See You at the Movies

Part of the full cinema experience, for me, is the previews. Before watching Across the Universe last weekend, I was treated to some pretty interesting previews for upcoming films including what will definitely be Oscar-buzz films. A film can be totally sold on a memorable trailer, which needs to tease but give you enough intrigue to want more.

The most promising of the bunch is Atonement based on the bestseller by Ian McEwan. It has all the elements that the Academy loves accents, period clothes, exotic locales, longing and love. Keira Knightly and James McAvoy (who was brilliant in The Last King of Scotland) head up the cast. The trailer looks like an outstanding story about love and the repercussions of a falsely accused crime. I will be in the theater for that.

We Own the Night looks like a 2007 version of The Departed. You’ve got father and son cops and another nightclub owner son who is walking that fine line between good and bad. The all-star cast Robert Duvall (Has he ever been bad in a movie?), Mark Wahlberg (Good God! Hell has frozen over. Marky Marky is a credible actor) and Joaquin Phoenix (I love him disheveled hair and sensitive portrayals) almost guarantees perfect.

I’m torn on August Rush. The first time I saw the preview for this tearjerker about a young boy trying to find his parents, I was in tears. The second time I felt a little manipulated. Freddie Highmore is a doll and it’s nice to see Felicity (Kerri Russell) again. The biggest selling point for me is Jonathan Rhys Meyers complete with sleepy eyes and pouty lips. Yummy! However, Robin Williams yucking it up in a cowboy hat and funky beard is troublesome.

The last was Things We Lost in the Fire. Call me a freak of nature but the first clip of the preview shows a close up of an eye. Somehow the Gods of movie magic the intuition to know it was Benicio Del Toro. Freaky. Halle Berry plays a widow who asks her husband’s troubled best friend (Del Toro) to move in and help her family cope with the loss. The jury is still out on this one.

What movies are you looking forward to seeing?

Love Love Love

I finally got my hormone-ravaged body to a movie this weekend and boy was it worth it. I didn’t have that immediate feeling of, ‘I left the house for this crap.” Amazing. I had the privilege of seeing Across the Universe; the Julie Taymor directed film that managed to fit 30 or so Beatles songs into the context of a movie. It doesn’t seem that difficult when you look at the diversity and length of their catalog.

It reminded me of Mamma Mia, in that you knew the songs ahead of time and didn’t have to decipher lyrics or if you liked the song. Of course MM was made for me since I’m an ABBA nerd. I can’t wait for Meryl to bring it to life onscreen. As I get older, my appreciation of Beatles songs gets stronger. The strength of their songs lies in the simplicity and emotion of the lyrics. Period. It’s not about over-singing to cover up weak lyrics or belting them out. The melodies are often simple and always heartbreaking. They stand the test of time. Forty years later and Yesterday is still relatable and even more important relevant. I can’t say enough about their writing skills. Brilliant! I place them with Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Elton John/Bernie Taupin and Cole Porter. Their songs live and breathe as if they were written yesterday. Not many of today’s pop songs will do the same.

The plot of Across the Universe isn’t as important as the meaning in the songs or the vision of their execution. The film follows ex-Liverpool resident Jude (Jim Sturgess), angelic Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), conflicted Prudence (T.V. Carpio), saucy Sadie (Dana Fuchs), soulful JoJo (Martin Luther McCoy) and fun guy turned Vietnam soldier Max (Joe Anderson) during their turbulent lives in 1960s NYC.

The most moving moments belonged to Wood as she broke my heart singing If I Fell and McCoy’s smoky version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Joe Cocker gave one hell of a cameo. Let’s the just when put in a zoot suit, he looks like a Puerto Rican pimp. Enough said. There were images that will stay with me including bleeding strawberries and a Pink Floyd The Wall recruitment scene. All dreamy and memorable. The Mr. Kite scene was very Moulin Rouge.

The movie was a bit long but I appreciated the originality so much I forgave that. Sturgess was adorable and Jake Gyllenhaul-esque. By the time they got to Hey Jude, I was cheering. Wood was endearing, though I find it hard to erase her Lolita role with boyfriend Marilyn Manson. Yuck! I know I should be more adult but YUCK!!

