Dancing WIth the Stars

I know, I know. I shouldn't watch, but I do! So there. I got hooked last season because someone who will remain nameless, records this show, so I just had to watch. Well, it didn't take much for ABC to twist my arms and get my hooked on the show.

However, this current cast is bull shit. Does anyone even care who these people are anymore? That's why the show has so many performances by non contestants and tricks to get people watching. Essentially, the best parts of the show are when the professional dancers let lose and just do a dance on their own. It's always energetic and beyond entertaining. But let's break down the cast.

David Hasselhoff and his partner Kym Johnson- Ok, I don't know who she is, but in the beginning opener before they actually danced, I didn't like her. Am I the only one? From the Australian accent to the fake blonde hair AND fake tan, I just thought she was dumb. And "the Hoff," who according to Kym, doesn't like being called that, as she barked at the judges when they used the moniker. He danced like crap, he's annoying and always has been. I might be the only one who hated Knight Rider and Baywatch. He's as cheesey as it gets. Oh well, they got voted off on week one.

Michael Bolton and Chelsie Hightower- I LOVE HER!!! She's, by far, one of the best dancers on the show. And she's adorable. She got stuck last year with chinsy bachelor Jake Pavelka, and now she's got Michael Bolton. How can you not love him? He has a raspy sexy voice and he was engaged to Nicolette Sheridan. Seriously! My god. Yes his music his lame, but the fact he got a bombshell like her is hot and I think he'll do well. His performance this week, I though was kinda lame, but, maybe Chelsie will help him kick it up a notch!

Margaret Cho and Louis von Amstel- I don't like him. I didn't like him last season and I don't like him now. But, I LOVE Margaret Cho. I did get to meet her in Provincetown a few times and she's super sweet. She danced the Vienese Waltz and did it well, but WAY too much comedy. Lay off. Niecy Nash did that last year and ya know what? She didn't win. You're in the same slot; the comedic bigger girl who doesn't think she's pretty. Well, get over it and BE the pretty lady dancer that you know you want to be. You're a beautiful woman with an incredible comedic voice, so be you. Comedy will happen naturally, but don't force it, just live it.

Rick Fox and Cheryl Burke- I don't know much about him. I feel embarrassed to say that. He was on tv. I don't recall much of his performance, but I think because he's paired up one of the worst dancers on the show. I know girls that dance like her from college and they are, in a word, ANNOYING! She dances like it's competition dance. While, yes it is, dancers know what I'm talking about. High school competitive dance. It's the funniest thing to watch. There's little artistry, but it's literally just technique, which is fine, but when you're an adult, there needs to be more than great technique and a vaseline plastered smile on your face. And Rick, you're boring, I hope you go home soon.

Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough-This is my favorite. Who doesn't love Jennifer Grey??? OR Derek Hough. Hello amazing from last season and, oh yeah, the winner! Huh! Well, I think they could easily take it this year. Her performance was beautiful, but well, she had ballroom training back in the 80's when she filmed that little movie with Patrick Swayze, oh yeah, Dirty Dancing. So she definitely has a leg up on everyone. And this week her break down about Patrick was super sad. I almost started crying while she flipped out. VOTE FOR HER EVERYONE!!!

Florence Henderson and Corky Ballas- This is a joke. For real. At least the former "old person" slot was someone funny. Do we really have to sit through another fragile 80 year old walking around on the stage? I don't care if she is TV's favorite mom, she's annoying and needs to be voted off. Her partner, I have no idea who you are, your son in a million times the dancer you are. And you're name is Corky. BOOOOO

Kyle Massey and Lacey Schwimmer- Ok! This couple I hated when they were introduced, but DAMN that kid can MOVE. I mean, what? WHo saw this coming. He owned the stage and his partner, who I have no idea who she is, but they did a fantastic job on the first show. So let's hope he's someone who will make the show interesting.

Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas- No, not quite the joke I expected. She's better than Kate Gosselin was last year and her mom has yet to show up. I was really impressed with how freeing dancing seemed to be for her. Must be all those repressed years living under a strict Alaskan political mom's rules. But hey, she is a rebel and we'll see where she goes. Plus, she has a super talented partner who can make anyone a fantastic dancer!

Audrina Patridge and Tony Dovolani- Really? My god she's annoying. Killer body though. ANd she can dance her face off. I just think she's really boring. At least Tony has something good to work with this year because let's face it, last year he had the hardest job of all, working with Kate Gosselin. I expect nothing from her because well, I think she's boring.


Kurt Warner and Anna Trebunskaya-Alright, last year's runner up dancer with a pro football player. Well, he pretty much sucks, but Anna is fantastic at making men impressive on the dance floor. She's smokin' hot and insanely exciting when she dances, so this could be a wild card for that mirror ball trophy, but we'll see.

The Situation and Karina Smirnoff-I"m done. Jersey Shore fist pumping, or finger pumping. I don't know what he was doing. He did well for only having 5 days of rehearsal, but I'm so annoyed with his celebrated fame, that I just hate him. I hope he's voted off fast and furious so I don't have to write about him ever again.

And finally

Brandy and Maksim Chmerkovsky- She's a murderer and he's the bad boy hottie on the show. You'd think that would at least be interesting, however they were a total snoozefest. At least last year, when Maks was having sex with his partner there was some interesting dynamic to the two of them. This year, he even admits he's going to try to be the good boy. Really? Really. I can't believe it.


Overall, people danced really well or really bad. I'm glad "the hoff" is gone. Good riddance. Get the weak dancers out so I can actually enjoy what I watch on Monday nights. But, I'm putting it out there now, Jennifer Grey, keep working your ass off because I'll actually vote for you every week and I think you're gonna win!!!

Monday Night

The Event
There is a new show on Monday nights that I HAVE to watch, because one of my best friends (Scott Starrett www.scottstarrett.com )writes the show's music. But, after watching the show Monday night, I WANT to watch it.

The show is "The Event," and it's pretty much LOST meets 24. Being a non fan of both of those shows, I find myself surprised that I even like this show.

The show centers around one "event" and through a series of twists, it leads you to believe one thing is the event, when it is, most definitely, something else. It unfolds like the show, 24, in that wonderful time jumping storytelling to go from the current day, back eleven months, or jump forward thirteen days, or go back seven days previous. So, if you're someone who can't keep up, bring a notepad while watching.

For a new show, I'm not surprised by the Monday night time slot. It's a pretty dead night as far as tv goes, unless you're a bachelor/bachelorette/DWTS fanatic, then there's nothing else on. So, kudos to NBC for scheduling. Good job!

As for the opening of a new show, I think it delivers. Creator Nick Wauters (who wrote for such shows as Medium and Eureka) has some obvious experience unfolding an complicated story. The characters are, so it seems, fully developed before the actors even appear. There are twists every few seconds, and enough plot to keep you wanting more, and enough suspense to keep you guessing. Nevermind, the all-star cast of Blair Underwood(super hottie), Jason Ritter (who looks creepily like his father's twin instead of his son), and Laura Innes (from ER), just to name a few. After one episode, it's difficult to tell if the casting is appropriate or just star attached to get the project off the ground.

I do enjoy the acting of the show, mostly due to the fact that the actors are all recognizable and feel comfortable to me. However, I think Jason Ritter is out to prove something and I'm not sure he'll succeed. I think he has many talents, but is still trying to come out from the shadow of his father, and while it was a smart move to sign on to a drama as opposed to a comedy, I think this type of project might be too big for him. I hope he proves me wrong.

And I can't talk about this show without talking about the music. Good lord it's beautiful. It helps the show go from the typical show on tv, to the level of a mini-series, or better yet, a full length feature film. Every scene is gloriously scored so carefully, and yes, having an inside connection does play a factor because it's my friend. And if I didn't adore the music, I would just say nothing. Scott Starrett is definitely one of the industry's "top 5 to look out for."

The last person I have to mention is Jeffrey Reiner, the show's director. I think the entire production are in very capable hands of someone who has been around and dealt with sci-fi and also time-jumping stories. So, let's hope he can steer this ship into the right direction.


Overall, I found myself delighted by the show. I had many misgivings because of the amount of advertising I've seen all around NYC; subways, billboards, magazines, countless TV spots. It just seemed that the network didn't have enough faith in the show to just let it happen. I think it could be a good show. I doubt it will be a great show, but it's fantastic for people who miss LOST. I suspsect it will be a suitable substitute for them. I'm not sure I enjoyed the sci-fi twist at the end of the episode, but only future episodes will let me know if I'm right or not. So, let's hope the show catches on and we'll be able to talk more about the plot and direction the show takes!

VMA's, what?

So, the VMA's taught me a few things.

Katy Perry- I like your music, but you are SUPER annoying. And where is the skating rink?

Justin Beiber- You're not fooling anyone, so don't say you sang live! That whole thing was as fake as a Jersey shore tan. I still love you, but learn to be a master of performance and you'll be around a LOT longer.






Usher-Never been a huge fan before, but very respectful of your talent. You are quite impressive and delivered an incredible performance!
Taylor Swift- I've defended you for far too long. You write great songs. No you don't have the best voice, but usually you, at least, look gorgeous when you're performing and give a lot of heart. After your performance this year, I never want to see or hear you sing live again! Did anything come out of your mouth in the form of a word? Kudos to the strangest, and worst performance of the year. Oh yeah, you look like Evan Rachel Wood on True Blood. Are you trying to get a cameo on season 4?
Eminem- I never thought I would say this, but I LOVE your new album. It's creative, hip, and accessible. Drop Rhianna because that live bit of hers was atrocious. Your solo shit was crazy good!

Linkin' Park- KILLED IT! Enough said.
Lady Gaga- I don't always get what you do, but you are, always, DIVINE! Omnivores, relax! PETA, calm down. Let's not everyone get our shit up in a tizzy. Shouldn't people be thought provoking and different?

Cher- You fuckin' always turn back time, bitch! WERK!


Overall, the VMA's sucked ass. Very few people brought it this year. WHo are you people? OH yeah, fetuses who are untrained, in which music execs just pumped out to make a quick buck. None of you have the staying power of people like Celine, or Cher (bust out a number one hit in 6 consecutive decades and we'll talk, she's FIERCE!) and countless others who came before you. So, before you celebrate Nicki Minaj (whoever the hell you are?) Get your shit together and BRING IT! Don't lip synch to music written by other people. Be your own person and write/sing your own shit. THEN call yourself an artist.

My AiDS

If the title isn't enough to draw you in, the wit and candidness should be. Dan Horrigan's one man show, "My AiDS," essentially tells the story of one man, Dan, coming to terms with the fact that he has HIV.

The plot of this story begins with him confronting the audiences about himself having a disease but then he backtracks into how he came to NYC. Like many young people, he moved to NYC with dreams of grandeur, aspiring to be a famous director. And like many other people who move with with hopes of becoming an actor, artist, dancer, photographer, director, etc, the path changes along the way. Dan is no exception. He is, however, one who has turned his tragic story into a spectacular one man show.

Being someone who doesn't really care for one man shows, I reluctantly drug myself along, expecting to be completely depressed. I mean, who wants to hear about AIDS? Well, Mr. Horrigan, you have changed my mind, not only about your subject matter, but about the possibility of a one man show being remarkable. You showed me that you are more than a director, but you are a performer, a storyteller and HIGHlarious.

This show seemlessly flows from topic to topic and yes derails from the main subject of AiDS, but it always comes back to it. Horrigan understands that this topic is not an easy one, so to gain the audience there must be some bit of humor to it's unfolding. And the show is not lacking in the humor at all. But the sincerity of the humor is what is probably the most heartbreaking and emotional. Everything he talks about actually happened to him, which is somewhat of a sad reality and what preys on the heartstrings of the audience. This show is something that every young person, parent, sibling, or friend should see, gay and straight a like. There are moments in this performance that everyone can relate to and no doubt walk away from a better human being.

Ultimately, Dan's performance is one of sheer genius, pushing him up on the list of outstanding new performers to watch out for. Dave Soloman's direction is flawless. To sum it up in a quote from the show, "Aside from the fact I was scared i might have AiDS, it was a totally fun night!"

Shutter Island

Before I even set foot into the theatre to watch this one, I was worried. There had been a slew of bad reviews given to me by friends as well as a noted push back in release date from the creators of this film, which is never a good sign. However, in the opening credits, all of my concern was simply pushed away and I was engulfed in this interesting and suspenseful drama.

The film centers around Teddy Daniels, played by Leonardo Di Caprio, and his partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo), two U.S. Marshal's investigating the disappearance of murderess Rachel Solondo on Shutter Island, a fortress-like mental institution of the coasts of Massachusetts. From the moment they step onto the island, you know they are in trouble. Doctors are giving him medication, patients are telling him to run including one who has a massive breakdown in his arms. He spends the entire movie trying to figure out where the patient has gone, while trying to keep his sanity. Or so he thinks.

Martin Scorsese has interwoven with such wonder, two different stories and keeps the audience guessing throughout the film with the final unveiling of the truth incredibly shocking and disturbing. He casts an overall shadow from the moment this film begins and almost seems to be trying to integrate film noir of the 1950's with modern day technology. Granted, he is a director that has given us many exciting and different movies that don't always follow the expected blockbuster splendor, and this one comes off as less than perfect. Individual moments are wonderful, powerhouse cameos by Patricia Clarkson, and Michelle Williams, who plays Daniels' wife in flashbacks and dreams.

The movie itself never really takes off and left me wondering why a mental hospital would need a US marshall to come and find an escaped prisoner instead of letting the police or guards take over and find them. I spent an even bigger time wondering why or how everything tied together, instead of wondering where the escaped patient was. I'm not entirely sure that Scorsese himself knew which was meant to be the focus. the movie jumps around from location to location with choppy transition and little explanation that when it's all finally wrapped up in the end, very few questions are left, but the outcome is still a little bit underwhelming.

Di Caprio delivers a fantastic performance that just adds to his body of work and each time he takes the screen, we see an actor show is growing with every performance. However this one, I feel that he didn't get to truly develop all aspects of his character due to the director. Everyone in the film talks about his violent streak and yet we never see it. Perhaps we only see glimpses of it by choice as to keep us guessing all the way up to the end. But, Di Caprio brings to life all of the nuances of a man deeply grieving and balancing on the brink of insanity.

Thought the individual pieces of this movie are phenomenal, the overall sum doesn't really add up. The entire movie feels like something is missing. Yes, all of the answers pan out. Yes, the acting was incredible. Yes the direction had a point and a purpose. But, still something seemed to be lacking. Could it be that Scorsese might be losing steam? Or is he trying to hard to deliver something out of his normal approach and give in to the expectations of hollywood? I don't know, but Shutter Island didn't disappoint, but it didn't deliver either.

(500) Days of Summer

DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE!!! MAJOR SPOILER AT THE END OF THIS REVIEW!!!

Days of Summer brings a quirkiness to the screen that is most often left to movies with lesser scripts. However, this movie follows in the vein of movies such as High Fidelity or Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, yet it somehow masters the art of the indie flick.

We get it, it's a love story, it's a story about boy meets girl, boy falls in love and boy loses girl. But the whole time, the girl never really responds back to his needs. This type of love story, if I'm not mistaken, hasn't been seen. Ever. No one ever brings to the screen the romantic story from a male point of view. Unless they're making a really awful gay movie. This movie though captures perfectly, with a knockout performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, what a man goes through to capture love and make his life better.

Levitt stars as Tom, a greeting card writer who is seemingly content with his life until he meets Summer, a newly appointed assistant to his boss, expertly played by Zooey Deschanel. From the moment he meets her, he's taken with her beauty, and as you find out, so is everyone else. Through brave actions, he finds himself dating her, though she will only ever call themselves 'friends.' We've all been there. There is only one clear thing to do in that situation; run. And of course, he doesn't, because if he did, we wouldn't have a movie to watch.

The story goes back and forth, jumping from moments of happiness, to moments of sadness, to moments of triumph, to moments of sheer insanity, all at different points of the relationship. So, you have to pay close attention if you don't want to get lost. But it's been made very easy by new feature film director, Marc Webb, who's previous work is music videos. Personally, I think that aspect ties in a nice fun flare to a romantic flick. He found a wonderful way to weave the music into the film montage and bring out the true emotion of the movie. And, naturally, he found the perfect indie soundtrack to accompany the film.

Overall, this film is seemingly perfect. Deschanel and Levitt are both perfectly cast in their roles. I found it slightly unbelievable that the movie takes place over 500 days. That's roughly 1 year and 4 months. In that time span, he meets her, courts her, falls in love with her, loses her and she ends up married to someone else. When did she have time to do that unless she was cheating on him? Most likely the case. However, that was the least of my worries with such an impeccable film. Blended with cynicism and romance, this movie presents itself as 'something for everyone.'

Grammy's in a nut shell.

For anyone who hasn't heard already, Beyonce tagged a record breaking 6 grammy's at last nights ceremony, the most for a female in the history of the awards. Previously, the record was 5, held by herself, Alison Krauss, Lauren Hill, Amy Winehouse, and Norah Jones. After delivering a powerhouse performance she cleaned up winning Best Female Vocal Performance, Song of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, and Best Contemporary R&B Album. Is there anyone better than her? I seriously doubt it.

Lady Gaga was a major upset of the evening only pulling in 2 awards for Best Dance/Electronic Album, and Best Dance Recording both of which were not aired during the telecast. However, the show opened with possibly the best performance of the evening with one Lady Gaga and Sir Elton John singing a slight medley of Gaga and John's music while each performer sat at back to back pianos; truly a highlight of the evening and a fantastic way to kick it off. Gaga also did not disappoint with her eccentric costume choices and changes through out the evening.

In quite the most annoying turn of the evening, was Taylor Swift's win of Album of the year. Am I the only person who doesn't get it? Oh wait, no, no one really does. Sure she's sweet, cute and wholesome, and most of the grammy voters probably hope their own daughters turn out to be more like Swift than someone like Gaga, I think they have all overlooked the true talent of people like Beyonce and Lady Gaga. Swift did look gorgeous in her blue sparkled Kaufman Franco gown, but that didn't help her pull off a duet with Stevie Nicks. Probably one of the worst performances of the evening, Nicks and Swift both sounded slightly tone deaf, and Taylor acted as though Nicks was granted a huge honor of singing with her. All in all, Swift picked up 4 awards, each more annoying than the first. Especially watching her act surprised each time her name was called. However, if anyone caught it, when Beyonce beat her for song of the year, she looked super angry. Perhaps Miss Sweet and Innocent isn't so nice after all?

Another notable performance was given by Pink. Artistic, beautiful, and one that got everyone wet, literally. After she stripped to basically nothing, She was hosted up in a silk, then dipped in water and spun over the audience. In a word, it was breathtaking. She is such a gifted and talented woman, and sadly, not a single grammy won for what is possibly her best album to date. Yet, I have to wonder, if it's ok for Pink to be basically naked at the grammy's and spreading her legs, yes, we saw it all, why is it not ok for Adam Lambert to kiss another guy at the AMA's?

Green day also delivered a wonderful number with the cast of American Idiot: the musical. Singing "21 Guns," they brought the audience to their feet. Later they took home an award for Best Rock Album.

Did anyone see when Kathy Griffin lost for best comedy album? I"m slightly disappointed that she didn't run up on stage, tackle Stephen Colbert, steal his grammy, then beat him with it and delivery a speech ranking with her "Suck it, Jesus," speech. However, though she didn't win, she most likely has grade A fodder for her next stand up show.

Btw, what was up with the Black Eyed Peas? Why did their dances look like robots and then some of them looked like they had giant lips around their heads. According to Mario Cantone, they looked like vagina's. yup, at the grammy's, vaginas. For real? What were they thinking? I don't like them much anyways, they don't sing live very well and they are just plain weird.

And in the final upset, for me, anyways, was hearing that Jamie Foxx won a grammy. I spent the whole show wondering why he was even there in the first place, then I found out that not only was he nominated, but he was nominated THREE times!!! What? What world have I found myself in where someone from Booty Call would not only win an oscar, but also a Grammy? What? I am done. Between Kanye West at the AMA's, Taylor Swift and Jamie foxx winning so much, I am done. There are no longer people with taste in the world. HAHA.