I am very cautious when it comes to award winning and critically acclaimed movies. I am still bitter at checking out Crash after it garnered an Academy Award for best movie only for it to be the worst thing I have ever seen on film (naturally it ended winning the top honors that year). So I wasn’t quick to check out one of the most critically acclaimed movies of last year, Gran Torino. If fact the only reason why I did was because I had a free rental for Redbox, but there was some slim pickings, it was either that or An American Carol.
What the pretentious critics failed to mention in their reviews was how Gran Torino basically was the feel good racist movie, possibly not of just last years, but for all of the 00’s. Basically the movie was a hundred minutes of Clint Eastwood (Space Cowboys) spouting every racial slur you could think of, and even some I have never even heard before. I am not sure it was the intent of the movie to be so funny, but I laughed throughout.
Certainly the critics didn’t enjoy the movie for its possible humor but how the movie depicted urban plight and the artsy ending. As for the urban plight, the movie centers around Eastwood after the death of his wife stuck in Detroit with just his dog to keep him company after the middle class moved out of the city, including his sons who currently reside in McMansions with their disrespectful offspring, with minorities replacing them.
It is the Hmong neighbors that take a liking to him after standing up to local gang members that are harassing them. It is the daughter of the family (Ahneh Her in her first ever role and steals every scene she is in) that despite getting called ever name Eastwood can think of invites him over for a family cookout. Luckily for the viewers, he is out of beer and is promised that dog isn’t on the menu so he decides to take her up on the offer.
For anyone who gets upsets at getting called named, pay close attention to the scene where Eastwood takes the Hmong boy to his barber (played by Drew Carey’s cross-dressing brother). For those that don’t just sit back and enjoy the feel good racist movie of the decade.
Sometimes you have to wonder if producers have some sort of IMDB randomizer to decide what crappy remake they are going to do next. Seriously, is anyone clamoring for a TJ Hooker movie? The latest randomizer apparently landed on 10 Things I Hate About You, the late nineties modern adaptation of Taming of the Shrew. So for those keeping track at home, it is a play made into a movie, made into a television series.
The names and characters remain the same from the movie, but the circumstances have changed a little as it is the Stratford sisters are the new ones at the school. But the big rule of Bianca not being able to date until Kat does is still in place, but on the television show it doesn’t look like either will be doing so anytime soon.
One of the major problems with this reboot is the acting. Both Ethan Peck (he has a grandfather named Gregory) as Patrick and Dana Davis (Prom Night) as Chastity try too hard to be cool, or at least too cool for school. Nicholas Braun (Princess Protection Program) is likeable enough but his AV friend is just straight up annoying. While Lindsey Shaw (Aliens in America) has her moments, like the Kim Jong-Il reference, but still has yet to find a footing in the role yet.
The writing isn’t that engaging either. The show doesn’t quite decide yet if it just wants stretch out the storyline of the movie or plot its own course. And though it seems like it wants to match the mix of comedy and drama that fellow channel show Greek does, but is rarely funny or has anything to emotionally invest in just yet.
The only redeeming qualities of the first episode are the always reliable Larry Miller (10 Things I Hate About You) who reprises his role as the overcautious dad who dishes out a pretty ingenious punishment to one of his daughters. The other being Meaghan Jette Martin (Camp Rock) who is just cute as a button (I am choosing my words very carefully here as not to raise the attention of Chris Hansen) and has the daunting task of filling the shoes of Alex Mac k and does a decent job doing so.
It is possible that the show can iron out its problems quite quickly and turn into a likeable younger version of Greek, but personally I may pass and wait until the inevitable televised version of She's All That.
10 Things I Hate About You airs Tuesdays at 8:00 on ABC Family. For those that cannot wait until tonight, or just want to watch the show without commercials, you can currently download the Pilot for free on iTunes.
