Thursday, July 30, 2009

More TV stuff this week

Why did the dog have big ears?
...Because it was a corn dog
I've been eating a lot of popsicles this week because it's been so damn hot in Seattle. And with popsicles often come corny-ass pun jokes geared towards kids. Or stupid people.

Speaking of stupid people, really America? Evan deserves to be in the season 5 finale of So You Think You Can Dance? Over Ade? No. Totally wrong. He's not good enough. I will sorely miss my boyfriend Ade. So handsome. I'll see you in November on the tour baby! Otherwise, I'm fine with the other 3 finalists. GO JEANINE!!!!!!!!! Here's hoping for a Sabra-like surge to the top spot for her.
Actually up to the last 10 minutes I thoroughly enjoyed this results show. Seeing the Jabberwockys, Will, Jessica, Mark, Chelsie, Twitch, Katee, and Joshua dance again was really great. Although it did bring to light that although we've had a couple of amazing group dance routines this season, there haven't really been any standout partner pieces. Not a "Bleeding Love" in the bunch.

Guiltiest Pleasure of the week? Ruby & The Rockits
Okay yes, it's SUPER cheesy and saccharine sweet. But I am loving the family dynamics on this show and everyone involved can actually really sing. I've always been a Cassidy brother fan (all of them) and I'm loving the fake 80s music videos they show every episode for the Rockits with horribly awesome songs like "Chunnel of Love" hee hee hee.

Big Brother 11 - I really hope that this new Coup D'etat thing spices up this thoroughly boring season. I'm just saying if someone like Jeff, Jordan, or Michelle doesn't get some power soon and shake things up I'll be pissed. C'mon America, let's actually mess with this show.



Tuesday, July 28, 2009

TV Tidbits

Let's first talk about the Bachelorette Jillian season finale this week, and the following ATFR show.
That finale sure was a bunch of Fleissian producer-manipulated bullshit that I pretty much ate right up with a spoon. Maybe the heatwave Seattle's been going through has given me a bad case of heat-induced retardation but I loved Jillian and Ed getting together. I loved everything about that final rose proposal - Ed not getting on his knees until he heard the words he wanted to hear, the way Jillian couldn't wait to put that fugly marquis cut engagement ring on her finger, the adorkable giggling they both couldn't stop doing, I loved every minute of it.
All I know is that these two better keep it together and make it work, because I can no longer justify any reason for watching this damn show if none of these relationships actually work out.
The After The Final Rose show was a crock as usual. First there was the obligatory catch-up with Melissa Rycroft, which even Chris Harrison had a hard time making relevant, which is saying something. Speaking of Chris Harrison, what was up with his head on ATFR? His noggin looked enormous and his hair was a lot pouffier then usual. He looked like a bobble-head.
Anyway, Jillian and Ed look really great together and I truly hope it works out for them. I want "Krista PEENK party princess wedding 2.0". C'mon Fleiss, make it happen.
They are so obviously grooming Reid for the next Bachelor; and there's no fawking way I believe that he bought his own engagement ring.

True Blood: Terry Bellefleur + Lafayette Reynolds = Best Friends 4eva!!!Loved their scene in the kitchen, but boy was the rest of this week's episode FREEEEAAAKKYYYY. Almost uncomfortably so, but I do like how the writers are incorporating storylines from the books. It makes being a fan of both very easy, but you never know what they're going to do.

HGTV's Design Star - Loving this season so far. Annoying, excuse-ridden Tashika should've gone home this past week instead of Amy, although I see why the judges were so fed up with Amy's lack of leadership skills. Antonio, Dan, and Nathan I'm loving though.

