Pop Culture Nerd – Page 17 – Pop Culture Nerd

More Stuff to Watch on Crowded Thursday Nights

I came home just in time to check out two midseason series’ premieres last night, NBC’s Amy Poehler-starrer Parks and Recreation and CBS’s heavily promoted Harper’s Island. Parks has potential, with Poehler being reliably funny as Leslie Knope, the deputy director of the Parks & Recreation Department in Pawnee, Indiana. She’s supported by a capable cast which includes Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, and Nick Offerman. My fave is Ansari, who plays Tom, a department member. I’ve enjoyed his work since his guest stint as the racist (only towards New Zealeanders) fruit vendor in Flight of the Conchords. This guy is so funny and out there; you never know what crazy stuff is gonna come out of his mouth.

Yes, this show is very similar in The Office in style and execution but since Office hasn’t been very funny this season, you might want to check out Parks, or at least the website that was created about Pawnee.

My favorite lines from the show:

“The problem is anything over twenty-five dollars, I have to report. So, um, maybe give my wife a call and give her the suits. And if they don’t fit her, maybe she’ll give them to me.”—Tom (Ansari) talking to someone on the phone.
“These people are members of the community that cares about where they live. What I hear when I’m being yelled at is people caring loudly at me.”—Leslie after a community-outreach meeting.
“Recently, I led a city-wide drive to disinfect the sandbox sand after we had those problems with the cats.” —Leslie proudly discussing some of her recent accomplishments.
“Tom and I…are both outsiders. I’m a woman; he’s a…oh, I think he’s a Libyan.”—Leslie about how well she and Tom work together.

After Parks, I tuned in to Harper’s Island, an entirely different kind of show. If you haven’t heard, the 13-part mystery’s premise is kind of a scripted Survivor crossed with Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. The plot concerns a bunch of people coming to the fictional titular island for a wedding and each week one person gets murdered. You see, seven years ago, six people were killed on the island by a serial killer until the sheriff killed him. Or did he?

So far, there are too many people to keep track of and not many of them are compelling characters yet. There’s lots of ham-fisted, over-the-top, soap opera acting but I must admit, I was totally creeped out by this show. The murder methods were shocking (since this was the pilot, they bumped off two people—how generous!). I’m not a fan of scary movies—I like suspense, not gore; Hitchcock, not Tarantino—but the hour went by fast, I jumped a few times and will tune in again next week.

Nerd Verdicts: Parks has potential and just sit right back and watch the tale on Island

4 Comments

Unplugging from the Culture

Photo © Pop Culture Nerd

I haven’t written in the last few days because this is where I was. Went away for a little R & R in Desert Hot Springs where there’s no phone, TV or Internet, just lots of sun, soaking in hot tubs of mineral spring water and catching up on reading. Ahhhh.

Read a couple books, Jane Hamilton’s (A Map of the World, The Book of Ruth) new one, Laura Rider’s Masterpiece, and the first mystery novel by Lis Wiehl (with April Henry) called Face of Betrayal. Masterpiece started out with a funny first sentence: “Just because Laura Rider had no children didn’t mean her husband was a homosexual, but the people of Hartley, Wisconsin believed he was, and no babies seemed to them proof.” But then it lost me.

None of the lead characters are likable. Laura, who was never a big reader until adulthood, wants to write a romance novel and about all the prep she does is watching Pride & Prejudice, the Keira Knightley version, and buying an ergonomic chair. Oh, and she manipulates her husband in an implausible plot to do “research” for her book. Her husband Charlie is infantile, eating corndogs on a stick and tater tots for dinner and Froot Loops for breakfast, slurping the pink milk. He also believes he was once abducted by aliens. The third person in the triangle is Jenna, a local radio personality who can talk to anyone on her show but can’t seem to communicate with her husband and daughter. I might be a little more sympathetic towards her if she wasn’t such a big hypocrite when it comes to adultery.

I don’t think protagonists have to be perfect; the most interesting characters aren’t. But we must care for them in some way and I didn’t want to root for anyone in this story. The story is supposed to be funny but I was too annoyed by the characters to laugh. They were either clueless or self-obsessed or pretentious and deserved whatever they got.

The other book I finished, Face of Betrayal, also revolved around three lead characters who call themselves the Triple Threat Club. It’s very much like James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club. Three women—an FBI agent, a federal prosecutor, a TV news reporter—meet regularly to dine and trade information to solve murders. The plot, about a young Senate page who goes missing, borrows heavily from the Chandra Levy and Mark Foley cases but adds a twist when it comes to the killer’s identity.

You can argue whether writing a ripped-from-the-headlines story is less creative or more relevant but the end result here is very readable. It may not break new ground in the genre but Wiehl really knows her territories and kept me flipping those pages. She’s a former federal prosecutor who now works as a legal analyst and commentator for Fox News and on The O’Reilly Factor with Bill O’Reilly. Her father was an FBI agent so Wiehl accomplishes the neat trick of writing with authority about each of the three women’s line of work and making them three distinct personalities. (I used to be a TV reporter and her newsroom details really took me back there.) This is the first in a promised series and the book ends with a gripping excerpt of two chapters from the next installment.

Nerd Verdicts: Jane Hamilton’s latest is not a Masterpiece but Lis Wiehl’s Face is compelling

6 Comments

BBC's STATE OF PLAY Left Me in State of Awe

Last year, when I first heard about the cast for the American version of State of Play , I thought, Dang, that script must be really bangin’ to get all those stars to sign up! I mean, Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Robin Wright Penn, Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Jeff Daniels and Helen Mirren are all crammed into this movie. The trailers just look like standard thriller fare so what’s the scoop?

Since the movie is based on a BBC series of the same name, I checked that out last week on DVD. Luckily, I did this on a Saturday. But, unwisely, I popped in the first disc at about 11 p.m., thinking I’d polish off one episode (there are six) before hitting the sheets. Three a.m. and four episodes later, I’m bleary-eyed but still up because from the first frame, this show grabbed me by the throat, threw me up against the wall and kept me hanging. It’s brilliant, really, and I don’t use that word often.

The series is about investigative newspaper reporter Cal McCaffrey, who stumbles upon the most explosive story of his career when an MP’s (member of Parliament) research assistant/lover dies under mysterious circumstances (she may or may not have accidentally fallen onto the tube’s tracks). On the same day across town, a teenager is assassinated in a seemingly drug-related killing. Cal and his fellow staff reporters investigate these stories and find they might be connected. The incidents also have far-reaching implications into the corridors of government and may be too hot for the paper to handle.

The terrific ensemble is led by David Morrissey (Viva Blackpool) as the MP, Stephen Collins; John Simm (the original Sam Tyler in the British version of Life on Mars); Kelly McDonald (No Country for Old Men); Polly Walker (Rome); James McAvoy and the fabulously wry Bill Nighy, who delivers every line with perfection.

After finishing the series, I thought, How is the American version going to top this? How will it cram six hours’ worth of plot—jam-packed every minute with clues and revelations and surprise twists— into two? But the amazing cast gives me hope. I think Crowe (as McCaffrey), McAdams (his colleague Della), Wright Penn (Collins’s wife) and Daniels (Collins’s superior) are well cast. And if there’s anybody who can make me forget, if only temporarily, Nighy’s performance, it’s the divine Helen Mirren in a fun gender twist as the paper’s tough but smart editor.

Affleck (as Collins, here a Congressman) is the only one I’m concerned about; I’ve never been a fan of his onscreen persona. Have you seen Changing Lanes or Reindeer Games or Pearl Harbor or Armageddon? He seems lightweight for a role in which Morrissey gives a towering performance. But then again, Affleck was good as George Reeves in Hollywoodland. Also, when I saw him speak couple years ago at a screening for Gone Baby Gone (which I thought was well done), I found him charming and smart and it reminded me why he won that Oscar for writing once upon a time. If he could transplant his real-life charisma onto the screen, he’d be great as Stephen Collins.

The movie opens Stateside April 17. (Click here for my comparison between this and the American version.)

4 Comments

Warner Bros. and New Line Bringing SEXy Back

You’ve already heard that there will be a Sex and the City movie sequel, with all four lead actresses and writer/director Michael Patrick King returning. Now, a release date has been set: May 28, 2010. It’s the same last weekend in May the first one had but next year, it’ll have the benefit of being Memorial Day weekend, giving the movie an extra day to rack up those opening numbers (the first one grossed about $415 worldwide).

I’m looking forward to this because I really enjoyed last year’s movie. It really wasn’t about the fashion (though the shoe porn helped). I was moved by how the bond of friendship remains fierce between Carrie and her friends no matter what life throws at them.

So, should Carrie and Big have a baby? (Hell no for me.) Should Aidan return to complicate things? Should Samantha settle down? Will you be in line for the sequel or do you think they’re waaay overstaying their welcome?

8 Comments

SPELLMAN FILES Handed to Director Barry Sonnenfeld

Couple weeks ago, I reviewed the third book in Lisa Lutz‘s series about a family of private investigators, Revenge of the Spellmans. Now Variety reports that the movie of the first book, The Spellman Files, is moving forward with Barry Sonnenfeld at the helm. Sonnenfeld has done everything from directing the two Men in Black movies (Sony just confirmed a third installment) to producing Pushing Daisies and The Tick on TV so this could be wild!

I e-mailed Lutz for her reaction (she’s currently in Seattle on her book tour) and she kindly took time to respond with the following statement: “I am thrilled that Barry Sonnenfeld has been attached to direct Spellman. I’m a huge fan and I think he has a wonderful eye. I have heard various rumors about casting, but nothing that I can repeat. I will say that I am very excited about some of the names that have been mentioned.”

If you’ve read the book, who do you envision as Izzy? I would love to see Emily Blunt in the role. She’s about the right age and her impeccable comic timing would do Izzy justice. And how about Rae and David and Olivia and Al? Post dream cast ideas in the comments!

2 Comments

AMERICAN IDOL Season 8 — Results for Top Downloads Night

Megan Joy‘s gone. She started out so strong but last night’s performance was messier than the trunk of my car. Based on that, she deserved to be voted off. Plus, she was extra goofy tonight, as if she really didn’t care anymore, and sobbed when she saw her baby boy in her highlights reel so I guess it’s a good thing she’s going home to him. She didn’t have to be so disrespectful of Simon, though, and he certainly didn’t have to sink to her level with that rude retort about how he wouldn’t even consider saving her.

I’m gonna keep this short because frankly, the show was duller than a bucket of dirt. David Cook’s performance wasn’t anything exciting; when he teared up at the presentation of his platinum record, that was more interesting. And I fast-forwarded through most of Lady Gaga because I didn’t know what the hump she was doing or wearing. Is she gunning for a part in a live-action Jetsons movie?

Next week, the contestants will be singing songs from the year they were born, which means they’ll all be ’80s tunes. I’m down with that! Well, as long as Adam doesn’t do Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax”!

Any particular song you’d like them to cover? Post in the comments!

3 Comments

BETTER OFF TED Better Than Some Sitcoms

Other than 30 Rock, I haven’t seen a good network comedy in a long time so I had no expectations when I tuned in for the pilot of ABC’s Better Off Ted, a new sitcom from Victor Fresco (Andy Richter Controls the Universe). It wasn’t genius but made me chuckle. Then I tuned in again last week and the second ep made me laugh out loud. The humor is definitely absurd and may not be for everyone but it worked for me.

The setting is at a corporation, Veridian Dynamics, that claims it can make anything, like turning a pumpkin into a weapon (by growing deadly mold on it) or beef without cows (by growing it in a lab). Jay Harrington stars as Ted, a research & development executive, and Portia de Rossi is his hilariously pompous boss. The strong supporting cast includes Andrea Anders (Joey) as a sweet but slightly nutty co-worker and Jonathan Slavin & Malcolm Barrett as a pair of bickering scientists.

Samples of funny lines from the first two episodes:

“Developing the next generation of food and food-like products…chickens that lay 16 eggs a day, which is a lot for a chicken. Organic vegetables chock full of antidepressants. At Veridian Dynamics, we can even make radishes so spicy that people can’t eat them. But we’re not—because people can’t eat them.” —narration for a Veridian promo video
“Julie in Employee Services asked for my autograph. That’s right, Julie with those breasts in the front!”—Phil (Slavin) bragging to Lem (Barrett) about how he’s more popular at the company
“They originally suggested Lem, but freeze the black guy? They’re not stupid.”— Veronica (de Rossi) to Ted about the decision to cryogenically freeze Phil just to see if they can
“My mother once killed a bat with a People magazine.”— Lem about how tough his mama is
“The food division just told me that the Extra Fun Mac & Cheese…causes blindness if eaten more than twice a week.”—Veronica to Ted about the failure of one of their products

If you find any of this funny, check out the show tonight (Wednesday) at 8:30 p.m. on ABC and let me know your thoughts. You can also see the first two eps on ABC.com.

12 Comments

AMERICAN IDOL Season 8 — Top 9 Stay Current

You’d think that on Top iTunes Downloads night, the nine remaining contestants wouldn’t have any trouble picking some great songs, considering the vast number of choices available. But there were very few high notes tonight, with only Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta and Kris Allen turning in dynamic performances.

Anoop went first and I was happy to hear he would funk it up again with Usher’s “Caught Up” after singing ballads (very well) two weeks in a row. But, man, it was weak. The song overpowered him and it looked like he was trying to just keep up with it.

Megan chose a Bob Marley/Lauren Hill song, “Turn Your Lights Down Low,” and I thought, Wow, she’s ambitious tonight! Unfortunately, her risk-taking didn’t pay off. I’ve been fighting for this girl to stay because she’s so unique but this performance was disastrous. For the first time, I thought maybe it’s time she goes home.

And then Danny came along and kicked the show into gear. When he said he was singing the Rascal Flatts’ “What Hurts the Most,” I groaned since I don’t like country music. But he came out, gave a beautifully heartfelt performance that was his best since “Kiss from a Rose” during Hollywood week. He reminded me why he should be a front-runner, something I’ve lost sight of in recent weeks.

Allison tackled No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” this week and played guitar, which I didn’t know she could do. This girl just gets more awesome each week, despite her misguided wardrobe choices. She sings and performs like a 40-year-old woman and I mean that in the best way. There is nothing tentative or insecure about her when she’s on stage.

Scott got himself a makeover, looking much more masculine in black leather than last week’s pink pants. Musically, however, he was less compelling than the piano player at my local Nordstrom’s. He sang “Just the Way You Are” but sounded more Barry Manilow than Billy Joel.

Matt was another singer who stumbled. He tried to be all sexy and tough, also in black leather, but his rendition of the Fray’s “You Found Me” was wonky and unimpressive. It sounded like he was trying too hard. The first few notes were too low for him; he lives best in his falsetto. He was on fire last week so it’s frustrating how inconsistent he is.

Lil put on yet another wig (love how her look completely changes from week to week) to sing Celine Dion’s “I Surrender.” Oy. I’m no fan of Dion’s music but that woman does have an incredible voice and Lil never came close to what Dion can do with that song. Paula said it best when she said she didn’t want to see an Adult Contemporary Lil. Me neither. Funk it up, girl!

Adam went back to his screeching, flamboyant persona with an over-the-top version of Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music,” one of my favorite party songs. I can never hear that song and not start shaking my booty. But Adam’s rendition scared me so much I probably won’t be requesting it from the DJ any time soon. My ears are still ringing three hours later from the screaming he passed off as singing. I will say, though, that as soon as he finished the song, he turned into a completely humble guy, giving due credit to Ricky Minor and the band. It’s as if he has dual identities like Beyonce and Sasha Fierce.

The headliner spot went to Kris Allen and he stepped up! I’ve never thought of him as a front-runner but tonight was a small revelation. He went with Bill Withers’s “Ain’t No Sunshine,” one of my faves ever, and made it sound fresh. This kid is definitely growing on me. His performance was both tender and powerful and I didn’t know he could play piano so it was smart of him to change things up.

Bottom three? Scott, Megan and Matt are my guesses. Agree?

5 Comments

Interview: Misty Upham — Frozen River Less Scary Than Hollywood

Sometimes when I talk to someone who doesn’t work in the entertainment industry, I find they have this notion that being an actor is all glamorous and exciting, that actors make tons of money, live in mansions and have lackeys on call 24/7 to fetch nonfat, decaf, sugar-free iced mochas and book massages. Well, maybe if you’re Jennifer Aniston.

But for most, it’s a much more difficult road. Misty Upham starred with Melissa Leo in one of last year’s best films, Frozen River, and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award as best supporting actress. But in this e-mail interview I did with her, it’s obvious her life isn’t all about the limelight and limos. She remains grounded and is delightfully candid about her experience thus far in Hollywood. After reading this, I challenge anyone to still think an actor’s existence is always easy or pampered. It takes guts to pursue this life and I think Upham’s got it in spades.

PCN: What was scarier–going across that icy river in the movie or coming to L.A. on your own?

MU: Definitely moving to L.A. on my own. I had to do a lot of things for the first time. I have a lot of quirks, fear of walking across crosswalks, for instance. My family nicknamed me Monk. The river is a piece of cake. I trust nature.

PCN: I read that you rent a room in Melissa Leo’s house. How has she helped you navigate Hollywood?

MU: I did rent a room, but I’ve recently moved in with my boyfriend. She did help me a bit, but Melissa’s very much about people taking care of themselves and finding their own way. She did as much as anyone would but it ultimately was up to me.

PCN: Most actors, when they get a big break, they immediately quit their day job. Why have you kept yours at the diner/laundromat?

MU: Because the money from Frozen River was just enough to pay my car payment and my phone and have some left over for groceries. That was over two years ago. I have recently moved on from that job as well, though. Lots of changes. But I kept it for so long because my boss supported my career and worked with my schedule. She bent over backwards for my comfort. But recently it’s finally come to that point of being in a place where I have to ask myself, “Am I really going to go for this? Or is it going to continue being a dream?” I’ve decided to make this dream come true. And this year has been life-changing to say the least. The opportunities I’ve been offered have given me the confidence to leap without looking.

PCN: Do patrons ever recognize you? How do they feel having an Indie Spirit Award nominee handling their underwear?

MU: Patrons did recognize me, but mostly from [KABC’s] George [Pennachio]’s news piece. Folks couldn’t care less that I was nominated against Penelope Cruz at the Indies, or that I went to the Oscars. They just wanted to know if George Pennachio was as nice in person! Towards the end I was getting a lot more looks and whispers and had a few people recognize me from screenings. It was getting a bit weird. And any fluff and fold worker will tell you that people don’t give a shit about bringing in their dirty undies. I’ve seen it all. Yuck!

PCN: You have two kinds of jobs–one sometimes includes scrubbing toilets and the other is making movies. Any similarities between the two?

MU: Yes. Both include lots of shit and tears! Just kidding. Both require you to humiliate yourself in a way. I think the best actors are the ones that have no shame. The ones that forget about their cellulite and just give a good nude scene. Picking my customer’s pubes off the toilet seat was very humilating, but not as humiliating as being yelled and snapped at by my co-stars in front of the entire crew. I’d wear those rubba gloves any day!

PCN: I read an early draft of the Frozen River script and Lila was described as having long hair, which is the stereotypical image for Native American women. Whose idea was it for you to have short hair in the movie?

MU: I kind of shaved my head, then told [writer/director] Courtney [Hunt]. And it just worked. A bit of scare there, but she stuck by me. Glad to get rid of the stereotype long hair. Sick of it in actuality.

PCN: What Native stereotypes in movies annoy you so much you just want to pull your hair out?

MU: The broken English. I studied Oxford English books for fun when I was sixteen, so it annoys me beyond belief to see every script with ghetto talk. Yeah, some people talk like that but a lot of people don’t. I’m sick of saying things like “usedta-could.” Then there’s the “rez uniform.” Ripped, ’80s mom jeans, flannel shirt…need I say more?

And the number one most annoying is the non-Native Native factor. We saw it in Dances With Wolves, Last of the Mohicans, Last Of The Dogmen, etc. Non-Native person finds the Indians, gets adopted, becomes the best hunter/warrior, learns the language fluently (meanwhile the Indians are still struggling with “hello” and “buffalo”) and then there just so happens to be another non-Native person there, which makes it perfect that they hook up and live happily ever after. It’s still taboo to fall in love with an Indian.

PCN: What would be your dream part and which actor(s) would it be opposite?

MU: I would love to play lovesick loser or a sexy bitch. And I would give my right boob to work with Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Helen Mirren, Seth Rogen, Emily Watson, Woody Allen and James McAvoy. And just for kicks and giggles: Matisyahu. He’s Kosher-sexy!

PCN: You recently went to the Oscars. What was your favorite experience there? Favorite person you met?

MU: Probably laughing with Mickey Rooney about how he and his wife fell into the paparazzi hedge by the E! camera. Or chatting with Josh “W.” Brolin before getting champagne fuzzies. But as usual Anne Hathaway was a class act. So nice and so down to earth despite the fact that the entire room wants to ravage her. She always takes the time to say hi and she remembers my name. And my mom’s. She’s the best.

PCN: The question covers anything that happened at after-parties.

MU: Well, I can’t tell you any of that good stuff or I’d never be invited back again! But I can tell you that I was drunk and stumbling down the stairs when John Singleton chased me down to tell me how much he loved our movie and seeing that we were both nerds who didn’t carry cards or pen and paper, made me promise to Facebook him. That was awesome, what I can remember of it anyway…

PCN: Did your manager at the diner/laundromat really write you up for not working Oscars weekend?

MU: They threatened to, but only so the other workers would stop complaining about covering me.

PCN: When you were growing up on the reservation, if someone had said you’d grow up to be a Spirit Award-nominated, red-carpet-walking, Europe-traveling, Alps-skiing girl with Tarantino as a fan, how would you have responded?

MU: And at what age did I sell my soul to the devil?

PCN: What’s next for you?

MU: The L.A. audition trail. Talk about crazy and dangerous. I’m ready for the ego-beating, snuffy attitudes and toffee-nosed receptionists. Let’s be insecure together! 🙂

12 Comments

LONG LOST Myron and Win Are Back!

I hate Harlan Coben. Every time I pick up one of his books, I think, Oh, I’ll just read one chapter and then I’ll get on with my work/grocery shopping/showering, whatever. But it never works out that way. I’ll read one chapter, then the next, then the next, then it’s 12 hours later and I’m unwashed and starving but there’s no food in the house and I missed my dental appointment because I haven’t moved from my spot on the couch.

And so it wasn’t any different with Coben’s latest, Long Lost (out March 31), especially because sports agent Myron Bolitar, his sociopathic friend Win, his partner Esperanza and their receptionist Big Cyndi are all back in style for their ninth adventure. Myron gets a call from an old lover, Terese Collins (last seen in Darkest Fear), who entices him to meet her in Paris without telling him why. He runs into trouble as soon as he sets foot on French soil and the action doesn’t stop after he returns to this side of the Atlantic. I don’t like giving a lot away so I’ll just vaguely say the plot involves murder, a possible kidnapping and cover-up involving a long-ago car accident, questions about nature vs. nurture, stem cell science, and terrorism.

Of all Coben’s books, I think this has the grandest scope. I’m not just talking about the locations, though the descriptions of Paris are delicious (there’s a sly reference to the French movie Tell No One, which is based on one of Coben’s stand-alones). What I mean is, the stories are usually personal—Myron (or whoever’s the protagonist in the stand-alones) gets sucked into a mystery because he’s trying to find resolution for a personal matter or help out a friend. But Long Lost involves political conspiracies and Myron’s actions have international consequences. The final reveal is disturbing and you won’t see it coming.

If you’re reading this and thinking, “What the…? I just want my wisecracking Myron and his goofy friends!” Don’t worry—Myron is still funny, still drinking his beloved Yoo-Hoos, but he’s more mature, as he should be since he’s now in his forties. His relationships have more weight and poignancy, especially when he describes what it’s like to watch his parents get older and more fragile. Myron’s quips just can’t cover up the heart that sits on his sleeve.

So, Myron fans, you can rejoice that he’s back, but when you sit down to read this book, make sure you send your kids to a relative, cancel your appointments and wear a carpel-tunnel-syndrome brace so you won’t hurt your hand flipping those pages.

Nerd Verdict: Nothing Lost in translation in this international thriller

14 Comments

AMERICAN IDOL Season 8 – And Then There Were 9

Unlike last week when Alexis Grace was rudely cut, I think America got it right this week. Michael Sarver was sent home but he took it graciously. At one point, when he was standing there with Matt Giraud and Scott MacIntyre as the bottom three, Ryan asked Randy who didn’t deserve to be there. Michael immediately pointed to Matt and that was big of him.

Speaking of Matt, he was shockingly called out as the first contestant in the bottom three and the audience booed loudly, as did I at home. He was sexycool last night with his “Let’s Get It On” proposition so I’m glad he survived the ax.

So it’s down to Adam, Allison, Anoop, Danny, Kris, Lil, Matt, Megan and Scott fighting for the crown. Who am I kidding? Only about half of those people have a chance of winning. Next week, Scott should go home. That guy is hilarious with his quips and pink pants but his actual singing makes me feel like I just took a whole pack of Benadryl.

Do you think Michael deserved to go home? Why isn’t Matt getting any love when he’s good-looking and sings better than at least two people who were safe last night?

7 Comments

MGM Throws Three Stooges Together

In one of the more interesting casting announcements in recent months, Variety reports that MGM is making a Three Stooges feature with Sean Penn set to play Larry while Jim Carrey and Benicio Del Toro are in negotiations for Curly and Moe, respectively. The Farrelly Brothers will direct from a script they wrote and the movie is expected to go into production this fall for a 2010 release.

While I can easily picture Carrey doing the physical shtick the Stooges are known for, I was surprised by Penn’s casting and Del Toro’s possible involvement. These guys aren’t exactly known for yukking it up. The last “comedy” Penn did, We’re No Angels, was twenty years ago and I put quotes around comedy because it wasn’t that funny. And Del Toro’s last comedic credit was, um, let me think…21 Grams? Nope. Things We Lost in the Fire? Helll, no. It was 25 years ago in Swimming with Sharks.

So what do you think of this casting? Does it make you want to see the movie? Is it smart for Penn to go from Oscar-winning performance to poking his fellow actors in the eyes? Isn’t Mel Gibson available? He performed pretty convincing Stooge-shtick in the Lethal Weapon movies. Let me know your thoughts!

12 Comments

Older Posts

Newer Posts