This film made me think about my favorite Beatles song. Years ago the list wouldn’t have existed but today it’s plentiful.

In My Life

I’ve written before that this song makes me cry every time. It’s so tender and honest. I thought about using as my wedding song.

Revolution

I love this when it’s performed in a punchy almost punk style. I love the lyrics and the vibe of the song.

Yesterday

Who doesn’t love this song? It’s essential Beatles. Innocent and magical, before they started growing up and turned more worldly.

Obla-de obla-da

What can I say? I was fan of Life Goes On. I’m convinced if I ever had twins I’d call them Molly and Desmond.


Penny Lane

Can’t describe it. I think I simply dig the melody.


Have you seen Across the Universe? What’s your favorite Beatles song?

Not Quite Lord of the Flies

Though I’m sure that’s what they want it to become. Of course, I’m referring to the desperate brainchild of CBS Kid Nation. The show takes 40 average kids from all walks of life and plops them in the middle of a ghost town aka Bonanza Town. Supposedly there was a group of adults who tried to settle the town but it didn’t work. The kids ranging in age from 8 to 15 are given a guide to settling the town.

You go into this expecting the kids to rip each other apart and there were whispers of things to come. Some of the drama was quelched by producers creating a council. Four children were selected to be the leaders. Interesting, because you wanted to see how they would pick a leader through a vote, hostile takeover or someone who demonstrated that quality. The council is a trip. They consist of a young beauty pageant veteran who doesn’t do dishes, a neurotic stressed out Woody Allen-type, a brainy Indian or Pakistani (don’t really know) who claims only three adults have made contributions to the world and a motherly redhead who lets us know she won’t compromise her values.

There are too may kids to distinguish at this point but the most interesting are a bitchy 14-year-old who danced on the street to raise money for a bike, a tiny 8-year-old who realized home wasn’t so bad, a black Chicago kid who is accident prone, a 14-year-old thuggy skateboarder who has already vandalized the town and picked a fight with the scrawny Woody Allen clone and the people’s leader whose speech led to a standing ovation. Did I mention they dangle a $20,000 prize to the lucky winners of the gold star for best settler of the week and a phone call home? See this isn’t as exploitive as it sounds (note the sarcasm).

I can safely say I won’t watch this show again. From a marketing stand point, this first night was a success and is no doubt water cooler chatter for the day. I found it slightly abusive to put the younger kids (8-11) on their own. There were way too many tears and sniffles for my comfort. The children were forced to confront fears for the sake of television. Not cool. It was encouraging to see them root for each other and question things but I don’t know that that makes riveting television unless one of the kids is yours. It was scary to see the characteristics of their parents in their actions and words. These children had a lot of anxiety, neurosis and stress. I also have a sneaking suspicion that half of the cast is kid actors waiting for their big Disney break. They were a bit too camera ready.

What did you think of Kid Nation?

Instant Karma

I wasn’t going to talk about this because I find O.J. Simpson to be a slick and disgusting character but I can’t help but comment. I think it was a lot to stomach his smug attitude during the trial of his slain ex-wife. Not to mention the juicy but lurid details of their marriage and divorce. It was painful to watch her family agonize. So, with that years behind us and finally getting used to the fact that he still walks freely among us, he’s at it again. With brazen stupidity, he’s managed to find trouble with the law again over stolen memorabilia. I can’t help but feel this is some sort of cosmic payback – karma or is it just life.

There are many celebrities that seem to be going through a down swing. Not that I’m particularly happy to see anyone going through hardship. However, when it’s a celebrity there’s a little bit of relief. That even with the ritzy mansion, perfect smile and million-dollar payday, they still have troubles. Call me wicked but it makes them more human and therefore I feel less resentful for their embarrassment of riches (or what most of us perceive as riches).

So who else has come under the control of the karma police? Here’s a look at my nominations:

Britney Spears

Let me go on record and I’ve probably said this before, poor Brit Brit has gone from amusing to tragic in two marriages, two children, a divorce and one unfortunate performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. It’s time for an intervention. But was this latest turn due to bad decisions or the fact that she entered into a relationship with a man whose girlfriend was 8 months pregnant with their second child.

