is the sort of song that would seem to fit his personality and style perfectly. But the performance was not good at all. It was uneven and didn’t do a good job of showcasing his voice.

So, Luke is definitely out. I’m hoping that Danny will go with him, because I think Chikezie and David Hernandez have far greater potential to wow me on the big stage.

Brett Favre retires

2008-03-04T13:59:00.001-08:00

I wrote all about my love for Brett Favre back in January, right after the Packers' overtime loss to the Giants in the NFC title game.

I hate to repeat myself, so I'll keep this short. Late last night, Favre told the Packers (and this morning, they told the world) that after 17 seasons, he was retiring.

Excuse me, my heart is still a little busy breaking. The last of my childhood sports idols has hung 'em up.

Unarguably one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, Favre leaves behind a young Packers team absolutely primed to do big time things (which they proved over and over again during the 2007 season). Without him...who knows? Their QB spot is a huge question mark.

I'm going to try not to focus on that right now. I'm going to focus instead on all of the things I love about Favre that I'm going to miss not getting to see...ever again. Like how much fun he always seemed to be having trudging back and forth across that field, even in snow and subzero temperatures. His love of the long ball (and how he could still throw it better than anyone else at 38). His flair for the dramatic and the unexpected. How infallible he is: playing through countless injuries, 275 consecutive starts, having that magical Monday Night Football game right after his father unexpectedly passed away. Favre is a steady, dependable constant: a rock of a player on whose shoulders Green Bay built their team. On top of all of that...he's actually a nice guy to boot. He has a presence, an intangible thing that he brings to the game of football. I'm going to miss it.

No. 4 retires, this blogger cries.

EDIT: Wright Thompson at ESPN puts it better than I ever could: Favre Retires

Heroes Aren't Born...They're Built.

2008-03-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

I love superheroes. My heart was stolen by the X-Men when I was eight years old. Fox debuted the X-Men animated series in their Saturday morning cartoon lineup in 1992. That same year, they also launched the Batman animated series. I fell in love with them both and watched them every weekend before I did anything else.

I learned the ropes of both universes through those television programs. Intricacies, backs stories, friends and foes, dirty little secrets, hookups, powers, etc. Eventually, I started expanding into Superman, Spiderman and the various other minor (comparatively) superheroes and super villains that existed in those universes. I picked up comics “late in life”: I didn’t read my first one until I was a sophomore in high school. However, I quickly devoured those too…mostly Batman and the X-Men with bits of Spiderman here and there.

And then the movie universe exploded with superheroes. The big screen had already seen Superman and Batman before. So studios started with Spiderman and the X-Men, making huge, special effects-laden films in groups of three. Some of them were good, some not so much. Then they rebooted both the Batman and Superman movie universes. Once they’d tackled the “Big 4,” studios moved on to more minor superheroes: Daredevil, The Hulk, Fantastic Four, Hellboy…the list is nearly endless.

I knew at least a little bit about almost all of them. But somehow, in my years and years of superhero admiration, I never heard about Iron Man. I mean sure, I knew his alter ego was Tony Stark, billionaire, and he was a self-made superhero…but beyond that? Nada. However, once I found out that Robert Downey Jr. was going to be Stark and Jon Favreau would be directing, I got a lot more excited. The teaser elevated that excitement.
The full trailer, released at the end of last week, completely did me in. I. Can’t. WAIT. May 2 needs to hurry up and get here. Like, now. I need to expand my superhero worship.

Robert and Jon, you are my heroes.

My Love Letter to Los Angeles

2008-03-01T17:05:00.000-08:00

The latest issue of Los Angeles Magazine has a feature story on “The 64 Greatest Things About LA.”

I love Los Angeles. With the exception of a semester spent abroad in college, I’ve lived in Los Angeles County my whole life (and in LA proper for five-and-a-half years). I’m fairly well-traveled, both in the States and abroad, and while I’ve fallen in love with other cities (Boston, London and Venice among them) I can’t picture myself ever calling anywhere else “home.”

Yes, the traffic is horrendous. The 405 was built by Satan. The number of bottle blondes, rich assholes, and pairs of fake breasts are higher per capita here than anywhere else (I’m fairly certain, anyway). The good parts of town are often a half-block from the bad (drive the length of 3rd Street if you want to see what I mean). And I’ve heard it all. LA people are shallow, they’re stupid, they only care about material things, there aren’t real seasons, you don’t belong unless you’re in “the industry.” I’m not so naïve that I don’t understand that all stereotypes spring from at least a little bit of truth.

However, there’s so much more to this city that people don’t understand unless they immerse themselves in it. LA has a mix of people, trends, cultures, and industries that you can’t find anywhere else. I never cease to be amazed by how this city never stops surprising me. I don’t think I could get bored by this place if I tried. It has almost a mythical quality to it; without fail, every time I talked to people when I was abroad and they found out where I was from, I got sucked into an awed, 20-minute conversation about the “amazing city of Los Angeles.”

Enough of my love letter. I’ve lived here more than 20 years and I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of what this city has to offer me. Still, I think Los Angeles Magazine left a few things off of their list. So, what follows is my list of a few of my favorite things about Los Angeles, plus my commentary on a few of the things LA Mag did get right.

MY LIST

Dodger Stadium

This is my favorite place in the whole world, without a doubt. Nothing beats a summer evening Dodger game, sitting in the top deck (I’m poor, but there isn’t a bad seat in the house so it doesn’t matter) watching the boys in blue battle it out. I get my Dodger dog, garlic fries and Russell Martin t-shirt and enjoy three hours of pure bliss (listening to the legendary Vin Scully on the radio while you watch only makes it that much sweeter). New stadiums are soulless, corporate boxes without a bit of history or personality. Dodger Stadium has an aura about it; you walk in and you just feel it. The atmosphere is beyond description, but in my opinion it represents Los Angeles better than anything else.

The Venice (California) canals.

Venice Beach

Venice Beach is for the artists, the hippies, the hobos and the misfits. A stretch of sand and sea with actual “canals,” and beautiful beachfront properties that sit mere feet from a ragtag band of street performers, Jesus freaks, aspiring musicians and local artists. You can buy everything from a surfboard clock to a little glass pipe (for tobacco use only, of course). No other beach in Los Angeles is as full of dichotomous fun. It’s about as casual a place as you’ll find in a city renowned for being laid back and chill. Everyone’s welcome, everyone’s having a good time. Oh…and there’s the whole beach thing happening. I hear that’s fun.

Main Street (Santa Monica)

A few blocks of street just South of the Santa Monica Pier, Main Street in Santa Monica is home to some of the coolest pubs, bars and restaurants on the Westside. Finn McCool’s and O’Brien’s are two of my favorite Irish pubs, home to great pints (including cider!), live bands and trivia. The Library Alehouse is a great little bar with a huge variety of beers from around the world on tap (and not just the ones you’d expect). I’m not going to give away all its secrets…there’s even a Yankees bar where the head bartender sports a Dodgers cap (LOVE him). Plus, if you get that urge, the beach is only a few blocks away…and at night, it’s fabulous.

Back in the day, the center of the LA theatre world.

Pantages Theatre

Los Angeles used to have more theatres per capita than New York City. I’m not sure if that’s still true, since (sadly) many of them have fallen out of use and into disrepair…or have been turned into something else altogether. Still, my favorite of all the theatres left standing is the Pantages Theatre in the heart of Hollywood. The Art Deco architecture inside and out is gorgeous (especially since it was refurbished about 10 years ago) and it always manages to attract top shows: The Lion King, Wicked, Rent. The recent announcement by the Nederlander Group that they will add an additional 10 floors of condos, shops and restaurants to the two-story structure worries me; I’m afraid it will lose it’s Depression Era, Old Hollywood glamour. But it still remains, to me, the greatest place to see a live show in the city.

Diddy Riese

Three giant, delicious cookies for one dollar. In Los Angeles, where you’ll often pay 4 dollars for a small blueberry muffin, that’s damn near ridiculous. Lines form out the door and down the street for an ice cream cookie sandwich from the little shop in Westwood. In college at USC, I used to make specific trips out in to UCLA territory (the shop is mere blocks from the Bruin campus) just to get one.

Sprinkles Cupcakes

I’ve been to Magnolia Bakery in NYC. The cupcakes are indeed delicious. But they’re nothing compared to Sprinkles. The red velvet cupcakes alone are good enough to make you willing to pay nearly twice the $3.25-a-cupcake fee. The surprisingly unpretentious Beverly Hills bakery has a daily rotating list of specialty cupcakes to compliment their everyday staples…and every single one makes you believe in a higher baking power. My personal favorite is the peanut butter chocolate.

I’ll second the tip-of-the-hat Los Angeles Magazine gave to the following testaments to LA’s awesomeness:

Grauman’s Chinese: One of the greatest places to see a movie in the entire city. I dare you to try and walk through the outside entrance without sticking your hands or feet in at least one star’s cement prints.

Studio Back Lots: Tours are fun, but wandering around the fake New York streets by yourself or into buildings that used to house Marilyn Monroe and I Love Lucy is just plain surreal. Wandering past a backlot and almost running into Eddie Murphy (and almost getting run over by Kelsey Grammar in a golf cart) isn’t half-bad either. Come to Los Angeles! Get a job in entertainment! J Watching movies and television get made isn’t half as exciting as it sounds, but it’s still pretty darn cool.

Vin Scully: The epitome of sports broadcasters. There is absolutely no one better in baseball and possibly in sports. The voice of the Dodgers since 1950 (when they were still in Brooklyn), Scully is a throwback to a time where sports was pure (well, purer). Some call him old-fashioned, but no one can call a ballgame and weave anecdotes of times and players both past and present as effortlessly or engagingly as he can.

Farmer’s Market: Despite watching the city build up around it (and the ubermodern Grove crop up right next door) the Farmer’s Market at 3rd and Fairfax has remained remarkably untouched. Selling fresh fruit at surprisingly good prices and offering food from just about every country you can think of, no one (old or young, white or black, etc.) can resist its pull. Go have a meal at Monsieur Marcel’s…you can thank me later.

You can even see them from Dodger Stadium.

Palm Trees: Yes, I know, they were brought here. Nothing screams Los Angeles quite like they do, though. I love driving down wide, sunny streets lined on both sides with huge palm trees on a sunny day (preferably with my sunroof open). Awesome.

USC Football: There’s nothing better, baby. Deal with it. Petey Carroll and the Trojans own the heart of this city. We’ve got the history, we’ve got the hardware, we’ve got the superstars…and we’ll kick your ass. Go ahead, test us.

PCH: The drive up the PCH is perhaps one of the most beautiful drives I’ve ever taken. You can almost always see the ocean. The air is crisp, fresh and salty. It lifts the spirits and melts your troubles away (and in a city as mad as this one, sometimes that’s very, very necessary).

The Weather: Do I really need to explain this one? It’s the end of February and I wore my sunglasses out in 77 degree weather yesterday. Don’t pretend you aren’t jealous.

The Idol Eliminations: I'm "Shocked" Too...

2008-02-29T11:55:00.000-08:00

Last night's American Idol was supposed to feature "shocking" eliminations. Indeed, a couple of the eliminations were shocking to me...just not the ones that were supposed to be.

I waffled back and forth in my two Idol blogs this week (and even more in my head) between Luke and Robbie and Amanda and Alaina. I actually changed my predictions in print a couple times. However, after re-watching all of the performances and reviewing what I knew of Idol, I figured that Kady, Alaina, Robbie and Jason would go.

Jason was a foregone conclusion. They threw him in there to be decent, unmemorable filler in the semifinals.

Amanda was the most god-awful of all the bad female performances from Wednesday. All the Idol fans I know say that all it takes is one bad performance and you're likely to be done. However, Amanda is the one girl who is genuinely "different." Here uniqueness hasn't proved that impressive as of yet, but ultimately I figured she was still novel enough to stay in the competition...though just barely.