Before I get into some press releases you may be into that have found their way into my inbox, let me remind you that you have until Friday to enter the Ice Road Truckers DVD Prize Package. Click the link for more information on how to enter and full rules. Also here are this week’s TV Blog Coalition links of the week:
The group dance on the So You Think You Can Dance results show was a perfect time to show the differences in camerawork from the Canadian version. Vance shows an example, plus discusses Top 14 week. (Tapeworthy)
This week, Jace proposed that not all culinary-themed television series are created equal, ranking such series as Bravo's Top Chef Masters, BBC America's F Word, Food Network's Chopped, and FOX's Hell's Kitchen. (Televisionary)
As The Fashion Show reaches its halfway point, Dan discovered the cause of all the chew marks on the show's scenery -- useless co-host Kelly Rowland. (TiFaux)
Matt can't believe that Showtime has pulled off a half-hour drama. But Nurse Jackie does it well. (TV Fanatic)
This week GMMR & Ducky posted not one, but two new podcasts for your listening pleasure. Check out our So You Think You Can Dance Top 14 podcast as well as our latest summer viewing podcast in which we talk about True Blood, Nurse Jackie, Supernatural and more. (The TV Talk Podcast)
Buzz is giving away a trip for two to the So You Think You Can Dance finale! All you have to do is test your SYTYCD trivia knowledge to be entered. (BuzzSugar)
- It looks like Josh Ranall will be stick around on Raising the Bar awhile as Michelle’s beau although I am not sure I want to see Dr. Mike Burton as a crooked cop. But I do want to see more of John Michael Higgins and they will both be back tonight. Here is a preview of that episode:
- Animal Planet’s Untamed and Uncut retuned last week and if you missed it, here is a clip from last night’s episode (be warned it can get intense) and remember new episodes air at 9:00 on Sundays:
- Another show that recently premiered a new season was Hooked on National Geographic Channel. Below is a clip of last week’s premiere and you can catch a new episode tonight at 10:00:
- For those of you out there that are Project Runway fans, Newsweek is currently running a question submission for an upcoming interview of the judges for the show. Head over to http://www.facebook.com/Newsweek to submit your questions. And while you are there, be sure to let Newsweek know their new format looks like a crappy yearbook layout.
- I would also like to point out that Dead Like Me recently hit Hulu just weeks after I bought the complete series. On the bright side I also got the movie along with the set and it currently isn’t on Hulu. But anyway you catch it, I highly recommend checking out the show for yourself. You can watch the Pilot below or head over to the Dead Like Me page on Hulu:
Before I get into the best of the past week, let me remind you to enter the Ice Road Trucker Giveaway where you can pick up the first two seasons on DVD and more. Click the banner to the left to see how to enter.
Quote of the Week: Save it for your inevitable reality show. If Mr. Stone does work for God I’m not going to chance damnation by disqualifying him. (Judge Marcia Phelps – Eli Stone)
Big News of the Week: Michael Jackson: After passing away late last week, Jackson dominated the news this week which I am sure Mark Sanford was happy to see happen. And that looks to continue with his public viewing next week and funeral. His death even highlighted how bad the record business is these days as four of his albums outsold the Top 200 number one album last week. And are there really that many people out there that didn’t already have a copy of Thriller or were those just people updating their cassettes, vinyl, or 8-track to CD or digital?
Kings: What I don’t understand is why didn’t the Queen have the chick that was blackmailing her killed? She’s the Queen. Certainly there is someone loyal enough to her that would do that and get her back all the incriminating evidence. You can stream current episodes over at NBC.com. You can also download Kings on iTunes.
Eli Stone: So by sleeping with Eli, Maggie was able to over him? Huh? Doesn’t that women more clingy? If only that worked in the real world. You can stream current episodes over at ABC.com. You can also download Eli Stone on iTunes.
Charm School with Ricki Lake: Well that was anticlimactic. Bay Bay Bay is given the chance to bring somebody back, which she never should have in the first place, just to agonize over it and in the end doesn’t do so. You can also download Charm School with Ricki Lake on iTunes.
Rescue Me: Hopefully just because Garrity is awake he will still be pumped up with enough drugs to give us a couple more musical numbers. Or maybe have Teddy try to suffocate him again. But what a disturbing ending with Tommy burning himself. Hopefully that doesn’t get revisited. You can stream current episodes over at Hulu.
The Philanthropist: Nice little history lesson with some entertainment. Surprising though, that after much discussion that Burma is the better name, Myanmar was the name of the episode. This episode was hurt a little by the recent news story about how some nut job was able to swim to the house and stayed the night. You can stream current episodes over at NBC.com. You can also download The Philanthropist on iTunes.
Free Download of the Week: Pilot - 10 Things I Hate About You (iTunes): ABC Family has always been good about free downloads and now you can get the premiere of their new show 10 Things I Hate About You for free before it even airs and in HD. Want more free stuff from the network? You can also download the first episode of their other new show, Make it or Break It for free and in HD.
Deal of the Week: TV Under $15 (Sledge Hammer!, The Lone Gunmen, King of the Hill)
Next Week Pick of the Week: Eli Stone, Saturday at 10:00 on ABC: Only two episodes left. And just when you thought being banished to Saturday wasn’t bad enough, having the second to last episode air on July Fourth is just mean. But I guess that is why God gave us a VCR (or Tivo’s for you pretentious types).And it will also will be available on the network’s website. Which gets me thinking, when exactly is ABC going to add their shows to Hulu?
There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.
Here is a song that I want to link more than I do. I absolutely despise auto-tune and having one of the most prevalent rappers of the decade in Jay-Z come out against it would vindicate my hatred. But like much of his post-retirement songs, it falls a little flat when you put it up against his classics.
Another reason why the Jay-Z doesn’t fully work is that he got beat to to ripping the Steam chorus by lightweight Kristinia DeBarge who pretty much killed any credibility the word swagger had left in this song. And to answer the question everyone is thinking, yes she is an offspring of a member of 80’s greats DeBarge (don’t tell me you don’t remember Rhythm of the Night or the theme to Short Circuit, Who’s Johnny. And don’t tell me you don’t remember Short Circuit).
About a week ago a buddy of mine told me to be on the lookout for a new Leighton Meesters to hit the web soon and, um, this is a bit disappointing if this is what he was talking about. Apparently no one involved in the song got Jay-Z’s memo. In the range of television personalities turned singers, Meetsters’ singing ability probably lands somewhere between Jennifer Love Hewitt and Paris Hilton. And the dude from Cobra Starship is now in the running for biggest douche of 2009.
There seems to be a lot of Teen Wolf in pop culture lately, the latest being the video by Jet, to the point I wonder how soon until we get a remake starring McLovin as The Wolf and Ellen Paige as Boof. Actually, I might watch that.
Twenty years ago this month saw the release of one of the truly classic movies in cinematic history. No I am not refereeing to Batman, Ghostbusters II, Lethal Weapon 2 or even Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, all of which landed in the top ten grossing movies of that year. I am talking about a movie that may not have even cracked the top one hundred that year, but still manages to be inducted into the Scooter Hall of Fame: UHF starting and written by “Weird Al” Yankovic.
For a decade, Al had been putting smiles on our faces with his witty parodies of songs, so UHF seemed like a natural progression for Al to lampoon movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark (The Last Crusade was the highest grossing film of 1989), television like The Beverly Hillbillies and even commercials like Spatula City. Sadly the film did so poorly; the movie remains the only one he has ever written.
UHF is also noteworthy as it featured a relatively unknown actor named Michael Richards who would later that year get cast as Cosmo Kramer in Seinfeld. No word if Jerry saw UHF and decided to add the simple minded janitor turned children show host to his cast, but I will just go on living my life thinking so.
Naturally being a “Weird Al” vehicle, there was an accompanying album which featured the previously mentioned Beverly Hillbillies which was put to the tune of Money for Nothing by Dire Straits. Tone Loc got his own television twist with the Gilligan’s Island themed Isle Thing. There were even some of the ads from the movies that made it into the soundtrack like the trailer for the action flick Gandhi II. There was also the token food song with R.E.M.’s Stand being converted to Spam and the prerequisite polka set to Rolling Stone tunes.
(Scooter's Note: This contest has ended. Congratulations to Angie in Indiana for winning the DVD's. Check back later for more contests.)
As the mercury keeps on rising this summer, one way to cool down is to crank the air conditioner and tune into History on Sundays at 9:00 for literally the coolest show on television Ice Road Truckers. And if that is not enough for you, there is also an Ice Road Truckers app that you can download on iTunes for free (if you haven’t already as 35,000 people did in its first week). For those that want even more I am giving away an Ice Road Truckers prize pack that includes:
- American Originals (Which includes Season 1 of Ice Road Truckers and On and Off the Ice on DVD)
To enter the contest, send me an e-mail me, ScooterKSU(at)aol(dot)com (subject: Ice Road Trucker), and tell me what was the toughest job you ever had. Be creative and keep in mind it doesn’t have to be a paid profession. The contest ends Friday, July 10 at 11:59 PM EST. The winner will be picked at random from all eligible entries and will be contacted shortly after. Also this contest is only open to people with shipping addresses in the United States.
