Who Owns My Heart
October 8, 2010, 11:52 PM
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Really Miley, really? You’re still 17. I feel dirty even watching this video, because she is only 17. In any other context, watching a 17-year-old in their underwear would probably be illegal.
Plus, what the heck is up with this jerky dancing thing? The only person as of late I’ve seen pull it off is Lady Gaga.



Now Playing: September

This is super delayed. Oops.

Kick-Ass
My rating: B+.
Kick-Ass
was so, well, kick-ass. I was skeptical going into this, but I’m glad I watched it.  I’m usually not one for action and what not, but Kick-Ass was tasteful enough to enjoy. All the characters were cast great, and it doesn’t hurt that Aaron Johnson is adorable. I laughed numerous time during the movie, and I thought there was a perfect mix of seriousness, humor, and action. If you haven’t seen this yet, watch it. If you have watched it, let me know your opinion on it!

The Jerk
My rating: C+.
It was funny, but I wasn’t dying the entire time. There were definitely hilarious scenes, and I think Steve Martin was perfectly cast, but I’ve seen funnier. Maybe I need to pay more attention if I watch it again, but I think I am fairly hard to please when it comes to comedies.

No Impact Man
My rating: B-.
This was a pretty solid documentary. The whole idea was a pretty big undertaking, and I thought they stuck to it pretty darn well. A lot of people say they’re doing things to lessen their impact, but it was nice to see a whole family actually go a year without making an impact on the environment. For anyone wanting to catch a glimpse into what life could be like if we weren’t so dependent on plastic, electricity, and automobiles, I’d recommend watching this.

Easy A
My rating: B.
I actually really enjoyed this movie. I thought it was pretty darn funny, as well as clever enough to not be another run-of-the-mill teenage comedy. Olive’s parents are downright hilarious, and overall it was an entertaining movie. It doesn’t hurt that Penn Badgley and Cam Gigandet were in it either…



Victims Of Our Society
September 8, 2010, 12:23 PM
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It amazes me how much hold our society, media, etc… has on the public, especially women.

I have heard about skin bleaching for quite some time now, but I think recently it has been gaining more attention. I think if you were to ask your friends and family to express their opinion on skin bleaching, they’d be opposed to it, calling it “wrong”, “disgusting”, and “crazy”. Of course, there are many side effects of skin bleaching, such as itching, burning, and an increased risk of skin cancer because the bleaching products reduces the amount of melanin available to block UV rays, but women [and men] still bleach their skin to achieve a more “beautiful” skin tone.


What amazes me is that while the majority of people would deem skin bleaching as crazy and unnecessary, tanning is still increasing in popularity. Now, how are these two different? Skin bleaching and tanning are both processes that change the color of your skin to become more “beautiful”. Yet, tanning is seen as more acceptable.


So, what I don’t understand is why there is this sort of “double standard” going on. Why is is that people with naturally dark skin are being persuaded to lighten their skin, while people with naturally light skin are being persuaded to darken their skin? There seems to be two different standards of beauty going on, and it’s absolutely ridiculous.

If you’re reading this, and you are tanning/skin bleaching to achieve a more beautiful skin tone, please stop. You were created the color you are for a reason, and you are beautiful. I’m not going to lie, I definitely went through the whole tanning phase, but I’ve learned to love my fair complexion.



Now Playing: August

Enchanted
My rating: C+.
I really can’t remember why I watched this movie, and I honestly don’t remember a whole lot about it, but I remember it being somewhat funny and cute. I love James Marsden and Patrick Dempsey, so that helped. I also absoutely adore Idina Menzel. I might have to watch this again, because I really don’t even remember enough to fairly critique this movie.

Shutter Island
My rating: A.
I absolutely loved this movie. Huge mind-trick/twist, and it worked really well. I have part of the ending figured out about halfway through, but it definitely didn’t ruin it for me one bit. I was enthralled from start to finish and I will definitely be purchasing this once I have enough money for the Blu-Ray version [$$$].  I am still majorly debating with myself about the ending [I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet]. If you haven’t seen this yet, please do yourself a favor and watch it.

Date Night
My rating: C-.
I was pretty disappointed in this movie. I think Steve Carell and Fey are hilarious, so I though I would really enough it–wrong. I chuckled a few times, but it definitely wasn’t as funny as I thought it was going to be, at all. The film had its funny moments, but overall it wouldn’t be my “go-to” movie to laugh. Maybe if I watch it again when I am in a “comedy” mood I will react to it differently, who knows.

The Bounty Hunter
My rating: D.
Again, super disappointed. I love Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler, but I actually fell asleep on numerous occasions during the course of the movie. It had its “funny moments”, “cute moments” and “serious moments”, but overall I wasn’t impressed and I probably won’t give it a second shot. I think I am slowly easing out of the “lame rom-com” phase of my life.

Inception
My rating: A/A+.
I swear to James Franco, this movie is simply fantastic. I finally saw it on June 25th for $1 due to a great Fandango deal, but I would have happily paid full price to see it. I don’t think I can fully explain what I like about the movie without giving too much away, but my gosh, if you haven’t seen it, go see it now! Don’t watch it illegally online, it’s too good for that. Pay the $8-$12 and go see it, now. The effects were amazing, the acting was exquisite, and the casting was superb. I definitely laughed a few times, I was confused, I was upset, I was on the edge of my seat, and I was in love. I will definitely be purchasing this the day it hits shelves. I’ve been reading around online and it seems there are quite a few people who didn’t like the movie at all, which makes no sense. I think when people rant about how terrible movies like Inception or Shutter Island are, they’re solidifying that the film went over their heads.

Wall-E
My rating: A-.
Absolutely loved this film as well. Pixar has never failed to amaze me. I laughed, I gasped, I shed tears, and I felt like I was connected to the movie in numerous ways. I thought it was a definite “realization” as far as the future state of Earth is concerned. Hopefully people took mental notes and changed their lifestyles to save our beautiful planet. I thought Wall-E was the most adorable robot ever, and I loved how all the characters interacted with each other, and I loved how real it felt. It was definitely an adorable, funny, serious, and endearing film.

Whip it
My rating: B+.
I totally dug this movie. It was bad-ass without being over-the-top. Landon Pigg is absolutely adorable, and I will marry him eventually. I thought was movie was fun, serious, relatable on some levels, and entertaining overall. I would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a movie to watch. I think it was cast pretty darn well, and all the actors did wonderful in their roles. Granted, I haven’t read the book so I cannot vouch for how well it depicted the novel, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Youth In Revolt
My rating: C.
I was rather disappointed after watching this. I am secretly over Michael Cera playing roles where his characters whole goal of the film is to get laid, it’s getting old. There were some funny parts, and overall it was cast very well. I enjoyed all the characters, and it was definitely entertaining for the most part, but I thought I was going to like it a lot more than I did. As with lame rom-coms, I think I am leaving my “trying to be a funny/dark indie film” phase.

Say Anything…
My rating: A-.
I am a sucker for 80′s “teen” movies like The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Pretty In Pink, and this was definitely no exception. Anymore, I’m a little tired of the same old “happy ending” with movies, but this was a bit different. The film depicted a rather normal relationship, with it’s good times, bad times, and everything in between. I really liked the chemistry between Lloyd and Diane, it was realistic without losing the appeal. I don’t know why I waited so long to watch this movie, but it was definitely worth it.

Rush Hour 3
My rating: D.
I started watching the movie because my brother was watching it and I had nothing to do. It was entertaining, at least. Chris Tucker is pretty funny, but overall the movie didn’t impress me, but I wasn’t expecting much. I haven’t seen #1 or #2, so I cannot vouch for how this compared, but I probably won’t be watching it again. It had it’s funny moments, but that’s about it.

