Claud's View: Musically Speaking 2009

Hey everyone! I know it's been a while but life got in the way of my writing. My New Year's resolution is to dedicate time to this blog, no excuses. With that out the way let me get to it.

Music is a very important element in my life. It has the ability to transform me into a dancing diva (thank you Lady Gaga), a salsa hootchie (conyo Pitbull) or a hip hop bad ass (hallelujah Jay-Z). Catch me at a stop light and you will find me dancing and singing to my hearts content; a habit my son has picked up on as well. Each decade was defined by particular music trends. For example the 80's gave us amazing alternative and synth pop bands, not so amazing hair bands and powerhouse performers (Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, and U2). The 90's introduced us to grunge, parent approved rap and me to flannel, Eddie Vedder hair, and MC Hammer pants. Not a good luck my friends, not even for the Hammer. The last decade was a melting pot of music--boy bands, pop-punk, pop-tarts, rap rock or rock rap (your choice) the resurgence of the troubadour, country stars dominating Top 40 stations. It was a good decade in music and I enjoyed most of it with the exception of that ketchup song and Daughtry. I have to say that 2009 was a stellar year musically and my favorite music year of the decade. There were new releases by my favorite bands and performers: U2, The Black Eyed Peas, Michael Buble, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Plus I discovered some cool new bands to fill my Ipod with: Spinnerette, Ida Maria, Them Crooked Vultures, and Cage the Elephant. I even learned to appreciate Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Kings of Leon. Go figure.

I want to take a beat here to highlight Spinnerette. The band is fronted by one of my favorite singers Brody Dalle (former name Brody Armstrong; the face and voice of The Distillers). Those not familiar with the latter should take a listen, even if you do not like punk, Brody's voice could be raging and melodic all at the same time. The Distillers only released 2 CD's with the last being released in 2003 but those cd's are still on frequent rotation in my car. Give it a listen when you want to release stress or feel hardcore ("because you're not hardcore unless you live hardcore"). But I digress, Spinnerette was a fortuitous discovery because I had longed to hear Brody belt out something new. I was taken aback because the sound for Spinnerette is still engaging just mellower-- they sound like the band Hole, before Courtney Love went batshiz crazy. "Baptized by Fire" is the first single released off their self-titled cd. Check it out on iTunes, Pandora, or whatever music search you utilize.

Being the music lover that I am I firmly believe that the only way to truly appreciate your favorite performer is to see them perform live, so I am an avid concert goer. We are in a recession so I had to be choosy in 2009, but I chose some astounding shows. Started the year with Reverend Horton Heat; caught No Doubt (welcome back!!) with Paramore and The Sounds; Depeche Mode at Red Rocks Amphitheater, followed closely by Flogging Molly (kick ass Irish punk band--thank you to the Wilson's for that one). We capped the concert year by going to see U2 with the Black Eyed Peas at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. The show only solidified my claim that U2 is the greatest band in the world or ever and having the Peas open for them only added to the energy. An entire stadium full of people shaking to "Boom Boom Pow" can create world peace.

I don't know what the next decade will bring but I do know that Vampire Weekend will be offering up a new cd in January and that U2 will be blessing Colorado with a show in June. I await both with the excitement of a Twilighter. Happy New Year to you all!

Claud's Picks: Fall Movie Preview Part Deux

I am back with the second part of my fall movie recommendations, sorry for the delay. I have already crossed one film "Extract" off my list and will be reviewing it soon. I must also apologize for not including one film on my last list under comedies--The Men Who Stare at Goats. This film starts on 11/6 and stars George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, and Kevin Spacey. It is about a military group that attempts to train and use telepathy in military situations. Claud's take: This looks like a Cohen-esque film, which is my kind of comedy. The cast is impressive and I have high hopes for quirky stuff.

Now that I got that off my chest, let's continue with the list.

Family Films

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs-9/18: voices of Bill Hader and Anna Faris. Claud's take: A film based on a children's book where Bill Hader's character invents a machine that transforms water into food. My son and I are looking forward to this one. It seems silly and fun. My "trio" gave it a thumbs up!!

Toy Story & Toy Story 2 (both in 3-D)-10/2: Claud's take: I really don't have to tell you whose voices are featured in these films. Pixar and Disney have decided to rerelease these films in 3-D. The whole 3-D thing really doesn't enhance the movie going experience for me, not my bag, but it seems like 3-D is the "big thing" this year. I will probably take my son just so he can watch them on the big screen.

Where the Wild Things Are-10/16: stars Catherine Keener and Mark Ruffalo. Claud's take: Based on the beloved children's book by Maurice Sendak, director Spike Jonze brings the wild things to life. My son loves the book, as do I, and he makes me play the trailer for him over and over. If you have not seen the trailer yet, please watch it. Q and I will definitely be at the theater on opening weekend.

A Christmas Carol- 11/6: stars Jim Carrey. Claud's take: Director Robert Zemekis brings us another adaptation of the classic Christmas tale using the same animation he used on The Polar Express and this time he recruited Jim Carrey to bring Scrooge to the big screen.

The Princess & the Frog-11/25 voices of Anika Noni Rose, Terence Howard Claud's take: Disney's first African American princess. FINALLY! Based on the Grimm Fairy tale "The Frog Prince" Disney is taking a chance and giving us a traditional animated film. Little girls everywhere will be asking for a new princess this holiday season.

Horror/Suspense (Horror is NOT my thing so I am just listing all the movies that are being released this fall in this genre :))

Jennifer's Body-9/18:

Zombieland- 10/9:

The Stepfather-10/16

Saw VI-10/23

I want to try and get back to my reviews being posted at least once a week. Will do my best to keep up with my expectations :)

Claud's Picks: Fall Movie Preview Part I

Summer movie season has come and gone. Although I didn't get to the theater as much as I would have liked to, what I saw was good. Now the fall films are upon us, and I must say it is my favorite season weather and movie wise. I have compiled a little cheat sheet for all of you of films I am looking forward to seeing and would probably recommend. I split the films up into "specific" genres and two parts, as not to overload your brains. Some of the films may overlap genres but I am sure you will get the gist.

Date Movie/Chick Flicks:

Love Happens-9/18: starring Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart. Claud's take: Aaron Eckhart is a self help guru who can't heed his own advice. Looks like a nice love story with a solid pair of actors.

Fame-9/25: A remake of the classic movie with a whole slew of newcomers. Claud's take: I am probably going to see this on my own and come out pirouetting and serenading people.

New York, I Love You-10/16: Small films w/different directors (Mira Nair, Brett Ratner) and stars (Natalie Portman, Shia LaBeouf), all centering around New York. Claud's take: Looks like an independent release so I am not sure they will release in my neck of the woods but I will do my darndest to see it.

Whip It-10/9: starring Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page. Claud's take: Ellen Page is girl trying to rebel against her "toddler and tiara" type mom, so she joins a roller derby team and finds herself. Based on a true story and is Drew's directorial debut so I am definitely going out to support her.

Nine-11/25: starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, and Kate Hudson. Claud's take: Musical based on the Broadway play which is based on the film 8 1/2 by Federico Fellini. I dig musicals and this is directed by Rob Marshall, who directed Chicago, so it should be a fun to watch.

Comedies:

Extract-9/4: starring Jason Bateman, Ben Affleck, and Mila Kunis. Claud's take: Mr. Bateman is the owner of an extract plant who deals with calamity in his plant and unhappiness in his life. I will watch anything from writer/director Mike Judge, the man behind Office Space, and he had the good sense to cast Jason Bateman. Hoping for good stuff with this one.

The Informant!-9/18: starring Matt Damon. Claud's take: This film is directed by Steven Soderbergh (Erin Brockovich, all the Ocean's films), so right off the bat I get a good feeling, and it stars Matt Damon as a whistle blower at an agricultural corporation. Would seem like this be a drama but they found a comedic spin and went for it. Also has Joel McHale from E!'s The Soup, and we all know he can bring the funny.

The Invention of Lying-9/25: starring Ricky Gervais and Jennifer Garner Claud's take: Ricky Gervais makes me laugh and in this film he stars as a man who invents "lying" in a world where everyone is brutally honest. "I want to go to there."

Couples Retreat-10/9: all-star comedy cast-Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman. Claud's take: Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell are a couple whose marriage is in trouble and they recruit their couple friends to join them on a retreat to save their marriage. Every time I watch the trailer I laugh my ass off. This is one I can't wait for.

Did You Hear About the Morgan's?-12/18: starring Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker. Claud's take: Hugh and SJP star as a big city couple on the brink of divorce who witness a murder and must be put into the witness protection program. Of course they are planted somewhere foreign--Wyoming. I love Hugh Grant in romantic comedies so this should be fun to watch.

It's Complicated-12/25: starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin. Claud's take: A comedy from Nancy Myers (Something's Gotta Give), that involves a divorced couple, Meryl and Alec, who end up having an affair with each other, and Steve is the guy trying to woo the single Meryl. Nancy Myers knows how to write comedies for adults and this cast is gold. Christmas will be very funny this year.

That is my round up for now. I will post part II-which includes: family films, horror, blockbusters, and Oscar bait- in a few days. Peruse this list for now and remember to view responsibly :)

Movie Review: Inglourious Basterds

Sorry everyone for not keeping up with my blog; I have been super busy, but I can't think of a better film to resume my blogging duties with. For those of you who don't know yet, Quentin Tarantino is my favorite director. I named my son after him if that is any indication as to how much I love this director. Some may say that Quentin's movies are too violent and that is valid, but I argue that the violence is just a small fraction of his films. In addition to directing his films he also serves as the screenwriter. The dialogue in his films is superb and I must say he brings out the best performances in his actors. I don't think that there is room or time to list off the actors and their performances, for that you should watch ALL of his films, but I ask you to think of Uma Thurman's performances in Pulp Fiction and the Kill Bill Films. I challenge anyone to say that she has given a better performance than in those 3 films.

Adding to the canon of great films and memorable characters is Inglourious Basterds. Brad Pitt stars at Lt. Aldo Raine, the leader of a ragtag group of Jewish soldiers whose prime objective is to hunt and kill Nazi's. Working for the Nazi's is the diabolical Col. Hans Landa, played by Christoph Waltz who won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his performance in this film. Col. Landa is to this film what Hans Gruber was to Die Hard, the villain you love to hate. There is also Shosanna Dreyfus, played by the radiant French actress Melanie Laurent, who escaped Col. Landa's clutches early on but her family was not so lucky. Shosanna vows to avenge the death of her family culminating in an unknowing union with the basterds that could possibly end the reign of Hitler and his army.

As gruesome as the plot sounds, Mr. Tarantino distracts you from the ugliness with the humor. Brad Pitt looks like he is having the best time and his drawl adds to the fun. At no time do you feel like the atrocities the Jewish people endured is made light of. Instead Quentin asks the audience to play make believe with him--What if the US had the cojones to send in some crazy SOB's to finish Hitler off once and for all, one Nazi dirtbag at a time? I think you will be satisfied with his crazy idea. Vengeance is a theme at the heart of all Tarantino's films. I am a big believer in "reaping what you sow" or "karmas going to get you" so vengeance/revenge never comes into play for me, but for at least 2 hours, watching the underdog climb their way to the top is a fun and twisted ride. This movie is well worth the price of admission.

Claud's Heroes: Madonna

Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone Penn Ritchie, otherwise known as Madonna, entered my life in 1983 when the single "Everybody", off her debut album Madonna, was released. I was 7 or 8 years old at the time and music was a huge part of my young life, thanks to my father. This song quickly became my favorite and when the album was released my dad was awesome enough to buy me the tape (remember those). I would listen to the tape over and over again; memorizing every lyric as if it was gospel. The very first CD I ever owned was Like A Prayer. My dad bought it on the day of its release and when I got home there it was sitting in my room waiting for me. I still have that CD, albeit scratched to hell, but I will never get rid of it. Since that day I have purchased all of her CD's on the day of their release and do the same thing- I listen to it over and over again; memorizing every lyric as if it was gospel.

Videos were an integral part of an artist's career back in those days and she, along with Michael Jackson (yes, I am giving him props), was a pioneer in the way videos were presented. I would watch the videos and try to copy her moves. Almost every girl wanted to be like her and I was no different, I was hooked. Shortly after watching her in Desperately Seeking Susan, probably one of the best received performances of her career and one that definitely put her fashion out front and center, I went to school in my best "Susan/Madonna" outfit. For some reason this act infuriated a majority of the 6th grade girls and they wanted to pound my wannabe ass into a pulp (true story--my childhood friend Christin Pursley can attest to it). Thankfully the 6th grade girl's ire softened and my face and dignity were spared. At that time Christin was my partner in Madonna worship. We would sing her songs, dance along to the videos and one inspired day we even filmed two of our very own Madonna videos with my dad being the director and videographer. The videos were for "Material Girl" and "White Heat". Sadly those videos are lost somewhere in a pile of VHS tapes, but I can still remember them vividly, as well as my bad haircut.

When I was young there was nothing I wanted more than to go to a Madonna concert. My biological mother (or the one who shall not be named--a little Harry Potter Voldemort reference for you) always said she would buy me a ticket and she never did. I did not see Madonna live until she performed at the Hollywood Bowl for Arsenio Hall's 100th or 1000th show. I cannot remember what the event was called but I remember what she performed- "Fever" and a duet "The Lady is a Tramp" with Anthony Kiedis from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I had nose bleed seats but it didn't matter because I was finally in the same vicinity as my hero. Most people know I am a frugal person but that would be last time nose bleed and Madonna concert would be uttered in the same sentence for me. The next time I would see her was for The Drowned World Tour in 2001 and I spared no expense. My eternal partner in crime, my cousin Norma, was at my side as we walked into the Staples center and I began tearing up at the site of our seats. It was probably the best concert I have ever been to. Since then I have not missed a tour and have been lucky enough to include friends and family along for the ride but my constant concert companions are always Norma, my bonus sister Heidi, and our sister in Madonna worship Shannon. I am not being biased when I say that a Madonna concert is truly a spectacle for the eyes and ears. The sets are amazing, the choreography is flawless, the costumes are fierce, and she always brings it. There is NO lip-synching-yes I am referring to all of the little pop tarts out there who think that dancing and lip-synching to their prerecorded, auto tuned songs makes them stars; Madonna is LIVE in every sense.

Madonna's movies and personal life are always ridiculed, and I admit to not always approving of her choices but after 26 years I am still in awe of her and continue to be a loyal fan. Her birthday is August 16th and I wrote this post to say happy birthday to a woman who has inadvertently been involved in some of my best memories as well as creating more than 50% of the songs on the soundtrack of my life. To all my readers--please give it up to a true artist and sing along and dance to one of her songs tomorrow.

Essential Madonna CD's:

ALL OF THEM!!!!!

Essential Madonna Films:

1. Desperately Seeking Susan

2. Truth or Dare

3. Evita

Movie Review: Funny People

By now most of you have seen the preview/trailer to Funny People. If you haven't, allow me to give you a brief breakdown. Adam Sandler plays George Simmons, an extremely successful comedian who is diagnosed with a terminal illness. He takes a young comedian named Ira, played by Seth Rogen, and hires him as his personal assistant. Ira is ecstatic because George is one of his comedic idols. It is not too long before Ira discovers that George is a huge PRICK (that is phrasing it nicely). Fame has turned him into a self-indulgent, narcissistic ass. He has no real friends, has lost touch with his family, and betrayed the only woman he has ever loved. Ira urges George to reach out to these people in his time of need. In the midst of all the emotional healing George discovers he is in remission. Has being so close to death changed George for the better? I am begging you to watch the movie to find out.

I am a huge Adam Sandler fan; I will watch anything he is in. The comedies are always worth watching but what I truly relish are his dramatic performances. Not too many people flock to his dramas, and if you are one of those people please rethink it and netflix Punch Drunk Love (2002) and Reign Over Me (2007), my favorite of the two. In Reign Over Me Adam plays a widow who is in extreme denial over the loss of his wife and children; the film is moving and his performance is quietly haunting. Funny People is a dramedy, in the same vein as Spanglish, so it is not your typical Adam Sandler movie. Yes it's got the comedy in spades (the stand-up scenes are hilarious) but it also has heart and allows Adam to explore his dramatic range and I am all for it.

Funny People is reminiscent of the film Punchline (1988), starring Tom Hanks as a tortured comedian and Sally Fields as a bored housewife looking to morph into a great comic (definitely worth watching). The critics are taking the film to task for giving too in depth a glimpse into the stand up world. I found that aspect fascinating. I admire what Judd Apatow, the writer and director, put on screen. He is one director who can mix sensitivity, sex, and comedy effortlessly. Watch The 40-year old Virgin (2005) and Knocked Up (2007) if you don't believe me. I look forward to his evolving as a storyteller and hope he does not let the critics discourage him in tackling serious films.

Seth Rogen gave a different performance in this film. Instead of playing the self assured agro male he has played in recent films, Ira was an insecure, sensitive, sweet guy. I enjoyed seeing him in this role. It displayed his range and showed audiences that he is more than a go-to funny actor.

I do not want to leave the rest of the cast out in my praise. Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Leslie Mann, and Eric Bana were all funny and made up an amazing supporting cast. I could go on and on about the movie but I think it would be best if you all saw it for yourself. It is not a funny happy joyride, but it reminds us that even in our worst moments there is always room for laughter.

TV Show Review: More To Love

It has been many years since I have watched a reality dating show. I detest these shows; dating is hard enough without having to compete with 20 man hungry women, unfair expectations, and a camera in your face. I find the shows demeaning to both sexes and I disapprove of how they suck audiences in to believing that there will be a happily ever after, after a season of orchestrated dates/scenarios, only to have the couple break up after the show's finale. Now Fox brings us More To Love, a dating show for "real" people; when they say "real" what they truly mean is not size 4 and below. I have no problem with a show for "real" people; I myself am a "real" woman who struggles with her weight and insecurities like 90% of America. I am a huge fan of uplifting shows like The Biggest Loser; I find it to be motivating and inspirational, albeit contrived, but it still finds a place on my DVR prioritizer (season pass manager for you Tivo users). My problem is shows like Dance Your Ass Off and now More To Love that are designed to get America to watch by making fun of the contestants and their weight/circumstance. My bonus brother Eric said it best--it's "Fatsploitation".

I decided to watch in hopes of being proved wrong; optimistic that these contestants would not be exploited. The format for More To Love is set up like The Bachelor. Our bachelor is Luke, a 26 year old Californian who claims to love "voluptuous and curvy" women. There are 20 female contestants. When each one is introduced to the audience their name, height and weight are listed. (WHY is it necessary to show their weight if the show wants these women to be loved and accepted for who they are?) Instead of a rose, these women get diamond bands which Luke says is a promise that he will open his heart to them and like them for who they are and by accepting the ring these women are promising to do the same. By the end of the first evening Luke has to eliminate 5 of these poor girls.

Besides the fact that these women are all looking to meet Prince Charming, they all share the belief that because of their weight they were not worthy of finding love. My heart broke for each and every one of them (except for the crazy drunk chick). I don't know if choosing to be on this show will promote the emotional stability and acceptance they need, but I truly hope that it does not crush their dreams and diminish any chance of improving their self worth, but the odds are against them.

It's too soon to tell if I am right about the show or not, but one thing I do know is if we are going to start taking the titles of these reality dating shows literally, I have a few suggestions: Less to Grab and Less to Love. She's Hot but Dumb. Give That Skinny Bitch a Sandwich and My Heart. THAT my friends is keeping it real!

Movie Review: Taken

Two things I learned from watching this movie: 1) Liam Neeson is a serious bad ass and 2) None of my nieces are ever travelling abroad alone!

Taken was released in 2008 but I just got around to watching it this weekend, and it was worth the wait. Liam Neeson stars as Bryan Mills, a recently retired CIA agent. He retired from the spy game to make up for lost time with his daughter Kim (played by Maggie Grace, Shannon on ABC's Lost). Kim's summer plans differ from her dad's quality time plans; Kim and a friend are flying to Paris so they can follow U2 (lucky girl!) on the European leg of their tour. Bryan reluctantly agrees to let his only daughter go, but not without some ground rules and an ever important international cell phone. Kim and her friend land in Paris and immediately meet a charming young man who offers to share his cab with them. Not a smart move. The girls haven't even unpacked when a group of men come crashing in. Luckily Kim is on the phone with her dad as she witnesses her friend being carried out and is able to give Bryan key information that will help him at a later time. Bryan instructs his daughter on what she needs to do and informs her that she will be "taken". As Kim is whisked away one of her abductors picks up the phone and Bryan gives him a warning --let her go or suffer the consequences. The abductor simply replies, in his euro trash accent, "good luck". From that moment IT--IS--ON! Bryan quickly enlists the help of his ex-CIA buddies who uncover that the men who took his daughter are slave traders/sex traffickers. Bryan has 96 hours to find her or she will be lost forever. Can he rescue his daughter in time?

This film was co-written by Luc Besson, director and writer of 1994's Leon: The Professional and still one of my favorite assassin movies (if you haven't seen it yet, please Netflix it, if not for the action then to watch a young Natalie Portman play an aspiring assassin). Mr. Besson knows how to write intelligent action movies, which may sound like an oxymoron to you, but believe me such films do exist. Of course the concept would not work unless you had a skilled actor to bring the script to life. I think Liam Neeson was perfect for this part. He has balanced his more dramatic roles (Schindler's List, Kinsey) with some action roles in big franchise films (Batman Begins, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace) but in this film, he alone IS the action. He is completely believable and at 57 years old he is bringing the pain effortlessly. Mr. Neeson has eight films in various stages of pre and post production, two of them being the A-Team film adaptation and Clash of the Titans remake. I know I have blogged about my dislike of remakes, especially when it involves cult classics like Titans, but I must admit if Liam Neeson is in it there is a greater chance that I am buying a ticket.

Taken is a definite must see. It is a rare action movie which males and females will equally enjoy.

Liam Neeson Essential Film List:

1. Darkman (1990)--- first big starring role; cult classic
2. Schindler's List (1993) -- everyone should watch this and show it to their children
3. Nell (1994) -- watch for the silly language Jodie Foster speaks
4. Rob Roy (1995) -- Scottish hero comes to life
5. Star Wars: Episode I-The Phantom Menace (1999) -- He is Qui-Gon Jinn; enough said
6. Love Actually (2003) -- a great Christmas/Romantic film
7. Kinsey (2004) -- Do not watch this with your children
8. Taken (2008) -- read review

Movie Review: Bruno

Note to readers: No one in my family would agree to pose for a Bruno photo for this blog so I am stuck with the studio pic :)

I am one of the masses who thought that Borat was an interesting and hilarious observation of how an outsider/immigrant tries to insinuate himself into rural/unprogressive America. The film was un-politically correct which was refreshing. I expected the same kind of style with Bruno only from a homosexual angle as opposed to immigrant. Sadly, Bruno was a disappointing docu-comedy.

For those of you who have missed the publicity blitz let me break Bruno down for you. Bruno is an Austrian fashion show host who gets fired from his hosting gig. He figures he will seek his fame in America and sets out to host his own show with the help of his devoted assistant. He comes in contact with several unsuspecting individuals and puts them in highly uncomfortable situations, almost too painful to watch. Some critics are calling Bruno "too gay". What does that term mean anyway? To me "too gay" is when people dress their pets up, so I don't agree with that assessment. Sacha Baron Cohen was simply portraying an over the top character who happened to be gay. There was a bit too much showcasing of the "male genitalia" for my taste; it's only funny and shocking the first couple of times but after that it's just a throw away gag.

What I disliked about the film were the people who he came in contact with. I am not oblivious to the fact that there are ignorant people in the world but to see it on a big screen unscripted really pissed me off (which is why I try and stay away from most reality shows). Some of these encounters were scripted I'm sure, but it was hard to tell which ones they were. I do not want to ruin anything for those of you curious to watch the film so please do not read the following in italics: There were two scenes in particular that really got my blood boiling. A rowdy crowd gathers to watch an ultimate fighting cage match. What they end up watching is two men making out. If this upset you personally the logical thing would be to get up and leave, that is not what the crowd does. They work themselves up into this violent frenzy; you'd think they were witnessing a brutal attack on an elderly person. The other scene was a photo shoot audition for toddlers to pose along with Bruno's baby, OJ. While Bruno is interviewing these parents he reads off a list of preposterous and hazardous situations that the children may be exposed to. I was fuming as I watched these parents agree to let their kids do anything Bruno asked. All this in search of those 15 minutes of fame and a quick buck.

If Bruno was made to get people talking about intolerance and ignorance then job well done, but if its purpose was to entertain-- it missed the mark.

Movie Review: Confessions of a Shopaholic

Rebecca Bloomwood (played by Isla Fisher) struts down the street with her armload of bags naming off every article of clothing she has on along with the designer who made it. She leers into store windows, like me at a bakery window, imagining that the mannequins are enticing her to come in and shop. Rebecca is a shopaholic and she walks as if she hasn't a care in the world, no one would know that creditors are after her trying to collect the $16K plus she owes (that amount would not phase certain shopaholics I know) or that her credit cards are maxed out. Her life is about constant denial, justifying shopping binges, and dodging collectors. She supports her habit and bides her time by working for a gardening magazine as a journalist; her dream is to write for Alette, a Vogue type fashion magazine. Reality comes and smacks Ms. Bloomwood in her Chanel making wearing face when her magazine shuts down and Alette fills the open position with a scheming fashion shrew. A chance encounter with Luke Brandon (the dashing Hugh Dancy) proves fortuitous, not only for her career but for her love life as well. Luke is the editor at a financial magazine and through a drunken mix up Rebecca ends up working as a columnist for the magazine. Her column about consumerism catches on with the public rather quickly and Rebecca finds herself trying to maneuver her career and her addiction. Will she be found at for the fraud she is? My answer was I really don't care.

I truly wanted to like this film. Not just because of the shopping and amazing fashion (Patricia Field was the costume designer) but because I am a huge fan of P.J. Hogan, the director of the film who has also directed two of my favorite films Muriel's Wedding and My Best Friend's Wedding. I also adore Isla Fisher. I do not think that they were given good material to work with here. It felt like Isla was instructed to act adorable and they just pointed the camera at her.

Ms. Fisher is a good actress/comedienne. Anyone who has seen her in Wedding Crashers and Definitely, Maybe can attest to that; this just wasn't the vehicle for her to make her "above the title" mark.

The film was based on the book of the same name by Sophie Kinsella. I have not read the book yet but my sister-in-law Alissa, the lovely young lady pictured above, has and liked it far better than the film. I will be reading and reviewing the book soon. I hope the book does a better job of taking me on a shopaholic adventure.

SHAMELESS PLUG: There is a scene in the movie where Rebecca walks through a modern furnishing store and Kartell lights are highlighted. If you like the look of the lights please visit: www.ylighting.com/kartell.html.

Movie Review: The Proposal

Margaret Tate (played by the lovely Sandra Bullock) is the editor-in-chief at a publishing company and Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds, delish as always) is her long suffering assistant. Margaret is a huge bitch and the whole office fears her. Ms. Tate is called in to meet with her bosses who inform her that she has failed to meet her work visa requirements, she is Canadian, so she is being deported. Enter Andrew, at the wrong time, and Margaret informs her bosses that she will not be deported because her and young Andrew are getting married. Horrified at first Andrew gets his head on straight and uses his boss's predicament to his advantage; he will agree to marry her if he is promoted to editor. She reluctantly agrees and they are off to the immigration office where they meet the INS worker from hell who always uncovers the fraudulent unions. They inform Mr. INS that they will be going to Alaska to announce their engagement to Andrew's family which also coincides with Gammy Annie's 90th birthday. Off to Alaska they go and hilarity ensues. In classic romantic comedy fashion Margaret and Andrew see each other in a whole new light.

I love romantic comedies no matter how ridiculous the premise might be. Not all of these rom-coms are good, but this one is fantastic. Anne Fletcher, director of 27 Dresses (a cute ode to bridesmaids) and Step Up (the best dance movie since Breakin' 2 in my book), does a great job of not making this film cutesy as most rom-coms tend to be. There is a great balance of sweet and sour and the story feels believable. Of course that wouldn't be so without the tremendous talents of Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Sandra has spoken in past interviews about not wanting to do anymore romantic comedies but after reading the script to this one she could not resist. I am delighted that she did and hope that she will keep doing them because she is genuinely amazing in this genre. If you don't believe me watch While You Were Sleeping and Two Weeks Notice; but you definitely need to watch this movie if only to see Sandra bust out her ghetto side. It is HIGH-larious. Ryan Reynolds, what can I say, this guy can tackle any genre or script. I do adore him in comedies, watch National Lampoon's Van Wilder and Just Friends, but he has proven to be a powerful player in action films, watch him in Blade 3 and Wolverine. His and Sandra's chemistry is definitely the key to the success of the movie.

The film also has a great supporting cast: Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen, and Malin Akerman; but I have to say the stand outs for me were Betty White as Gammy Annie and Oscar Nunez, Oscar from NBC's The Office, as Ramone. First Betty's character is referred to as Gammy, my son and niece refer to their grandma as Gammy so that endeared her to me even more. This woman is 89 years young and can still hold her own with the youngsters, she is comedy gold. As for Oscar's character, the guy is the jack of all trades in the little Alaskan town but my personal favorite of all the jobs is that he is the only male exotic dancer in town. Oscar turned what could have been a one-note character into a scene stealer.

This is a romantic comedy worth dragging your reluctant partner too a theater for or to just escape the summer heat.

Claud's View: Remakes

In the last couple of weeks I have read about certain remakes of movies in the works. A Karate Kid remake is already in production with Jayden Smith and Jackie Chan. Blasphemy! I am not big on remakes of films unless they were films that were released before my time, so over 30+ years old. I would prefer revisions; take the basic concept of an original, update it and twist it around a bit. The thing that troubles me the most about these upcoming remakes is that they were done well the first time. Why mess with a good thing? The three that have me concerned at the moment are the possible remakes of Teen Wolf, Conan the Barbarian, and An American Werewolf in London. WHY HOLLYWOOD, WHY?

I understand why they want to revisit Teen Wolf and AAWIL, they want to cash in on the success of the Twilight books and films, plus they figure if vampires are making a comeback why not werewolves. I know most people in my generation have a special place in their cinematic hearts for Teen Wolf; I know myself and my family most definitely do. Side note: I didn't ever watch Teen Wolf Too because that looked really bad, please forgive me Jason Bateman! If none of you have started your love affair with Jason Bateman, please start watching/netflixing Arrested Development reruns stat and any film in which he stars as something other than a teen werewolf). Michael J. Fox was awesome as Scott, a young teen balancing his high school existence as a human basketball outcast and a werewolf who is the Kobe of the game. Gripping stuff. And who could forget the cheese ball soundtrack or the school dance where Scott leads the student body in a dance along, since of course the wolf persona allows him not just to excel at basketball but it also makes him an amazing dancer. I personally would be saddened if Hollywood disregarded such a classic.

As for An American Werewolf in London, they have already tried to recapture the magic of the first film with the sequel An American Werewolf in Paris, which was badly received by the critics and audiences. The original is the first horror movie that I can remember watching. It was released in 1981, I was 6 years old but to be fair I think my dad waited until the movie was released on VHS to let me watch it (we will get to my dad's censorship in a later blog :)) Even at a young age I remember thinking how amazing the effects were. Rick Baker (a renowned make-up effects artist for those of you who didn't know) was introduced to my cinephile psyche through this film and I have been a fan of his work ever since. They should leave this movie alone and maybe consider a spec script I am working on called A Mexican Chupacabra in Sinaloa. It would be subtitled in spanglish and filmed on location in Pericos.

Finally--Conan the Barbarian. I was 7 years old when this was released. My dad and Uncle Richard took me to the movies for a double feature of Conan and Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (Again, dad's censorship, blog for another time). Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Ah-nuld if you will, came into my life with that movie and I have been a loyal fan of his films since then. Can you imagine anyone else in that role? Who can pray to Crom like Ah-nuld can? Lest we forget, this movie also gave us James Earl Jones sporting a serious wig and turning into a giant snake. What other actor is as prestigious enough to fill JEJ's role and also not let the character come off as campy? No one that's who.

I may be letting my emotional ties to these films cloud my judgment but I know I will not watch these remakes if they do end up getting made. What about you readers, how do you feel about remakes?

Claud in the Field: Camp Cinemark

Have you ever camped out in front of a theater awaiting the opening of a summer blockbuster movie? Have you ever attended a midnight showing of a movie on its opening night/day? I haven't really camped out but I did attend a midnight showing of only one film -"Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" which was released in 1999. My cousins- Norma, Jamie, and I parked our butts in front of Edward's Cinema in Corona, CA along with all the other Star Wars fans awaiting the latest and greatest from George Lucas. When we got into the theater the anticipation and excitement was significant. All us fans uniting to experience this great masterpiece together. Little did I know that the excitement and large doses of sugar would send my 23 year old self crashing during the second hour of the movie and this film would be the most loathed episode in the saga (it is my son's favorite at the moment). It didn't matter; I was there and I could claim that for the rest of my life. I was a die hard fan.

Over the years I have seen camp outs for summer event movies. The same questions always filled my head-How can they sleep outside? Do these people have jobs? When do they use the bathroom? Camping out was common for films in big cities, but imagine my surprise when I found campers at the Cinemark theater in Colorado Springs, CO. I remember the first time I saw them. It was for "The Dark Knight" last summer. My first thought was "do movies really sell out that quickly in the springs?" Then I saw them again this summer continuously for all the big releases. I decided to step into tent city (I call it that) and ask them exactly what they were doing. I was surprised at what I encountered.

The event the kids are waiting for this time is "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", which opens July 15. My first stop was at Mike's tent. He is 17 years old and started camping on 7/6. He has a really nice set up-TV, DVD player, and a Wii (my kind of camping). My first question to him was why was he there; was it because he was a die hard fan or because it's a fun thing to do. His answer was "a little of both". I can respect that. There are bunch of tents set up along the theater with the ages of the campers ranging between 16-20. The few of them I spoke to said about the same thing- they love the thrill of camping and counting down to the latest event. Their parents support the idea, they go home to check in and shower but for the most part soldier on at the Cinemark. The Cinemark seems to support this, the only thing they ask, according the guys I spoke to, is to keep their area clean and for the underage kids to sign a waiver releasing the Cinemark of any liability.

There was one sponsored set up in tent city and that belonged to Fanboyz.net. Their website is pretty cool. It has the latest and greatest on movies including sneak peeks and behind the scenes info. Check it out when you can (I have already added it to my favorites). I spoke to John, who is 17 years old. Fanboyz.net should be proud to have this kid as their representative because he impressed the heck out of me. He informed me about the origins of the site and what they are really about. All the guys working on behalf of the site are movie lovers, they camp out to build excitement for the movie and/or event. John also told me about the midnight showings and special pre-movie events the site and theater sponsor. I probably could not stay up to go to a midnight showing but if you live in the area and can stay up late I strongly suggest checking one out. For "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" they had trivia games and handed out toys and merchandise. They have had events were they ask the crowd to construct something (i.e. Ironman, Transformer) out of cardboard. I think what grabbed me the most after talking to John was how dedicated and passionate he was about what he was doing. At 17, I was not passionate about anything but sleep. There was nothing like this when I was a kid, hell I can't even remember if there was internet at that time. John made me question my dedication to movies.

Most of these guys have formed friendships outside of the events and there is a mutual feeling of camaraderie between them. I have nothing but admiration for these kids. If my son wants to do something like that in his teens, I hope I am a cool enough mom to support it. Next time you see a camp out in front of your local theater, show these kids some respect because they have definitely earned mine.

Movie Review: My Sister's Keeper

WARNING: THIS IS A TOTAL CHICK MOVIE; ALL MALE READERS MAY WANT TO SKIP THIS REVIEW

This film is based on a book of the same name by Jodi Picoult. There is currently some outrage in the literary community due to the ending in the film differing from the book. I have not read any of these posts because I didn't want it to ruin the film or book, which I do intend to read. So I am reviewing this based on the merits of the film only.

The film introduces us to the Fitzgerald family--mom Sara (Cameron Diaz), dad Brian (Jason Patric), and their 3 beautiful children--Jesse (Evan Ellingson), Kate (Sofia Vassilieva), and Anna (Abigail Breslin). I am not giving anything away when I tell you that Kate has leukemia, she was diagnosed when she very young. Sara has made it her personal mission, as any mother would, to save her child. In doing so, Anna was created. When I say created, I mean it literally. She was a "test tube" baby, engineered to be a genetic match for her sister. Since Anna's birth she has been subjected to numerous tests and surgeries, all to help her sister. Kate's body has been put through the ringer for years due to her being in out and out of remission. Finally the illness has taken its most severe toll and she starts going into renal failure. We see young Anna worried for her sister but that does not stop her from taking a bus to the offices of shady TV commercial/ambulance chasing lawyer Campbell Alexander (played by the always brilliant Alec Baldwin). Anna would like Mr. Alexander to sue her parents on her behalf for medical emancipation. Of course this infuriates her mother, and drives a wedge into the family.

The movie is perfectly directed by Nick Cassavetes, whom all women know as the director of "The Notebook"(the man can bring the tears out of the most apathetic person in the world). We see this family, who is extremely close and you feel the love they have for each other but you also see how one person's illness affects each of them in different ways and you see the breakdown of all that they hold dear. As a devoted mother, sister, and aunt I was torn apart by this story. I don't know how anyone would know how to navigate through something like that but at the end of the day we all hope that we would make the right decision for our family. The film highlights all the struggles and sacrifices made to keep their family in tact.

I thought that everyone was wonderful in this film but I have to say the person that stood out for me was Cameron Diaz. She completely amazed me with this performance. I have always thought of her as the ditzy sexy girl with the tomboyish flair and was never convinced by her past dramatic roles, but with this film I was blown away. She took what could have been an "agro-bitch mom" role and turned it into a conflicted/determined mother who the audience can sympathize with. There is a line in the film that I think describes her character perfectly-"who are you if you aren't this crazy bitch mom fighting for your kid's life?" I think all moms can identify with her character.

I definitely recommend this film. Go see it with a big box of kleenex!!!!

Movie Review: The Wrestler

(Note to readers: My nephew, Ayden, was not harmed during this photoshoot and yes, my brother IS that dark)

This movie starring Mickey Rourke as Randy "The Ram" Robinson was released in 2008 and nominated for 2 Oscars, 1 for Mr. Rourke in the best actor category, and the other for Marisa Tomei in the best supporting actress category. I missed the theatrical run of this film so I had to wait until the DVD was released. Thank you Netflix.

The films opening credits start by showcasing "The Ram's" glory days. (Side note--The song that plays over the credits is Quiet Riot's "Metal Health" which is an awesome hair metal song. The soundtrack is hair metal band heavy so you may want to check it out if that's your thing.) After running down his career highs, we cut to 20 years later and we see "The Ram" looking like life has taken a folding chair to his face and body one too many times. He has a bad back and knees, and is sporting a hearing aid. He is getting ready for a match at what looks like a high school gym. Needless to say, the heyday of his career has come and gone. "The Ram" lives alone in a rundown mobile home park. He frequents a strip club where we are introduced to "Cassidy" (her stripper name), Marisa Tomei's character. She is ASA (advanced stripper age) and Randy is one her regular customers. They seem to have struck up a friendship, or as much of a friendship as you can have with a woman who is gyrating her mostly naked stuff in front of your face while you spill your guts. (I am going to break here for a ghetto rant about the movie-this man cannot afford to pay his rent but he can go get a lap dance, buy some roids, get his hair did, and go tanning. That ain't right.) After an almost fatal incident, Randy starts to re-evaluate his life. He has a grown daughter, played by Evan Rachel Wood, who he has neglected for most of her life. She wants nothing to do with him at first, but reluctantly gives him a second chance. Randy also decides that "Cassidy" is the one for him and puts the moves on big time. "The Ram" is due for a comeback, in his life as a whole.

The director of this film, Darren Aronofsky, is known for dark films. If you have seen "Requiem for a Dream"(only those of you with strong stomachs or parents wanting to keep their kids off drugs should watch that movie) you know what I mean; but this film is not dark, it is a redemption movie of sorts and is directed splendidly. I think he was robbed of a best director nomination. It has to be a difficult to task to add depth and heart to a movie about a washed up wrestler. Which brings me to the wrestling. I know that wrestling is "violent stunt acting" (I don't want to offend the wrestling fans out there by calling it fake) but it was so interesting to watch the performances given by the wrestlers in the movie. The film shows the pre-match planning these men do along with their match rivals, going back and forth as to where the chair or elbow will land and who will be thrown from the ring. It's all very intricate and I have a new found respect for what wrestlers do.

As for the acting--I have never been a fan of Mickey Rourke's films, but this was the perfect role for him. For those of you who did not know, he started off with a promising career in both boxing & acting only to be sidelined by the regular E! True Hollywood Story pitfalls of celebrity life. This character plays parallel to the path his own life took. I am now looking forward to his next performance in the "Iron Man" sequel. Marisa Tomei was nominated for an Oscar in this role; I have to say that I think it was a mistake on the Academy's part. I found her character lacked the substance to warrant a nomination. Don't get me wrong, her acting was fine, as it always is, but I was left feeling underwhelmed. I will give her props for being 44 years old and having a slamming body though.

I recommend this film, it's not a happy go lucky movie but worth seeing for Mickey Rourke's performance alone; and to convince men that tanning booths and hair dye should be left to the ladies.

TV Show Review: So You Think You Can Dance

When my brother Jason and I were younger, we thought we could dance. Even to this day we think we can hold our own on the dance floor. But when I watch this show, "So You Think You Can Dance" (SYTYCD for the hardcore fans, like myself), I am reminded of how I can't dance.

This show is for people who appreciate the art of dance. Unlike "Dancing with the Stars"(which I am not a fan of) SYTYCD showcases ALL kinds of dance. Each week the show asks the contestants/dancers to perform dances like the Cha Cha, waltz, hip hop (please imagine me saying this like Oprah-"My FAVORITE!"), jazz, salsa, etc.

Let me break down how this show works for those of you who don't have this on your season pass manager like I do. The show starts off with the auditions, the judges narrow the dancers to 10 girls and 10 guys, then the dancers are paired up girl/guy, they perform on Wednesday, America votes, Thursday the bottom 3 guys and girls dance for their lives (perform a dance solo) and the judges choose the girl and guy that go home that is until we get to the bottom 10 dancers, at that point their future is in the hands of America, who vote weekly until we reach America's favorite dancer. The judges panel is made up of executive producer Nigel Lythgoe (this shows Simon Cowell), ballroom dancing expert Mary Murphy (she is hilarious and loud, and reminds me of one of my aunts when she is tipsy), and they feature a different guest judge each week. The host is the stunning Cat Deeley. Cat has to be the most gracious host on television today. She is never sarcastic and mean spirited, like I find Ryan Seacrest to be. She is genuinely concerned for the dancers. Case in point, when judges give an excruciating evaluation of a performance, Cat still manages to pry some positivity out of the judges as not to leave the dancers hopes crushed, at least until Thursday's elimination show.

I was not aware of this show until season 3; we are now in season 5. Now I'm hooked. I look forward to this show every year, and this year I am extremely excited that it is coming back in the fall. I have always appreciated different dance styles, but just watching this show helps me to admire dancers even more. These dancers have 5 1/2 hours with a choreographer and less than a week, if that, to master a dance style that is usually 5 million miles away from their own genre. Amazing!!!! Some performances give me the goose bumps while others have me ready to get up off my sofa and shake my humps.

If you are wasting your time watching "Dancing with the Stars" and have not seen SYTYCD, I beg of you to tune in next Wednesday to the Fox network and I guarantee you will be hooked. Or if you just like dance, give the show a shot. You may come out with some new moves to add to your old tired dance schtick.

Book Review: Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon and the Journey of a Generation

This book, by Sheila Weller, was published in 2008. I had read an excerpt from it in Vanity Fair and found it interesting, but I never gave it another thought. Then a couple of weeks ago I came across the book at Best Buy but I decided against purchasing it because I never re-read books and it would just be more clutter for me to organize. Someone must have wanted me to read this book because the next day at the library there it was, staring me in the face. I am extremely superstitious so I checked the book out. Little did I know that this book about 3 female singer/songwriters would captivate me as it did. I devoured 527 pages of these women's lives in a little over a week. (Thank you to my wonderful husband Andrew and son Quentin for letting mommy have some super intense "alone" reading time.)

The books run the same biography course as the next celebrity bio--childhood, discovery, success, the personal price of success, making peace with success; but it also intersects all their lives and contrasts all pivotal moments in their lives. What I found while reading was that all these women were pioneers in the folk/pop musical spectrum. Without them we may not have had Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan, and a slew of other female singer/songwriters that filled my 90's musical repertoire. They were not writing, for the most part, political music as their 60's counterparts had done before them. They were writing about their lives and loves, freedom (in a personal sense), and sexuality-which had never been sung about so openly and frankly by women. Their fame arose at the same time women's lib was streaming into America's consciousness. Women were identifying with something on the radio that seemed to be male dominated for quite some time. Fame brought them notoriety and financial success but it did not protect them from the heartache, which we all experience. The book delves into their marriages-Carole 4, Joni 2, Carly 2-and relationships (casual included) which for the most part were filled with misery, jealousy, and a woman's need to make her husband/significant other feel like a man, even if that meant diminishing one's success to keep him happy. One thing that took me by surprise is that the 70's/early 80's rock scene was quite incestuous. These girls overlapped lovers once or twice.

I was exposed to a lot of different music growing up but I can honestly say that Carole, Joni, and Carly were not a part of my musical education until my late 20's. I had heard some Carole King songs but I didn't really KNOW who she was until I started watching "Gilmore Girls" in 2000. The show uses Carole's "Where You Lead" as its theme song, and beginning November 2005 it was the song I sang to my son to put him to sleep so it has become extremely special to me.

Joni Mitchell was introduced to me by way of the movie "Practical Magic" starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. "A Case of You" is featured in the movie as Nicole drives to see her sister. But it was not until I saw "Love Actually" that I realized the power of her songs. If you have not seen the movie, please do not read the following that is in italics--the part where Emma Thompson's character discovers that her husband is involved with someone else, Joni's song "Both Sides Now" is played. Ms. Thompson's performance and the weight of the song affected me so, that I felt the character's betrayal as if it had been done to me personally. Her songs are not considered mainstream but are usually hailed by the hardcore music elite.

Carly Simon is the one singer that I think is the most recognized of all these ladies. I am pretty sure that everyone knows the words to "You're So Vain". I purchased a greatest hits CD of hers and it retained a permanent residence in my car CD player for a couple of months. Her songs are catchy. Excellent music to have on a road trip or to play while you cook.

If any of you are into reading biographies or are into the evolution of music, I definitely recommend this read. As for me, I will be downloading the Carole King and Joni Mitchell greatest hits to my iPod so I may continue my musical education.

Review: "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"

I have been anxiously awaiting this sequel to the 2007 blockbuster "Transformers" since my brother and I finished watching the first film on opening day. I was not disappointed. From the second the Dreamworks and Paramount Pictures logos appeared on the screen, set to the transforming sound effects (you Transformers fans know the sound), all the hairs on my arm stood up. The action arrives almost immediately and does not let up until the very end. To make the film that more exciting I was watching it with my son, Quentin, who at 3 years old has more Transformers knowledge than most teenagers. Quentin applauded the minute Optimus Prime

appeared on screen, and I have to say that the moment made me proud.

I don't want to give you a long drawn out synopsis of the film because I really want all you moviegoers out there to get out of your homes and plop down you hard earned money for a ticket. It is worth it. Unless you are one of those people that looks for story and substance in a film--STAY HOME. Not to discredit the movie, this film actually has a very good storyline for a Michael Bay movie but in regular Michael Bay form, this movie is about effects and destroying s**t. There are far more battle scenes between the Autobots and Decepticons in this film, which I relished. The effects team behind this movie, five companies, including ILM, were responsible for this visual gem. The transformation scenes, from vehicle/object to robot are insanely flawless. On the drive home I was looking at every vehicle on the street expecting it to transform, that is how believable the scenes were. The movie also introduces a new batch of Transformers, more Decepticons than Autobots in my opinion, including the 2 new controversial bots that some of the public have found offense to. I for one was not offended and thought them to be great comic relief. (On a side note--I never say a movie is offensive or racist. I have not encountered a film that has been. Can you imagine if I got offended everytime a hispanic actor is cast as a dishwasher with a heavy spanish accent?? If its a part of the story so be it. I don't expect social commentary in every movie I watch, and I definitely don't want it in a Michael Bay film.)

Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson are back as Maj. Lennox & Sgt. Epps. For those of you ladies looking for a lot of Duhamel and Tyrese in this movie, I am sorry to tell you that their screen time is less than that in the first film, but they make the most with the time they do get and look good doing it.

Of course Shia LaBeouf's character, Sam Witwicky, is back and in this movie we find him preparing to leave his parent's home for college but in the course of starting his college life the Autobots pull him back in. In my home Shia is known as "my little Shia". I love this kid. He can pull off the witty, sarcastic characters without coming off as snarky. I enjoy him in all of his films and this one is no exception. If you haven't seen him in "Disturbia" or "Eagle Eye", rent/Netflix them, the kid has got the goods.

Which brings me to goods of a different type-- Megan Fox returns as Sam's girlfriend Mikaela, the requisite "hot chick" in most action movies. I am going to be frank, this girl is all kinds of sexy, and I am a straight woman that can appreciate that. She still lacks something in the acting department, but in several interviews she has stated that she has not given great performances and this movie is not about the acting. I give it up to her for being so honest and I do hope that she grows as an actress and is not always relegated to the "hot tough chick" parts.

I had mentioned the 2 comic bots earlier but they are not the only comic relief in this movie. Kevin Dunn and Julie White, Sam's parents in the movie, are given a bigger role in this sequel and they are HIGH-larious. The film also brings back John Turturro as Agent Simmons who is comically partnered with Sam's college roommate Leo, played by Ramon Rodriguez (haven't seen this guy in anything before but he held his own against the great Turturro).

Not all of you may agree with my review and thats ok, but I do beg of you to watch this movie and accept if for what it is--a summer blockbuster that will visually amaze you. For 2 1/2 hours it took me out of my recession depression, and who can knock that??

Hi and Welcome!

Hello and thank you for visiting my blog. I started this blog on a suggestion from my cousin Jamie, she felt that I had a lot of funny and/or interesting musings on pop culture and entertainment and thought I should share them with the world; or at least more people than just our immediate family. As it turns out I do have a lot to say about entertainment today so for that--Thank you Jamie!!!

Things you will read in my blog:

I will review movies that I have currently watched, either in the theater or at home from Netflix (those of you movie lovers that do not currently subscribe to Netflix, I suggest you do so. It is much cheaper than renting movies or using Pay-per-view). My reviews will not contain any spoilers (spoilers are kind of a pet peeve).

I will review some TV shows that I am currently watching and will take suggestions from you on what you think I should be watching.

Although I love books I have a young son and a full-time job that take up all of my time. I will review anything I get a chance to read.

As for music, I have found that since moving from California to Colorado three years ago my musical edge and exposure to new music has dulled. The "cool" stations are, in my opinion, sparse. When I first moved here they were playing Tone Loc's "Wild Thing" like it had just been released if that gives you any indication of what I am dealing with here. If not for my IPOD and XM radio from Directv I would be in a musical no man's land. I will be reviewing new stuff I am listening to and concerts that I attend. Concerts are, to me, the best way to appreciate musicians. Note to my readers: I will not attend any concerts where there is lip-synching. That, to me, is not acceptable.

I will also do my best to give you "essential" lists. Movies, shows, music that you HAVE to experience before you leave this world.

Things I will NOT cover:

Anything involving Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, "Jon & Kate Plus Eight", and "The Hills" or any spin-off of "The Hills", and most reality shows on E! (except "Keeping Up With The Kardashians"--love that crazy family). These people and shows represent a decline in western civilization. My disdain for these shows is palpable.


This is new to me so I may change things up as I go along. I do hope you enjoy this blog and I thank you for giving me an outlet for my obsession.