I was overly kind to Alaina last week because I figured that there must be something I was missing: every single other blog I read was nearly over-the-moon for the "potential" she showed. I didn't really see it: I had trouble distinguishing her from the other pretty little blond things in the competition (Kristy, Kady) . Then this week, though she didn't give the worst performance, she did made the poorest song choice. Whereas Brooke and Kristy stepped up and distinguished themselves from the Barbie crowd in Week 2, she was just plain bad. I couldn't even tell her and Kady apart when they stepped up together for the third elimination.

The debate between Luke and Robbie came down to this: Luke is more attractive and is still sort of hiding in the protection that mediocrity provides at this stage, whereas Robbie got a lot more crap from the judges about his performance, his looks, his authenticity...you name it. There seems to be room for only one rocker in the competition, buddy, and you sure aren't it (Oh, David Cook).

The biggest shock, for me, was that Kady didn't get eliminated. I didn't see Alexandrea's dismissal coming at all. After getting criticized twice in two weeks for essentially the same failings (and being marginally worse this week than last) I didn't think there was any way Kady would stick around for Week 3. Color me stunned.

Your grandma's proud of you, yo.

The dismissal of Alexandrea is my first disappointment of the season. I really liked her performance of "Spinnin' Wheel" last week, and while her song choice this week was poor (but really, with two exceptions, whose wasn't?) she was far from the worst performer this week. I'm sad that I won't get to see her on the stage anymore.

I cannot wait for 80s week. I have a slightly unhealthy love of 80s music, and I'm excited to hear the which songs the Top 16 choose.

Idol's Top 20: The Girls

2008-02-28T12:24:00.001-08:00

You won't be smiling for long, ladies.

Dude, only one day into my new system and already it’s shot to hell. I’m finding it nearly impossible to rank the Top 20 girls’ performances last night because I can’t decide who sucked most. The best performances didn’t blow me away (far from it)…they were just on-key and not horrifying to listen to. What a ringing endorsement (please note my intense sarcasm) for the girls, who were sitting pretty last week when the judges deemed them a stronger crop of competitors than the guys. The guys responded to that dig by bringing it, while the girls followed up a fantastic Week 1 showing by dropping heaps of suck all over the stage.

So, instead of ranking the performances, I will do a “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” list. Because it makes me giggle.

THE GOOD

Brooke White

While everyone was falling all over themselves to praise Brooke last week, I was sitting there scratching my head and wondering what the heck I was missing. As I said in my Top 24 Girls blog, she kind of freaks me out. The girl is so gosh-darn vanilla (c’mon, you know she’s never dropped an f-bomb in her life) that she just sort of fades into the background for me. I think she’s very middle-of-the-road, in every single way.

When I heard the opening notes of “You’re So Vain” my stomach clenched. That is one of my absolute favorite songs and I was very, very afraid of what Miss Vanilla was about to do to it. Well…she was pretty freakin’ great. Having earned comparisons to Carly Simon early in the competition, it was a very smart decision to cover her on 70s night. The vocals were fantastic. Granted, she didn’t bring much of anything new to the number, but she definitely did it justice (and then some).

My favorite of the night. Shockingly.

She had minor problems hitting a couple of the lower notes in the chorus, and her demeanor was a bit too happy and peppy for a song about the disdain one has for a former lover. Still, she only arrived in Holywood a few weeks ago. The city hasn’t had time to introduce her to condescension and anger and resentment and disappointment. Give it time, Miss Vanilla, give it time.

Carly Smithson

What was she staring at, off in the distance and slightly above her head? For the first verse she was staring so intensely at…something…that I had to quash an urge to look over my own shoulder. It was mildly distracting.

Minor quibbles aside, I think she rocked “Crazy On You” pretty hardcore. Her performance was strong and controlled and you could tell that she knew she was owning it. It was without a doubt the strongest performance of the night. I like Carly a lot, but there’s something (I can’t quite put my finger on what) that stops me from totally jumping on the Carly Smithson bandwagon. She’ll definitely be around next week for me to keep trying to figure it out, though.

THE BAD

Syesha Mercado

I’m going to skip right past how her baby imitation gave me nightmares…*shudder* I will say “stop staring at the camera” though. Stop staring at the camera, Syesha.

Call me crazy, but I liked her take on “Me and Mrs. Jones.” With the exception of the last note (which made me wince), her power vocals on the chorus were great. Her vocals on the verses were weaker, but definitely not awful. It comes down (again) to song choice. It probably wasn’t the best idea to pick a song originally sung by a man…because this is what happened:

Syesha: Me-e-e-e-e and Mr. – Mr. Joooooones…

Me: …tell each other fairy tales and we stare at the beautiful women…

Even though she’s not one of my favorites, I hope she sticks around because I see flashes of brilliance in her that have yet to be fully realized.

Ramiele Malubay

What happened to all of the charisma and power that she showed in her performance last week? Her performance was disconnected and listless, and it sucked the life out of a decent vocal. She hit most of her notes and sounded nice enough, but not backing that up with, you know, a personality really killed the entire thing.

I don’t know if she was trying to play it safe or not, but everything about what she did last night was just right down the middle and boring. Still, I’m a big fan of her voice in general (to my hers, she has one of the most enjoyable female voices) so I hope she sticks around as well.

Asia’h Epperson

I love this girl so much…and I think that’s why my heart lurched painfully when she missed that note in the chorus of “All By Myself.” America…pleasepleasePLEASE forgive her for being really sick. I couldn’t even bear to give her performance a second listen (which I normally do before reviewing) because I just couldn’t take it.

For someone who was sick, I think she pulled this song off remarkably well. It was incredibly rough in certain patches (early on) but by the end she was hitting some impressive notes. If that’s what she sounds like with the flu, she’d probably kick this song’s ass if she was healthy.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t. She would’ve been smart to pick a song that wasn’t as tough (and Randy was right – it was far and away the most difficult song of the night) to save herself from the “ouch” moment when Simon called her out on being “a very good, but not a great” singer. Simon, though sometimes I think he’s harsher than he needs to be, isn’t wrong. Asia’h overreached a bit this week, but she showed me enough to hope/pray/beg that I get to see her next week.

Kristy Lee Cook

Hey look! Kristy found some personality this week (along with a bunch of shiny spandex). I still don’t quite believe that she’s not a robot, though – she just got upgraded to a newer model that has “human emotions.” In other words, an improvement, but she still seemed not all there while she was singing. Is she over thinking? Really nervous? Actually that vacant?

And the award for most improved goes to...

To be fair, she hit almost all of her notes and the performance was a vast improvement over last week (in case you didn’t glean that through the ton of snark in the previous paragraph). I actually enjoyed listening to her. She just doesn’t do anything special for me. Nothing about her is memorable. Stick around and convince me, Kristy.

THE UGLY

Amanda Overmyer

Amanda, did you go and audition for The Lion King right before you went on stage? Woman, WTF were you thinking?! I have no words for what you looked like. Other than “something that would show up in my nightmare about crazy Goth bikers from Texas.” I actually tried to open my mouth to form some and just ended up sputtering until my roommate told me to can it.

Tears, Amanda. You have caused me tears.

I should’ve kept talking. Her version of “Carry On My Wayward Son” makes the baby Jesus cry. It’s just…AWFUL. The judges obviously like her and tried desperately to find something positive to say about it, but let’s face it…there isn’t a damn thing (I’m saying “damn” here because you just know that, unlike Brooke, Amanda drops f-bombs like it’s her freakin’ job).

I have a sneaking suspicion that Amanda just wasn’t prepared for what Idol would be like. She doesn’t seem to be having all that much fun when she’s out there. Her in-your-face uniqueness covered for most of that for a while…but she couldn’t seem to cover it up this week. Yes, she’s great and different and helps bolster the argument that American Idol isn’t cookie cutter, but I just don’t think I’m buying it anymore. I want to see her stick around to shake things up a little; she just might not be able to recover from the huge mess that was last night.

Aliana Whitaker

OMG, I hate “Hopelessly Devoted To You.” I just cannot take that song at all. It’s barely tolerable when sung by Olivia Newton-John. When sung by a 17-year-old moppet in a strangely shapeless camouflage (well it was, considering the background) dress…it’s bad, bad news.

I had a hard time focusing on anything but how much I loathe that song. I know she was all over the place vocally, and the song doesn’t lend itself to much of a performance…so she kind of shot herself in the foot from the get-go. If you don’t have the vocal ability to infuse a slow song with charisma, you’re doomed (please see David Archuleta as the epitome of success in that arena). Alaina, you doomed yourself. And you make me yawn.

Alexandrea Lushington

Please excuse me, my eyes are still bleeding. Who dressed you? Seriously. Cargo pants and heels? Plus that strange puffy vest thing? Please tell me the Go Fug Yourself girls critique American Idol…I need a good giggle after making it through last night’s show.

“If You leave Me Now” is another song that I just plain hate. It’s not a fun song to listen to. I like Alexandrea (she’s one of the two girls I placed in this category that I’ll be upset to see go home) and she tried to salvage her awful song choice…but she just couldn’t do it. Worse, she seemed so focused on trying to save the song that her exuberance and youthful energy that is so infectious was completely absent from her performance. I shall be chanting “Save Alexandrea” for the rest of the day.

Kady Malloy

They’re stairs, Kady. Stairs. Apparently, you shouldn’t ever try to do anything else while walking up or down them. I understand. Sometimes things are hard to do at the same time, like sitting and breathing.

Which one of these buttons calls your mother to come pick you up?

Okay, that was mean, I admit. But don’t you practice these numbers over and over again? When every performance can make or break you, why would you throw an extra element in that you’re obviously not 100% comfortable with doing? Unfortunately for her, the performance went (mostly) downhill from there. Her version of “Magic Man” was warbled and uneven. She hit a few nice notes, but it wasn’t nearly enough to save the performance. To use Simon’s most oft-quoted phrase from last week, “I just didn’t get it.”

I have no idea who's going home. It's a freakin' crapshoot. I'm going to go with Kady and Alaina.

Idol's Top 20: The Guys

2008-02-27T17:31:00.000-08:00

I’m going to rank the men this week, because it seems like last night we really started to get a feel for who will end up in the elite “Top 6.”

David Archuleta

I can’t help it. I’m still searching for the tiniest glimmer of insincerity in this kid; for some little reason not to like him. I’m merciless (and, I suppose, slightly evil) that way. I just can’t believe that he’s that modest and that talented and that adorable and doesn’t also, I don’t know, kick puppies in his spare time.

This was not the week to find little Archie’s weakness. Not only did he take on John Lennon (and “Imagine” at that) but he set the Idol bar so unbelievably high with his damn-near-perfect rendition that I don’t know anyone will be able to top it for the rest of the semifinals. If he struck me as a normal human being, I would say that as soon as he finished his performance last night, he was proverbially looking down (from his pedestal as the littlest King of Idolonia) on those 19 other poor schmucks and going “beat that, suckas.” But no, he started a completely sincere round of applause for his fellow contestants when Simon announced that he’d blown everyone else out of the water.

Damn near perfect

Hang on…I think my tiny shriveled heart, despite my best efforts, is growing three sizes right now. It hurts.

His version of “Imagine” gave me goosebumps. My roommate and I, normally the biggest chatterboxes you’ll ever meet, fell silent and just stared, slack-jawed, while he sang. That is the kind of performance that will stay with you for a really long time. I stunned me and, as schmaltzy as it sounds (and I try to stay away from schmaltz as much as possible because it’s icky) it touched a part of my soul. He’s definitely the performer to beat right now.

