SYTYCD Top 16 Results

So tonight's bottom three couples were

Asuka & Vitolio
Karla & Jonathan
Caitlin & Jason

Solos:
Asuka - I am never a fan of the ballroom solos. They always seem to be the same thing, especially for the girls. Weird Riverdance leg movements and head grabs with a big smile. So she was fine but I wasn't excited about it.

Vitolio - OK, first off let me say "no thanks" on that ending. What was that? But his dance felt over the top and desperate.

Karla - I like her music choice of Radiohead. Points for that. But the dancing was so strange and I just couldn't enjoy it. Reminded me of a monkey or something.

Jonathan - He has "ballroom legs"!! And I enjoyed the non-ballroom part. It was pretty good, but not sure it will keep him around over the other two guys. He is just a little bit blah...

Caitlin - Her solo was pretty and seemed the most heartfelt of the solos. I don't think she is in trouble of going home.

Jason - He has a great solo and it is also really heartfelt. It beats Caitlin's for best of the night.

So heading home tonight is:

ASUKA


JONATHAN



For much better thoughts about the episode, check out Vance and Emily's opinions (when they get them posted).

SYTYCD Top 16 Performances

I have yet to post anything about this season of SYTYCD's performances. So I am making an effort to get it going tonight. So let's get this party started. Tonight, joining Nigel and Mary, is Toni Basil (the hat!). I am still really tired of Cat prompting the audience to say "jidges." I think it was cute like twice and now we need to move on.

Karla & Jonathan - Hip hop by Dave Scott
Dave described this as gangsta with emotion. Jonathan had a hard time getting the "gangsta" thing down in the rehearsal. It didn't bode well for his performance. Karla really brought the 'tude. But Jonathan, he tried, but it just wasn't doing it for me. I was so distracted by him that I just couldn't enjoy this dance. And the judges really did not like it. Nigel was harsh, taking bets that they would be in the bottom 3 couples. Harsh.

Osaka & Vitolio - Jazz by Mandy Moore
Thrash Rocker Jazz. That is how Mandy described this dance. Poor Osaka got very frustrated. This happens every season where someone gets frustrated and cries. But I am sure she'll make it through. I usually love Mandy's choreography, but this was kind of strange to me. Maybe it was the dancers' interpretation? But Osaka was so "ballroom-y" during it. And I did not like Vitolio's blue pants. Maybe I am being too harsh, but for now I am 0 for 2 on tonight's dances. The judges like it, so maybe I just didn't get it.

Melissa & Ade - Rumba by Tony Meredith
These two had to have bring out their sensuality for this dance. And master the ballroom moves. I really like Melissa & Ade. They managed to ooze the sex for this dance. And I don't know if Tony just choreographed this well for them both, but I thought they looked great. Their chemistry is great. I am relieved to see a dance I like. And the judges liked it, too.

Jeanette & Brandon - Hip hop by Dave Scott
Rock & roll meets hip hop. Should be a fun mash-up. I am interested in the dance, in theory. But can these dancers pull it off? Wait, first off. What do they have her wearing? OK, moving on to the actual dancing. Brandon was surprisingly good at the hip hop. I didn't think he could pull it off. And I enjoyed it. Jeanette was good, too, but I felt like the hip hop dancing in this choreo was what drew your attention.

Kayla & Kupono - Viennese Waltz by Jean-Marc Genereaux
I am already bummed for them before they start dancing because they are doing ballroom. It is their first week together and it would have been nice to get a more audience-pleasing dance selection. So here's hoping because I like the two of them. Kayla's flowy dress really adds to this performance. But I am not sure that they are doing so well technically. It wasn't bad for me but not amazing either. And it sounds like the Nigel felt about that way about it, too. But, alas, Mary put them on the hot tamale train. I wish she hadn't...

Randi & Evan - Contemporary by Mia Michaels
The choreographer that everyone hopes to get. Almost always keeps you out of the bottom 3. And I love Evan. And Randi. So fingers crossed on this one. So the point of this is that Evan is hypnotized by the booty. Huh. First off, immediately distracted by his outfit. What is tat? It is so huge and baggy. I thought Randi was sexy and stunning. This had more of a jazz feel than a contemporary feel to me. I enjoyed it. Not the best Mia routine ever, but enjoyable. The judges liked it quite well.

Caitlin & Jason - Jean Marc & France Genereaux
Paso Doble is one of my favorite dances. I think it does a good job of giving the man a really masculine part to play. And I feel it is one of the ballroom dances that puts the pressure on the man over the woman to be on display. But if not pulled off correctly, it quickly looks sloppy. And this just felt sloppy. Unfortunately. I just wasn't crazy about it. The judges gave it compliments but I felt they just thought it was alright. Oh, did I mention Jason has a good upper body? I am not surprised now that I hear he is a soccer player. They have the best bodies.

Jeanine & Phillip - Broadway by Tyce Diorio
First of all, Sean pointed out a huge hole in Phil's pants that I am pretty sure is NOT supposed to be there. I like the use of the pillows and feathers, and the routine was cute. But it didn't feel to me like a routine that requires a lot of technique, but instead just a lot of energy. That may be what gets Jeanine & Phillip through this week.

Lease fave couples:
Karla & Jonathan
Caitlin & Jason


My fave couples:
Melissa & Ade and Janette & Brandon

Going home:
I don't even know...

I am having trouble really finding a favorite this season. Anyone else?

Movie: The Time Traveler's Wife Trailer

The trailer for The Time Traveler's Wife has finally been released. I have been so concerned about how they were going to pull this off. The book is amazing but I couldn't see how they could translate it to screen. The trailer looks pretty good, but I say it is still difficult to tell. What do you think?

Casting News

Here is some casting news to be happy about:

Neil Patrick Harris scored not one, but two movie roles, announced today. The first is called The Best and the Brightest, an indie comedy. The second is Beastly (a book which I did not particularly care for) and Harris is cast in one of the few roles that I enjoyed in the book. He will play a blind tutor that can't see how "beastly" Kyle has become, and accepts him. I am glad to see NPH getting some work, since I adore him as Barney on How I Met Your Mother and he was AWESOME on the Tony Awards. In fact, there is already speculation that he might host the Emmys this year, as well!




Katee Sackhoff might be dragging me back to 24 after I had given it up for good. I so adore her from Battlestar Galactica that I might have to return to the drama to check her out, now that she has been cast as a regular for the upcoming season.

Movie: Land of the Lost

OK, so Land of the Lost isn't doing so great at the box office. It fell $10 million short of its expected $30 million opening weekend take. But that is OK, because I still need to support my husband. I headed out to see it today with my husband and a couple of friends in tow.

Well, I can't say it is the best movie I have seen recently (come on, I saw Star Trek and Up!). There were some weird parts and some major continuity problems. But mainly, it was just the regular Will Ferrel schtick that we usually pay money for. I am sure people were confused weather it was supposed to be for children or for adults.

However, while it wasn't my favorite movie, there were really funny parts and some pretty good bits that make you jump. The t-rex was appropriately scary. And the animation was sharp! OK, OK, my husband did animation on this one. In fact, that is why I lived in Mumbai, India for 3 months. And I was so proud of his work. I always enjoy waiting for his name to scroll across the screen and do a proper clap and holler combination. This time his name was set apart since he was an animation supervisor. And high-five to him for his hard work and for bringing home the bacon. And for doing such a cool job.

Books: Several reviews/Thoughts

I have read a TON of books without a single review, so I am putting a few quick thoughts down here for posting.


The Outcast is the first novel from Sadie Jones. It is a story about a boy named Lewis living in post-WWII England whose mother dies when he is young. As a result of the complete lack of emotional support from a single adult in his life after her death, Lewis becomes emotionally disturbed. As he gets older turns to drinking and violence and is pretty much rejected by his family and friends, eventually landing himself in prison for a couple of years in his late teens. The only person that sees Lewis for who he really is is Kit, a girl who is several years younger. She thinks of Lewis as her hero and loves him from afar for many years.

The reader spends most of the time reading being frustrated with the people that interact with Lewis and that they are incapable of helping him through his emotional difficulties. In addition, you will be waiting for Lewis to get a break. I found it very compelling and a quick read. Lewis and Kit are likable despite their faults, like the bad is happening around them and to them, but they are not bad themselves. It was a heartbreaking story, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.


John Grisham's The Associate was just released in February and I got it for 3 bucks at the Indian bookstore, so I gave it a shot. There was a time I read everything Grisham wrote, but it has been a few years now since I lost that habit. I am glad Grisham has returned to the legal thrillers, but I found The Associate to be just so-so. It is the story of a law student just before graduation who gets blackmailed into taking a job at a huge firm and stealing information for his blackmailers. I don't know if it just felt anti-climactic (or perhaps there just wasn't the right build up to the climax), but I found myself saying "eh" about it. Not bad. Not great.


The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne caught my attention at the bookstore after I watched the trailer for it online. It is told through the eyes of a young boy in Germany. It is eventually revealed, while the boy doesn't understand anything that is going on, that his father is a Nazi officer, put in charge of a prison camp (Auschwitz). The boy makes friends with another boy on the other side of the other fence who wears "striped pyjamas."

This story was really sad and I hated seeing it through the eyes of a young child like that. It was a really quick read (read it on a train ride in a few hours), but I easily predicted where the story was heading, just based on the tone. It was certainly not a feel good book. Just a warning...


The highly acclaimed book High Fidelity by Nick Hornby was also a quick read. There are certainly funny parts. But I didn't find any of the characters to be very sympathy-enducing. Rob's co-workers, girlfriends, even Rob himself are all a little unlikable. Now, that makes it a little more real and gritty than your typical "love story" novel. But I also found it frustrating. I would be interested to read something else by Hornby and see how I feel.


