I'm bringing SexyBack

I'll admit the first time I heard this song (off of One Soulful Negro), I thought it was awful and a really bad choice for a first single.

Then I was at a lounge and people were dancing and this song came on and it took a whole new life. This song is PERFECT...at least for the club scene. That song comes on and all of the sudden, you are in a music video.

A couple of thoughts crossed my mind:

• This is one of those songs that anybody could have released, much like Omarion's "Entourage" which I'm sure Usher wishes he bought. What would have happened if Kevin Federline (a.k.a. K-Fed) dropped this song? Would we love it as much?

• Between "Promiscuous Girl" and "SexyBack" and the flop of Pharrell's solo album, it's safe to say that 2006 is the Year of Timbaland.

• I think that JC Chasez should be pissed that Justin is getting props for basically making club music when he tried to do the same thing with his 2004 solo effort, Schizophrenic.

Fall Movie Season 2006

While not as flashy as the Summer Movie Season, this is Oscar time.

Now, I'm not vouching for all these movies nor will I see them all but after looking through IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes and Entertainment Weekly's Fall Movie preview, this is what interested me the most

September 1st:
The Wicker Man

September 8th:
Hollywoodland

September 15th:
The U.S. vs John Lennon*
The Black Dahlia
The Last Kiss

September 22nd:
The Science of Sleep*
Jackass: Number Two
Jet Li's Fearless

September 29th:
School For Scoundrels

October 6th:
The Departed
Employee of the Month

October 13th:
Sunshine
Shortbus*
Little Children*

October 20th:
The Prestige
Marie Antoinette

October 27th:
Babel*

November 3rd:
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Volver*

November 10th:
Stranger Than Fiction
A Good Year

November 17th:
Casino Royale
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
Fast Food Nation

November 22nd:
The Fountain
Deja Vu
For Your Consideration

December 8th:
Breaking and Entering
The Good German*
Holiday

December 15th:
Blood Diamond

December 22nd:
Night At The Museum
The Good Shepard
The Painted Veil

TBD:
Idiocracy**

*Limited release
** This was actually supposed to come out this Friday but now it's been pulled and will only be shown in limited release (BUT NOT IN MEW YORK) so I'm just holding out hope that things change.

Summer Movie Season 2006 Recap

It doesn't look like I will be seeing anymore movies before September 1st so let's look back

Generally this was a disappointing summer, what can I say? I know Bill thinks I'm a hater but most of the big movies of the summer (The Da Vinci Code, X3, Superman Returns, Pirates of the Caribbean) were too long (or in X3's case, too short), bloated and kind of boring. I didn't see any movies twice this summer which is a bad sign (although I am trying to arrange to see Talladega Nights and Little Miss Sunshine again). The best movies of the summer were kids flicks - Monster House being the cream of my crop but Over The Hedge and Cars were also pretty good.

Anyway...

Onto my "Buy" list.

These are the movies I saw this summer that I am going to buy when they come out on DVD. There's no other way to express my love for them except for allowing them in my home so other people can see I love them too (of course there is one exception). Not to say that if they aren't on the list I didn't like them (ex. M:I:3 - too much was made of Tom Cruise's personal life problems) but these are the movies that if I ever have company (whenever that day comes) and they peruse my collection and are in the mood to see something, I will say "Did you ever see..."

• X-Men: The Last Stand (I'm buying it for two reasons: 1) Because I already won the first two and 2) I want to see what got cut out of this movie to make it only 100 minutes.
• The Break-Up (I really wish more of my friends saw this so we could discuss the not-so-funny portrayal of the breakdown of a relationship in the last 30 minutes. That's what Netflix recommendations are for, I guess.)
• Cars (Not sure. I liked it and I own the other Pixar flicks - including A Bug's Life - so I might buy it for completist reasons like X-Men)
• Monster House (Not sure. If I adopt a 12 years between now and its release date)
• Clerks II (I hope there are deleted scenes. Nay, I PRAY)
• Little Miss Sunshine (Easily my favorite movie this summer)
• Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (I can't wait to have a double feature with this and Anchorman and plus I'm curious how much cut footage there was)
• A Scanner Darkly (Not sure. I don't know if I could watch it again.)