David Hernandez

He won me over during Hollywood Week with his fantastic stage presence and vocal stylings. Then, last week, the 60s sucked out all of his soul. However, the second he gave me the sex eyes from the top of the stairs (yes me, not all of America…be quiet) and started in on “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” I knew he’d returned to form. I am beyond happy about this because for a while I felt like I was the only one who saw anything in this kid, but I think now he’s a serious threat to make the Top 6.

The song choice was fantastic (and definitely not safe) and his voice was strong and clear throughout. I had a minor quibble with the very end, but he was ON from the second he stepped on that stage and his charisma is undeniable.

David Cook

Oh, my Rocker David. You play left-handed guitar. You’re a “word nerd.” Last night settled it. We need to make little chubby-faced, rocker “word nerd” babies. You rocked the hell out of “All Right Now” and everyone knows it. Your vocals are strong, your stage presence is solid (when you winked at the camera halfway through I almost lost my isht) and you’ve officially wrested the “rocker” title away from anyone else who might try to claim it.

Keep the sexy, lose the 'tude

That love letter aside…please never cross Simon again. Let’s have a little talk, David. I think Simon was slightly off-the-point when he criticized you for admitting that you “liked doing crossword puzzles.” However, what got buried in the bru-ha-ha over the relevance of his remark was his other observation, which I think you should definitely take heed of: your charisma (or lack thereof). I don’t think you lack charisma at all: you make me all tingly every time you perform. However, I think you’ve got this aloofness that guys who want to be seen as “rock and roll” try really hard to cultivate. It probably works well for you when you’re touring with your band or when actually playing in a straight-up rock show. But this is American Idol, dude. You need to seem open and friendly and mass-marketable if you wants to win this thing. You need to be the kind of personality that the Idol phenomenon can hitch its wagon to.

I think that’s what Simon was trying, in his own “special” way, to point out. I cringed while David and Simon were having their little tiff: Rocker Boy came off as a bit petulant. He needs to pull out the bits of wisdom Simon buried in his character attack and learn from them next week. Don’t disappoint me, David: I hate having my soul crushed.

Chikezie

I giggled a little when I saw that he chose to follow up his much-maligned wardrobe choice last week with a lime green and electric blue polo shirt. He’s got a degree of confidence and bravado that borders on obnoxious, but he kept it pretty well in check tonight (awesome crack about Simon’s wardrobe aside). I love how he managed to visibly win back Simon’s favor by admitting that it was a mistake to let the curt Brit get to him.

I had to put in a picture because I loved the shirt.

The performance itself I liked...but I didn’t love. It was a vast improvement over last week. The song choice was excellent, his vocals were hot and no one thinks he has a problem feeling comfortable on stage. Still, something about it failed to wow me. If he keeps it up I don’t think he’ll have a problem making the Top 6.

Danny Noreiga

I breathed a sigh of relief a couple lines into his rendition of “Superstar.” It was leaps and bounds better than the disaster that was his Elvis karaoke show last week. I actually really enjoyed it. I did want him to tone down is vibrato a bit (Randy, I agree with you there, dawg). That was the only thing that really grated on me. But the rest of the song was very smooth and light and…impressive.

It was far from the best vocal of the night, but I think Danny definitely redeemed himself enough to go through to next week. I want him to stick around; he’s got a fun personality and his presence really adds something to the show as a whole. I do realize that such things only carry you so far, though, so he needs to step it up even more next week.

Jason Castro

Okay, I don’t really get the whole “We heart Jason Castro” thing. Vocally, at least. His package was downright hysterical and he came across as this adorably earnest and honest and possibly (okay, probably) high. I say “whatever” to those who cry stereotyping…he’s a white man with dreads. Deal.

It’s funny, because each of the last two weeks, I’ve liked his performance a lot better the second time I heard it. Possibly because I’m less startled by the serial killer vibe he gives off. Still, he had some problems with a few of the higher notes in “I Just Wanna Be Your Everything.” Neither one of his performances was any kind of a revelation for me, but I like the kid. I think he’s got a unique style that he brings to the show and I’d like to see more of it. Partly so I can settle the “cute or creepy” debate raging in my head, but mostly because listening to him is just…enjoyable.

Michael Johns

His mouth is gigantic. Has no one else noticed this? He was totally one of those kids who robbed people blind by betting them five dollars that he could fit his whole fist in his mouth…and then he fit both in. I was eerily transfixed watching his mouth move while he sang last night.

Sadly, this was mostly because his performance wasn’t memorable at all. It just sort of was. He was mostly on-key and sounded okay, but there was absolutely no “oomph” behind his performance. It was incredibly lackluster and a huge disappointment considering he chose to sing a great song: “You Can Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac. Since he makes the womenfolk and menfolk alike sigh dreamily because he is Aussie and attractive (supposedly) and well-muscled, I’m fairly certain he’s safe. But if he keeps going downhill…

Luke Menard

I thought that his “Killer Queen” was a definite, noticeable improvement over the disastrous performance of “Everybody’s Talkin’” last week. Mostly because I didn’t fall asleep while listening to it. Luke did an okay job. I was actually sort of impressed during certain parts. But here’s the thing: it’s Queen, man. Unless you bring some sort of new flavor to the material AND sing it impeccably, you’re going to get torn a new one. And that’s exactly what happened.

Also, his voice sounded really thin and reedy throughout most of the song. He doesn’t have the vocal power necessary to pull it off, so while he was on-key, the performance as a whole was unimpressive and forgettable.

Robbie Carrico

I feel really bad for the guy that the judges and Ryan won’t stop harping on the whole “are you REALLY rock and roll?’ thing. I understand that it’s possibly a subtle suggestion for him to switch gears if he wants to last longer in the competition, but it comes off as badgering and sort of mean.

That said, his rendition of “Hot Blooded” was tepid at best. There was no rock and roll fire behind his voice. I felt like he’d taken a tranquilizer right before he started to sing and, in his head he was shredding up the stage like a rock god…but in reality he was standing there bopping a little and trying to eat his microphone. Color me unimpressed and mostly bored.

Jason Yeager

Definitely the last time you'll see his face. Uh..."enjoy"?

Get off my television screen. Seriously. Your hair is tragic. Your clothes don’t fit. I thought you were having some sort of epileptic fit at the end of your performance. You looked incredibly silly through the entire number. I was busier thinking of ways to make fun of you than I was actually listening to you sing. That rendition of “Long Train Runnin’” is something I would hear on the easy listening station in my dentist’s office. (No kidding: the debate over whether the root canal I was getting or the song I was listening to was more painful would seriously perplex me).

My predictions? Jason Yaeger is gone. I'm having trouble choosing between Luke Menard and Robbie Carrico for the second ousting...I'll go with Robbie.

My 2008 Oscar Show Awards

2008-02-25T15:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, so the Oscars this year weren’t really that memorable. Seriously, Bruce Vilanch needs to be fired. He’s just not funny. Academy people, get off your lazy asses and find a new head writer. John Stewart doubled the number of "Daily Show" writers he brought with him and still we got a “just okay” show. I’m going to skip any and all commentary on who woulda-coulda-shoulda won and instead invent a few of my own award categories (yes, I know this isn’t exactly a novel idea, either…sue me. It’s a lot more interesting, though).

Greatest “WTF?!” Moment

If you missed Gary Busey wandering into frame on E!’s pre-show, proceeding to bewilder Ryan Seacrest and scare the ever-loving crap out of sweet little Jennifer Garner, I feel sorry for you. Because, as my friend J-Sho so aptly put it, “this is why I watch the pre-show! For the train wrecks! This is AWESOME!”

First of all, who invited Gary Busey to the Oscars? Did they start a charity program that I am unaware of? Like, all of the night’s top nominees get to invite the has-been actor of their choice to walk the red carpet one more time? It’s a nice idea in theory, and I’m sure you’d make someone like Geena Davis really happy. But inviting Gary Busey to the Oscars is like setting a hungry dog loose in a room full of cats: you just know the fur is going to fly.

Linney and Garner: "The Before"

It couldn’t have been more perfect, for comedy’s sake, to have him decide to wander into frame while Ryan Seacrest was talking to Jennifer Garner, though. Because she seems like the absolute nicest person alive, and to have Gary Busey come after you going, “BLAAAARG! I want to eat your face!” was just priceless. I felt so bad for her because she looked absolutely terrified (this is exhibit A for why you should carry mace with you at all times, BTW) and is now probably slightly scarred for life.

Most Inappropriate Question

Okay, Seacrest. I concede that you are probably the perfect host for American Idol. I like you a lot on the radio, too. But you are a craptacular red carpet host. Your conversation with Jessica Alba was just painful to watch. Just because you prefaced the baby conversation with “I don’t have any of my own and I don’t know much about it, but I’ll try” does not excuse the fact that you thought it was okay (apparently) to ask her if she would be breast-feeding or not. I applaud her for returning your volley with “wow, that’s a really personal question.” Take your silly brown-lapeled BLACK TUXEDO (you douche) and go stand in the corner.

Favorite Live Blog Reaction

I have to admit, I find the fact that people think Javier Bardem is hot downright mystifying. He’s…odd-looking. I look at him and immediately want him to play Lenny in "Of Mice and Men" (I admit that my friends think my free associations are completely weird and off base 75% of the time, but I stand by my own thoughts!). Still, he’s Latin, which earns him a lot of leeway with women. And he seems like a very nice, intelligent, thoughtful guy. Which is kind of why I found this exchange, by the lovely blogging ladies of "Entertainment Weekly," so freakin’ funny.

Mandi: Javier Bardem wins best supporting actor. Presenter Jennifer Hudson didn't even bother to try to build the suspense, since there was none. Yes, you do have to speak fast, Javier. You have an accent!

Annie: I believe it's pronounced "Xavier," Mandi. Or at least that's what I hear from Reege.

Mandi: Someone who speaks Spanish, please translate Javier's speech during the commercial. Thanks!

Annie: I'll do it. "I am so sexy so sexy so sexy so sexy adios."

Favorite Acceptance Speech Involving George Clooney

The Supporting Actress category was so wide open, the winner probably would’ve been a bit of a shock no matter who it was. That said, Tilda Swinton looked completely blown away and unprepared when they called her name. She more than made up for it in her acceptance speech, though. Her insistence that the Oscar statue looked exactly like her agent was giggle-worthy (which she expounded upon backstage, saying that Oscar’s stance is the same as his always is when she tells him she's going to do another art film).

However, it was her “payback” to co-star George Clooney (a notorious prankster)that was priceless. Tilda paid him back by thanking him for wearing his Batsuit, nipples and all, under his costume every day and then hanging upside-down at lunch. Clooney, ever the good sport, took it in stride. I loved it from start to finish (so much so that I almost forgave her for wearing a glammed-up Hefty bag to the Oscars).

Almost forgave, Tilda. Almost.

Favorite Acceptance Speech Not Involving George Clooney

I admit, I thought it was really classy of Jon Stewart to let Marketa Irglova come back on stage and finish (well, let’s be honest, start) her acceptance speech for Best Song. It turned out to be well worth our time, too, because she gave the most heartfelt, well-spoken speech of the evening. She dedicated her award to ''all other independent musicians and artists that spend most of their time struggling” and commented that their (somewhat underdog) win proved that “no matter how far out your dreams are, it’s possible.”

It’s the kind of speech that you long to hear once every awards show: totally free of ego or entitlement, someone just genuinely thrilled and touched that life took such a sharp left turn somewhere and allowed them to be up on that stage, fulfilling a dream. Of course, Stewart must realize that by doing this, he set a dangerous precedent. Now every winner for Best Animated Short or Best Documentary Feature is going to pester the Oscar host backstage, wanting to come back on stage to finish thanking their Uncle Frank.

Best Double-Take Moment

This one is a twofer: riding the coattails of the final "Enchanted" song number, John Travolta straight-up waltzed to the podium. LoveloveLOVE, Danny Zuko (or Tony Manero, take your pick). I went “did he really just do that? Really?” and then finished with “AWESOME.”

