The Fogals are Finally Finished...

At last, the Fogals have been eliminated on NBC's Treasure Hunters. This family was conniving and annoying from the beginning, and I'm happy to see them go. To give you an idea of why I feel this way, allow me to describe their last few moments. After failing to find the artifact in the ancient church where Ben Franklin once created secret codes as an American spy, Daughter Fogal (the most annoying Fogal of all) says she feels like it was a good time for them to be eliminated. Mama Fogal gets teary-eyed and emotional and says "And it happened in a church. Which is a cool thing, because that's my home. It just seems right." Well, it doesn't look that annoying here, but believe me...in the context of the show, it was awful! So, they're finally finished. And I'm still rooting for Ex-CIA.

Peace. Out.

Lady in the Water...

Or the "watty" as my nephew Gabe would say. :)

I saw M. Night Shyamalan's latest offering over the weekend, and I'm very impressed. I would even say that, other than The Sixth Sense, this is my favorite M. Night film so far. Paul Giamatti and Bryce Dallas Howard are amazing. The supporting actors (including M. Night himself) do a great job at just that...supporting. The story is developed and discovered at just the right pace, and I was drawn in to the magic and mystery of the fairytale. I love that even the smallest character plays an important role in the overall story and that the question of purpose is answered for each.

From a more technical viewpoint, M. Night does an admirable job at setting up oddly disconcerting camera angles, that only enhance the feeling of uncertainty and confusion. The angles often seem to be from the perspective of someone else watching the events unfold, which fits with the overall action of the movie.

There will be some who feel that the movie is too slow or even too predictable (and it is certainly more predictable than some of M. Night's others), but I thought it was sweet and beautiful and definitely worth seeing.

Peace. Out.

Rock Star - Week 4 Eliminations

Bottom three...

Patrice - My Iron Lung, Radiohead - An almost audible gasp was heard from the audience when Patrice announced her song choice, but she really pulled it off. She does have a great voice and kept Dave from getting bored on this one, so she's safe.

Zayra - Not an Addict, K's Choice - Great song and it suits Zayra's personality. No one (including the band) really likes her that much, but (as previously stated) she does make for good TV, so she's also safe (although I think her time is limited!).

Phil - Smoking Umbrellas, Failure - All the things I've previously said about Phil apply to this performance. The band questions his commitment and decides he's out. Apparently, Phil has even made some statements to news outlets insinuating he just wanted to be on the show to raise publicity for his own band, and he doesn't even like Supernova's music.

So, even though there are others who deserve to go home just as much, I think it was the right decision to get rid of Phil now. However, Zayra has previously made some harsh remarks to the band's faces, and Jill said she thinks "everything has been done" in rock music. They better watch out! Good TV only lasts so long before the band remembers what they're hear for!

Peace. Out.

Rock Star - Week 4

Here's what I thought of last week's performances (and I think this catches me up, so I'll try to do better about posting closer to the actual show!)...

Lukas - Bittersweet Symphony, The Verve - I was completely distracted for the first 3/4 of this performance because he just held an electric guitar. Didn't hit a single note until almost the end. Weird. He is such a personality and has a really great voice, but I'm ready to see him be stretched a little more! His whole act is getting kind of old.

Zayra - Call Me, Blondie - Where do you even buy clothes like that? A superhero store?* I'm sorry, Zayra, but I just really don't like you. Don't like your voice, your look, your style, or your attitude. But, you do make for good TV. The band doesn't like this performance, but Jason Newsted would still make her his wife.

*I tried and tried to find a picture of this, but can't find anything that does it justice. So, try to imagine this - it's a skin-tight, electric blue, spandex catsuit, that has the side panels and back cut out of it. She's wearing white knee boots as well. Wha....???

Dana - About a Girl, Nirvana - Wow! She definitely wins for most improved. The straight hair does wonders for her and this stripped down acoustic performance tones down the Broadway in the mix. She gets major props from the band. Definitely watch this one!

Patrice - Remedy, The Black Crowes - Patrice is this year's Susie. She's a pretty powerhouse, but ultimately doesn't have what it takes to win. Dave says he's getting bored, and I kind of agree.

Toby - White Wedding, Billy Idol - Lots of energy and provides a great answer to last week's challenge from the band. IMHO, he's the best male voice in the competition, hands down.

Magni - Heroes, David Bowie - Such a wonderful song! This is the first time I've heard Magni sound like a professional singer. Vocally, this was definitely his best performance. The band is disappointed that he stayed so stationary for this song. But I kind of liked that. Diff'rent strokes, I guess...

Ryan - I Alone, Live - Definitely one of his best performances (Dave agrees) and the perfect song choice for his voice (Tommy).

Jill - Brown Sugar, The Rolling Stones - Gilby played with her on this one and tells her at the end that he was disappointed with all of the "grinding". He says she's better than that and doing that onstage is a female copout. Dave disagrees with Gilby and says, um, well, let's just say he liked it and not print the direct quote, shall we? I fall somewhere in between the two. Jill definitely gave a sexy performance, as befits the song, and her vocals were really good. I like and appreciate her so much more now than I did in the beginning, and that's gotta be saying something!

Phil - One Headlight, The Wallflowers - I really hate Phil onstage. I agree with Jason who said a few weeks ago that Phil's ok if you close your eyes while he performs. The band is divided on Phil's stage presence.

Dilana - Time After Time, Cindy Lauper - Wow! It's just her and an acoustic guitar and it is unbelievable! This girl can do no wrong! This performance is completely different from anything else she's done and she totally rocks it! Yes, I know I'm using a lot of exclamation points in this comment, but she deserves it! Watch, watch, watch!

Josh - No Rain, Blind Melon - Vocally, it's ok, just not my style. I'm not a big fan of the wandering around stage...I think it's better to walk strategically, and he definitely needs to work on that. I just don't really dig him at all. The band hates it as well.

Storm - Anything, Dramaram - Great song! I like Storm - she's gorgeous, has a big voice, great personality and stage presence - but I feel like she's sort of a wimpy Dilana. The band really loves her, though, and she's definitely dynamite onstage and spot-on vocally. It will be interesting if it comes down to those two!

Peace. Out.

Rock Star - Week 3 Eliminations...

Bottom three...

Jenny - Vaseline, STP - She looks like a little girl playing dress up rockstar. I gotta give it to her for trying, but sweetie, this ain't your gig!

Dana - High Road Easy, Sass Jordan - She looks like she has no idea what to do onstage, but her chops are way above Jenny's. She probably just saved herself for this week, but she's going to have to do a lot more than that to stay in the competition for any length of time.

Josh - Heart Shaped Box, Nirvana - I'm really surprised he went with another Nirvana tune. This one is definitely a lot better, but he has no presence on stage.

Indeed, Jenny is the one to go home, but the other two could be right behind. Dana seems to really be trying to become the performer they want her to be (even seeking help from Dilana!), so it will be interesting to see if she's able to put the advice to any use. Josh is just too wimpy.

Until next time...

Peace. Out.

Rock Star - Week 3

Here's what I thought about last week's performances...

Patrice - Helter Skelter, The Beatles - I think she has one of the best raw voices in the competition, but she had some issues with this song. Good opener, though.

Josh - Come As You Are, Nirvana - Maroon 5 should never cross with 90's grunge! I couldn't have imagined this song as boring, but it certainly is in this performance. One of the worst performances this show has ever seen.

Storm - Just What I Needed, The Cars - I don't really dig her facial expressions sometimes and the pole dance routine with the mic stand is sooo cliche! She has an amazing voice, there's just something that keeps me from really liking her.

Lukas - Let's Spend the Night Together, The Rolling Stones - He has such an awesome voice! He's really a true performer and it shows every time he's on stage. Dave says he comes off "arrogant...and that's awesome!"

Jill - All Right Now, Free - I like her so much more now than I did in the beginning of the competition. The mix of screaming and singing really works better for her than either/or and she does a great job.

Ryan - Fortunate Son, CCR - Well, he's no John Fogerty! I don't really enjoy his voice at all. The band asks if he's having any fun and Ryan sweetly smiles into the camera...cheap! CHEAP!

Phil - White Rabbit, Jefferson Airplane - Well, he's no Grace Slick! Jason Newsted joins Phil onstage to play bass, and the band enjoys the performance. I think they just liked having Jason up there, though. Phil starts this song with too much intensity (rather than slowly building) and ends up with nowhere to go.

Dana - It's My Life, Bon Jovi - You know it takes a lot for me to not enjoy a Bon Jovi song...and I didn't enjoy this one! She's just too Broadway (or Celine Dion, as Tommy Lee says!) for rock and roll.

Toby - Runaway Train, Soul Asylum - One of the best songs to come out of the 90's! Toby does a good job, but the band is disappointed and felt bored. I agree it wasn't the most energetic performance, but this guy can sing! You have to pay attention to that. And he's so pretty!

Magni - Plush, STP - First of all, he's wearing huge black Jackie O. sunglasses with "DOLCE" (as in "and Gabbana") written on the side in rhinestones. I'm already turned off! Vocally he's not bad, but I just cannot get into his whole vibe. But the band digs it.

Zayra - Everybody Hurts, REM - She's got the whole Sinead O'Conner thing working on this one, but I don't think that has anything to do with Supernova! The band loves it, but I think they're just infatuated!

Jenny - Drive, Incubus - Utterly forgettable except for the ginormous acoustic she's playing.

Dilana - Zombie, The Cranberries - I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I. LOVE. HER!! She's such a performer and is always in complete control of the atmosphere in the room. She's definitely the one to beat right now.

My prediction for the bottom three: Josh, Dana, Jenny, maybe Ryan. And Jenny or Dana will go home.

Peace. Out.

Gift horse and all that...

What's up with Ken Jennings? The Jeopardy winner has posted a scathing critique of Jeopardy, the show that awarded him $2.5 million a while back. The blog post is getting a lot of media attention, and Jennings now says it was all in good fun.

I understand snark and sarcasm and appreciate it just as much as the next guy, but this seems a little over the top. I'm so curious to know what events led up to this post...but that's one of those things I'll probably never know. It'll be hard, but I guess I can live with that. :)

Peace. Out.

Never Alone...

I wouldn't go so far as to say I've been having a crisis of faith, but something has been going on. For the majority of this summer, I've just been struggling with how I feel about God and my relationship with Him. That's a pretty personal thing to admit, but hey, we're all friends here, right?

I can directly trace this dilemma to the fact that I've been really slack about reading the Bible lately (something I'm attempting to rectify). Without that steady foundation, it's been easy for me to drift away from communion with God and veer into that dangerous doubtful territory.

I'm not saying it's not okay to question faith. In fact, I think it's probably healthy to do so. Who wants to live their life based on the assumptions of others? You need to know for yourself exactly what you believe and why you believe it. I've really been working on that these last few months. It's been quite a journey, but I can see the light ahead.

After several months of (at least partially self-induced) silence, I'm finally feeling the tug of the Holy Spirit on my heart. I know my relationship with God is not bound up in feelings and emotions, but it's been a test to not feel anything. Literally, nothing.

So, here I am, trying to get back to doing my part in this relationship, and trusting (and knowing) that God will do His.

Never Alone by Barlow Girl

I waited for you today, but you didn't show.
I needed You today. So where did You go?
You told me to call - said You'd be there
And though I haven't seen You, are You still there?

I cried out with no reply,
and I can't feel You by my side,
So, I'll hold tight to what I know - You're here,
And I'm never alone.

And though I cannot see You, and I can't explain why
Such a deep, deep reassurance You've placed in my life
We cannot separate, 'cause You're part of me
And though You're invisible, I'll trust the unseen.

I cried out with no reply,
and I can't feel You by my side,
So, I'll hold tight to what I know - You're here,
And I'm never alone.

Peace. Out.

Rock Star : Week 2 Eliminations

The bottom three this week were Jill, Zayra, and Chris.

Jill performed "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence, proving she actually can sing, not just scream. That's a really difficult song and she did an admirable job. Not great, but enough to save herself, I think.

Zayra chose a do-over and sang the same song as the night before. I still don't like her, but she did a lot better than the previous night. She's got this crazy robotic dance thing that, again, causes me to think she just won't work with Supernova (whatever they may turn out to be!).

Chris sand an acoustic version of "If You Could Only See" by Tonic. He did a great job and sounds a lot like the original guy. This is clearly his best performance so far.

I predicted Zayra's ignorance and oddity would get her eliminated, but it turns out being in the bottom three two weeks in a row is a worse offense. Chris is out and the competition continues next week!

Peace. Out.

Rock Star : Week 2

Here's what I thought about the Rock Star performances this week...

Magni, "My Generation" (The Who) - He was definitely channeling JD in stage performance this week (I'll let you decide if that's a good or bad thing!). The vocals and energy were way better than last week, but he hasn't really won me over.

Jenny, "Tainted Love" (Soft Cell) - One of my pet peeves is people who set the mic stand too low so that they have to slouch to sing into it. And that's what Jenny does. It's just one more thing I didn't like about her performance. I don't like her voice at all.

Jill, "Violet" (Hole) - Why is she wearing a wedding dress? And why won't she stop screaming? Dave Navarro had one of his best comments when he said her "Courtney Love impersonation made [him] uncomfortable." She tried to defend her look saying it was all her interpretation and Dave came back with, "Well, I think if you check the album cover, you'll see Courtney Love in a white dress holding a bouquet of roses, so..." It was awesome! Gilby agreed there was too much screaming, but I have to say, she is an interesting performer.

Zayra, "You Really Got Me" (The Kinks) - I don't want to overstate my feelings here, but I really hate her. She's very Euro-style and I just can't see that fitting in with Tommy Lee, you know? At the end of her performance, Gilby noted, "You really have no idea what we're looking for in a singer. Do you even own a record by one of our bands?" To which Zayra responded, "Um, I've heard of your music, but I was in diapers back then." And the crowd went wild!!

Chris, "Take Me Out" (Franz Ferdinand) - He's still got the Jim Morrison curly hair from last week...maybe he thinks it's his lucky charm? He just has no stage presence and does not have the voice to make up for it. Dave says he looks like someone who won a charity contest to be there, that he lacks authenticity, and I agree.

Dilana, "Ring of Fire" (Johnny Cash) - OMG, I love her! You must go and watch her performance from this week. She is exactly like what June Carter Cash would be like today...if June was a vampire! I love it and so do they!

Josh, "Arms Wide Open" (Creed) - He honestly has even less stage presence than Chris. There is no movement save the unnecessary and inappropriate vocal runs. He has a nice voice, but does not put it to good use in this performance.

Phil, "If You Could Only See" (Tonic) - One of my all time favorite songs! I really want to show Phil some love for singing the Switchfoot song last week, but I just don't like him...the way he moves or sings. Jason agrees with me, but Tommy likes his "swagger." Jason says (in my favorite quote of the night), "Sometimes, I'd like to see you just plant your feet...and CRUSH IT!!!" This was accompanied by an acting out of the "crushing it". Love it!

Storm, "Surrender" (Cheaptrick) - Again, an awesome song! She has the opposite problem as Phil - her voice is almost too strong for this song. She has the most unrealized potential of anyone, I think. I look forward to seeing her develop as a performer.

Patrice, "Heart Shaped Box" (Nirvana) - She is really pretty and has a beautiful voice. I don't know that this was the best song choice for her, but she handled the complicated melody really well. Plus, she actually played the electric guitar! Really solid performance.

Lukas, "Don't Panic" (Coldplay) - I get that he is trying to show range, but this performance doesn't hit the high note that last week's did. It was cool to hear this song with a more raw edge. I think Lukas also has really great potential.

Ryan, "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (The Rolling Stones) - He doesn't really do anything for me, but he does have cool hair. Tommy says that when he thinks of The Rolling Stones, he thinks of Mick Jagger show-boating..."So show me some boat!" I can only imagine that means ramp it up a bit next time.

Dana, "Born to Be Wild" (Steppenwolf) - She'd be a great cruise performer, but rock is not her thing. Tommy says it's more like "Born to be Mild." And he's right!

Toby, "Somebody Told Me" (The Killers) - He totally rocked this way more than The Killers do! Yet he dialed it back in all the right places. You should catch his performance as well. He's truly one of the very few who looks (and acts...and sings) like he really belongs up on that stage. He's my early pick to win for sure.

Peace. Out.

Summer Movie Update...

I've recently seen Superman Returns and Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and can highly recommend both.

Superman was excellent! The special effects were good, Brandon Routh bears a striking resemblance to Christopher Reeve (even his voice seems to sound familiar), and Kate Bosworth impressed me as Lois Lane (I wasn't sure about her in the role, but by the end of the film, she had won me over). The story picks up five years after Superman leaves Metropolis to search for the remains of his home planet, Krypton. Lois Lane has just won a Pulitzer prize for an editorial entitled "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman" and is engaged with a young son. Lex Luthor breaks out of prison just in time to pull one over on Superman and cause general mayhem. Kevin Spacey in this role is deliciously devilish. He's one of my favorite actors anyway, and he really steals every scene in which he appears.

Though I loved Batman Begins, I was really pleased to see the powers that be continue the story of Superman rather than go the prequel route. Many critics have complained that the story seems to start out too slow, only picking up speed about halfway in. I have to disagree. I think if we had been plunged back into this world, watching someone else as Superman, it would have been too traumatic. Instead, we are eased into it and have the opportunity to catch up with everyone before getting deep into the storyline. I already loved Brian Singer for his handling of the first two X-Men movies, and I'm so impressed with what he's done with Superman.

Pirates 2 is everything you think it will be. The first movie was a surprise to everyone, including me. It has become one of my go-to films and I was very excited to see the sequel. I had forgotten how much impact the score of this film really has, but it's almost a character in its own right here. The music is swashbuckling excitement itself! The villains, men enslaved on Davy Jones' ship who mutate into sea creatures the longer they're in service, are not quite as cool as those on Captain Barbossa's ship, and, to be honest, they're a little disturbing to watch. Bill Nighy is great as Davy Jones, but the tentacles around his head are just too distracting. Were it not for that, I think this film would be just as good as the first one. Johnny Depp is amazing as Jack Sparrow, and Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley are in fine form. But I know I won't be able to watch this one over and over like I can the first because of those villains. :: Shiver!!! ::

Second movies in a trilogy are usually the most frustrating to watch. They don't begin, they don't end. They're just the middle. Pirates 2 does a great job of continuing the story and setting up the third movie. Yes, it's frustrating, but the last few moments are very exciting. It certainly makes me anxious for the third film...which is just what a second film should do!

Peace. Out.

Speaking of Eliminations...

In an effort to provide some continuity to my blog, I thought I'd let everyone know that Team Wild Hanlons was eliminated on this week's Treasure Hunters. They were one of my favorite teams, but certainly not favored to win. Their good luck could only hold out so long and this week's final challenge (deciphering Roman numeral rock formations to unlock a treasure chest) proved to be their breaking point. I will always love them for giving me some new catchphrases, though! Thanks, Wild Hanlons.

Peace. Out.

Rock Star Elimination Round...

Bottom three:

Chris (no surprise there) who sang a Doors song and wallowed around on stage. His voice was definitely better on this one, but the antics seemed to confuse Jason Newsted. Even if he makes it past tonight, he'll have to really pull something awesome out next week to stick around any longer.

Phil (again, no big shock) who sand Switchfoot's Stars. When he announced what he was singing and who it was by, Tommy Lee said "Oh, I love that band!" And he said it like he meant it! Phil is just boring onstage. Jon Foreman always strikes that balance of making a great pop song sound and feel like an awesome rock song. Phil does not do that at all.

Finally, Matt. He sang Coldplay's Yellow last night and was asked to bring something a little more rocked out next time. So, tonight he chooses...Duran Duran. His version of Planet Earth is a little more rocking that what you'd expect from Duran Duran, but I don't know if Supernova is convinced. His voice just seems more suited to Rock Star : Keane than any band with Tommy Lee playing drums. He might be Chris' savior tonight!

And Supernova decides...

Indeed, Matt will go home tonight. He has a lot of potential in a different band, this is just not his bag.

Can't wait for next week!
Peace. Out.

PS - Dalina was called back up for an encore performance of Lithium and, yeah, she was just as scary this time around!!

Rock on, baby!

Rock Star : Supernova is here! Tommy Lee (formerly of Motley Crue), Gilby Clarke (Guns'n'Roses), and Jason Newsted (Metallica) are looking for a frontperson for their new band, Supernova.

Wednesday was the performance show. Here's what I thought:

Storm, Pinball Wizard - Not necessarily one of my favorites, but she has potential. I liked her more in retrospect than I did at the time. And she definitely held her own singing one of the greatest rock songs ever!

Ryan, Iris - Weak. Just, weak.

Toby, Knockin' on Heaven's Door - Definitely one of the best performances of the night!! He's good looking without being too pretty and has a great voice. I can't wait to hear more!

Patrice, Somebody to Love - One of my all-time favorite songs! She did great vocally, but needs a little better stage presence. Anybody who can keep up with Grace Slick, though, is a winner in my book!

Magni, Satisfaction - No. He has this odd way of skip/stumbling around the stage that's very disconcerting. In someone with more talent, that might be endearing. Here it's just one more thing to dislike.

Zayra, Bring Me to Life - There's no way this girl can work with Supernova, even if Jason Newsted did propose to her right there on stage! :) The Latin accent comes through really strong and her voice is, um, unique. It could be produced really interestingly, I think, but it's not right for rock and roll.

Jenny, How You Remind Me - She held an electric guitar while she performed (note: yes, held, not played), which looked cool, but wasn't enough to cover up the out-of-tuneness in her performance. Way too sweet for Supernova.

Josh, She Talks to Angels - Kind of a weak beginning, but ended up being an amazing performance! He looks and sounds a little like Adam Levine from Maroon 5, but I think he really could add that soulful sound into whatever Tommy Lee's got cooking with Supernova.

Matt, Yellow - He definitely has a "right now" voice, fitting in with bands like The Killers, Keane, and Coldplay, but I don't think it's strong enough to pull off real rock.

Dilana, Lithium - Holy cow! I was literally a little frightened during this performance. And I mean that in the best possible way! She has the dirtiest voice I've ever heard. And if you don't know what I mean by dirty, I'm sorry. I know of no better word to describe it. It's so low and rumbling! Except for the aimless jumping around the stage (a little more polish on that will go a long way!) at the end, this was a flawless performance. Excellent song choice for her voice too!

Dana, I'm the Only One - Too sweet for rock.

Phil, Cult of Personality - Not nearly a strong enough voice to pull off this song. He'll be one of the first to go, I think.

Jill, Piece of My Heart - She yelled her way through this one. Her abs will keep her in the competition for a few weeks, but I don't think she's got the chops to make it in the long run.

Chris, Roxanne - Okay, so I'm a huge Sting freak. He has made or contributed to the making of some of the best music of the last 30 years. I rarely think there's any need for improvement on anything Sting touched. Chris, however, felt like this song needed to be made more relevant. Apparently relevant to him means to suck. Tremendously. He's my prediction for the one going home this week.

Lukas, Rebel Yell - One of the great songs to come out of the 80's. And Lukas (along with the amazing-as-ever House Band) successfully reworks it a bit to make it sound totally today. Though he seems like the cocky one of the bunch, he's also one of the most talented. If he could just ease up on that eye makeup a bit!!

Peace. Out.

My own Cannes Controversy...

So, apparently, this guy feels like Murali K. Thalluri, maker of the film 2:37 is doing some underground, undercover promotion for his film on IMDb. He believes Thalluri is going by fake usernames to talk up the movie on the message boards. While that may be a little dishonest, I sympathize with the plight of the independent filmmaker and support doing whatever it takes to garner interest in your movie.

What I don't support is the user in question trying to pass my review of the film off as his own. This particular user had previously posted my review (with credit) on the 2:37 message boards on IMDb, which I love, but posting it elsewhere with no proper credit given really crosses the line.

Thanks to the anonymous blogger who alerted me to this issue. I gotta say, while I'm deeply offended and want credit for what I've written...I'm also a little excited to be in the midst of a controversy. It's so very Hollywood and only adds to my entire Cannes experience!

Peace. Out.