The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes are a lucky find for your summer reading

One of the fun things about going to a book convention is discovering writers who have been out there in the trenches of Booklandia for awhile now and yet new to you as a reader. With The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes,I was able to sample three authors at once:Jennifer Crusie,
Eileen Dreyer and Anne Stuart who teamed up to create this novel after a lively chat at a writer's conference.


Our story begins with the three Fortune sisters,Deidre(Dee),Elizabeth(Lizzie) and Moira(Mare),who are trying to live quiet lives in the small town of Salem's Fork. Their neighbors know them as the O'Briens,due to the Dee's determination that their Aunt Xantippe doesn't find them,along with anyone else interested in the offspring of the once famous TV psychic couple,Phil and Fiona Fortune,who died under mysterious circumstances before going being sent to jail for fraud. The Fortune sisters also have another big secret to hide,the fact that they can all do magic.

Their abilities are great but their control over them is not;Dee is a shapeshifter whose bad luck in love is partly due to morphing into the mother of any guy she makes out with. Lizzie can transform items but when she's nervous,the flatware multiplies into bunnies and when aroused,gorgeous shoes appear out of nowhere. Mare is able to move objects with her mind but has to be careful when she gets too hot and bothered or she might literally make the earth move under her feet.



Aunt Xan does know where her nieces are and decides to trick them into giving her their powers by making them an offer they can't refuse,their True Loves. All at once,three strangers come into town and wind up sweeping the Fortunes off their feet. Dee gets Danny James,a researcher for a well known fantasy writer looking to expose the senior Fortunes as fakes for his venture into nonfiction. Lizzie encounters Elfric,a sorceror who wants her to stop disrrupting the balance of the universe with her attempts to change straw into gold.



Mare,however,is not interested in Jude,the VP from Value Video!! who wants to give her a big promotion that would take her to New York. She's more intrigued about her old boyfriend Crash,who has returned to town after getting into a motorcycle accident with Mare five years ago. That puts a spoke into the wheels of Aunt Xan's plot along with Xan's goofy helper Maxine who is as subtle as a brick in spying on the blossoming romances of the sisters.

With the exception of reading a couple of essay collections edited by Crusie,I have not read any of the author's previous fiction so I can't tell you who wrote what character and chapter. I can tell you that this narrative does flow together seamlessly and fits together like a well made puzzle that gives you a lovely yet sexy scene. Yes, there is some hanky panky but those moments are done tastefully and tenderly.

It's also nice to see some paranormal romance that is not mired in angst and revels in the playful aspects of love and lust. There's also plenty of good humor around and some tongue in cheek bits that don't undercut the theme of finding the emotional courage to love and be loved. You might be inclined to think that this book is just a take-off on Charmed but the style is more consistant with Buffy or Angel in their most lighthearted of shows,plus all that talk of bunnies reminded me so much of Anya:







And if I had to choose my favorite Fortune sister,it would be Mare. I identify with Dee quite abit,being an older sister myself and I've been as shy as Lizzie many times in my life but Mare is just so cool. A self proclaimed "Queen of the Universe" who takes no guff,can qoute dozens of movie lines off the top of her head and kick butt while not getting her Corpse Bride wedding dress mussed up is the kind of gal I'd like to hang out with to pick up a few pointers.



The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes will be in stores by June 26 and if you're shopping around for a fun summer read,look no further,folks. This novel is just as entertaining as any big budget film and alot more female friendly,that's for sure. An except from Jennifer Crusie' new novel is included as well,Agnes and the Hitman,which she wrote with Bob Mayer. I don't know if I will get to that one any time soon but it certainly sounds like another winner.

AFI's new 100 movies list and my own mini version of Great American Films

The American Film Institute,aka AFI,will be showing a tenth anniversary edition of their list of 100 greatest American movies on CBS tomorrow night. I usually like these specials,it's a good way to check out alot of cool clips from classic and not so classic films. Also,film folks chime in with their own rememberances and opinions of the movies in question,so more fun there.

However,having 100 films for your list gives you alot of leeway in terms of what gets picked and where they fall on the list. For example,some of us might think that Frankenstein deserves to be higher up(number 87) rather than say, E.T.(number 25) and why the blue hell is Dances With Wolves(number 75) even on this list?!

This 10th anniversary list is supposed to be "updated",which I hope means that some of the better films that didn't make the first cut were added on. I know plenty of people were fussing and feuding over the original picks,particularly the Top Ten list which included the following:



# Citizen Kane (1941)
# Casablanca (1942)
# The Godfather (1972)
# Gone with the Wind (1939)
# Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
# The Wizard of Oz (1939)
# The Graduate (1967)
# On the Waterfront (1954)
# Schindler's List (1993)
# Singin' in the Rain (1952)


A decent selection to be sure,but not what I would've chosen. "And what movies would you have in your Top Ten,Lady T?" Glad you asked,my fine friend! Actually,I'll just list my Top Five All Time Great American Movies of the Moment(my opinions may change from time to time,especially since there are many excellant films that I've yet to see). Let's get this party started with...

1) It's A Wonderful Life

The Frank Capra flop that became a cult and then an acclaimed family classic thru years of repeat viewings around Christmastime was number 11 on the AFI list but number one in my house. The film's survived bad reviews,neglect and colorization and still keeps on rocking. The main reason for it's staying power is the film's central Everyman theme that even most seemingly uneventful life can be more rewarding than any world traveler's. The ending alone brings tears to the eyes of even the most cynical amongst us:



2) The Godfather

As you can see,the Mario Puzo adaptation is third on the AFI list and I do agree that it is one of the key classics of our time. In a way,The Godfather is the perfect ying to It's A Wonderful Life's yang. This movie beautifully shows us the dark side of the American Dream and the legacies that we intentionally and unintentionally leave to the next generation. The follow up film was just as brilliant(out of respect for Coppola and company,it's best to pretend that Godfather III never happened),a rare thing in Hollywood. Another rare thing is a quiet yet highly dramatic opening such as this:



3) King Kong

Always duplicated but never truly re-created(sorry,Peter Jackson),Kong is the all time king of inspiration to movie makers and the great granddaddy of blockbuster films. Even with it's special effects that now look amusing and quaint when compared to CGI and over the top acting styles from Fay Wray and Bruce Cabot,Kong still holds his own and then some with whatever's up for summertime multiplex viewing:



4) The Wizard of Oz

A childhood favorite shared by so many,Dorothy's quest to find her way home thru the metaphorical dreamland of Oz has given a roost for many a restless soul to find comfort in. No matter where life may take us,you can always have home in your heart somewhere over the rainbow:



5) Superman

I'm talking about the 1978 Richard Donner film,with Christopher Reeve paving the way for other actors to not be afraid of typecasting in such an iconic role and leaving some pretty big footsteps to follow in. The Superman mythos is hardwired into the DNA of American pop culture and as much as I enjoyed the recent Superman Returns,Bryan Singer knew he couldn't top the original and gamely paid tribute to it.

ORIGINAL SUPERMAN THE MOVIE TRAILER



SEE WHAT I MEAN ABOUT SINGER'S VERSION?



To me,a great American movie is one that even many years later after it's initial release,people who have not seen it at all can still qoute lines and understand references to it. That is a clear sign of something that has truly impacted upon the cultural landscape,in my opinion. It may not be very high faluting but that's just the way my brain works there,people. Please feel free to suggest some of your own personal picks for the best American films of all time and we'll see if this updated AFI list has any of them on the roster.

Candleshoe and other childhood movie memories

While reading over some of the reviews for the new Nancy Drew movie(which only went to number seven on the past weekend's box office list),one of the naysaying critics wondered if there were any young Jodie Foster types out there in the current casting pool.

While I think most of the critics were being way too harsh(I didn't see the movie but it looks cute to me),it did inspire to recall one of my favorite Jodie Foster flicks and happily find out that it was on DVD. Candleshoe came out in 1977 and I remember seeing it on TV as one of the Wonderful World of Disney features.





Jodie played Casey Brown,a streetwise American orphan recruited by Brit con man Harry Bundage(Leo McKern) to convince Lady St. Edmund(Helen Hayes) that she is her long lost grand daughter in order to have access to the estate of Candleshoe. A pirate's treasure is hidden there and Casey is given the first clue to start with the hunt-"for the sunrise student,there is treasure amongst books."



The search for the treasure is not without some obstacles;Lady St. Edmund has several local orphans staying with her,who along with faithful butler Priory(David Niven) do their best to keep Candleshoe going by selling fruits and vegatables on market day to pay the taxes and having Her Ladyship think she still has a full staff on hand(Niven gets to pull off several disguises here)in order to maintain the illusion that the estate is not on the brink of bankruptcy.



Casey respects the good natured con enough to go along with it but has no real interest in helping anyone out at first. After all,she got into this for ten percent of the action,plus a red Ferrari. Little by little,however,Casey starts to care about the folks at Candleshoe and everyone teams up to find the pirate gold to save the old homestead. Watching the movie again after so many years,I was pleased to see how well it still holds up today. While it's not a classic family film,it is a smart and lively one with plenty of good humor and no maudlin movie scenes. Foster gamely holds her own with the experienced British cast and they seem to be enjoying themselves here,too but not at the expense of the story.



Seeing Candleshoe also made me think of those 1970's live action Disney movies that may have been hokey at times but were solid entertainments nonetheless. Movies like Escape to Witch Mountain(and the kickass sequel,Return to Witch Mountain with Bette Davis and Christopher Lee as the villians),The North Avenue Irregulars and The Cat From Outer Space.

Most people are familar with the likes of Freaky Friday but how many have seen The Strongest Man in the World? Disney and others like them use to make some good kid flicks back in the day that didn't have Happy Meal tie-ins and overblown f/x. Don't get me wrong,there are excellant movies for kids out there that are more than overlong toy commericals(Bridge to Terebintha,for example) but there was an earnestness and non ironic flair to the characters and plots that you don't see today. Check out some of these clips and I think you'll see what I mean:

RETURN TO WITCH MOUNTAIN TRAILER



NORTH AVENUE IRREGULARS ON THE ROAD



IT'S NOT EASY FOR PETE'S DRAGON



Another Jodie Foster kid flick I adored was Bugsy Malone,with Scott Baio as the lead gangster who fought turf wars with cream pies. Jodie was the perfect moll:

HER NAME IS TALLULAH



So,perhaps some of the folks developing children's movies today could take a page or two from some of the films of the not so distant past. There's a reason that stories from childhood have such staying power;the potent memories of adults who refuse to let them go without a fight.

I'm a believer in having the Monkees in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame

The other night,I saw former frontman Davy Jones being interviewed about the Monkees being excluded from the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. Jann Wenner, who is the head of Rolling Stone magazine and one of the nominating commitee members,thinks that the group is not worthy of joining according to another ex-Monkee member,Peter Tork. The Monkees haven't been offically nominated as far as I know but I don't see why not.

I grew up watching the Monkees tv show(in reruns)and it was one of my favorites. Watching these guys goof around and sing some fun tunes was my MTV back in the day. Their songs still hold up well and bring a smile to my face:



Like Marcia Brady,I too had a crush on Davy Jones(who is still quite a looker today),the short and sweet throated singer who made Daydream Believer such a heartfelt and homespun ballad. That British accent of his got me hooked on English men for life:



The other guys in the band were cool as well-Mickey Dolenz,Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith who directed the group's movie Head and always wore that knit hat with the poof ball on it(wonder if the South Park guys liked the Monkees since they love having characters wear hats like that?). I know the band's gotten flack for being a put together TV creation but so what? Are they any different from such boy bands as Menudo or the Backstreet Boys? Plenty of pop groups have been manufactured by media moguls,it's pratically a tradition. The big difference is that the Monkees not only sold more albums than many of their contempories,their music stands the test of time:



There are a few petitions going about online to have the guys added to the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame roster. I've already signed one and I hope someone on the nominating committee sits up and takes notice. If the Beach Boys and ZZ Top,not to mention Ike Turner,can be inductees,the Monkees should be,too. I'd take Pleasant Valley Sunday over Help Me,Rhonda any day of the week:


So,good luck with the campaign,guys. Hope you get your well deserved place in the sun. After all,you're just trying to be friendly and want to come sing and play. I wish you'd come to my town:

Hell's Kitchen,The Starter Wife and Top Chef Miami makes a splash

Top Chef Miami(aka season 3) started off well,as the fifteen chefs got together at a meet n' greet buffet where Host Padma and Judge Tom arrived to give them their first Quickfire Challenge. The QF was to create an amuse bouche from the food laden tables around them in ten minutes. Everyone rose to the challenge but the winner was Micah,with her tasty little Tuscan wrap. Among those who didn't do well here was Clay,who hollowed out a Granny Smith apple and filled it with different fruits. It looked fine,but way too big to be an amuse.


The Elimination Challenge was quite a doozy;the chefs had to create a surf n' turf plate using such exotic items as rattlesnake,sea urchin,wild boar,eel,black chicken and alligator. A knife draw decided the order everyone got to pick and choose their meats. On top of that,the dishes were to be served to Anthony Bourdain(who guest judged last season's Thanksgiving episode)along with the usual panel of judges. The chefs also were allowed to shop for extra ingrediants as well as raid the regular TC pantry.



A number of folks ran into probelms,like Howie who wasn't able to add frog's legs to his sea urchin with risotto plate before time ran out. He had to go out there and present an incomplete dish. Fortunately,the risotto was great and Howie was clever enough to hold his ground against Bourdain(who chided him for the missing food) by qouting a passage from one of Bourdain's own books. It was nicely done and earned Howie some respect amongst the judges,in my opinion. Kudos,my man,kudos!



More successful dishes included Hung's geoduck and slow cooked black chicken(black chicken is apparently a tough meat that's tricky to make tender),Micah's triple threat of kangaroo with sweet potato, poached egg with monkfish liver and ostrich carpaccio and Sara M's(there are two Saras in the competition)braised black chicken with geoduck and cucumber. Her use of the claw on the plate was very eye catching and impressed the judges quite a bit.



The winning plate,however,was Tre's ostrich fillet with abalone sauce,which looks tasty to me and I've never eaten ostrich. He was awarded a set of autographed(and "obscene doodled") Bourdain books and since Tre was in the bottom three for the Quickfire challenge,his victory was extra sweet.



Clay was asked to pack his knives and go home after his combo of wild boar chops and scorpion fish was pretty much inedible. The final choice was between Howie and Clay and the guy with the lousy tasting food got dismissed. Clay seemed like a nice guy but you could tell early on how tense he was about this whole thing and it showed in his cooking. So far,it's too soon to root for anyone just yet but there's alot of big egos floating around. Hung's not shy about his kitchen prowess and neither is Joey,who claims to be such a bad "motherf***er". Oh yeah,this should be fun!



Someone who is clearly not having fun is Aaron,still remaining on Hell's Kitchen and not doing any better this week than the last. When he's not crying,he is either about to pass out on the restaurant floor,taking a nap during the early cooking challenge of prepping Dover sole and doing a crappy job of deboning the sole at tableside for the customers. Since it was the guys' turn to screw up this week,Aaron was in danger of being put up on the chopping block but called up instead were Eddie and Josh.

Choosing Eddie I understood ,due to his ruining both the spaghetti and the risotto which lead to pulling him off of that station in the kitchen. Josh's only big sin ,however,was making the chicken too dry(Ramsey was so pissed at him for not fessing up that he slapped it off of the counter)and talking too much. Eddie was dismissed but I'm wondering just how long it's going to be before Aaron's number is up.



I not only watched the 2 hour premiere of The Starter Wife but last week's episode as well and have to say that I get the whole Debra Messing thing now. She's very likable and funny,not to mention a whiz at working with an ensemble cast. I like the whole Hollywood lives behind the scenes vibe and the dream sequence film parodies(they're already done the Wizard of Oz and From Here to Eternity) that Debra's character,Molly, has.

Tonight's episode should be a blast,as Molly's soon to be ex-husband is intending to marry his bimbolina pop star girlfriend,Shoshanna. So far,we've only seen Shosanna in her Britney Spears-esque video and it should be fun to get more of her:

TONIGHT'S PROMO



SHOSANNA MUSIC VIDEO



Random Notes



Rescue Me: The season premiere kicked off with everyone thinking that Tommy's on his way to jail due to the fire,Garrity trying to settle into a comfortable arrangement regarding Maggie's love of porn and a hell of a rescue mission that I thought might be a dream sequence but was amazingly surreal and real. They did save a cat or two tho. It also looks like Sheila may be getting Tommy to help her run a scam on the insurance company over the house fire which may blow up in their faces. Let's see how this all plays out,shall we?

The Soup: One of the best pop culture mockery shows around,in my opinion. I don't really watch E! on a regular basis but every Friday at ten,I make it a point to catch up on anything I might have missed during the week. Here are a few highlights for your enjoyment:

WHY PARIS ISN'T FEELING WELL IN JAIL



CLUB REHAB



CHECK WHAT THE KIDS ARE WATCHING



GEORGIA RULE TRAILER PARODY

Tuesday is Tunes Day!

I'm not a big league music lover,but I like what I like. Every now and then,I get the urge to hear certain tunes-some of which are current and some that are old school. Here are a few of my selections from my mental jukebox:

AMY WINEHOUSE-"YOU KNOW THAT I'M NO GOOD"

Ever since Stephen King mentioned her song "Rehab" in one of his EW columns,I've been onboard the Winehouse band wagon. She may need to go on the wagon herself at some point but she certainly can give a few of our American party girls a run for their money(not to mention hold her liquor much better). Before you get sick of "Rehab",take a good listen to this second single off of her album "Back to Black" first and get solid confirmation of Winehouse's bluesy talent:



MIKA-"GRACE KELLY"

Sometimes you stumble across someone who's so strangely invested in their own world yet is completely accessible and damn entertaining to boot. Mika may be the next Beck or Freddie Mercury(his vocal range is similar) but whatever else he is,he's an original unique one-of-a-kind fella:



LOUNDON WAINWRIGHT-"DAUGHTER"

This song plays over the end credits to "Knocked Up" and Wainwright's new album is used as the soundtrack for the movie. It suits the film perfectly,with it's offbeat charm and heartfelt grace. Even if you haven't seen the movie,anyone can appreciate this funky sweet tribute to Daddy's little girl:



SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER-"KISS ME"

I know this is sappy as hell and yes,most folks remember this song from She's All That(a movie I never saw or wanted to) but it's hard to resist the folky romantic tone here. Some times,a girl just wants a snappy love song to groove to,okay?!:



JUDAS PRIEST-"BREAKING THE LAW"

And now for something completely different! My sister(the music person in my house)has been on abit of a rediscovery kick with Judas Priest. Since my brother was a metalhead in his youth,the two of us gals gained an appreciation for such groups as Iron Maiden,Metallica and of course,Priest. "Breaking the Law" is one of JP's better known tunes that still kicks ass today:



HAIRSPRAY-"GOOD MORNING BALTIMORE"

I loved the orginial film version of Hairspray and while I'm not sure about the new musical adaptation of the Broadway one,I have to admit that this opening song is very tempting. Ever since Justin on "Ugly Betty" did his recap of the play for his dad on the subway,I've wanted to check out "Good Morning Baltimore." How can anyone resist something that Justin adores,I ask you?:

Original Broadway cast



Justin struts his stuff

The Sopranos' ending-satisfying or sorry?

I haven't watched the Sopranos for a few years,partly due to not having HBO for awhile,and also having moved on to other shows. Last night,I sat down with my mom to check out the last episode of the series. We had watched the first few seasons together as a family in my house and it felt right to see how the show was going to end its run.

Since there's not a clip available,let me set the very last scene for you. Picture it,Tony Soprano enters a diner to meet his family for dinner. He's the first one to arrive. As he waits for them to show,he selects a tune from the tabletop jukebox to play-Journey's "Don't Stop Believing"-which plays over all of the other interactions that go on.

Carmella comes and then later A.J. who gripes about his new job at a movie production company and orders onion rings. Shady characters are everywhere,at the counter,going into the bathroom and thru the door. Meadow is having a hard time with her paralli parking as her family sits and waits while munching onion rings. The tension is growing as she finally parks the car and hustles across the street. Meadow enters the diner just as Tony looks up....



And then,BOOM! The scene abruptly stops,with the screen in silent black. We both thought that the cable went out for a minute or two. Then the credits began to roll. Yep,that was the ending,folks. A total yanking of the carpet right out under our feet. A blunt baseball bat blow to the back of the head. Or,as my sister succulently put it,"They blueballed the audience."

Granted that at this point,I was a casual observer of the show but I've seen quite a few series come and go in my day. Some had plenty of time to wrap up their storyline and send their characters off with the fate they deserved. Others were cancelled way before their time and had to scramble to give the loyal fans some sort of closure. A few even like Veronica Mars didn't even get the chance to say a proper goodbye but atleast handed us a glimpse of what might have been. The Sopranos just cut us off like a bartender who thinks you're too drunk to order another round.



"Come on,what did you want-a big gun fight? Tony getting arrested? Some big whoop-de-do? It ended like that because life doesn't have closure! It was artistic." My answer to that,no,I didn't need to see the Sopranos end with a hail of gunfire or a big arrest or anything like that. It just needed to have some sort of ending,good or bad. This came off as indifferent. Remember that scene in Misery where Annie Wilkes gets all worked up as she tells Paul how the chapter play movie serial had what she felt was a cheat ending? "He didn't get out of the cockadoodie car!" I don't feel as mad as that but I can understand how folks might feel gypped here.

It's particularly annoying,since I know that a open ending to a long running show can be done without totally disappointing your audience. You're not going to make everyone happy,true,but you can do it and still give the longtime fans a good vibe about how things may turn out for the characters. Here are some prime examples:

Buffy The Vampire Slayer's So Long to Sunnydale



Angel's Final Fight



Gilmore Girls' Bon Voyage



So,while Sopranos fans may debate over how things turned out,one thing is definately clear-if David Chase's intent was to leave people talking about the show,he truly succeeded.

After visiting Hostel Part II,it's a relief to be Knocked Up

I just got back from one of my local multiplexes after viewing one of the oddest double features in a long while: Hostel,Part II and Knocked Up. Yup,two great tastes that taste weird together,like peanut butter and sushi."But Lady T,you said that you weren't going to see Hostel II!",some of you are exclaiming at this moment. Let me explain. My younger sister INSISTED that I go to Hostel II with her and she threw me a bone by offering Knocked Up as well. Since we both wanted to see Knocked Up(a movie that I had some early doubts on) and to keep the domestic peace,I gave in. Never underestimate the persuasive powers of younger siblings,folks.




So,how was Hostel 2? Not as grueling as I expected but not as intense as the first film by far. This time out,the script adds a little depth by giving the audience more info on the sinister Hunting Club that sets up young and gulliable tourists to be auctioned off to wealthy clients looking to enjoy some private slice and dice.

While the actors give it a game go and you want to see these gals be spared the horror that awaits them,it's all too easy to play connect the dots with the plot. I could tell who was going to live,die and get their comeuppence within the first hour. The budget for Hostel II was clearly bigger than the one for the original and some of that sleekness carries over to the whole story. Check out this pursuit scene and see if you agree that it would fit into just about any other big studio scare flick(don't worry,it's not bloody,I promise):



I saw the first Hostel on DVD and one of it's strengths was the raw gritty nature of both the story and the setting. Nothing wrong with giving Eli Roth some more cash to work with,but I felt very disconnected to this film and the characters. Atleast with the first one,there was this wild unpredictablity,a Joe Bob Briggs'"Anyone can die at anytime" vibe going on which jacks up the viewer and had you rooting for the poor suckers to escape. Here,the only time I had any tension while watching this movie was a rather disturbing scene where a band of robber children were being menanced with a gun being pointed at them one by one. This was done to set up another payback moment later on,but it left a sour taste in my mouth.

There is some nasty stuff that does happen to people,but again,in such a polished stylized way that it was more like watching a music video than spying a real nightmare in progress. I'm sure this movie will do very well and probaly bring us a Hostel 3 by this time next year(or sooner)but by then,I will take a firmer stand and really mean it when I just say no. Fans of the first film won't be disappointed but compared to the Saw films,Hostel Part II gets a two star rating in my travel guide.



When I first saw some of the ads for Knocked Up,it seemed like it was going to attempt to ape the success of the 40 Year Old Virgin by saying"Hey,we made that movie and you're gonna like this one because just our presence here makes it funny!" I went thru that with the Farrelly Bros(I must be the only one around who didn't think Something About Mary was hilarious. I laughed once during that film,once.)and was harding up my funny bone against this.

Was I ever wrong,and in a good way. Knocked Up lives up to every other positive review about it and then some. Judd Apatow is not only a great writer and director,he knows how to pull a good ensemble cast together that caps off the comedy like a well oiled machine. You can't even fault him for casting his wife in the movie because Leslie Mann is flat out brilliant in bitch mode:





Unlike Hostel II,I was actually engrossed in the characters and their various plights thru out the story. I felt bad for them,cheered some on and got mad at a couple of them(Leslie Mann's character,Debbie,is really hard to live with). Seth Rogan made one hell of a leading man,a truly believable Everyman that pretty much had some character growth without making a huge production number out of it. Both men and women get a fair shake in this tale of what to do when you wind up with pregnant with someone you've only met once. There's some real truths about marriage and relationships that hits home and makes the jokes that much funnier.




I've been to some strange double features before;one time,I saw Hellraiser III and Bob Roberts back to back. Bob Roberts was scarier than Pinhead,which is saying something there. Here,the original film truimphed over the sequel. Yes,I know that Rebecca Ekler is claiming that KU is a rip-off from her memoir but I'm going with presumed innocence towards Judd Apatow until further evidence.



Hard to compare a comedy with a horror film,but once again the comedy was more on target emotionally and I think that the audience for Knocked Up had a better time today than the Hostel II crowd. Bob Roberts is a pretty dated film nowadays but fortunatly,that won't be the case for Knocked Up. For those about to mock,we salute you!

Top Chef All Stars,Hell's Kitchen opens up for business and The Riches' season finale

As a prelude to Season 3,Bravo gave us a showdown between the earlier contestants of Top Chef in a Four Star All Stars challenge,granting the winning team $20,000 for the charity of their choice. Season One was represented by Harold(who won that time and is still quite the looker),Tiffani,Dave and Stephen. Season Two's team was made up of Ilan(the sneaky snarkboy winner),Elia,Sam and Marcel. A Quickfire challenge was held to decide who would be the team captains and it was a doozy. Everyone had to cook two eggs in ten minutes,with one hand behind their back. I am not kidding,folks. All of the chefs had to put one hand in an oven mitt and literally keep them behind their backs as they prepared their egg dishes.


Marcel and Stephen were declared the winners(Marcel used a saffron foam in his dish as a little jib to Ilan there,so his mini victory was sweet)and Season One recieved an extra $100 dollars for the Final Challenge,which was a four course protein meal. The meats they had to use were lobster,scallops,duck and kobe beef. The meal was judged not only by the regular TC panel(with new member Ted Allen),but with input from the new chefs about to compete in Season Three.



Ilan and Harold wound up going head to head with the duck dishes and while Harold's was deemed to feel "imcomplete",it was certainly better than the half assed plate of Ilan's,which was screwing up while he was making it and had to do a hasty improv to finish it. Also,Ilan's duck was well done,which is not good tasting duck from what I understand. Marcel and Stephen had a lobster battle,and yes,Marcel used a foam and a gelee that melted on the plate. Marcel even served up the foam by hand,going from table to table with this huge dispenser. Elia beat Dave out with her duet of scallops and Tiffani whipped Sam's butt on the kobe beef(she seemed less bitchy here,good for her).




When it came down to it,Season One was declared the winner and the money went to the Susan G Komen for the cure(breast cancer)charity. Congrats,guys! As for Season Two-Marcel,it's obvious that Ilan's win is still bugging you and while I don't fully blame you for that,you need to chill. Getting cocky with the Season One crew looks bad on you,my friend. Ilan and Elia,what is up with your hair? Elia's looked like a shredded pina colada and Ilan,that shaved design thing on your sides was damn goofy. Maybe the two of you should head over to Shear Design for a makeover.



Hell's Kitchen got off to a fiery start,as Gordon Ramsey had his new batch of chefs whip up their signature dishes(very few pleased him)and then divided the teams into boys(Blue) vs. girls(Red). The girls were either fighting or ignoring each other,particlarly Julia. I couldn't figure out what most of these gals had against Julia,who only wanted to help but was being shut out until GR was appealed to. Turns out that since she used to work at a waffle house,certain people didn't think that Julia was good enough to be there. What nonsense,especially when Julia was the only one who could cook the quail eggs for the appetizer,which all of the others kept screwing up! Guess that waffle house experience paid off there,huh,ladies?

The fellas were having trouble,too as Aaron couldn't turn off the waterworks(that man gets more emotional than me on a PMS bender)and took himself off of the line during the dinner service. Vinnie did himself no favors as he mouthed off to Chef Ramsey more than once. The Blue Team managed to do somewhat better than the Red,so one of the ladies was selected to be kicked off. Tiffani(who bad mouthed Julia)was given her walking papers and good riddance. If I went to Hell's Kitchen with some friends,it would be more for the entertainment value than the food:






The Riches finished up their first season with quite a cliffhanger as the Malloy clan tries to flee Eden Falls before whiny Pete(well played by Mark Linn-Baker)wakes up to blow the whole deal. Pete's running into Dale(who now knows the real deal)may mean that he doesn't show up for Season Two. The Riches will be getting another season,and I'm glad of that. This was a fun and interesting show that I hope will continue to grow in depth and audience members. Check out some of these clips to whet your appetite:

DAHLIA'S IDEA OF DENTAL HYGENE



DAHLIA DISCOVERS THE RICHE'S RELIGION



Random Notes:

The MTV Movie Awards: The show was great this year,and please keep doing it live! Yes, Sarah Silverman made a Paris Hilton joke while poor little Paris was in the audience and no,I don't feel sorry for her. Sarah ripped on Jack Nicholson,who was there also(and pretty drunk looking to me)and he took it in stride. Here are a few other highlights of the show:

BEST KISS



SARAH'S MOVIE MONTAGE BIT



AMY WINEHOUSE PERFORMS



OKAY,HERE'S THE PARIS JOKE

Viewing That Thing You Do!'s DVD Director's Cut

Recently,I got a chance to check out the special edition DVD of That Thing You Do!,which originally came out in 1996 and is best known for two things:Tom Hanks wrote and directed it(also cast himself in a key supporting role)and that the name of his production company,Playtone,came from this movie. I remember seeing TTYD when it was in theaters and it was a nice little film that showcased some great music ,so I was eager to see what had been done here.

The new edition is a two disc one,with the original cut of the movie and a expanded version both available for your viewing pleasure. The director's cut is about a half hour longer and while some of the extra scenes highlight more of Charlize Theron's character drifting further away from her boyfriend Guy(Tom Everett Scott)into the arms of a local hunky dentist,most of what's added isn't really neccessary. It's cool to have both versions available for compare and contrast,plus the letterboxing is sweet. I'm a sucker for widescreen and it is done well here.



The movie itself is a great tribute to the American music scene of the early sixties,when the British invasion was still just getting started and pop groups were encouraged to wear suits and ties as they performed. All of the music used was written for the film and a soundtrack album was released as well. I had a cassette single of a couple of the songs(back in Ye Olde Days before Ipods conquered the earth). They're really cool songs that feel so right:



It's also a good rise and fall story of a one hit wonder band,ironically named The Wonders(better than the "O-neders",in my opinion),who wind up being the hot new sensation in the music biz only to slowly fall apart at the seams before they can even record a full album. Part of the fun is watching the characters' growing excitement at their new found success,each step of the way:





Disc Two has a number of featurettes,including a reunion of some of actors in the film: Jonathan Schech,Tom Everett Scott,Charlize Theron,Ethan Embry and Steve Zahn. I wish Liv Tyler(who played Faye,the pivotal love interest in the movie)had been there along with Tom Hanks but it still is fun to see most of the old gang back together. They clearly had a blast making the movie and seeing all of them in grown up scruffy mode is amusing. Some of the featurettes are old(like HBO's First Look)but some are a mix of old and new footage,such as a look back at promoting TTYD in Japan. Diehard fans of the movie will appreciate these best.



So,is it worth it to add this DVD to your collection? In my opinion,you should do so if you don't already own a copy of TTYD and if you're a huge fan of the movie. Tom Hanks did a great job of creating a good visual story about something he truly loves and it's worth sharing with others. Up and coming musicians should take a few notes here about how fickle fame can be and being in the business because you love doing that thing you do:

Oprah's new summer selection may be Middlesex

Word on the street(the Publisher's Weekly street,that is) has Oprah picking Pulitzer Prize winning novel Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides as her book club's summer reading. Book Expo buzz from the many booksellers attending said that Picador had shipped them cartons of the paperback edition and asked them not to open the boxes until after the show airs today(Cormac McCarthy's big appearance is scheduled for today,too).




I have very fond memories of Middlesex-at my first trip to BEA,the first galley that I grabbed was the Eugenides novel. It had been written up in the Times as one of the more promising titles to be showcased there and I adored the cover art,which was beautifully evocative and yet,gave no hint of what was to follow. The paperback editions have decent covers,too,but I still prefer the original.

So,what is the book about? It's the story of Calliope,the child of Greek immigrants who is raised as a girl for many years in Detroit until a couple of key moments in her teens brings about the discovery that she is both boy and girl. How Cal deals with this and the family history that may or may not have contributed to his/her condition makes up the heart of the story. Eugenides is also known as the author of The Virgin Suicides,which Sophia Coppola used to first test the waters as a film director. I didn't read TVS or see the film,but I've heard nothing but good things about both versions.

I can see why Oprah would want to pick Middlesex-it's smart,well written and has not only the troubled family angle that she seems drawn to with her reading but the book also touches on an immigrant's journey to America(a hot button topic of the moment).The fact that it's a Pulitzer winner only adds a cherry on top of the Summer Reading Sundae here.

My only regret is that she didn't pick a more recent release. I fully understand that the need to choose a paperback is important;back in my bookselling days,folks would be furious if the new Oprah book was a hardcover. "They're supposed to be paperbacks!" grumbled the irked souls who didn't want to shell out $25(and I worked at an indie store,which meant no instant discount) for the hardbound edition. Some didn't mind,of course,but paperbacks are key in the summer time,for vacationers to be able to slip in their suitcases and beach bags.



And there are some good books about to,or just out in paperback that could use a big Oprah push,like Sara Gruen's Water For Elephants or Carolyn Parkhurst's Lost and Found. There are also plenty of paperbacks originals to choose from as well. A fella named Pete Jordan wrote a book about his experiences as a wandering dishwasher in nearly every state in the US called Dishwasher(what else?),which has been getting great reviews and even a featured article in the NYT. Imagine a guy like that on Oprah,now that would be a good show!

But,atleast Oprah is reading fiction again and choosing really good books,so we should be happy about that. Middlesex is a marvellous book and if more readers can get to discover it due to her,that makes it all worth it.

Third time was definately the charm for me at BEA '07

This was my third visit to Book Expo America,and it felt like the best one that I have attended yet. Yes,it was hot and crowded at the Javits(when is it not hot and crowded there?)but certainly much more easy to get around on the floor than the NYC Comic Con.I may not have gotten every book or seen every booth that I intended to,but I did find plenty of goodies,met a few folk that I've only spoken with via e-mail and found a few surprises along the way.



Let's start with the books-I not only met author Min Jin Lee at the blogger panel I went to(more on that in a moment)but was introduced to a good friend of hers,Kim Sunee. Kim is a journalist and founding food editor of Cottage Living,who is coming out with a memoir in January '08,called Trail of Crumbs:Hunger,Love and the Search for Home. She talks about the many places she's had to call home,from being left at the age of three in a Korean marketplace to being adopted by a family in New Orleans and later moving to France to be with her lover and being stepmother to his eight year old daughter. After meeting Kim,I just had to get a copy of her book and I'm so looking forward to reading it and learning more about this nice person that I was lucky enough to meet thru another sweet person,Min Jin Lee.



Lorna Landvik was signing advance copies of her new book for September,The View From Mount Joy,at the Random House booth and I was bold enough to give her one of my shiny new business cards. I've always liked her books,starting with Patty Jane's House of Curls and one of my favorites of hers is The Tall Pine Polka. Lorna's books are like a nice cup of tea,something great to curl up with and just enjoy. I did hit her up for an interview(hope she didn't feel put on the spot there)but if that doesn't happen,I still do intend to review VFMJ this fall.

Other good books that I found include two novels from Algonquin: Swim to Me by Betsy Carter(August) and An Arsonist's Guide to Writer's Homes in New England by Brock Clarke(September). Arsonist's Guide tells the story of Sam Pulsifer,who is being accused of a spree of set fires to famous writers' houses,due to having accidently burned down Emily Dickinson's house in his teens,and must find the real culprit to clear his name. Swim To Me has Delores Walker running away from her feuding family in the Bronx to become a mermaid at Weeki Wachee Springs down in the Gulf Coast of Florida. Weeki Wachee is falling upon hard times,having to compete with Disney World and such but perhaps Delores will still be able to fulfill her dream of being one of the Live Mermaids.



I also picked up a young adult novel from HarperCollin's teen division called The Luxe by Anna Godbersen(November),handed out by a young lady wearing the exact same dress as the girl on the cover. The Luxe is set in NYC during the year 1899 and is described on the back cover as "Gossip Girl meets the Gilded Age." We'll see about that. I missed seeing A. J. Jacobs but did bring home a copy of A Year of Living Biblically,which will be out in October(those pictures of him with his various stages of beardhood are too funny for words).




Alice Sebold's The Almost Moon(October) was another lucky grab for me and the opening sentence of the book is a grabber as well-" When all is said and done,killing my mother came easily." Now if that line doesn't make you sit up and pay attention,I don't know what will! Jennifer Donnelly's The Winter Rose(January '08) gave me an extra bonus,as it is the second book in a trilogy and I happened to have a copy of her earlier one,Tea Rose,in one of my TBR piles. Now I have no excuse but to read them!



Another new series is Jennifer Rardin's Jaz Parks,who is an assistant vampire assassin for the CIA. She begins her adventures with Once Bitten,Twice Shy in October and has two follow-ups planned to be out by December of this year and February of next. I also found a paranormal novel written by three authors-Jennifer Crusie,Anne Stuart and Eileen Dreyer-called The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes. UMF has three sisters with magical powers who are being romanced by gents sent by their aunt to strip them of their skills. Sounds like a fun read there,plus it came with it's own bookmark. Specially made bookmarks are great little giveaways.



The panel that I went to was called "Blogs: Is Their Growing Influence a Tastemakers Dilemma? The Crossover Hurdle" that was hosted by Bud Parr. The panel was made of three bloggers(James Marcus,Anne Fernald, and Lizzie Skurnick) and Dwight Garner from the NY Times. Edward Champion gives a much more detailed and better review of the discussion than I can(and my apologies to him for using one of his pictures but I wasn't smart enought to bring a camera.)but I can say that it was a good talk about what blogs can and are doing at the moment to promote reading and open mindedness. Naturally,the ongoing feud between online and print reviewers came up,with most everyone there hoping that we could get beyond that and work together. I asked the panel(in a very rambling way,I'm afraid)about why writers felt the need to fight like Jerry Springer guests and brought up the Chick Lit vs. Lit Chicks fracas from last year. The response I recieved was good,but I wish that I had sounded as smart as Jessica Stockton,aka Book Nerd,who made a good point about who the real enemy was in this debate.



The best part of the panel was sitting with Min Jin Lee,who sent me a lovely e-mail thanking me for my review of Free Food For Millionaires. She is a truly good natured soul who was kind enough to sign my copy of FFFM,that I had brought with me. This may sound sappy,but after hearing so many stories about how artists are not nice people in real life,it's great to find one that is an exception to the rule. If you happen to see a copy of FFFM somewhere and wonder if you should take a chance on it,just remember that the author was cool enough to treat a regular blogger gal like me as a dear friend.

And finally,while I didn't get to grab one of those awesome Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows tote bags,I did get to board the Knight Bus. Scholastic is sending out it's own version of the HP3 purple machine to tour several states and visit libraries as part of their big promo for the last book. Folks who went to the Scholastic booth and recieved special wristbands were allowed to look inside and record a 30 minute message about Harry Potter for their website. I was given a special code to check on my message,which may or not be used in the final cut. Regardless of that,it was very cool to check it out and a fun way to cap off BEA: