Golden Globe Predictions

Now I'd like to preface this list by saying that I haven't seen a number of the pictures nominated.

To be really fair. No one outside of the movie industry has been able to see five of the nominated films because they havn't come out yet. (Nine, Avatar, It's Complicated, Sherlock Holmes, The Lovely Bones)

I also like many of you out there no I don't live anywhere near an indie movie theater which means that just about all of the indie and foreign films were inaccessible to me.

None the less I will do my very best to guide you through the nominees and give my predictions about who will win.


1. BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

1. AVATAR

I certainly am looking forward to seeing it, but as it is not in theater yet I must reserve judgment.

2. THE HURT LOCKER

It's one of those movies that did not make it to my local movie theater. None the less I have eard good reviews of it.

3. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

I am a shameless Quentin Tarentino fangirl. So naturally I loved this movie, but I can hardly call myself objective when it comes to this movie.

4. PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE

This movie actually did come to my local theater, but it looked so damn depressing that I couldn't work up the will to watch it. I'll see it when I can cry in the comfort of my own home thank you very much.

5. UP IN THE AIR

I haven't seen Up in the Air yet, but I have heard good reviews. Quite frankly I don't think it will win because it's a comedy/drama staring George Clooney, it's a little too mainstream for the people voting.

Who I want to win: Inglorious Bastards
Who I think will win: Precious: It has everything that award shows look for. A lower budget film with intense emotion and an unknown lead.

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

1. EMILY BLUNT in THE YOUNG VICTORIA
2. SANDRA BULLOCK in THE BLIND SIDE
3. HELEN MIRREN in THE LAST STATION
4. CAREY MULLIGAN in AN EDUCATION
5. GABOUREY SIDIBE: PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE

I'm going to be honest I haven't seen any of these either but Emily Blunt and Helen Mirren are tremendous talents.

Who I want to win: Gabourey Sidibe: What can I say I love it when an uknown underdog wins the race. And I especially love it when credit is given to actresses who are not a size 6 (hell lets face it in Hollywood size 2 is standard)
Who will win Sorry no clue

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

1. JEFF BRIDGES in CRAZY HEART
2. GEORGE CLOONEY in UP IN THE AIR
3. COLIN FIRTH in A SINGLE MAN
4. MORGAN FREEMAN in INVICTUS
5. TOBEY MAGUIRE in BROTHERS

I havn't seen any of these movies either. However I have been reading reviews. I have heard tremendous things about the performances given by Morgan Freeman and Tobey Maguire.

Who I want to win: Jeff Bridges: because the Dude Abides. Also because he has been nominated four times before and has never gotten a Golden Globe or Oscar.
Who will win I'm going to narrow it down and say it's between Morgan Freeman, Tobey Macguire, and Jeff Bridges. Two seem to have given remarkable performances and the other has been snubbed a few times.

4. BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

1. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER

It is the perfect indie romantic comedy. It's quirky and artistic without trying too hard to be quirky, and unlike so many movies of the same drama it avoids being overly pretentious. I thought Joseph Gordon-Levitt really did a great job acting.

2. THE HANGOVER

The Hangover is by far one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. However straight up comedys never seem to fair well at award shows.

3. IT’S COMPLICATED

It's not in theaters yet

4. JULIE & JULIA

I did not see this movie, largely because the reviews I heard of it made it seem a bit boring. I am however a big fan of Amy Adams and Meryl Streep.

5. NINE

Is also not in theaters yet.

Who I want to win: The Hangover - lets face it award shows rarely recognize real comedy movies. They generally hand over the prize to dramadies, and indie ironic flicks that are funny but not laugh out loud funny. The hangover is a hilarious well written comedy that has a lot of heart. I have to say that Zach Zach Galifianakis also turns in a great performance, it's very hard to play a character like Alan who needs to be a completely bizarre screw up of a man yet still be believable and lovable.
Who will win: It's Complicated has the most seasoned and well respected cast so I think it will win this category.

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

1. SANDRA BULLOCK in THE PROPOSAL

I saw The Proposal it was a trite romantic comedy, there was nothing really worth noting about it. The fact that it is nominated means that there were very few movies with strong comedic female leads this year.

2. MARION COTILLARD in NINE
3. JULIA ROBERTS in DUPLICITY
4. MERYL STREEP in IT’S COMPLICATED
5. MERYL STREEP in JULIE & JULIA

I didn't see the rest of these movies but I have a prediction.

Who I want to win: Meryl Streep
Who will win: Meryl Streep


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

1. MATT DAMON in THE INFORMANT!
2. DANIEL DAY-LEWIS in NINE
3. ROBERT DOWNEY JR in SHERLOCK HOLMES
4. JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT in (500) DAYS OF SUMMER
5. MICHAEL STUHLBARG in A SERIOUS MAN

The only movie of the bunch that I have seen is (500) Days of Summer. I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt carried that movie and did a great job, but boy does he have tough competition. Daniel Day-Lewis and Robert Downey Jr are two of the best actors of their generation, and Matt Damon is also a fantastic actor.

Who I want to win: Joseph Gordon- Levitt he is a very talented young actor. I have been following his career since Third Rock From The Sun, and he just keeps getting better. I'm really glad he has finally gotten some recognition for work he has done as an adult.
Who will win: Daniel Day Lewis because he is fricking Daniel Day Lewis and he is awesome in every role he attempts, he drinks your milkshake. Robert Downey Jr is a great actor as well, but Sherlock Holmes is an action comedy and those tend to do very poorly at award season.

7. BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

1. CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS
2. CORALINE
3. FANTASTIC MR. FOX
4. THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
5. UP

Who will win: Up lets face it the animated category almost always goes to Pixar

8. BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

1. BAARIA (ITALY)
Medusa Film; Summit Entertainment
2. BROKEN EMBRACES (SPAIN)
El Deseo SA; Sony Pictures Classics
3. THE MAID (CHILE)
(LA NANA)
Forastero; Elephant Eye Films
4. A PROPHET (UN PROPHETE) (FRANCE)
Chic Films/Page 114/Why Not Productions; Sony Pictures Classics
5. THE WHITE RIBBON (GERMANY)
(DAS WEISSE BAND – EINE DEUTSCHE KINDERGESCHICHTE)
X Filme Creative Pool/Les Films Du Losange/Lucky Red; Sony Pictures Classics

Yep I havn't seen any of these and I don't know enough to even make guesses.

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

1. PENÉLOPE CRUZ in NINE
2. VERA FARMIGA in UP IN THE AIR
3. ANNA KENDRICK in UP IN THE AIR
4. MO’NIQUE in PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE
5. JULIANNE MOORE in A SINGLE MAN

I don't know and to be honest I don't feel too strongly about any of these actresses.

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

1. MATT DAMON in INVICTUS
2. WOODY HARRELSON in THE MESSENGER
3. CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER in THE LAST STATION
4. STANLEY TUCCI in THE LOVELY BONES
5. CHRISTOPH WALTZ in INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

The only movie of the bunch I have seen is Inglourious Bastards and I think Christoph Waltz deserves to win. He steals every scene he is in, and manages to be remarkably charming while playing a character that is despicable.

11. BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE

1. KATHRYN BIGELOW: THE HURT LOCKER
2. JAMES CAMERON: AVATAR
3. CLINT EASTWOOD: INVICTUS
4. JASON REITMAN: UP IN THE AIR
5. QUENTIN TARANTINO: INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

Much like the last category I have only seen Inglourious Bastards, and I am a complete Quentin Tarentino Fangirl. I can't be objective when my hero and favorite director is concerned. Obviously I want him to win, but I can't be a fair judge.

12. BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE

1. NEILL BLOMKAMP, TERRI TATCHELL - DISTRICT 9
2. MARK BOAL - THE HURT LOCKER
3. NANCY MEYERS - IT'S COMPLICATED
4. JASON REITMAN, SHELDON TURNER - UP IN THE AIR
5. QUENTIN TARANTINO - INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

I have only seen one of the films listed. However, there is more then one way to judge. Typically science-fiction and comedic moves do not get nominated. My money is on The Hurt Locker or Inglourious Bastards.

13. BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE

1. MICHAEL GIACCHINO - UP
2. MARVIN HAMLISCH - THE INFORMANT!
3. JAMES HORNER - AVATAR
4. ABEL KORZENIOWSKI - A SINGLE MAN
5. KAREN O, CARTER BURWELL - WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

I think this contest comes down to James Horner who has written dozens of beautiful scores (Titanic, Braveheart, House of Sand and Fog) and Karen 0 and Carter Burnwell who brought a really fresh sound to Where the Wild Things Are

14. BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE

1. “CINEMA ITALIANO” — NINE
Music & Lyrics by: Maury Yeston
2. “I WANT TO COME HOME”
EVERYBODY'S FINE
Music & Lyrics by: Paul McCartney
3. “I SEE YOU” — AVATAR
Music by: James Horner, Simon Franglen
Lyrics by: James Horner, Simon Franglen, Kuk Harrell
4. “THE WEARY KIND (THEME FROM CRAZY HEART)” — CRAZY HEART
Music & Lyrics by: Ryan Bingham, T Bone Burnett
5. “WINTER” — BROTHERS
Music by: U2
Lyrics by: Bono

It's between U2 and Paul McCartney because the voters are probably most familiar with their work.

This completes the movie portion of the Golden Globes Predictions. Stay Tuned for the much better informed Television section.

Dollhouse Canceled

A moment of silence please for Dollhouse.

That's right folks the wonderful Joss Wheadon creation known as Dollhouse has officially been given the ax. Although Dollhouse has managed to gather a very devoted fan base, it never appealed to a large enough audience for Fox to keep it around. And so it is another brilliant Joss Wheadon show has been given the ax by the Fox network, and sadly there is nothing we can do about it.

Ok, that may not be true. Maybe if we complain enough they will turn it into a movie like they did with Firefly. Sadly Dollhouse isn't as good as firefly and probably won't translate as well as well to the big screen. We can still hope though.

But I digress. The show is currently on a break but will return on December fourth to finish out the second season. There are 8 whole episodes that have yet to air, and fortunately we will be able to see them all without having to buy the DVD boxed set.

If you have never seen Dollhouse you should do so. The first four episodes of the second season are available on Hulu

http://www.hulu.com/dollhouse

For more information on the show http://www.fox.com/dollhouse/

Put Roman Polanski in Jail

Recently Roman Polanski was arrested on a long outstanding warrant. People from all areas of film have come fourth to demand his immediate release. Woody Allen, Tilda Swinton, Martin Scorsese, Monica Belucci, John Landis, and many others have come fourth in support of Roman Polanski.

