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?:
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.
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!
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:
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:
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.
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:
Tomorrow,this blog will be silent(atleast online)due to my attendance at Book Expo America aka BEA. This will be my third time going to BEA and the first time that LRG will be representing itself. Like my fancy business card? The artwork was designed by my talented younger sister,Stephanie,who has her own online comic strip called The Original Nutty Funsters,which you can check out at ComicSpace. It really pays to have an artist in the family.
"What's the big deal with BEA?" some might ask and my answer is" Well,it's just one of the biggest book parties this side of the Western Hemisphere!" Of course,I haven't been to many literary conventions but most agree that BEA is tops. This is the place where the publishing world and those who write,read and promote it gather together to talk shop,meet authors and get some great stuff to take home.
One of the most important things to take with you to BEA is a tote bag to carry all of the ARCs,posters,pens and other cool giveaway items that are eagerly handed out from numerous booths on the Exhibition floor. The first time that I went,there weren't alot of bags available for folks but a couple of years later, you couldn't walk about two feet without someone offering you a nice bag promoting a great new book.
There are author signings,for both new and established writers both at their publisher's booth or in a special section. I was hoping to meet Jennifer Weiner,who is still on the scheldule but from reading her blog,I discovered that she's sick and won't be able to attend. She says it's not serious but I do hope she gets better soon. I also hope to meet A.J. Jacobs,who will be promoting his upcoming fall title,The Year of Living Biblically. He gave me a great interview for his earlier book,The Know It All, and maybe I can get him to do another one for his new one.
Other hot titles being promoted will include Richard Russo's Bridge Of Sighs,Alice Sebold's The Oldest Monday, The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perotta and Stephen Colbert's I Am America And So Can You(Colbert will also be speaking at a Special Events Breakfast). And no,there will not be any advance copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows available but there will probaly be a nice bag or poster to grab up at the Scholastic booth. A good friend of Robin Brande's will be attending BEA as well,Barry Lyga,who is not only coming out with a new YA novel, Boy Toy, but has just signed an option to turn his very successful book,The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl,into a movie. Hope I get to run into him,maybe some of his good luck will rub off on me!
There will be a number of panel sessions,talking about the state of the book industry today. I plan to attend atleast one of them,called Blogs: Is Their Growing Influence a Tastemaker's Dilemma? Considering all of the online buzz about print vs. online book reviews lately,this should be quite a gathering. I hope to meet and greet some of my fellow bloggers and other interested parties here. C-Span usually covers BEA and most of the big events there,so you can watch and see from the comfort of your couch all of the hectic fun.
If you want to know more about BEA online,just click the title link above to check out the official website,which has a couple of blogs and a podcast in the works. Since I'm only going to be at BEA on Friday(got a family event to show up at over the weekend),I might report on Saturday how my day went. If I don't have the energy(it'll be hot and humid tomorrow,according to the Weather Channel),then I will update everyone on Monday. Another fun way to get a good idea of what BEA is like is to read the "What Would Dewey Do?" special edition comic at Overdue Media,home of the library comic strip,Unshelved. You'll need Abode Acrobat Reader to see it,but it's worth it. Until next time,true believers!
Tonight,the Shear Genius finale will be on,crowning one of our three stylists the winner. While I'm still rooting for Daisy(I adored the Marie Antoinette Wedding look she did on the first episode),Anthony is wonderful,too. Ben's a real wild card but he does have that knack for pulling off a great hair style at the last minute,which we saw last week at his photo shoot.
Shear Genius has been alot of fun to watch and I hope that they get another season. It's certainly been more good natured than some of the other reality competition shows(even with the Tabatha/Tyson feud) and much more creative than you might have expected. The Final Challenge for the Final Three looks like it's going to be one hell of a hair show. As the Bravo ads always say,"Watch what happens!"
Speaking of watching,now that most of the regular TV season has wound down,what is there to look forward to,besides reruns? Well,quite a few things,actually. Instead of my usual Thursday Tv round-up,today I'll give everyone a preview of some of the summer viewing that I'll be checking and writing up for the blog. I'll be doing something big on Friday(which I'll expand more space on tommorrow),which means there's no time like the present to get this party started:
HOT TIMES IN THE KITCHEN
Top Chef returns for a third season,this time taking place in Miami. Host Padma will still be on,along with Judge Tom and Gail. Ted Allen,who was a great guest judge last season,will be a regular panel member as well. I'm happy to see Ted join the show(I was one of many who signed an online petition to keep him there)and hope that we don't get as nasty of a feud as the Marcel/Ilan deal that happened last time. I enjoy a good row but not to the point that it went to,with Marcel getting jumped.
Speaking of Marcel and Ilan,we'll being seeing both of those boys again,having to work together for Top Chef All Stars. TCAS will have the casts of Season 1 and Season 2 having a cook-off to see who really knows their way around the cutting board. This should be interesting,especially after Ilan's dissing of previous TC winner,Harold:
Not cool,Ilan! We will see who has the bigger knife soon enough. Top Chef:Miami begins on June 13 and Top Chef All Stars starts on June 6.
Beginning next Monday is another hot cooking competition-Season 3 of Hell's Kitchen with Gordon Ramsey as the culinary curse word king,who chops up the unworthy like scallions. HK is sort of the boot camp version of TC and while Gordon may just seem to be mean,he does know what he's talking about when it comes to top notch restaurant service. Here's a compilation of clips from Season Two that should give those who have never seen the show before a real good idea of what to expect:
RETURNING SERIES
The 4400 will be back June 17,launching Season Four of the show and hopefully getting some answers to the questions left at the end of the last one. Now that Isabel has been rendered powerless,is she still a threat to the world? Why was Alaina taken and will she be back? The big focus this time around is Jordin Collier,who wants more and more people to try Promicin,the wonder drug created last season that could either give you extrordinary power or kill you instantly. USA has a nifty little online campaign going,with pro and con Promicin ads that are all too realistic:
PROMICIN POWER
PROMICIN TERROR
Rescue Me returns on June 13 and while Tommy seems to have survived the house fire he was trapped in,it looks like he's going to have a lot of explaining to do:
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia will be back,too and after seeing Kaitlin Olsen on The Riches this season,I'm even more hyped up than Charlie is about America to watch the new season:
THE STARTER WIFE
While I haven't read the Gigi Levangie Grazer novel or been a big fan of Debra Messing,I want to give The Starter Wife a shot. It looks like the video version of a summer beach read and with a great cast made up of Judy Davis,Joe Mantegna and Miranda Otto,this should be fun indeed:
The two hour premiere is on tomorrow night at 9:00 and I intend to enjoy it to the fullest. With all of this potential goodness piled on my plate,looks like a night in front of the TV won't be a wash out after all.
One of the new dramas debuting on CBS this fall will be Moonlight,a vampire P.I. saga starring Alex O'Loughlin as Mick St, John who was turned into a vampire on his wedding night and 60 years later,is using his powers for good instead of evil. Naturally,we have a female protagonist to whom our dark hero is attracted to,yet is not sure about revealing his true nature to her. In some ways,we've seen this all before but there's something abit more to this premise here. Maybe I'm just seeing this promo thru rose colored glasses(or blood stained,if you will):
I'm very forgiving of the vampire genre in films and TV,except for certain things like vampires having kids(Angel's offspring with Darla was an exception to that rule,even tho Connor was damn annoying at times.)or animals being turned into vamps,such as in Blade:Trinity(of course,there were plenty of worse things about that movie,such as Ryan Reynolds's rapid fire profanities that would make the drill sarge from Full Metal Jacket blush and Parker Posey's hideous hair and wardrobe choices). Regardless of whatever form the vampire chooses to take onscreen,I find myself drawn to checking it out atleast once.
It all started with Frank Langella-in 1979,he appeared in yet another version of Dracula(after a successfull run on Broadway). I wound up seeing the movie on TV but really wanted to watch it when it was in theaters(I remember cutting out a huge newspaper ad for the film that listed all of these "vampire rules" on it and saving it for months afterwards).
Like many other Drac films,it's a mix of gothic romance and horror which had me rooting for the Count to get Lucy at the end. Like so many Dracula films before,they came close but no cigar. Langella's haunting prescence in that role imprinted on me what a vampire lover was and should be;mesmorizing, verbally elegant,scary and extremely sexy(whoa,getting too hot in here,perhaps I should loose my buttons like poor Mina does in this clip):
Yes, some of my vampire interest is shallow but hey,we all have our hang-ups. Mine just happens to be fellas with fangs. It's not the only reason that vampires intrigue me;in some ways,they're more frightening than a zombie or a werewolf. While you can pretty much spot a zombie by their rotting appearance and slow moves,vampires usually hold back their bloodsucker face until they're ready to pounce.
Werewolves aren't easy to detect in human form but once they change,they're alot like blackout drunks. They wake up the next morning in strange locations,naked and confused about what they did the other night. Vampires can be anybody. The mythos has expanded to the point where it's not just a metaphor about aristocrats feeding off the peasants and naive foreigners. Tons of other topics have been added to the mix such as the obsession to keep a youthful appearance despite growing older,fear of death,AIDS,being gay,having an identity crisis and adjusting to modern life.
In the end,I still like my vampires to have romantic or atleast seductive qualities about them. From Langella's Dracula to James Marsters' Spike and currently Kyle Schmid as Henry Fitzroy in Bloodties,those undead dreamboats will always find my pulse pounding in their prescence. Let me finish this off with one of my favorite vampric dance scenes,where Jerry Dandridge lures Amy onto the disco floor in Fright Night. Watch out for the mirror bit:
I know that today's a holiday,so most people are taking time off from the internet but I'm afraid that I've been thinking(a dangerous pastime,I know!)about a few pop culture news items buzzing about the media and this seems like a good time to clean up my mental clutter. Not all of us can have such great Thinking Blogs like Bookseller Chick, or Robin Brande, or even Diva Knows Best and Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Novels ,plus The Written Nerd but we all need something to aspire to.
So,here's what is rattling around in the bottom of my brain pan:
PARIS HILTON GOING TO JAIL
Yep,the pin-up girl for Spoiled Sleazy Rich Kids is going to have to do some time in the Big House next month and even if her sentence is only 23 days(cut down from 45 for "good behavior"-how can you get time off from good behavior if you haven't served any time yet?),it still should be a valuable life lesson for her. In fact,I think she should be realizing several important facts of life,such as it's a good idea to read your own mail,drinking and driving is not necessary when you can afford to hire a driver and being rude to the cops gets you nowhere:
Also,don't be shy about making new friends while in the stir. Sure,you'll be known as "Fish" at first but that changes after two weeks:
ROSIE O'DONNELL LEAVING THE VIEW
I don't watch The View but like the rest of America,I've been keeping track of the ongoing Rosie feuds and fusses. She was planning to leave the show in June but after her big fight with Elizabeth Hasselbeck on May 23,Rosie decided to depart much earlier. Talk about the shot heard around the world,that was nothing compared to this! The Rosie Vs. Elizabeth Fight has become one of the most talked about media events of the season:
ROUND ONE
ROUND TWO
Ignoring all the politics being bandied about,to me,the heart of the issue is that Rosie was mad at Elizabeth for supposedly not defending her comments in public and that certain members of the media make her look like the bad guy compared to Elizabeth. First off,just because you work with someone,that doesn't mean that they are your friend. You may feel that way but it's not always the case. Sometimes,they are but many times,they're just putting up with you to get the job done and vice versa.
Second,from what I've seen from a distance,Elizabeth has been bullied quite abit by both Rosie and Joy Behar,who insist on shouting her down and not letting her speak her mind. Naturally,Elizabeth got sick and tired of this and finally gave Rosie what for. Elizabeth has just as much right to voice her opinion as any other host or guest on that show and it's not a sign of maturity to squash an opposing opinion. I remember hearing at one point(on an earlier episode) that either Rosie or Joy tried to belittle Elizabeth by saying to her"You don't know any better,you're too young." or words to that effect. Ageism is not cool from anybody;I've had people say to me and I'm a grown woman. As Paul Williams once sang,some grow wiser and some just get older. That's the hell of it.
So,who was right here? I'm leaning more towards Elizabeth,simply because Rosie,in my opinion,has the probelm that many comedians and actors have when they speak about politics;they can't handle the give and take of debates. Comedians in particular,due to the format in which they work-standing up on stage,speaking in monolouge and getting laughs or groans from the audience. It's very much a one way street here and any discourse can be seen as shouts from a heckler. If you're going to take a stand on anything,you have to be prepared to defend your own viewpoint on your own and let any opposing speaker have their say before you respond back at them. What Elizabeth seemed to be saying was that"instead of me interpreting you to others,you should speak directly to those folks so that your meaning is clear." Sounds right to me.
Rosie will get another gig somewhere else and The View will find a new host,so this isn't the end of anyone's career. I do think that Rosie should've come back and perhaps try to make peace with Elizabeth before leaving for good. She looks like a playground bully doesn't want to hang around now that someone stood up to her. Well,atleast we got some entertainment value out of this. Not the best kind,but some nonetheless.
ANOTHER HE MAN MOVIE MAY BE UPON US
Due to the interest in the upcoming Transformers movie,plans are under way to make a new He Man and The Masters of the Universe film. No one has been cast yet but Joel Silver is the producer and the f/x are said to be done as elaborately as they were for 300. Oh,boy. I don't know,guys,while the Transformers movie might be better than expected,He Man only inspires pitiful sighs from me. A film version was made in 1987 and while it is fit fodder for MST3K,it's hard to imagine a remake being any better. Consider the source material,folks. Don't get me wrong,I liked the original cartoon(and She-Ra as well) but some animated series should not be turned into live action films. Besides,who else can follow in Frank Langella's footsteps as Skeletor?
Ok,everyone,that's all for now. Have a great Memorial Day and for your viewing pleasure,check out this trailer for Superbad,due out this August. This is the "red band" trailer for the movie that's only available online,which is abit more raw than the one that's currently playing in theaters:
Afternoons With Emily starts off with introducing us to Miranda Chase,living first in Boston during the mid 1800s,a lonely little girl ignored by her sickly mother and scholarly father. After her mother's death from consumption,Miranda's father decides to take them both to visit friends in Barbados,hoping that Miranda will not share her mother's illness. The trip is a literal breath of fresh air for them both,as Miranda's mind and body are encouraged to embrace life and her father is able to truly connect to his child.
They move back to the States,this time settling into the town of Amherst,where Professor Chase gains a teaching position at the local college and Miranda gets to know her widowed Aunt Helen and Cousin Kate. Miranda grows up,striving to fit in yet can not abandon her own individual and intellectual notions. When she expresses a preference for the gods of Greek mythology rather than Christianity to a local elder, one of the results is an invitation to the home of Emily Dickinson,local recluse and self proclaimed rebel of one of the most influential families in Amherst.
Miranda's friendship with Emily takes many different twists and turns thru out the years;at first,Emily is one of many mentors that inspire her to read and think more outside of the box that Amherst society has set for women. Soon,Miranda is contacted by Emily's sister-in-law and former best friend Susan,to be on the look out for any strange behavior or flights of fancy that may lead to harming Emily's reputation. Emily is prone to overromanticising her relationships with others,especially in her letter writing which can easily cause misunderstandings. Miranda is alert enough to see this as well as realizing that Emily sees her as a captive audience,rather than an equal to challenge her.
Regardless,Miranda's friendship with Emily stays strong as Miranda's dreams and ambitions take her forward in life and love. Even when she becomes impatient with Emily's refusal to deal with the world around her as the Civil War is raging(and Miranda's fiance one of the many soldiers out in the battlefield),she and Emily still support and look out for one another. There are some things,however,that Miranda must and can face on her own.
One of the best things about this book is that it's Miranda's story from beginning to end. While Emily Dickinson is a strong and vibrant(not to mention at times infuriating)character,this is more of a story about a smart,unconventional young woman who happens to have Dickinson as one of her friends rather than a Mary Sue who only lives to worship at the legend's feet. Miranda's world is well depicted and filled with many folk whose attitudes and desires seem to accurately reflect those held during the mid 19th century. Afternoons With Emily is a elegantly sturdy read,not to be rushed thru by any means. This is the type of book that is meant to be savored slowly and sweetly,as you relax on a porch swing or favorite indoor chair,drinking in all of the lovely literary goodness.
My only regret here is that we won't be getting another book from Rose MacMurray. She passed away in 1997,after spending years working on this novel and researching the life of Emily Dickinson. Her family and friends were determined to get AWE published to not only honor her memory but to share her talent for words with others. Her daughter,Adelaide MacMurray Aitken,wrote a beautiful and moving tribute to her mother and her labor of love that you can read at the Hachette website(please click the title link above).
Afternoons With Emily should not be seen as a family memorial,it should be,and comes across as,a call to arms for folks to not be afraid of their dreams and live life to the fullest. AWE is a true gem that deserves to be treasured in any happy reader's library.
Shear Genius is getting close to the finish line,and the Final Four stylists were Anthony,Daisy,Ben and Dr. Boogie. They were eager and abit nervous for their Shortcut Challenge,which was to straighten African-American hair:
Dr. Boogie was the only one to use chemical relaxers and while it did help straighten the hair,the guest judge, Kiyah White, was not pleased with the hair style he gave his client,saying it made her look too old. Anthony won the challenge,which gave him first choice of look for the Elimination round and to also hand out the rest of the assignments to his fellow stylists. This week,they had to design hair for a professional photo shoot,with celebrity photographer Matthew Rolston.
The four looks that they had to create were: Sex Kitten/Wet Hair(Daisy),Rebel Rocker/Vertical Hair(Ben),Diva Star/Lighter than Air(Dr.Boogie) and Retro Glamour Girl/Horizonal Hair(Anthony). Anthony had a real hard time with his photo shoot,since it was important that the model's roots be concealed and it took extra time for him to fix it during the shoot. He managed to make it work,but it cost him sone points during the judging.
Daisy,however,rocked the place with her successfull wet and wild look. She and Ben(who had to pull off his rocker girl look pretty much at the last minute)were the Top Two and instantly in the finals. Daisy was named the overall winner,and she really deserved it. Her work has been consistant thru out the competition and she's such a sweetie! I'm rooting for her to win,but do love Anthony as well.
Alas,Dr. Boogie,we knew you well. As much as I dig his crazy antics,his ego sandbagged him here,with his constant interruptions to fiddle endless with the model's hair. She was supposed to have "lighter than air" but all of the weaves the good Doctor put in weighed the hair down. My father once told that with art,you have to know when to stop and leave it be. Dr. Boogie proved that point here.
So,we have Anthony,Daisy and Ben for the Finale,which will be next week. On the Shear Genius reunion special,most of the ousted stylists picked either Anthony or Daisy to be the winner. No love for Ben! Actually,it is really anyone's game here but I do wish that my girl Tabatha had made it to the end game.
Atleast she won the Bravo Fan Favorite contest and recieved a sweet ten grand for her troubles. She also got her own special phrase,"Tatitude"(that should look great on a T shirt)and Tyson said she was the "best number 11(on a scale of 1 to 10)bitch" he ever worked with. High praise,indeed! Everyone seemed to have a good sense of humor and fun about the whole show,which means we may get a season two. Let's keep our fingers crossed,shall we? I know I will!
Jordin Sparks was the winner on American Idol and the universe was put back in order once again. Most folks were betting on her to win after Blake did his beatboxing best to sing the finale song but it was clearly meant for someone capable of pulling off a power ballad. The finale show had the usual jokes about itself(a little of Margaret Fowler goes a long way) and some nice performances(Gwen Stefani and Bette Midler were my favorites)but couldn't go without subjecting us to one more Sanjaya number. Any way,it's all over for now and congrats to Jordin:
THIS IS HER NOW
JORDIN'S TURNING POINT
The last two episodes of Veronica Mars aired on Tuesday and while they were great season enders,I don't feel that they were a good way to let the series end. Obviously,Rob Thomas and company were hoping for a season four(which they and the fans of the show deserve)and the set-up looked promising. Vinnie Van Lowe possibly becoming the new sheriff,Keith going up on corruption charges,Dick having a mini meltdown over how he treated his brother(and actually apologizing to someone!)and a return appearance by Jake Kane. *Sigh* Perhaps that pilot episode of Veronica working at the FBI that they filmed and were considering go with will be put on DVD. We did at the very least,get to see Veronica go into major league payback mode once again:
Random Notes
Heroes: Despite some of the fanboy disappointment,the finale kicked some excellant butt and settled quite a few scores,like this one between Sylar and Hiro,who did look badass with that sword:
I also loved the tantilizing teaser for Season two,with Hiro arriving in feudal Japan-the fangirl in me was squealing in delight at that! Word has it that Peter,Nathan and Sylar will be back next season(I'd like to see that explained,thank you very much!)and perhaps the Season One DVD will give us a few hints about what's to come:
Bloodties: Vicki Nelson and friends end their first season well,and no,there's no hookup between Vicki and Henry just yet(they came pretty close there but no cigar). I did like seeing Norman return as a geeked up yet deadly demon(not to mention Vicki and Henry getting to act out of character)and hope he makes another appearance the next time around:
Ugly Betty: My god,how sad was that finale? Betty's dad is stuck in Mexico,Alexis and Daniel are in a major car crash(not smart to be driving your dad's car after putting a hit out on him,Alexis!),Clare breaks out of jail to stop Wilhemina from marrying Bradford,Henry goes back to Tuscon with Charlie(who's probaly carrying another guy's baby!)and poor Santos....having Justin sing the all too eerie West Side Story songs just added more sting to the punch:
