Amy Documentary

A new Amy documentary (seemingly documenting her fall as of late) has premiered in the UK, and here it is, in its entirety:

It is an honest and interesting portrait of Amy's rise and fall. With a lot of footage I hadn't seen. And its made me want her to get better all over again. Here's hoping.

Christmas Music is Now Here

I stumbled upon an early Christmas present for myslef, Amy Winehouse singing I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - WOAH! AMAZING!

New Alanis Video!

Here is Alanis Morissette's stunning new video for "Not As We"

For the love of Amy

On a day off like today I have been sitting around watching some Amy clips - and hoping she can one day get back to what she was. Watch. Enjoy Amy at her amazing best!

Here's "Tears Dry on Their Own" and "Back to Black" @ Somerset

Womanizer Live 2

Britney performed the live version of Womanizer again yesterday - and this performance was just as hot. Good job brit!

Happy Thanksgiving

Its Thanksgiving eve, and I have stopped by Nicholas' while he is out to feed and play with the cats and so I thought I would list why I am thankful after a great day with amazing friends. So here it is:

* I am thankful for the freedom to be me. I know that I live in a country which has taken a step towards better change. However reguardless of what I can and cannot do by law I know that I have the freedom to make my own choices and live my life as I see fit. Thats a great reason to be thankful.

* I am thankful for the most amazing group of friends who have supported me, loved me, been there for me, made me laugh, made me cry, made me think, and always make me greatful. I won't go into naming names, because they know who they are. Some have been with me for years, and some are new additions to my life, they all however are a part of me. And having them in my life is a great reason to be thankful.

* I am thankful for having a mother, father, 2 grandmothers, and a great extended family that, although far away, love me and support my reason for moving 700 miles away. I know no matter our differences that the love is and always will be there. I am thankful that I get to be with them soon, and know no matter the distance that they are with me. That is a great reason to be thankful.

* I am thankful that Amy Winehouse has lived another Thanksgiving. You think I'm joking, but I am now. She is one of my favorite inspirations, and that shes still with us is a great reason to be thankful.

* I am thankful that in the past year I was lucky enough to meet the greatest man I have ever met in my entire life. I have been in relationships before, long ones even. And meeting Nicholas has changed my outlook on love, what it means to be in a relationship, and he has changed my life. Without him I don't know what I would do. He is the yin to my yang, the keys to my computer, the love of my life. I have no doubt that we will be together forever - and its something I want to shout from the mountains. I want to tell him thank you for everything he does for me, everything he makes me feel, but words simply couldn't do it - especially on this lowly blog. Hopefully one day I can find the words to express my love. He is the love of my life, and that is certainly something to be thankful for.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL!

Rosie Live! Review

Rosie O'Donnell premiered the first in a series of live variety shows last night and it was a big fun, embarrasing, entertaining, weird, mess. It was all of those things at once. I do hope that she will still be allowed a Christmas version of her variety show because I think she is onto something, however I think it was majorly flawed. Let's talk about what worked first:

* Opening the show with a song and dance number including the legendary Liza Minnelli is always a treat. Liza is out and about very rarely so I have to give Rosie credit for getting her, and opening her show with her on prime time.
* The performance by Alanis Morissette (of the song "Not as We") was by far the most entertaining and well performed pieces of the night. Alanis was the true talent on this talent show. She looked amazing, sounded amazing, and brought a real sense of class to the evening.
* Kathy Griffin is always hillarious, and Kathy Griffin AS Nancy Grace (my favorite idiotic talking head on television) was brilliant.
* Jane Krakowski, Tony winner and costar of 30 Rock, proved her salt while singing a rather corny give-away song to the tune of "You Gotta Get a Gimmick" from Gyspy. She sang, she danced, she stripped. Very cute.

And now lets talk about what didn't work:

* Random guest slots with nothing to do. We had Alec Baldwin, Clay Aiken, Conan O'Brien, Harry Connick Jr, Rachel Ray, and a couple others showed up to do nothing. It was obviously all rehearsed and all very hokey. They could have cut a number of them and given Alanis another song, or given Liza more to do - anything.
* The random "talent" acts. Sure the 2 brothers could dance well - but we were given a 2 minute snippit of them, whereas the "Spinning" dancers were given about 4 minutes. 4 minutes of spinning, and hula hooping, etc? Could Rosie not have found better talent? Maybe she should have let Conan do some standup, or perhaps allow Harry Connick Jr to sing more than 30 seconds of his Christmas song.
* The ending number with Gloria Estephan was just ridiculous. I hope to post it online later so you can see what I mean. It may be the worst musical number on television ever.
* The comedy segments. Rosie, we get it. Youre overweight, youre gay, and you dont get along with Donald Trump -- its all old news.
* However the worst thing about Rosie Live was indeed Rosie O'Donnell. I think Rosie is a funny woman, and I actually agree with her politics and think she is a fun and charming television personality. Her old daytime talk show was one of my favorites, which I never missed. And she breathed new and exciting life into the View. HOWEVER - Rosie we don't wanna hear you sing, see you dance, or listen to countless unfunny jokes or gags. HONESTLY- couldn't Liza have sung alone? She is the true triple threat - and she's 70-something and still singing, dancing, and acting. She didn't need you throwing her off or dragging her down. Rosie sang too much, danced with too many little kids, tried too hard to be funny, and brought her own show down.