Next, the Fall Movie Season 2006..

Poor Mindy Kaling

I thought I saw it but I wasn't sure...

Finally...

Justice






Equally awesome...



Too bad no one from Lost was there.

I know, I know, get over it.

Shortbus trailer

For grown folks only...



Written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell (who previously starred in and directed the film adaptation of his international stage hit, Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Shortbus explores the lives of several characters living in present-day New York as they navigate the comic and tragic intersections between love and sex.

Male and female, straight and gay, the characters find one and other -- and eventually find themselves -- when they all converge at a weekly underground salon called "Shortbus," a mad nexus of art, music, politics, and polysexual carnality. Mitchell developed the film's story along with his ensemble cast, all of whom are making their feature film debuts, and who were selected after submitting videotaped interviews/auditions in response to a well-publicized open casting call posted on a website. Over a half million people visited the website and nearly 500 people sent in tapes before the final seven leading performers/characters were selected to workshop the storyline with Mitchell.

The resulting film, one of the true sensations of this year's Cannes Film Festival, presents sex and sexuality as never before seen in mainstream entertainment, and promises to be one of the most talked-about films for months -- and years -- to come.

See? Bob Dylan Gets It...

I don't know about 20 years but it sure feels that way...

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,71636-0.html?tw=wn_technology_1

Bob Dylan: Technology Sucks
Reuters 12:30 PM Aug, 22, 2006

Bob Dylan says the quality of modern recordings is "atrocious," and even the songs on his new album sounded much better in the studio than on disc.

"I don't know anybody who's made a record that sounds decent in the past 20 years, really," the 65-year-old rocker said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.

Dylan, who released eight studio albums in the past two decades, returns with his first recording in five years, Modern Times, next Tuesday.

Noting the music industry's complaints that illegal downloading means people are getting their music for free, he said, "Well, why not? It ain't worth nothing anyway."

"You listen to these modern records, they're atrocious, they have sound all over them," he added. "There's no definition of nothing, no vocal, no nothing, just like ... static."

Dylan said he does his best to fight technology, but it's a losing battle.

"Even these songs probably sounded 10 times better in the studio when we recorded 'em. CDs are small. There's no stature to it."

Damn you, Braff

First Arrested Development, now this...

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds36132.html

Braff to quit 'Scrubs' to make movies
Tuesday, August 22 2006, 09:57 BST - by David Cribb
Zach Braff has admitted he will quit Scrubs at the end of the current series.

The actor, who plays John 'JD' Dorian in the comedy wants to concentrate on his movie career, following the success of his film Garden State.

He told Premiere magazine: "My guess is that this will be my last season (on Scrubs). Whether or not they continue without me, I don't know. I have had this amazing run on the show and I love it and I'm so grateful, but I want to make movies full time."

I hope they cancel than try to keep it going without him. All the episodes are called "My ______" in reference to JD's life. What would they do? "Turk's Baby"? "Carla's Itchy Back"?

Sigh

Don't Call Me During...: Fall 2006 Edition

well, since Prison Break premiered last night, I guess now is as good a time as any to let you know when I am NOT going to be picking up the phone and you will lose points if you even attempt to call me (yes, even during commercials):

Sunday:
7:00 PM - 7:30 PM: Everybody Hates Chris (CW Hates Chris too. What a dreadful timeslot)
8:00 PM - 8:30 PM: The Simpsons (unless it is a Lisa or singing episode)
9:00 PM - 10:00 PM: Desperate Housewives*/Family Guy
10:00 PM - 11:00 PM: Brothers and Sisters/The Wire

Monday:
8:00 PM - 8:30 PM: How I Met Your Mother (I'm equally as excited about the return of Barney's blog)
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Prison Break (I'm happy they got William Fichtner from Invasion)
9:00 PM - 10:00 PM: Heroes (X-Men the TV shows. Please don't suck)/Runaway* (I don't know about this one but AICN said it was one of the 5 best new shows)
10:00 PM - 11:00 PM: Studio 60 on Sunset Strip (My favorite "Friend" Matthew Perry is back to stop the Friends curse before it begins)/What About Brian? (I heard they completely retooled this show...any change has to be an improvement)

