Saturday, May 29, 2010

"This Could Break My Heart or Save Me"

I haven't written about Kelly Clarkson in 160 days. For me, that's probably 159 days too many. So here's a "just because" Kelly post.

Back in 2007, Ms. Clarkson's second single, "Sober," from her album My December tanked. It went nowhere on the radio and online sales were sparse. The song's poor performance effectively ended promotion for the album and it was labeled a failure. However, nearly three years later, "Sober" is still one of the best song's in Kelly's repertoire. If you haven't heard it, or if it's been a while, take a listen:

Monday, May 24, 2010

Why I Loved LOST

Spoiler Alert: If you haven't seen last night's lost finale you may want to avoid this post.

Last night was the big night. The night when six years of questions were finally supposed to be answered. Now, less than 24 hours after the conclusion of LOST (the biggest event of the decade according to ABC), many fans are up in arms that they didn't get enough answers. However, I'm not one of the pissed off Losties. I'm as pleased as can be. After the finale, I realized I didn't need answers. I never watched LOST for the mystery and science, I watched it because I loved the characters. And that's where LOST's finale succeeded - it was about the characters and not the fantasy.

Shows that rely heavily on mythology (like LOST, Battlestar Galatica, or even Alias) only succeed because, at their core, they're character studies. LOST wasn't about an island with supernatural powers, it was a story about a group of flawed strangers trying to survive together. My favorite episodes of LOST weren't episodes where they explored the fantastical nature of the island, but when we learned more about the castaways. Sure the polar bear, the disappearing island, and the time travel were interesting, but they don't make a show. LOST's best moments were the moments when we truly felt and understood the lives of these characters: when Michael shot Libby and Ana Lucia, when Sun thought Jin died, or when Sawyer and Juliet passionately reunited in the finale.

Contrast those moments with some of LOST's worst: the recent episode which gave us answers to Jacob and the Man in Black (not even Allison Janney could save that snoozer) or when Michael returned and we learned the origin of the islands whispers, and you'll too discover that there was little satisfaction in uncovering LOST's mysteries.

LOST
's answers were always disappointments. That wasn't a bad thing either. The beauty of LOST was that each audience member could reach their own conclusion about the islands various mysteries. The concept of "choose your own adventure" theories, made for a more captive and invested fan base.

The only reason anyone is debating the finale is because of the rabid fan base. However, without a stellar cast of characters that fan base wouldn't exist. We kept getting LOST week after week because we cared about the outcome of Jack, Kate, Sun, and Sawyer. And now that we've reached the end, we should all be thankful for the wonderful ride.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Still All Right


Spring is always a slow time for films. It's where studios burn off shoulda-coulda-woulda Oscar contenders and not-quite-there-yet summer flicks. Instead of recapping all the films that I've neglected to blog about individually, here's a list, from best to worst, of everything I've seen in 2010.

The Kids are All Right - The Sundance darling is still hanging in there as this year's best pic. Previous review here.

Shutter Island - The DiCaprio-Scorsese tandem has yet to misstep. While not as critically beloved as The Departed or The Aviator, Shutter Island is smart, tense, and impeccably made. Grade: A-

How to Train Your Dragon - Depending how critics and audiences react to Toy Story 3 and Tangled (Disney's take on the story of Rapunzel) later this year, a studio other than Disney/Pixar may walk away with the Best Animated Feature Oscar next year. How to Train Your Dragon was everything an animated film should be: imaginative, fun, and fully of whimsy. Grade: B+

Alice in Wonderland - I'm in the minority, but I love when Tim Burton goes "commercial," and Alice was no exception. Grade: B+

Freedom Writers - A solid documentary that not enough people will see. Previous review here.

Date Night - Not even the dream team of Steve Carrell and Tina Fey can save a script that is too unfocused. However the Carrell-Fey combination could make the phone book funny, and in the end, Date Night is worth watching just to see them together. Grade: B

Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil - Hopefully this one catches audiences' attention later in the year because it could be a promising franchise. Previous review here.

Robin Hood - Robin Hood is a mediocre film that doesn't do anything wrong, but it doesn't do anything great either. The entire film feels like a setup for a franchise. We'll see if Universal even gets that far. Grade: B-

Iron Man 2 - Iron Man 2 failed where the first film succeeded. There were too many characters and far too many storylines. Sometimes simpler is better, even for Tony Stark. Grade: B-

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief - Another great concept and story castrated by the limp film-making skills of Chris Columbus (see previous offenses: Rent and the first two Harry Potter films). Grade: B-

Clash of the Titans - The film wasn't terrible, but Percy Jackson made Greek mythology a whole lot more fun. Grade: C

Green Zone - Unlike the DiCaprio-Scorsese tandem the Damon-Greengrass pairing is no longer unblemished. Green Zone was run-of-the-mill and remarkably boring. Damon and Greengrass should stick to the world of Jason Bourne. Grade: C-

The Book of Eli - Sure, the twist ending was good, but everything else about Eli was a post-apocalyptic drag. Grade: D+

Splice - One of the worst movies ever. Period. Previous review here.

Monday, May 17, 2010

"Terrified"

After a three month hiatus, I'm back with my self-important and (mostly) meaningless blog posts. The world is the same as it was three months ago, when I last posted about the Oscars (shocker!). American Idol continues to disappoint, Glee is the gayest thing on television, and I still have an unhealthy crush on Kelly Clarkson. Well, I guess the passing of the health care bill was a "big f*cking deal," but I digress.

It would've been great to come back into the blogosphere with an earth-shattering entry. Unfortunately, for anyone reading this, I'm back with something that is neither timely nor relevant. I've already posted the subject on facebook and twitter, but I guess it's worth using 300 words on the subject anyhow.

It's a well-known secret that this season's American Idol is the reality juggernaut's worst. Simon is coasting, Ellen is a disappointment, and if it weren't for Crystal Bowersox we'd be headed for the worst Idol winner since that gray-haired train-wreck, Taylor Hicks. Other than Mama Sox, there has been one great find this season -- "Terrified," an unknown song written by Idol's newly-crowned cougar, Kara Dioguardi.

Didi Benami, one of the many female contestants eliminated faaaaar too early this season, put the song on the map in the early Hollywood rounds. See below:



After falling in love with Didi's version I found the "original" version recorded by another American Idol alum, Katharine McPhee, last year. The song has already broken 50 plays on my iTunes play count. Not too shabby for a song that I downloaded only a few months ago. If you haven't heard the song, take a listen. Every so often it's good to be a little "Terrified:"