Monday, July 18, 2011

3 Things That Would Have Made 'Horrible Bosses" A Better Film




'Horrible Bosses' was adequately entertaining - but I thought of a few things that would have made it better....

1. A less informative trailer - Aside from the fact that they shoved most of the funny parts in the trailer (always a mistake) they also gave too much away. One of the aspects of this film that sets it apart from other comedies is it's surprise casting choices - Jennifer Aniston as a crazy, sex addicted, dirty talking, manipulative bitch and Colin Farrel as a balding, coke addicted, douche bag. I think if they held this back - people would still see the film but they would be delightfully shocked causing a "word of mouth" buzz around the film - "you have to see how hilarious Colin and Jen are in this film!". Instead - we already see it from the trailer and it becomes less funny in full length form.

2. Re-cast Kurt - Jason Sudeikis is funny. Not hilarious...but adequately funny. What he is not is a hot "ladies man". Yes, somehow he made it into January Jones pants and now the world thinks "he must be hot". But no. It was awkward to see him in this role. I think they should have had a suaver, hotter guy - and someone who is more distinguishably different from Jason Bateman (they were pretty much interchangeable - minus the ladies man part).

3. More Charlie Day - Guess who just added the entire It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia series to their netflix queue? ME!! I've watched a few episodes but never quite understood what was going on - and it never really peaked my interest enough to start from the beginning. If Charlie is even 1/2 as funny on the show as he is in this film I will be satisfied. He is freaking hilarious - accidentally coked up, singing "That's Not My Name". I almost peed my pants. More please!!

Friday, July 15, 2011

4 Thoughts on the Big 'Glee' News

Lots of big casting news in the 'Glee' world over the past few weeks.....as a huge fan of the show i have some opinions:


1. Chord Overstreet not returning as a "regular" - If you have read any of my past Glee posts then you know I am not the biggest fan of Sam. That wasn't always the case....I actually adored him in the first episode. I loved his voice (and his version of 'Billionare'), I loved that he was a dork (and spoke Navi and did Matthew McConaughey impressions) and of course...I loved his abs. I don't blame Chord for the demise of his character - I blame the writers. By mid-season his character bored me to tears and by the end I was hoping for his character to disappear altogether (and I questioned Chord's acting after that painful crying scene). I am sort of happy that they realized his character doesn't work and they are admitting it by not renewing his contract. However, it doesn't necessarily mean he will be off of the show - if you think about it all this time Harry and Darren have not been considered "regulars" and they still were on the show....a lot. **Update: So Apparently Chord is leaving the show...after being given the option to stay as a guest, he declined in favor of "other offers". I can't really blame him. It was sort of arrogant and disrespectful for the creators to announce to the world that he was getting let go from his contract. Although - I am curious as to what the "other offers" are?? I can see him continuing a career in music, but I doubt he will go anywhere acting wise....

2. Harry and Darren promoted to "regulars" - Again...they were on the show as often as everyone else so the news doesn't really change anything for me. I am interested to see if they transfer Blaine to McKinley or if they leave him with the warblers (because honestly ....i have just had enough with them....).



3. Goodbye Lea, Cory and Chris - The news that the creators would be graduating some characters at the end of season 3 has been circulating for months now...so it is no big surprise. I understand the need to keep it true to a real high school - pointing out other shows like Skins and Degrassi that change their main characters. While I like the idea, I honestly don't think it will work for this show. First, as Anderson Cooper hilariously points out in his "RidicuList" the show is not exactly a realistic portrayal of high school (they deal with real "themes" but not real "plots"). One could easily find ways to keep the actors on the show. Second, I don't trust Ryan Murphy. I was a loyal viewer of Nip/Tuck and watched the show go from one of the most innovative shows on tv to one of the most outlandish. Ryan has a tendency to ruin things. The show relies heavily on its actors (and characters) and Ryan lucked out with these 3 - the fact that he doesn't recognize how important these characters are to its faithful audience is disappointing. I am already nervous about the new cast considering that one of them is being chosen from a reality show (The Glee Project - I refuse to watch). But when I really think about it, I honestly think Ryan is doing these 3 a favor - because if they were offered another contract they would surely be obligated to sign it (no one wants to be known as the actor that turns his back on the project that made them famous). Now they are free to move on (along with a lot of Glee viewers..).



4. The others - I am sure that more names will start to appear as being "fired" (which is totally misleading). I just hope that Ryan actually grows a pair and confronts them about it directly instead of telling the media first. Cory talked about how he would probably be one of the ones graduating when the news first broke months ago - but the fact that it still hasn't been discussed directly with him bothers me a lot. Also, why did Ryan feel the need to make the announcement the day before the Emmy nominations - it takes away from Colfer's special day when instead of answering questions about his nod he is forced to talk about this (which he admits it was not his choice to leave....that just makes me sad). Come on Ryan, I willfully admit that you created a fucking brilliant show - but these actors work their asses off and commit themselves 100% to your vision. They deserve your respect. So, when you do announce the "graduation" of Santana, Puck, Tina, Artie etc - give them a heads up first....k? **Update: News from ComicCon reports that these three will NOT be leaving the show and that they have 7 year contracts (Let me repeat that....7 fucking years!). Ryan Murphy opted to NOT keep his mouth shut (surprise, surprise) and expained himself in another interview - he claims that these three actors were in talks for preliminary spin-off ideas. Which is still a contradiction from what he previously stated (he said that he did not speak to Cory about plans for him to leave Glee - "I presume he knows"). AND he has the balls to announce that the spin-off project is now on hold - blaming the actors. He basically states that they should not have spoken to the press about learning of their "firing". However, Chris was nominated for a freaking Emmy the next morning and was bombarded with questions. He was understandably a bit shocked to learn he was "fired" and expressed his feelings professionably and appropriately. As far as I can tell, Lea only made one very short Twitter statement that was also professional stating her love for the show and her fans. While, Cory has been MIA - keeping his mouth shut, growing his scruff, vacationing on islands and banging on his drums. So, to blame them for misconstruing things in the press is absolutely ridiculous. That was ALL YOU Mr. Murphy - telling the press that 3 stars will no longer be on the show will inevitably be sensationalized to them being "fired". You have been in this business long enough to know better. I am saddened that the 3 of them are stuck for another 4 years because I kinda want them to say fuck you and walk away. Luckily, they are much more professional than I would ever be.



Thoughts On 5 New Summer Shows

Summer shows are usually just entertaining enough to hold my attention until fall - but there have been some break out hits (like 'Mad Men' and 'Breaking Bad'). This year's new shows are mostly a disappointment - here are my thoughts:

1. Wilfred - possibly the oddest show currently on tv and I haven't decided whether that is a good or bad thing. I heart Elijah Wood tremendously and I love the idea of the show, but something about it doesn't quite work. I think it is the actor that plays the "dog" - his Australian accent bothers me and his comedic timing is off a little bit. Plus the show isn't quite as laugh out loud funny that I was hoping for and the character development is lacking so far (we only know that Elijah's character is depressed - we have no idea why). I will still keep watching just for Elijah but am hoping for something more substantial.






2. Love Bites - So I watched the first few episodes but then there was a conflict with my DVR and I haven't had any interest in watching the rest. I really like the idea of the little vignettes in each episode - however the cast is just too large and the plots are uneven and confusing (how exactly are all of these characters and/or plots related to each other?) . It doesn't help that the characters were a little bland and cliched - which is definitely a writing issue because the actors are all fantastic. Greg Grunberg, Michelle Trachtenberg, Laura Pepron and Lindsey Price all in one show should be an automatic win. (Side note: I am disappointed that they replaced Pamela Adlon with Constance Zimmer). Eventually, I plan on catching up on the show via the internet- maybe it starts to come together?






3. Falling Skies - I feel sort of bad for Noah Wyle because he just one of those actors that will always be a character to me - he is Dr. Carter and I don't think he will ever convince me otherwise (although Joshua Jackson proved me wrong - I no longer refer to him as Pacey...it took a while but he finally broke free). I was excited for this end of days type show - aliens and special effects galore = perfect summer show. Right?? Not exactly....the pilot was mind numbing and it barely held my attention for the whole 2 hours (and I know I probably missed important stuff...). It was fitting that Moon Bloodgood from Terminator was in it because that is exactly what the show reminded me of (with cheaper special effects). So far, I have only watched the pilot - the rest of the episodes are sitting on my DVR and I feel like it is a chore to watch the rest but I will....eventually.



4. Franklin and Bash - Of course I was a Saved By the Bell junkie - but the fact that Zack Morris is in this show was not enough to entice me (I refused to watch his last television venture - Raising the Bar). So what did entice me? Um Breckin Meyer....hellooooo!!! I was a teenager in the 90's therefore I grew up with Clueless (oh how I miss Brittany Murphy...), Can't Hardly Wait (uncredited but soooo memorable) and The Craft. Seriously, I am not sure I can truly express my love for Breckin (the same can be said for Seth Green, Ethan Embry, Donald Faison...) so HE is the reason I watched this show. Unfortunately, I am not that impressed with the show....it is amusing summer fare, but that is about it. The episodes pretty much play out how you expect them to which is somewhat tedious to sit through (kind of how I feel about Royal Pains). I don't think the writers fully utilize the actors they have - I think the show can be much funnier (and therefore more entertaining) than it is. I keep watching...but I am usually doing house work at the same time.






5. Suits - I had my doubts about another law show (especially after the dullness of Franklin and Bash) but was intrigued by Gabriel Macht. He completely bombed in The Spirit but I thought television might be a good medium for him to showcase his charm. He shines in this series as the lawyer known as "the best closer" in the business who only cares about winning. But it is the other character - the new law associate (who didn't go to law school) who really makes the show. I have never seen him in anything before and I always love promising newcomer (and he looks exactly like Lucky from General Hospital which makes me automatically adore him...). Rick Hoffman plays the EXACT same character he played in Samantha Who? but he is still hilarious. Plus - Anna Espinosa! (or if you prefer...Gina Torres) - You just can't go wrong. I wouldn't call it "brilliant" or anything....but I pay much more attention to it than Franklin and Bash).






4 Gripes I Have With The Emmy Nominations

1. Apparently we are not watching the same shows - As much as I appreciate that they finally recognized a fan favorite show like Friday Night Lights (I've never seen it...but I always hear great things) and the ever hilarious Parks and Recreation, I am appalled at the blatant ommisions of fantastic shows - like Southland, Fringe, Cougar Town, Community, Weeds and Parenthood.

2. The 'locks' - I thought for sure Courtney Cox had it this year for her work on Cougar Town. She was snubbed for 10 years in a row with her work on Friends and now she returns to television still hilarious and neurotic, yet completely different than Monica Geller and they still ignore her. To make matters worse, they nominate Matt LeBlanc for Episodes (which he plays himself!! This is always problematic for me - along with Louis C.K's nominations. Really how much 'acting' does that require?!). Other 'locks' that didn't pan out - Anna Torv and John Noble for Fringe. Words can not express how shocked I am at the omission of Torv - who had one of the most difficult roles on television this year by portraying 2 versions of the same character and she was fucking brilliant at it. What more does a girl have to do??

3. The 'Modern Family' effect - How fantastic is it that everyone from the show was nominated...right?? Except that the actors now dominate both supporting actor and actress in a comedy category (and will likely split votes anyway). I love the show....love the actors...but nominate Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen - then call it a day. There are plenty of talented and hilarious actors on other comedies.....like Aziz Ansari, Nick Offermam, Adam Scott and Rob Lowe from Parks and Rec (again just choose one....I would go with Scott) or Danny Pudi from Community. The actress category isn't as tied up - and I don't mind Sofia's nomination - but they seriously f'd up with Kristen Wiig and Jane Krakowski (2 of the most irritating women on television). They could have picked Busy Phillips or Christa Miller from Cougar Town or Lea Michele, Naya Rivera from Glee (I'm pretty sure Lea submitted herself as lead actress - which is why she didn't get nominated).

4. Speaking of 'Glee' - The show would obviously benefit from a 'dramedy' category but let's forget about that for a second and focus on the actors - first Jane Lynch is amazing (as I said before - she created a character that will live forever...). However, this season she didn't have much to do. Other people that didn't have much to do....um how about all those nominated 'guest actors'??? How do you nominate Gwyneth Paltrow and Kristen Chenowith for showing up for an ep or 2 work their butts off then leave while you ignore the actors that do that every week? It is not just a comedy - its a freakin' weekly musical, which involves recording studios, dance rehersals, etc. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed both characters (although Gwynny got a little stale) but it is just problematic for me that they are getting more recognition than the regular actors on the show.



Thursday, July 7, 2011

3 Reasons 'Monte Carlo' Was Painful to Sit Through



So, obviously I did not expect a fulfilling cinematic experience while watching the teen comedy 'Monte Carlo' but what I did expect was a sugary sweet tale of 3 girls gallivanting through Europe - an empty but entertaining plot (cue doppelganger hijinks). Of course the only real reason I would sit through such nonsense is a hot guy (cue Cory Monteith) - but I have to admit it totally wasn't worth it. Here is why it was painful to sit through:

1. It wasn't a comedy or even remotely entertaining - I've never really understood the worlds fascination with Paris - other than the Louvre, I found nothing exciting at all. This film certainly didn't convince me otherwise....the girls choose a misguided tour that takes them through the Paris sights before you can blink - you would think that through this we would get at least some beautiful scenery but nope..just a bunch of buildings that could be mistaken for any European city. They are disappointed with their trip until they meet a spoiled British heiress that looks exactly like one of them. So she pretends to be her, they get whisked off to Monte Carlo and the film pretty much unfolds exactly how you would expect. There was a lot of potential to be "funny" - like how the 3 girls essentially don't get along but instead of witty bantering we get boring cattiness. There was a lot of potential to be "cute" - like how all three girls learn a life lesson but instead the only thing the 3 girls learn is that life is apparently better with a hot guy. The whole film was just bland, silly, uncomplicated and worst of all unmemorable with a severe lack of character development.


2. The doppelganger hijinks wasn't believable or watchable - I've never been a fan of the whole 'doppelganger' plot device but if done well (like The Vampire Diaries) it could end up being completely delicious. The biggest problem with this film is that Selena Gomez isn't a strong enough actress to pull it off. This is the first time I have seen her in anything and I am sad to say that I am not impressed - that isn't to say that she doesn't have potential. I would say that it was a problematic casting choice to begin with because as adorable as Selena is - she looks like she is 12. When she was trying to portray a British royal heiress - it just looked like she was playing 'dress up' with mom's clothing. Her accent was hard to listen to (the one that was supposed to be "real" was actually worse than when she was "pretending" the accent). I really want to like her, so I will give her another chance (see I am nice...sometimes...). Hopefully she will do something more suitable for her...


3. I would rather sit through 'Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep' - Don't get me wrong, Cory was probably the best part of the film - adorable Texas accent that wasn't cringe inducing (like Katie Cassidy's awful attempt), however he was severely underused - his storyline seemed out of sync with the rest of the film (and could have been easily cut out altogether). I am happy that he is expanding his career into films - and being in a Selena Gomez driven film seemed like a good idea in theory, but I think the film (and his part in it) was beneath his talent. I would also like to point out that every time he appeared on screen there was a wave of screams and claps from the audience which entertained me more than the film did. He clearly has a fan base - now he just needs a meaty role to showcase his talent.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

'Glee' - 50 Best Lines From Season 2

Spending my summer missing 'Glee' and re-watching season 2. Here are my favorite lines from the season: (p.s I posted season 1 lines a while ago - 35 of them....this time I could not narrow it down - 50 is the best I could do). (p.s.s I started in order...but that got too time consuming.)

1. When will you Glee Clubbers accept the fact that people hate you and think that you are nothing but a glorified karaoke club designed to make the inventors of auto-tune millions of dollars? - Jacob

2. Oh you don't speak English- You like me sing....you like me sing very much! - Rachel to Sunshine (who speaks English).

3. Mike tries to be into what I am into - like his abs. - Tina explaining why she dumped Artie for Mike

4. I don't know. I've never had any balls in my mouth- have you? - Sam responding to Puck's question of how many tennis balls he can fit in his mouth.

5. Stop the violence - Britney deadpan reaction to Santana & Quinn fighting in the hallway

6. How can you get caught between the moon and New York City? They are like 100 miles apart. - Finn

7. Can I just say that you are the hottest dentist that I have ever seen? No, like seriously you can totally drill me.... - Santana to Carl (before Emma cuts her off)

8. I'm more talented that all of you- I see that clearly now. It's Brittany. Bitch. - Brittany

9. I look forward to the day the paparazzi provokes me and I attack them. - Rachel

10. We need his voice! and his bad boy stage presence! - Finn's reaction to Puck being in juvie.

11. How can you do a duet by yourself? That's like vocal masturbation or something. - Santana

12. You can't tame the tiger. You've read my tattoos. - Rod Remmington

13. When you guys fooled around...did he ever just lie there? - Brittany to Tina (about Artie)

14. Hey, I'll bring him to work with me - weekends I volunteer at a stray cat rescue. It's at the bottom of a coal mine. - Kurt on taking care of the Warbler's mascot (a warbler)

15. I'm not nervous...you know why? Because show choir is stupid - Lauren

16. I want Channing Tatum to stop being in stuff. Mike telling "santa" what he wants for Christmas.

17. You messed me up Rachel. - Finn (it literally breaks my heart the way he says it.)

18. I have no idea what is going on in this script...and it's not in that cool 'Inception' kinda way. - Finn about The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

19. Halloween is fast approaching. The day when parents encourage little boys to dress like little girls and little girls to dress like whores. - Sue

20. I don't need to hide behind my muscles like you do. - Finn to Sam

21. Awesome....I think. Are you insulting me? - Sam's response.

22. Give me some chocolate or I will cut you - Becky (dressed as Sue for Halloween).

23. Sorry, but I wanted to sing about Jesus - I'd go to church. The reason I don't go to church is because most churches don't think very much of gay people. Or women. Or science. - Kurt

24. I need to know that when I'm 25 and have won a bunch of Tony's and I'm ready to have intercourse and babies - that those babies will be raised a certain way. - Rachel to Finn

25. You are nothing but a scared little boy who just can't handle how extraordinarily ordinary you are. - Kurt to Karofsky.

26. At least I didn't fall and break my talent. - Rachel after she slips on a buttered floor.

27. I'm Mike Chang. - Brittany introducing herself to the new substitute.

28. What? I'm not going to kill you - Terri to Will

29. I was gonna suggest clapping erasers...but you guys are mostly dry erase....soooo.... - Holly Holiday's ideas for punishment.

30. Kurt, there is a moment when you say to yourself - "oh there you are, I've been waiting for you forever" - watching you do 'Black Bird' this week, that was that moment for me...about you. - Blaine (cue me hysterically crying).

31. Maybe you're right - maybe I am destined to play the title role in the Broadway musical version of 'Willow', but the only job you're going to have is working on a pole! - Rachel to Santana (oh snap!).

32. That's my man and his legs don't work. - Brittany

33. Can I be honest? Just with the hair...I think they do. Kurt to the Gap kid after the Gap kid says that no one at his work knows that he is gay.

34. Whatever, I'll just marry and NFL player. They're super reliable. - Santana

35. I don't want to die yet. At least not until 'One Tree Hill' gets cancelled. - Brittany (one of her best lines ever).

36. If I stay ...I am not singing no show tunes. That is the music of my oppressors - Azimio

37. You're so afraid of being called geeks or losers or gay that you settle for being nothing! Puck bringing the wisdom.

38. Newsflash Imelda: there is no one lining up to coach Glee clubs because it's a sucky job for losers. - Sue to Emma

39. Hold on...hold on...is this song about your headband? Finn (about the most epic song ever performed on Glee).

40. I'm off to have craaazy sex...because I'm craaazy informed about it. - Holly Holiday

41. Sex. It's just like hugging - only wetter. - Holly Holiday

42. Wait. Cucumbers can give you AIDS? - Finn

43. And now performing the hit single Tik and also Tok by rapper Key-dollarsign-Ha, the New Directions. - Figgens.

44. Everybody drink responsibly. Brittany (after she barfs on stage from drinking too much).

45. I had to throw some of them out...I'm allergic to pansies and I don't mean that as a swipe at either of you. Sue to Finn & Kurt.

46. How do you manage to enter the building without setting off all the fire alarms? - Sue to a very flamboyant Sandy (AKA The Pink Dagger).

47. I don't even remember putting that in there. - Brittany after dirt comes flying out of her locker (put in there by Sue).

48. Maybe Rachel is fine with having an enormous beak....maybe she needs it to crack hard seeds. - Santana

49. Teen gay: you may now proceed to the next checkpoint without the fear of violence. - Santana to Kurt

50. Santana told me to never talk to you alone because you would try to steal all of my gold. - Sam to Rachel

Emmy Nominations: 7 That Won't Make The Cut (But Deserve It!!)

Emmy nominations are around the corner - instead of going through each category and choosing who I think deserve nominations I decided to write a post listing those who will likely be overlooked but are deserving. Here we go:

1. Candice Accola ('The Vampire diaries') – Season 1 focused on the 3 main stars- Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder and the super sexy Paul Wesley. They did a fantastic job at turning another "vampire tale" into an incredible "must watch" show. Of course, all three were snubbed last awards season and the same thing will likely happen to the supporting cast who took on some major story arc’s this season – like Michael Trevino, Steven McQueen and Candice Accola. I chose Candice to represent all of the supporting cast on this show because I actually thought she was a weak actress in season 1 - definitely the weakest link on the show. She proved me wrong and I freaking LOVE it (I soooo want Dianna Agron to do the same thing on Glee but sadly she just keeps getting worse). A lot has happened to Caroline Forbes this season – gone is the spoiled, vapid girl whose only care was what she would be wearing to the spring fling. Literally – gone…as in dead…..because she became a vampire!! And the transition was gut-wrenching. Her character is also in a love triangle that is slightly more interesting than the Damon-Elena-Stefan triangle. She fell in love with Matt, but then forged a strong bond with Tyler Lockwood (who in theory is an enemy as he is now a werewolf). She had to convince me to care about her and her relationship with her mother and she succeeded brilliantly. Sadly, her work will go unnoticed by the “real” critics.

2. 'Southland' – I am really hoping that someone…anyone from the cast gets a nomination because I think it will at least be a nice validation for us Southland fans. I think based on Season 3, Shawn Hatosy has probably the strongest chance at a nomination (because he had an amazing story arc) but I could argue that Ben McKenzie (aka grown up Ryan Atwood) is the most consistent. I am really pulling for Hatosy because he is one of those actors that I grew up watching (The Faculty, Outside Providence) but he never really stood out until this show. He really holds his own amongst a strong cast of fantastic actors (Michael Cudlitz, Regina King, Kevin Alejandro). However, I think it is pretty close to a 0% chance that the show would receive a nomination – which is a damn shame. It is one of the strongest dramas on television – with conflicted characters, fast-paced action and drama that unfolds rather quickly (instead of dragging on forever…ahem…The Killing….ahem). The show is also filled with jaw dropping, WTF just happened moments like when Nate got killed – that episode will stay with me forever as one of the most unexpected deaths on t.v (the whole episode is set up to make you think something happened to Sammy’s unborn baby – it was a pure genius move). I really enjoy that they make all of the characters unlikable at some point – with very realistic human flaws (although I find it impossible to hate on Ben – he’s just too adorable). It's a shame that such a strong show will be overlooked.

3. Busy Phillips/Christa Miller ('Cougar Town') – I can't choose between the two - together they form hands down the best 'frenemy' relationship on television. While I am happy to see that Busy just won the Critics Choice award for Supporting Actress, I have a strong feeling that this won’t translate to the Emmy Awards. The supporting cast of Cougar Town is hilarious – all of them. However, Laurie stands out as one of those characters that I would usually dislike (annoying, dumb, insecure, desperate etc), but somehow Busy makes the character work. I actually like her and I want to give her a big hug and tell her to believe in herself…corny but oh so true. I love the tension between her character and Ellie (Jules’ other bff) – they hilariously tear each other apart but you know they secretly love each other. Christa is hilarious as the bitchy, snide but sometimes vulnerable woman - she has some of the best lines on the show and her delivery is always perfection. P.s - I am confident that Courtney Cox will make the cut this year.




4. Joel McHale ('The Soup') – Yes, he is fantastic as the cocky, sarcastic playboy Jeff Winger on Community, but I look forward to him every week as the host of The Soup – where he is self-deprecating, hilarious and still sarcastic. I know that most of The Soup’s hilariousness should be credited to the writing staff – but so can most “Variety” shows (Leno, Fallon, Stewart), we all know that the enjoyment factor comes right down to how lovable the host is….and McHale is swoon worthy.

5. Mae Whitman ('Parenthood') - How does she outshine one of the best actors on television (Peter Krause) every week? I have no idea - but she does and she deserves an Emmy nomination for it. It helps that her character is the one that I can relate to the most - she portrays teen angst with heartbreaking realism because she actually has a reason to have angst (unlike other teens on tv....). Her father is a fuck up and her mom has made a lot of mistakes, which causes her to be perpetually angry but then towards the end of the season she realizes that her mom is human and is doing the best she can - her transition from angry to self-reproachful was beautiful. Mae is a rare young actress that commands my attention when she is onscreen yet she is not dramatic and obvious - her acting is subtle yet penetrating.....Emmy worthy.

6. Cory Monteith ('Glee') – In my mind, Cory has already won the Emmy for his role as Finn Hudson on Glee. He has won a lot of other awards in my mind as well – like “most adorable man ever”, “hardest working actor on t.v” and the award for “most likely to get me to cook him breakfast the morning after…”. But, let us be serious for a second, on a series with such an amazingly talented ensemble cast – I think Cory has been the most consistent. He elevates what could very easily be a just another dumb jock role to a complicated, endearing and naive teenage boy – but more importantly a realistic one. In all honesty – the second season of Glee was a little shaky but every episode that relied heavily on “Finn” ended up being the strongest and most solid episodes of the season (Furt, Special Education, The Sue Sylvester Bowl Shuffle..). He has that rare thing called "charisma", his ability to express emotion with his facial expressions always impresses the heck out of me, his singing has improved tremendously (because he works his ass off), even when he is in the background he is always doing something entertaining AND if you consider that his role is considered in the “comedy” category – he is hands down the funniest male character on the show (which is why Chris Colfer’s inevitable nomination for his role as Kurt is complicated – it is not exactly laugh out loud funny especially this past season). Sadly, he is guaranteed an Emmy snub so he will just have to settle for the awards I make up in my head....like "hottest former bad boy" or "best worst dancer on tv".


7. 'Fringe' - While I fully expect that Anna Torv and John Noble will be nominated for their work on the show, I doubt the series will make the cut. This past season was the best yet - with epic story lines about alternate universes that are at war with each other mixed with smaller 'fringe' cases that somehow turn science fiction into everyday events. The writing on the show is fantastic - presenting us with the alternate universe with alternate characters like "Altivia" and "Walternate" who are essentially the same characters but yet somehow different. To be able to pull that off - and make us actually care about this "other" world is beyond amazing. The show is grounded by its characters who are flawed but lovable and it presents us with plots that are completely unrealistic but somehow are given very realistic "scientific" explanations - so even if someone isn't all that interested in shows about supernatural events - I think they can still enjoy this one. I would say it is JJ's best attempt yet at creating a series that feels complete (unlike Lost and Alias - where he got too caught up in creating mystery and had too many good ideas shoved together). Forget the nomination - the show should win the freakin' Emmy (I only say this because Breaking Bad isn't eligible this year and I have not seen the past season of Dexter yet).








4 Things I Learned About Paris Hilton From 'The World According to Paris'

I have something quite embarrassing to admit - I watch 'The World According to Paris'. It is really bad and I have no excuse as to why I didn't stop watching after the first awful episode. It just keeps getting worse and I can't even use the excuse of it being a "guilty pleasure" because it is not the least bit pleasurable. The show does shine some light on who Paris is - and is it sure ain't pretty....

1. She's not funny without Nicole - So, I willfully admit back in the day that I used to watch The Simple Life. I wasn't obsessed or anything, but when it was on....I would watch....and I would laugh my ass off. It actually made me give a smidgen of respect for Paris Hilton because she seemed to "get it". She understood the ridiculousness of her existence and she used it to her advantage and capitalized on it - In theory that would make her a smart business woman. She made fun of herself for being vacant, self-obsessed and elitist. On The World According to Paris, I don't laugh at all - which made me realize it was really Nicole all along that was the "funny" one and Paris just went along with the joke. This show is almost painfully unfunny, it is downright disturbing. The only time I laughed was when she thought she might be pregnant because she was gaining weight - she steps on the scale and her gigantic feet took up the whole scale - but it just made me long for Nicole's presence, surely she would have said something witty. And - FYI Paris it takes like a minute to take a pregnancy test it doesn't need to fill up a whole episode. And, you really shouldn't tell everyone before you even take a test. Dumb ass.

2. She's a walking contradiction - literally, she walks on the beach with a camera crew filming her romantic getaway all while complaining that she doesn't get any privacy. She drives a puke pink, obnoxiously obvious car around Beverly Hills, but doesn't understand why the paparazzi always knows where she is. She talks about being "almost 30" and needing to grow up but admits that she uses her "baby voice" to get what she wants. Here is my advice Paris - embrace the fact that you are an attention whore - at least you would gain that ounce of respect I had for you back.

3. She's a backstabber - She constantly talks about her assistant behind her back (and on camera) as well as her friends assistant but then is really nice to their face. She also doesn't really say the greatest things about her mom, her now ex-boyfriend and Brooke. If I were any of these people I would be really offended by her show.

4. She is not even interesting enough to fill up her own show - Why is this show about Brooke Mueller going to rehab? Seriously, I could give a fuck about this woman.

4 Reasons Why 'The Roommate' Will Be On 'My Worst Films of 2011' List.

So I watched 'The Roommate' the other day - figuring it to be a mindless but entertaining horror flick. Unfortunately it was pretty crappy - as EW.com puts it "The Roommate' isn't even bad enough to be good." Here is why I didn't like it:

1. Obviously, it is unoriginal - That doesn't necessarily mean it has to be bad. Single White Female was released almost 20 years ago - it was about time for an update. The problem is that they don't really update it at all. If you think about how much has changed in 20 years with technology alone and how much easier it is to stalk people and become obsessive (cell phones, facebook, GPS tracking). There is a lot to work with here - yet the film pretty much avoids all of these things and relies on characters forgetting their phones and the stalker using her time to draw the same picture of her obsession over and over again. It was just such a waisted opportunity.

2. Rebecca isn't all that scary - Creepy...sure. She does stare at people, which I guess makes others uncomfortable but nowadays turning the lights on and off while someone showers then attacking them by ripping out their belly ring is kind of tame. Today's standard of horror films is that people need to die or at least more brutally attacked. In the end, she didn't even kill anyone - except a very innocent little kitten (I would have preferred a person). Oh wait...did she kill the ex-boyfriend? I think that happened....but it was so freaking tame that I don't really remember it!! Therefore....it doesn't even count in my mind.

3. Minka Kelly = J Lo without personality - they look alike, they sound alike and Minka is able to pull off that "adorable,clumsy female" role that J Lo perfected many times - she just doesn't have the same presence on screen that J Lo commands. Her character is downright boring in this film. The only thing that we know about her is that she is a fashion design student but there are 2 things wrong with that: First, anyone serious about fashion design would go to school in NYC not LA. Second, I assume that Minka's character is supposed to be "stylish" yet there is nothing stylish about her (adding a scarf and a fedora to every outfit doesn't make the cut). Her character very astutely states that money cannot by you style, but it can buy you a stylist - yet this film was in desperate need of a new one.

4. Apparently, they limited the casting to "must be an actor/actress on a current CW show" - Aside from Minka and the super hot Cam Gigandet, everyone else is from the CW. The obvious CW actress is Leighton Meester (who was actually the best part of the film - aside from some over-acting towards the end). She brought some of her CW cohorts such as: the blond girl from Hellcats, Nina Dobrev and Katerina Graham from The Vampire Diaries and the hot guy from 90210 (not Teddy...the other one). The thing is - they underused all of them. The blond girl (I am way too lazy to look up her name...Aly Mich something...) was actually really funny in Easy A and I was looking forward to her being the same here, Nina Dobrev played a pivotal role of Maria (Rebecca's former obsession) but they never really explain what happened aside from giving Nina one line "We were never friends". Um....ok....then what were you? Katerina disappeared after about 20 minutes and hot guy had one scene (at least he was shirtless).