Of course, that double take moment was followed shortly by my other Travolta-induced second look…when I caught sight of his hair. Seriously, John, can we have a chat? First you try to rock the long, floppy (obviously hair-plugged) mop around town, and then you buzz it so strangely short that you look kind of like a life-sized chia pet. What gives? Where is your wife when all of this is happening?

Best Oscar Party Viewing Moment

I was deep in discussion about something completely unrelated to the Oscars when the announcer called Nicole Kidman to the stage. My friend Danielle went, “What, I thought she wasn’t supposed to be...” and then, catching sight of her, screamed, “AHHHHHHH!” Please imagine a completely startled, mildly horrified yell there and you’ll get the picture.

I think Nicole Kidman’s scarily frozen, waxy appearance scarred her for life. As for me, though, I was too busy nearly falling off the couch laughing to be similarly affected by Kidman’s visage.

Moment I Wished I Could Swap Places With Someone

I don’t really want to be Diablo Cody, per se. Being a stripper would never suit me, and I wouldn’t be caught dead in leopard print or a skirt with a slit that high (I have my modesty, people – if I’m going to embarrass myself, I’ll do it by saying something inappropriate, not dressing like a crazy person). However, the fact that HARRISON freakin’ FORD (hello, GILF of my dreams) presented her with an award made me weak in the knees.

How on Earth she managed to restrain herself from giving him a long, slightly-inappropriate hug and receiving the obligatory presenter-to-winner kiss on the cheek, I’ll never know. WASTED OPPORTUNITY, DIABLO! I am so flabbergasted by your inability to carpe diem that I don’t know what to do with myself.

Turn around and get your free Ford love!!!! DO IT!!!! (I hate you)

I admit that my fervor over this issue increased after seeing Harrison’s cameo in the “I’m F*cking Ben Affleck” video, but still…*shakes head* I am so disappointed in you, Diablo Cody.

Kimmel Retaliates

2008-02-25T10:01:00.001-08:00

In the interest of equal blog time for all, I present the following:

Can I have them BOTH (Damon and Affleck)?

The whole thing is effing hysterical, but here are the parts where I particularly lost it completely:

- Brad Pitt the "FEX" guy

- Josh Groban's passionate singing about "f*cking Ben Affleck" with the piano an the snow falling

- Harrison Ford BLOWING A KISS (and his bumper sticker, which I MUST HAVE NOW)

- Cameron Diaz's pixelated gesture

- Robin Williams splashing water on his face

I can only hope that this starts an epic war that will last for months to come. What a way to astart my Monday.

Getting lost in "Lost"

2008-02-22T15:00:00.000-08:00

I always want to write about Lost, but as I can rarely wrap my head even halfway around it, I find it incredibly difficult to discuss. It’s a shame, particularly now when the show is finally returning to its peak Season One form (only they’re actually answering some questions now). Also, though, it’s easier for people who have tons of theories about every little minute detail to discuss the show. I’m not a minutiae kind of person, nor am I one who (in general) enjoys randomly theorizing. I’ve never been one for “What If?” Still, I love this show, and my silence about it has gone on far too long.

So I’ll break down a few things (a lot of this is just so I can get the thoughts out of my head, where they have been bouncing around excitedly and driving me mildly batty).

The flash forwards are a stroke of absolute genius: it’s a device absolutely bursting with possibility, and the writers have made the most of it thus far. It’s like they turned a 100 piece puzzle into a 1,000 piece puzzle: it’s more difficult to figure out, but more satisfying seeing piece after piece come together to make the overall picture clearer.

The Oceanic Six. Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sayid, Aaron(?) and…

It’s not clear if they’re actually the only six that survived, or whether they’re just the only six thrust into the public spotlight as survivors. I can’t bear the idea of the former. Because it means that if Sawyer survived, Jin didn’t. Or if Jin survived, then Locke didn’t. Of course, it could also mean that some of them elected to stay behind (Sawyer and Locke are obvious candidates to make such a choice.) Does the person in the coffin count as the sixth survivor?

One thing seems (you have to say “seems” with this show, no matter how certain the conclusion you’re about to draw appears) clear: Claire didn’t make it off the island. She can’t be the one in the coffin because Kate’s trial took place before Jack went off the deep end and she was already Aaron’s “momma” by then. I think it’s an interesting tactic: usually they try to shock us with the deaths. We’re not supposed to see them coming and then – BAM! – someone gets shot or drowned or falls off a cliff. With Claire, we know that death is coming. Now it’s just a waiting game: when and how?

Does she die of being kind of boring and useless?

I loved the play out of Kate and her possible pregnancy. Was it Sawyer? Jack? Did she get pregnant on the island or off? What a huge, masterful fake out. I LOVED it. Stuff like this makes me want to build a huge shrine devoted to the show and bow before it every day. Fan-freakin’-tastic. It’s ALSO stuff like this that makes me worry a LOT that they won’t be able to adequately explain everything by the end of the show and pull a patented JJ Abrams cop out (a la Alias and Felicity). But we won’t get into that, or I’ll be ranting on and on for pages…

Jack loooooooooves Kate. From that exchange outside of the taxi, it feels like their relationship definitely went places that we haven’t seen yet (insert dance of joy here). As someone who wishes the island monster would eat Juliet already, this makes me very happy. However, why won’t he see Aaron? Does he feel responsible for Claire’s death? IS he actually responsible for her death? Did he ever find out (either before or after) that he and Claire were related? Granted, any of the above would be enough to make a guy with the biggest savior complex I’ve ever seen stay away. But I still think it’s slightly weird that he won’t go anywhere near the kid.

Jaters unite (to find a better nickname)!

It’s frustrating not to be able to put the flash-forward timeline together yet. It seems obvious that Jack’s flash forward is the furthest we’ve seen so far. He’s a bearded mess. Kate wants nothing to do with him. He wants to go back to the island. Hurley’s flashbacks seem to take place earlier. At that point, Jack thinks Hurley is (excuse my phrasing) nuts for suggesting that they shouldn't have left the island. Placing Sayid’s flash forward is nearly impossible because it was so contained. Kate’s flash forward also takes place before Jack’s, but whether it’s before or after Hurley’s is also difficult to decide.

I need more pieces, Damon and Carlton! Hopefully, next week will show us who the last of the Oceanic Six is. But after that – then what? I have no freakin’ clue, but I haven’t been this excited to know in more than a year. More Lost crack, please. Also, if you think this entry didn’t make much sense, blame the Lost crack.

Idol's Top 24: The Girls

2008-02-21T16:03:00.000-08:00

Kristy Lee Cook: Is she dead inside? Seriously, it looked like she occasionally widened her eyes here and raised her eyebrows there and popped a hip a couple times to convince us that she was a real live girl instead of a T-888. I shall sum her up in a sentence: Kristy is a cute little blonde thing who can sing pretty well but don't seem to have much else to her.

Joanne Borgella: This was just flat-out bad. She tried to put a little sass in her performance to try and salvage it, but her version of "I Say a Little Prayer" was all over the place and not pleasant to listen to. I know people are sick and that sucks…but other girls managed to still sound like they weren’t tone deaf.

I wanted to show her face here, because it may be the last time you see it.

Aliana Whitaker: In the middle of her first line, I wondered out loud to no one (because my roommate was on a plane to Rhode Island) “Is she trying to be the second coming of Carrie Underwood?” The first bit of “More Today Than Yesterday” before she picked up the tempo sounded like it had an odd sort of twang to it that I was physically shying away from. However, then she started rocking it. She was the first girl to not suck, which I know sounds like a backhanded compliment, but I mean it in the most positive way possible. Her voice is fantastic and her stage presence shows promise (and she managed to be one of the only ones to avoid the “girl, you look scared as hell” comments from Randy and Paula). I’m a fan.

Amanda Overmyer: I really, really did not like whatever it was that she sang. I had a hard time hearing her over the band. The song, to me, ended up sounding like one big cacophony of noise. I also think she ended up doing more growling than actual singing. I realize that her voice is raw and gravelly and “authentic” (could Paula possibly throw that word around any more, BTW?) but she’s channeled it into better songs. I really like her a lot, but I just don’t see how she fits into the Idol model of success. I can’t see her finding mainstream success. So she’s basically the Season 7 poster child for “different,” and the only way I see her lasting very long is if she proves she can do something completely different.

Amy Davis: You are lucky you’re pretty, darlin’. Because, as far as I can tell from your performance (and I’m being kind calling it that) of “Where The Boys Are,” that’s all you’ve got going for you. I can’t even be bothered to waste more time writing anything else about you, because I will be shocked beyond belief if you aren’t booted tonight. Oh, except to mention that she’s a trade show model…and she told us hat without breaking in to an embarrassed giggle. Yeah.

Not much to her but her smile, unfortunately.

Brooke White: Lookit you, “Little Miss Down Home, Pretty As Pie, Cute As A Button I Love Puppies And Rainbows” girl. You’re on stage and you’re singing and smiling (so wide and bright and mildly disturbing that you look like the love child of Carly Simon and The Joker) and things are just gosh-darn fantastic. You sing “So Happy Together,” which really seems like the perfect song for you. The performance even comes complete with what appears to be a (slightly stilted and awkward) pre-rehearsed dance routine. Everyone loves you. Your voice is great and you’re adorable (though I think David Cook sang it better) but you FREAK ME THE HELL OUT. I just can’t jump on the bandwagon here, I’m sorry. *shudder*

Someone please explain her to me. Really.

I almost died laughing listening to Simon’s commentary…he just can’t figure her out because she’s so effortlessly sweet and nice and it just doesn’t compute in his head. I love it.

Alexandrea Lushington: So many of the Top 24 underperformed this week (because of nerves or inexperience or sickness or entire lack of personality) that Alexandrea’s rendition of “Spinning Wheel” proved to be quite a shock to the system. She came across as almost overperforming, causing Simon to liken her performance to something out of an over-the-top 60s musical. He’s not wrong. She tried just a little too hard. Reached a little too high for a few of her notes. Got excited to the point of being spastic a couple times. I like her, though. I think if she just takes it down a notch or two she’ll be kicking ass and taking names.

Kady Malloy: She was the second coming of Kristy Lee Cook, which was a shame because her impression of Britney Spears had me in hysterics. The second she opened her mouth, though, all of the life went out of her eyes. It’s like that uber-colorful, Windows Media Player backdrop behind her sucked out her soul. It didn’t help that she sang a slow song sitting on a chair. Did you learn nothing from “Moon River” guy? Not a good idea, Kady. Also not the best song choice, but I liked you enough to hope that you stick around long enough to pick better material and find where you hid your personality.

Asia’h Epperson: I understand other bloggers’ concerns about choosing to sing Janis Joplin when you aren’t Amanda Overmyer. But here’s the thing: the judges have been harping all week about taking a song and making it your own…and I think that’s exactly what Asia’h did. Here’s the other thing: the song is about heartache and abusive relationships and she sang it with a happy gleam in her eye and a spring in her step. Yeeeeeahh…little awkward.

Still…I like her stage presence, I love her voice (she hit all of her notes – yay!) and I think she’s all-around fabulous.

Ramiele Malubay: Honestly, initially I thought the judges threw her in there as the token Asian girl. They repeated “little girl, big voice” so many times I started rolling my eyes. But then she kicked the crap out of “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me.” That song always gets to me, for some reason. And when it’s sung well…forget it. With this performance the schmaltzy novelty they labeled her with has (hopefully) disappeared forever. She established herself as a serious contender and climbed into my Top 5 favorites (male or female). One minor gripe: really, the best part about the experience is “the shoes and the hair”? Oy.

Stop stealing Christian's "Flock of Seagulls" 'do. It doesn't work for you either.