Watch What Happens L!ve - Oh Andy Cohen, how can I want to hang out gossiping with you while drinking Makers & Gingers and at the same time want to beat you with a pillowcase filled with baseballs? Such a quandry.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Random bits about Harry Potter/Half-Blood Prince

The 6th movie gets the following grades =
Acting: A-
Story execution: C
Direction: B-
Casting: A

Maybe I'm being more critical about this sixth installment in the Potter movie franchise because I happened to see it in a theater that had a malfunctioning HVAC system; so it was fucking hot and stuffy and I was really feeling every one of the 240 minutes of this film, and not in a good way.
[tangent rant] It has been bloody hot in Seattle for the last few days. So imagine my excitement at the thought of escaping the unbearable afternoon heat by enjoying a movie in a nice chilled theater. To be hit by that wall of stuffy heat as we walked into theater #4 was so damn annoying and disappointing I almost screamed in frustration. This is a brand new cinema that we were in; it's only been open a couple of months and there's no excuse for the AC to not be working. I almost demanded my money back, except that my friend Robert had bought the tickets. I left the movie hotter and more uncomfortable than when I walked in![/tangent rant]

While the acting was very well done by all concerned, "Half-Blood Prince" was the most fragmented film I've seen in a very long time. What the hell David Yates? Or should I be blaming Steve Kloves for his screenplay? Listen I get it. Rowling's books are long as crap and hard to adapt to fit into a 2-3 hour format. But for crissakes, what the hell?! I've read the books; I even recently did a cursory read through "Prince" a few weeks ago to refresh my memory a bit; and this movie still had me scratching my head and having to think way too much.
For one thing they spent way too much time on the teen "raging hormone" love interest stuff. Time they could've spent explaining things like the Horcruxes, which felt unecessarily rushed and jumbled in this film. The importance of the Potions textbook and Snape's connection to it were also totally downplayed. The "I'M the Half-Blood Prince" reveal at the end was tacked on so clumsily it was stupid and confusing.
As far as the good stuff? The cast was great. From the big roles (Alan Rickman and Emma Watson continue to rock every minute they're on screen) to the small roles (where did they find this David Legeno guy to play Fenrir Greyback? So scary.), the acting was well done.
Everyone at this point knows they're splitting the 7th book into two movies which is a good idea, and going into "Prince" I thought that 2 1/2 hours was plenty of time for the 6th book, but now I'm thinking the splitting "Prince" into a couple of movies might not have been a bad idea.
I hope the powers that be get it together for these last installments.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

SYTYCD Favorite Group Dances

I was originally going to do a series of posts about my all time favorite routines from So You Think You Can Dance later this summer right before the 6th season begins. But then they announced that they were going to be revisiting some of the most memorable pieces from the past seasons in the 100th episode special airing tonight, including Ramalama, so I felt I better get at least some of the faves on my list up here. So I'm presenting my top 5 (for now and in no particular order) group dances from all 5 seasons of the US version of SYTYCD. [ed. note - the quality and accessability of some of the following YouTube videos is questionable, sorry.]

In the #1 spot, the routine that I find most devotees of this show list as their favorite group piece. They've been hyping the fact that choreographer Wade Robson is going to not only be revamping this but also dancing in it himself during the 100th ep special. I can't wait to see how the new version stacks up to the original. In the 2nd season this was performed twice, as a piece in the finale show reuniting the entire top 20, and originally (and best) as a showcase for Season 2's top 10. Here's the original:
S2 - The song "Ramalama Bang Bang" by Roisin Murphy, choreographed by Wade Robson


Oh Mia Michaels, you are a conundrum wrapped in a riddle sprinkled with annoying fairy dust. But damn are you a great choreographer. I want to deny this but I totally can't. Five, count 'em, 5 of my favorite routines from this show are from Michaels. Three of which appear on this list. Up first surprisingly is the first group routine from our current season 5 dancers. Seriously one of the funkiest awesome things ever:
S5 - The song "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder, choreographed by Mia Michaels


One of the things I've loved about this show (and reluctantly have to give it up to Mia again) is the exposure that they've given great musical artists like Imogen Heap. I've loved her for years and it's been great to see her music used so much and so well on this program. One of the best ways was in this group dance from Season 2 (the video and sound quality is horrible on this one but this routine is nearly impossible to find so we take what we can get):
S2 - The song "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap, choreographed by Mia Michaels