If you would like to double up your chances of winning, the good people over at TVScreener.com are also hosting a contest.
For more information on Ice Road Truckers, head over to History.com. You can also check there complete list of American Original DVD Sets. And you can also download season three episodes of Ice Road Truckers on iTunes after they are as well as season two and the most dangerous episodes for those that do not win the contest.
Samuel L. Jackson is back for his fourth ESPY hosting gig which remains one of the most entertaining award shows of the year. Two awards we already know that will be given out July 19 are The Arthur Ashe Courage Award will be given to Nelson Mandela while Don Meyer will pick up the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. Usually an award voted on by fans, Dana Torres has already been announced as the Best Comeback. For those that are still being voted on by the general public, head over to ESPN.com. For my thoughts on the major categories, check out below:
Best Male Athlete Kobe Bryant, NBA LeBron James, NBA Jimmie Johnson, Auto Racing Michael Phelps, Swimming
Who I Voted For: Michael Phelps Who Will Win: Michael Phelps
Odd no football players made it this year. When I first saw this list I thought that Michael Phelps should win but may not because of his scandal. But then I realized he just got caught with a bong, not to sound like Manny Ramirez, but it’s not like he raped anyone.
Who I Voted For: Natalie Coughlin Who Will Win: Nastia Liukin
In Olympic years we judge our athletes by gold and Coughlin has gotten her fair share of them in her lifetime even if they have much more chances to grab them in any other sports. Had their not been a Michael Phelps she would have been the dominate story in the first week.
Best Championship Performance Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies Michael Phelps, Olympic Swimming Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, Olympic Beach Volleyball
Who I Voted For: Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Who Will Win: Kobe Bryant
Didn’t Kobe Bryant lose a game all by himself during the finals? Many they thought he made up for that by not getting called for an elbow at the end of the game Derek Fisher won. I’ll go with the team that won 108 straight matches.
Best Breakout Athete Shawn Johnson, Olympic Gymnastics Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
Who I Voted For: Matt Ryan Who Will Win: Evan Longoria
Maybe the hardest category. I gave the edge to Longoria because he got further in the playoffs and to make up for all the Eva jokes I made all year.
Best Record Breaking Performance Usain Bolt, Olympic Sprinter Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals Phil Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers Michael Phelps, Olympic Swimmer
Who I Voted For: Usain Bolt Who Will Win: Michael Phelps
Quick: what record(s) did Fitzgerald break? I didn’t know either. As much as I hated his antics, I had to go with Bolt. Dude pounded his chest with ten meters to go and still broke the record. Oh and Fitzgerald broke Jerry Rice’s records for receptions and reception years.
Best Upset Mine That Bird wins the Kentucky Derby Oregon State stuns then #1 USC Tampa Bay Rays win the American League Championship Series US Soccer shocks Spain in the Confederations Cup semifinals
Who I Voted For: US Soccer Who Will Win: Tampa Bay Rays
Upsets happen all in the Derby and College Football. This one is hard to gauge between USA and Tampa Bay. Here you have two “ever’s.” First time Tampa Bay ever was above .500 and ended up making the World Series. The US beat their first ever world number one. Unfortunately they both fell short in the championship game.
Best Game Federer vs. Nadal in the 2008 Wimbledon Final Steelers vs. Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII Syracuse vs. Connecticut in the Big East Tournament Quarterfinals
Who I Voted For: Federer vs. Nadal Who Will Win: Steelers vs. Cardinals
Not only was the tennis match the best “game” this year, it may even be the best ever tennis match. The Super Bowl doesn’t even ranking the top five as the first half was horribly boring. Six overtimes is a cool novelty, but in the end, that’s all it is when it is not part of the big dance.
Best Moment Florida’s Tim Tebow’s speech Helio Castroneves wins the Indy 500 US swim team wins thrilling finish in Olympic relay
Who I Voted For: US swim team Who Will Win: US swim team
What a sad list. Certainly there were better moments than this over the past year. The swim team was the only on the edge of your seat moment here and the only part of Michael Phelps’ run that lived up to the hype.
Best Play Ovechkin vs. Rangers Pacquiao KO’s Hatton Roethlisberger to Holmes Super Bowl Winning TD Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree makes game-winning catch vs. Texas
Who I Voted For: Ovechkin vs. Rangers Who Will Win: Roethlisberger to Holmes
Best Team Connecticut Women’s Basketball Los Angeles Lakers North Carolina Men’s Basketball Philadelphia Phillies Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Steelers Who I Voted For: Pittsburgh Penguins Who Will Win: Pittsburgh Steelers
I live in a city that hasn’t seen a championship in my lifetime and here is a city that had two in one year. I hate Pittsburgh. But the Penguins won two game sevens on opponent’s ice in the playoffs.
That is ten of the thirty-seven awards. Head over to ESPN.com to see all the individual sports nominees including how Micky Rourke can pick up one after getting snubbed by the Oscars.
I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Raising the Bar, Trauma, The Office, Nurse Jackie, Sons of Anarchy, and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
- After checking out the clip of tomorrow’s all new Raising the Bar (10:00 on TNT), one can only hope that Chris Hansen is involved somehow:
- NBC.com recently released promos for the upcoming shows, head over there to check them all out. Below is the one for Trama, the show I am most looking forward to:
- NBC has been compiling a bunch of The Office lists, the latest being The Best of the Accountants head over to NBC.com to check those out are watch the video below to see what the cast thinks is the best:
- Next Saturday is July 4 so expect a bunch of marathons. Over on Showtime startring at 8:00 the network is showing all the Nurse Jackie episodes. Granted I am not sure if two hours can constitute a marathon.
- The new season of Sons of Anarchy is coming in September and to get ready for the return, there is going to be a Sons of Anarchy Ride Free or Die Tour that will be traveling the country offering fans the chance to experience a replica of the notorious SAMCRO clubhouse complete with official show props. The exhibit will also includes sneak peeks at the new season, customized giveaways and prizes. For tour stops visit FXNetworks.com. Also the first season will be out August 19 on DVD and Blu Ray.
- For those that wanted to know who won I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! but didn’t want to sit through the whole episode, check out the clip below:
- Also, be on the lookout this week as I may have a little something extra special to give to some lucky reader.
Quote of the Week: I can’t believe you got Feinberg in your corner. It’s like the Jets and the Sharks joining forces and becoming one giant gay, dancing, singing street gang. (Ken, Rescue Me)
Big News of the Week: Bryan Fuller Leaves Heroes… Again: One of the many sad stories that came out of the cancelation of Pushing Daisies was that series mastermind began slumming it again on Heroes. But as he told Ain’t it Cool News, he will be likely creating two pilots for NBC Universal. No work on what either of those may be, but one would assume the lead female will have a dude’s name (George, Jaye, Chuck). Speaking of the George portion, I started watching Dead Like Me recently, currently into the second season. Certainly below Wonderfalls in the Bryan Fuller pantheon, but I still haven’t decided if I like it more than Pushing Daisies yet. But certainly worth a look if you do not have anything better to watch this summer.
Coalition Links of the Week: With network TV ratings on the decline, Buzz wondered if you — yes, you! — are watching less TV this Summer than usual. (BuzzSugar)
Other than So You Think You Can Dance, Vance didn't have much time to watch TV last week because he was out in the park watching Twelfth Night starring Anne Hathaway, Raul Esparza (Pushing Daisies), Audra McDonald (Private Practice), Hamish Linklater (New/Old Christine) and more. (Tapeworthy)
This week, Jace offered an elegy for ABC's canceled The Unusuals and offered advance reviews of FOX's Virtuality and the first four episodes of HBO's Hung. (Televisionary)
After this week's episode of Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, Sara has the irresistible urge to become BFFs with Kathy and Paula Deen. (TiFaux)
Eric is so glad that Lafayette is back for season two of True Blood and even happier to find out how he gets out of imprisonment this week. (TV Fanatic)
Kings: So did Silas make a deal with Death (what, no George Lass?) who for some reason wears a cowbell in the form of piano that he would step aside willing (presumably for Mr. Boston) or will be taken by her? And just as puzzling is the princess being promised to God yet not a nun. Alrighty. You can stream current episodes over at NBC.com. You can also download Kings on iTunes.
Eli Stone: Much like Pushing Daisies, it was a little hard getting back into the show knowing there will only be two more after this. But once the car pulled up to Eli’s house to reveal a road trip, I was drawn back in. What is sad that after a second season let down after a superb first one, we finally get the first great episode right before getting pulled. You can stream current episodes over at ABC.com. You can also download Eli Stone on iTunes.
Merlin: I sat down to check the series out only to find golf. I understand you don’t cut into golf to air new programming, but couldn’t NBC put in a scroll saying Merlin will start in “X” amount of minute or after this hole or just have the announcers acknowledge that golf is running over thanks to the rain delay? So I waited a minute or two and just ended up watching a couple more episodes of Dead Like Me. I may catch Merlin on Hulu sometime this weekend if the weather is crappy.
Rescue Me: Hopefully Garrity stays in a coma for a while so we can get a couple more musical numbers. The fruit song may be the funniest thing ever that nobody should have been laughing at. You can stream current episodes over at Hulu.
The Philanthropist: NBC managed not to blow the premiere of this show. It reminded me a little like Kings in that they both have a big scope to them and at times are too big for their own good. And they certainly get heavy handed at times (seriously, Teddy’s dead son leads him to the village?). But the show is defiantly likeable. You can stream current episodes over at NBC.com. You can also download The Philanthropist on iTunes.
Video of the Week: We have hit the oversaturation point for vampires I am actually glad they are rebooting Buffy the Vampire Slayer, even if it is without Joss Whedon, so she could come back to slay all the Twilight, True Blood and the sure to be unwatchable new CW show vampires as well all their annoying fan. As for supernatural fair, sign me up for the upcoming Zombieland which looks from the trailer like it will battle Snakes on a Plane as the greatest horrible movie of the decade (and I mean that as a good thing, check out my review of SoaP: I Have Had it with These Mother(Expletive Deleted) Snakes on This Mother(Expletive Deleted) Plane).
Next Week Pick of the Week: Nothing: Fourth of July is next Saturday, enjoy the outdoors.
As anyone who grew up during the eighties, Michael Jackson was a huge part of that. It all started with Thriller, the album and the song. Or more specifically the music video. No one did appointment video premieres like Michael Jackson and that started with Thriller, which should be considered more of a short film than a music video. And that continued with the premieres of Bad, Black or White, and Remember the Time all of which attracted A-list talent. He would even release legitimate short films with Moonwalker and Captain Emo.
As a kid in grade school at the time, we all tried to emulate Michael’s moves especially the Moonwalker. Jackson was even nice enough to put the steps of some of his moves in the liner notes for Bad. Even going into high school, I was excited when my choir picked Will You Be There to perform and I even volunteered to recite closing monologue as I knew it by heart despite it be erroneously missing from the sheet music. Unfortunately the choir didn’t take me up on this offer.
Sadly kids of today do not fully understand how popular Michael Jackson was during the eighties. There hasn’t been a bigger star in the world since and his popularity may only be rivaled by The Beatles during their heyday. Jackson truly earned his moniker, the King of Pop. Mostly today’s youth just know him as a tabloid fodder who, along with O.J. Simpson created the popularity of twenty-four hour cable news. Certainly brought some of that attention on himself with some questionable behavior that pretty much derailed his career since the mid-nineties along with some lingering health problems that kept him from performing for many year. Those health problems looked to have done him in just as he was about to launch one last concert string in London.
Michael Jackson was fifty years old. Below is a live version of Will You Be There circa the Dangerous tour:
In our darkest hour, in my deepest despair. Will you still care? Will you be there? In my trials and my tribulations, through our doubts and frustrations. In my violence, in my turbulence, through my fear and my confessions, in my anguish and my pain. Through my joy and my sorrow, in the promise of another tomorrow. I'll never let you part for you're always in my heart.
There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.
I guess these are the two characters that Green Day chronicles throughout their new album and even recreate the album cover for good measure. The song is still a Boulavard of Broken Dreams retread.
Like I mentioned during my review of her latest album (see: I Am a Weapon of Massive Consumption) Lily Allen randomly ripping on George Bush after he is out of office is just bad form. But the special effects are pretty cool and the video as a whole comes off as a less creepy version of Smack My (Expletive Deleted) Up.
For his fourth group of the decade, Street Sweeper Social Club, it sounds like Tom Morello splits the difference between Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave. But it is hard to take any social statement away from a video when it stars the dude from Road Trip and the chick from Joey.
You would think if you went into the studio with as diverse producers as Jeff Lynne (ELO), David Kahne (Tony Bennett), Jacknife Lee (Snow Patrol), and Mike Elizondo (Eminem) you would come out with an eclectic groups of tracks. Yet for the third album by Regina Spektor with those for four producers all contributing, Far still sounds like classic Spektor with only those with the highest musical I.Q. would even come close to matching songs with the producer without peeking at the liner notes.
Far continues Spektor’s trend of quirky female piano pop that many people try but fail to get her recognition (it is no surprise that she recently recorded with her male counterpoint Ben Folds). Really, Spektor is the only person that could wax poetic about a DJ forgetting to take November Rain off of repeat and turn it into a kids sing a long for a video or turn heart and fall into fifteen syllable words. And that continues on the new album whether she is making dolphin sounds on Folding Chair, a chorus that just repeats the word Eet, lines about making computers out of macaroni (The Calculation) or creating a whole song about thumping through a stranger’s Wallet.
But the strangest of them all may be Dance Anthems of the 80’s which despite the title still has Spektor’s signature piano instead of the decade’s familiar synthesizer. And the oddness of the song is only outdone by the video for Dance Anthems of the 80’s. Spektor gets plenty existential on the album like on Blue Lips where the Adam and Eve verses work much better than the simplistic chorus. Or Laughing With where she takes a look at some of the more depressing creations God have given us like poverty, hospitals and natural disasters. While Machine is one of her more brooding song thanks to some heavy percussion and lyrics that deal with humans become one with them.
Concept albums are always a tricky situation, but Pete Yorn started off his career with a concept trilogy dealing with the times of the day: Musicforthemorningafter, The Day I Forgot, and Nightcrawler. The first two albums had their great moments signaling Yorn as the next great singer-songwriter from the Garden State making a niche as either a folksier version Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band era of a more rocking version of his Nebraska style of music.
But by the time he got around to finishing his trilogy, Yorn sounded like he was just spinning the tires with songs that sounded like his previous work but less adventurous. With the trilogy out of the way, there were high hopes for his fourth full length album Back & Fourth. Unfortunately is follows in the trend of Nightcrawler, a step backwards.
There are a few bright spots on the album like the depressing (in an entertaining, more melodic Ryan Adams kind of way) Social Development Dance where Yorn hears about the passing only to get no results when Google her name in quotations. Last Summer perfects Yorn’s ability to write hard driving emotion songs. But in the end, if you already have the first two Pete Yorn albums, there isn’t much need to pick up Back & Fourth.
Sometime filmmakers luck into good timing for a documentary. Such is the case for tonight’s Iran and the West on the National Geographic Channel thanks to all the chaos surrounding Iran’s recent election. None of the recent turmoil is profiled but there are still plenty to cover in the thirty years since the Ayatollah took power in the country. But where Iran and the West excels is with its unprecedented number of interviews they landed for the documentary, over forty on both sides including Vladimir Putin, two former Iranian presidents and Jimmy Carter.
Considering the first half hour is focused so much on how Carter dealt with the hostage crisis, it is a little disappointing that none of his successors chose to participate, but four of the recent secretary of state, George Shultz, Warren Christopher, Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell, fill in the holes. The documentary does a great job explained the contentious nature between Iran and the west, although Iran-Contra seemed to get glossed over with just a small reference. And even though he didn’t give an interview, current Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad makes an interesting cameo early on during the documentary.
Iran and the West premiere tonight at 9:00 on the National Geographic Channel. Check out a preview below involving Madeleine Albright that could explain why things haven’t gone very well over the past thirty years:
Considering they are remaking every movie these days because Hollywood has run out of ideas or are just too lazy to promote original ones, when they get around to ruining Animal House with Jonah Hill as Bruno, Michael Cera as Otter and Megan Fox as Katy we can rest in the solace that they can use a respectable replacement for Otis Day and the Nights in Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears.
Naturally the debut album from the band, Tell ‘em What Your Name Is! starts with the explosive Gunpower that sets the tone of the band’s garage soul. The song in drenched in horns and organ and a controlled scream by Lewis that is very reminiscent of the James Brown. But Brown was never this dirty as he always made sure every note was just right. The Honeybears just want to play.
Gunpower is followed up by Sugarfoot (who is the drummer of the Honeybears) which will be the most infectious song you will hear all year and cold even make the whitest of guy get up and dance. Filling out the rest of the Honeybears are Rooster Andrews (guitar), Big Show Varley (keyboards), Wild Card Bill (bass), and horns section of Slyder, McKnight the Night Train and Sleepy Ramirez.