In Her Shoes
My rating: B+.
I really enjoyed this film. It was another one of those “I’m bored, let’s watch this” movies, but I’m glad I did. I think the whole story-line could be very relatable for many viewers, or at least many people can see a bit of themselves in the film. I love the chemistry between Toni and Cameron, they played great sisters [again, who were relatable, real, and fantastic]. I laughed during the movie, and probably came close to tears. Nothing was too over-the-top in terms of believability, which I think is so key in movies other than, say, Avatar and Inception. Overall, I enjoyed the movie and would definitely watch it again!



62nd Primetime Emmy Awards


Lea Michele in Oscar de la Renta – A.
I absolutely love this dress. Perfect color and perfect style. I love sweetheart necklines on Lea, and this is no different. I know a lot of people who would prefer that she wore her hair up more often, but I think the hair-down look works in this situation. I am usually not a fan of ruffles on pretty much about anything, but I think it’s done in a classy way this time around.


Elisabeth Moss in Donna KaranB+.
I think this dress works wonderfully on Elisabeth. I think I would’ve liked to see the same dress in a different color, such as emerald green or navy blue, to better compliment her fair skin-tone and reddish-brown hair. Other than that, I love the simplicity of the accessories and hair, and I also love the shoulder.


Kim Kardashian in Marchesa — C+.
Just so you know, I am a huge fan of Kim Kardashian [and the Kardashian family in general], but I think this was a miss for Kim. I think the dress fits her perfectly, but I would’ve liked to have seen her in a dress without an elaborate neckline. Kim is so beautiful, so anything on her neck seems to overwhelm and distract from her face. If I were to “alter” this dress, I’d make is a sweetheart neckline and in navy blue.


Tina Fey in Oscar de la RentaC-.
I have never understood the whole “gowns with sleeves” thing, and this is no exception. I think the dress fits Tina great, but it’s a bit too busy for my liking.


Sofia Vergara in Carolina Herrera — A.
Good gosh, I love this dress so much. When she first walked out on stage last night, I gasped. So beautiful. I absolutely love this color on Sofia, and it shows off her curves, which is great. Her hair and accessories are perfect as well.


Claire Danes in Armani PriveA.
Does Claire ever do any wrong? I don’t think so. This dress is so beautiful and she rocks it! I like that she opted to so without bracelets/necklaces/rings, because the dress is such a statement already it doesn’t need anything else.


Nina Dobrev in Zuhair MuradA.
Love, love, love. I think I am slowly becoming a fan of one-shoulder gowns finally. This looks absolutely fantastic on her, and it isn’t overwhelmed by accessories. Bravo, Nina, bravo.


Kate Gosselin in Carmen Marc ValvoD.
Oh Kate, I love you and your kids, but this is all wrong. I hesitate to the use the word “matronly”, but it definitely isn’t doing anything for her. I am kind of liking the top part of the dress, but the rest of it bores me.


Jane Lynch in Ali RahimiA.
The ladies of Glee definitely outdid themselves last night. I think Jane looks absolutely stunning in this style/color. Again, I like how simple the accessories are. It’s refreshing to see Jane out of the Cheerios track suit!


Cheryl Hines in Zac PosenA.
Love, love, love, love, love! Again, love the one-shoulder! I am obsessing over the criss-cross/layering going on, and I think it fits Cheryl perfectly.


Jewel in Zuhair MuradB.
This look has been getting some poor reviews, but I think it’s absolutely stunning. Because she wasn’t nominated/presenting/etc…, I think anything else would’ve been too over-the-top.


Angela Kinsey in Romona KevezaA.
I am currently obsessed with lace, so this is perfect!  I think Angela’s hair is fantastic, and the dress is the perfect fit! Of course, I love the lace detail as well.


Jenna Fischer in VersaceA.
Fan-freaking-tastic. She looks absolutely precious. I like the lack of accessories and her hair is sheer perfection. I love the color and embellishments of the dress as well. This was made for her, definitely.