Paris Hilton

How much partying can you do before you’re in the slammer with a DUI? Good question. Ask PH. Honestly believing you are entitled to re-write the law can be disappointing when you find out that you can’t. You’re not above the law even if you’re name is on a chain of luxury hotels.

Lindsey Lohan

There seems to be a lot of forces going against this girl – abusive family life, drug addict father and a desperate stage mom. This seems to be a strong cocktail to drink. Once again, you can only party so much before reality sets in and you have to spend more that a couple of weeks in rehab while you film a movie. How the hell does that work?

Who do you think is another casualty of karma or simply life?

And the Emmy Goes To ...

Dear hearts, I’m proud to say I didn’t break tradition in spite of lackluster years in watching the Emmys. Sure it was long. Like the Oscars without the occasional production numbers for Best Song but it held my attention for the three plus hours it aired. I wasn’t expecting much more from host Ryan Seacrest than he provided, his usual affable personality and vast knowledge of celebrities. He didn’t have to do much besides the opening monologue, which he seemed to share with Ray Romano. He came out and made a few clever quips and disappeared. I did find it amusing that he managed to out himself in that short amount of time. Remembering the star’s designers is one thing knowing the maker of a specific shoe is NOT something on which straight men capitalize. The Tudor outfit was just the icing on the cake especially when he joked about keeping it.

The awards ceremony in the round must have seemed like a groundbreaking concept in theory but just led to the running joke of the evening. No one really wants to see the back of someone’s head all night. Even if it was styled by Frederic Fekkai. Don’t get me wrong the stage was beautiful and I loved the round screen that lifted off the floor to reveal presenters. Another concept that was lost on the audience until Seacrest brought it up was the idea that the ceremony was green. News to us. We couldn’t tell the carpet was made of recycled bottles.

Overall the Emmys were ambition but way to long. It was chock full with teary acceptance speeches and genuine emotion. There were a lot of surprise winners and others that lacked drama. Face it, if you’re in a category with Robert Duvall, Judy Davis or Helen Mirren, you need to hang it up. I loved that America Ferrera won for Ugly Betty and 30 Rock for Best Comedy. Jeremy Piven of Entourage is always a favorite of mine. I was rooting for Hugh Laurie (House) and Masi Oka (Heroes).

Here’s a few of the night’s highlights:

Get the @#*& Out of Here

There was more cursing than a sanitation worker’s union meeting. You know things are crazy when Gidget gets bleeped. Katherine Heigl accepts here much-deserved win but not before she mouths an obscenity. And you thought MTV had cornered the market on vulgarity. The swearing actually kept me interested.

Best Acceptance Speech

Post partum Jaime Pressley gave an emotional speech that was short but simple and encompassed the struggle of her career. It was heartfelt when she thanked her management team who believed in the little engine that could.

Most Confusing Dress

Young Hayden Panettiere’s dress was a ball of confusion. The puffy bottom had way too much volume to be considered fashionable. While I applaud her adult choice, it didn’t work.

The Young and the Restless

I was trying to make sense out of Conan O’Brien’s wrinkly face. He looked like Father Time. On the other hand, Cicely Tyson looked a good 30 years younger than her real age. I guess it is true that black don’t crack.

Best Dressed

America Ferrera was a stand out in a blue number that hugged her curves dangerously close. Katherine Heigl channeled old Hollywood glamour complete with white Harlow-esque dress and red lips. Mariska Hartigay and Felicity Huffman were also dressed to impress.

Child Endangerment?

I know she hasn’t gone public with her pregnancy but I’m hoping that the ever-bronzed Christina Aguilera will take a break from her spray tanning while she’s pregnant. I’m sure the baby would appreciate it.

Best Put Down

I think we (Americans) were dissed by Dame Mirren but in true British fashion she managed to make it sound almost like a compliment. She had us laughing at her dig. That's the sign of a true stateswoman.

What were your favorite moments of the night?

What tops your list?

I just read the funniest thing about Elizabeth Taylor. I don’t know why this struck me as funny but it did and also exposes my warped sense of humor. You be the judge. Read here. I don’t know if it’s more amusing that she’s makin’ with men or that the guy is black, something that would have killed her career at its height.