The final Mia routine in this list might be one of my favorite pieces of art PERIOD. I kept this episode from Season 3 on my DVR for months just to watch this opening number; I cried when I saw the top 10 perform it on tour. This piece was really a showcase for the brilliance that was/is Danny, who still sets my heart a flutter (yes, I know he's gay). Performed to Imogen Heap's AMAZING song "The Moment I Said It" here is the top 10 group dance from Season 3 choreographed by Mia Michaels:


Rounding out my top 5 SYTYCD group numbers is another from this season and a hip-hop piece but surprisingly not from Shane Sparks, who I love. This piece is from Tabitha and Napoleon done to the White Stripes of all things. It's superb; especially considering we didn't have any strong hip-hop or break dancers this season except for Phillip.
S5, the song "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes, choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo:



So those are my top group routines. Do you agree? What are some of yours? Go ahead and comment about them.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Top Eight Performances - SYTYCD

I'm keeping tonight's comments fairly short. I'll be posting a big piece about SYTYCD tomorrow to commemorate their 100th episode instead.
Ellen Degeneres was sort of ho-hum as a judge. She loved everyone which was expected but I just thought (wanted) she'd be funnier and wackier. And as Nigel said, this episode was the flattest of the season for me. I think these guys are all really nervous and tired.

The great:
The Tyce Diorio contemporary piece about breast cancer. Just so powerful. Amazing. I get teary-eyed.
The video here is a snippet from tonight's show that includes my two favorites of the night, the above mentioned Tyce piece, and Jeanine's solo.


The good:
Jeanine - Her solo was the best of the night out of everyone's; 30 seconds? I could've watched her dancing to that Citizen Cope song for 30 minutes! She was the best part of both of her partner dances with Brandon tonight as well.

Janette - where did this girl come from? Yes I know Miami, but seriously, she's awesome in everything isn't she?

Melissa - She touched my heart a little, not just in the Tyce piece. It was also her best solo yet.

The okay:
Brandon - The only reason why Brandon isn't in the 'meh' category is because of the fantastic way he danced that Laurieann Gibson pop-jazz piece. It was the best routine of the night (excluding the Tyce piece).

Ade - I hate to say this but other than his solo, which was the best of the guys, he was just blah for me in the cha cha. The Tyce contemporary piece was PHENOMENAL but for me it was truly a partnership dance that wasn't really about Ade. He's still my favorite and my secret boyfriend, and I still voted like crazy for him, but he fell kind of flat for me overall. That said, I will flip the hell out if he doesn't make the top 4.

Kayla - She was serviceable. But faded into the background compared to the other girls tonight.

Jason - If I look at the dancing he did tonight it was all very fine, but boy was it forgettable.

The meh:
Evan - He's just not doing it for me. Totally agreed with the judges about his performance in Sonya's jazz piece and thought he was cringeworthy in the rumba. When he tries to be "that kind" of sexy (as opposed to the first jazz piece he danced this season with Randi) he just makes me uncomfortable. I don't think he deserves to move on. Although I know he has a strong fan base so he'll probably move on. hrrumph

Catching up

Just some of the good stuff I've been enjoying this past week -
My favorite "new" tv show: Drop Dead Diva
Two episodes in and I'm in love with this new comedy on Lifetime. I've never liked any scripted show on this channel so I wasn't sure what to expect from Diva even though it has Margaret Cho and she can pretty much do no wrong for me. But what a gem! It's smart and funny and not cheesy and charming. And the leads are great!
Brooke Elliot is a revelation. She makes the Jane/Deb character so appealing. And Ben Feldman as Fred the angel - where has this kid been all my life? SO cute. So talented. And of course Margaret Cho rocks. So far she hasn't been featured enough in the show to please me but I'm hoping that changes as the season progresses. The show's getting a lot of buzz now, and there are quite a few notable guest stars coming up, so I hope it gets picked up for more seasons. If Lifetime can keep putting out dreck like "Army Wives" I'm sure they can find a place for this entertaining show.
Actor having "a moment" for me right now: Peter Facinelli
I've always had a soft spot for The Fatch. But lately I just can't get enough of him. His work as Coop on "Nurse Jackie" is so fantastic; in a crowd of great perfomances on that show. I'm also loving Facinelli's Twitter feed (@peterfacinelli). His tweets are so funny and "regular" and he responds to his followers like they're his best buds that he's known for years. You feel like he's your friend and you go over to his house and hang out with Jenny and the kids having coffee. So great.

TV show that's having a great 2nd season - True Blood
The sophomore slump so often hits shows that get a lot of hype and attention in their first season. And I was really worried that True Blood was going to suffer from this, especially when I thought that they had gotten rid of Lafayette (and the awesome Nelsan Ellis). But no worries. This show is having a great season so far; really using the talents of the actors and characters that were sort of secondary last year. This is especially true for Aleksander Skarsgard who plays the vampire sherrif Eric. Can't say enough good things about him.
Movie that put me in the BEST MOOD!: Julie & Julia
I had the pleasure of getting to see an advance screening of this marvelous film last night. I got to the theatre in a horrid mood after a bad day at work and left with a huge smile on my face, feeling lighter and happier than I have in weeks. Julia Child holds a special place in my heart because of her connection with me and my mother; I also read two of the memoirs that this film is based on, so I knew a lot of background going into it. But whether you've ever heard of Julia Child or care a lick about cooking, you will love this movie. A love of cooking and Julia helps of course, but I know that some people are going to dismiss this movie as a "chick film". It's so much more than that. The entire cast is superb; Amy Adams is button-cute and makes Julie much more personable than I feel the book did. Meryl Streep is MERYL STREEP; that is to say so perfect as Child that you can't imagine anyone else in the role. Supporting players Stanley Tucci as Paul Child, Chris Messina as Julie's husband, and Jane Lynch, in a scene-stealing cameo as Julia's sister Dorothy, are all awesome.




Wednesday, July 15, 2009

SYTYCD - Top 10 Baby!

Oh geezus y'all, tonight's episode was so gawddam AWESOME. I don't know if I had lowered expectations, or if the caliber of dancing was really just that good; I was blown away.
First of all my favorite guest judge Debbie Allen was on board tonight. Maybe it's because she reminds me of my mom in many ways, (also Debbie kicks all kinds of ass!) but I just love her.
This is the point of the competition where individuality takes over. America's votes and the girl and guy with the lowest votes goes home. Tonight they switched it up a little with introducing each an all girl and all guy routine. The girls did a Bollywood number to open the show, and the guys did an African dance to close the show. Both were amazing.
So let's talk individuals:
Brandon - His solo was rather weak for me tonight, although still very good, it's just compared to some of the other solos it was just "there".
For his partner dance he got Melissa and they got Broadway (but really jazzy to the revival of "Hair") from Tasty Oreo. They both worked well together and Brandon had some great moves that showed off his leg strength and musicality. But he really is short isn't he?

Randi - Zzzzzzzzzzzz Okay, that's not really fair considering that Unitard is a better dancer than many of the women in seasons past. It's just that she was the most uninspired tonight. I can't imagine that she's not going home this week.
She got Kupono as a partner and their Paso Doble while better than many this show has seen, was still rather passionless.

Kupono - His solo was just as weird as he always is; I've never really liked his solo stuff. He tried his best in the Paso Doble with Randi, but his movements weren't sharp enough for the Paso.

Melissa - Her solo was fine; not too exciting, although ol' grandma's still got it. But I just loved her with Brandon in the "Hair" number. It was hard to take my eyes off her, and that's saying a lot when you're dancing with Brandon.

Evan - He "Danced With His Big Woman". Hee! Debbie Allen is win. I thought his Viennese waltz with Kayla (who is like a foot taller than him) was well executed and I thought he was unjustly criticized by Mary and Nigel. I mean I guess they're the experts but I can usually see where they're coming from and I didn't get it tonight. His solo was predictable Gene Kelly fare but enjoyable.

Kayla - She really is phenomenal no matter who she's paired with. But I find her solo work less inspiring. Still, Kayla is the most well-rounded dancer this season (maybe any season) and I enjoy watching her.