Emily Deschanel in Max Azria AtelierA.
I debated with myself for quite some time on this look, and I ended up loving it. The purple looks wonderful against Emily’s fair skin, and I love the depth, and the one-shoulder! I could live without the bangs, but oh well.


Jayma Mays in Burberry ProrsumA.
I think this is my favorite look of the night. The color of the dress is perfect for Jayma’s skin tone and hair color, and the gold-ness of the jewelry works wonderfully with the overall look.


Jenna Ushkowitz in Kevin HallB+.
Overall, I am a fan. I wish she would have worn her hair up, as to not distract from the top of the dress, but it’s not a deal-breaker. I want a closer look at those shoes, they look fantastic!


Heather Morris in Ina SoltaniB.
I am still debating whether or not I like the black belt with this dress. Overall, I love the dress and it suits Heather perfectly.


Amber Riley in Melissa MasseB.
The only thing I do not like about the dress is the opening in the top. I would have liked to see it either closed, a strapless dress, or a dress with wide-er straps with rested on the edge of the shoulders. I think there is too much “sparkle” going on between the accessories, but it’s not a deal-breaker.



Love The Way You Lie

Alright, I’m just getting around to doing a post on this video. Comments:

1. I really like this song, album, and video.
2. I am not a fan of Megan Fox.
3. I love Dominic Monaghan.
4. I secretly wish that Emilie de Ravin or Evangeline Lilly were casted instead of Megan Fox, but that’s the Lostie in me.
5.  I could make 4857345 more Lost references, but I’ll stop.
6. Rihanna is fabulous and beautiful.

All in all, good video, and I think it [safely] pushed the boundaries, and did a wonderful job of it.



Gearin’ Up For Glee

I am already really excited for September 21st, when Glee is set to return to FOX.

Anyways, I’ve compiled a list of the songs that Glee needs to cover:

-Man In The Mirror [Michael Jackson]
- Killing Me Softly [Roberta Flack]
-Seasons of Love [RENT]
-Cry Me A River [Justin Timberlake]. I have a feeling this will happen since JT is set to appear on the show at least once this season.
-Bohemian Rhapsody [Queen]
-The Scientist [Coldplay]
-Grace Kelly [MIKA]
-Say My Name [Destiny's Child]
-Don’t Look Back In Anger [Oasis]

What other songs should they cover?!



Fun. Signs to Fueled By Ramen
August 4, 2010, 4:55 PM
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Fun. has signed to Fueled By Ramen.

Letter from vocalist Nate Reuss:

“Oh hi there,

Hope all of your summers are going swimmingly. I feel like it’s been a long time since we’ve been on tour, and an even longer time since I’ve posted anything, so I thought I’d give a brief update on what we’ve been up to since we got off of tour in June…

Actually, I’ll start by saying thanks to everyone who came out to the non stop shows we played for 5 straight months. That was pretty intense, and so worth it because of you guys. I’ve never toured that extremely and I have to say that I came back a better person with even more appreciation for what we get to do.

After that whole thing, plus the one show we did in Chicago last week, I couldn’t be more psyched for the headlining tour! Seriously, is that going to be awesome, or what? I get so giddy about it. It’s been almost a year since our last headlining tour, and I get a huge grin every time I think about how special this upcoming one is.

The way it looks right now, that will most likely be our last before we head into the studio to start working on the follow up to “aim and ignite.” I’ve been writing like mad the last month, and I don’t plan on stopping until we step into the studio. I wish I could give you some details, but Id rather keep everything under wrap till it’s all done, or at least until some of these weird babies of ideas start to become more fully realized. I do hope we have a new song or two for the next tour.

Speaking of the new record, I’d like to take a second and touch on the worst kept secret in the history of secrets….

We are uber excited to announce we are taking our talents to “fueled by ramen” records. Where they should help put us in a pretty sweet position to continue to try and grow.

This has been in the works for almost 9 months, when the head of the label (someone who’s reached out to me since even before I was in the format) did his bi-annual “check-in just to have the door slammed in his face”. Except the difference is, this time we took the time to listen to what he had to say….

I haven’t been involved with a label in almost 6 years. And to be honest, I never had any intention to go back. But it really means something when you’ve been able to watch a label grow over the years, and just continue to grow, with massive commercial success, while maintaining some of the ethics and understanding of what it means to be an independent artist…

When the people who work for fueled by ramen buy their own tickets to our shows and talk about us with the passion you’d generally reserve for an artist you’re working with, that really means something.

So after lengthy discussions, we figured, why not? This is the perfect time for us to give it a try. And I wouldn’t worry about us “selling out” or changing for the wrong reasons. When the format first started, it was tough because we didn’t know who we were yet. We were signed with the belief that we would appease the label and be a commercial success. As we grew, we realized that those weren’t our goals, and since then, from a personal writing standpoint, I’ve always been a little bit “different”, and I think that’s a big reason they wanted to start working with us. They’re here to help put us in a position that would allow more people to hear us.

And that’s what we’d like. So that’s that.

Argggg. All of this talk about labels is making me thirsty. I’m gonna go grab a lemonade. Once again, thank you for all of the support. Can’t wait to see you guys in a few months!

Oh, and if you haven’t purchased the new steel train yet, you’re crazy. I’m a competitive person, so for me to say that it’s the best record of the year, prolly means that it’s my favorite record of the last 5 years. Truly inspiring. Run, don’t walk over to their website.

<3

Nate”

I’m not too sure how I feel about this yet. I love Fun., and don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of some FBR bands [Forgive Durden, Gym Class Heroes, This Providence], but I hope that when I see Fun. live that I don’t have to deal with the usual FBR-show crowd [14-year-olds with bad attitudes]. That being said, I hope they bring some different fans to the FBR-crowd, and that their subsequent albums don’t fail [which seems to be a running trend with FBR bands].

Congrats Fun., make us proud.



Now Playing: July

The Crazies
My rating: C.
I didn’t hate this movie, but I also didn’t love it. It didn’t really do much of anything for me. I was expecting to be really scared, but I ended up dozing off a couple times instead. I may have to watch it again, but I probably won’t. Honestly, I don’t remember much of anything about the movie aside from there is a mysterious gas that is taking over the town and turning everyone crazy? I think.

She’s Out Of My League
My rating: C.
Again, I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. It definitely had its funny moments, mostly due to T.J. Miller who played the ever-so-funny Marmaduke on the short-lived comedy “Carpoolers”. It was surprisingly believable most of the time, and I laughed quite often. But, it was just another romantic-comedy that lacked a whole lot of originality.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year
My rating: B-.
I’ve always had a soft spot for the High School Musical movies, and I wasn’t disappointed with this one. I think this was a great way to end the saga, and my eyes may have even became a bit teary at the end. I think the transition to small screen to big screen was done flawlessly, and I really enjoyed the “theatricality” of it all. Of course, it had all the cheese of the first two, but I still really enjoyed it.

Stranger Than Fiction
My rating: B+/A-.
I really liked this film. I love the whole cast, and I think they worked great together. The film was a wonderful story about the writing process and human nature, and the two meshed flawlessly together. I don’t think there is a whole lot I can say about this film expect that you should watch it. Now.

It was a slow month for new movie watching-ness.



Who Will Play The Riddler?

Rumors have been swirling about who will star in the next installment in the Batman series [slated to open in 2012]. I did some research, and it seems that these actors are up for [or have expressed interested in] the role  of The Riddler:

Leonardo DiCaprio
Tom Hardy
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Johnny Depp
Robin Williams

Opinions? Can anyone confirm or deny any of these?
Personally, I’d love to see Joseph Gordo-Levitt or Johnny Depp play The Riddler.




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