As much as I wish I could be, I am not really part of the film industry. I stand outside the real world of film it as a small critic on a mostly unknown blog. All the same I have a voice, and I can't remain silent about this subject.

Roman Polanski drugged and raped a 13 year old girl, when he was in his forties. He admitted he was guilty in court, but then fled before he could serve any punishment. Being a brilliant artist does not give you a license to do whatever you want. Roman Polanski forced himself on a young woman, and it is a completely inexcusable crime. No amount of brilliant and beautiful movies can erase the ugliness of that one act.

In the Declaration of Independence it states that "All Men are created equal". I believe that this statement was never meant to be taken literally, clearly some people are born with more talent then others. At it's core this statement means that all people should be treated and valued equally under the law. If Roman Polanski was an auto mechanic or a school teacher as opposed to a director he already would have served his time in jail. I don't understand why so many in the film industry are apt to absolve a man of his crimes simply because he is a genius director who faced a great deal of personal tragedy.

Here is a very good article on the subject

http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/09/28/puzzle-activity-time/#more-16939

And here is a less biased article

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/09/29/polanski.filmmakers.protest/index.html

Seriously, another post will be happening sometime in the near future.

The Vampire Diaries Review

Last Thursday The CW premiered it's newest show The Vampire Diaries.

As the name suggests it involves both vampires and diaries. The Vampire Diaries takes place in a small Virginia Town known as Mystic Falls that seems be suffering from an angst epidemic. The Main Character is a girl names Elena who recently lost her parents in a car crash, is currently dealing with a little brother who is swiftly becoming a drug addict, and is about to be caught in a tragic and dangerous love triangle with vampire brothers. You heard me right vampire Brothers one brother is good the other one is evil, and both are interested in Elena because she looks exactly like a girl they used to know.

The show is based on "The Vampire Diaries" series by LJ Smith. The "Vampire Diaries" series was written at least a good decade before Twilight, but somehow the show comes off looking like a weaker version of Twilight. This is probably due to the fact that the Twilight movie is better written and acted then this show, and yes I too am shocked that I just wrote that sentence. There were many changes made in the story as "The Vampire Diaries" made the transition from book to television, I think most of them were for the better.

In the book Elena is the most popular girl at school who has an army of minions who do her bidding, she is blond, has just returned from a trip of France, seems considerably less upset about her parents, and is obsessed with getting Stefan Salvatore. The TV series made Elena a little more like Bella Swan; a smart, well liked brunette girl, who is often quite awkward. Instead of Elena strongly pursuing Stefan and Stefan resisting her advances like the brooding responsible vampire he is; they meet and get to know each other in a fairly normal way.

The acting in the series is pretty weak but passable. The only characters that really stood out in their performance were Katerina Graham who played Elena's best friend Bonnie, and Ian Somerhalder (Better known as Boone on Lost) who clearly enjoyed playing an over the top villain Damon Salvatore, the rest were very generic in their performance.

The writing in the series isn't particularly strong either, yet I have hopes that it will improve as the series moves along. The first episode had to establish a lot about the series and sometimes things got a bit mixed up. Sometimes it felt like the series ran from one character to the next establishing why each was angsty, as opposed to following the real plot line of love and murder and letting the angst develop in it's own time. Also, the way it was shown on camera it wasn't clear if Damon had the ability to turn into a raven, or if he just sends a random raven around to freak people out. I also found the Dear Diary format to be a bit annoying and overplayed, hopefully this aspect will fade away or be used more effectively as the story progresses. Hopefully the next episode will have a little more action and a little less angst.

I suppose the bottom line is "The Vampire Diaries" is an ok show. It's nothing spectacular but I have decidedly seen worse. Vampires are a very popular genre right now so you can expect this show to hang around till at least the end of the season. Lets hope the acting and writing tighten up a bit by then.

Melrose Place: The Next Generation

Melrose Place premiered tonight on the CW. premier

Much like the origional Melrose Place the story centers around a group of young and very attractive people living in LA. The plot follows the various tenants of an apartment as they experience various degrees of scandal and corruption while looking very pretty.

On the Surface everything about Melrose Place is great. The TV show is filled with beautiful people, great wardrobe, beautiful locations, a fun soundtrack, and the cinematography is quite good. Yes, with it's focus on all things pretty it's somewhat understandable that the creators of such a shallow and pointless remake could forget to add some things which give a show depth.

The writing is questionable. It almost seems like the writers came up with a bunch of sexy and or scandelous things for the characters to go through, and put little thought about how or why they made sense. Early in the show a person is found brutally murdered in the swimming pool. Miraculously by the end of the day the cast seems to have completly recovered and not be the least bit shaken up by the murder. Of course it's easy to understand how some people might be a tad distracted by getting engaged, or plotting to steal a priceless work of art, or making the decision to whore themselves out to pay for medical school. I know that soap operas work by throwing improbable scandal over improbable scandal, but couldn't they have showed the characters a bit more upset and perturbed by the murder. I don't mind when shows have crazy amounts of drama, so long as characters react appropriately and it makes sense in terms of plot and character development.

Of course maybe I shouldn't blame this all on the writers. Maybe the script called for the actors to be acing a bit more scared, on edge, or pensive on the state of their own mortality; but the actors just didn't deliver. I sincerely doubt that the cast of Melrose Place could collectively act their way out of a paper bag. Ashlee Simpson-Wentz should quit trying to be an actress, the ability to lip-sync and the ability to read lines are very different things. In fairness to Ashlee most of the cast was pretty terrible.

I see few if any redeeming qualities about this show. Watching Melrose Place is like looking into the eyes of Paris Hilton, sure she is beautiful and stylish but there is something missing in her cold vacant stare that tells you she has no soul.

History tells me that many people enjoy the shallow mindless fun of a soap opera. If you don't mind bad acting and improbable plots, so long as it leads to sexy scandals; then by all means do watch this show. It's airs on The CW Tuesday nights at 9.

Honestly I'd recommend holding out for a different guilty pleasure show to come around this fall.

Boondock Saints 2 Trailer

OMG after years of rumors it appears as if Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day is actually coming out.

The trailer usually shows us the very best moments of a movie, and I have to say judging by the trailer it looks like this movie won't be as good. Yet I still want to see it.

Glee Review

The Fox network is a strange a fickle mistress.

On the one this network created some groundbreaking shows yet has tied to a very conservative news network. Fox created Family guy only to destroy it, and then bring it back once more. It has offered some of the trashiest reality shows known to man, but at the same time it has created some high quality programs like Arrested Development and Firefly.

This year Fox subjected us to a cruel and unusual treatment. They created a good show, and wouldn't alow us to see it. Glee centers around a high school Glee Club. It's a comedic musical, that ends up looking like High School musicals more intelligent, talented, and well put together cousin that stars people who can actually act and sing. The dialogue is current and funny, the music is fantastic, and the characters and setting are just quirky enough to make the show genuinely lovable.

Glee originally premiered on May 19th 2009, just after most of the big shows had their season finales and networks drifted off into dreary reruns and reality television. The show was great, loved by critics and average viewers alike. Yet there was a problem, only one episode was aired. Yes, Fox in a rather cruel gesture showed us a great pilot for a very promising TV show and then told us we wouldn't be able to watch it till September. To make matters worse Fox taunted us with constant commercials for Glee, taunting us with the promise of a good show during a season where almost nothing is on TV. I must admit this tactic was quite effective in building up excitement for the show, but it was kind of mean of them.

Tonight Fox aired the a Directors Cut version of the Pilot episode for Glee, and Next Wednesday at 9 the first new episode of Glee will finally air. I have to say I have high hopes for the series, and I hope it doesn't get canceled like some of Foxes other brilliant shows.

If you have yet to see Glee the first episode is available for free on the fox website http://www.fox.com/glee/

Inglourious Basterds Review

I saw "Inglourious Basterds" opening night and have been avoiding writing this review ever since. Don't get me wrong the movie was good, I just not sure I can write this and keep from giving into my Quentin Tarentino fangirl tendencies.

Ad you may have heard, "Inglourious Basterds" is a very messed up fairy tale set in World War II. The movie is not a historic look at what happened during World War II, but rather a fantastical alternative history that would have been so much more dramatic and rewarding way to end World War II.

As is typical of Quentin Tarentino the story is not told in an entirely linear fashion. There are separate intertwining stories, and they are not necessarily shown in exact chronological order. As the title suggests one story centers around The Basterds, a group of Jewish soldiers led by Lt Aldo Raine (played by Brad Pitt) who go about Germany brutally killing and scalping Nazi's. Another story centers around Shosanna, a Jewish woman who is hiding her heritage and running a movie theater in France. The third story is all about spying and intrigue, and it is the binding element for the above mentioned stories.

This movie gave me a lot of what I was expecting lots of dead Nazi's, violence, and brilliant dialogue. Yet the movie held a few surprises for me as well, I had no idea that the majority of the movie would be in subtitles (not that it's a bad thing) or that the quality of acting would be so fantastic.

As I have said before I am a raging Quentin Tarentino fangirl. I like all of his movies, but If I had to rank them 1 being the best the list would go as follows.

1. "Pulp Fiction"
2. "Kill Bill" (I count both volumes as one movie)
3. "Inglourious Basterds"
4. "Resevoir Dogs"
5. "Death Proof" (P.S. a great movie to watch if your a woman who just had a bad breakup)
6. "Jackie Brown"

Granted everyone is going to have their own opinion, sometimes you just connect to one movie more then another. Yet I think most people would agree that "Inglourious Basterds" is one of Quentin Tartentino's better movies. Certainly I would say that "Inglourious Basterds", despite all of it's violence shows more maturity and emotional depth then his other films. If you notice in past films most characters are not shown in a sympathetic way, in this film Shosanna has a very emotional role and is in some ways more human then a lot of previous Quentin Tarentino's characters.

When you see a Quentin Tarentino film you expect a lot of style and some great dialogue, and certainly this movie had all of that, yet the best part of this movie was the acting.

Brad Pitt is a tremendous actor whose talent is often overshadowed by his good looks. Brad Pitt plays the character of Aldo Raine to perfection and completely steals every scene he is in, he is lovable and hilarious despite doing some rather gruesome things. You know someone has done a tremendous job when you think about the role and honestly can't imagine anyone else being able to play the part as well. I still crack up a bit when I think about Aldo speech about "The Bear Jew".

The other Actor who managed to steal every scene he was in Christoph Waltz, who plays the flamboyant Col. Hans Landa better known as "The Jew Hunter." He manages to be completely menacing while still being rather humorous and charming. You can't take your eyes off of him when he is on screen.

Another fantastic performance comes from Mélanie Laurent who has an emotionally demanding role. Micheal Fassbender also shines in his performance as a British officer. Til Schweiger also shines in a small part as one of the Bastards. Really every actor did a great job in terms of acting.

Ok so I have gone through the good, now lets get to the bad.

There were parts of this movie that seemed to lag, and a few things that could have done with a bit more editing. I know that the intention was to build suspense, but in particular the scene where the Donny Donowitz aka "The Bear Jew" was about to make his entrance the camera has a close up on an empty cave entrance for longer then a minute was a bit much. The parts of this movie that were good were so good that you forgive the parts where it lagged.

I have heard that there were more detailed back stories for The Basterds that got left out of the film, and personally I would have loved to see them. The Bastard known as "The Bear Jew" is known for beating Nazi's to death with a baseball bat. What they don't show you in the film is that he had all of the Jews from his neighborhood sign the bat before he left for war. I think little things like that add a lot to the movie, and I wish it would have been left in.

One of the most frequent criticisms that I have seen from other critics is that the movie has no real point, in some ways it is a valid argument. However I don't think a movie needs to have a point or definite message. "Inglourious Basterds" is an extremely entertaining movie and a clear work of fantasy, why spoil it by trying to shove morality down your throat. We know the Nazi's were very bad, we know they did evil things, your not going to be teaching us anything new on this subject. This is a revenge film fulfilling a need for justice that was never truly experienced here in the real world.

I think "Inglourious Basterds" is a great movie, and it seems like the type of film that only gets better each time you watch it. Yes it's violent, yet it's a complete work of fiction, yea it doesn't have a moral; but it's a damn good movie not despite these attributes but also because of them.

Tonight MTV premeired a new show called "Pranked" I was not a fan.

Prank shows have a long standing tradition on television from the origional "Candid Camera" to "Trigger Happy TV" prank shows have certainly earned their place in Television.

The Main Problem that I have with "Pranked" is that it uses amateur videos while at the same time telling people not to send in their own videos. Am I the only one getting a mixed message here? There are a lot of pranks that have the potential for danger and serious consequences, so it's understandable why MTV insists that no one try to recreate these pranks send videos to them. Yet by creating a show that takes all of it's videos off of youtube it is encouraging people to do potentially dangerous stunts.

Now not all of the pranks shown on tonight's episode were dangerous. Some of them were classic good clean fun like rigging a sink to spray the person who turns it on next, yet a few of the pranks were dangerous and downright disturbing. I saw more then two clips that could have resulted in serious injuries.

Pranks aside, the hosts of the show are annoying. I completely understand why MTV chose Streeter Seidell and Amir Blumenfeld from CollegeHumor.com to host the show. The is a legendary prank war that went on between Amir and Streeter, all of it caught on camera and available for viewing on http://www.collegehumor.com/tag:prank-war/articles. While the prank war between the two is brilliant and hilarious, their hosting skills are sub-par. Their rhetoric is spiked with infantile humor and meaningless gags that just aren't funny.

Honestly I think this is a show to skip. You can find any of the videos featured on the show on youtube, and you won't be forced to listen to the stupid banter between the hosts.

The CW Fall Preview

"Blonde Charity Mafia" is a reality series about high powered women who apparently run the DC social scene. It sounds like The Hills, meets Gossip Girl, with just a hint of social awareness. What can I say I have a difficult time believing that this will be a hit. Then again I would rather stab myself then watch The Hills, and that turned out to be a very popular show.

"Life Unexpected" is a series about a young women who has been in foster care her whole life. As the young woman attempts to have herself declared an emancipated minor, she discovers her real parents, and in an odd twist of fate the court grants custody to her biological parents. If another network was producing this show I might think of it differently; if NBC, HBO, hell even Fox Family was making this show it might end up being really good. Yet this is The CW people, the thing this network does best is creating trash-tastic and delightful guilty pleasure shows like America's Next Top Model or Gossip Girl. The premise of the show demands that the subject matter be treated in a somewhat serious way, I'm afraid this show could turn into one giant messed up soap opera.

"Melrose Place" is an update of a classic 90's soap opera. "Melrose Place" has all the makings for a successful soap opera; beautiful people, money, murder, and boat loads of drama. It's a classic formula but one that rarely fails to be amusing. Lets face it a lot of people just want to watch a trashy over the top soap opera, and I feel like the new "Melrose Place" will be successful in providing just that.

"The Beautiful Life" is about the lives of fashion models. It's pretty clear that CW decided to combine two of it's most popular shows (America Next Top Model and Gossip Girl) into one show. It looks young, hip, trash-tastic, and drama filled. I think this could be my new guilty pleasure show.

Finally we have "The Vampire Diaries" I've written about this show before in some previous entries. It's based on a book series of the same title by LJ Smith. The store is about a girl and the two brother who are fighting for her affection. The Twist, the brothers are vampires. One Brother is good, one brother is evil, and obviously the girl is in danger. I think just about any show with vampires is guaranteed to attract a lot of viewers at the moment. I seriously doubt that this show will be as well acted or complex as true blood, but I think it could be a fun gothic melodrama. I hate to admit it, but as a fan of the vampire genre I really can't wait to see this show.

CBS Fall Preview

CBS is introducing four new shows this fall, and I have to be honest I'm not crazy about what they have presented.

First they have the new spin off of "NCIS", "NCIS: Los Angeles". Quite frankly I'm sick of forensic crime dramas. It all seemed very cool and high tech at first to see minute evidence and high tech equipment to solve crimes, but there have been so many shows about the subject that I doubt this one has anything new to bring to the table. Admittedly "NCIS" is one of the better shows of the forensic crime drama. Yet the success of "NCIS" is largely due to the cast having great chemistry, it's a factor that is very difficult to duplicate. Call me cynical but with "CSI", "CSI Maimi", "CSI New York", "Bones", and the origional "NCIS" I have difficulty believing that this show can bring anything new to the table.

CBS is also premiering a new medical drama called "Three Rivers". "Three Rivers" takes place in Pittsburgh, PA is all about the complexities experienced by people involved in all sides of organ donation. The concept sounds a bit heavy handed and maudlin to me. I'm not a fan of overly sentimental shows that make you cry and then try to inspire you, and with the given subject matter it's hard to imagine this show breaking from that mold. I know some people love shows like that, but it is not for this tv critic.

"Accidentally On Purpose" is a sitcom starring Jenna Elfman as a woman who gets pregnant from a one night stand with a younger man, and decides to keep the baby and the man who got her pregnant. Somehow this all fells a bit like "Dharma and Greg" meets "Knocked Up." It could be funny, Jenna Elfman has certainly proven herself as a charming and comedicly gifted actress in the past. However, the idea of the show doesn't come off as being very origional, that of course doesn't mean that it couldn't be successful.

Finally we come to the show that I am most excited to watch, and certainly the most origional show on CBS's fall lineup "The Good Wife." At some point or another we have all watched a politician give a speech acknowledging that he had some sort of extramarital affair, often with his wife standing with him. This show delves into the life of that good political wife who has to stand by a husband who just betrayed her. I think this show has a lot of potential, and I cant wait to see how it turns out.

True Blood I will rise up

Normally I try to be objective with my reviews. Yet when it comes to some shows like True Blood, I just can't hold back my inner fan girl.

This is a spoiler free review which means I won't be saying much. Yet what I will say is that this episode proved that True Blood wasn't just about sex, blood, and murder; the show is capable of being a lot deeper and more meaningful then that. This particular episode was very emotional.

We finally get to see the human side of Eric. I know most of you won't think it possible but Alexander Skarsgård somehow becomes even more attractive when the script calls for Eric to show a more vulnerable side, ok that and he was half naked and didn't slick his hair back in a scene.

Honestly this is the best show that we have seen yet from this series, I can't wait to see what else they have in store for us.

ABC Fall Preview

We are in what may be best described as the doldrums of August. All of the major network shows have been showing repeats for the past few months, almost all of the summer reality series have come to a close, and the new fall season has yet to begin. Excluding shows from HBO and Showtime which continue to show new episodes throughout the summer, tv has been a complete bore lately.

What is a TV writer to do with so little material for inspiration?

Well my friends the answer is simple, I'll write about all of the fantastic things you just can't see yet. I'll be doing a small series about upcoming shows on some of the major networks.

In this Edition I will be discussing some of the new shows on the ABC network. There are 11 new shows scheduled for the fall line up, some are based on ideas we have seen before but a few are rather origional.

"Shark Tank" appears to be based on the British series Dragons Den. Ordinary people have the chance to pitch their inventions and ideas to millionaires who have the power and money to to turn dreams into an industry. Of course the millionaires could also brutally shoot down the ideas on national television.

"The Middle" is a sitcom about an average yet dysfunctional family. The idea is hardly a new one, yet the cast seems very capable and the show seems just quirky enough to win over an audience.

"Hank" is a sitcom staring Kelsey Grammer as a former CEO trying to reconnect with his family. What can I say I'm not exactly wowed by the premise. Call me crazy I don't think America is really in the mood to see a lovable former CEO on TV just yet.

"Cougar Town" is yet another sitcom , it stars Courtney Cox. As the title suggests the show is all about cougars in a small town, and honey we ain't talking about Animal Planet type of cougars. It's a fun and interesting twist on the traditional sitcom, with more then ample opportunity for humor and drama.

"The Deep End" is a legal comedy about four young interns coming to work for a prestigious. I have a feeling that "The Deep End" is trying to be to legal dramas, what "Scrubs" was to medical dramas. It's a show with definite potential.

"The Forgotten" is a drama which centers around a group of amateur crime solvers who take up cases that the police have given up on. This group called "The Forgotten Network" is lead by Christian Slater. With a show like this everything depends on the writing, it could be fantastic or it could be too heavy handed and sappy. I guess we will just have to wait and see how it all unfolds.

"V" is a sci-fi series about aliens who come to earth with false promises of peace, and a plan to take control of the planet. This could be interesting, yet traditional sci-fi shows have a way of getting canceled quickly. I can't say I know how long this show will last.

"The Modern Family" is a fake reality show, but unlike "The Hills" everyone is suppose to know it's a fake reality show. I have to admit I am a huge fan of the mockumentary genre, and I have never seen a mockumentary TV series before. I can't wait to see how this show works out.

I have to admit I have saved the best, or at least the most intriguing till last.

First there is the heavily anticipated "Flash Forward." The story centers around an unexplained global event where everyone simultaneously blacks out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds, and sees a glimpse into the future. I bet Philadelphia's own M Night Shyamalan is kicking himself for not thinking up this idea instead of making his movie "The Happening". I think ABC is gearing up to make this show the next "Lost" but we will have to see if it lives up to the hype.

"Happy Town" looks like a horror tv series, and I am looking forward to it. So far it looks a bit like they are trying to do an update on "Twin Peaks" with a dash of "Harpers Island" thrown in. A seemingly perfect Midwestern town, a serial killer who has powers bordering on the supernatural, and lots of very strange people. It sounds like my kind of show, the question is will the general public be up for such a weird show.

Finally we have "Eastwick" Based on the movie (and a novel which predates the movie) "The Witches of Eastwick." I am expecting this to be supernatural campy fun, and nothing more but that doesn't mean it won't be enjoyable to watch. From the previews it looks a bit like "Charmed" meets "Desperate Housewives" I think it will be a really fun show to watch.

You can go here to find out more

http://abc.go.com/fallpreview/index

Vampire Diaries Promotional Stills done in very poor taste

Promotional stills for The Vampire Diaries came out today, and I have to say they were a little shocking.

I have to say there is a fine line between edgy and sleazy, and even within the vampire genre a fine line between sexy and creepy. I think The CW may have gone a bit over the edge on both fronts.




I think the thing that really bothers me is the vacant dead stare of the guy licking her neck.

Oh and the knowledge that the two dudes kissing her are supposed to brothers.

Yep CW you have yet again shown your true colors as a classy and tasteful establishment.

I know what your thinking what could they possibly do to top that picture. Well the answer is clear, show a shocking depiction of abuse.



Seriously does this make ANYONE want to watch this show?

There is a hand wrapped tightly around her neck, a hand from a second man is caressing her hair while she is being choked, and that hopeless and tear filled expression. It just makes me sick.

The first picture was an example of using sex to sell a show, I have to be honest I have no idea who the second picture is marketed towards. Abuse should never be a selling point for a show.

This is not cool CW, not cool at all.

Dorian Grey Trailer

There are some stories that deserve to be told over and over again, the story of Dorian Grey. The story has been recaptured on film every decade or so since the invention of film, each version makes their own little changes but it's core character and message remain the same.

The newest version is set to come out 9/9/09 and features what I consider to be nearly perfect casting. Ben Barnes, perhaps best known for his role as Prince Caspian is set to play Dorian Gery and really I can't imagine a better choice for the role. Also starring in the film is Colin Firth.

I definitely want to see this movie.

More to Love Review

On Tuesday Evening Fox premiered it's newest reality dating show. With so many reality dating shows out on the market (The Bachelor, Next, Daisy of Love, ect) FOX recognized that they had to do something a little different. As the title suggests, More to Love is a reality dating show featuring overweight people.

The concept is a sound one. It's a fact over half of Americans are overweight or obese, it makes sense that one entire half of the population might be drawn to a dating show featuring people who share a common struggle with the audience.

Usually the type of people who are drawn to reality shows are desperate for fame or money, with "More to Love" you get the definite sense that the contestants are actually there to find love. I can't seem to decide if this is a positive or negative for the show.

On the one hand the emotions are genuine, and you don't have any idiots attempting to use the show as a platform to launch their music career. On the other hand you have a bunch of people with very low self esteem who are about to be rejected on national television.

In some ways the premier of "More to Love" was quite depressing. I watched beautiful girl after beautiful girl talk about how they honestly saw this show as their only chance at love. Some of the female contestants admitted that they had never been on a date before, or that they had been with men who were embarrassed to be seen with them in public.

Reality dating shows are all about wish fulfillment. Weather you want to be perused by twenty gorgeous potential mates, live in a mansion, go on romantic excursions to tropical islands, or perhaps you simply want to be loved. Reality dating shows offer us all a chance to experience all of that by living vicariously through the contestants. There have been shows dedicated to dating millionaires or rock stars, and one can certainly understand the appeal. Yet on some level I find it sad that the greatest fantasy of many overweight Americans is simply to find someone who will find them attractive and love them.

I am predicting that the elimination ceremonies will be heartbreaking to watch, but for some reason I plan on watching them anyway. "More to Love" appears on FOX on Tuesdays at 9/8 Central.

So You Think You Can Dance 100th Episode

I am a huge fan of SYTYCD and have been since season 2.

Each season has it's own sort of style and feeling. I think the remarkable thing about the current season (season 5) is how close everyone is in terms of talent. In years past there has been that one dancer that stood head and shoulders about everyone else in terms of talent, like Travis in Season 2 or Danny in season 3. Or there have been contestants that had tremendous amounts of charisma like Benji and in season 2, Sabra in Season 3, or Joshua in Season 4. There have even been dancers that have stood out for being completely unique like Cedric or Hok from Season 3 or Mark from season 4.

Every fan of the show has their own personal favorites and can list them from each season. Here is my own little list
Season 2: Benji, Donyelle,and travis
Season 3: (my favorite season) Hok, Domenic, Lauren, Sabra, Jamie, and Danny
Season 4: Joshua, Katee, Chelsie Hightower, Twitch, and of course Mark

With season 5 my favorites have been switching around depending on what dance they did this week. Honestly I didn't want any of the top 8 to go tonight.

It's beautiful to have a reality show that takes extremely talented people and makes them even better. The show isn't about humiliating contestants or taking everything to trashy new lows. This show elevates and inspires people, and for a reality show that is very very rare.

Tonight was the 100th episode and I was so happy to see the show reach this point. I really hope to see it reach another hundred episodes. It was so good to see some of my favorite routines again, especially the Hummingbird Routiene with Hok and Jamie, and "Ramalama Bang Bang" zombie prom dance.

My only complaint: Katie Holmes

Literally for months they have been reporting that Katie would be doing some big dance number on SYTYCD. It was supposed to be a big tribute to Judy Garland. I thought it was an odd choice since Katie Holmes isn't exactly know for being a signer or a dancer. I thought it was crazy but thought that maybe, just maybe it would all turn out. There are so many people in Hollywood who turn out to be triple threats. I mean who would ever think that the man who plays Wolveriene would also be a great singer and dancer.

As it turns out Katie Holmes isn't very talented. Her performance on the show was easily the worst part of the entire hour.

It takes very little talent to do what she did. She lipsinked to a pre-recorded song. She performed a "dance" which required her to walk, pause, and let herself be lifted by attractive men. To top things off she didn't have the balls to perform it live in front of the audience.

I'm sorry but I feel like my time was wasted. I would have much rather seen another performance from a past season. There are so many fantastic ones to choose from.

I would have loved to see Katee and Joshua perform the Mia Michaels dance to "Hometown glory" by Adele

Or Lacy and Kameron's dance to "Dancing" by Elisa also choreographed by Mia

Or Mark and Chelsie's "Bleeding Love" routine by Napoleon and Tabbitha

Or Lauren and Pasha's Transformers routine choreographed by Shane Sparks

Or Sabra and Neil's dance to "Sweet Dreams Are Made of These" choreographed by Mandy Moore.

The list could go on and on.

But instead of seeing a great performance we see a star who was seriously lacking in star power. She sauntered about lip sinking for a pre-recorded number. It was pretty clear that the voice track for her song had been heavily filtered, and it was still mediocre at best. Any idiot off the street could have done her part of the dance routine, and it was an insult to put her on the same show with so many talented dancers.

Perhaps most offensive of all was the way in which she sang the song "Get Happy". Did she not listen to the lyrics she was singing? "Get Happy" is meant to be sung with a real edge to it. Look at the lyrics she is telling people to get happy about the apocalypse, you have got to do that with a wink or a bit of sarcasm in your voice. Katie Holmes sung the whole thing in a weak and wavering voice gently asking us to be genuinely happy.

Judy Garland was a Star and she deserved a better tribute then that. In case any of you non Broadway types were wondering here is how it should be done folks.



I know what your thinking: "But Renegade Film Snob, it was all done for charity. Why are you being so mean."

Well I'll tell you. First off I am The Renegade Film Snob, I am not in the business of being nice. Secondly it wasn't the most efficient way to raise money for charity. You see if Katie Holmes forked up a ton of her own cash for the privilege of living out her little fantasy on stage I would have been all for it. Yet you see what Katie Holmes donated her performance fee to the charity. So she made the show pay her to pay the charity attached to the show.

Yes I know that money came from FOX and is now in the charities budget but really it's the principal of the thing.

I'm very happy to see SYTYCD be so successful, but please next time just let us see the good dancing. If you have to let a less then talented celebrity perform make them fork up their own money for charity in order to do so.

The Movie Psychic: A Perfect Getaway

Allright this is a new segment to the blog and I hope it works out.

I am notorious for ruining the endings of movies. Obviously I avoid giving spoilers when I am writing here, but often when I watch a movie for the first time I call the ending a few minutes into the story, and I have a pretty good accuracy rating. Mind you I don't claim to have any mystical powers, I just have a very good knowledge of film and how plot lines tend to go.

This is to be for entertainment purposes only. I have not seen this movie, nor do I know anyone associated with the film. There is a chance that this could be a spoiler for "A Perfect Getaway" but then again it might not be. Honestly if I can guess the ending just from seeing the TV spot, it probably doesn't deserve to be called a spoiler.

I give to you the TV spot for "A Perfect Getaway"



Prediction: With a "Twist you won't see coming" I can only assume the killer is Steve Zahn.

Here's my reasoning:

1: He is Steve Zahn there is something really lovable about him and it's hard to imagine him playing a killer.

2. It all seems too obvious of a set up. The spot makes the second couple who joins Zahn and Milla Jovovich look really shady. It would be way too easy if it was then.

3. Steve Zahn is the most clean cut looking guy there, which makes him look less suspicious. Or more suspicious depending on which type of serial killer you are thinking about.

4. The trailer also seems to set up Zahn and Jovovich as the main characters, now that is a twist most people won't be expecting.

Now another Trailer seems to indicate that a couple may be responsible for the killings. But if that is the case I still stand by my prediction that Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich are the killers.

I generally don't like thrillers and have no plans to see this until it's free on HBO, so if you have seen this film or plan on doing so please leave a comment and let me know if I am right.

Where the wild things are trailer

I'm not going to lie my favorite part of seeing Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was getting to see the trailer for Where the Wild Things are. It looks like it is going to be beautiful, magical, and make everyone feel like they are a kid again. I can't wait to see it.

It comes out October 16th 2009 and I can't wait to see how Director Spike Jonze's adaptation of the book turns out. I am a huge fan of his work as a music video director and I loved Being John Malkovitch. Spike Jones has such a wild imagination (Honestly who else could have thought up a video where Christopher Walken was tap dancing on the ceiling)I am genuinely excited to see how he handles his first kids film.