Ade - This boy is SPECTACULAR. Love. He had the best solo of the night hands down (even if he was a little cocky afterwards, although prompted by Cat). And it was a pleasure to get to see him finally do hip-hop, which he's shown a knack for in some of his intro solo work; this time paired up with Janette for a NappyTabs routine. I usually don't like choreography that uses props, but the "hair pick of destiny" and Janette's wardrobe items were well done and added a fun element to the routine. I want to see this one done on tour!

Jeanine - Boy did she jump out of the gate shining tonight without Philip holding her back. She got Jason as a partner which was incredibly lucky because they've known and danced with each other for some years which really made their chemistry palpable. And, be still my heart, they got to dance a contemporary routine from TRAVIS WALL! Travis, I want to have a million gay babies with you! The routine was so damn beautiful I got misty. So moving, so hot. Jeanine has consistently done some of my favorite solo work this season from the ladies.

Jason - As Nigel said, Jason became a star tonight dancing a tremendous routine with Jeanine. The lifts he did were out of this world. So much control. He made Mary Murphy cry instead of scream. His solo to a random Muddy Waters tune was fun, lively, and showcased his strengths. I still don't know how he tore Jeanine's dress though.

Janette - As I've said before, the ballroom dancer solos aren't usually my favorite thing. But Janette's little saucy number was very fun and energetic. She's such an amazing talent. Besides Kayla and Ade I think she has the most potential in almost all of the styles which I wouldn't have guessed back in the audition rounds. Loved her hip-hop with Ade.

My top 3 routines are pictured. I predict that Unitard is going home for the girls and possibly Kupono for the guys.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

What I can't stop listening to...

Summer TV July/Aug - "How could I forget?" edition

Although I posted about the summer tv I'm looking forward to this month and next, I regrettably left out a couple of gems. I'm rectifying that now.

First up, is a new Bravo reality show that premieres tonight called Miami Social. It's supposed to be like "The Hills" for grownups. The reasons I'm already a little bit in love with this show?
  1. The location - as much as I HATED living in Miami for 6 years because of the rude people, the city and surrounding communities are really beautiful and seeing my old stomping grounds on tv makes me nostalgic. Additionally, because of the aforementioned rude people, it's a great place for a reality show. Assholes are entertaining!
  2. HARDY! Omigawd, how I loved, then hated, then loved, then pitied, then hated Hardy on the second season of Big Brother. But seriously, any and every person from BB2 (best season ever!) will always have a special place in my heart. And now I guess Hardy's become like the social mayor of Miami or something? I don't know how that happened but I'm intrigued.
  3. Did I mention that it's supposed to be like "The Hills"? Can't wait. I wonder who will be the toolish "Spencer Pratt" of the group? Additionally another reality show vet is part of the group of 7 friends profiled on the show; Katrina from the first season of "The Apprentice". And I love how Bravo already has the ominous "season 1" tag on their website for the show. Already filming a second season are we Bravo?
In August, besides Project Runway, the other show that I'm looking forward to is the next season of the BBC show Skins. I totally got hooked on this last season. Love me some Sid. Can't wait to see how Tony fares...

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

SYTYCD - Top 12 performances

Two dances for each couple tonight, so there's a lot to cover. This time of the competition is always sad because you totally feel for that couple that just misses making the tour. Not sure why Cat made such a big deal with announcing that next week all the couples are broken up - that happens every season at this time (except for S1). Maybe it was for the benefit of new viewers? Or wait...did Cat say that they wouldn't ever get to dance together again? Not even by random drawing out of the hat? Harrumph...
Tasty Oreo was the guest judge tonight. And seriously, what has crawled up Tyce's ass to make him so odd? He wasn't exactly bitchy tonight but it's like he's trying to be a combo of Brian Freidman from season 1 and Mia Michaels and instead he's just kind of an uninteresting asshole. Anyway...

My favorite couple started the night out with disco from fucking Doriana Sanchez. Why?! Why did Melissa and Ade get stuck with a Doriana routine? Because the one she did for Brandon and Janette a couple of weeks ago was the only halfway decent choreography she's done for this show in 5 seasons, so I don't think we're going to get lucky and have that lightning hit twice. It was pretty good but a little frantic as so many Sanchez routines are. Melissa struggled a bit. And those spins! I felt for Mel on that last lift that she fell out of because she was so dizzy. Ade was great - good energy.

Kupono and Kayla's first dance was from Mia Michaels. The "addiction" theme was a little heavy-handed and overwrought. BUT once again Mia created a dance that took my breath away. And she used one of my fave songs too. Pono and Kayla were pretty damn amazing.

Jason and Caitlin began with the Foxtrot. I really liked it although it wasn't too exciting. I can still see them being in the bottom 3 because I don't think the audience is feeling them.

Okay, Philip and Jeanine got screwed with Russian folk dancing. Jeanine put great effort into it and was actually good with what she was given. Philip was not good. But then the judges just harped on how shitty the choreography was which was totally unfair to both the dancers and the choreographers. It felt "too folky" Nigel? Annoying.

Evan and Randi got hip-hop from Nappy Tabs. Napoleon actually admitted that they choreographed a "move for every syllable". Sigh - I hate how literal their routines are with the music. The dancing was just okay for me. Randi actually did a lot better than I expected but it was a little too cheerleadery.

Brandon and Janette. I think these two will fair better with me once we're in the top 10 and they're with different partners and more separate. Because right now as a couple they totally annoy me. Yes, they're great blah blah, but I hate the stink of "TCO" that's all over them. I fully expect to see at least Brandon in the finale but until then I need them off my screen together. Oh yeah, their Argentine tango was excellent.

Melissa and Ade got a waltz (from Ron Montez!) as their second dance which I feel a little let down about because I really was dying to see them do a NappyTabs routine - oh well. How cute was Melissa interviewing about how much she'd miss dancing with Ade? I really liked this flowy waltz. Ade got to show off some moves and Mel was elegant as usual. (side criticism about Ade's costume - it wasn't quite "and then there's Maude" as Vitolio's was a few weeks ago but still awful). I could seriously watch these two dance together forever.

Pono and Kayla got Broadway from that Joey lady again (please keep her!). I totally get the Kayla love now. The judges were lukewarm with their praise and kind of see where they were coming from but I really like these two and want to see them move on.

I was so happy that Jason and Caitlin got to dance their style for their last dance together. I kind of loved this Mandy Moore routine (to a Maria McKee song of all things). People didn't seem that excited about it though, so I fully expect to see them in the bottom 3.

The deck was definitely stacked against Philip and Jeanine tonight. The jive? I really felt for them but if there was ever any ballroom that fit Philip it's this. They did pretty well.

I seriously can't see either Randi or Evan dancing with anyone else. I mean can you picture Evan with Melissa? Or Unitard with Philip? No way. Their last dance was a samba choreographed by two of my favorites contestants on this show ever - Pasha(!!) and Anya! Yay! I was way more excited about the rehearsal footage than the performance of the actual dance sadly. It looked like Evan was wearing a unitard of his own. Hee!

Brandon and Janette got Wade. Of course they did. They were awesome. Whatever.





Oh and Cat Deeley looked gorgeous!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Summer 2009 TV Preview - July/August

July is a month filled with a lot of returning favorites, and a handful of new ones that have potential.

First, the returning shows I'm most looking forward to:
Torchwood (BBC America) - I wasn't sure how I felt about this "Doctor Who" spinoff after the first episode, but after two seasons I've grown to love it and especially Captain Jack. Last season ended with a lot of drama and several main cast members dying, so I'm looking forward to the kickoff of season 3 in a couple of weeks.
Big Brother 11 - Oh BB, summer just isn't summer without you. For a few years there, you and I had a rocky relationship, what with asshole fucktards like Evel Dick, Mike Douche, and Adam the missing link winning, and all of your dumb "twists" and "expect the unexpected" bullshit. But last season you actually redeemed yourself and finally crowned a winner that I wanted, for seriously like the first time in 7 seasons. Anyway, I'm giving you another chance and this year I'm participating in my office pool (go Ronnie and Russell!?) so there's $150 on the line to hold my interest.
Eureka - Another science fiction fave and the last remaining show on the SyFy network (can I stop a minute to complain about this channel's IDIOTIC decision to change their name from Sci-Fi to SyFy? WTF? It doesn't make sense. It's a nonsense word/abbreviation that's totally unnecessary! And what was the motivation? Were they being sued? The hell?! Ok rant over.) that I still watch. Looking forward to seeing what Carter and the rest of this town's quirky occupants get into this season. And there's a new robot sheriff! Played by the cute boat guy from "Men in Trees".

Project Runway - finally this lost season will be airing sometime in late July or early August on its new home on Lifetime. I'm more curious than excited to see how things play out. And I hope the show's producers can get their shit together so that the next season can actually play out at Fashion Week correctly like in seasons past.

Premiering shows -
Great American Road Trip (NBC) Premieres July 7
I'm liking the commercials and the fact that everyone's competing in a Winnebago as they travel along Route 66 and compete in "comical" (NBC's word) challenges. I'm a little worried that it'll turn into a redux of The Amazing Race: Family Edition which was such a colossal failure. World's Largest Rocking Chair here we come.

Drop Dead Diva (Lifetime)Premieres July 12
A hot blonde model(?) is killed in an accident, but through reincarnation comes back as a plus-sized lawyer. The blonde has to adjust to life with more brains and less physical beauty and hijinks ensue. Margaret Cho plays the lead's wise-cracking assistant and that is really the only reason I'm tuning in at first.

Michael & Michael Have Issues (Comedy Central) Premieres July 15
Love Michael Sholwalter and LOVE Michael Ian Black, so I'm looking forward to this sketch comedy show. Especially knowing that other comedy boyfriends like Rob Huebel are going to be guests.

Ruby and the Rockits (ABC Family) Premieres July 21
Patrick and David Cassidy star as formerly famous brothers whose band broke up because of their battling. Years later they are reunited when David needs help raising his recently discovered teen daughter. Sounds sort of awful, but Shaun Cassidy created it and his previously helmed shows have all been really smart and well done. And I am fascinated by the meta aspect of the fact that the show is created by one brother and stars his two other brothers and they all sing and dance? Could be so awful it's awesome!

Being Human (BBCA) Premieres July 25
This UK series about three roommates is making its way across the pond, but it has a bit of a twist, as the roomies are a ghost, a vampire and a werewolf. I am generally a fan of most of the BBC sci-fi/fantasy shows so I will definitely be giving this one a try.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

SYTYCD - Top 14 Performances

What a great week of dancing. I enjoyed so many of the performances tonight that I'm actually super sad for Thursday night eliminations. I really don't want anyone to go! On a side note - Mia Michaels bugs me as a judge. She really does.
On to the dancing!

Brandon/Janette - I have been very lukewarm on this couple. I can't pinpoint what it's been about them, but they've just been 'meh' to me. They cranked up the heat tonight though with their AWESOME performance. I love me a good cha cha y'all and this one was one of the best I've seen. They reminded me a lot of their choreographers Jean-Marc and France from their competition days .

Kupono/Kayla - I really do like these two as a couple. While I enjoyed their performance I didn't really get the "vampire" story aspect of the modern jazz piece from Sonya Tayeh. Beautiful lines from these two though.

Evan/Randi - Probably one of the weaker performances tonight, and that's saying something because I liked this routine. And YAYYYY! for a new Broadway choreographer. I like Joey Dowling. Keep her please!

Jason/Caitlin - They've had the toughest dance draw so far and I thought they lucked out with getting weird-ass Brian Freidman in his dream-catcher muscle shirt and his super detailed alien pregnancy fantasy jazz piece. I thought they were great. But they're probably in trouble. The judges were harsher than they needed to be. "Dancing condom" indeed Nigel.

