2011 Emmy Awards – Coach Taylor FTW!

The great part about the Emmys is that unlike the Oscars, which has a whole season of award shows honoring the same categories leading up to it, winners are genuinely a surprise to everyone involved. At last night’s 2011 Emmy Awards, some old favorites continued winning streaks, new dynasties were born, and a few old favorites surprisingly—but deservedly—received their first statues.

Host and nominee Jane Lynch kicked-off the show with the obligatory musical number, which honestly could’ve been a lot worse. The theme of the night focused a lot on a world of television and how we live in it while host Lynch poked fun at herself, the industry, and even the way we glamorize it, at one point dissing books and reading. Sadly, her brief interludes were pretty much the only amusing anecdotes of the night, as a lot of winners stumbled through their speeches and presenter banter was expectedly dull. But let’s recap the awards before getting to that.

How Reality/Variety and Movies/Miniseries awards manage to stay on the primetime telecast and not at the Creative Arts awards held a week earlier, where guest stars including Gwyneth Paltrow were honored, is dumbfounding, considering it’s when most viewers are probably taking bathroom breaks or tucking their children in for the night. Some reality programming is already honored at the C.A. awards, affectionately called by some as the Schmemmy’s. Emmy bosses, take note—this is a good way to cut your telecast down to two hours.

CBS’ The Amazing Race won for Outstanding Reality Competition Program while Don Roy King of NBC’s Saturday Night Live was honored for Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series. Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart took home trophies for both Outstanding Writing for and Outstanding Program in the same genre, the ninth consecutive win in the latter for the series.

On the Movies/Miniseries end, Kate Winslet and Guy Pearce shocked no one when their names were announced as Outstanding Lead Actress and Supporting Actor respectively for HBO’s Mildred Pierce. On the other hand, after all the distribution turmoil and critical revile it endured, Barry Pepper’s win as Outstanding Lead Actor for The Kennedys was somewhat unexpected, as I’m sure were the huge wins for Masterpiece’s Downton Abbey. The period drama won three awards, including Outstanding Miniseries, Movie or Special, and honors for Writer Julian Fellowes and Supporting Actress Maggie Smith, who sadly was not in attendance to deliver an acceptance speech.

Now, for the important stuff. If you walk away with any one impression from last night, it should be that you’re missing out if you’re not watching Modern Family. The cast of the ABC mockumentary, who all chose to submit themselves in supporting categories to respect the ensemble nature of the show, took home both supporting awards. The set could be a little tense today as cast members Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell beat out their coworkers, but graciously thanked each other. Burrell’s speech was probably the best of the night, sharing anecdotes of what his late father might think of his current occupation. Modern Family also won Outstanding Comedy Series, as it did last year for its freshman season, and honors for writers Steve Levitan and Jeffrey Richman, and Michael Spiller, director of the Halloween episode.

In one of the most awkward moments of the night, former (or maybe current) raving lunatic Charlie Sheen took the stage to present the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Sheen first wished the cast and crew of his former series good luck on the upcoming season, and seemed relatively sincere about it, albeit too little too late to get him back on network television. Jim Parsons grabbed his second consecutive Emmy for CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, remarking that it was “so odd for so many reasons.” While Modern Family is certainly deserving, The Big Bang Theory is due a little more recognition from the Academy.

In one of the only original moves of the night, the Lead Actress nominees were presented in a pageant-like fashion, each surprised and running from the audience to join their fellow nominees on stage. I’m sure I speak for a lot of viewers out there who were quite shocked at Melissa McCarthy’s win for Mike & Molly. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a great actress with impeccable comedic timing, but I can’t help but wonder how much her supporting turn in this summer’s sleeper hit movie Bridesmaids drove voters and viewers to this series’ recognition. Still, with her touching speech you can’t help but applaud and set your DVR for a few upcoming episodes.

No such dynasty domination occurred in the drama categories last night, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t a few surprises. Martin Scorsese was honored for directing the pilot episode of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. Peter Dinklage received his first win on his first nomination as Outstanding Supporting Actor for Game of Thrones, a well deserved and truly unexpected win in that crowded category. Julianna Margulies beat out arguably the toughest competition for Lead Actress. Her stellar performance on the underappreciated The Good Wife will allow me to forgive her terrible dress choice…I just need some time. In what I’m assuming was a huge upset—okay, maybe it was just for me—Justified’s Margo Martindale won for Supporting Actress, effectively robbing Archie Panjabi of her second win. Come on, Kalinda’s scene with the baseball bat alone won that Emmy and you know it.

The real shocker, quite the welcome one, was NBC/Direct TV’s Friday Night Lights winning both Outstanding Writing and Lead Actor, giving series creator Jason Katims and star Kyle Chandler their first wins. For a series that fought for viewers and respect with every episode, it was awesome to finally see some recognition. With the show off the air, hopefully this drives some curious skeptics to the DVDs to discover one of the best dramas out there.

AMC’s awards juggernaut Mad Men took home Outstanding Drama Series for the fourth year. I think this may be the one that goes down in the record books for winning every year it’s on air. I’m a new fan to Matthew Weiner’s ’60s-set drama, which has earned each consecutive trophy.

The glib parts of the night were, as is typical, all the celebrity presenter banter. Unoriginal and not funny, many stumbled through jokes trying to keep a look of sincerity on their faces (see Julianna Margulies announcing herself as the funniest woman on television). Others, like David Spade and Kaley Cuoco, let their disappointment with the writing and reception of it slip ever so slightly. The announcer, who heralded each winner as he made the walk to the stage, managed to pick up some of the slack, but not enough. Absent were any wins for multiple nominee Glee, the only Fox show nominated. But after an uneven second season, it’s no surprise. A bizarre and unnecessary The Lonely Island musical performance was the cherry on top of the pretty underwhelming production.

Still, I stand by my opening comments. What makes the Emmys interesting is that you genuinely don’t know who’s taking home the trophy. Jane Lynch’s we’re-all-in-this-together style opening showed what the night was truly about, the television community coming together to honor the work that they love and we’ve all enjoyed over the past year.

Images courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Straw Dogs Review: Lost in Translation

The original 1971 Straw Dogs was a masterful study of human nature; a slow burning drama that exploded with violence and demonstrated that the line between good and evil is not as cleanly black and white as it is so often portrayed. 2011’s reinvention of that film is an admirable venture that falls short of its originator, dodging most of the hard questions and investing most of its energy in shock-cinema.

David Sumner (James Marsden) is a successful screenwriter from Los Angeles who decides to pull up stakes temporarily and move with his actor-wife Amy (Kate Bosworth) to her old home town of Blackwater, Mississippi. Amy playfully nicknames it “Backwater” and, for better or worse, it is. It’s a town whose streets are lined with haggard looking houses dotted with beer can wind chimes, above-ground pools, and unlocked front doors. It’s here where the Sumners return to Amy’s childhood home, a stone and mortar farmhouse that has suffered mild damage from the region’s annual assault of hurricanes. David hopes to get some peace and quiet away from L.A. and focus on his next script while Amy aims to rebuild what has been lost of her home and reconnect with the town that made her. But Amy has baggage here. Namely Charlie (Alexander Skarsgard), whom Amy had a high school fling with and who has never really gotten over her. It’s Charlie who bids on the rebuild of the Sumner house and who greets David with passive-aggressive fervor.

Charlie’s crew arrive at the Sumners to rebuild and quickly become more of an annoyance than a help to David and Amy; they arrive early and leave after a few hours to hunt, they blast music when David tries to work, and when they begin to uncomfortably ogle Amy from not-so-afar, things begin to take a turn for the worse. It’s against David’s morals to confront or stand up for his beliefs and is something that Charlie and his crew soon exploit. To them, David is not a man. He drives a Jaguar, wears Ugg slippers, and may very well never have had dirt under his nails. And it’s too much for Charlie to take. Things go from bad to worse when David finds their cat strangled and hanging in a closet. And it escalates from there in ways that are disturbing and unsettling. The film culminates in a stunning siege on the farmhouse, which pushes David to the limits of his own morality to protect what is most dear to him.

The 2011 Straw Dogs is essentially a scene-for-scene remake of the Sam Peckinpah original and yet it fails to engage as much as its predecessor. One of the main reasons for this, it seems, is casting. The 1971 version was expertly cast, placing Dustin Hoffman in the role of David and surrounding him with character actors that felt organic and authentic to world made the unfolding drama all the more suspenseful and horrific. Not that the remake is riddled with bad actors. It’s not. The problem is that they look like ACTORS. Skarsgard looks like he’s been chiseled out of marble and Jeremy (Dominic Purcell), the “village idiot” character, seems to have just gotten out of the Marine Corps. Location was also critical to the original, which was set in the fictional English town of Wakely. The town is not beautifully shot, like Blackwater is in the remake. Instead, it is a moody, tense place sacked with dark shadows and heavy fog. The sense of isolation in Wakely is an enormous assist to the storytelling in Straw Dogs, but is squandered in the remake. The few changes that do exist in the remake also treat the source material unkindly and end up being the biggest hindrance. Changing David from a mathematician to screenwriter is curious and unnecessary. Sumner the Mathematician showed him as an analytical mind who over-thought every situation. Sumner the screenwriter lends nothing to the character or the narrative. More glaring is the downward trajectory of David and Amy’s relationship, which in the remake is non-existent, creating a messy, confusing relationship in which David and Amy argue and say unpleasant things to each other in one scene, only to be quite happy and affable together in the next. This aspect of the original also acted as a barometer to show David’s change as a character, moving further away from the hero and slowly being distorted into the villain. In the remake, David only seems to snap at the film’s climax, which makes it a hard pill to swallow. The final act starts at a football game which conveniently brings all the characters together in one place, but also removes any sense of the aforementioned isolation of the original, which can’t be over stated. In the original, David at his lowest finds himself up against the wall, with no one to turn to- a sentiment sold in large parcel by the creepy emptiness of Wakley. Here, not so much.

But not all the changes are a total wash. There are some interesting twists on the source material, but unfortunately their potential is never fully realized. David’s turn as a screenwriter has him working on a script for the World War II battle of Stalingrad, in which the Russians beat back the Nazi powerhouse that controlled over 90% of the city. There is a thematic parallel here to David’s struggle throughout the movie, and yet none of the knowledge he has gained in researching the subject comes into play at all. Likewise, an early scene in which David and Amy play chess has similar thematic similarities that are there-and-gone. And the explanation of the title is just plain awkward and silly. Do we really need to have everything spoon-fed to us?

Had this been the first Straw Dogs to exist, it would be an interesting, mostly terrific film. Unfortunately it’s not and the elements that made Peckinpah’s film so engaging have all but been thrown out with the rest of the trash. The remake felt like it wanted to be these things- it wanted to explore the dark nature of man, but the Powers That Be reined it in as it was starting to ask the tough questions. What’s left is a movie that flirts with the dangerous themes of the original without the polarizing bite that Peckinpah infused into every frame. It doesn’t make statements, it simply suggests that maybe they exist, buried somewhere in the subtext. It avoids confrontation and, in the end, arrives as limply weak as David Sumner.

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

America’s Got Talent Review: Crossing the Finish Line

This week’s America’s Got Talent finale was like a fun mash-up of American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, except this time I had not an inkling of who would actually win. ::Cough::Scotty McCreery-Melanie Moore::Cough:: In fact, not watching pretty much all of this season has given me the gift of possibly the most unexpected reality TV finale ever. But first, Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr., Poplyfe, Silhouettes and Team Illuminate received one last chance to impress the pants off of America. As you watched, the true choice may have been completely evident in your mind, but for me, the performers’ last opportunity was really a final chance to sway me over to their side, and my field was wide open.

Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.
Landau kicked off the show with a fully rousing rendition of Sinatra’s “My Way.” His chops far exceed what he turned in last week, with a fuller, larger voice and wider range. Sharon got goose bumps, and Piers dubbed it “a million dollar performance.” Could he have sealed the deal so early in the night, as Howie predicted? I felt more invested in this week’s performance, making me connect to Landau on a deeper level. When compared to past reality TV, finale vocals, it’s one of the clearest and strongest and most commanding, while remaining true to his classic, less contemporary style, that I’ve ever witnessed.

Team Illuminate
As I pointed out last week, this is not the kind of performance that’s really easy to describe, and when I try to put it simply (these guys dance with lights on like no group I’ve ever seen before), it really doesn’t seem to give all their hard work the justice it deserves. Sharon put it best when she said, “This act is about technology, creativity and someone with a vision.” It’s the melding of the art in movement, the intrigue of something visually stimulating and the beauty of storytelling in an outside-of-the-box way. The grandness of the act makes it perfect for a big stage Vegas show. Howie said, “You can see this show anywhere; headline any country, any language, from seven to 70.”

Poplyfe
This talented group has all the right ingredients: an interesting and quirky lead, a funky visionary behind the scenes and a strong band that can rock. The choice of a Queen melody of “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions” appeared inspired at first, but the overwrought arraignment drowned out Kalani, the lead. The back-up singers sounded almost Herman Munster-like. Her voice already seemed less powerful than the prior week, and the performance just felt a bit anti-climactic. She broke down in tears knowing how off they were in the end.

Silhouettes
Sadly, Silhouettes didn’t even get an opening package due to technical difficulties that forced the producers and Nick Cannon to rely on some B-roll footage and lots of filler. A poor setup undoubtedly affects one’s view of the proceeding performance, and I definitely nitpicked more than expected. Their transitions from one picture silhouette to the other didn’t seem as effortless and clean, and the pictures they chose to silhouette, before the big reveal, weren’t as exciting. Still, there’s something about their perfect music choices (this time Louis Armstrong’s version of “What a Wonderful World”), combined a powerful message of hope, love and joy, with this thin sheet of materials separating us from really seeing the dancers but allowing them to create larger pictures than you ever could have imagined. It’s pretty darn magical.

To show these potential winners just how it should be done, season two’s winner Terry Fator, a singer, comedian and impersonator, stopped by with a cute and creepy puppet with soul. I braced myself for awkward horror, but I actually laughed and grooved with “them.” Besides some jowl waddling, Terry’s lips truly looked glued together. Possibly besides Poplyfe, the rest really didn’t need any extra tips. So did Jackie Evancho, the 11-year-old runner up from last season, who knows there’s a whole lot of success in losing. I’m crossing my fingers that girl’s voice changes very little from now through puberty. Fingers crossed.

And so it was time for the real finale. Who would win $1,000,000? Who’d earn a Vegas show? And least important, who’d go home with the show’s title of America’s Most Talented? I’d been impressed by how unfluffy the previous night’s show had been. Thankfully, I didn’t hold my breath.

To make time go by a little faster, Patti LaBelle joined Landau to sing “You’re All I Need to Get By.” Patti was fabulous and gracious, but poor Landau seemed so lost in this style when he was alone on the stage in the beginning. Luckily, he really picked it up and put it into warp speed once she joined him. Next, Cobra Starship, featuring Sabi, performed the horrible “You Make Me Feel…” extremely horribly. For once, Team Illuminate actually saved this performance. Their routines are less exciting with the lights up, but I was thankful for them anyway…for a second. That’s because it was time to knock all my high expectations down a peg by bringing out all of the worst auditioners for a medley of “I’ve Had The Time of My Life?” Pain. True pain. Then came Silhouettes and LeAnn Rimes to ease a little of that pain. Though, I can see spelling out words getting a little old, I did like that they didn’t really rely on revealing their silhouettes as pictures. But what was up with pretty much rehashing old routines and revealing themselves for a bow before LeAnn even stopped singing. Off the shadows, folks! Luckily, they brought LeAnn to genuine tears which kind of made me tear up too. Aaaaaand they’re back! Finally, Poplyfe were lucky enough to perform with Stevie Wonder and redeem themselves a bit. They got back to their roots, and I know they wished they could have done as well the previous night.

It only seemed right that Poplyfe would be the group to come in fourth. Nick Cannon may have paused long enough for these teens to grow five inches and sprout beards before giving the news. Hopefully Disney already sees the goldmine. We need some diversity in terms of these tween musical groups. (Remember The Cheetah Girls!) Team Illuminate followed and it came down to Landau and Silhouettes. If it came down to how the performances made me feel, I’d pick Silhouettes, but if it was up to that final performance, I’d say Landon would definitely take it. Yet there could only be one winner, and this season the prize went to none other than….. Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.!

Like I said, in my eyes, it could have been anyone. Each of these groups made it to the top four because of their talent, style and originality. Most importantly, it was nice to enjoy a finale when I felt anything could happen, no sob stories were talking to me in the back of my mind and I wasn’t carrying in any resentment from a season long battle. Cheers to the winners who get to share their Vegas show with all of the top four, some of the top 10 and Michael Grimm. Looks like everyone’s a winner! Now tell me. Who’d you pick as the winner?

Season 6, Episodes 32 and 33 (originally aired September 13 and 14, 2011)

America’s Got Talent airs Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 8/7c on NBC

Images courtesy of Trae Patton and NBC

The Sing-Off Set Visit: Returns for an Extended Third Season

Get those ears of yours in tune, America, because another televised singing competition is about to start but this time it’s all a cappella. That’s right, The Sing-Off is back for a third season of vocal powerhouses and I got the chance to visit the set for a taping of one of their new episodes and have a brief chat with host Nick Lachey and judge Ben Folds.

Nestled into Stage 15 on the Sony Pictures lot in Los Angeles, the set of The Sing-Off is an absolute joy to walk onto with vocal groups warming up all around you to make their wildly versatile voices primed to impress the judges and advance to the next round of competition. And this year, there are a whole lot more of those voices to go around with the series more than doubling its number of episodes from its first two years on the air.

“We’re bigger and we’re better!” boasted host Lachey. “We’re up to 11 episodes from 5 last year so we’re like the little show that could and we’re able to showcase even more unbelievable talent, which I think is great.”

With so many music competition shows on the air right now I asked Lachey and Folds, who acts as one of the show’s three judges, how they distinguish themselves to stand out from the crowd. “Well that’s pretty easy,” said Folds. “Our show is rooted in a cappella competition and that engine is what makes us extremely different.”

“The structure and competition symbols of the show might be similar to other shows out there but the a cappella aspect gives it a whole different feeling that makes it really special,” continued Folds.

In a world of pop music dominated by auto-tune and electronic sounds I asked Folds if there was even a place for a cappella music on the scene and if the winners of their show have any hope of topping the charts in a such a climate. And to put it simply, he absolutely thinks there is. “A cappella is really a huge cultural movement and there is always room for it in the music industry. If anything, I think the hardest thing about this show is keeping the competition tense. The music is just so powerful that it creates an enormous generosity between the competing groups that they’re just happy for each other no matter what happens.”

And after sitting through a taping of an episode I can certainly vouch for that statement. They really do revel in the other groups’ performances and it is almost as fun to watch them watch each other perform as it is to see the performances themselves.

Since what I watched was actually the season’s 10th episode I can’t reveal much about what I saw but I will say that the talent on display is remarkable! After watching the final four teams perform I had absolutely zero envy for the judges who had to decide who should be sent home.

“That is of course the really hard part,” said Lachey.  “As the host I find myself constantly encouraging and embracing them along the way so it’s hard to see them go.”

On top of more episodes the show also boasts a new judge this season to sit alongside Folds and Shawn Stockman of Boys II Men fame. Recording artist Sara Bareilles has joined the panel to replace Nicole Scherzinger who has moved on to be a judge on FOX’s The X-Factor. Together, the three judges bring a wealth of knowledge and experience as a cappella artists and can act as true mentors to the competing teams.

On a personal note Lachey confirmed that he has just returned to the recording booth to start work on his upcoming third solo album called ‘Soundtrack of My Life,’ featuring cover songs from all of the movies that have touched him over the years and Folds will be releasing a compilation album of his greatest hits next month called ‘The Best Imitation of Myself’ that encompasses his solo work along with that of his trio Ben Folds Five.

The Sing-Off begins this Monday, September 19 at 8/7c  on NBC.

Images courtesy of NBC.

The Vampire Diaries Review: The Eye Candy Has Returned!

Ladies and gentlemen, it was a long, hot summer without the supernatural misfits of Mystic Falls doing their thing for us every Thursday night, but autumn has arrived and the hotties of The Vampire Diaries have returned for a third season of gory twists and turns! I, along with most viewers, was blown away by the quality of the series’ stellar second season and have been looking forward to its return maybe more than any other network series.

When we last left them Stefan (Paul Wesley) was coaxed over to the dark side by Klaus (Joseph Morgan) in order to save Damon’s (Ian Somerhalder) life from a werewolf bite. A full three months have passed and despite frantic searching by Damon and Elena (Nina Dobrev) there has been no sign of Stefan or Klaus except for brief leads that don’t bring them any closer to the goal.

If anyone was doubting the fact that Stefan really turned to evil, they got schooled the gruesome way in this episode’s opening scene where he and Klaus terrorize two young ladies in Tennessee. At Klaus’s behest Stefan rips into them (literally) in a way that only a truly evil vampire could. We learn that these girls know the location of one, Ray Sutton (David Gallagher of 7th Heaven fame), a local werewolf that Klaus is determined to meet in order to infiltrate his pack and turn them all into werewolf/vampire hybrid beings like him.

Stefan and Klaus manage to track Ray to a dive bar where they compel all of the patrons to go about their business while they torture Ray with a variety of methods to learn the location of his pack.

Meanwhile, Damon gets wind of trouble down in Tennessee and takes Alaric (Matthew Davis) to investigate…without telling Elena, mind you! They find the bodies of the two girls and Damon instantly knows it was Stefan by the style of the carnage. They also find what appears to be a werewolf safe room. Ah ha! A clue!

Klaus gets wind of Damon’s snooping midway through torturing Ray and is about to go take care of him, but instead, Stefan volunteers for the task and hightails it to Mystic Falls where he kidnaps Damon’s TV news reporter girlfriend, Andi (Dawn Oliveri) and compels her to kill herself right in front of Damon’s eyes! Ouch! Again, if you had any doubts – and I mean ANY DOUBTS – about the sincerity of Stefan’s evilness, they should now be checked at the door and burned.

This incident proves to Damon that Stefan is far gone and he says as much to Elena later on that the good Stefan won’t return in her lifetime. She later gets a phone call from Stefan who doesn’t say a word but she knows its him and professes her love once more. Silent phone calls might keep her satiated for awhile but if Damon keeps doing things like returning her favorite necklace on her birthday, it won’t be long until she forgets the new bad boy and starts smooching Damon all over again. In fact, I give it roughly two episodes.

This episode saw the celebration of Elena’s 18th birthday (that’s right straight boys – this girl is now a legal woman!) with a big party thrown by my favorite character, Caroline (Candice Accola). We learn that over the summer she has gotten to be even tighter friends with the young werewolf, Tyler (Michael Trevino) leading some to think that they’re dating – including ex-boyfriend Matt (Zach Roerig). They both seem intent to keep it platonic until they reveal to each other how horny their new supernatural abilities make them. You can probably see where this is going.

Tyler brings some skanky girl to the party that night in hopes of scoring and it makes Caroline insanely jealous so she compels said skank to leave and ends up having wild, vampire/werewolf sex with Tyler instead. I raise my glass to her…in jealousy.

One of my favorite moments of the episode sees Caroline later trying to sneak out of Tyler’s house only to get busted by his mom (Susan Walters). It is a cute, quirky moment for Caroline that made me laugh but then Tyler’s mom whips out a tranquilizer gun and shoots Caroline!! WHAT THE HELL?!?!

I also need to mention the maturing of my favorite dreamboat from last season – Jeremy played by Steven R. McQueen. I don’t know what he ate over the summer but it worked! Jeremy is looking good!

But then again he’s also still seeing visions of his dead ex-girlfriends and smoking pot to deal with it so there is definitely some baggage to go along with his cuteness. He sort of tells Matt what is happening to him but he brushes it off as mere grief. Stupid Matt…

A couple other brief things to make note of: Klaus makes Ray feed on his blood and then kills him which presumably will make him a fellow half-breed. Also, Alaric decides to move out of the house now that Elena is 18. I’m curious what they’ll do with his character this year. With Jenna dead there doesn’t seem to be much more tying him to the other characters but I suppose time will tell.

And that about wraps it up! Season three is off to a great start with this episode. I’d ask you all to start making predictions but with the track record this show has, none of us would even be close so let’s sit back and see what happens!

The Vampire Diaries Season 3, Episode 1: “The Birthday” (originally aired September 15, 2011)

The Vampire Diaries airs Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW.

Images courtesy of The CW.

Project Runway Review: What a Woman Wants

Women are usually under the impression that men are holistic audience members.  They don’t see the arched eyebrows, the three-toned eye shadow, the nail polish to match her outfit, the painstakingly chosen blouse to match the equally chosen skirt, and the perfect shade of shoe and clutch combo to finish it off.  However, if a man got the unique opportunity to design the perfect outfit for his wife, what would he want her to wear?  How much cleavage would he want showing?  How much of his woman’s leg and thigh would he want another man to see?  On this week’s episode of Project Runway, Heidi Klum announced to the designers that nine men were given the unique opportunity to work with the nine remaining designers to create a look for their wives/girlfriends.  The men provided direction for the look that they wanted for their significant others.  The wives/girlfriends walked on the runway in the garments.

As the winner of last week’s challenge, Anya chose first.  Setting the thread, without knowing she’d be designing for his wife/girlfriend, Anya chose the guy based on his looks and size thinking she’d be designing men’s clothes.  Once they got in the workroom, Mike had about as much creativity in describing his wife Raylene’s current wardrobe as an 8-year-old boy has in describing the details of Barbie’s dream house. While at the Mood register, Olivier asked Tim Gunn, “What does DD mean?” Either this is a sure sign that these male designers have been hanging around too many homosexual men or it is now apparent hat Olivier is fundamentally not ready to design clothes for real women. Once those garments get off mannequins, they will go on real women – not sample-size women, i.e. models.

Bert’s design husband Anthony had an obsession with his wife’s breasts.  He wanted to design something that accentuated his wife’s “boobs.” When he first saw her, he was attracted to her breasts.  He loves to play with them.  He loved to “motorboat” them, as he demonstrated on the mannequin.  Clearly Anthony was breast-fed for too long as an infant/toddler.  When Ariana, his wife, arrived in the design room, she burst Anthony’s boob bubble.  Olivier’s design husband Jeff didn’t exactly nail the look his wife would like.  Jeff liked to see his wife, Suzanne, in yellow.  She didn’t like yellow.  The number one rule in business is the client is always right.  The number one rule in marriage is the woman is always right.  When the client is a two-headed monster, which client gets the right-of-way? The client who gets the right to wear the design.  Either way, the woman wins at the end of the day, and when Mama’s happy, everybody’s happy! Bryce’s design wife loves pink.  She liked the original canary pink that he bought from Mood.  He dyed it.  She also liked the new, Pepto-Bismol pink.  Bryce did not.  Granted, this is a challenge, but when all else fails, refer to rule #1.

During Tim’s consultation with Olivier, he described Olivier’s  design of a yellow top coupled with the blue pant as “crayon-y.”  As always, Olivier faced a time crunch.  Apparently even his clients felt the pinch the day before.  In his defense, his clients were quite vocal and opinionated.  Olivier said he preferred to work with non-speaking, obedient clients. Again, the question is for whom is he designing clothes.  He had the prime opportunity to design clothes that a woman would want and would feel comfortable to wear.  If he wants to design women’s clothes for non-speaking women, he needs to go work for Mattel. Tim Gunn and Bryce’s design wife liked the color pink. Hopefully no one else needs to tell him to leave the color alone. Viktor’s dress is a favorite.  And as an additional treat for the ladies, Piperlime gave each of the wives/girlfriends jewelry.

Actress Malin Akerman joined Michael Kors, Nina Garcia, and Heidi on the judging panel.  Kimberly, Olivier, and Laura moved onto the next round.  Although it took him forever and a no-more-sewing-period warning from Tim Gunn, Olivier’s outfit should have been among the top.  His creates the best, most detailed tops.  A few of them are starting to look signature, but signature is good.  Signature pays the rent. Anya, Joshua, and Viktor had the highest scores, which meant Bert, Bryce, and Anthony Ryan had the lowest scores. Anya combined the African and Japanese cultures to create a dress for her client’s wife, an architect.  Joshua didn’t get to bedazzle anything for this challenge, but less is more.  A classic, “simple black dress” with flair always works.  Finally, Michael Kors underscored rule #1, “Listen to your client.” Viktor created an outfit for his design wife, an attorney.  He pushed the envelope without pushing her off the balance.  Viktor originally wanted to create a long-sleeve blouse, but when she came in the design room and saw the sketch, she suggested a shorter sleeve.  Finally, a man listened.  Bert’s clients loved the dress, but the judges thought the dress was too tight and too short, and Michael said the dress could be found in a million stores.  Bryce’s clients also loved the dress he presented, but the judges thought it wasn’t cut for her and had too many details.  However, they said the color saved him.  Case closed.  Again, Anthony Ryan’s clients were overjoyed that he was able to replicate one of the dresses that the husband lost at the airport.  However, the judges thought she had on “a child’s uniform.”  Joshua M. won the challenge, although going forward no more winners will receive immunity.  Anthony Ryan and Bryce were in the bottom two, and unfortunately Bryce, the only designer who had never won a challenge, was out.

Season 9, Episode 8: “What Women Want” (originally aired September 15, 2011)

Make it work and watch Project Runway, Thursdays at 9/8c on Lifetime.

For more Project Runway coverage, click here.

Images courtesy of Lifetime

The Playboy Club: Q&A with Amber Heard, Eddie Cibrian and EP Chad Hodge

America’s Next Top Model Review: The All-Star Reunion

It’s Top Model time again already but this cycle promises to be unlike any other. In past seasons, we’ve all had our favorite models that we’ve rooted for and loved, and also our favorite models that we only loved to hate, so the overall popularity left Tyra with an idea: an all-stars season. The mega competition this time will not just be about being the winner but also about having serious star power. The models will be asked to participate in photo shoots, commercials, music videos, song writing, perfume branding, you name it. It’s more or less a Miss USA pageant with a bit more fierceness in the way that Tyra wants to see which contestant can embody the “Jill of all trades” persona in the fashion industry. With sixteen cycles under the ANTM belt, the all-stars competition will be a much needed revamp to spice things up a little. So, let’s get down to the list of ladies that we’ll be loving and hating again:

• Angelea Preston, Cycle 14
• Laura Kirkpatrick, Cycle 13
• Bianca Golden, Cycle 9
• Lisa D’amato, Cycle 5
• Bre Skullark, Cycle 5
• Brittany Brower, Cycle 4
• Dominique Reighard, Cycle 10
• Sheena Sakai, Cycle 11
• Isis King, Cycle 11
• Kayla Ferrel, Cycle 15
• Allison Harvard, Cycle 12
• Camille McDonald, Cycle 2
• Shannon Stewart, Cycle 1
• Alexandria Everett, Cycle 16

The first photo challenge for the day started off with the girls becoming an over the top version of their feisty personas. Celebrity photographer Celeste Canino captured the models unique behaviors on film, like Allison’s quirky babydoll persona (which was super adorable!), Kayla’s loud and proud lesbian persona and Brittany’s both inner and outer party girl, to name a few. With all the massive personalities sharing a home together, it’s only a matter of time before tempers flare and stiletto heel stabbings begin. Before the shoot was halfway over, models Bianca and Shannon already showed their irritation with insignificant details like wearing underwear and temporary hair extensions they didn’t care for but you would think they’d know how to suck it up at this point.

The judging panel and process had quite the overhaul as well this time around. Nokia Plaza at LA Live played host to the event in front of a live crowd for the first time ever. It sounds super exciting for the ladies, whose fans showed up in droves to support them but it also backfired on some, mainly the infamous Alexandria who was booed and cursed at from the sidelines. She was never one of my favorite Top Model girls, but when her eyes filled up with tears, I couldn’t help but feel bad for her (for a few seconds anyway). The usual judging panel was back which included Tyra, Nigel and Andre. Mister and Miss J both played host to the event while guest judge for the evening, Nicki Minaj, joined the panel and gave her own constructive criticism. After reviewing each photo, the judges went into private chambers to discuss their decision while the Jays polled the crowd on who their favorites were. Both fortunately and unfortunately in some cases, the crowds opinion has a major influence on the judges’ final decisions from now on and could ultimately have a huge impact on who goes home each episode. Everyone received a photo from Tyra and a place in next week’s episode except for Brittany and Alexandria who were left in the bottom two. Alex’s feedback from the crowd was somewhat negative but Brittany’s feedback was worse. She hadn’t received any feedback at all! She was so forgettable that the crowd couldn’t remember the self-proclaimed party girl. Ouch! So, Brittany’s short stint on Top Model was cut yet again and she was eliminated. One thing is for sure, this one of a kind season for ANTM is destined to be filled with more super-sized heart breaks, second chances and, more than likely, a few signature cat fights.

 

Cycle 17, Episode 1: Nicki Minaj (original airdate September 14, 2011)

Images courtesy of The CW.

Fall Book Recommendations: Something To Snuggle Up With…Or Make You Scream

As sad as it is to admit, summer is drawing to a close. On the positive side, it means new television shows to try, returning ones to revisit, and curling up on cool mornings with good books. That’s right, it’s time for my fall book recommendations. I’ve got 7 for you, and I’ve been lucky enough to read 3 of them in advance. You don’t want to miss out on these, because they’re going to be the books everyone is discussing – rightfully so – in the months to come.

Zone One by Colson Whitehead (available Oct 18, 2011)

Goodreads Summary: In this wry take on the post-apocalyptic horror novel, a pandemic has devastated the planet. The plague has sorted humanity into two types: the uninfected and the infected, the living and the living dead. Now the plague is receding, and Americans are busy rebuild­ing civilization under orders from the provisional govern­ment based in Buffalo. Their top mission: the resettlement of Manhattan. Armed forces have successfully reclaimed the island south of Canal Street—aka Zone One—but pockets of plague-ridden squatters remain. While the army has eliminated the most dangerous of the infected, teams of civilian volunteers are tasked with clearing out a more innocuous variety—the “malfunctioning” stragglers, who exist in a catatonic state, transfixed by their former lives. Mark Spitz is a member of one of the civilian teams work­ing in lower Manhattan. Alternating between flashbacks of Spitz’s desperate fight for survival during the worst of the outbreak and his present narrative, the novel unfolds over three surreal days, as it depicts the mundane mission of straggler removal, the rigors of Post-Apocalyptic Stress Disorder, and the impossible job of coming to grips with the fallen world. And then things start to go wrong.

Yes, the post-apocalyptic/dystopian novel is still going strong. Yes, two more of my recommendations fall into this category. This is the only zombie novel among the group, though, and Colson Whitehead’s writing skills are unquestionable. I can’t wait to get my hands on this one.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (available Sept 13, 2011)

Goodreads Summary: The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

I missed out on an advanced copy of this book at BEA, and almost wrestled a friend to the ground for his at a bar later that week. I’ve heard nothing but good things, and the premise is unique and intriguing.

Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff (available Sept 1, 2011)

Goodreads Summary: When you’re sixteen and no one understands who you are, sometimes the only choice left is to run. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a place that accepts you, no questions asked. And if you’re really lucky, that place has a drum set, a place to practice, and a place to sleep. For Kid, the streets of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, are that place. Over the course of two scorching summers, Kid falls hopelessly in love and then loses nearly everything and everyone worth caring about. But as summer draws to a close, Kid finally finds someone who can last beyond the sunset.

One of two Young Adult contemporary novels on my little list here, this one promises to be raw, full of emotion and difficult decisions. The book has been getting tons of buzz from established authors, creating a stir of curiosity I’m dying to sate.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (available Sept 29, 2011)

Goodreads Summary: Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit — more sparkly, more fun, more wild — the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket — a gifted inventor — steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Stephanie wrote one of last year’s surprises, titled Anna and the French Kiss, and displayed her ability to write a clean, fun, and touching contemporary story. Lola is not a sequel, though I’m told if you’re a fan of her first novel, Anna and Etienne do make an appearance or two. I’m looking forward to this novel, and to another book that makes me smile without reservation.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (available November 15, 2011)

Goodreads Summary: Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color. The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now. Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Shatter Me is a highly anticipated novel with a massive marketing campaign behind it, so don’t be surprised if you hear about it several times between now and its November release date. Mafi’s prose is original and interesting, and not as distracting as I originally worried it would be. Juliette’s world is terrifying and well-built, and the romance between the main characters sizzles on the page. It’s not hard to see why everyone’s excited about this book, and I, for one am eagerly anticipating the sequel. The author is as engaging, intelligent, and thoughtful as her storytelling, and I trust her to follow through on what could be a blockbuster of a series.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (available September 27, 2011)

Goodreads Summary: Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low. And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

I adored this book. I’ve not read an urban fantasy tale as well executed and lusciously imagined in…a really long time, whether it be written for adults or young readers. Laini Taylor is a powerhouse of a writer, each word and sentence drawing pictures I want to step inside, crafting characters I want to know and love and protect. If you’re looking for a tale that will sweep you away to the far reaches of your imagination, pick this up. I can’t imagine you being disappointed.

Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts (available November 1, 2011)

Goodreads Summary: Since mankind began, civilizations have always fallen: the Romans, the Greeks, the Aztecs…Now it’s our turn. Huge earthquakes rock the world. Cities are destroyed. But something even more awful is happening. An ancient evil has been unleashed, turning everyday people into hunters, killers, crazies. Mason’s mother is dying after a terrible car accident. As he endures a last vigil at her hospital bed, his school is bombed and razed to the ground, and everyone he knows is killed. Aries survives an earthquake aftershock on a bus, and thinks the worst is over when a mysterious stranger pulls her out of the wreckage, but she’s about to discover a world changed forever. Clementine, the only survivor of an emergency town hall meeting that descends into murderous chaos, is on the run from savage strangers who used to be her friends and neighbors. And Michael witnesses a brutal road rage incident that is made much worse by the arrival of the police–who gun down the guilty party and then turn on the bystanding crowd. Where do you go for justice when even the lawmakers have turned bad? These four teens are on the same road in a world gone mad. Struggling to survive, clinging on to love and meaning wherever it can be found, this is a journey into the heart of darkness – but also a journey to find each other and a place of safety.

I saved this one for last because it’s the best book I read this year. I’d never heard of it, or the author, until Simon & Schuster handed over an advanced copy at ComicCon, but I’m so glad I braved the exhibition hall floor to pick one up. Dark Inside is a tale of the darkest recesses of human nature, and what happens when they’re allowed to slip past the barriers we’ve erected to keep them at bay. Darkness lives inside every one of us, even the four teenagers unaffected by the strange apocalypse facing the world, and the book is the story of deciding every day to make the decision to care, to love, to be loved, and to retain some shred of hope for the future. I loved everything about this book. The characters are solid, and real, and even when they made mistakes I wanted them to keep moving forward, keep believing. The world is the kind of terrifying that kept me huddled under the covers, afraid to turn out the light or get up to go to the bathroom. The prose is tight, and the philosophical bent to the concept had me thinking about it days later. I want more people to read this novel, because I want to discuss it. I’m selfish, okay?

So there you go. If you grab any of these books, or if you’ve read them, I’d love to hear whether or not you agree. Also, if there’s a book you’re looking forward to this fall that I didn’t mention, please leave it in the comments!

Misfits: Vegas Baby – Nathan’s Last Hurrah!

In April, Misfits star Robert Sheehan announced that he would not be returning to reprise his role as Nathan Young when the series returns next month for Season 3. Fans were promised an online video that would show Nathan’s departure from his group of super-powered delinquents, as well as his replacement in the group, Rudy, played by Joe Gilgun.

“Vegas Baby” delves into Nathan’s adventures in Las Vegas, with Marnie and Nathan Jr., as the former juvenile delinquent uses his newly acquired superpowers, gained after the events of Season 2′s Christmas Special, to his advantage in Sin City.

I’m happy to see Sheehan’s charm and crazy antics back for one last hurrah instead of seeing his character written off with a few words spoken by a character next month. But I know someone that isn’t happy, the bunny.

« Previous Page — Next Page »