NBC's The Voice already #3 in ratings!

i can't get enough of this show. 
finally, singing auditions we can all stomach while eating.

i love the concept of this show, and since the first artist that opened his mouth, it was clear that the caliber of talent here is miles ahead of american idol. and unlike american idol, it is purposely geared toward slightly more seasoned vocalists. many of them have been trying to get into the business and for whatever reasons, haven't been able to. 

sure, somehow the 16 year old with a young and very mild voice made it through, but she will get some good coaching out of it.

this girl {above} dia frampton, is why i love this show. looking at her, you would never know what comes out of her mouth. sure, she is pretty, has quirky style, and could be an artist, but she isn't a "show girl" in any way. in fact, she reminds me a lot of a young meiko. a fun, raspy, very marketable sound, regardless of how she sells it.

when she walked off the stage, she was quiet and reserved. it made me think of how she might have been received on the stage at american idol. i wonder if miss dia would eventually get told she doesn't "perform" well, or she doesn't "sell it" and then fall to the demise of voters and lose her shot... who knows.

the voice obviously gives a voice to the voiceless, and that is something we love to see. i have a few faves already and i can't wait to watch the coaches do their thing.  another brilliant aspect of this premise is that the young artists get some coaching from a huge star and i hope it is the vocal coaching they need to give them an edge.

ps, if you aren't watching, you should be. apparently the rest of america is.

long-winded movie reviews: playing severe catch-up

movies i have seen recently that i have a few cents about...


king's speech

before you write this off cause it's rated R, the "family friendly" PG-13 version should be available if it isn't already.  though, i don't know that it is all that necessary as long as you are adults- there is a scene of swearing, and it is vital to the story... outside of that, sheer brilliance.  i get now why this one all of those oscars - not to mention - best picture! Colin Firth plays the king and he captures the role and the history so well. Helena Bonham Carter shows very well as his wife too.  I know- you are trying to picture her in a semi-normal character role... well, she is- and it is tasty.

in my humble, yet correct, opinion: 5/5 - at least rent it... i might even need to own it...
















social network

fascinating to watch.  i knew this one would win awards for screenplay- that is definitely what shines in this one- the way it evolves is too fun that you almost miss some really great acting jobs in there... i think that half the fun of watching the film though is just knowing how much this one kid has influenced the world as we know it now- what would we do if we didn't have a place to spatter all of the meaningless details of our lives to each other just so we have something to do at 2am?  {i will answer: i would go crazy- now that i am up 2-3 times a night for at least 20 minutes without anywhere to go, it is my saving grace.}

in my humble, yet correct opinion: 4.5/5 - also a renter...



unstoppable

classic case of denzel the hero just doing what he does in all of his movies.... but it isn't any less entertaining i guess cause they keep making em.  again the fun is that this story is based on true events.  i thought it got kind of slow in the middle... it does sort of feel like you are mindlessly watching the news after a while. but it was a decently entertaining action film. not one you need to own though.

in my humble, yet correct opinion: 2.5/5 - rent it.



















unknown

we went to see this one in the theater a few weeks ago just before we had the baby... like a babymoon- since we know we won't get to see current movies for a long while. thank heaven for netflix i guess.  so this is another fun action one that actually surprised me.  usually i guess the plot in the first little bit and tick of my husband by doing so... but this one turned and i liked the surprise factor.  the characters don't gel perfectly for me, but the story is fun and drove me crazy not to know what was going on the whole time! liam puts out a great performance, and that one chick has a pretty decent accent, but other than that- i would call it an average man flick.

in my humble, yet correct opinion: 3/5 - can't really watch it more than once.















RED

for the all-star cast that was in this movie, i am sad to say that it was not the sheer entertainment that i thought it would be.  it has moments, and it helps that all of the actors are great- but the story itself seems patchy.  it has an over-the-top/borderline campy action vibe to it that is fun as long as you know to expect it, but to have such an expensive cast, i would have paid my writers and editors to figure out how to keep some more depth to the characters.... you will enjoy it though- light-hearted man flick. sensing a pattern in movie choices lately?

in my humble, yet correct opinion:  3.5/5





life as we know it

 look at the cover. yep - that's exactly how it goes. there are few surprises here, but its not that you need many in romantic comedies... its charming though, and we enjoyed watching all of the baby humor now that it is so close to home. even when it was over, i couldn't tell if i thought the casting choices would have been my top picks for this one- but it works enough. cute chick movie- girls' night kind.

in my humble, yet correct opinion: 4/5
{ps- i try to rate chick flix as compared only to other chick flix...}

i hope you are watching good movies too!!

obsession confession: TLC

we can't stop watching TLC.

there, i've said it.

its all of the reality tv you could ever want...

we love the cake boss, 

say yes to the dress,

strange addictions,

heavy,

all the weird pregnant ones...

and the new ones are getting even funnier:

toddlers & tiaras- 

show where pageant moms go crazy over their girls- 

its a unique culture all on its own- much like watching the tribe of housewives- 

hard to believe they really exist.

my cousin just sent me this of tom and sophia hanks

and i just about tinkled in my pants.

this couldn't be more accurate to the show.

{ps- sophia hanks is quite good!}

what you missed @ the oscars

{and if you were wondering, it wasn't the hosts.}

it was, as my brother tweeted, 

"like the time i watched titantic with my mom in Jr. High: 

really slow and awkward during that one part."

@jacobmoffat

the best part was the "musicals:"

watch, and then pee.

he doesn't own a shirt.

in case you were wondering.

yes, the best presenter of the night was billy crystal,

yes, he should have hosted.

though i have heard many others say that next year should be 

reese witherspoon, or sandra bullock, or robert downy, i would take kevin spacey...

please, oscar, spare me from anne hathaway in the future.

she just tries too hard.

{though i admit she did pull off quite a few stunning looks in her 22 costume/hair changes}

here was the opening with the hosts:

proof that they need a director to work it out.
it is mildly humorous,

but i wont go straight to funny...

and congrats to social network and inception 

for coming away with some of the technical wins...

well deserved, and i just didn't want king's speech to win all of them unecessarily.

my predictions for wins were pretty darn close-

check em out here if you wanted to know...

i heart award shows

slash love to find the hits and misses.

here is the brief recap...

angelina = hit, always.

great color, great era, and yes, she can even pull off the shoulder pads...

carrie underwood = stunning.

anne hathaway = shoulder pads?

just because it's giorgio armani, doesn't mean it's a hit. and what the skin-fabric on the back?

jimmy fallon = hilarious

the host was ricky gervais.

the opener was rough. for all of us...

it was a roast, minus the laughing...

[from an article in tv examiner:]

"Ricky Gervais came out swinging, and here are just a few targets of his jokes:

• Charlie Sheen - Gervais made fun of his drinking ... and his love for adult film stars.
• "The Tourist" - Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie probably didn't like Ricky trashing the quality of their film, that's for sure.
• Hugh Hefner: Well, he may have had it coming for marrying someone sixty years younger.
• Mel Gibson: Yes, he wasn't done yet.
• Tom Cruise / John Travolta: It's hard to say which one Gervais was referring to, but he did insinuate that someone was gay."

Continue reading on Examiner.com: Golden Globes 2011: Ricky Gervais destroys Charlie Sheen, Mel Gibson (photos) - National TV | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/tv-in-national/golden-globes-2011-ricky-gervais-destroys-charlie-sheen-mel-gibson-photos#ixzz1BJmkY5mg

scarlett johanssen - miss.

i think the hair puts it over the top, and the color is a bit wrong for her. some can pull off the "i look like i was made for a different time period"- look, and some look like they are trying to hard....

best supporting actor in a comedy or musical = 

chris colfer {kurt} from glee.

i have to say i was excited for the guy.
and he was cute up there,

"I think I just dropped my heart between Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore,
so if anyone sees that, please give that back to me..."
-chris

but i would have gone with eric stonestreet {cam} from modern family.

thanks for not making a huge political statement either, we all appreciate it.

ricky gervais = a bit of a miss, poor guy.

turns out making hilarious mean fun of people isn't all that hilarious...

though many of his roasts are true, 

there are too many in the crowd that take themselves too seriously to laugh....

{making fun of 40-year girlfriend gaps is one thing, telling great actors that no one cared about their film and they suck is another thing entirely}

personally, i thought hans zimmer should have won the best original score for inception, but alas, the social network wins out again...

best animated feature - toy story 3.

which i loved, whole-heartedly, and made me cry,

but i don't know if it beat despicable me...

  
best actress in a mini-series

claire danes {temple grandin}

who was a hit for me, btw. one of my favs - simple and elegant.

ps: i want to see that!

i keep hearing how moving it is

tiny fey/steve carrell as presenters

make me happy.

{why didn't they host the GG's!!}

screenplay = social network...

i would have said inception, but oh well...

supporting actress in tv show

jane lynch {glee}

the dress isn't a hit for me, but i think that is more her body-shape's fault. she almost could have done a pant suit and i would have liked it better...

"i am nothing if not falsely humble..."

-jane

best comedy or musical tv show

glee

lea michele =  huge hit

i love that she just goes big. and sells it completely. she made me wish i was in that gown.

halle berry = hit. hello!

yikes, is she always hot or what? who really has that body and skin 100% of life?

best actor in a movie 

paul giamatti

{barney's version}

didn't see it, but he's bril, 

and maybe depp had 2 chances in this one...

best actress in a movie {drama}

natalie portman

{black swan}

natalie portman = hit. and prego, no less.

she is adorable and charming. always.

sandra bullock = hit. 

minus the bangs.

her look is a lot sadder than last year though- when she stole the show. she obviously didn't want to be too noticed. and considering her life this year, i guess that's understandable.

best actor in a movie {drama}

colin firth {king's speech}

that i keep hearing is a serious must-see...

julia stiles - hit

she pulls off this cut so well, and her hair is classy. i dig.

 olivia wilde - hit

she is just sassy, love that she just went with the full fluffy dress. stunning.

helena bonham carter- i think she tries hard to miss. and wins.

just disgusting.

and the other prego of note- jane krakowski {30 rock}
hit for me!

lets be honest, only movie starts can rock the prego bod this well.

till next time...

the full list of nominations/winners...

why to heart paparazzi

couldn't tell you why i was looking these up,

but what the freakin cute kids and celeb parents?

see if you can name em all-

brittanica, i know you can...

{this one's my fav} 

if we are going to catch em doind something,

let it be cute moments with their cute kids.

{note: not all celebs have cute kids.  do not look up trump's kids... not cute.}