Syesha Mercado: There was something about her that immediately turned me off when I first saw her during Hollywood Week. I don't know what it was (after all, it was in the middle of a very inspiring story about how she lost her voice and yet somehow still managed to come out and bring it) but I just plain don’t like her. It’s not that she’s a bad singer, because she’s not. She’s actually one of the strongest vocalists, in my opinion. She has a personality and she doesn’t seem to be an idiot. But I just DO. NOT. LIKE. HER.

Carly Smithson: Bad song choice, not her best performance. I love the not-so-subtle attempt to smooth over the “wait! She already released an album!” bru-ha-ha in the package before her performance. She’s the kind of person I want to like, and I do. But if she doesn’t pick it up and start giving stronger performances, her tattoos and interesting backstory will only carry her so far. I do really like her voice, though.

I predict Joanne and Amy will get the boot.

Idol's Top 24: The Guys

2008-02-20T15:49:00.000-08:00

David Hernandez: He sort of looked like his brain wasn't able to remember lyrics, sing AND move his body all at the same time. He didn't look terrified, but he also didn't look like he was completely there, you know? I felt like he was singing to the little green ligons (half-lion, half-dragon, naturally) that live in his happy place inside his head. It worries me that he doesn't seem to have much of a personality when he's not singing, either. But his vocals for "In the Midnight Hour" were solid (if unspectacular) so I'm pretty sure he'll stick around.

Chikeze: Dude, where did your last name go? I mean, I realize it's just the last three letters of your first name over again, so maybe you felt it was a bit superfluous...but still. You are not there yet, buddy. Your sorbet-colored suit proved it. I initially thought you sort of got a bad rap for singing a song from the 60s in an "old-fashioned manner," but that excuse became flimsier once I heard some of the other contestants perform. Also, I take an immediate dislike to uber-defensive, borderline disrespectful contestants like you. Get over it and get over yourself: the judges are doing their jobs and you're not helping your own case by coming off as flippant.

David Cook: I really, really want to try hard not to be biased...but I love this dude. A lot. If I find out that he has a tattoo, I will be done. I may have to start stalking him around Los Angeles (reputed Idol curfew notwithstanding).

Oh David...we could be "So Happy Together."

I think he could have chosen a better song for his voice, but he was the first contestant to put a very distinctive, personal stamp on both the song and his performance (awkward holding of the mic stand aside). He definitely rocked it, and I look forward to seeing what he can do with songs that are a better fit for his style. I definitely worry, however, that he will fall victim to the overarching failing of the show: those who rock a bit harder than most usually end up as square pegs in a round, Idol hole.

Jason Yaeger: *zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz* Oh, I'm sorry. I was re-watching his performance on You Tube. The guy sat on a chair and sang "Moon River" with blue mood lighting. I agree with Simon: he's like a lounge singer on a cruise ship who, you know, can sing very nicely and all, but you only go to see him because you're surrounded on all sides by ocean and there's nothing else to do.

Robbie Carrico: This guy is a performer and it shows. You don't really expect that voice to come out of a guy who looks like Robbie (he claims to be all "rock" but I think his voice is more pop, honestly), but I really liked his take on "One" by Three Dog Night. I would definitely put it in the Top 6 performances of the night and I really look forward to hearing more of what he has to offer...since I think he's pretty safe.

David Archuleta: I want to take a poll: who thinks that Archie's (there are too many Davids and he's so darn adorable that I am giving him an equally adorable nickname) excessive humility and "aw shucks" smile and foot shuffle will eventually start wearing a bit thin? When you take into account that the kid is no stranger to the spotlight there's an evil little part of me (the part that's been hardened by being born and raised in Los Angeles where falseness is king) that wonders how much of his reaction is sincere and how much of it was scripted backstage in front of a mirror.

A good friend of mine made an incredibly apt comparison in his Idol blog:

David A: the 'A" stands for "aw, shucks."

Here's the thing: I'd hate to see the backlash happen, especially if he continues singing like he did last night. Which is to say, incredibly well. I loved his version of "Shop Around." It had power, it had range and he sang it like a 17-year-old kid: full of energy but a little overexcited. I'm not worried about him: he'll be around for a good long while.

Danny Noriega: Danny, Danny, Danny. Why did you pick an Elvis song? Why did you have to do it? It's almost like you're hammering nails into your own coffin. You butchered "Jailhouse Rock." There's just no other way to say it. You have attitude and your skinny tie and skinny jeans are adorable, really, but...just no. Hands down the worst song choice of the night, and it may doom you. Which is a shame because you're actually interesting (and the fact that you sassed Simon so perfectly made me giggle).

Luke Menard: You look like you accidentally stumbled onto a giant stage while on your way to the corner store for some milk and a 40. You seemed genuinely surprised that there was a microphone in font of you and you were supposed to sing words into it. I have no idea what you sang, because I was busy trying to find my left shoe under the couch and then I wandered off to find something to eat for dinner. Yeah.

Colton Berry: Also tried to sing Elvis (and one of my favorites, to boot). He, to his credit, did a much better job with "Suspicious Minds" than Danny Noriega did with "Jailhouse Rock." He had a nice depth to his voice and it was a very good performance, but nothing made me go "wow." I have to admit, I did get distracted by his hair for a while. What was going on there, buddy?

Garrett Haley: I hated everything about his performance. I actually muted it. I just couldn't take any of it, from the Peter Frampton hair to the thin voice to the entire lack of charisma (seriously, I don't think the kid has a single drop of it anywhere in him). *Yawn* You're dismissed.

Jason Castro: I will avoid any of the multitude of "white Rastafarian" jokes that are floating around the blogosphere today (you're welcome). I will say that I liked his performance a lot better after a second viewing. He sang "Daydream" very daydream-y, which I suppose is apt. Minimal, in the context of Idol, really is novel and different, so kudos to him for taking that risk. I do think that there's something slightly creepy and unsettling about the look on his face when he sings: I feel like behind that smile lies a promise to follow me back to my dorm room with an axe at midnight. That aside, though...

I like him, but he might kill me in my sleep.

Michael Johns: Yes, the dude is Aussie. Yes, he's sorta hot. But I'm definitely not over the moon for him. He did a fabulous rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody" during Hollywood Week, but I was under whelmed by both his choice and his performance of "Light My Fire." He did a perfectly competent job. If he didn't ooze charisma and sex appeal, he'd be in a lot more trouble.

Who will get the boot? Hopefully, Garrett and Luke.

Early Vero Beach Nostalgia

2008-02-20T12:44:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has worked in or around baseball knows that in January and February, I can be REALLY tough to fill column inches with interesting stories. Papers send their baseball beat writers to Spring Training in early February…right around the time pitchers and catchers report. Those two groups report earlier than the position players to start working out and warming up for the Spring. However, most of what they're doing is really boring and lasts only an hour or two per day.

Dodgers beat writers were more fortunate than most. 2008 is the last year the Dodgers will hold Spring Training at Holman Stadium in historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida. Starting in 2009, the Dodgers will have a brand new, bells-and-whistles facility in Glendale, Arizona. The team has been trudging down to Vero Beach for 60 years. Players like Robinson, Newcome, Campanella, Koufax, Drysdale, Garvey, Valenzuela, Gibson and Hershiser brought their gear there every February to gear up for the coming season.

Soon to be nothing but a memory.

By all accounts it's a magical place rich with history and full of nostalgia. Old players still drop by (often unannounced) to visit with old friends, swap stories, give pointers and check out the fresh talent. Sandy Koufax, who lives nearby, visited Dodgertown twice last week. Since prospective Dodgers are pulling on their cleats and running the bases there for the very last time, stories are cropping up all over the place trying to capture the essence of Dodgertown before it's gone forever (they will likely tear down most, if not all, of it to move the Orioles in next Spring).

I find it interesting that for every story that looks back fondly on Holman Stadium and bemoans the fact that the Dodgers are leaving (because there will undoubtedly never be another place like it), there's another that looks back fondly on the place while asserting "we're leaving – hallelujah!"

I have to admit, I was never fortunate enough to go to Spring Training. I really wanted to make it out this year before they left, but it's (sadly) way too expensive. I'm torn – like the writers seem to be – about whether or not I'm upset about it or not.

I understand the economics. Moving to Arizona means a newer, nice facility. The city of Glendale is providing the team with excellent incentives to "come and stay a while." It means a 6 hour drive instead of a 6 hour plane ride for Dodgers fans. It means a family of four can make the entire trip in 2009 for what it would cost for a single person to go in 2008. I also understand that the new stadium will have zero history. There will be no "ghosts of Dodgers past" haunting the halls; no more having an old-timer point to a part of the complex and tell an amazing story about something that happened there. There will be no more history, no more roots.

The new stadium will probably be soulless...but geographically closer!

On the one hand, I'm really sad that I won't be able to ever set foot in Dodgertown. I'm a huge fan of and believer in tradition and history (don't get me started on my rant about why newfangled baseball stadiums have no soul). On the other hand, next February I'll actually get to GO to Spring Training. I'll get to help be a part of imbuing the NEW Dodgertown with new tradition and history. I'll actually get to be a part of it instead of watching from afar. And I'm already so excited about it I can hardly contain myself.

The stories and memories will live forever, and let's be honest: if you're not a part of the Dodger organization or part of the media group that covers them, you aren't privy to most of the history and memories that are being tossed around in the media lately. So those moments have always been secondhand. Bottom line for me: next year the dream of being able to attend Spring Training and see all the players prepare for the upcoming season in a more relaxed atmosphere will actually be a reachable reality. That trumps pretty much everything – it's much cooler to be able to be a part of the history than to have to watch it, longingly, from afar.

Codename: Gambit!

2008-02-19T18:43:00.000-08:00

This is the first news I've heard on the Wolverine movie front in MONTHS (and it makes me oh-so-happy): The reason I want to move to Texas and pretend to still be in high school, aka Hottie McBadBoy (Taylor Kitsch), has been cast as Gambit in the upcoming film.

Coming to a theater near me in 2009 (woo!)

This is doubly awesome news because, as I may have mentioned above, he makes me think inappropriate thoughts. Also, he will be playing Gambit, one of my absolute favorite X-Men characters (who was inexcusably absent from the three previous X-Men movies). Gambit has such a rich back story and his entanglement with Rogue was so epic that I'm still not completely over the fact that Singer and Ratner didn't see fit to have him show up at all.

Oh, Remy...you got the shaft. But not anymore!

But it's okay, because this egregious oversight has finally been corrected. Wolverine also stars (besides Hugh Jackman, naturally) Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds and Will.I.am and will start shooting this month in Australia.

There is so much pretty in this movie I kind of don't know what to do with myself.

If the script sucks (David Benioff, I'm looking at you), I will crack some skulls.

Television: The Return

2008-02-14T14:57:00.000-08:00

Now that the writer's strike is officially over, attention turns to the fate of our favorite shows. Immediately, people started asking, "Which shows are coming back? When? For how many episodes?"

I figured that, if anything, the strike would finish weeding out the shows that were too weak (either in viewership, story or both) to continue. In a way, letting certain shows vanish in the giant chasm of the three month-long strike is an incredibly convenient (and less harsh) way of dropping the axe. Instead of stopping abruptly, they sort of just...floated away into the backs of our consciousness and disappeared.

That's all well and good for crap like Bionic Woman, Journeyman and Big Shots (Vartan, how could you? Christopher Titus was your co-star, dude. If that's not a warning sign from God to sprint in the other direction, I don't know what is). But here's where it gets troubling: when the strike threatens to let the same thing happen to shows like Friday Night Lights and Scrubs.

One of the greatest comedies of the last 10 years: going straight-to-DVD?

Also less than awesome? Lost squeezing 16 episodes of material into 13; for a show that's already dense and confusing enough as it is, that's troubling. Depriving me of precious episodes of Bones that allow me to stare dreamily at David Boreanaz (in a suit, carrying a gun and smiling a lot) for 42 minutes. Postponing the return of Chuck, Dirty Sexy Money, Pushing Daisies and Heroes until Fall '08. Forcing pretty much every other show to operate on a very shortened season (less problematic for episodic series, but a minor kiss of death for serialized shows with season-long arcs).

Supervillians: on hold until September.

Of course, trying to find an upside to everything...buying TV on DVD from the '07-'08 season will be a heck of a lot cheaper (at least, it better be).

For the curious, here's a link to an Ausiello Report article chronicling the future fate of all Primetime telvision shows: http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Wga-Strike-Favorite/800032698

We named the dog Indiana...

2008-02-14T09:57:00.001-08:00

I have no words. Just this:

Hollywood Week!

2008-02-13T14:07:00.000-08:00

Last night was my first experience with Hollywood Week on American Idol. I was told to expect group sings (and group cuts), drama, fights and tears. But those crafty Idol producers, eager to cram in a new twist in a seven seasons-old formula wherever they can, changed things up.

Out went the group sing, in came the instruments. For the first time, contestants had the option of accompanying themselves during their second visit in front of the judges. It seemed to me that this option was thrown out to bait the contestants to eff up. Because really, in a singing competition, can you think of a scenario where playing the keyboard or the guitar as well would really strengthen your audition? True, Brooke White and Josiah Leming earned accolades from the judges for their mad keyboard/vocal combo skills, but most everyone else who experiments at such ends up failing at life.

Seriously, put it down.

The kid playing the drums? Really? I didn't even bother to remember his name because his performance was such a jaw-dropper that my brain hit the "delete from memory" button as soon as he was finished. Still, there was an upside to those who chose to "prove" that they were double threats: my schadenfreude.

My gleeful "their pain is my pleasure" demeanor quickly turned sour when the montage of the lyric forgetters started. Seriously folks, you get up onstage for the biggest performance of your life and you forget the words to the song you've been singing over-and-over for who knows how long? I understand that you're nervous but there is absolutely no excuse for that. You are weak and have made yourself easily dismissible. Congratulations.

The "brutal" part starts on the third day, where the people who earned a "no" on their first return trip in front of the judges get to stand up in lines of 10 and get 15 seconds to do-or-die. Project Runway-like, after they all sing Randy calls a few of them to step forward and then sends one of the rows packing. They do this over and over again (though we only get to hear a few people actually open their mouths and sing) until I am mildly bored.

The very last audition of Hollywood Week, however, illustrates the thing that makes me seriously question the integrity of the competition. For all the accusations that the show is rigged/tilted/set up/etc, I'd like to believe that they're genuinely looking for the best singer, because it's a hell of a lot easier to make over your body than it is to make over your voice. I also would like to believe that while sob stories are ways to humanize the contestants and flesh out their personalities, they aren't in any way determining factors in who moves on and who doesn't. If all of the above is true, however...how do you explain Josiah Leming? Yes, he lives in his car. Yes, life is tough when you decide that you don't like mommy and daddy's rules so, with lack of foresight, you run of to be a "grownup" on your own. He seemed to make it past auditions on his sob story and "aw shucks" demeanor alone. Then he sat down in front of the piano and weakly warbled the first couple lines of Mika's "Grace Kelly," I declared aloud that he was toast. Sure, it was a bold and unusual song choice. Sure, it was a decent performance. But the guy is torturous to watch. His vibrato makes me want to press my hands up against my ears and hide under the table until it's over.

After it was over, Simon declared "this is the one I'm going to remember" without a trace of sarcasm. I mean, Simon is British and British humor makes a sport out of sounding sincere when really you're being mocked mercilessly...but I couldn't detect even a glimmer of that in Simon's reaction. I feel like my world is all askew. Even the beyond-snarky American Idol reviewer from Television Without Pity is over the moon for him. Who fed the world crazy pills? I'm also half-tempted to ask Josiah for lessons on how to hoodwink people into thinking you're amazing when really you are simply ordinary. Step One: moving into my car.

Here, for the curious, are my favorites (I know I run the risk of having my little heart crushed by mean old Simon by picking favorites before they choose the Top 24, but I am nothing if not a brave little toaster):

David Hernandez: His performance made me all tingly. For propriety's sake, that is all I will say. He is the first person who literally made me stop everything I was doing and thinking and just listen. He's got the voice, he's got the looks, he's smart enough to come on sans instrument AND he already has some stage presence. All in all, he makes my heart go pitter-pat.

David Cook: I love the Daughtry-with-crazy hair dude. I dig his vibe, I dig his rock-ish voice, and I love how he showed his range by auditioning with "Livin' On A Prayer" and then switched gears completely to belt out the ballad-iest of ballads, "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You." He needs a bit more stage presence (it remains to be seen if Simon's prediction that he "would be vulnerable without his guitar" proves true) but he was my favorite of all the initial auditions and continues to be one of my front-runners.

Carly Smithson: She seems like a walking oxymoron on the outside: a sweet girl covered in tattoos. I judge great voices in their ability to render me motionless...and I’m the kind of person who is always going, going, going. She was the second person to make me stop short, close my eyes and just listen. She's my number one female pick, by far.

Asia'h Epperson: Yes, she has a sob story. It's incredibly sad. Her ability to power her way through "How Do I Live?" 48 hours after the death of her father (and sound absolutely amazing doing it) made me adore her. Coming back and kicking the crap out of the second round made me love her (though let's be honest, her outfit should be fugged).

Chris Hansen may be watching me right now.

David Archuleta: My roommate and I are going to start the "Inappropriate Fans of Archuleta" fan club for this kid. He's 16 and we're absolutely in love with him. He makes me wish I were a little sophomore-in-high-school teenybopper again (well, almost. Nothing could actually make me want that to happen) so I could have, like, a huge crush on him and stick a photo of him up in my locker. He is beyond adorable and the voice that comes out of him is nothing short of remarkable. I want to comment more on his mad vocal skills but he keeps breaking out in that beautiful smile of his and I forget...wait, what?

Bring on the heartbreak and elation of tomorrow (in a room where it looks like each contestant is going to have to sit and defend their doctoral thesis).

WGA Strike: The End is Near!

2008-02-11T12:17:00.000-08:00

Yay! No more fighting!

Entertainment industry employees (like myself) are prepped and ready to breathe a huge sigh of "the strike is finally over" relief. And, you know, I bet the writers are pretty happy too.

WGA members, 3500 strong, met at the Shrine Auditorium on Saturday night to hear details of the proposed deal. Reportedly, though the deal doesn't completely satisfy all of the terms the writers were asking for, the concessions were enough of a step in the right direction to persuade the WGA to accept the terms.

Writers have 48 hours from the day of the meeting (until Tuesday) to vote on the deal. If, as expected, it is approved, the three month long strike will come to an end.

Assuming the best, the Oscars will go on as scheduled February 24 with actual writers penning jokes (though that doesn't necessarily guarantee they'll be funny - Bruce Vilanch, I'm looking at you). Most shows will resume production and try to turn out an additional 4-7 episodes before the end of the television season...though it will take at least four weeks for new episodes to make it to air.

This news makes my television-addicted soul sing with joy. My withdrawal symptoms aren't pretty, people.

See complete settlement details here: http://www.wga.org/contract_07/wga_tent_summary.pdf

American Idol in Atlanta

2008-02-06T10:33:00.001-08:00

American Idol found Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia Barrino and Clay Aiken in three previous trips to Atlanta. So, the city has talent, right?

Not so much talent as great slapstick comedy

Eva Miller is not the next great talent to come out of Georgia. Her audition is, however, one of the funniest things I've ever seen. It's hard to judge whether it was intentional or not, but the slow motion slip-fall that ended with Eva on her back, chicken legs in the air (and letting out a surprised "whooooop!" on the way down) left me gasping for air.

I think I rewound it about a dozen times (nearly killing my roommate in the process). It was just too good. Whether she was just overconfident and clumsy or putting on an act hoping it would send her through despite her atrocious vocal stylings, Eva is thus far my favorite terrible audition this season. Thankfully, the judges were having none of it and sent her and her ridiculous antics packing.

Their judgment through the rest of the day, in my humble opinion, wasn't as solid. I've heard rumblings that the judges are a lot kinder than they have been in the past, and that Idol itself is focusing a lot more (some would argue too much) on contestants' backstories.

Pageant Queen Brooke Helvie made me physically recoil. If she's not the bubbly, blonde, air-headed president of the Delta Delta Delta sorority at University of Florida next year...

Here's the thing, though. She DID prove that a pageant girl could sing (though it was a bit overdone) but she also proved that she had the IQ of styrofoam...marveling that she just said "I doo-doo American Idol" didn't help with that. No way she's making it into the final 24.

That seemed to be the theme for the night, though. Was the talent REALLY that bad in Atlanta or did Idol just not show the very best auditions? If the former, fine...just don't give out tickets to the people that aren't very good. If the latter - WHY?! I understand showing the very worst auditions, but shouldn't we get to see the very best as well? Don't try to placate me by showing me middle-of-the-road talent that makes it through on a quirk or a good sob story...I want to see the good stuff in the first round too!

Josh, the guy with the crazy eyes who loves glass-cutting just a little too much for my comfort, did a good job with an awesome Queen song, but they had to make him sing with his back to them. Really guys? Really? He's not making the top 24 either unless he learns to not freak Simon out.

Asia'h Epperson...I don't even know where to begin. Her dad died 48 hours before she auditioned...and she did it anyway. I was terrified (I'll be honest, I almost couldn't watch it) that she would be awful and I'd have to watch the judges try to let the poor, grieving girl down gently. Stuff like that (and I wouldn't necessarily put it past Idol producers) is why I avoided the show for so long.

Thank god, she was damn good (and probably would've been even better if her voice hadn't cracked with emotion several times while tying to get through "How Do I Live?" by Leann Rimes).

Your dad WOULD be proud, girl.

The last kid, though...Josiah. Yes, it's sad that you live in your car (though it was techically your own choice) and are a lonely, 18-year-old nomad. You have my sympathy. However, your audition sucked, dude. That weird vibretto, singing your own song...I wasn't digging it at ALL. I have absoltuely no earthly idea how you managed to hoodwink Randy, Paula (well, okay, those two aren't as hard to believe) AND Simon into passing you to the next round. Ugh.

Maybe it's time to beg momma to let you come home.

Tonight is supposed to be "the best of the rest." Well...we'll see. I, personally, can't wait to see what happens in Hollywood.

I've succumbed to American Idol

2008-01-31T15:02:00.000-08:00

Six seasons.

It got me. I'm so ashamed.

That's how long it took for American Idol to finally grab me. I stubbornly avoided watching the show since its debut in 2002. I'm not sure exactly why; I've always had a bit of a "holier-than-thou" attitude toward reality television for no good reason. It's sort of like my snobbish refusal to shop at Wal-mart: there's no logical, good reason for my avoidance...I just kind of see myself as "above" it.

To be fair, like most reality competition shows, after the first season or two it descended from greatness and started kowtowing to the masses in ways that made a non-obsessive fan roll their eyes and groan. All of the outlandish camera hogs, the people in costume, the over privileged hometown singers who've never heard the word "no" before...American Idol (in the various clips I've seen over the years) sort of turned into a parade of much of what is shameful about America.

But here's the thing: it may be outlandish and silly and sometimes annoying, but holy crap is it hysterical. My biggest reason for avoiding American Idol is my tendency to over sympathize. In general, I cringe at embarrassment humor. I feel SO badly for the people who are terrible (even the people who know it) that I find it hard to watch them.

My new roommate loves every second of it. I'd never lived with an Idol fan before and when I heard her laughing hysterically every five minutes during the first week of tryouts, my curiosity was piqued. I literally spent the first two episodes peeking around the corner of our apartment, watching a few seconds, then running back around the corner, embarrassed for the people who were terrible and earned laughter and derision from the judges. I graduated in Week 2 to sitting on the couch wrapped in a blanket, which I used to cover my face during the absolute worst auditions.

By Week 3, though still occasionally embarrassed for the people who are just ear-splittingly awful (a feeling I don't think will ever completely go away), I managed to watch like a normal person. Because when it comes down to it, the cringe-worthy performances are worth suffering through to hear the undiscovered people who are actually really, really good. And for Simon Cowell. Oh, Simon Cowell, I kind of love you and your ridiculous V-neck t-shirts.

Oh, Simon Cowell. Where do I begin?

I know auditions aren't over yet, but I already have a favorite. I am in love with David Cook, the slightly punkish dude in the argyle sweater who rocked Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer." More, please.

I have no idea what I'll think of the next stages of American Idol, post-auditions. I actually don't even know WHAT comes after that part of the competition. But, for the first time in six years, I'll be watching to find out.

Staples Center. Friday night. Garth Brooks.

2008-01-28T16:34:00.000-08:00

So…where were you Friday night?

I was somewhere I never, ever expected to be.

At a Garth Brooks concert.

He's adorable. No, I'm not crazy. Leave me alone.

My mother called me up the previous Tuesday and, in her sugary sweetest “favor” voice (everyone’s got one and I can pick hers out within the first two syllables that she speaks) asked me to accompany her to the Staples Center on Friday night to see one of the five benefit concerts – for the firefighters and families affected by the California wildfires last year - that Brooks was “coming out of retirement” to play.

With very few exceptions, I cannot STAND country music. In fact, if I hear a song with any of the following things in it, I run as fast as possible in the other direction:

- faded blue jeans
- a cheatin’ heart
- Texas
- a fiddle
- drinking troubles away
- a tractor
- a horse
- the first wife

However, she IS my mother and it WAS the week of her birthday, so I agreed. I promised to go in with an open mind; but the thousands of people in cowboy hats, boots and more leather than I’ve ever seen worn outside a rodeo made it difficult. So did all the crazy drunk, fake blonde, middle-aged women showing WAY too much cleavage. But, you know, I persevered. Because despite having unfortunate taste in music, my mom is pretty awesome.

I sat through the first few songs wondering why the hell all of these people were on their feet screaming and whooping like Garth Brooks was musical Jesus. Yes, the opening number was pretty rockin’ and had a serious beat – but you kind of HAVE to open with a number like that (and everyone seems to have one - except, perhaps, Sarah McLachlan). I entertained myself by looking around and internally giggling at the craziest fans and thought about counting the minutes until my suffering was over.

But then a funny thing happened.

I actually started to enjoy myself. By the time he brought out Huey Lewis (HUEY FREAKIN’ LEWIS!) bearing a harmonica to duet on ‘Workin’ for a Livin’” I’m not gonna lie, I was standing up and dancing.

A man who can play the harmonica is one you want to keep around...

Here’s the thing. I still, in general, don’t like country music. But damn can that man put on a show. People LOVE him. Hell, I kind of fell in love with him a little bit on Friday.

I’ve seen my share of concerts. I’ve seen a few GREAT concerts. But I’ve never seen a performer who genuinely enjoyed himself as much as Garth Brooks. A lot of artists, no matter how good they sound live, seem to treat concerts as just another part of the job. I’m not one to use this expression lightly, but there was sort of a magical thing going on Friday night. Brooks was so happy to be performing for his fans and seemed sincerely awed and touched at the raucous, enthusiastic response he got from the crowd.

His joy was infectious and really shone through in his performance. There was a great energy throughout and it was damn near impossible for even the staunchest of country haters (me) to not have a good time.

It takes a lot for me to admit this, but…Garth Brooks is kinda cool. *sigh*

27 Dresses and Cloverfield: A Mashup Moviegoing Experience

2008-01-22T19:31:00.000-08:00

I have to say, I felt very odd at about 11:30pm on Friday night…for two reasons. One, I’d just finished seeing “Cloverfield” and was desperately trying not to lose my dinner (and the Whatchamacalit I had in the theater) in the trash can on the Promenade. Two, I watched “Cloverfield” immediately after seeing “27 Dresses.” The contrast threatened to make my head explode. Oh wait…that was probably the 74 minutes of jerky, nausea-inducing handheld camera footage.

I have no problems admitting that I heart rom-coms. I have the ability to distinguish between the good (While You Were Sleeping, When Harry Met Sally) and the awful (Music and Lyrics is the most recent example that springs to mind). I just don’t always care. Nearly all romantic comedies are fairly paint-by-number. There’s a formula, people. Deal with it. Yes, the fact that the male and female leads meet, fall in love, have 12,000 problems, break up and make up in the span of two weeks (or less) is way beyond unbelievable. That’s not the point. Stop critiquing these films like you expect them to be cinematic masterpieces and then be shocked and appalled when they fall far short of “Citizen Kane” standard. I will stop my rant here before it becomes three pages long (you’re welcome). I will say, though, 27 Dresses was enjoyable for the following reasons:

There is no bad here. Trust me.

- James Marsden. Does anyone remember “Second Noah”? Anyone at all (besides me)? Marsden has been on my radar since then, but hasn’t had a role that impressed me even one iota until this year, when he busted out in “Enchanted” and “27 Dresses.” I got to stare at him a lot, which was nice. More importantly, he brought a refreshing snark and cynicism to Kevin Doyle that made the movie that much more enjoyable.

- Holy crap! The female lead isn’t in PR or advertising. I feel like every freakin’ “modern woman” in rom-coms has the same job. She’s an assistant! At an urban, environmentally-friendly small business! The novelty! (I’ll stop now).

- Judy Greer. I wanted to wax poetic about how Judy Greer makes everything better, but my friend and fellow blogger already did that for me http://danielletbd.blogspot.com/2008/01/get-outta-my-dreams-and-onto-my-tv.html. I’ll just add that Greer can make anything better. She continues to fly way too far under the Hollywood radar despite her ability to turn derivative crap into comedy gold.

- They sang Bennie and the Jets, people! BENNIE AND THE JETS! And they weren’t half bad!

- The movie taught me to never, ever have a theme wedding, get married underwater, or pick a bridesmaid dress color that would make my closest girlfriends want to kill me. All good lessons.

I left “27 Dresses” and wandered out to Santa Monica to meet my roommate for “Cloverfield.” We’d been looking forward to seeing the movie for weeks and weeks (and I’m neither a monster movie fan nor a horror/scary movie fan at ALL).

This is the only time they are EVER standing still.

10 minutes in, I was fine. I was patiently waiting to get through the little bit of exposition and setup at the farewell party so I could get to the monsters and explosions and death and destruction. 20 minutes in, I’m still pretty okay. At the half hour mark, I’m ready to kill myself. My head hurts, my stomach is rolling, and I have to keep closing my eyes to calm the threat of something REALLY BAD happening (to me, not the people on the screen. I know those mofos are goners). When I manage to open my eyes here and there, I see the following:

- Person after person fleeing the theater, hands over mouths (I think I lost count at 10)

- People running

- Things exploding

- Marlena exploding (that was pretty sweet…the noise was AWESOME)

- Spider babies eating people’s faces

- Views of NYC destruction that made me compare the “Cloverfield” monster chaos to the footage of 9/11 that is stored forever in my mind

I HEARD a lot of stuff. Friends and coworkers assure me that if I’d seen the whole thing I would’ve hated it. Huge plot holes, things made no sense, blah blah blah. I liked it because of the fresh perspective. I like that we have no idea what the monster is or where it comes from (or why it’s there at all). I like the first person, on the ground, real time perspective of the chaos and destruction. Grounding the action (literally) made it that much more compelling a film. The characters were caricatures, which was fine because they weren’t the point and they all died anyway. The experience was the point, and it was a hell of an experience. They threw in the pseudo romance subplot because if there wasn't some semblance of another story, people would be bitching, "That's it? Just people running from a big monster? That's all the movie is?" Deal.

In short, "Cloverfield" is a pretty sweet movie that I can never, ever see again. Or I will quite possibly die.

My heartbroken ode to Brett Favre

2008-01-21T16:05:00.001-08:00

THE man. There will be no arguing with me.

I have to say one thing before I go any further: I love Brett Favre.

I've loved him since I was 12 years old. At the start of the 1996 season, Los Angeles had no football team. It was the first year I payed even the slightest bit of attention to football, and I fell in love with the reigning Super Bowl champs and their QB. I admit, it was a bit of a convenient, random choice. But my hometown no longer had a team, and there was something about Favre that my 12-year-old self just adored.

I've followed Favre and the Packers for 12 years now and my loyalty has never wavered. So much has been said about Favre. He is the best QB the game of football has ever seen (sorry Tom Brady - check back with us in seven years or so and we'll talk. Until then, sit back and deal with being second-best) and one of the classiest sportsmen I've had the pleasure of watching in my admittedly brief life. Watching him and the Packers play just makes me HAPPY.

The 2006 season was awful. Critics proclaimed Favre, already old for a QB, finished. He teared up at the end of the 8-8 season and everyone thought he'd retire. But he came back for 2007 and absolutely blew everyone's expectations out of the water. Breaking records left and right (including most touchdown passes AND most interceptions in consecutive weeks) Favre and his cannon of a right arm lead the Packers to a 13-3 record, the NFC North title and a spot in the NFC Championship game.

They faced a resurgent Giants team, led by the Manning no one cares about. The Giants came out of nowhere in the last month of the season so clinch a Wild Card spot in the playoffs. And, in front of a hostile crowd of 72,000 at Lambeau Field, the Giants shocked the Packers in overtime, 23-20, ending Favre's Cinderella season and, possibly, his career.

I'm not gonna lie: I cried. I'm a girl, sue me.

My heart broke for my team and for Favre, who, in a perfect world, would've gotten one last shot at another Super Bowl title. My heart broke when, in overtime, Favre threw an interception that set up Tynes 47-yard field goal to win the game for NY...what could possibly be the last pass he ever makes. He deserved so much better.

But the Pack couldn't run the ball. Ryan Grant, so effective in last week's victory against Seattle, went absolutely nowhere all night long. The Green Bay O-line had incredible difficulty holding back the Giants defense, which meant Favre was under pressure all night long. The Packers' D, to me, seemed to have difficulty making the first tackle all night long. They got a last-second reprieve when Tynes missed the 36-yard field goal as time expired...but then came that second pass, the one Favre will probably wish until the end of his days that he could have back. It was a bad decision, plain and simple.

It would just be a damn shame if that's how Favre, for all that he's brought to the game of football, goes out. If that's the last thing people remember about him. Seeing his face answering questions after the game also broke my heart. He was agonized, and I'm sure it doesn't make his decision of whether or not to come back any easier. Should he come back for one more season, hoping the magic and his soon-to-be 39-year-old arm holds out (when they could very likely revert to the 2006 Packers...or worse)? Should he retire with pride in knowing that he's the best QB and one of the best players the NFL has ever seen and that there's very little he hasn't accomplished?

As long as he can still hold a football, I'd love to see him on my television screen every Sunday (and sometimes on Monday and Thursday). Football will be a little less classy when he's gone, a little less fun to watch. Plus, as long as he's out there, I always have faith in Green Bay to pull out a miracle.

I'm gonna say it now: Favre in '08. (And then I'm going to bury my face in my pillow and cry a little bit more).

Johnny Podres: 1932 - 2008

2008-01-15T14:52:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late on this front, but it's been a crazy couple days.

As a Dodgers fan and a fan of the game in general, I mourn the passing of Johnny Podres, who died Sunday at the age of 75.

The Dodgers have quite a history with legendary lefties

Without Johnny Podres, the Dodgers wouldn't have won their very first World Series in 1955. Most sports fans know the lore: The Dodgers faced the Yankees in the World Series five times before 1955 and lost every single time. Despite being a consistent Top 5 team, Brooklyn could never manage to clinch the Series.

In 1955, the Dodgers faced the Yankees in the World Series for the 6th time. After losing the first two games, 23-year-old lefty Podres pitched a complete 7-hit game and lead the Dodgers to a Game 3 victory. In a now infamous story, Podres told his teammates before the climactic Game 7 at Yankee Stadium to just get him one run and he would guarantee them victory. The team got him two and Podres pitched a complete game shutout, leading the Dodgers to their first World Series championship (and only one in Brooklyn). His performance in the Series earned him the first-ever World Series MVP award and ended the decades-long suffering of the Brooklyn faithful.

At Yankee Stadium, just after the final out of Game 7 in 1955.

1955 is, without a doubt, the most pivotal year in Dodgers history, and it wouldn't have happened without Podres. Nothing is held more dear by Dodgers fans than that first championship: we had to fight like dogs to get it, running into the seemingly untouchable behemoth that was (and is) the Yankees over and over again. Just when it seemed like it would never happen, we finally broke through and beat the unbeatable Yankees. And it wouldn't have happened without Podres' masterful performances.

I want to paste the following paragraph from Wikipedia, just because it's nothing short of amazing: "In his 15-season career, Podres compiled a 148-116 record with 1435 strikeouts, a 3.68 ERA, and 24 shutouts in 440 games. He was at his best in the World Series, losing his first Series game (in 1953), then winning four straight decisions over the next decade. In six Series games, he allowed only 29 hits in 38⅓ innings, with a 2.11 ERA adorning his 4-1 won/loss record."

Podres was also on the Dodgers' championship teams in 1959, 1963 and 1965. I would feel like a blasphemer if I even deigned to think that he was better than Koufax (because no one is or has been better in the history of the game) but his contribution to the sport of baseball and to the rich history of the Dodgers is almost beyond measure.

His presence in the baseball world will be sorely missed.

Welcome to the 2008 Golden Globes Press Conference

2008-01-09T14:24:00.001-08:00

They formally canceled the Golden Globes yesterday. As a huge awards show lover, the HFPA soireee is almost always the most fun. Mostly because there's an open bar, a dinner party atmosphere and you get the big and small screens together (which can create some interesting pairings). Also, though, the HFPA tends to be less stuffy with their choices. They're more likely to reward work that's a bit more "out there" and not mainstream.

I can't IMAGINE a stuffier thing, however, then announcing winners via an HOURLONG press conference. Yet, that's what the HFPA is being forced to do because of the WGA's threat to picket the show (creating a line that SAG members would refuse to cross). No writers, there could still be a show. No actors there to accept their awards? That's a bit of an insurmountable problem. More entertainment down the tubes. *Sigh*

I also feel bad for the winners (especially the first-timers, if there are any) who don't get the experience of dressing up and getting to stand up in front of your peers to receive an honor like this. Way to kill dreams, writers' strike!

So, not that this matters anymore, but below are my thoughts on and picks for the film categories.

~*~

1. BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

a. AMERICAN GANGSTER Imagine Entertainment/Scott Free Productions; Universal Pictures
b. ATONEMENT Working Title Productions; Focus Features
c. EASTERN PROMISES Kudos Pictures – UK Serendipity Point Films – Canada A UK/Canada Co-Production; Focus Features
d. THE GREAT DEBATERS
Harpo Films; The Weinstein Company/MGM
e. MICHAEL CLAYTON Clayton Productions LLC; Warner Bros. Pictures
f. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production; Miramax/Paramount Vantage
g. THERE WILL BE BLOOD A Joanne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production; Paramount Vantage and Miramax Films

If this wins, *I* may picket.

I didn’t really like American Gangster. Movies like this are generally one of two things: a fast-moving, rough-and-tumble caper film or an in depth character study. American Gangster definitely wasn’t the former and fell far short of being a good example of the latter. Atonement was well done but depressing as hell. I’m going to pretend The Great Debaters isn’t on this list. I’m going to guess it will come down to No Country for Old Men or There Will Be Blood, with No Country getting the edge.

2. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

a. CATE BLANCHETT – ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE
b. JULIE CHRISTIE – AWAY FROM HER
c. JODIE FOSTER – THE BRAVE ONE
d. ANGELINA JOLIE – A MIGHTY HEART
e. KEIRA KNIGHTLEY – ATONEMENT

I’m thoroughly unmoved by anyone on this list. Foster is always great, but this is not the film for it. Jolie’s movie was too small (and tanked to boot). Knightley was fantastic and has an outside shot. I feel like this one may go to Blanchett because awards shows LOVE her…even though this was technically a sequel film and not as well-received as the first.

3. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

a. GEORGE CLOONEY – MICHAEL CLAYTON
b. DANIEL DAY-LEWIS – THERE WILL BE BLOOD
c. JAMES MCAVOY – ATONEMENT
d. VIGGO MORTENSEN – EASTERN PROMISES
e. DENZEL WASHINGTON – AMERICAN GANGSTER

The complete opposite of the Best Actress category for me. I think everyone on this list has a pretty good shot of taking the trophy home. McAvoy had a breakout year (and this is being touted as his breakout performance). I’m always a big fan of rewarding talented new blood. I hope Washington doesn’t get it, only because I SO didn’t like this movie. Then again, awards shows seem to like giving him trophies for playing bad guys (because he seems so NICE and FRIENDLY in real life, get it?). Critics are lauding Michael Clayton as one of Clooney’s strongest performances to date, and there isn’t a voter I’ve ever read who doesn’t worship the very selective hallowed ground that Day-Lewis walks on. This one is a crapshoot, but I hold out hope for McAvoy.

4. BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

a. ACROSS THE UNIVERSE Revolution Studios International; Sony Pictures Releasing
b. CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR Universal Pictures/Relativity Media/Participant Productions/Playtone; Universal Pictures
c. HAIRSPRAY Zadan/Meron Productions / New Line Cinema in association with Ingenious Film Partners; New Line Cinema
d. JUNO Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production; Fox Searchlight Pictures
e. SWEENEY TODD Parkes/MacDonald and Zanuck Company; DreamWorks/Paramount Distribution / Warner Bros. Pictures

Juno. That’s all I have to say.

5.BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

a. AMY ADAMS – ENCHANTED
b. NIKKI BLONSKY – HAIRSPRAY
c. HELENA BONHAM CARTER – SWEENEY TODD
d. MARION COTILLARD – LA VIE EN ROSE
e. ELLEN PAGE – JUNO

Can I have my fairytale Hollywood ending, please?

Oh, Amy Adams and Ellen Page. Choosing between you…may kill my soul a little. So I’m not going to. Instead, I will hope for the miraculous event called a “tie.”

6. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

a. JOHNNY DEPP – SWEENEY TODD
b. RYAN GOSLING – LARS AND THE REAL GIRL
c. TOM HANKS – CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR
d. PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN – THE SAVAGES
e. JOHN C. REILLY – WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY

I love you, John C. Reilly, but you do not belong on this list for that movie. Depp, always fabulous, is in a musical about a demon barber. So….yeah. Gosling is great in Lars and the Real Girl, but it’s far from his best work (and the movie as a whole, though entertaining, is dubious). I LOVE Hanks in Charlie Wilson’s War. I think he’s pitch-perfect in playing “against type” and I don’t think he got enough credit for his performance. Still, it’ll be tough to topple the award-gobbling behemoth that is Hoffman (though I’d rather see him win for his supporting turn in Charlie Wilson’s War).

7. BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
a. BEE MOVIE DreamWorks Animation; DreamWorks Animation
b. RATATOUILLE Pixar; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Distribution
c. THE SIMPSONS MOVIE Gracie Films; Twentieth Century Fox

I was under whelmed by all three of these films, but I give the edge to the mighty Pixar.

8. BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

a. 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS (ROMANIA) Mobra Films; IFC First Take
b. THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY (FRANCE AND USA) A Kennedy/Marshall Company and Jon Kilik Production; Miramax Films
c. THE KITE RUNNER (USA) DreamWorks Pictures Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Paramount Classics Participant Productions Present a Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Parkes/Macdonald Production Distributed by Paramount Classics
d. LUST, CAUTION (TAIWAN) Haishang Films; Focus Features
e. PERSEPOLIS (FRANCE) 247 Films; Sony Pictures Classics

Uhm…I am embarrassingly without opinion in the foreign film category (not that this is unusual, unfortunately). Still, from what I know, I’m pulling for Persepolis.

9. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

a. CATE BLANCHETT – I’M NOT THERE
b. JULIA ROBERTS – CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR
c. SAOIRSE RONAN –ATONEMENT
d. AMY RYAN – GONE BABY GONE
e. TILDA SWINTON – MICHAEL CLAYTON

Good grief, Blanchett. Is being awesome ONCE a year not enough for you? This is an impressive list of impressive performances…but I’m pulling for Amy Ryan. She was an absolute revelation.

10. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

a. CASEY AFFLECK – THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD
b. JAVIER BARDEM –NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
c. PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN – CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR
d. JOHN TRAVOLTA – HAIRSPRAY
e. TOM WILKINSON – MICHAEL CLAYTON

Cuter Affleck? No. More talented Affleck? Probably.

AUGH! The anguish of this category is killing my soul slowly. I dismiss Travolta and Wilkinson outright. Sorry guys. I feel like Bardem may win, due to the way critics are slobbering all over his performance in the film. However, I fell over backward with how good Hoffman (also guilty of the "do you have to be ridiculously awesome in EVERYTHING?" affliction) and Affleck were in their respective roles. I will be pulling for Affleck, because his Robert Ford made me squirm in my seat and fascinated me at the same time.

11. BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE

a. TIM BURTON – SWEENEY TODD
b. ETHAN COEN & JOEL COEN – NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
c. JULIAN SCHNABEL – THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
d. RIDLEY SCOTT – AMERICAN GANGSTER
e. JOE WRIGHT – ATONEMENT

I think this one is going to go to the Coens. There’s really not much else to say, except I really, really liked what Wright did with Atonement.

12. BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE

a. DIABLO CODY – JUNO
b. ETHAN COEN & JOEL COEN – NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
c. CHRISTOPHER HAMPTON – ATONEMENT
d. RONALD HARWOOD – THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
e. AARON SORKIN – CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR

I think it’s going to be a three-way battle between Cody, the Coens and Sorkin. Not quite sure who will come out on top (especially since the Globes don’t necessarily count out quirk like the Oscars) but I’m hoping for Cody or Sorkin…I had minor gripes with each screenplay, but they were the strongest and most enjoyable of the year for me.

13. BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE

a. MICHAEL BROOK, KAKI KING, EDDIE VEDDER – INTO THE WILD
b. CLINT EASTWOOD – GRACE IS GONE
c. ALBERTO IGLESIAS – THE KITE RUNNER
d. DARIO MARIANELLI – ATONEMENT
e. HOWARD SHORE – EASTERN PROMISES

I'm starting a campaign for Hal Holbrook...

Oh, Into the Wild. How I love thee. Go and win.

14. BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE

a. "DESPEDIDA" – LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA
Music by: Shakira, Antonio Pinto
Lyrics by: Shakira
b. "GRACE IS GONE" – GRACE IS GONE
Music by: Clint Eastwood
Lyrics by: Carole Bayer Sager
c. "GUARANTEED" – INTO THE WILD
Music & Lyrics by: Eddie Vedder
d. "THAT’S HOW YOU KNOW" – ENCHANTED
Music By: Alan Menken
Lyrics By: Stephen Schwartz
e. "WALK HARD" – WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY
Music & Lyrics by: Marshall Crenshaw, John C. Reilly, Judd Apatow, Kasdan

I would giggle a LOT (and the 5-year-old inside of me would be full of glee) if Menken and Schwartz won for “That’s How You Know.” Do it, HFPA. Make me happy.