My good buddy JR passed me this interesting list of the Time magazine’s 100 best TV shows ever. We have this ritual of taking anything from Emmy nominations and Kennedy Center Honoree lists and picking them apart. We’re a better dressed Siskel & Ebert. I’d like to think that we hone our pop culture street cred with these practices but we might just a tad bit bitchy and opinionated. Whatever the reason, we adore the banter.

The list is peppered with the usual I Love Lucy, MASH and Roots. I love the off beat additions of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (watched it but was too young to get it), Arrested Development, SOAP and Pee Wee’s Playhouse (I spent many a Saturday waiting for the Secret Word).

HOWEVER, and you know where this is going, I noticed a few shows that could have been added to this list.

Good Times

This was America’s first real glimpse into black urban life. Though it was played for laughs, they still tackled current issues. It’s also important to note that it was mainstream network that took the chance on airing the program. It ranks up there with All in the Family, which was superior in showing a racist/conservative character that you ended up loving.

Laverne and Shirley

I just had to add this because it is one of my favorite TV shows of all time. It produced memorable characters that are still hilarious today.

The Grinch That Stole Christmas

You could argue this as the best Christmas cartoon ever especially since it’s still played every December. I music is iconic and the miserable Grinch is one of the best all time villains.

Hereos

I know it may be too early to add but I think there’s an argument for its addition. Not only from a storytelling point of view and creativity. It is also a marketing genius.

Who do you think is missing from the list?

Odds and Ends

The news has been jam packed with little stories that have stayed on my mind. And I don’t mean the usual trivial Lindsey or Paris updates. Here’s a quick run down on what has been on my mind.

It’s Time to Have a Baby

Not me. I still have a ways to go. I’m referring to the random (yet wanted and happy) pregnancies of Salma Hayak and now Halle Berry. Not taking anything away from their joy but every woman is familiar with the clicking biological clock and the ever-present message that you’re getting older and therefore better have a baby before your eggs and ovaries dry up. It’s kinda like Eddie Murphy and Warren Beatty taking a break from whoring around and deciding it’s time to settle down. With both woman looking at the other side of 40, that clock ticks loudly for all to hear. I know being a first time mom at 36. This may not seem old but in mommy years, I’m playing catch up.

There Goes the Neighborhood

I don’t know if Barbara Walters thought closely about putting two black women on The View panel. Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepherd (who was brilliant on Everyone Loves Raymond and Less Than Perfect) were inspired choices. Combined that are clever, witty and ten time less annoying that Rosie. I may have to start putting the sistas on my TiVo season pass.

Sweet Nectar of the Gods

Oprah is back! Yippee. By now, you all know I don’t want to be Oprah but want to be more Oprah-esque. She kicked off the season with my favorite smart ass David Letterman. I’ve been a fan from when he was on the other network. I even got my mother watching him. I adore his dry since of humor and warped mind. I also relate to his private reclusive nature. The show was insightful with Oprah pulling gems from the gap toothed talk show host in between his jokes and half answers. The last segment was reserved for the lackluster yet underwhelming performance by Lisa Marie Presley with papa Elvis. They sang In the Ghetto, which is one of my mother’s favorite Elvis songs. I could have done without the pairing but applaud the effort.

What’s on your mind today?

VMAs Hit Sin City

Yes, I watched the MTV Video Music Awards and YES, Britney Spears was the train wreck that everyone is saying she was. The tradition of watching the video awards goes back to when Madonna was young nubile and writhing around the stage in a wedding dress. I’ve seen the highs and the lows over the years. It’s always entertaining but it just dawned on me that I may be getting too old for the awards ceremony or MTV has run out of tricks. Or maybe a combination of the two. Just like they seem to have run out of music programming, which Justin Timberlake pointed out several times last night, they might have run out of clever interesting ways to present the Video Music Awards.

It was a stroke of marketing genius for The Palms to offer their hotel. You can’t buy that kind of exposure. Between MTV and E!’s The Girls Next Door, The Palms has established itself as the cool place to stay in Las Vegas. It was also smart to move the VMAs to Sin City, which has its own built in atmosphere and hype. However, the awards call for a bigger stage and better blocked performance.