Like the two songs that start off the album, most of Tell ‘em What Your Name Is! is a mix of all the great soul and R&B artists of the seventies from the previously mentioned James Brown, Motown, Stax and even some Sly Stone funk mixed in. While Please pt. Two pushes the band into a more Psychedelic feel to it. Big Booty Woman features a classic call and response which should be a requirement at any house party, Get Yo (Expletive Deleted) features the classic spoken word chorus, while Humpin’ could rival Green Onions as the funkiest instrumental ever put on wax. Adam Sandler’s character from The Waterboy even gets a shout out in Bobby Booshay.
after it garnered an Academy Award for best movie only for it to be the worst thing I have ever seen on film (naturally it ended winning the top honors that year). So I wasn’t quick to check out one of the most critically acclaimed movies of last year, Gran Torino. If fact the only reason why I did was because I had a free rental for Redbox, but there was some slim pickings, it was either that or An American Carol
.
) spouting every racial slur you could think of, and even some I have never even heard before. I am not sure it was the intent of the movie to be so funny, but I laughed throughout.![Terror Alert Level: Severe [RED]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjcsCV5I3jWQDVTcnVoXbArSx3kHl02FZ8FkOHBBKP2w8mQulcCF614SIw1GjuB2JtKV2YcQOKXtMlnW2ulLSOvYvvXzDwZ3JF4Mlh0Dt2nfEL1oGLh0sk7O-GRHWbCPvJmMMKg/s400/small_severe.png)
on my Terror Alert Scale.
) as Chastity try too hard to be cool, or at least too cool for school. Nicholas Braun (
) is likeable enough but his AV friend is just straight up annoying. While Lindsey Shaw (
) who reprises his role as the overcautious dad who dishes out a pretty ingenious punishment to one of his daughters. The other being Meaghan Jette Martin (
) who is just cute as a button (I am choosing my words very carefully here as not to raise the attention of Chris Hansen) and has the daunting task of filling the shoes of Alex Mac k and does a decent job doing so.
.
(Sledge Hammer!, The Lone Gunmen, King of the Hill)
, 
and a 
reunion of Trent and Mike? Yes please.
, Who’s Johnny. And don’t tell me you don’t remember Short Circuit).
in pop culture lately, the latest being the video by 
, 
, 
or even 
, all of which landed in the top ten grossing movies of that year. I am talking about a movie that may not have even cracked the top one hundred that year, but still manages to be inducted into the 
(The Last Crusade was the highest grossing film of 1989), television like The Beverly Hillbillies and even commercials like Spatula City. Sadly the film did so poorly; the movie remains the only one he has ever written.
. No word if Jerry saw UHF and decided to add the simple minded janitor turned children show host to his cast, but I will just go on living my life thinking so.
was that series mastermind began slumming it again on 
. But as he told 
recently, currently into the second season. Certainly below 
in the Bryan Fuller pantheon, but I still haven’t decided if I like it more than Pushing Daisies yet. But certainly worth a look if you do not have anything better to watch this summer.
: Just in time for the Fourth of July, here is a ten song sampler of four American classic along with six songs from the various factions of the armed forces.
![Terror Alert Level: High [ORANGE]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebDZ0qqwOVKMZj7oFSUe8Hm3ax54U9Hp1fThJPgiddTyzcdwx_5SV6E3b7hkKyxbaDiym4COmUXT2YJnsKCUjBHI_a2xZtNoY7qFQRslP5AGO5gLkJwn2ZbO0wIF80ycbKrgPPA/s400/small_high.png)
on my 
![Terror Alert Level: Elevated [YELLOW]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-iVFV0hXCTSYP16K_V0Rrxp3GqFrtBIJKeTUyQ2LpxZQ9XKHFj6QGtqqa7oxhLadLV8vUj8R84AftD8IKUSfN0u_u0CYDtJwhrpCPN2DBWquAIDv0jbVlhZL0mDFKlPKluGyxw/s400/small_elevated.png)
on my 
with Jonah Hill as Bruno, Michael Cera as Otter and Megan Fox as Katy we can rest in the solace that they can use a respectable replacement for Otis Day and the Nights in 
even gets a shout out in Bobby Booshay.