So there you have it. I think the show was onto something, and thanks to Alanis, Liza, and Rosie's brass balls to bring this show to television, I did enjoy it. I just hope Act II is better.

The Comeback performance

Britney is back in a BIG way. She performed her hit single Womanizer last night at the Bambi awards in Germany, and she twisted it up with a very cool circus theme. So yeah, she lip synched, but come on its Britney. And do we all remember her disasterous Gimme More performance at the VMA's only 8 months ago? This is a GREAT performance of a GREAT song off of a GREAT album, and Britney looks GREAT. Fast forward to about 40 seconds to when she begins, and enjoy!

My 2008 Music List

Here is MY list of the 40 Best albums of 2008!

40. Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke
39. The Teenagers - Reality Check
38. She & Him - Volume One
37. Radiohead - In Rainbows
36. Dragonette - Galore
35. Marit Larsen - Under the Surface
34. Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst
33. Kanye West - 808's and Heartbreak
32. Cat Power - Jukebox
31. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
30. Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
29. Repo The Genetic Opera Soundtrack - Various Artists
28. Lady Gaga - The Fame
27. Kate Nash - Made of Bricks
26. Grace Jones - Hurricane
25. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
24. The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing
23. Lykke Li - Youth Novels
22. Moby - Last Night
21. Yael Naim - Yael Naim
20. Tom Jones - 24 Hours
19. Scarlett Johannsson - Anywhere I Lay My Head
18. Lenka - Lenka
17. Sia - Some People Have Real Problems
16. Martha Wainwright - I Know Youre Married but I've Got Feelings Too
15. Juno Soundtrack - Various Artists
14. The Killers - Day & Age
13. Rachael Yamagata - Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart
12. Duffy - Rockferry
11. Katy Perry - One of the Boys
10. Coldplay - Viva La Vida
9. Rufus Wainwright - Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall
8. Dolly Parton - Backwoods Barbie
7. Adele - 19
6. Britney Spears - Circus
5. Dresden Dolls - No Viriginia
4. Santogold - Santogold
3. Madonna - Hard Candy
2. Lil' Kim - Ms. G.O.A.T
1. Jay Brannan - Goddamned / Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer

too close to call for #1

Blenders List!

My fav. music magazine Blender has released its 33 best albums of 2008. Here they are?

Ive starred some of my favs

1. Lil' Wayne, Tha Carter III
2. Girl Talk, Feed The Animals **
3. TV On The Radio, Dear Science
4. Metallica, Death Magnetic
5. Hot Chip, Made In The Dark
6. Robyn, Robyn **
7. Of Montreal, Skeletal Lamping
8. Randy Newman, Harps & Angels
9. Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend
10. Fall Out Boy, Folie A Deux
11. Death Cab For Cutie, Narrow Stairs
12. My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges
13. Al Green, Lay It Down
14. Jenny Lewis, Acid Tongue
15. Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago
16. Be Your Own Pet, Get Awkward
17. Conor Oberst, Conor Oberst **
18. Ponytail, Ice Cream Spiritual
19. Katy Perry, One Of The Boys **
20. Wale, Mixtape About Nothing
21. Erykah Badu, New Amerykah Part I: Fourth World War
22. Coldplay, Viva La Vida **
23. The Cool Kids, Bake Sale
24. The Roots, Rising Down
25. Santogold, Santogold **
26. Madonna, Hard Candy **
27. Mariah Carey, E=MC2
28. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Real Emotional Trash
29. Raphael Saadiq, The Way I See It
30. Young Jeezy, The Recession
31. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
32. Taylor Swift, Fearless
33. Hayes Carll, Trouble In Mind

Serves her right!

Just in time for Thanksgiving, I read that I have something wonderful to be thankful for. Ann Coulter, the right wing blowhard homophobe, has broken her jaw and now it is wired shut! Meaning - Ann CUNTer cannot speak! Hilarious. Its a rare time when I will laugh at someones misfortune, but I am afraid Ann had this one coming!!

Covergirl

HOT!

Australia BOMBS!

I have NEVER liked Baz Luhrman. I hated Romeo and Juliet, and was very mixed (more towards the negative) about the over-exposed Moulin Rogue, so it is not a surprise to me that the anticipated directors next effort, Australia, is bombing - big time. And who is the biggest target of the neagtivity? Oscar winner Nicole Kidman. Here's some excerpts from some reputable reviews:

"Nicole Kidman drifts around the film like a lost porcelain doll, looking frozen, brittle and vapid, staring at the camera with her oh-golly-look-how-I'm-looking-interesting blue eyes"

"In Australia, Nicole Kidman is exquisitely accomplished at being awful."

"The kiss of death to an already bad film is the horrific performance by Nicole Kidman."

OUCH!!!!

Guess I will eliminate all chances of Australia at the Oscars!

A-Rod Abandoning

Cynthia Rodriguez, soon to be ex wife of Alex Rodriguez, is screaming mad about his affair with Madonna. And she is leaking it to the press. Access Hollywood of all people got an interview, and in it the scorned lover says the following:

"Alex is a souless man who is abandoning his kids. My 6-foot-3, 220-pound soul-less, soon-to-be ex-husband is abandoning his kids on Thanksgiving to be with Madonna ... She called and he ran on her command back to New York City ... Gross!"

Daily Amy: In Hospital .. again

Sadly Amy Winehouse was admitted again today to the hospital. Her third trip this month alone. Last night she got into a yelling argument with estranged husband Blake on the phone, where reportedly she was yelling so loud you could hear her outside her Camdem flat. Then she went on a binge and was taken immediately to the hospital where she still lays today. Although doctors have said it was a "reaction to prescribed medication", I think its safe to say Amy may have tried to OD. But who knows? All I know is that a ambulance will continue to be parked outside of Amys home 24 hours a day, because family, friends, and doctors fear the worst.

Ace in the hole

If you have been watching Survivor Gabon (and seriously if you havent .. you should) then you know Ace. Since being voted off the island, Ace has gotten himself into a heap of trouble, hence his mug shot pictured above. Ace was in a bar in Naples Florida. He apparently had too much to drink and hit a woman bar tender in the face three times. Then he was thrown out of the club by police whom he spit on and was violent with. They had to throw him onto the ground to handcuff him. All the while he was screaming "Get off me! I'm famous!" Hahaha. You can't make this stuff up.

He was then charged with disorderly intoxication, obstruction of an officer, and resisting arrest. He is now in jail.

An Oscar leak?!

As with the documentary pictures which were released (the 20 that would be chosen between for nominations) a leaked list of the big time awards was also posted online. Who knows if its real or not -- but here is the list of people who may (probably are) in the running for the awards (looks like my predictions are holding strong so far)

* Note, although these movies havent been released worldwide, they have been viewed by most critics and voters

Best Picture :
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire
The Wrestler
Wal-E

Director:

Darren Aronofsky, The Wrestler
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Baz Luhrmann, Australia
Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant, Milk

Actor :

Josh Brolin, W.
Benicio del Toro, Che
Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road
Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino
Ralph Fiennes, The Reader
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Actress :

Cate Blanchett, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Anne Hathway- Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Nicole Kidman, Australia
Kierra Knightly, The Duchess
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Kristin Scott-Thomas- Il y'a longtemps que je t'aime
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

Supporting Actor :

Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Richard Dreyfuss, W
James Franco, Milk
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
John Malkovitch, Changeling
Liev Schrieber, Defiance
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
Michael Sheen, Frost/Nixon

Supporting Actress :

Amy Adams, Doubt
Cate Blanchett, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Tilda Swinton, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Debra Winger, Rachel Getting Married
Kate Winslet, The Reader

INTERESTING!

Consider it Done

An ad being sent out to Oscar voters for Heath Ledger to win best supporting actor.
Consider it done.

Meryl a negative?

Variety (magazine) is known for its reviews. It always predicts the Oscar contenders, and does a damn fine job at critically analyzing a film perfectly. As I showed in an earlier blog there has been some doubt on the film version of Doubt starring Meryl Streep. An early review from a less reputable source said the worst part of the near perfect film was Meryl Streep. Well now add Variety to the list of critics saying that Meryl is actually a negative force stifiling the film for succeeding. Here's some snippits:

they LOVE viola davis:
"The drama reaches its high point when Sister Aloysius calls in Donald’s mother (a superb Viola Davis) to inform her of what she believes is going on between her son and his would-be protector. The scene, which begins in the principal’s office but on film now continues on a walk through a dreary housing complex on a chilly day, is superbly written; the representative of religious absolutism sticks to her certainty in the face of a deeply moving confession of true-life emotional realities about the boy’s domestic situation. Viola Davis provides the most powerful performance in the film, albeit the smallest."

they LOVE Phillip Seymore Hoffman:
"Hoffman’s performance is ambiguous enough to make the viewer continue to wonder about Father Flynn and, crucially, to fear Sister Aloysius might actually be right. Thesp is particularly effective in his sermons, delivering his thoughtful remarks with a clarity and intellectual pertinence that many pastors might envy. Hoffman, always a strong actor, turns in one of his strongest performances here."

they LIKE Amy Adams:
"Amy Adams does all anyone could with the role of a nice young nun who must cope with the monster she unintentionally lets out of the box. Adams is growing into a film darling. She is always a treat no matter the film, or in this case, the role."

they DON'T LIKE Meryl:
"The film’s one iffy element, oddly enough, is Streep. This master screen actor, who applies a slight New Yawk accent to her phrasings, takes the vocal low road here as opposed to the more forceful approach of Cherry Jones in her riveting Broadway turn. By ostensibly underplaying the role’s villainy, however, Streep overdoes the melodrama, thereby turning Sister Aloysius into more of a stock figure than she ultimately seemed onstage. Every little tic, gesture and facial mannerism seems maximized by the effort expended to minimalize them, to diminished returns in the cause of creating a three-dimensional character. While the dramatic scenes still register with notable force, it’s a disconcerting, unsatisfying performance from a thesp who most of the time rings true. Sadly Streep is highly disappointing throughout."

Woah! I've never heard Meryl get such solid bad reviews for a performance. I will still wait to judge for myself when its released for me to see.

Grace is Back bitch

Here is the first song off of Grace Jones' spectacular new album "Hurricane"!! Hear Grace rap and sing her ass of behind an amazing beat! LOVES IT!

Daily Amy: It's Over

News reports have surfaced that Amy Winehouse's marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil is all but over. Blake has been seeing his reported girlfriend (Sophie Schandorff, a german model who came to Blake's hearings, and was punched by Winehouse after blowing him kisses goodbye one day as he headed back towards jail). However, Amy says she's fine with it, and even admitted that she was only with Blake "for the sex". Her exact statement to UK's News of the World was this:

“It’s over. There’s no way back for us now. It was never going to last. We were only together for sex. I fancied him like mad, like no one else I’ve ever known. But it’s not enough, is it?”

A close friend of Amy's was quoted saying this:

“She still loves Blake on many levels but she sees there’s no future. She says he wants to be with Sophie, and she will let him have her."

The same friend also blabbed about Amy and Blake's sex life saying this:

“Just like they were with drugs, they pushed themselves to the limit. They were into threesomes. It was Blake’s idea but Amy said she’d been with women before so it wasn’t a problem. She said she’s had a string of female lovers. Whenever Blake said he wanted three-in-a-bed Amy would fix it. They didn’t care about sharing themselves with others because it turned them on. They thought they were on this sexual journey together. They did so many things, much more than just the usual kink or bondage. They did stuff together that you couldn't print in your newspaper."

Inside sources also say that Amy is finally aware that Blake was sponging off of her success and his prime concern in their relationship was money. An insider said: "Whether it was paying his rehab fees, paying his bails, buying him a home, or supporting his drug habit, Amy was his financial stone. And she finally is seeing through it."

So as Blake is likely to lose his monetary love, he also was dealt a rough hand today by the courts. Blake was sentenced in July to 27 months in prison for beating up pub manager James King and then offering him a bribe to keep quiet about it. Fielder-Civil, who had spent nine months in jail awaiting trial, was released earlier this month on condition he live at a drug rehabilitation center. Two Court of Appeal judges turned down an appeal against the sentence. This means Blake will not be able to leave Rehab, he can stay there or he can go back to jail. Rumors are that Amy leaked calls from him from inside Rehab where he asked her to smuggle cocaine in with her when she visited. So now he is stuck there. For the best I think.

No one really knows whats happening outside of Amy and Blake themselves. But I wish Amy the best.

For Nicholas

Laugh away baby!

Movie Review: Twilight

Twilight

Back to back vampire films was the theme of the past 2 weeks movie date. Last week Nicholas and I viewed "Let the Right One In" (a fantastic original vampire love/friendship story from Norway) and this week we brought ourselves out for Twilight, the first film based on the highly successful Twilight book series by Stephanie Meyer. So before I begin my review of sorts I want to put a preface to this. So here it is:

* I have not read the book. In fact I tried too, and couldn't get into it. (I am however going to give it another try)
* Nicholas really enjoyed the movie. (He is also a fan of the books, and semi-infatuated with the male leads)

Okay now that those 2 facts are out of the way, my review:

Vampire films on the whole seem to take 2 steps forward and 4 steps back. For example: Where we had Bram Stokers Dracula (a very powerful and frightening take on the original vamp) we were then given John Carpenter's Vampires (a very bad attempt). Audiences were delighted to Shadow of the Vampire (a semi-comic and yet terrifying take on Nosferatu) then were given Bordello of Blood (a bad attempt at a comedic vampire style). Likewise I was given Let the Right One In, and then you have Twilight.

Now I will not compare Twilight to those films, because it's not quite that bad. Twilight tries to bring a new light to the old vampire traditions. Some of those ideas are refreshing and new (such as the glimmering diamond skin in the sun, the vampiric love of baseball in the rainstorm, etc) however some just don't work and some are not new at all. First on the things that just plain don't work. As an audience member who had not read the book, I simply wanted more from the characters of this world. From what I am told the books are very character heavy. The movie completely avoids letting its audience get to know its characters. The crew that hurts from this the most are the "bad vampires" .. I have no idea what to call them because their names were mentioned maybe 3 times in the whole film (FYI they were James, Victoria, and ... the black one?). We don't know why these guys are bad, we don't know why one decides to turn his back on his bad friends and help the goodies, we don't know much besides they kill a couple of people and interrupt a baseball game. Another thing that doesn't work is the shoddy special effects and makeup. The CGI work is sloppy, and not new or exciting in any way. The makeup looks pasty on screen, and often would end under someones chin, making the rest of their face red and "humanish". I often wondered a couple times during Twilight why more money wasn't spent on the movie version of one of the most successful books out there.

As far as the things that have been done before. The saga seems to be setting it up for a retread of the best vampire saga done (in my opinion), that would be Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Rewind 10 years ago when Buffy moved away from her father to a new town to live with her mother. She attended a high school knowing no one, and was living in a small community. She quickly attracted a "nerd heard" group of friends. She meets a dangerous but sexy guy named Angel whom she is intrigued by and slowly falls in love with - only to find out he is a vampire. .. See the connection? The main difference is that Buffy was a vampire slayer and Bella is not. Now, I could be wrong, but I feel that the story of the Twilight saga will break down into Bella having 2 lovers to choose from, one good guy who goes bad (Angel in Buffy) and perhaps one guy perceived bad to go good (Spike from Buffy). I could be wrong, but the first film seemed exactly like a Buffy episode, just without the humor and the good characterization.

Now that it seems I have taken a dump on Twilight, let me tell you what I like. First of all I liked watching my boyfriend get excited watching the characters that he has read all about. I liked some of the casting. Robert Pattison is a great Edward. He exudes charm and sexuality, almost like a James Dean for this generation. He truly was the highlight of the film (and not because of his looks). I loved the scene where the Cullen family play baseball - it was a chance for the MTV style editing that the film used to shine. The action scenes (although horrible too few) were exciting. And the final moments of the film do a good job of making me want to know whats going to happen. (That could be because I got intertwined in the subject, or because I feel these characters warrant a better sequel).

I am probably being a bit too hard on Twilight. It is HUGELY successful! It green lighted a sequel before it even opened based on pre-order tickets. Robert Pattison has turned into a Beatle-like sensation all on his own. The majority of audiences who read the book love the movie, and I imagine it will continue to be #1 for a couple of weeks. I knew it wouldn't be Oscar caliber of course, I just wanted a bit more. A good translation from book to movie makes sure to entertain both the readers and the non-readers (example: Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings). I think Twilight was made solely to pander to the whims of the readers of the book, and in that era - it is a success.

** out of *****

Note: The experience of seeing this movie besides my fantastic boyfriend was a four star experience because he got so excited and smiled the whole way through. And for this alone, I loved Twilight because it made him happy! And I will see the next one alongside him.

Good Guy

Guy Ritchie turned into a good guy in the Madonna divorce proceedings. He will walk away with ZERO dollars of Madonna's fortune. And he told reporters: "This had nothing to do with money, and I do not want any of her money. It is hers, she worked for it. She keeps hers, I keep mine." And he has a good point, he is worth a ton himself (certainly not even half of what shes worth ... but its still more money than most people will ever have).

End of Nov. Oscar Roundup

So there's been a ton of changes to my Oscar predictions, so here is my list as of now:
(I will continue this up until the Oscar nominees are announced .. my hope is to predict all 5 nominees in the top awards)

BEST PICTURE






The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Milk
Revolutionary Road
The Dark Knight
Australia

The changes here are pretty extensive. I Have moved "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" to number 1 on the list, over "Milk" since last week. The reason being, its is receiving really good early word, and it has an Oscar loved cast (Brad, Cate, Tilda). "Revolutionary Road" is a solid lock for a nomination I'd say. I switched out "Definace" and "Gran Tourino" with "Australia" and "The Dark Knight", which is seeming to be a good shot at the best picture category (for many reasons, most of which come down to how much money it made .. Oscars will want to attract attention this year and have people want to watch. Nominating Dark Knight for best pic will help that). I think "Definace" will just be too small, and "Gran Tourino" will have to wrestle itself with the other Clint Eastwood directed movie "Changeling", and it will probably split votes, therefore not making it into the top 5.

BEST ACTOR






Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
Sean Penn - Milk
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Things have changed big time in this category too. Mickey Rourke is drawing career best accolades for his work in "The Wrestler", and the Academy loves a comeback kid (after Rourke has been washed up for a long long time). Added onto that the trailer alone makes his performance look AMAZING! Sean Penn is a lock, just not sure if he is a lock to win, so he dropped down from the top spot. Brad drops down to the bottom of the likely nominees and Frank Langella and Clint Eastwood have been dropped off completely for 2 new choices: Richard Jenkins and Leonardo DiCaprio. I expect Revolutionary Road to be a big hit, and for the academy to notice both leads this time (unlike Titanic where Winslet got the nod and DiCaprio didn't). And the buzz around Richard Jenkins is HUGE, if random.

BEST ACTRESS






Kristin Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road
Angelina Jolie - Changeling

These are the same choices before, just in a different order. I still have Scott Thomas in the top spot, because right now she is the most likely winner out of the most intense competition of the night. Anne Hathway is being considered a breakout with this performance, and that helps. Meryl Streep is facing some mixed reviews for Doubt, but I honestly doubt she will not be included. Kate Winslet is looking at double nominations this year, so you have to wonder if she will get 2 nods or if she will only get 1 and be a guaranteed winner. I don't know, but I think she will be able to pull out 2 nominations (but probably no wins). Angelina Jolie drops down because of some negative press about her personally, and because Changeling didn't get the best of reviews, however she received career best reviews for her performance. I still think she will be included, however I think a win from her may be far fetched (damn).

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR






Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Josh Brolin - Milk
Phillip Seymore Hoffman - Doubt
Liev Schrieber - Definace
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder

The thing about this race is, no one but Heath Ledger has a shot of winning. Its his award, the other nominees should just be glad they are nominated. Rather or not he has turned in the best performance, he's going to win. However if there was a threat it would be Josh Brolin, because of a string of great performances not awarded or namoinated by the academy (No Country for Old Men and W come to mind). I've switched out Brad Pitt for "Burn After Reading" with Robert Downey Jr for "Tropic Thunder" because I think he actually has a shot to get in after an outstanding comeback year.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS






Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Viola Davis - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Christina Barcelona
Kate Winslet - The Reader
Amy Adams - Doubt

I have moved Tomei to the top spot because of the buzz on The Wrestler and because she is a past winner who hasn't been nominated since. She's also getting great buzz. Viola Davis is still the probable winner. She only has 3 scenes in Doubt, but is rumored to steal the movie from Meryl Streep, a tough task. Penelope and Kate I think are locks for nominations. Cruz's buzz is seemingly going to stand strong to get her at least a nomination. I have replaced Debra Winger with Amy Adams. I feel that she is the new Academy darling, and she was snubbed last year, and lost when she should have won for "Junebug" I think that locks her in.

Until next time!

HAHAHAHA

This is the BEST season of Survivor yet - and here is the best scene from Survivor EVER. Thank you CBS, thank you thank you thank you.



I <3 Crystal, Sugar, Susie, Kenny, Bob, and Matty!!!!

I hate Huckabee

After spending 10 minutes talking about how much he loved black people, new president Obama, and how amazing it is that the country has changed from having slaves to electing an african american for president. THEN he was asked this ..... and turned into a BIGOT FOOL!!! A HYPOCRITICAL ASSHOLE! Douchebag too.



OH and here he is a couple months ago comparing gays to beastiality

Daily Amy 3: New Intercom-view

Some reporters caught Amy inside her house for another interview through the intercom. In this one she discusses Blake, their relationship, and the UK version of American Idol called X Factor. She sounds good - AND SO down to earth. I love this woman.

The Best of Britney

In support of her new album CIRCUS dropping soon - and because its been so busy at work I have had my zune pumping my ears so I dont die from the paperwork, I have compiled a list of the 21 best songs from Miss Spears. (I love a list) Enjoy! What you think?

21 - Do Somethin' (from the album - My Peragotive: Greatest Hits)
20 - Bombastic Love (from the album - Britney)
19 - Unusual You (from the album - Circus)
18 - Oops I Did It Again (from the album - Oops I Did It Again)
17 - Can't Make You Love Me (from the album - Oops I Did It Again)
16 - I Got That Boom Boom feat. Ying Yang Twins (from the album - In the Zone)
15 - Early Morning (from the album - In the Zone)
14 - Mannequin (from the album - Circus)
13 - Perfect Lover (from the album - Blackout)
12 - Me Against the Music feat. Madonna (from the album - In the Zone)
11 - If You Seek Amy (from the album - Circus)
10 - Amnesia (from the album - Circus extended album)
9 - Toxic (from the album - In the Zone)
8 - Radar (from the albums - Blackout and Circus)
7 - Womanizer (from the album - Circus)
6 - Baby One More Time (from the album - Baby One More Time)
5 - Piece of me (from the album - Blackout)
4 - I'm a Slave For You (from the album - Britney)
3 - Toy Solder (from the album - Blackout)
2 - Gimme more (from the album - Blackout)
1 - Phonography (from the album - Circus extended edition)

Daily Amy 2: Tributes

2 very different tributes were released today for Amy Winehouse. First off, the popular UK band 'Take That' will release their cd the first week in December, and they digitally released the first single: "How Did It Come to This" online. The song is written for and about Amy Winehouse. The band stands behind Winehouse saying they are huge fans and they would love for her to get better and duet with them.

On the other side of the spectrum a new york artist Marco Pergo has created an Amy Winehouse sculpture for a NY art museam (Manhattens Half Gallery). The sculpture is called: "The Only Good Rock Star is a Dead Rock Star". The sculpture features Amy Winehouse laying on the floor with a bullet through her head laying in a pool of her brains and blood. The artist has gone on record saying he is: "Amy's #1 fan". I dont get it dude! And you AREN'T her #1 fan -- thats me, and I want her to live!

Daily Amy 1: She Missed Out

Amy Winehouse made her first attempt to see her husband Blake in rehab last night. However she arrived 2 hours after the visitor hours had finished for the day, and she was turned away. She didn't look in the best state (above), however she told reporters "I am fine. Don't worry about me, worry about Blake and hope he's getting well." She also told reporters she would be coming back, on time, today. We will see.

On Again!

Proving me wrong again, Katy Perry turned in an impressive live version of her awesome new single "Hot N Cold" on some show no one watches. Its very good. She has gotten soo much better live. Enjoy!

NEW Kim Jam

There is a new Lil Kim song leaked called "Computer Love" featuring T-Pain.
UHM -- love it!
listen to it here: http://www.zshare.net/audio/515067255024e82f

Rosie Brings in the Big Guns

Rosie O'Donnell has a new vareity show premiering on primetime television over Thanksgiving, and she has released the list of guest stars who will be performing, and its pretty impressive (including some of my favorite entertainers ever). Alanis Morissette will perform. Kathy Griffin will do standup (as will O'Donnell). Alec Baldwin and Jane Krakowski will be in comedy skits. Ne-Yo will perform. And best of all Liza Minnelli will perform a song or two (one which is being billed as something she hasn't sung live in 30 years!) This is getting me excited!! TUNE IN!

Retraction: Not Suicidal

After some wacky and scary blogs, one in which she claimed to be suicidal, Courtney Love is retracting her statements and slamming blogger Perez Hilton for posting about it. Here's what she had to say:

"No i am not suicidal, occasionally very occasionally like all of us i get depressed. And that was over a year ago and i had a mini little depression attack, well a \ big one, and my couple of tour shows made me happier. i dont know quite why it happened but i find that medication is not the answer to this. I have a good diet and drink lots of Kambucha tea. That helps."

"Perez its great you got to spend the week with midge i mean madge [Madonna] but i have this strange feeling your all of the sudden feeling a pull to insult me to please her, thats ridiculous, in my humble opinion, in any case if shes talking or even vibing nasty comments about me, thats not very 'letting in of the light' of her. But PLEASE leave my kid out of it, when i make a technical booboo or get a little whacky when shes at a movie, [it's] my problem…Basically I'm off blogging because you've upset my kid and embarrassed her and so have I. so [I've] apologized to her i hope you will too."

I hope Courtney knows I just like news about her - and I love her. Long live the Queen of Rock!

Daily Amy: No More Winehouse?

Even though Amy has yet to visit Blake since his release from jail, a new rumor circulated today that Amy has filed papers to legally change her name to Amy Civil, therefore taking Blake's name and getting rid of the Winehouse. We shall see.

Also reports fly that anyone who can catch a photo of Amy and Blake reunited will be rewarded with over 1 million dollars by 6 different UK newspapers!

Britneys Back!

Let me say this: I have heard Britney Spears new cd "Circus" and despite 2 weak songs, this is a FANTASTIC album. I thought her last album "Blackout" was quite good (despite her wild ways at the time), however this album is a step above, and now that Britney is well and will be touring this album, I smell a huge success. MTV joins in on the Britney comeback with a new documentary on Spears which is airing later this month .. here are the previews and a clip or 2:

Religulous SNUBBED!

This is sad news for me. I love documentaries and am always interested in the ones the Academy chooses to nominate for best documentary. However this year, they have released the films which will be in contention for the 5 nominees and Religulous was SNUBBED?! To date (this year) it has made more money than every single one of these nominees and has been released in double the amount of theaters, as well as receiving great critical acclaim (including my 4 star review on this blog). However it was snubbed. I dont know why and it angers me. Here are the films the Academy will choose from:

"At the Death House Door"
"The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)"
"Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh"
"Encounters at the End of the World"
"Fuel"
"The Garden"
"Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts"
"I.O.U.S.A."
"In a Dream"
"Made in America"
"Man on Wire"
"Pray the Devil Back to Hell"
"Standard Operating Procedure"
"They Killed Sister Dorothy"

Daily Amy: Back to Beehive

Thankfully my girl Amy brought back the beehive last night. As of late Amy had been going all natural with no beehive (instead her own curly bob) and no eye makeup, but last night she brought back her trademarks. She still hasn't seen her husband, but did take time out to party at a local pub from midnight until 5 in the morning. She took a moment out to talk about the rumors that she and Blake were going to divorce, saying: “Who’s gonna make us divorce? We will run away then no one will divorce us.”

I HOPE!

REPORTEDLY today Hillary Clinton was offered the job of secretary of state for the Obama presidential cabinet!! No news on whether or not she has accepted. I certainly hope its true, and that she does!!! (After all secretary of state holds much more power than Vice President!)

Box Offices Biggest Babe

Angelina Jolie has just broken box office records. She is now listed as the best box office draw, and has made more money in one year than any other actress ever, according to box office drawn in from her films released this year. Wanted grossed over 4 million 400 million dollars worldwide, Kung Fu Panda 900 million dollars, and Changeling has been an unexpected box office success at (so far) 54 million dollars. Add it all up ... her films have grossed over 1 billion dollars, thats just these 3. Wowza!

I hate Prince

The latest issue of the New Yorker magazine features an interview with music superstar Prince. Prince is a longtime practicing Jehovah's Witness, something I didn't know. Here's his view on politic's and on gay marriage:

"Here’s how it is: you’ve got the Republicans, and basically they want to live according to the bible. But there’s the problem of interpretation, and you’ve got some churches, some people, basically doing things and saying it comes from here, but it doesn’t. And then on the opposite end of the spectrum you’ve got blue, you’ve got the Democrats, and they’re, like, ‘You can do whatever you want.’ Gay marriage, whatever. But neither of them is right. God came to earth and saw people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever, and he just cleared it all out. He was, like, ‘Enough.’ It will happen again."

I would think Prince, the most feminine of men left in the world, would honestly be a little more open minded. Guess not.

Angelina on BBC

The amazing Angelina Jolie sat down with BBC America and gave an interview about her new film Changeling (which was amazing, check my review) and working with director Clint Eastwood. Watch!

Courtney Out of Blog Control

Courtney Love showed all of you who think I blog too much, what a crazed blogger really does. She blogged 60 times on her myspace page yesterday. It seems Courtney is not in the right state of mind as of late. Her 60 posts included the following:

- She mentions she is suicidal
- She calls her ex housekeeper a "cow" and says "She is into black magic and she tried to put many curses on me." She also said that Mirian Torres stole 10 designer dresses and thousands of dollars before being fired.
- She reveals that her daughter was almost cast as the lead in the Twilight movie.
- She has put a television in EVERY room of her house, including bathrooms and closets
- She has a cold
- She doesn't drink anymore
- She says her latest cd is the best of her career but no one wants to put up the money to have it released

Things are going good in Loveland.

Blake in Rehab

The first photo of Blake in rehab. He looks MUCH better than he was looking when he was admitted to jail. I hope he's getting better. Amy needs him.

Daily Amy: Reunited?

Things contginue to get weirder and weirder with Amy Winehouse. As of this morning she still hadnt seen her husband, Blake, since his exit from jail (to rehab). However, she left her house this morning saying that she was on her way to see him, so she told reporters. Then she drove around the block twice and returned to her home saying nothing, and not being gone for more that 10 minutes. Blake is able to have visitors now, and has for 4 days. So who knows why Amy hasn't been to visit.

Another rumor spread through the mill that Blake called Amy from inside rehab asking her to smuggle him in some cocaine. I hope thats just a rumor though.

Movie Review: Let the Right One In

Let the Right One In
(Lat den ratte komma in)
- with english subtitles -

Sometimes a foreign film slips into US theaters and gives audiences a reason to rejoice. I am happy to report that Norway has the perfect film for the smart US theatergoer. Let the right one in is a story with many through lines. You could see it as a vampire horror film, a family's struggle through divorce, the life and times of a single child, a friendship film, a young adult love story, maybe even a comedy if you are so inclined. However - the main story that connected with me was that of a boys coming of age tale. Puberty, friendship, attraction, curiosity, sadness, connection, loyalty, bullying, its all here. And although it is primarily billed as a horror film, it is much much more than that. I imagine that if you are looking for a gory vampire tale, you will be highly disappointed.

"Let the Right One In" follows 12 year old Oskar (brilliantly played by Kare Hedenbrandt) who is an only child living with his protective mother. He splits his time with visits to his charming father's home (even though he has a serious drinking problem) on the weekends. Oskar is the typical loner kid you see in many movies. He does well in classes, is always staying late and studying up. He is prone to quiet time, alone time, and acting out revenge fantasies with trees. Of course he is bullied by his classmates, especially the brattish Conny (Patrik Rydmark). He doesn't know how to stand up for himself and is always using the battered wife syndrome to explain the cuts on his face.

Enter Eli and her "father" (Lina Leannderson and Paul Ragner), Oskar's new next door neighbors. A eerie vibe begins early on as the "family" moves in and immediately board up the windows, protecting them from the morning light which is on its way. Eli's protector (father?) takes midnight excursions to bring home "food" for his "daughter". Things tend to fall apart as Eli (the movies vampire heroine) and her guardian fing that the suburban Norway is a tough place to thrive. But what stays constant is the growing friendship between Oskar and Eli. What grows is a special relationship that can only be had between 2 outcasts. Each learning from each other, and in turn, learning about each other. It's a tale of acceptance.

The film has a slow place, from beginning to end. Thankfully it never takes a turn down the road that so many new horror films take. There are no jumpy moments, no shaky cams, and no ridiculous gore. There is however its fare share of blood - after all our "hero" survives on it. And besides one scene, with the neighborhood cats, the film doesn't rely on special effects to pack its punch. (Note on this, one reason I didn't give this film a higher rating is because of this scene which unexpectedly uses CGI, and fails miserably).

It is a film that you cannot nail down. You cannot nail down the genre, thats for sure. But what I really liked about 'Let the Right One In' is that the director never took the easy way out. It is unique - the vampire is basically the good guy here. It is breathtakingly beautiful (even made me wish for feet of snow to fall in Chicago). The acting, especially by Oskar and Eli, was amazing. So many times I want to kill child actors who ham it up or seem completely unnatural, this is not the case here. These two hold their own. It is slow, but thoughtful. This is what the film industry needs more of, breathtakingly original views of old genres, instead of re-treading and re-making so many substandard films.

***1/2 out of *****

Daily Amy: A Bad Night

Amy Winehouse has a bad night last night. Rumor (fact) has it, that today she will be reunited with her husband for the first time in over a year (not counting when she visited him in jail of course). And maybe it was the anxiety .. or probably it was just drugs, but Amy caused quite a stir last night. Amy was caught wandering the streets in shorts and a tee shirt (even though it was freezing cold) banging on doors of other peoples houses and screaming for Blake. She also took a break during her wild bangings to dance in a heap of trash for the paparazzi. Then after about 20 minutes of searching for Blake, she stopped into a liquor store and bought a liter of vodka and headed home. Not a good night.

Best/Worst Person in the World

So, I love MSNBC. I am a hound for Hardball with Chris Matthews, Countdown with Keith Oberlmann, and my favorite Rachel Maddow! Last night Keith Oberlmann gave the most beautiful speech about proposition 8 and equality that I have heard yet, and this from a straight man at that:



However, on the view this week, he disappointed me to NO EXTENT! After a year long run driving republicans into the ground and praising Obama and the democrats -- he admits he DIDNT VOTE ... even worse .. HE'S NEVER VOTED!!!! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! YOU HAVE NO REASON BEING ON THE AIR ON A POLITICAL CHANNEL EVERY NIGHT SPEAKING ABOUT POLITICS IF YOU DO NOT VOTE! I am HIGHLY disappointed, almost to the point that I may not watch him anymore - because he is a hypocrite. (But at the same time there was that lovely speech on prop 8 .. I am so conflicted). Here's the View:


Its Official .. I HATE NON-VOTERS (especially those who have a nightly political show)

Uhm .. WOW

Courtney Love and daughter Frances Bean went to dinner last night. UHM .. can you say HOT?! Woah. She's looking good. (both of them actually)

Confused Courtney

Courtney Love is distraught after election day. Love worked a remarkable 16 hours 2 days before the election making calls to vote for eqaulity and against proposition 8. Her pitch even included remarks such as: "This is Courtney Love and if you vote against gay love I will come to your house and kill you myself." (Which of course she was joking, but managerial staff made her switch it of course). HOWEVER, Courtney was confused in the booth and accidentally voted Yes, saying that the language was worded wrong. She thought voting Yes, was a vote for gay marriage, however it was a vote against it. And she took to her myspace blog to vent about it. Oh Courtney, we know you love us, but COME ON!