This year, MTV tried to sell us on the idea of private VIP parties. Great. BUT, we only caught snippets of performances, bad audio and even worse camera work trying to catch all the action. It was like being inside a mosh pit. The best performances of the night were with the Foo Fighters unfortunately, we only caught a few minutes of performance. I really wanted to see their rendition of the Prince gem Darling Nikki with Cee-Lo.

Here’s a quick look at my picks for best and worse moments:

Not Ready for Primetime Player

Poor Brit Brit sleepwalked through her so-so performance. I’ve never seen her energy so low during a performance. I expected an over-the-top extravaganza with lots of dancers, animals and fireworks. She barely moved hips or her lips to the track. If this was her great comeback, it failed miserably.

I Still Don’t Get Here

I know Sara Silverman is extremely popular and seen as provocative but I don’t get her humor when it comes to individuals. She’s funny on topics but when she rips into a person, it’s uncomfortable and nasty. Beyond my usual snarky seal of approval. Her little bit went sour the minute she started calling Britney’s kids mistakes. Ouch!!

Best Non-Televised Event

I sure as hell have to find the Kid Rock/Tommy Lee brawl on the internet. I love it and I love the fact that it wasn’t two rappers. It’s no secret why they were fighting. I just want to see it personally. How rock n’ roll.

Guilty Pleasure

The Mark Ronson interludes were inspiring but my favorite was Adam Levine. The man whore continues to be my not so secret guilty pleasure. I love his voice, phrasing and vibe. Wipe off the slimey coat and I would have dated him in my 20s.

Best Dancer

Watch out Usher and JT. There’s a young buck nipping at your heels. Chris Brown gave the most explosive dance performance of the night. I was disappointed that he didn’t sing live, he always does but his footwork was impeccable. I actually expected (or hoped) that Michael Jackson would come out when the strands of Billie Jean started playing.

What did you love or hate at the VMAs?

Everyone Loves a Good Show

Sorry for the long break in between entries but I just got finished watching the Justin Timberlake concert from Monday night. If you happened to miss the hoopla of the HBO concert event, it was like a retro MC Hammer concert with the cast of High School Musical. There were hip-hop dancers colliding with R & B crooners singing their heart out to the funk band in the center of the chaos. All of this was held together remarkably well by JT himself. Very edgy yet very controlled. Let’s put it this way. I was transfixed for 37 minutes before what I can only imagine was a migraine started to set in. I spent the next 1½ hours flipping back and forth hoping for glimpses of my favorite songs.

I enjoyed the ambition of the concert and the experience he was attempting to give the viewers. My only issue was with the music of the second album. It all sounds the same. At times I had trouble distinguishing one song from another. I enjoyed the more eclectic sounds of the debut Justified album. Anyway, I thought he worked the hell out of it for a reformed boy bander and showed that if he’s able to grow musically, he may be around for a while.

I like HBO’s idea of showing you a great concert in the comfort of your home. No screaming teens, overpriced tickets and jammed parking lot. But there is nothing like the real deal. I’ve forgone live concerts in the last years because as I age and become more crotchety, I like crowds less and less. I still have a few dream concerts including Sade, Prince (old school songs only), U2, No Doubt, Madonna, James Taylor, ABBA and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

With that said, I’ve also seen some amazing concerts. Here are a few that top my list:

Marc Anthony

Let me preface this by saying that I’ve been a fan of his for roughly12 years. Before JLo. I’ve seen him three times in concert. The best was a tiny nightclub in North Miami. He went on at 1 a.m. and didn’t leave for another 2 ½ hours. It was magical. He is my favorite male vocalist.

Luther Vandross

I may be the only teenager whose mother took them to see Luther. This was back in the 80s and he was medium Luther as opposed to thin Luther and fat Luther. He had that velvety smooth R & B voice that is missing from today’s radio. He sounded just like the record only better. Small concession: he used to turn the air off when he sang.

Menudo

I was already outgrowing the teen heartthrobs but when they came to Cleveland I made my mom take me. To this day I remember the Molly Ringwald-esque outfit I wore complete with white skirt, oversized pastel print, pink socks and mint green heals. I also remember that they sang Huey Lewis’ Hip to be Square and Madonna’s Isla Bonita.

What was the most memorable concert you’ve seen or are you still waiting for the dream concert?