Beastly by Alex Flynn is a reimagining of the old Beauty and the Beast story, set in current times. Unfortunately, the cheese level was incredibly high. Kyle mentions so many times how good-looking he was before he was cursed and made into a beast that he grossed me out. A movie is being made of this. Let's hope it is better than the book. I would say pass unless you are 15 years old.

Movie: The Reader

I finally watched The Reader for which Kate Winslet won the Best Actress Oscar this year. I was very curious to see her performance and I had heard it was great (but a bit of a downer). Kate was phenomenal, as expected. And she reinforced her positioning as one of my favorite actresses currently on screen. She never disappoints.

I was also very impressed by David Kross. I enjoyed watching him so much that when the time came to use an older actor for the part (Ralph Feinnes) that I was disappointed, and that is saying a lot since I consider Feinnes to be such a great actor.

The Reader does a good job of making you empathize with a person that really has no real empathy-inducing qualities. Instead, you see her through the eyes of a young and naive boy. It is a dark subject matter and has been quite controversial. I have started reading the book as I was hoping to get a little more insight on a couple of details in the movie. I'll let you know what I think.

Trailers to Think About

The Road

I wrote about The Road after I read it last year. It is one of my favorite books of all time. You come away from it feeling devastated and hopeful all at once. McCarthy did a stunning job writing it. I was concerned about how good the movie adaptation would be,and if it could possibly convey the right mix of despair and determination. I can't tell that from this trailer. All I can tell you is that it looks like we get to SEE why the earth is in its post-apocalyptic state. In reading the novel, you don't ever know WHY things are they way they are. Because it isn't important to the story. And I am concerned that they are trying to turn this into some sort of action thriller, which it isn't.

New Moon

I was pretty excited when this one premiered on the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday. I am among the great masses of Twilight fans and am anxious for a better movie this go round. Twilight had its ups and downs, but most agree it could have been done better. I am quite excited about some of the cast additions (Michael Sheen and Dakota Fanning) and the direction that Chris Weitz will go with it, especially since he has better experience with lots of CGI (The Golden Compass). While I would say the one werewolf we got to see in the trailer isn't as amazing as Aslan was, you can tell the budget has gone up and am OK with that. I think I might like this movie better than the book since New Moon is my least fave in the series.

Sherlock Holmes

Robert Downey, Jr. fans always await his new projects. I have yet to see The Soloist but it is still on my to do list. Before Iron Man 2 comes out, we'll get to see him alongside Jude Law and Rachel McAdams in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. This outing looks to be a bit different from the other Ritchie films I have seen and enjoyed (Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch). Downey is looking fine as usual in this one, and I especially enjoy the boxing scene. Check out Emily's top RDJ films post here.


9

I recall hearing about this a while back because my husband would have liked to animate on it. It is a feature-length animated film based on a 2005 short by Shane Acker (who also writes and directs this version). This doesn't look like a kids film. It is a dark, rather creepy, post-apocalyptic story about creatures given life a la Frankenstein as their mad scientist dies with the rest of humanity. The trailer looks quite intriguing.

Nine

So two films named Nine/9 coming out this year (2009, is that why?). They couldn't be any different. I have never seen Nine performed onstage, but I am vaguely familiar with the premise. When Rob Marshall's film was announced, I was concerned about the casting of Daniel Day Lewis, mainly with the singing. Seeing that I haven't seen the show, I can't give my opinion here. But he doesn't sing in the trailer so I can't see how he is, but all the ladies look great. This is quite a cast!

1984, George Orwell

I read a LOT of books in high school. I was in AP English and I think we read one per week. Somehow, I didn't read 1984. Every now and then I get the urge to read a book I missed back then, to see if it lives up to the hype it is given. Sometimes they disappoint on the "entertaining" scale, even if they prove to be thought-provoking but that isn't the case with 1984.

I was surprised how quickly I was invested in the story of a futuristic dystopian society. This novel makes the reader wonder how society got to the point that they would allow their every waking moment to be captured by camera, to be viewed by authorities, to allow their thoughts to be censored. It is certainly pertinent in current times as we deal with things such as the Patriot Act. This is certainly a bit extreme of that, but it makes sense that people fear something like that happening.

I felt a lack of hope in reading this story similar to the feeling I had when reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road. There was a little more hope as anyone reading this novel would expect each individual to have an internal struggle with such circumstances that would thus lead to an eventual uprising. Of course Orwell explains why that would be so unlikely.

Now that i Have given this the badge of hopelessness, I am sure everyone will be inspired to read it. But if this is one you managed to miss in high school or college, consider reading it now. It is especially interesting and captivating.

Theatre: The Fantasticks

I caught a performance of Reprise Theater Company's The Fantasticks at UCLA's Freud Theater a couple of weeks ago. Apparently, The Fantasticks is the longest running show in New York, or the world, or something. It has been playing in New York in some theater, on or off Broadway, for fifty years.

This particular production didn't get rave reviews, mainly because the director (Jason Alexander) apparently took a lot of liberties with lyrics, stage direction and the set. I couldn't give you an opinion on that because i have never seen this show otherwise. I will say this: I didn't love it. But I think I just don't like the show. It was a little boring and the music was not very fun. Maybe I am just the wrong generation (because, as the people next to me said, it looked like buses of blue-hairs from local nursing homes had taken a field trip to see the show).

Now, here is the good part. Boy (Lucas Grabeel, Ryan from High School Musical) and Girl (Alison Woods) were great. In my opinion. they were the saving grace to an otherwise kind of dull venture. In fact, seeing this did manage to cement the creepy I'm-too-old-for-you crush I already had on Lucas Grabeel. I expected Eric McCormack to knock my socks off, and, unfortunately for us all, that wasn't the case. But again, I don't blame him. He wasn't given a lot to work with (plus, who can think of him as anything but Will Truman?).

Overall, I wasn't too terribly happy with the show. Give me this cast in another show, and I am sure I would have been happy. However, I don't really feel the need to see The Fantasticks again.

Movie: UP

I saw Up last. And I loved it. I cried a lot. And laughed a lot. I am not sure it was a kids' movie, really. But it was really well done, as expected. I have been a Pixar fan for ages and they never disappoint. There are certainly my favorites (Monster's Inc., Finding Nemo) and I have my least favorite (Cars), but even then, I still think of them all as really good.

Up deals with some surprisingly dark and grown up issues (death and loss). I don't generally find that I cry in animated features but this one just really got to me. I spent more time laughing but cried several different times during the movie. So that is my warning to bring tissues with you to the theater.

I would try and explain the plot, but it is kind of random. Instead, I'll just mention a few things I love about it.



Dug and the other dogs. They have collars that translate their thoughts into spoken words. But they are still done from a dog's perspective (sentences are often interrupted by an exclamation of "Squirrel!"). And I might have to buy this book.

Russell. Also termed "small mailman" by the dogs. He was really cute and sweet, and very well-animated (per my animator husband). He was excellent at unknowingly antagonizing the old geezer Mr. Fredrickson (voiced by Ed Asner).

Mr. Fredrickson himself was just a bit too old man angry. I love sweet old people but mean ones are the worst!! Of course, that is the point, and as you would expect, he comes around in the end.

Fox and iTunes sitting in a tree

The powerhouse that is American Idol is responsible for 6 of the top 10 songs on iTunes as of right this minute.


While it is obvious that winner Kris Allen's new "victory" song No Boundaries would be on top (or, is it obvious since it is a pretty horrible song), but Kris also has his amazing version of Heartless and Ain't No Sunshine on the list. Also, no surprise that Adam Lambert's Mad World is on there (the one song of his I considered downloading myself).

But then you have the song Permanent which David Cook performed on the finale (about his brother, which was quite an emotional performance). And while I love the show Glee, I would say the success of the show was certainly assisted by its Idol lead in. And I love that Don't Stop Beleivin is doing so great on there (it is such a fun version of the song, especially in the context of teh show).

I bet Fox is making a KILLING from iTunes right now. Ultimately, this blog post is just a chance for me to say how happy I am Kris Allen won and how much I like him. Good luck to both Kris & Adam in the future.

I think I will throw a few videos of the above songs below:

New TV: Glee

Last night I attended the Fox premiere of its new summer show Glee at Santa Monica High School. There was a nice turnout and I even got a t-shirt.


Before I tell you what I thought, I should preface this by saying I am very much a choir nerd and a music geek. I have always and will always be a choir girl who loves music, adores singing, and appreciates a well-performed and -arranged performance. That being said, I really hope this show can stick around. It is right up my alley. It fills a very empty niche. I wouldn't really call it a glee club (I think of my dad in men's glee club in college in the 60s) as much as a "show choir." But Glee works better as the title (and they can put the loser "L" in the title on the promos).

Here is a brief synopsis: Will is a high school Spanish teacher who feels the urge to takeover the pitiful glee club at his school. He holds auditions and finds only a few who are both willing and talented enough to join. These also happen to the be the social outcasts. Will decides to do what he an to draw in new members from the popular crowd, thus giving the glee club a new public perception. He has to do some manipulation but acquires a new member and the group is official. But there are many bumps along the way to a success at a competitive level.

The people who have gotten excited about this show constantly refer to the "Don't Stop Believing" commercial for it. The actual appearance of this song in the premiere episode was great. I couldn't stop dancing throughout the whole show, but this one just sucked me in (plus the viewers were kind of emotionally involved by then, too).

The singing was excellent and there is a fun array of characters representative of high school (or at least of high school on film). There is the uber-talented, socially-awkward and somewhat annoying Rachel, played by Lea Michelle (her voice is amazing, but I already knew that from Spring Awakening). Then they combined the geeky guy with glasses and the guy in the wheelchair to come up with Arty, played by Kevin McHale (who is NOT so nerdy or wheelchair-bound in real life -- he was adorable). You've got the jock-with-a-heart-turned-glee-club-member Finn, played by Corrie Monteith (who perfectly embodies the qualities of an athlete, a singer and a nice guy). And the soulful black girl with attitude Mercedes (Amber Riley, who coincidentally is an Idol castoff from years past). The gay boy more concerned with his designer duds than anything else, Kurt (played by Chris Colfer).

As for the adults, Will is the teacher who takes over the glee club. He is played by Matthew Morrison, who I think comes straight from Broadway. But he didn't sing in the first episode, so I look forward to hearing that. Jane Lynch as the cheer coach is absolutely hysterical. In fact, she was so funny in person, too. I officially love her now. Jesselyn Gilsig is appropriately annoying and frustrating as Will's wife.

The soundtrack when the cast isn't performing is still done with vocals and is really different and fun. And if rumors are true, they will release the music to iTunes directly after each episode. I better start saving up my money now because I will be purchasing new music every week!

Come on, just watch this trailer! And then watch on May 19!!

Book: Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

Curtis Sittenfeld had a pretty good year with the popular and critical acclaim of American Wife. I read it and haven't posted about it yet (but I will get to it eventually). In the meantime, I have now read her earlier book Prep, set in a New England boarding school. Sittenfeld certainly attacks different subject matter in these two books. Here is what I though of Prep.

The basic story is this: Lee Fiora is a Midwestern, lower middle-class girl who decides one day she wants to go to boarding school. She works to get scholarships and gets accepted to a prestigious school in the northwest called Ault. But when she arrives at Ault for her freshman year of high school, she finds that the glamorous boarding school life she imagined and reality are two very different things. She closes herself off, struggles to make friends, do well in school, attract the boy she likes, and generally fit in.

I read this book in just a few days and I think I was sucked into the whole "boarding school" concept immediately. Reading it, I thought back to my college days because I went to a small private college with many similarities to Ault. It was easy to imagine and Sittenfeld writes very well. It isn't over-contemplative but is also not just all conversation without any thoughts.

The bad part was that I just wasn't feeling Lee. I was frustrated with her and I felt like she consistently sabotaged her own happiness and comfort. While I am sure those people exist, I couldn't relate very well to that part of her (I could, however, relate to her feeling like the outsider and not being the "popular" girl). Also, there wasn't a whole lot going on plot-wise. It was written out in sections, divided by school term (fall, winter, spring), and, if I hadn't been told that was how the time was advancing, I would never have realized it covered a full four years of someone's life.

I think American Wife was a better book, and probably just a better all around read. But Prep was a fun few hundred pages and not too shabby for Sittenfeld's first novel.

LOST: The Variable

I have not blogged about Lost in quite a while, even though my brain is all atwitter over the recent happenings. This season has been thought-provoking at the least, but I will say amazing (even though I think this season has split the fans).

I have been waiting for this particular episode. Specifically, for one conversation. For Daniel's conversation about "variables." I have been suspecting that, no matter how many time the creators have reminded us that "what happened happened," we would find out differently. If you read message boards at all, people are adamant about this point. Don't get me wrong, I think it is generally true for our Losties that what happened did in fact happen. But I also think Daniel has realized there is anomaly. First of all, Desmond pushing that button changed everything. Daniel was able to go see him in the hatch and send him to his mother. Now, granted, one would argue that he did that all along... But, if I trust anyone on this show to be smart enough to realize there are variables along with the constants, it would be resident genius Daniel.

Oh, Daniel. RIP, my friend. I have really liked him from pretty early on. His character was endearingly crazy. And seeing his story fill in tonight was great, especially the confirmation of the long-suspected truth that Widmore is, in fact, Daniel's father. I have been avoiding spoilers on Lost like the Swine Flu, so perhaps it was a known fact that someone was going to die, but I didn't know (for once!) and was surprised and so sad to see Daniel go. But in the end I think his death was so revealing about Eloise Hawking and her "sacrifice" that it gave his death purpose.

Ellie/Elloise. So she made the ultimate sacrifice of her son. Knowing she would kill him. Could she have told him "I am going to kill you" and prevented it? That is unknown but Hawking has said over and over that things can't be changed, so maybe she believed that and didn't have a choice but to sacrifice him. You would think she could have been a better mother to him in the meantime!

My other thought on this, while somewhat fleeting, is this. Hawking has throughout the series been reinforcing the "can't change the future" aspect, but why keep beating a dead horse? Maybe she isn't quite so sure herself? Why couldn't she try not to kill Daniel by warning him? Maybe because she was OK with him dying. I mean it is pretty clearly a sad means to an end. Does this advance her own agenda? I guess I can't tell what her agenda is. She isn't working for Widmore and not for Ben. So is she working for a possible mysterious third party? Hmmm....

Desmond. Thank goodness Desmond is alive. I just couldn't take it if he weren't...

Myles & Chang. How funny was Myles face when Daniel told Chang that Myles was his son. And of anyone in the DI at that point in time, Chang would be the one with the capacity to believe it. So he says, "Is this true?" instead of a "yeah, right." And Myles denies it. Sad. There was his chance to really reunite with his dad.



Meanwhile, back at the Dharma camp. Jim is contemplating how to deal with the prisoner he has captured and ends up bringing all of the non-Dharma gang in on the decision. I really enjoy Sawyer as a leader here. It just struck me as fitting that they were all sitting in a circle in his house discussing the options, and that he was in charge. Of course, Juliet kind of trumped his decision with letting Daniel, Kate & Jack head out to the hostiles, but Jim didn't seem to mind too much. They are still a sweet team.



And they split. Everyone makes a choice on who goes where, and, look, only Jack & Kate leave. Hurley doesn't go. Jin doesn't go. And Myles makes the very obvious choice to stay behind. Should be interesting to see if they reunite back on the beach like they planned, now that ol' Danny bit the dust (*sniff*). I am worried that our core Losties are about to become enemies or something and I would hate to see that.

Going back. We have to go back, Kate. OK, this isn't what Jack meant when he said those words but they take on new meaning. Go back to BEFORE the crash and land successfully in Los Angeles. But wait, that means nothing that has happened happened. That is tragic and sad, even though we lost many along the way. I just can't see it that way.

Upcoming movies I want to see

I've been off the grid for a bit and this poor blog has taken the worst of it. So I am working to get back to posting. And since I have lots of upcoming movies on the brain, I thought I would list a few I am really looking forward to.

1) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I've been waiting for the release of this one since I left the theater after watching Order of the Phoenix. The latest trailer looks UNBELIEVABLE!

2) X-Men Origins: Wolverine

I really enjoyed the X-Men movies, especially parts one and two. I also really like Hugh Jackman. But I was really excited about some of the other casting on this one, too. Especially Taylor Kitsch as Gambit. I think he is about to blow up huge.

3) Public Enemies

Christian Bale & Johnny Depp. Do I need to say anything more? But I will. I also love the subject matter (John Dillinger and bank robberies and tommy guns...) and time period.

4) Terminator Salvation
Watch the trailer here. More Christian Bale. And I love the Terminator franchise. Looking forward to seeing where they go with this one.

5) Star Trek
Watch the trailer here. I don't even watch Star Trek and have never been interested in it one iota. But JJ Abrams has done what he set out to do, and that is to appeal to a whole new group of potential fans with his new interpretation.

6) 500 Days of Summer

How cute does this one look? I really like Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel.

7) The Hangover
Watch the trailer here. First, the reason this attracted me was Will Tippin, I mean Bradley Cooper. And, as usual, he is playing kind of the sleazy guy, but I am glad to see he is playing a main character. But this trailer actually really cracks me up. The tooth, the tiger, the baby.

8) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Watch the trailer here. I have been sucked into the Shia LeBeouf hype and really like him. Plus, I enjoyed the first film, so I'll give this one a chance.

9) Away We Go

When I first heard of this, before the trailer, I thought it would be much goofier. Instead it is just a quirky, sweet-looking little thing. I can't wait to see this one. Looks entertaining.

10) Land of the Lost
Watch the trailer here. I have seen a fair bit of this because Sean was working on it and the parts I have seen are really funny. Will Ferrel almost always cracks me up. Plus, I must support my man's work!

Movies I am maybe excited to see (can't decide):
1 & 2) I want to be able to say I am looking forward to the release of The Time Traveler's Wife and My Sister's Keeper, two of my favorite books of all time, but I am concerned about the film adaptation in both cases. Therefore, I am hesitant to put any hope into them. I'm sure I will see them both anyway.


3) The Soloist - I adore Robert Downey, Jr. and really love Joe Wright, who is directing. I just am not sure this movie actually appeals to me. I don't love Jamie Foxx. Maybe I'll just rent it unless it gets rave reviews or something.


And while I really like to support my husband and his work (I did see Alvin and the Chipmunks in the theater, and plan to see Land of the Lost), I am not sure I'll be seeing They Came From Upstairs. I'm sure we'll see it eventually but I am just not sure I can sit through it. I am not the target audience here.


Well, my list of movies to see this summer is huge! There are a few others that caught my eye but didn't quite make the list. I better start saving money now or plan on going to the 11 am shows for a discount...

Lost: LaFleur

I loved this episode of Lost. If you have read my Seasons 1-4 recaps, you'll know that I was originally a fan of Jack, but the re-watch of the series won me over to Sawyer. Now I just officially love him. This episode certainly had a different feel to it than usual. Partly because of the "three years earlier"/"three years later" way of story-telling, but also because the content seemed so different. The audience is watching this episode knowing that Kate, Jack & Hurley will be found by a jumpsuit-wearing Jin. For me, it was quite devastating to watch as these characters adjusted to a life with the Dharma Initiative (one that seems pretty happy, actually), only to be mucked up by the return of those we have moved beyond (except for Jin, who I am hoping gets to reunite with Sun soon).



Here is why I am confused. Locke turned that wheel to save the rest of the time-flashing gang on the island. I understand why he did that. But we also know that Locke, along with the Oceanic Six, would have to return. Richard told Locke that, didn't he? "You're going to have to die, John." But those remaining after Locked turned the wheel seemed alright. Was it just a trick? Did someone need to turn the wheel so they had John do it? Are the O6 returning to the island just to serve as pawns in the upcoming "war" that Widmore warned about?

I have been waiting all season for the Kate/Sawyer reunion. Like, knowing how much he loves her. And I never in a million years imagined that three years would have gone by on the island. I thought that, while three years passed off-island, it would have been a much shorter amount of time. I didn't expect things to progress like they did:



1) The most obvious: Sawyer and Juliet have a thing. Like an "I love you" thing. And I actually bought it. It was believable and it was sweet. It made sense as soon as they started jumping through time because they were constantly leaning on each other for support, and fessing up to weird happenings and sad feelings.

2) Jin is completely fluent in English. I have heard Daniel Dae Kim speak in interviews and he has zero Korean accent. So he is still having to put on, but I love that he can finally speak English and not have to do that "I don't understand" shtick he has done for 4 seasons. On a sidenote: Daniel Dae Kim will be playing the King of Siam in The King and I at London's West End. I wonder what kind of singer he is!

3) This gang is very established in the Dharma Initiative. Sawyer aka LaFleur is head of security. They all have their very own jumpsuits. Juliet is a mechanic. What is Myles doing? Don't know, but he came along for the ride, and it seems they all are quite good friends. As in happy.

4) Guess who is new to the show! Herc (Kevin Rankin) from Friday Night Lights. Now we can wonder if the island "cured" him of his need for a wheelchair. Also new to the show, Reiko Aylesworth, or Michelle from 24. I think I stopped being interested in 24 after they killed her off.



Let's mention a couple of other things here. I love how the confused and unknowing Losties are now the know-it-alls. When Sawyer went out and talked to Richard about Jughead and crazy Locke, I was so happy that, finally, our guys knew something those guys didn't.

Also, other interesting things occurred this episode, such as the statue (Whoa! How far back was that?) and the birth of Amy's baby (Yea, a baby was actually born on the island!) but I am waiting to see where these things go (if they go anywhere) before I write about them. Mainly because I don't have lots to say about them right now, except "hmmmm....."

Questions:

Does it seem strange to anyone else that Sawyer is still having Jin check every day for their people? Wouldn't you have given up by now, especially if you were as happy with life as they seem to be? Maybe Sawyer's proclamation that three years is long enough to get over someone was more just him trying to convince himself.

If I have read this correctly, and based on the time period we suspect this gang is in, where is young Ben? At first, I thought he might not have arrived, but if he comes much later, I would have a hard time believing Michael Emerson is young enough for the part.

Widmore led the Others aka "my people" peacefully for 30 years (I did hear mention of the Dharma/Others truce) until Ben screwed that up. So is Widmore currently leading the Others right now? It makes sense if this is the mid-70s, that we are 20 years into the Widmore Era. That leaves 10 more before Ben kicks him out, and probably till the Purge (or maybe a little longer).

The writers threw me for a big loop hooking Juliet and Sawyer up that way. How is Kate's return going to change this? How big of a wrench will be tossed in? As Sean said, "Poor Juliet. She is always tossed aside for Kate." Kate, who we are growing to dislike more and more...

Here are some review links:
Lost 5.8: LaFleur by Emily at Eclaire Fare
LeFleur Recap and Analysis by Erika
Things I Noticed: LaFleur by Vozzek69

The End is Here - Pushing Daisies

Yes, I am aware that it has been quite some time since we learned that ABC wouldn't be renewing Pushing Daisies. I have come to terms with it over the last couple of months. And I was anxiously awaiting the final 3 episodes of the series, hoping for some closure. Of course, then we discover that ABC won't even be "burning off" the last three episodes on network TV, and we would have to wait for the DVD to see the final eps.

Indian television, however, doesn't have any reservations about playing the series through to its (all-too-soon) end, and I discovered that they were playing these final episodes over the last few weeks. While being sad it is over, I was also excited as we had been told that the series finale, while not originally intended to be a finale, would give us some closure.

Unfortunately, while the story progresses in a satisfactory way, addressing so many of the plot points that are still up in the air, it was clear that the writers tied up some loose ends just to say they were tied up. And things are rushed. The regular progression was quite enjoyable (and it was headed in a kind of new direction, had it not been canceled). I was glad to see it, but only reminded it was canceled way too early.

I believe this is the episode they were filming the day I saw Lee Pace (!) and David Arquette at the WB lot. If I remember correctly, it was on their very last day of filming. The good news is that I don't think a single one of these actors will be looking for work for long.

Lost - The Life & Death of Jeremy Benthem (5x07)

This episode only really provided a few surprises for me. For the most part, it filled in some blurry spots (but ones we could have guessed).

Here is what we kind of already knew:

1) There have been lots of suspicions that John Locke would be revived or resurrected when he returned the island. Not sure if this is because he is some sort of chosen one by the island, so it revives him. We have seen it happen, sort of, to Christian Shepherd. But we have also seen Locke healed numerous times, from being paralyzed to falling and cracking bones to a receiving a gun shot wound. It doesn't completely shock me to see him alive (especially after the promo last week for this episode).

2) Locke's visits to the O6 (give or take). Everyone is surprised to see him, but no one is really shocked. Sayid is just kind of "whatever" about it. Hurley is convinced he is crazy, again (he never has been crazy, right?). Kate is firm but over it. Jack is angry.

3) Walt does need to return to the island, like the rest. It was nice to see Walt, but we knew we would because Walt told Hurley last season that Jeremy Benthem had been to see him, too. However, something must have upset him that he would then fly to Santa Rosa visit Hurley. I am still really hoping that Walt was somehow on that flight in coach.

New things revealed:

1) Abbadon DOES work for Widmore. There has been speculation about that. I am so glad that Hurley yelled at Locke for trusting him. Locke recognizes him from the hospital and goes with him anyway. I find it quite creepy. I am glad that Abbadon acknowledged that Locke recognized him. What is also new is that Ben kills Abbadon, but I don't think that Ben was trying to kill Locke at that time.

2) Locke kept his promise to Jin and didn't visit Sun. Nor did he send Ben to do his dirty work. Ben came up with that on his own.

3) Widmore remembers Locke from 50 years previous, while it has been only 4 days for Locke. This was a fun meet-up. Widmore reveals that Ben is, of course, the bad guy. That Widmore was forced to leave the island by Ben and he has never gotten back. I can see why Locke would choose to believe Widmore over Ben, given their awful history. But I just wish Locke would step up and stop listening to anyone else. If he is truly the chosen one, he should manage to get the job done on his own.

4) There is a war coming. Widmore tells this to Locke. I found this to be interesting, and while not completely shocking, a kind of interesting revelation as Widmore told Locke that being on the Island would keep him out of the war. You would think being on the island would put one smack dab in the middle of such war.

5) Ben kills Locke, but only after talking him out of killing himself. Why bother? This was certainly a disturbing but not surprising turn of events. It was really actually quite sad. Watching Locke trying to kill himself (and about to succeed) was just really sad. But it was a huge (scary) step of faith he was willing to take. Locke is often compared to Jesus lately, so who does that make Ben?

Some questions:

1) Which island are the Ajira flight survivors on? What is the room/office where Cesar is set up?

2) Why did some of the O6 flash back to wherever Jin is and some crash in the plane. We know Lapidis crashed in the plane and another woman (probably Sun) because they took off.

3) Why did Ben decide to kill Locke himself only after Locke mentioned Eloise Hawking. What about this knowledge meant that Locke needed to be die. I have a theory but I am still wrapping my head around it and working it out.

4) Except for Juliet, the Others don't move with the flashes. So I can believe Ben wouldn't have. He was all beat up, but that may have been partially from the crash as he was beat up so bad when they took off. What is going to happen next?

5) Locke realized who Christian's son was on his own. It was this revelation that got Jack on a plane (the one before the bridge-jumping experience where he found the obit for Jeremy Benthem)

Other thoughts:

I am glad the writers didn't spend more than one episode on the Jeremy Benthem visits. It would have been too drawn out. I like how Locke is so completely truthful to this Ajira crash crew, and he is just so matter-of-fact about dying, wearing those clothes to be buried, being killed by Ben. His faith is confirmed so he isn't really afraid of anything.

The conversation between Kate and Locke was sad. He realized how he screwed up the one thing he loved in life: his relationship with Helen. And Kate was rather mean to him about it. But it turns out Helen is dead. Locke has a number of regrets about Helen and he shares them here. His obsession with his dad was NEVER worth that loss and he knows it now.

I had a dream about Lost last night. In it, the Losties all flash-jumped to the 40s and were fighting in the war. And Ben was a big ol' Nazi. Then they jumped again and they were in Star Wars. They were all wearing robes and fighting with light sabers. Do you think either of these have any merit as theories...?

I wondered to my husband last night if maybe current Ben is responsible for 50-years-ago Widmore leaving the island. He might have trusted him back then, because Ben would have been a long-time resident of the island and we know he is quite the manipulator. The age difference makes one wonder when a younger Ben would have eliminated Widmore from the island, otherwise.

Someone please explain this to me

A.R. Rahman wrote an amazing score, as well as some perfect stand-alone songs for Slumdog Millionaire. He deservedly took home the Oscar for Best Song for Jai Ho (although I prefer O...Saya, also nominated).

Now here it the part I don't understand: Why, the very day after it earned this prestigious award, did we sully it with a remix. Okay, so Rahman wants a more commercialized release, so he agrees to do a remix with an American singer. Understandable. With the level of attention this film is getting, there are some pretty amazing singers he could get to sing in his remix.

But instead, we get Nichole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls. Maybe I am being mean, but I just don't like PCD and don't think this remix adds anything to an already-great song. Check it out here: