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AMERICAN IDOL Season 8 Recap — Louisville, KY

OK, Hollywood week needs to get here already. Tonight’s audition show was uninspiring and predictable. You could just tell who was going to make it or not by the little intro segments on some of the singers.

The tryouts we saw:

Tiffany Shedd, a platinum blonde who said she’d have a positive attitude no matter what the judges said. Well, after Simon (unnecessarily) compared her to a donkey, she trash-talked all the way out the door and beyond. Nice.
Joanna Pacitti, this year’s Carly Smithson. Like season 7’s Irish rocker, Pacitti had once had a record deal (with A&M) but for whatever reason, it didn’t work out. She even looks a little like Smithson, with black hair and blue eyes, though more petite and tattoo-free. She sang Pat Benatar’s “We Belong.” Her voice isn’t as big as Smithson’s but it was good enough to get her to Hollywood.
Mark Mudd, a descendant of Dr. Samuel Mudd, the man who spent 10 years in prison for aiding and abetting John Wilkes Booth while he was on the lam after shooting President Lincoln. Apparently because of this, the phrase “your name is Mudd” became an insult. Mark hoped to redeem the family name but, sadly, after a hoe-down rendition of George Jones’s “White Lightning,” he failed.
Brent Keith Smith, a cute guy who rocked a pretty decent version of Bad Company’s “Can’t Get Enough.” Yup, he’s Hollywood-bound.
A montage of bad acts, including a girl who sang like she was a Lollipop Guild member and a guy who painted his face black and white then wore sunglasses over the whole mess. Train wrecks, all.
Matt Giraud, a young Justin Timberlake lookalike and kind of soundalike who did Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Wanna Be.” Let me tell you—I’ve tried singing that song in karaoke and I always sucked ’cause it’s tough but Giraud did just fine and got a golden ticket.
Ross Plavsic, who called himself an academic. Did he know this isn’t Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? Like last night’s Akilah, he studied the shapes of mouths and palates but it didn’t help him one bit.
Alexis Grace, this year’s Brooke White. She’s a blonde, guitar-playing, fresh-faced, nice girl who stays at home to take care of a little kid (though she’s the mom and Brooke was only the nanny). She’s petite but when she opened her mouth to sing Aretha’s “Dr. Feelgood,” a surprisingly big voice came roaring out. She’s going to Hollywood with some makeover tips from Kara: “Don’t wear pink” and “Dirty yourself up.”
Aaron Williamson, the happiest contestant of the night, who oddly sang CCR’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” like one long primal scream therapy session. He didn’t make it but remained a class act even in the face of rejection.
Rebecca Garcia, who messed up “Before He Cheats” even though she literally wore the lyrics on her arm. Kara thought Garcia was being funny since she was voted “Most Humorous” in high school but Garcia said she was serious and started to cry. Kara said she felt bad for being mean but I didn’t buy it for one second. I think Kara was putting on an act and trying to be clever but it backfired and made her look like a jerk.
After a montage of a handful of good singers, we get to the Tearjerker of the Day: 18-year-old Leneshe Young. I love this girl. She was homeless during her childhood, raised in shelters by a single mom but she was spunky, confident, adorable and sang a song she wrote “a hundred percent.” Her singing was groovy, the song was good and she completely won me over. Sob story or no, I’m rooting for her.

Leneshe was the only real standout for me from Louisville. By this time last year, I’d chosen Michael Johns (“the hot Aussie”) and Brooke White (“that nice, blonde nanny”) as frontrunners. If I had to call it now, I’d say Emily Wynne-Hughes, Casey Carlson, Leneshe, Deanna Brown and Danny Gokey will probably crack the Top 24.

Who are your faves so far? What do you think of Kara? Is she helpful or turning into another Simon?

(Don’t miss out on any American Idol commentaries this season—Subscribe to Obsessions of a Pop Culture Nerd by Email)

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AMERICAN IDOL Season 8 — San Francisco Recap

Tuesday was the season’s first one-hour show and it went by too fast. No real superstars tonight and no real freaks, either. Dang.

A quick rundown:

First up was Tatiana Del Toro from Puerto Rico, who thought she was competing in the Miss Universe pageant with her long gown, press kit and overly enthusiastic way of introducing herself (“Hi, I’m Tatiana from Puerto Rico!”). She sang Aretha’s “I Never Loved a Man” and wasn’t too bad but the judges ragged on her. The poor girl begged and begged until she finally got a golden ticket. (The judges are way softer this year.)
Nick Reed, Pippi Longstocking’s beat-boxing long-lost brother. I have no idea what he was doing but he was no Blake Lewis. He’s not going to Hollywood.
Dean-Anthony Bradford, who wore a coat made out of his couch. Simon made fun of his hair color but Bradford claimed “the carpet matches the drapes.” I learned way more about this guy’s interior decorations than I needed to and he couldn’t even sing.
Jesus Valenzuela, a nice-looking and seemingly cool guy. Simon wasn’t crazy about him at first but wanted to meet Valenzuela’s two young boys, who accompanied their dad to the audition, replete with signs. The judges allowed Valenzuela another chance and he sang “Unchained Melody” with his kids in the room. The panel didn’t want to “make the boys sad” so they gave Valenzuela a golden ticket. See what I mean about the softness?
Dalton Powell, who solved the Rubik’s Cube in seconds but could not squeak out a decent version of Smokey’s “Oh Baby Baby.” He admitted he’d never sung in front of people before. What did he think would happen if he went to Hollywood?
Akilah Askew-Gholston, my favorite (only?) crazy of the evening. The first part of her last name sums it up—she was all over the place. She brought anatomical diagrams, believing she’d sing better if she carefully studied how the body works, especially the “trashea” (trachea) when one sings “a capellaly.” After the judges nixed the original song she performed, she begged for another chance, saying, “It came from the wrong rectum.” My soup almost came up through my nose. The judges were not interested in hearing her sing further but Akilah wouldn’t leave. (Simon kept calling her ACK-kee-la, which was almost as funny as the rectum comment.) I like how Kara finally got the job done by getting up, hugging the girl, saying, “Sweetie, it’s time to go” and gently pushing her out the door.
A montage of three good singers who got through—John Twiford, who sang Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed;” Allison Iraheta, a redhead who sang “Natural Woman” with a raw ache no 16-year-old should have; and Raquel Houghton, an Antonella Barba lookalike who sang “Son of a Preacher Man.”
Annie Murdoch, a pixie blonde who looked like a young Cheryl Tiegs. Too bad her singing wasn’t as pretty. Simon said she sounded drunk and not just after 1 or 2 bottles but “a whole crate.”
Adam Lambert, a dude in a black leather jacket and David Cook’s hair. He bravely sang “Bohemian Rhapsody” and pulled it off. The judges worried about him being too musical theater but put him through.
The tearjerker of the evening (there has to be one, right?) was Kai Kalama, a guy who put his life on hold to take care of his mom, who has a seizure disorder. He sang The Platters’ “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” and sounded almost exactly like the original version! (My momma had the record, as in vinyl, so I know.) The judges said he needed more stage presence but all said yes.

I didn’t see anybody I loved tonight—there were stronger singers last week. Did you like anybody? Are you ready for Hollywood weeks yet? Leave a comment then check back Wednesday night for the Louisville, Kentucky recap!

(Don’t miss out on any American Idol commentaries this season—Subscribe to Obsessions of a Pop Culture Nerd by Email)

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WE ARE ONE: THE OBAMA INAUGURAL CELEBRATION – My Reactions

I grew up in the D.C. area. Every time I went into the city as a kid, I couldn’t understand why tourists would freak out when they saw the Washington Monument or the Lincoln Memorial. I’d roll my eyes as I watched them furiously snap away with their cameras and think, “What is the big deal?! One’s a boring tower and the other is Lincoln sitting in a chair.”

Ah, what a foolish child I was. I totally took these things for granted because they were in my backyard and I could see them any time I wanted. Yesterday, watching the inaugural celebration on HBO from my living room in California, I fully appreciated the power and majestic presence of these landmarks and wished I was there. Though the skies were cloudy and the temperature frigid, the structures served as gleaming backdrops for the readings and songs presented by an all-star lineup.

Highlights:

I loved how Bruce Springsteen walked out with just his acoustic guitar to do the first number. I wish they had let him do “The Rising” alone, though, because that song is more powerful stripped down. The choir almost overwhelmed it.
Bettye LaVette dueting with Jon Bon Jovi on Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.” You’d think WTH, right? It actually worked. Both were in fine voice and I couldn’t help but think, “Damn! Bon Jovi looks fiiiiine.” He’s a Clooney—someone who gets only sexier with age.
Will.i.am channeling Bob Marley on “One Love” with help from Sheryl Crow and Herbie Hancock. Loved how the Black-Eyed Peas singer started out being faithful by sounding frighteningly like Marley but then worked in lyrics from his own group’s “Where is the Love?” and somehow made it all work.
“Higher Ground,” but only when Stevie Wonder started singing. Usher began the song, then Shakira kicked in. Oooh, I love Shakira but this song was all wrong for her voice. As the two young hotties danced around the stage with Stevie on keyboards, I kept shouting at the TV, “Why won’t they let Stevie sing?! Don’t make him sit in the back of the stage!” But then Wonder picked up the song and everything was as it should be. Dude, he’s still got it. He showed the young ‘uns how it’s done.
U2. I knew their song “Pride (In the Name of Love)” was inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. but when Samuel L. Jackson introduced them after talking about Rosa Parks and how Dr. King never got to see this day, the 24-year-old song took on new poignancy and made me cry. No one can sing like Bono, whom I think has the most searing voice in the business.
Obama’s speech. What can I say? He’s an immensely talented speaker. He acknowledged how far down the crapper we are (when he mentioned people with stacks of bills on their kitchen tables, I said, “That’s me!) but at the same time made me feel extremely hopeful. The road to our country’s recovery will probably be long and hard like he said but I’m so glad he’s the guy leading us.
The Boss and the plucky 89-year-old Pete Seeger (wearing only a flannel shirt in freezing temps!) leading a sing-a-long of “This Land is Your Land.” The camera showed George Lucas in the crowd heartily singing along. It was somehow heartening for me to see Lucas standing in the crowd like everyone else instead of sitting in some VIP seats for rich people.
Inspiring quotes from past Democratic and Republican presidents, showing that the celebration is inclusive, not divisive. I think that’s also why choir members wearing both red and blue jackets stood together during “This Land is Your Land.”

Of course, there were a few cheesy moments as well. When Tom Hanks read a portrait of President Abraham Lincoln, the brass band accompanying him was borderline obnoxious with its percussion accents and being so loud at times it seemed Hanks had to shout to be heard. And then there’s Garth Brooks. How come of all the stellar performers there, he was the one who got to sing three songs?

Overall, though, the show was uplifting and ran quite smoothly considering the logistics involved. Let’s hope the same can be said about Obama’s administration.

What were your favorite moments? Who did you think were the best performers and who had no business being there?

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Recap of AMERICAN IDOL Season 8 – Kansas City, MO Auditions

Tonight’s auditions were boring. Some of the people who got golden tickets were mediocre talents without much personality and there weren’t many crazy, self-deluded singers, whom I love watching. The boys rebounded and were stronger tonight, though. Highlights:

Casey Carlson, a pretty brunette in cowboy boots who sang Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” in a beautiful, clear voice. Kara called her “a total package.” Duh. She’s hot and talented. Seems sweet, too—not bitchy or slutty.
Ashley Anderson sang a song co-written by Simon for Leona Lewis called “Footprints in the Sand.” Kudos to her for not being rattled after being stopped and corrected by Simon when she sang “footsteps.” She laughed it off, started over and did great. Here’s a girl who’s probably not gonna break when the stress of the competition kicks into overdrive.
Michael Castro, younger brother to last year’s Top 5 finalist, Jason Castro. He said he only started singing 20 days before auditioning. With his punk-ish, red-streaked hair, he looked nothing like the dreadlocked Jason. When he started singing (Gavin DeGraw’s “In Love with the Girl”), though, he sounded a little like his brother, but less breathy and more powerful. And he’s as cocky as Jason was shy.
Matt Breitzke, a big, bald, goateed welder. He sang one of my faves of all time, Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” and had a surprisingly smooth, powerful voice aching with feeling. He’s got the Daughtry-ish backstory about putting his dreams on hold to take care of his family so I hope he goes far.
Jessica Furney, who lives with her 93-year-old grandma. As soon as I saw this girl, before she even spoke, I said, “She’s gonna be good.” I don’t know why but some people you just look at and know they can sing. Sure enough, she bravely took on Janis Joplin’s “Cry Baby” and came out triumphant. I like her sweet, smalltown, natural, bespectacled look but suspect the producers will try to put her in hoochie-mama outfits before long. I also worry about Grandma: Who’s gonna take care of her and make sure she takes her “crazy pills”?
Danny Gokey, whose wife passed away four weeks before his audition. This guy looked like Robert Downey Jr. with spikey hair and glasses. He made me so sad I feared what he would do if he didn’t make it. But no worries. When he sang “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” this dude had more soul than his best friend and fellow auditionee, Jamar Rogers (more on him later). His voice was raspy and cool and I had to rewind to listen to him sing twice.
Anoop Desai AKA Anoop Dog, a preppy Indian boy who sang Boyz II Men’s “Thank You” like he was born a black man. His voice was smoof and had lots of power and control.
Lil Rounds, a classy mother of three adorable little babies who recently had her Memphis apartment tore up by a tornado. She had a nice, big voice and reminded me (and the judges) of Fantasia.
Asia McClain, who didn’t even make it to Hollywood but cried and cheered on her sister, India, when she got the golden ticket. I loved how completely selfless she seemed in her support of her younger sis.

Sadly, no funny freaks tonight. There was Vaughn English, dressed in a yellow jacket and shirt, who sang “Banana Man,” complete with a real banana prop. He wasn’t crazy, just bad. Andrew Lang brought his own team of cheerleaders who cried when he didn’t make it. That wasn’t funny, either, just sad. Then there was Mia Conley, who seemed to have slept through the whole waiting process and almost through her turn. When she sang Minnie Ripperton’s “Loving You,” she put me to sleep.

I thought the judges were too soft tonight. They allowed one not-very-good singer, back-flippin’ Dennis Brigham, to beg his way to Hollywood. They also were enthusiastic about two guys, Von Smith and Jamar Rogers, who shouted through their entire auditions. Yes, their voices were big but they were just loud; there was no subtlety or honest emotion in their singing. My eardrums were popping after just a few bars. Can’t imagine what it’d be like to listen to them sing a whole song.

What did you think? Were the judges too easy or am I just too harsh? Anybody you like I left out?

(Don’t miss out on any American Idol discussions this season—Subscribe to Obsessions of a Pop Culture Nerd by Email)

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Recap of AMERICAN IDOL Season 8 Premiere

A.I. returned Tuesday night and was basically the same old song, which is a good thing. I’ll admit—I abhor reality TV but love my A.I. I liked the new judge, Kara DioGuardi—she was honest without being brutal and she could sing. She seemed to fit in with the others just fine (in case of a tie, Simon gets the last say).

The team was in Phoenix, AZ and my favorite wannabes were:

Emily Wynne-Huges, with the pink hair, pierced lip and tattoos, who ripped through “Barracuda” with confidence and a cool rock voice. Could she be this year’s Carly Smithson?
Stevie Wright (named after Steve Nicks), who glided through a few bars of “At Last” in a smoky, husky voice which belied her age (16)
Deanna Brown, a beautiful platinum blonde who sang “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” like a black woman with ache and soul
Arianna Afsar, a perky, cute-as-a-kitten 16-year-old who sang “Put Your Records On” with surprising range, huskiness and power.

The girls were definitely stronger than the guys last night, at least the ones they showed. Even the males who got through to Hollywood were just good but not extraordinary. J.B. Ahfua from Utah had a big voice but no stage presence and Michael Sarver, a stocky 27-year-old “roughneck,” was likeable but bland. Scott MacIntyre, the mostly blind guy who went to college at 14, had a nice but forgettable voice. Though I think it was cool of him to audition, the producers are probably just putting him through so they can milk his handicap and try to make it a tearjerker.

No A.I. discussion is complete without mentioning the freaks. Standouts for me were:

Michael Gurr, who hissed through Carrie Underwood’s “Starts with Goodbye” in a breathy, sibilant, unintelligible voice reminiscent of Gollum. I half expected him to call one of the judges “Precious.” When he was rejected, he collapsed and had to be given water and a banana
Randy Madden, who put on a black rocker outfit complete with bandanna and attempted “Livin’ on a Prayer.” The dude couldn’t stop crying and Simon called him a drama queen
X-Ray AKA Aundre Caraway, who had infectious energy and a big, beautiful smile but sang a weird song he wrote called “Cactus.” He thought he was a mariachi but sported Jheri curls
Katrina Darrell, who wanted to make out with Ryan and have his babies. If that weren’t weird enough, she auditioned in a bikini so skimpy the producers had to censor her ass by placing the A.I. emblem over it at one point. Her voice had good tone but she was off key and flat in places. She also had a bad attitude and disrespected Kara. None of this mattered because Randy and Simon liked her (Randy: “Do you go to all your auditions [in a bikini]?” “No, just this one,” Darrell answered. “Smart,” Simon quipped) and she’s off to Hollywood. I have a feeling she’s gonna get nasty there but she won’t get too far. We’ve never had a trampy Idol.

In another two-hour segment tomorrow, the team visits Kansas City, hometown to last year’s winner, David Cook. Come back tomorrow night and every week thereafter for my recaps as the competition heats up.

Who were your faves? Did you agree with the judges’ choices? Who did you think were unfairly rejected? Did you see anyone last night who had Top 5 potential? Leave a comment!

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My Own Awards and Reactions to 2009 Golden Globes

Overall, I enjoyed the show. Some deserving people won (click here for list of winners) and there were some entertaining moments so I thought I’d hand out the first annual “Nerdies,” my own awards for the event’s highlights and lowlights.

Most Valuable Player: Hands down, no contest, in a category all by himself was Ricky Gervais. He was supposed to just introduce a film clip (of Happy-Go-Lucky), which everyone else managed to do quickly then leave. But Gervais would not go quietly. Drinking beer on stage, he turned his moment into a whole comedy routine with the funniest lines of the evening. “Shush, listen,” he began, admonishing the noisy crowd. “How rude are you lot?” He went on to complain about how “annoying” it was he wasn’t nominated for anything, which he thinks “detracts from the credibility of any awards show.” He then vowed, “That’s the last time I have sex with 200 middle-aged journalists [there are only 95 in the HFPA]…The Europeans with the wispy beards. The men are worse.” Gervais killed at the Emmys last September with a routine heckling Steve Carell; why won’t someone let him host the Oscars (or anything) already?

Favorite New Coined Word: “Schemeplay.” Tom Brokaw meant to say “screenplay” while introducing the Frost/Nixon script but stumbled and a great new word was born.

Favorite New Coined Phrase: “Post-racial.” Here’s how Tracy Morgan used it in a sentence—“Welcome to post-racial America. I’m the face of post-facial America. Deal with it, Cate Blanchett!”

Best Sucking Up to the HFPA: Tina Fey, when she won best comedic TV actress for 30 Rock. “I’ve always loved the Hollywood Foreign Press. As a kid, I had all the Hollywood Foreign Press action figures.” She then went on to address all her alleged internet haters. “Babsonlacrosse, you can suck it. Dianefan, you can suck it. Cougarletter, you can really suck it ’cause all year you’ve been after me. All year.” This was already funny when I thought she was making up the haters (how can there be any?!), but when I found out she was addressing real haters who post on TheEnvelope.com, it became brilliant!

Most I-Have-a-Dream-ish Speech: Ari Folman, director of Israel’s Waltz with Bashir, which won Best Foreign Film. He dedicated the award to the “eight beautiful production babies born in the tiny studio in Tel Aviv” during the four years it took to make the movie. Folman hopes that “one day, when they grow up, they watch this film together and they see the war that takes place in the film, it’ll look to them like an ancient video game that has nothing to do with their lives whatsoever.”

Best I-Told-You-So Moment: Colin Farrell winning best comedic film actor. For the last year, I’ve been raving about In Bruges to anyone who’d listen (only 2 people so far). I even wrote about it here. I was stoked when it got 3 Globes noms but thought its chances of winning were nil since it seems no one’s seen it. Farrell’s win got the loudest scream of the evening from me (I was excited about some other winners, too, but their victories were more expected). Farrell was humble and eloquent, describing the movie best by saying it’s “simultaneously profound and beautifully comic and wonderfully painful, filled with delightful remorse and, more than anything else, the sweetest, sweetest redemptive qualities.” Rent it already!

Most Honest, Unscripted Personal Admission: Farrell again, explaining why he was sniffling while presenting Best Foreign Film. “I have a cold. It’s not the other thing it used to be,” referencing the reason he went to rehab.

Second Best I-Told-You-So Moment: When the show ended without The Curious Case of Benjamin Button winning anything. I gave the film an unenthusiastic review last November and some people (who hadn’t seen it) were not happy with me. I don’t hate the movie but have maintained it’s not exceptional. Looks like the HFPA agreed and I think the Academy will, too. It’ll get some nominations but shouldn’t win in the major categories.

What were the best and worst moments for you? Comment away then come back later today for my fashion round-up and after-party reports!

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2009 Golden Globes Winners

Let’s get the official winners out of the way and then I’ll give out my own awards for the best and worst of the evening (click here for my reactions). My Globes mole took this photo.

FILM

BEST DRAMA: Slumdog Millionaire (click here for a discussion with the filmmakers)

BEST COMEDY: Vicky Christina Barcelona

BEST DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire

BEST ACTOR – DRAMA: Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA: Kate Winslet – Revolutionary Road

BEST ACTOR – COMEDY: Colin Farrell – In Bruges

BEST ACTRESS – COMEDY: Sally Hawkins – Happy-Go-Lucky

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Kate Winslet – The Reader

BEST SCREENPLAY: Simon Beaufoy – Slumdog Millionaire

BEST SCORE: A.R. Rahman – Slumdog Millionaire

BEST SONG: “The Wrestler” – The Wrestler (written & performed by Bruce Springsteen)

BEST ANIMATED FILM: WALL•E

BEST FOREIGN FILM: Waltz with Bashir – Israel

BEST DRAMA SERIES: Mad Men

BEST COMEDY SERIES: 30 Rock

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TV: John Adams

BEST ACTOR – DRAMA: Gabriel Byrne – In Treatment

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA: Anna Paquin – True Blood

BEST ACTOR – COMEDY: Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock

BEST ACTRESS – COMEDY: Tina Fey – 30 Rock

BEST ACTOR – TV MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES: Paul Giamatti – John Adams

BEST ACTRESS – TV MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES: Laura Linney – John Adams

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TV: Tom Wilkinson – John Adams

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TV: Laura Dern – Recount

What did you think of the winners? Who do you think deserved it and who just happened to coast by on popularity and/or past achievements? Leave me a comment!

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Behind the Scenes Preview of the Golden Globes

The People’s Choice and Critics’ Choice Awards aired this past week but did anyone care? The first real kickoff for the awards season is Sunday night’s Golden Globes, airing from 8 p.m. to whenever on NBC. I’m excited about the return of the Globes in all its splendor after the sad press conference last year.

There will be plenty of coverage here of the show and just to give you a taste, my mole from the inside offered up these tidbits as the preparations are finalized:

Jennifer Lopez will open the show by presenting the first award, Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.
Lopez will be seated at the “Hot Latinas” table in a front corner with nominee Penelope Cruz (for Vicky Christina Barcelona) and presenter Salma Hayek.
Located at the best table in the house down in the pit will be Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, who’ll finally receive his Cecil B. DeMille Award. (The Hollywood Foreign Press Association wanted to give it to Spielberg last year but delayed it when the ceremony was scrapped.)
So many A-list movie stars are attending that TV nominees like Steve Carell are relegated to the back of the room. Even It-Girl Tina Fey doesn’t fare much better.
An HFPA member says Anne Hathaway wrote a letter with a cute request: “My mom will be my date…she was wondering if you could please sit us near George Clooney…seriously, you’d make her 2009. Acceptable substitutes…are Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Clint Eastwood and/or Steve Carell. Thank you!” As you can see from the picture above, it doesn’t look like Hathaway’s mom will get her wish. 🙁
Simon Baker and Eva Longoria Parker will be presenting Best Supporting Actor and Actress in a TV series, mini-series or TV movie. They themselves might qualify for Best Looking Presenting Duo.
Johnny Depp will make his first appearance as a Globes winner (he finally won one last year for Sweeney Todd) to present Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy.
Sting will be presenting Best Song. Bruce Springsteen will most likely win for The Wrestler and seeing him on stage with Sting is going to make me hyperventilate.
Every guest (even non-celebrities) at the Beverly Hilton this weekend gets a special commemorative gold room key etched with “Golden Globes 2009.”

Enjoy the show and check back here afterwards for lots of coverage, including reports from the after-parties!

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Entertainment News Roundup–Score or Snore?

This is the first in a weekly feature called “Scores and Snores,” a roundup of entertainment news where you decide if it’s good news (Score!) or bad (Snore). Vote and see if others agree with you and check back next week for more! ***SOME SPOILERS***

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HEARTLAND fan in Shondaland?

I had a weird deja vu moment last night watching Grey’s Anatomy. One of the plots was about a bunch of people donating kidneys to complete strangers so that their loved ones, with whom they didn’t match as donors, could receive kidneys from the recipients’ loved ones. Got that?

I did. As soon as Bailey started explaining the complicated procedure, I said, “It’s called domino transplants,” minutes before Izzie identified it as such. No, I’m not a doctor. I knew because last year, I guest-starred on a TNT show called Heartland (starring Treat Williams and Kari Matchett) in an episode that dealt with this exact thing. I played one of the donors, Mrs. Chan. Last night, one of the donors was named Mrs. Chen. At one point, my character bailed, putting the whole procedure into jeopardy. Last night, one of the wives backed out, too, until Bailey changed the woman’s mind.

When Chief Webber called this procedure “historic,” I wanted to say, “It was done a year ago by a basic cable show!”

I guess there really are only 7 original ideas in Hollywood.

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TV Review: ELI STONE

I watch a lot of mystery/thrillers on TV—24, The Closer, House, Monk, Burn Notice, The Mentalist, to name a few—because I enjoy trying to crack the case before the protagonists do. But even if I succeed, the fun is short-lived since on these types of shows, people are always getting murdered, blown up, cheated on, lied to, etc. After a while, I start feeling pretty cynical about the world and the bad things that happen in it.

That’s why I was pleasantly surprised over the summer to discover Eli Stone on DVD, a show that uplifted, inspired and—least expected of all—moved me. Jonny Lee Miller plays Stone, a shark of a lawyer until he gets a brain aneurysm that gives him visions of the future. At first disturbed and confused by them, Stone eventually embraces his visions, considers himself a kind of prophet and sets out to help people change the course of their lives, sometimes literally saving their lives in the process.

This premise has every chance of making the show one big hunk o’ stinky cheese but amazingly, it’s anything but. Did I mention Stone’s visions are usually set to George Michael songs, with Michael performing in person sometimes? And Stone’s spiritual advisor is a sarcastic, Asian acupuncturist who fakes a heavy accent for other customers but speaks perfect English with Stone and calls him “dude.” There is enough skepticism from other characters (almost all his colleagues) about Stone’s divinatory status to undercut any earnestness Stone might have once he accepts his calling.

But Stone isn’t a sappy guy. He still has some of his former killer-attorney instincts, he just now uses them for good. He struggles constantly to understand his metaphorical visions, which can happen at inopportune times and reveal truths others don’t want to hear.

I didn’t watch this show when it was on last year because I’m not that interested in watching things about faith. Everyone’s version of spirituality is different and I didn’t want to be spoon-fed someone else’s. But this show is fun, with characters bursting into exuberant musical numbers to convey hidden messages to Stone. I hate musicals so I have no idea why I find these interludes so entertaining. Perhaps it’s because they sometimes happen right in the middle of a somber event (a guy would dance beautifully before he drops dead), making me wonder if there isn’t some lightness to be found even in our darkest hours.

I also like how Stone strives to keep his faith and convince his peers he’s not crazy whenever he predicts the future. At times, he’s not certain of his sanity and yet he fights this uphill battle because he believes faith is necessary, that we’d all lead bleak lives if we always demand empirical evidence before believing in something. His arguments on this point have the potential to be schmaltzy yet they’re surprisingly moving. Sometimes his predictions are wrong and people resent him but he keeps trying to do the right thing. It’s this courage of his convictions in a cynical world that makes him more heroic to me than Jack Bauer any day.

So, pick up the first-season DVDs, binge-watch this weekend and you’ll be all caught up for the new episode next Tuesday, guest-starring Katie Holmes. I don’t like her much but this show has surprised me about so many things, I’ll probably love Mrs. Cruise by the time it’s over.

Nerd verdict: Have faith in Stone

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