Tuesday:
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Standoff* (I'll give anything starring Gina Torres** a quick look)/Friday Night Lights (I still haven't seen the movie but I'm still in for a show about high school football)
9:00 PM - 10:00 PM: House (After a number of recommendations, I am finally adding it to the roster but if Scrubs returns at this slot, House is House-d)/Veronica Mars (CW, don't cancel this show. Please.)
10:00 PM - 11:00 PM: Nip/Tuck (basically anything F/X airs at this time slot will be watched)/Smith* (Ray Liotta weekly? I'll give it a shot)

Wednesday:
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Bones
8:00 PM - 8:30 PM: 30 Rock (Don't screw this up like you screwed up SNL, Tina Fey)
9:00 PM - 10:00 PM: Lost (Was there any doubt?)
10:00 PM - 11:00 PM: The Nine (next to Heroes, this is the new show I am most excited about)/Kidnapped (if you put this cast in a movie, I might have considered seeing it)

Thursday:
8:00 PM - 8:30 PM: My Name Is Earl
8:30 PM - 9:00 PM: The Office (this is where it gets interesting as they have surpassed the episode count of the BBC version, not counting the two specials)
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Smallville (Still want to see how they solve "the problem")
9:00 PM - 10:00 PM: Grey's Anatomy/The O.C.* (I said if they ever got rid of Misha Barton, I'd start watching. Just keeping my word)
10:00 PM - 11:00 PM: Six Degrees (I'll give anything J.J. Abrams does a chance)

Friday
10:00 PM - 11:00 PM: Battlestar Galatica

Saturday:
Watching all the shows I missed on DVR and downloaded episodes of Weeds***

Yes, I know it goes without saying that I am committed to too much television. One day, someone is going to have to explain to me why this is such a bad thing.

* On Probation
** I meant to add her to The List
** *Viva La BitTorrent

Movie of the Week: Snakes on a Plane

I don't how to rate this one...

I mean it was pretty bad.

But isn't that the reason to go?

I mean my friends and I pre-gamed this movie.

Came into the theater drunk.

There were a bunch of guys sitting next to us who snuck a six pack into the theater and toasted and drank every time someone said "snake"

That's why we came to see this movie.

But I wasn't so drunk I couldn't ignore that the first 25-30 minutes before the snakes start showing up on the plane is probably the worst thing I have ever seen.

But once the snakes started killing people, it was like 1980 all over again.

(I think I'm going to Netflix Alligator and Pirahna just for kicks.)

That said, I have to give this movie because I gave X3 and I can't in good conscious say that X3 was a worse movie.

But I know which movie I had more fun seeing.

HAHAHA

Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger have a message for the paparazzi....

Avada Kedavra

Well, at least I accomplished SOMETHING this summer...

No, I didn't teach myself French (I didn't even get a French for Dummies book)

No, I didn't see all the movies on my list (I'm sorry but Miami Vice and Lady In The Water looked to iffy)

No, I didn't get a new job (not that I had an interview or anything)

But, I did manage to finish all the Harry Potter books.

As I said during my review for Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire, I had no intention of reading the books because I knew reading the books would ruin the movies for me (past, present and future). But, I made a deal with a friend that I would read the Harry Potter books if she would start watching Lost & 24.

Well, I kept up with my end of the bargain. Last night, I finished Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince.

Impressively (pats self on the back), I finished all the Potter books in less than a month.

And I was right, I do enjoy the movies that have come out less than I did before reading the books AND I have no faith that they will be able to do the remaining books any justice unless they are as long as LOTR: The Return of the King and even then, they've left so much out of the previous ones that I don't think it's possible to recover.

But I still REALLY want to see them.

And now I have to suffer with everyone else to wait for the seventh and final book.

I won't spoil anything but they were really good books. I mean I read 6 books in less than a month. And they weren't comic books. Anyone who knows me should know that is pretty good.

The Rules of Attraction

Lest my blog only be about movie reviews and movie trailers...