Philip/Jeanine - First, was Napoleon wearing a velvet riding hat in the rehearsal? The hell? NappyTabs (ha! Nigel used their nickname that the internet forum people gave them) continue their fascination with very literal dance interpretation of song titles - "Love Lockdown"? Really, with the chains and key and stuff? We get it. But that said, I enjoyed the heck out of this routine. I actually thought that all of the judges were going to be harder on these for some reason not just Mia.

Ade/Melissa - Oh I love love love these two. But. I felt weird about their pas de deux. Is the show permanently adding ballet as a style after last year's coup of nabbing Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden as choreographers for the gorgeous Pas de deux that Katee and Will did? Nigel didn't really address it, except for tooting his own horn about how awesome the show is. Or did the show do this because ballet is Melissa's genre? If another pair had picked this style out of the hat would Thordal Christenson have done something different that wouldn't have required toe shoes? Melissa and Ade were beautiful but I felt like they had an unfair advantage somehow. And also, Ade didn't have much to do. And also he wasn't shirtless. Boo. Shut up Mia and your gushing about the "black and white" Romeo & Juliet - it kind of demeans it.

Vitolio/Karla - The new couple this week. And they got stuck with the dreaded quickstep, poor suckers. But this pair did really well with the close hold and the footwork. God how I hate Rufus Wainwright's voice. His awful rendition of "Puttin' On The Ritz" distracted me throughout this routine. This is the pair that I wouldn't mind losing, which again is a shame because they are really good and I like them as a couple together.

One mention about the Dizzy Feet stuff - sounds like a great foundation, but tell me again why Katie Holmes is involved? And why is she dancing in the Tasty Oreo choreographed Judy Garland tribute that'll be performed on the 100th episode of this show? Mrs. Tom Cruise certainly did not impress me with her dancing when she was on Eli Stone last year. Well her "dancing" is at least better than her "singing" and maybe she's been practicing.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Summer TV June Report Card - Part 2

Oh, the remaining shows that premiered in the month of June did not fair well with me at all.

NYC Prep (Bravo)
It's like Gossip Girl, but instead of twentysomething actors playing intriguing teenagers, it's actual teens who are the brattiest, assiest, most frustrating people I've seen on reality tv in some time. I could barely get through the first ep because I wanted to strangle so many of these kids. But. I might give it another chance. I haven't deleted the Tivo season pass yet.

Hawthorne (TNT)
HATED THIS. Not even gorgeous and lovely Michael Vartan could save this turd. Jada Pinkett-Smith is so annoying and over-acty. Just no.

The Philanthropist (NBC)
HATED IT. Not even my love for Jesse L. Martin and Michael K. Williams (Omar from "The Wire") could save this. Neve Campbell already grates, but to then have her character be such a pill really killed any possibility this show had.

Hung (HBO)
The one bright spot in the latter part of June was the premier of Hung this past Sunday. This show is well done and much funnier than I expected. Paired with "True Blood", HBO has a winning Sunday night line-up.

"Do you know me?"

Mladen Sekulovich passed away today at the respectable age of 97. After these past few weeks of various celebrities dying of cancer, suspicious heart attacks and other things, it's almost nice to hear about someone leaving this Earth from plain ol' old age.
A lot of folks in their thirties and forties probably remember Karl Malden mostly from the American Express ads he did for decades.

But I loved him for being the wise, awesome Detective Lt. Mike Stone from the great 70s cop drama The Streets of San Francisco. Starring first with Michael Douglas playing Inspector Steve Keller ("buddy boy") and later with yummy Richard Hatch (pre-Battlestar days) as Inspector Dan Robbins. I could watch this show every day and not get sick of it. I'm hoping that because of Malden's passing they might finally release the last couple of seasons of the show on DVD.Malden of course will also be remembered for his Oscar-winning turn as sad-sack Mitch in A Streetcar Named Desire. And as Herbie in the 1962 movie version of Gypsy with Natalie Wood and Rosalind Russell.
He will be missed. So long dear man, keep it classy up there in Heaven!