Get (Not All That) Smart

To begin with, I never really had any interest in seeing this comedy, so I was bound not to fully enjoy it. Moving on; for a film in general it wasn't too, too shabby. But for a '60s television adaption, it really wasn't that good. It lacked a strong plot; you're is never told exactly why they're trying to save the world- scratch that- save the U.S. government. Nor are you ever shown or told just how Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) falls for Max (Steve Carrell), considering she appears to hate him for more than half of the time. (And while we're mentioning actors, the one thing I whole-heartedly liked about it was the phenomenal casting and acting). But, to top off a loose plot, I found the jokes and humor to be not particularly hysterical. What still has me confused is how 75% of the humor is geared towards youngsters and yet there's a bounty of intense action and sexual references to go along with the PG-13 rating. All in all, I was left slightly puzzled and as if I'd wasted my $8. My advice- wait for it to arrive via Netflix.

Out of the Box Office

When this week's numbers were announced I was utterly stunned. Many were predicting a much smaller opening for the Jolie- and-McAvoy-action-packed-Wanted. And Wall-E has become the third best opening for Pixar, but that's not of much surprise either; there's a 9/10 chance we'll see it nominated for (and winning) the Oscar, come December.

For the Weekend of June 27th - 29th.

1. Wall-E...........................$62 mil
2. Wanted.........................$51 mil
3. Get Smart....................$20 mil
4. Kung Fu Panda............$11 mil
5. The Incredible Hulk...$9 mil

This Week's TV Numeros

The ratings that rocked and the one's that flopped.

• The Daytime Emmy's, even award show junkies like me couldn't have cared less with a dismal 5.4 million.
• Camp Rock, the crap-ass Disney movie with the gay Jonas clan, did well enough to spawn a sequel with 8.9 mil. (Note above reference).
• Celebrity Family Fued is this week's second best premiere with 8.8 mil.

DVDing Tuesday

Here's two noteworthy films to check out on disc this week. First up we have 10,000 BC starring the man-gorgeous Steven Strait and just-plain-gorgeous Camilla Belle. It's also directed by Roland Emmerich, whose directed some goodies such as Independence Day, The Patriot, and The Day After Tomorrow. My number two pick is the animated, Academy Award nominated Persepolis, based on the graphic novel, about a girl growing up in Iran. I'm sure either will guarantee entertainment in one way or another.

Out of the Box Office

Am I surprised by this weekend's numbers? In a word- nope. It was obvious that Get Smart would take the top spot (despite mixed reviews, I know many who were looking forward to it). And this week's other opening, The Love Guru, doing badly is certainly no shocker.


For the Weekend of June 20th-22nd.

1. Get Smart....................$38 mil
2. The Incredible Hulk...$22 mil
3. Kung Fu Panda...........$21 mil
4. The Love Guru............$13 mil
5. The Happening...........$10 mil

Consider How Great Kathy Griffin Is

If your'e an avid Kathy Griffin fan, such as I, you've probably seen her show My Life on the D-List. This past week on the show she went to the small town of Tracy, California to record her comedy album For Your Consideration. And in true Griffin style the only reason of doing this is to try and get a Grammy to go along with her Emmy win.

So yesterday I listened to the album which was just released last week (yes, there's been a ton of awesome releases this week- Katy Perry and Coldplay), and was pretty happy with what I heard. As always, there's just the right amount of language to elevate Kathy's amusingly absurd celebrity run-ins. But I found the jokes to be just funny, not hilarious, but I think that's just because I've seen all her specials (twice) on TV and, obviously, because it's recorded you lose her goofy gestures and expressions which always add to the comedy. But overall, it's not to shabby, and I'd be willingly listen to it again.

Click here to buy For Your Consideration.

Entertainment Weekly's 'New Classics'

They've decided, and I don't agree.

At all.

Once a reliable source for everything entertainment, I am starting to lose my respect for EW. I mean, I've looked over these lists and am very dissapionted at what they claim to be "the new classics."

NOTE: Below are the top 10's , to see full list click the link.

Yes, many of these movies have won Oscars, but some are just cult-faves. I know that is sometimes what makes a classic, but some of them are ridiculous. Here are the top 10 out of the 100 choices.

The New Classics: Movies

(Since 1983)

Complete list: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20207076_20207387_20207063,00.html?iid=top25-20080621-The+New+Classics%3A+Movies

1. Pulp Fiction (1994)

2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03)

3. Titanic (1997)

4. Blue Velvet (1986)

5. Toy Story (1995) 6. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

7. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

9. Die Hard (1988)

10. Moulin Rouge (2001)

And their TV show choices also angered me. My issues: some were only on for one season; Lost at #8, when the writing's sucked since season 2; and The Hills being on the list angers me to no end!

The New Classics: TV

(Since 1983)

Complete list: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20207339,00.html

1. The Simpsons, Fox, 1989-present

2. The Sopranos, HBO (1999-2007)

3. Seinfeld, NBC (1989-98)

4. The X-Files, Fox (1993-2002)

5. Sex and the City, HBO (1998-2004)

6. Survivor, CBS (2000-present)

7. The Cosby Show, NBC (1984-92)

8. Lost, ABC (2004-present)

9. Friends, NBC (1994-2004)

10. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The WB (1997-2001); UPN (2001-03)

I'm not as super-educated in music as I am in the movie category, but this list is, too, a bit corrupt. I'm glad to see two U2 albums and Green Day's AI in the top 10, but Amy Winehouse's Back to Black- as much as I liked the album- is it a classic, no. Not to mention it's only produced one hit single. And Kanye's Dropout (first of all- I think he's overrated), but it too produced the monster single Goddigger, which he did have help with from Oscar winner Jamie Foxx.

The New Classics: Music

(Since 1983)

Complete List: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20207076_20207387_20207337,00.html

1. Purple Rain, Prince and the Revolution (1984)

2. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill (1998)

3. Achtung Baby, U2 (1991)

4. The College Dropout, Kanye West (2004)

5. Madonna, Madonna (1983)

6. American Idiot, Green Day (2004)

7. The Blueprint, Jay-Z (2001)

8. Graceland, Paul Simon (1986)

9. Back to Black, Amy Winehouse (2007)

10. In Rainbows, Radiohead (2007)

This Week's TV Numeros

The show's that got high and the one's whose writers should.

• Weeds set Showtime's record with 1.3 million for it's season premiere. By the way, the opening above is a pretty clear drug reference to the show.
• America's Got Talent and ratings. The season premiere set this summer's record with 12.8 mil.
• AFI's 10 Top 10 is clearly not on top. It became the lowest rated AFI special on CBS, with 5.6 mil.

Oscar Predictions: Best Actor, Round 1

Time to get a start on the acting categories; this season it looks as if their more than a few contenders with previous nominations.

Top 5:

In Alphabetical order,

and in order pictured above

Benicio del Toro, Brad Pitt, Frank Langella, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn

Film

Benicio- Guerilla

Brad- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Frank- Frost/Nixon

Leonardo- Revolutionary Road

Sean Penn- Milk

Top 10:

In alphabetical order by first name

1. Benicio del Toro, Guerilla
2. Brad Pitt, Ben Button
3. Daniel Craig, Defiance
4. Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
5. Josh Brolin, W
6. Leonardo DiCaprio, Rev Road
7. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
8. Sean Penn, Milk
9. Viggo Mortensen, The Road
10. Will Smith, Seven Pounds

Katy Perry Has the Power to Turn You Gay

Whoa. This gal is blowing me away. To go over statistics, her single I Kissed a Girl is #2 on iTunes (behind Coldplay's Violet Hill) and is #1 on Rhapsody (Coldplay's #2). Katy's album was just released on Tuesday, though I can guarantee you it won't score the top spot on Billboard (that title will probably go to the previously mentioned Brit boys), but I definitely think she'll gain momentum in the coming weeks. Anyway, on with the review...

So, I clicked play and was expecting to be satisfied with what I heard. But I was way more than satisfied. I liked every song- yes, every single song. What also surprised me was the mix of high and low tempos and how the CD plays as if it's a movie soundtrack. The tunes all sound like hits and would make music videos just as fab as her current burlesque-inspired one (it may just bring Dita von Teese to tears of joy). My favorites would have to be: Waking Up in Vegs, Self Inflicted, Hot N Cold, and I'm Still Breathing.

Not to mention, she's a total Glam Eccentric; this gal has all the right things that can take her to the top, while staying indie at the same.

~~~

To buy One of the Boys click here:

http://www.target.com/dp/B0017ZB8M6/sr=1-3/qid=1213921828/ref=sr_1_3/602-6705212-6583002?ie=UTF8&index=target&field-original-keywords=katy%20perry&rh=k%3Akitty%20purr&page=1

For the Love of Enchiladas!

Mmm, that's what I'm having for dinner!

Coldplay's New Album is Just Warm

Hmmm, I've really been looking forward to Coldplay's highly anticipated Viva la Vida. I even featured it in June Musts. But, as I listened, I could certainly hear the classic Coldplay-ish themes and soft rocking, but I wasn't super impressed. What threw me off mostly was the lack of lyrics- the first track Life in Technicolor doesn't have any words, but the other 9 songs have soft vocals. The only songs that wowed me were Violet Hill, Viva la Vida, and Death and All His Friends (which is a cross between Fix You and Speed of Sound) But, if your a huge fan of the Brit boys, then don't let this stop you from buying it; I'm pretty sure it'll debut at number 1 on Billboard, anyway.

Viva la Vida is avaibible now at Target:

http://www.target.com/dp/B000RPTQ1C/sr=1-5/qid=1213813656/ref=sr_1_5/602-6705212-6583002?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Acoldplay&page=1

Rocco's Rockin' Aspen

I guess this doesn't have anything to do with our usual topic- entertainment, but I just feel the need to post pictures of the hottie that is Rocco DiSpirito. My favorite foodie's been hanging out, where else, but the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen with innumerable fellow celebrity chefs.

By the way- Rocco's got a new show in the works for A&E called "Rocco to the Rescue!" where he will "come to your house and teach you how to cook a special meal for a special occasion."

He's yummier than the food he cooks, no?

Spacey Goes to Oxford

No, it's not some cheesy teen movie title about dumb blondes. Kevin Spacey, the two-time Oscar winner, is set to be a 'visiting professor' at Oxford University. Maybe this time he won't steal winnings from his pupils, eh? (For those who don't get the pun, it's a 21 reference.)

And in other Spacey-related news, the actor has just signed on to play a depressed pot-smoking shrink in the indie film Shrink. His patients will include Robin Williams and Keke Palmer.

DVDing Tuesday

I'll begin by saying- I'm not too crazy about this week's new releases. So I guess I won't be renting anything this week, thus not helping to improve our economy. But anyway, this week's two featured releases are Fool's Gold; a romcom (ew) that reunites How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days costars Kate Hudson and the shirtless asshole Matthew McConaughey. And the second is Jack Black's indie comedy Be Kind Rewind, which, though I'm not a huge Jack Black fan and didn't get golden reviews, if I was held against my will to rent a dvd this week, I'd pick.

Oscar Predictions: Best Director, Round 1

Directors certainly have some pretty tidy competition this year, what with so many highly anticipated films due at the end of the year.

Top 5:

In Alphabetical order by first name,

and in order, pictured above.

Baz Lurhmann, Clint Eastwood, David Flincher, Gus van Sant, Sam Mendes

Film:

Baz: Australia

Clint: Changeling

David: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Gus: Milk

Sam: Revolutionary Road

Top 10:

In Alphabetical order by first name

1. Baz Lurhmann, Australia
2. Chris Nolan, The Dark Night
3. Clint Eastwood, Changeling
4. David Flincher, Ben Button
5. Gus van Sant, Milk
6. John Patrick Sandley, Doubt
7. Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road
8. Spike Lee, Miracle at St. Anna
9. Ridley Scott, House of Lies
10. Woody Allen, Vicky Christina Barcelona
    

Out of the Box Office

Yet another weekend of surprising summer box office. The remake of The Incredible Hulk pulled in way more than I ever would have expected, considering the one from 5 years ago was so bad (and no one is talking about it, but the first one made $62 milllion its opening weekend); though it had an impressive opening, I highly doubt it'll make back its $150 million budget in the U.S. Also, many are surprised The Happening took in as much as it did, but I never really doubted it would take in any less than $25 million, luckily it made more.

For the Weekend of June 3th-15th.

1. The Incredible Hulk...$55 mil
2. Kung Fu Panda...........$33 mil
3. The Happening...........$30 mil
4. Zohan........................$16 mil
5. Indy 4........................$14 mil

Spinning Off

This week, TV blogs were abuzz with news of two spinoffs of very popular programmes. To me, spinoffs are annoying, but the GG one does excite me. Let's investigate.

• Gossip Girl- OMFG!?! Supposedly, Jenny Humphrey (Taylor Momsen) is going to actually follow the plot line of the novels by getting her own series (and that in itself deserves an OMG.) But creator Josh Schwartz denies it; but a CW executive says it's in consideration if season 2 does well. I guess we'll have to wait to find out, but I think Chuck (Ed Westwick) would make a much more funny and interesting main character, no?
  
• The Office- Though I could care less, the comedy's spinoff is actually happening (it's not just a rumor, like the previous) but many still speculate that Rashida Jones (whom I adore) will join the cast; nothing's confirmed. And article does state, "It's unlikely that any current Office characters will jump to the new show."
  
  

With that, we viewers are left to speculate and wonder about what the Fall season holds...

This Week's TV Numeros

The programmes that had a hit...or took one.

• Top Chef, the season finale did well (for cable) with 3.5 million. By the way- Stephanie won; pictured center.
• Swingtown had another strong week, with 7.3 million.
• Fear Itself, again, gave everyone a fright, with a low 4.9 million viewers.

Oscar Predictions: Best Picture, Round 1

Yay, I'm finally ready to kick off my official "Road to the Academy Awards." And why not start with the top honor- Best Pic?

Top 5:

In Alphabetical Order

and in order, pictured above

Changeling, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Doubt, Milk, Revolutionary Road

Top 10:

In Alphabetical Order

1. Austrailia
2. Changeling
3. Ben Button
4. Doubt
5. Defiance
6. House of Lies
7. Milk
8. Revolutionary Road
9. The Road
10. The Soloist

Let Your Water Break with Baby Mama

I KNOW IT CAME OUT OVER A MONTH AGO!

Just to clear the air. Moving on, I was a little surprised at how much I ended up enjoying Baby Mama, considering my hate of romcoms (and babies). The only negatives were- it was totally predictable and had the usual 'emotional highs and lows' film structure. The positives- funny throughout (not hysterical, though), and a fab SNL alumni cast. Overall- cute.

DVDing Tuesday

Today's a great day in history. Not only is Jumper (though not that good) with Hayden Christensen (one of my fave actors) being released, but The Other Boleyn Girl with two of my fave actors- Natalie Portman and Jim Sturgess. So if you find yourself at Blockbuster wondering what to rent this week, I'd (with a light hand) recommend either; one being action-packed and the other being full of sex and betrayal. Take your pick.

Out of the Box Office

It was a suprising weekend. I really did not think Kung Fu Panda would do so well; nor did I think Zohan would be so far behind; nor did I think SATC would slip (in their Manolos, heehee) to 4th. But I'm happy Liv Tyler's The Strangers has pulled in an impressive $37 mil in 2 weeks (its budget was a teensy 9 mil).

For the Weekend of June 6th - 8th.

1. Kung Fu Panda.....$60 mil
2. Zohan...................$38 mil
3. Indy 4...................$22 mil
4. Sex........................$21 mil
5. The Strangers........$8 mil

Yearbook Signings Resemble Cocktail Parties

Just as the title says- yearbook signings resemble cocktail parties.

Without the alcohol, of course.

I was reflecting on the day when I arrived home (as I always do) I came to understand what had been floating around in my head all day.

Here are the similarities:

• Too much smiling.
• People talking to lots of people.
• Music, reguardless of how bad.
• Free food.
• And any good party involves Sharpies!