I thought I would elaborate on something I mentioned during my review of Clerks II about my Rules For Attraction For Famous People.

There really isn't a list of rules, it's really just two:

1. You have to be good at your chosen profession.
2. The better you are at what you do, the more attractive you are.

Personally, I don't know why everyone doesn't live by these rules. What if you meet these people and through some stroke of luck, they find you more interesting than Colin Farrell and you engage in a whirlwind romance, that leads to marriage (that she pays for).

Then you have to go to all her premieres/big concerts and bite your tongue that she really sucks and you'd rather be watching the same movie with someone else in her role or that's a great song, I wish someone else sang it.

That's just not the life for me.

So who are some examples of famous women I am attracted to?

Well, the queen of these rules is Cate Blanchett.

I mean, she's beautiful and all but after I saw her in Elizabeth, I became obsessed with her (SO much so that I am STILL salty she lost Best Actress for that role to Gwenyth Paltrow.)

I don't believe in seeing movies because certain people are in them but she's the closest to an actress that I would see just on the strength of their presence.

She's just so good.

Hm. Who else? Off the top of my head:

• Aisha Tyler, writer/comedian/actress (although her acting is costing her points)
• Jenny Lewis, lead singer of Rilo Kiley
• Jill Scott, singer (although one more happy go lucky album and she's cut off)
• Julie Delpy, actress (I wish she would make more movies)
• Rachel Weisz, actress (damn you, Darren Aronofsky)
  
• Nia Long, actress (the exact opposite. She makes just enough movies to make me keep crushing on her)
• Kate Winslet, actress
• Aimee Mann, singer/songwriter
• Janeane Garofalo, actress/comedian/radio host (mentally, she has never recovered from the 2004 election and now when I see her it's kind of a pity crush)
• Lucy Davis, actress (played Dawn in the The Office on BBC, by the end of the second season, I was in love with her)
• Kerry Washington, actress (needs a better agent if she's in Fantastic Four)
• Sarah Shahi, actress, The L Word (OK, there can't be rules if there are not exceptions)

I'm sure there are more but if I was in a room with all these women and Cate Blanchett, it wouldn't even be a competition.

Tenacious D & The Pick of Destiny trailer

This looks really stupid...

See you on opening night!

Movie of the Week: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

Let me get this out of the way...

No, this was not funnier than Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy. But it may have been a better movie.

Now, here me out. After seeing the outtakes movie, it is clear that all Will Ferrell and Adam McKay do is film a few CORE plot scenes, a bunch of funny scenes and piece it together to make a movie.

I would say 40% of the scenes from the trailer were not in the theatrical version nor the outtakes during the end credits (which means the DVD is going to be another classic and maybe another outtakes movie).

More than Anchorman, Talladega Nights had more of a plot. Everyone in the movie from Will Ferrell down to his two sons, Walker and Texas Ranger, were funny (the only weak link was Leslie Bibb as Ricky's gold digger wife). There were a lot of quotables.

The only thing that was missing was the pure silliness of Anchorman which was embodied by Steve Carrell's Brick Tamland. Everytime I watch that movie, I catch something that he was doing in the background that I didn't notice before.

This was more of a straightforward funny movie. Less throwing a bunch of gum at the ceiling to see what sticks.

It's hard to follow-up a cult classic like Anchorman, and if this came out first, I wonder how Anchorman would have been received.

Borat trailer

Actually, the full title of the movie is Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

The Joker is...

Well, I think he's better a better choice than Robin Williams

As a follow up to last year’s blockbuster Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan is set to direct Warner Bros. Pictures’ The Dark Knight, written by Jonathan Nolan, based on a story by Christopher Nolan and David Goyer. The film will be produced by Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan. Additionally, Christian Bale will resume his role as Bruce Wayne and Academy Award nominee Heath Ledger has been cast as The Joker. The announcements were made today by Jeff Robinov, President of Production, Warner Bros. Pictures.

I like that they are calling the sequel The Dark Knight. I still pray they cast Guy Pearce as Harvey Dent and not Ryan Phillpe-Witherspoon as has been rumored.