Why I'm breaking up with American Idol

I'll admit it - I've watched American Idol since season one. I didn't catch the whole thing, but by the time I started tuning in, there were about six or seven contestants left. And I've watched most of every season since. I say "most" because I tended to lose interest in most of them, and stopped watching by the time there were only a few contestants left. You gotta admit, the show is basically the same every week. People sing. A good chunk will butcher their chosen song. A few others will be good, and one, two or maybe even three if you're lucky will be amazing. This is one of the reasons why TiVo was invented. So you could fastforward through all the crap in American Idol.

This season began for me like all the others. I started watching. Even with Paula gone and Simon leaving, I went back to it like an old familiar friend. The auditions rounds were pretty standard. Hollywood week is my favorite, and it was pretty enjoyable. But once the top 24 were chosen, my already waning interest in the show pretty much died completely.

Why? Well, there are several reasons.

1. I'm not digging Ellen as the new judge. Don't get me wrong - I really like Ellen. I just don't like her on the show. I don't think she makes a good judge and I really miss the unpredictable antics of Paula Abdul. Nothing could replace that.

2. The talent this season mostly sucks. Every year they put a bunch of people through who clearly are getting pushed ahead by the producers. And America is stupid and will vote for these people because they are voting with their hearts instead of their ears. But this year, after hearing Randy proclaim "Most talent ever" like 40 times like he does every year, I quickly realized he was clearly lying. Big time. I haven't watched any of the top 24 performances. I haven't had time, so I've been reading the recaps and I was planning to go back and watch them from my DVR later. Well the recaps proclaimed pretty much every performance bad, and not only bad, but terrible. So why would I waste my time? And I'm not going to fast forward through 45 of bad singing just to see one good performance. Not worth it.

3. Which brings me to something that has never happened before. Probably the biggest reason I stopped watching American Idol is that I just don't care about any of the contestants. Not enough. Every year there's always a contestant or two that I really like and want to root for. And I'll tune in faithfully at least until they get eliminated. But this year...I was drawn to no one. And the repeated reports of subpar performances is maybe a good indicator as to why. So if I don't care, and most people aren't delivering anything worth watching, why is it worth my time?

So right now this season is a total wash for me. Oh, I'm sure I'll keep tabs on it. It's American Idol - I always do. I can't help myself. It's habit. But as far as actually watching it again... I'm sorry. It's over. And since Simon will be gone next season, I'm done.

I'm sorry, American Idol. I appreciate the entertainment you've given me over the years. But I just don't feel that spark anymore.

Oh, and it's totally you. Not me.

My Top 10 Christmas Movie Quotes

Okay, this was a difficult list to make. I LOVE Christmas movies, and so narrowing it down to just ten movies was hard enough. But then I decided to choose only 1 quote per movie. Many of these movies have many quotable lines, but I stuck to only the best of the best and, in some cases, the most classic lines. And yeah, some of these are technically TV specials, but what're ya gonna do.

So here we go. These are in no particular order.

     Hey! If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I'd like Frank Shirley, my boss, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people and I want him brought right here, with a big ribbon on his head, and I want to look him straight in the eye and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey shit he is! Hallelujah! Holy shit! Where's the Tylenol?  

    Christmas Vacation (1989) This movie is full of classic lines - many of them ones I know by heart from watching it so often! If you've never seen this movie, you're seriously deprived - it is THE funniest Christmas movie ever, hands down. There are so many classic moments. "SQUIRRRRRRRREL!!!!" - Just one example. But the above quote comes at the climax of the movie, where the main character and family patriarch, Clark Griswold (played by Chevy Chase) snaps after finally getting his much anticipated "Christmas bonus". Ah, the holidays.

   The old man stood there, quivering with fury, stammering as he tried to come up with a real crusher. All he got out was...  
   Naddafinga!

   A Christmas Story (1983) Yet another classic movie chock full of quotable lines. It was hard to pick just one from this movie. "You'll shoot your eye out, kid." immediately comes to mind, of course. But I just had to go with the father's reaction to his "major award" being destroyed beyond repair. The whole lamp saga is my favorite part of this must see holiday staple. If you've somehow managed to avoid seeing this movie, um, TBS? 24 hours of it starting on Christmas Eve? Seriously. No excuse.

   Didn't I ever tell you about bumbles? Bumbles bounce!

   Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964) I'm actually watching this classic TV special as I write this. Love, love, LOVE this one. I have tons of figures and ornaments based on the characters in this beloved Christmas staple. Yukon Cornelius is my favorite character - and he's the one who gives the line I chose to quote. The "bumble", of course, being the Abominable Snow Monster - post dental work.

   You sit on a throne of lies!

    Elf (2003) This movie may be only 6 years old, but it's an instant classic. Again, soooo many quotable lines. "I love smiling. Smiling's my favorite." Will Ferrel is hilarious and endearing as Buddy  - a human who managed to accidentally sneak into the North Pole as a baby and wound up raised by elves. It's a movie I have to watch every year. The ending always puts a big smile on my face. I wish they made more Christmas movies nowadays in the same spirit as this one. Anyway, the quoted line comes from Buddy when he confronts a department store Santa. It's a scene you really should see for yourself, if you haven't already.

   And what happened then? Well, in Whoville they say that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day. And then - the true meaning of Christmas came through, and the Grinch found the strength of *ten* Grinches, plus two!

   How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) Yeah, I'm talking about the classic, original cartoon version that was made for TV - not that horrible Jim Carey movie that I couldn't stand watching for more than 10 minutes. Dear god, that was an abomination. Anyway, I absolutely love this version, as well as the original book. I know large portions of it by heart. I used to own Grinch hats and t-shirts and all that crap. I have a much loved stuffed Grinch that's comes out every holiday season. I'm sure everyone has seen this special. The quote I chose comes from the ending, and it pretty much speaks for itself.

   Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to. Don't you see? It's not just Kris that's on trial, it's everything he stands for. It's kindness and joy and love and all the other intangibles.

   Miracle on 34th Street (1947) Again, I'm all about the originals. Remakes. Bah! Humbug! Anyway, this movie is another classic, of course. It's timeless. And, of course, I love it. It's just a movie with a great story before the days where special effects took over. The quoted line comes from Doris Walker, played by the beautiful Maureen O'Hara, who has spent her entire life teaching her daughter to view things realistically - that there's no point in make believe or believing in things you can't see. But after meeting Kris Kringle, the man she hired to play Santa at Macy's, she begins to see the world in a whole different way.

   Look, Daddy. Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.

   It's a Wonderful Life (1946) The movie the studio tried to kill by releasing it in summer, believe it or not. They thought it would bomb. Well, little did they know they had produced one of the best Christmas movies of all time. Like many of the other movies on this list, it's a classic, a classic that's been parodied many times. It's a wonderful story with a feel good message. The line I chose is, of course, a classic, from the very end of the movie. Atta boy, Clarence.

  This is my house. I have to defend it.

   Home Alone (1990) If you grew up in the 90's, you've probably viewed Home Alone many, many times. To kids, this movie definitely fulfilled some fantasies - being alone and having a house all to yourself. All of the tricks and traps Kevin sets up are awesome. Seriously - my favorite is still the part where Kevin makes it look like there's a party going on using his Michael Jordan cardboard cutout and some mannequins. Anyway, this is another movie chock full of great quotes - but I felt this one summed up the movie. Kevin says it right before the burglar's start their break in.

   Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! When I get home, I'm getting a CAT scan!

   The Santa Clause (1994) Okay, probably not a classic to most people, but I really enjoy this movie. It's clever and always enjoyable to watch. Tim Allen plays Scott Calvin, a man who accidentally becomes Santa Claus after the prior Santa dies on his roof Christmas Eve night. He then must cope with the fact that he's now Santa, and his young son won't stop telling all the unbelieving adults about it. My quote comes from Scott after he finishes delivering the gifts on his first reluctant Christmas.

   If they'd rather die, then they had better do it and decrease the surplus population!

   A Christmas Carol (Done soooo many times!) I love A Christmas Carol - I don't like Dicken's books, but this one is fantastic. I'm sure everyone knows the story here, so I'm not gonna bother rehashing it here. But Scrooge is a pretty quotable guy, and I never met a version of this story I didn't like, so it was impossible to pick a particular movie, and I had a tough time picking just one quote. I ended up settling on this Scrooge-ism, mostly because it's really the most evil thing he says. Enjoy your ghosts, jerk.

In case it wasn't obvious...I really love Christmas movies! And these aren't my only favorites. What are some of your favorite Christmas movies and quotes?

Tune In To ~ Million Dollar Listing

I ran across this show when I was sick a few months ago, and I was immediately hooked. It involves a bunch of things I like: real estate, rich people, and good looking guys - who could ask for anything more?

The show is on Bravo and the season finale for the third season is airing in like half an hour. (10 pm on Monday nights.) Basically the show follows three real estate agents in the Los Angeles/Hollywood/Malibu areas of California: Josh, Chad and Madison. They sell these fantastic multimillion dollar mansions (for the most part) and I enjoy just seeing these amazing homes and the gorgeous views of California. It's also entertaining to watch the agents interact with their clients (especially in this declining market) and occasionally with each other... Chad really doesn't get along with others, but his "business partner" aka a tiny dog named Starla, is cute.

The show is addictive. If you like reality shows, give it a shot. It's an entertaining look at a completely different lifestyle.

Christmas Crap

Right now my house is like Christmas exploded. Seriously. There are plastic tubs of Christmas related crap strewn in every direction. I'm spending my week working late...yay...so hopefully this weekend I'll be able to tackle my holiday hell and put up my tree, town etc. 

Since I don't have much time, here's a quick run down of what I've been up to:

• Thanksgiving was good, although I didn't pay as much attention to the parade as I would have liked. Every time we did look it was another music star we'd never heard of - they always parade (haha, intended) out these up and comers they want to get exposure for at the parade. The whole thing really has gone so commercial. My dad was laughing because one of the floats was sponsored by Jimmy Dean sausage, or something ridiculous. Well, it's kinda sad but kinda necessary. The parade don't pay for itself after all. Just look at the balloons - they're pretty much all corporate mascots. But I still think a corporate parade is better than no parade.
•  So...we got up at 5 a.m. for Black Friday. (We almost didn't get up on time at all because of an iPhone alarm snafu, but I digress.) Anyway, we get to the mall around 5:30 and the parking lot is PACKED. Seriously. It was re-fucking-diculous. I could not believe what a scene it was. It was NOTHING like that last year. So we go inside, and the line at Best Buy wraps around the entire store. Meanwhile, the same stuff is selling online for the same prices. Haha. But I leave my husband online with some stuff anyway, since we're already there and all, and my sister and I go to Old Navy. Line is to the back of the store. I'm not too impressed with the merchandise for sale, but I find a few things, she finds a few things, and she stands online while I check out Target. Another line that wraps around the store. "Fuck this", I say, because I am not about to stand in a line like that for a $10 pack of pajamas (which I was able to buy the next day, with no crowds, thank you very much.) Apparently there was 2 fist fights in Target, and while I thankfully did not see any such displays (seriously, people?! Seriously?! It's stuff! Not the last lifeboat off the Titanic!) I did see a cop. So I go to J.C. Penney. And omg, it was nirvana in there. So not crowded, found pretty much everything I wanted, and checked out quickly without waiting on a line that stretched on endlessly to a department I didn't even know existed. Thank you, J.C. Penney. They ended up getting more of my business because of the chaos at Target. I returned to Old Navy after this, where my sister was still waiting online (she was finally at the front) and had only been recently joined by Brian, the Best Buy line survivor. Once we were finally done there, it was on to Express (totally fine) and Bath and Body Works (crowded, but certainly manageable) before we headed to Modells. That store was also pretty quiet. Then we went home and shopped online. This was my fourth Black Friday, and I've always said the craziness was worth it...but this year I don't really think it was. A lot of the stuff was available online. I don't know if I'll get up early again next year.
• Have you seen Million Dollar Listing on Bravo? It deserves a post all to itself, but I certainly suggest watching it if you should stumble across an episode.
• Streaming Netflix? Amazing. How did we ever live without this stuff? It's so easy to get spoiled isn't it? Remember VCRs? I shudder just thinking about it. We had a separate device just to rewind the tapes! 

All right, well that about does it for now. I've seen no good movies lately, I'm behind on my TV shows and podcasts, and I've got a trip to California coming up in 24 days and a major holiday I still need to buy for coming up in 23. And before all of that I need to get some sleep. 

Tune In To...Great SNL Clips

This clip is kind of old...but I love it.

And then there's this one... I still quote this one all the time - "What you swattin' at?"

The Wovie Channel

OMG.

The Weather Channel's gonna have movies.

Yeah. For real.

This is just so sad to me. I understand people can't watch weather all day...well, most people anyway, but seriously - movies?! That just seems wrong to me. And some of their choices - Deep Blue Sea?! That movie is hilarious - mostly unintentionally - is that really the kind of movie a respectable channel such as the Weather Channel wants to associate with? I mean, for the love of god, the ending theme is LL Cool J singing about how his hat is like a shark's fin. (I am NOT kidding!)

Though, when you resort to movies...is there any respect left to give? 


You'll have to look for your local forecast while Samuel L. Jackson yells about shit.

An ad worth rewatching again and again and again...

Can I tell you how obsessed I am with this commerical advertising this new NY lottery game? It's the cutest thing I've ever seen and it always brings a smile to my face. I've enjoyed ads in the past, mostly because they made me chuckle, but I have watched this ad a sick number of times. It's just soooo cute - especially since I own a rabbit. I know there are advertising awards, and I don't know what agency made this ad, but they deserve to win something. Brilliance. I don't play the lottery and it almost makes me wanna buy a ticket.

South Park!

I don't really watch South Park anymore, but EW put together a list of the 20 most controversial episodes, and I've actually seen a large chunk of them. How many have you seen?

'Arrested' in Development?

Looks like the Arrested Development movie might finally be happening sometime in the near future!

I really hope they get a script done and start filming already. I wasn't too satisfied with how the series ended, and I'd love to see more of the crazy Bluth family.

Arrested Development has to be my favorite TV series EVER - and that is pretty high praise coming from me because I like a lot of shows. (I'm a bit of a TV snob, I guess you could say.) Gob is my favorite character - I just love Will Arnett. He's actually working on a show for FOX, which doesn't sound like the type of show that I'll enjoy, but since he's staring and writing (and so is the creator of Arrested Development) I'll give it a watch should it ever appear in my local listings.

Fox Sunday Line up Premieres - Review Time!

So, last night was the premiere of FOX's "Animation Domination", their animated Sunday night line up which kicks off with The Simpsons, then the premiere of the new Cleveland Show, Family Guy, and finally American Dad, which I don't watch. But here are some quick reviews of the other 3.

I love The Simpsons. I've been watching the show for many of the 20 years it's been on the air. Yeah, not every season has been great, but I think it's recently started to find its stride again. So I was excited for the season premiere. 

The episode was co-written by, and co-starred comedian Seth Rogen, who I greatly enjoy in his various film roles. So I guess my expectations of this episode were a little higher than they should have been. Don't get me wrong, the episode still had plenty of funny moments - mostly because I'm a nerd and all the nerdy humor involving Comic Guy appealed to me - but it wasn't hilarious from start to finish. There was no secondary story, which was a little strange, and aside from Homer the Simpson's family didn't play much of a role. The beginning of the show was definitely the strongest part of the show - once Rogen's character, a Hollywood trainer to the stars, showed up, the show went downhill a little bit. The character he played was amusing, and they did a pretty good job of poking fun at Hollywood (they usually do), but they simply couldn't keep up the momentum they had built up at the beginning of the episode. 


What got me was the line that was bleeped out of the show - I think that's a Simpsons' first, if I'm not mistaken. It wasn't just the curse that bleeped out, but the whole rest of the line. I guess the FOX censors didn't want to take any chances with the FCC. It was odd, but still hilarious. There were also some great sight gags, of course, mostly involving some movie posters.


Overall, it was a solid episode. Entertaining, but not fantastic.

When I first heard about this show, I was like, "They're giving Cleveland a show? He is the most boring character on Family Guy!" Needless to say, my expectations were low. I just didn't see how they could create an entertaining show with such a dull secondary character.


Well, the show was about as boring as I anticipated. The show started off with some scenes with the Family Guy characters back home in Rhode Island before he left town intending to head for California, but once Cleveland and his son packed up their car and drove off they left the humor behind. I did enjoy how they used the Cleveland in the bathtub joke one last time - also, Stewie's line: "He's getting his own show?" probably summed up the thoughts of most viewers. I know it did mine.


What started with weak, lame theme song, continued with fifteen minutes of lame, boring characters and lame, boring attempts at humor. Maybe there's some potential with his red neck neighbor across the street, the other two neighbors, including a bear named Tim, just seemed uninspired sidekicks. As for the family, they were pretty dull - and I already can't stand the foul mouthed kindergartner. Also, what the hell happened to Cleveland Jr.? He goes from hyper-active 8 year old to fat 14 year old? He was another character that had me checking the clock, waiting for the show to end. 


The only laughs in the show aside from the beginning scenes were some the Family Guy like flashbacks.


So I guess in the end my expectations were met - The Cleveland Show was a boring show centered around a boring character. I know I'll be tuning out in the future.

That leaves Family Guy, which has been, in my opinion, declining in recent seasons. It tries to be cutting edge and offensive sometimes, going more for a shock than a laugh. Last night, however, the show was the clear winner, as the episode where Brian and Stewie found themselves in a variety of different universes was funny from beginning to end. I normally complain when a show uses certain characters too much - and that's certainly the case with Stewie and Brian, but in this case I don't mind. They interact so well, and are always entertaining to watch.


There was something to make me chuckle in each dimension the duo visited in the episode - including a dimension where Brian was a real dog and Stewie a real baby. There was also a dimension where everything was drawn Disney style - the animation was great, as was the accompanying song about pie - but I kept waiting for the scene to end badly and couldn't really enjoy it too much. Sure enough, it ended horribly, making me cringe. But that's Family Guy for you. Can't have an episode of Family Guy without it.


But overall I'm looking forward to what lies ahead for The Simpsons and Family Guy this season. As for Cleveland, I wonder if he'll stick around. And if not, will he return to Family Guy? I hope so. That'll always be his home to me.

Premiere - Modern Family

Last week, me, and probably every other person signed up to receive "news and special offers" from ABC got an interesting email. It invited me to watch the premiere of the new comedy, Modern Family, online - several days before it's actual broadcast premiere.

I had never heard of the show. And considering I spend a lot of time reading entertainment news, that's pretty unusual. But I was intrigued at the opportunity of being able to watch something early, so I kept the email.

A day later, and suddenly I had heard of it. People and several other sites gave the premiere rave reviews, gushing over how funny it was. Brian also told me he had heard it was supposed to be good. So I took the password of mystery ABC emailed me, and I watched the show, expecting great things.


And great things were delivered. Holy crap, this show is FUNNY. I don't really tend to laugh out loud when I'm watching something alone - I don't know, a weird quirk of mine or something, but there was one part where I was practically in hysterics. The show is a mockumentary (kind of like The Office where the people do interviews to the camera) that follows three different families: an older guy and his new, younger, wife and her 11 year old son; a 10+ married couple with 3 kids and a gay couple that just adopted a baby. It's a simple concept with tons of possibilities.


So, even though this show conflicts with Glee, (it airs at 9 EST tonight on ABC) I definitely plan on setting my TiVo and following these families. Very funny stuff.


...I can't believe how many new shows I'm watching already this season. I'm lucky if I pick up one new show, and usually it's one that's been on for a few seasons already and has already defined itself. Maybe they're finally getting some people who can actually write again.

The Emmy's! ...Meh.

So, Neil Patrick Harris hosted the Emmy's last night, and it was pretty meh. Not really his fault. The writing just wasn't that funny and some of the people who won... Well, we'll get to that in a minute. Anyway, the opening song just wasn't that clever - not as good as the one written for the Oscars. (Which took home an Emmy last night, actually. I didn't think it was better than "Motherlover", but the guy who accepted the award was a hoot.)

Anyway, here's the full winner's list.

No complaints about the Drama awards - the only drama I actually watch is Lost. Michael Emerson won and I was happy. He is awesome on that show. But...

It's always bothered me that the same person can win for the same part year after year after year for as long as the show it on TV. It gets kind of boring. For instance, there were several repeat winners this year, including Bryan Cranston and Alec Baldwin (who I love on 30 Rock, but I'll get to that.) Sometimes I wonder if the same person should be able to win unlimited times for the same role. On one hand, it gets kind of boring at after awhile to watch. On the other hand, with TV the actors have new challenges to deal with each season. So should someone be able to only win twice for the same part on the same show and then be retired? How many times can you be told you're great playing the same part? I don't know. I'm pretty torn on the issue.


Comedy categories... Okay, I watch a lot of comedies. 30 Rock is a great show. Totally deserved to win. And I watch many of the shows that were nominated this year. The ratings for 30 Rock aren't that great and it's really a shame, because it's one of the smartest, funniest shows on TV. If you're not watching it, you're depriving yourself. Alec Baldwin is hilarious on it - I just love him. And Tina Fey...well, I greatly admire her. She's just so talented.


Having said the word talented... JON CRYER?! REALLY?! REALLY?!


Can I tell you how much I HATE Two and a Half Men? It consistently has the best ratings of any comedy, and that just makes me sad. I'm sorry, but I just think the show is juvenile, with one dimensional characters and easily predictable jokes. A monkey could write it. Oh no. That's mean. I'm sure the monkey could write something better.  


I can't believe he won over the likes of Neil Patrick Harris and Rainn Wilson - hell, anyone in that category deserved it WAY more than him. Anyone could play that stupid part. Ugh, everything about that show just grates me in the worst way. There's always something in every award show that pisses me off and this is the winner for this year.

Plus, what was with the sweater vest? He looked like a bee! (Speaking of fashions, here's EW's Best and Worst list. And AOL's. My favorites: Drew Barrymore, Sandra Oh, Alyson Hannigan, Jenna Fischer, and Vanessa Williams And least faves: Sarah Silverman, Kristen Wiig, Hayden Panettiere, Kyra Sedgwick, Patricia Arquette - ugh! Jane Krakowski, and Christina Applegate)



And Toni Collete? Really? That show is horrible. She's okay in it, but...come on, people.


Here's a list of the Best and Worst moments from the broadcast. Some thoughts:

• Loved the colorful commentary provided for the winners by the guy who plays PC in the Mac commercials. (Especially since Mac, Justin Long, was there as Drew Barrymore's date.)
• Kristen Chenoweth! Love her. Wish I watched her show. I heard it was good. Better late than never - I hope it's on DVD.
• I have to admit that Neil's reaction to his loss was funny.
• I don't often think Jimmy Fallon was funny, but his musical bit was hilarious. 
• And thank you for showing Bea Arthur as Maude and Dorothy. She'll always be one of my favorite comedienne's of all time. RIP Bea.
  

Oh, but the best part of the night?









This should have won an Emmy.

Must See TV... Kind Of.

So last night was the season premiere of The Office. I can't believe they're on their 6th season already. I'm a big fan of the show, but I didn't love last season so much. Very hit or miss. I was especially disappointed with the season finale. Not enough to make me stop watching the show, of course.

So, it premiered last night with an episode called, "Gossip". And I really enjoyed the episode. I heard it was more classic "Office", and I felt that was an accurate description. The ending was a little...strange, but overall I'd say it was a solid season premiere. Not as good as last season's premiere, "Weight Loss", (which was probably one of the best episodes of Season 5, if not THE best.) but still good. I laughed out loud, which isn't such an easy thing. Got me excited to see what's in store this season for the Dunder Mifflin crew.

I also tuned in for Community, which was a brand new show that premiered last night after The Office. I had heard good things about the show, the previews looked appealing, and I like Chevy Chase. And while I didn't it laugh out loud hysterical, I found it to be a good, solid first episode that introduced the characters well and amused me at the same time. I think the show definitely has potential. I'll be tuning in next week again.


So, can it be true? Is there 2 new shows this season that I like? (First Glee, now Community) I can't remember the last time this happened...if ever. There's a first time for everything, I guess.

Squeal of Glee

So I finally sat down and watched the 2 episodes of Glee that have aired so far. I've heard many great things, and I thought the show looked great from the commercials, so I was really expecting to love the show.

I'm happy to report, I was not disappointed.

Usually I don't like shows right off the bat. Usually they have to have at least half a season (if not a whole one) under their belt, because it takes me a few episodes to warm up to the characters. This is true with a lot of shows that I love: The Office and Arrested Development come to mind. But I found myself attracted to the characters. 

A big thing about Glee is that it's so different - it's not just another sitcom. It's not really laugh out loud funny - but it's thoroughly entertaining because it's smart. It's not some stock characters and a laugh track. The characters are real but quirky at the same time. They're truly endearing. And have I mentioned that the music is fantastic? (As is the cast.)

I definitely suggest everyone give this show a try. If you're looking for something on TV that's different from the usual crap - you've got it right here. I'm really looking forward to see where the show goes over the rest of the season.

Glee airs Wednesday nights @  9 EST on FOX.

It's Gonna Be Legend...Wait For It...

So you know who's hosting the Emmy's this year?



He made the Tony's watchable again. I am so in. Plus he's a nominee. Has a host ever been nominated before?

And here's a list from Entertainment Weekly of stuff that should have been nominated, but wasn't. I have to say I do agree with some of these - especially Psych. That's a great show you're not watching. And if you are...10 points.

Friday, 9/4/09 ~ News and Junk

Definitely more this week than last week.

TV

>> It's a boy for Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs! Congrats to them.

>> Looks like Danny Gokey is getting an album...wonder how many people will actually shell out money for it.

>> TV Guide Lists the most anticipated shows of the Fall. Glee was on this week, and I missed it, of course. 

>> Looks like SNL will be getting 2 more female cast members.

>>And more promos for The Office:

MOVIES


>> In case you care, The Final Destination was #1 last week. In taking a longer look at the title, I can't help but notice it does say THE FINAL Destination. So it really gonna be THE FINAL one? After being #1 at the box office, (Halloween II was third), I doubt it.


>>John Krasinski directs and stars in Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. Check out the article and trailer - it looks awesome. Plus Will Arnett is in it. I'm there. It comes out on the 25th of this month.

>>Aaaaaaand it looks like Warner Bros. is set to win the summer. Harry Potter, Terminator, and The Hangover are the movies they have to thank for it. 


>>Oh, and Disney's gonna buy Marvel. Who the hell saw that coming?


>>In Theaters Today:

• All About Steve (I have a friend named Steve. It's not about him.)
• Extract (This'll be on my Netflix queue in a few months. I love Jason Bateman.)
• Gamer (Young men will flock to this one.)

 

VIDEO GAMES

 

>> That "Hot Coffee" crap is still going on?! They shouldn't have to pay a dime, in my opinion. Ridiculous.

>> Wii games are getting better according to critics. That's good to know - though looking at the shelf of the local game store is still depressing for people not looking to dress up pets or play games with some creepy, soulless looking character.

>>A bunch of games that I could care less about but I know tons of other people will be excited for are slated to be out by next July. Some wives and girlfriends might wanna start bracing themselves now.

>>Nintendo is going to release a cooler version of Wii Fit, now that everybody already owns it.

Friday, 8/28/09 - News and Junk

Kind of a boring week for entertainment news if you ask me.

TV

>> Whoo hoo! Preview of the season premiere of The Office. Looks promising, but at the same time I am also nervous that this could easily be turned into something ridiculous. I'm just hoping season 6 is better than season 5.

>> Looks like Kristin Chenoweth will appear as a guest host on American Idol. She's one of the many celebs who'll be filling Paula's vacant seat during the initial auditions. Another celeb pegged to fill Paula's void? How I Met Your Mother's own Neil Patrick Harris. Guess I will be watching this season. At least the audition rounds.




MOVIES


>> Seems somebody didn't want to be interned above Marilyn Monroe after all, and the crypt is back on the market. That lady must really need cash if she's going through all the trouble of moving her husband's corpse.


>> The big movie that's getting attention all over the web this week is Inception, starring one of my favorites - Leonardo DiCaprio. Check out the trailer and see what you think. It's not coming out till July 2010.

• Looks weird, right? I thought so. Here's a bit of the plot for you. Sounds kind of interesting, but not something I'd rush out into theaters to see. Sorry, Leo.
• Oh, and apparently Leo is fat. He looks fine to me. But I guess I'm just glad it's an actor instead of an actress for once.

>> In theaters today:

• The Final Destination (Yeah, they're still riding that train, I guess.)
• Halloween II (Because just one sequel wasn't enough.)
• Taking Woodstock
• Big Fan
• The September Issue 

So, in the battle of the "They're still making those?" horror movies, which will come up on top? Personally, I hate horror movies. But that's another blog.



VIDEO GAMES

 
>> Big news is the Xbox price drop. But more importantly, they claim the whole red ring of death debacle is behind them. I guess only time will tell on that one, but I'm not holding my breath. Of everyone I know who has an Xbox 360 - I know only one person who hasn't seen that famous ring yet.


>> And finally, Beatles fans, the Beatles Rock Band is coming September 9th. And if you don't already own another Rock Band game, you can pick up the bundle from Amazon or Best Buy for $140 bucks. Not a bad deal.



That'll do it for this week.

Summer Stale

Ugh. I don't know about everybody else, but I'm more than ready for the new fall shows to start. Now. I mean I'm still watching More to Love here. And nobody should have to admit to that.

Luckily, the network are starting to announce when our old favorites will grace us with new episodes.

I'm looking forward to:

9/16
Glee - 9 pm on FOX

9/17
The Office - 9 pm on NBC

9/21
How I Met Your Mother - 8 pm on CBS

9/27
The Simpsons - 8 pm on FOX
Family Guy - 9 pm on FOX

10/15
30 Rock - 9:30 pm on NBC

Don't hold your breath for the final season of Lost, anybody, or you'll be holding it till January.

But yeah, these are mostly old favorites. There are a couple of shows in there I might give my time to, and a few others that make me wonder what the hell they were thinking taking a crappy secondary character and giving him his own show. But going into any new TV season you know that most of these new shows will be canceled - several before Christmas, a few even after only a few episodes. That's the industry for you. If you're not gonna pull in the ad revenue, you're axed. No time to build a fan base. Instant hit, or you're history.

Even if a show has a small fan base, it means nothing.

I can tell you I'm sick of reality shows though. Ugh. They're all the same variations on the same crap. But as long as people keep tuning in, they'll keep churning them out. Remember when TV shows were clever? And had a story? Some creativity? Yeah, me too. But I think those days are sadly cold in their grave.

And what the fuck is this, FOX? Yes, please! Give this women attention she SO does not deserve. Keep those 15 minutes going! It's disgusting, really. But you can't expect less from FOX, the network that bought you this classic in classy TV.

Oh well. At least I have Psych to enjoy for now.