In Case You're Interested...

The Today Show will have all five original members of New Kids on the Block on the show this Friday, April 4. Joey, Donny, Danny, Jordan, and Jonathan will all be there, but no word on whether or not they'll "perform."

The Wakefields Get Skinnier

Francine Pascal’s teen book series Sweet Valley High, first published in 1983, is getting a tummy tuck and heading back to a book store near you. Twelve books from the original series are being reissued—with some tweaks for a new audience.

The most alarming tweak? Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield, described in 1983 as a “perfect size 6” will now be a “perfect size 4.” Wow, thank god Random House had the presence of mind to take care of those cows. No teenage girl in her right mind would be comfortable reading about a size 6.

It’s 2008. There is a constant balancing act going on in women’s magazines, television shows, and movies to encourage women to be healthy. Healthy in the sense that they’re not obsessed with losing weight but also don’t contribute to this country’s obesity problems. Cutting the size reference altogether would have been what I expected from the reissue, not making the twins tinier.

From the press release it’s clear that Random House is scrambling to make Sweet Valley a little more appealing to the Gossip Girl set, not simply bring the old books into the 21st century. I feel a rant coming on, so allow me to close with this delightful reassurance from the publishers:

Although some of the content has been updated, the stories stay true to Francine Pascal’s original plot lines that older fans will remember from the originals. These timeless stories about high school, friendship, sibling rivalry, love and family are ready for a whole new generation to enjoy.

TV Recommendation: Greek

So, this summer, ABC Family unveiled a new original show, Greek, and I was thoroughly convinced it would be stupid. The promos were ridiculous, all beer-swilling and half-naked girls, and I probably would have skipped it even if it hadn’t premiered while I was away from home for a month with no TV. Fast forward a couple of months, as fall semester was getting into full swing, and I caught an episode after my Monday night class. It was actually pretty funny, a pithy, tongue-in-cheek caricature of the most common clichés of college Greeks (Though, I suppose, some college Greeks may see it as an accurate portrayal of their lives, just like a lot of cheerleaders at my high school unironically saw Bring It On). Sometimes the show seems to be making fun of the Greek system, sometimes it seems to be making fun of what those of us on the outside think of it, and the back-and-forth strikes a nice balance.

The show is back tonight, and it gets my recommendation for anyone flipping through the channels this evening at 8 p.m. with nothing to watch. Have some fun and enjoy some fluff as you jump into the week.

Gnarls Barkley CD Released Early

Great news for those of us loving Gnarls Barkley, their latest CD, The Odd Couple, has been released to digital music retailers including iTunes. The drop was unexpected, since the online sales were originally slated to start April 8th when the album is officially released.

Some thought the premature release was due to the duo's single "Run" not doing so hot on the Billboard Charts. Danger Mouse (one half of Gnarls Barkley) says that actually the record leaked online so they decided to change release plans.

Either way, those of us who buy our music online got a lucky little break this week.

Live-Blogging the American Idol Top 11

The top 11 contestants in America's most popular talent show get a second shot at the Lennon/McCartney songbook tonight. Fingers crossed that Kristy Lee Cook learned her lesson last week and won't twang-up another Beatles classic and think she deserves some get-out-of-jail-free card because she's trying to bring a little country flavor.

Tune in tonight to see what happens...

9:59 - Wrap-up comment: For whatever reason (perhaps the producers felt guilty about what their work did to Kristy Lee last week?) the musical arrangements were unusually slanted towards the country vibe. It was Beatles music guys, not Montgomery Gentry. Overall, I don't think Beatles week part deux was a great idea.

9:57 - Ramiele just isn't great at singing softly. When she goes for a louder note she's generally good. You really need to be able to carry off both, though, so I think she may be in for another bottom 3 showing after that performance.

9:43 - Whew, Chikezie broke out the harmonica! Simon said it was atrocious...I can't decide if I agree or not, but I agree that overall it was gimicky. The little games he was playing with his voice were odd, but bearable. I was hoping it would be a little closer to the style they used in Across the Universe, but that's neither here nor there.

9:40 - Yessss! Someone is singing I've Just Seen a Face!

9:34 - Sayesha Mercado will probably be safe from the bottom three this week. Her take on Yesterday was really powerful. Out from under the shadow of traditional song arrangement that she's been under in her past few performances, her spin on the tune was well done without being distracting.

9:23 - Maybe choosing the song with French in it wasn't the best choice for Jason. Though, he seems to be able to get away with a lot and his laid-back demeanor on stage is fun to watch. Like Simon pointed out, his face can carry just about anything it seems. It was a little awkward, but Jason's steady ooze of non-sleazy charm is nice. A friend of mine may have been right when she said she thinks he hides behind his guitar. Without it, he was a little awkward (that's right, I just agreed kind of agreed with what daft Paula had to say during her endless commentary).

9:19 - I know someone who was hoping for the song Michelle, so cool!

9:14 - Carly was solid too. It seems that Simon just wants to nitpick song choice this week since that's all he can manage to comment on.

9:01 - David Cook may go the way of Daughtry and do really well on his own but only come in third. He is consistent and he stands out in a good way, but quasi-emo rockers and American Idol may not go hand in hand.

8:51 - Simon's critique of Brooke makes it obvious just how unfair it is that they unexpectedly brought back Lennon/McCartney this week. She did such an amazing rendition of Let it Be that she was destined to fall a little short this week.

8:48 - Brooke did a solid job on Here Comes the Sun, but the Idol producers and stylists either need to communicate and realize that a frilly yellow dress plus an orangey, sunny style backdrop is overkill.

8:39 - Well, that awful note he hit towards the beginning of the song should speak for itself. MJ will be an interesting Idol experiment: how far will a mediocre voice, a gorgeous face, and an Australian accent carry a contestant? Paula's point about him sounding better in dress rehersal only points out that his weakness is performing under actual stressful conditions, which is a must.

8:34 - Ugh, Michael Johns. I don't really want to listen to him because he did an awful job on Across the Universe last week, but I'm going to try to go in with open ears.

8:28 - Long and Winding Road worked out better for David A. than last week's pick. I'm not sure if he can teach the master class as Simon suggests, but he manages to pull more composure and power out of his performances than most of the other contestants who have a few more years maturity.

8:24 - Yes, David Archuleta, hopefully you will remember all of your words this week. Let's see.

8:23 - Kristy Lee just doesn't have the voice of a top contender. Plus, her shoes did not go with her dress. At all.

8:18 - Are those animal photos supposed to make us want to vote for Kristy Lee?

8:15 - Who wants to take bets on when the ridiculous and annoying "You're gayer than I am" battle between Ryan and Simon breaks out tonight?

8:10 - Amanda Overmyer kicks it off with Back in the USSR. The issue with Overmyer is the same issue Nickleback suffers from. Her voice sounds the same everytime she sings, all the songs sound the same. It's fun to listen to one song, but after that you want to kill the radio if you hear "Rockstar" one more time.

I am not a movie snob!

Last week, I was sitting around with my family and heard the tail-end of something my older sister was saying about me: “Christine only likes realistic movies, though.” My family is prone to saying my taste in movies is too snooty, so I wasn't so surprised. But, of course, I argued against the claim immediately. There is absolutely nothing remotely realistic about some of my favorite movies. I don’t think the plot of Edward Scissorhands is ripped from the headlines, and ditto for The Princess Bride, The Lord of the Rings, The Life Aquatic, etc., etc., etc.

Since realism is then clearly not a major criterion for my enjoyment of a film, what is? It’s multilayered, really. A few of the most important layers:

Layer 1: Acting – If the acting in a movie is complete crap, I’m likely to check out before I have a chance to be influenced by anything else. This has kept me from enjoying most films starring Jennifer Lopez. In the case of acting, maybe realism is a major point of concern for me. Actors have to be able to react in a way that seems true to the character they are portraying and the fictional universe they inhabit. I don’t care if you’re playing a pencil; if you can’t sell it, count me out.

Layer 2: Uniqueness – Let’s face it, after you’ve spent at least an hour and a half watching a movie, you don’t want to leave the theater (or get up off the couch) feeling like you’ve just wasted your time. I feel like I’ve wasted my time if a movie is so rote and familiar that my time could have been better spent re-watching something similar that I already liked. If watching a movie a single time makes me pissed that I saw it at all, someone isn’t doing their job very well.

Layer 3: Character – If a film has characters that I like and care about, I’ll be fine. Or, if they aren’t likeable, but they’re at least psychologically interesting (like Jonathan Rhys Myers’s character in Match Point), we’re okay.

Those are my main three layers, I’d say. Of course, there are a million reasons why a certain film may pass my standards why another does not. I just wanted to break down some major deal breakers. The important thing, as I head to Target today to pick up two DVDs (Atonement and Enchanted), is to remind that sister of mine that, clearly (since I’m buying Enchanted), realistic films aren’t the only ones that float my boat.

Giggly Americans Confuse Me

On the red carpet at the Oscars a few weeks back, James McAvoy mentioned during his interview with Ryan Seacrest that American audiences seem to laugh more during Atonement than British audiences. Having seen the film in the states twice (and not at all in England), I can say that this alarmed me very much in the theater. It was interesting to hear that McAvoy noticed a difference in audience reception.

So, what is it about the American audience that made so many chuckle? My guess is that less Americans had read the source material, Ian McEwan’s 2001 novel. The novel was my main reason for going, compounded by the fact that I’d spent the two months preceding the film’s release working pretty intensely on a paper about it, and the people I saw it with had read the novel as well. None of us were laughing. I think it’s pretty hard for anyone who has read the novel, and knows (without me giving anything away here) the devastating conclusion in store, to summon more than a smirk or two. The book did pretty well on the NYTimes bestsellers list, though, so maybe this theory doesn’t hold water.

Perhaps I simply underestimated the reading tastes and practices of the American public, and there is some other simple reason for the giggles that I’m just overlooking. I don’t think it can be explained away by different tastes in humor, because there is a lot of successful crossover with comedies from both countires.

Maybe the audience drawn to a Kiera Knightly film in the states (there did seem to be an inordinately large number of teenage girls in the audience at both screenings I caught) is simply a lot different than the audience a the same film, which stars many of Britain’s best-respected young actors (Knightly, McAvoy, Romola Garai, etc.), draws across the pond.

Whatever the case, the discrepancy will continue to confuse me and give me something to ponder for some time. If you have any theories that may enlighten me, please share them.

Not cool, Michael Bay. Not cool.

In news that terrifies me for all the wrong reasons, today I found out that Michael Bay has a whole slew of horror remakes in pre-production right now, including some true classics. Bay has already had a hand in remakes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Amityville Horror, and now he’s going after A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Birds, Friday the 13th, and Rosemary’s Baby. Hitchcock and Roman Polanski, Michael Bay? Really?

Why anyone would want to retool classy horror films like The Birds and Rosemary’s Baby is simply unfathomable to me. Let’s all brace ourselves for coverage of Paris Hilton’s auditions for both movies.

I have no prior problems with Michael Bay. He doesn’t have the most impressive ouevre as a director and producer, but he’s never been shooting “serious” films anyway, so it’s a moot point. Moot, that is, until he decides to take on the work of two Oscar winning directors and Oscar nominated films. Now I’m just annoyed.

Chikezie, I Was Wrong

Now that the top 12 have performed for the week, I just want to go on record as saying Chikezie proved me wrong tonight. His twist on the Beatles has put him in the ranks with David Cook and Brooke White. Kudos.

American Idol: Rating the Top 12

Tonight starts the first co-ed round of finals on American Idol, and it seems that the top 12 is pretty solid this year.

Not a Sanjaya to be found, though I was sincerely hoping Danny Noriega would make it and provide some much needed comic relief.

Thoughts on the top contenders:

Amanda Overmyer: The “rocker” nurse has potential, though I’m doubtful her Janis Joplin growl will carry her too far if she doesn’t show a little damn emotion. Last week, when she was on stage, there was nothing there.

Chikezie: Chikezie doesn’t stand out much for me, possibly because I was rooting for Danny Noriega to stick around (since he at least has a personality). Chikezie seems likable, but forgettable, so I doubt he’ll be around much longer.

David Hernandez: Oooh, the controversy. Hernandez’s stripper past may not have kept him out of the top 12, but I was hoping that his wannabe Enrique Iglesias voice would. I’m underwhelmed by this guy.

Michael Johns: He has the hot accent angle working for him, so it will probably score him some major points. He’s not too bad, but there are plenty better in the competition.

David Cook: This guy really impressed me last week with his take on Lionel Richie's "Hello." Any contestant who can spin a mediocre 80's song into an edgier version I’ll shell out 99 cents for on iTunes is a top contender in my book (I’m thinking of you and “You Give Love a Bad Name” Blake Lewis!).

Brook White: Homegirl also revamped an 80’s classic last week, and again I give props. “Love is a Battlefield” may not have needed it as much as “Hello,” but anyone who doesn’t simply take the karaoke route in this competition is preferable to one more person singing a Whitney Houston song.

Ramiele Malubay: Malubay may be a little too young and cutesy for me. I can’t remember what she sang last week, and that’s not good since several others really stood out. She has a cute haircut…

Carly Smithson: The competitions female darling did what I thought was a slightly pitchy rendition of Cydndi Lauper’s “I Drove All Night” last week, but she clearly has a great set of pipes. Smithson is one of the performers who is most likely to make it to at least the top 5.

David Archuleta: The male Carly Smithson in terms of buzz. Archuleta is absolutely adorable, and his age combined with his vocal prowess is incredible. I’m sure he’ll go top 5 as well, as long as he takes Simon’s advice and tries to find some upbeat songs to mix in with his anthems about raising poverty awareness.

Syesha Mercado: Syesha committed a sin that EW’s Michael Slezak complains about all the time: she sang a Whitney Houston song (and tried to sound just like Whitney). Slezak is 100% right about this one. DON’T SING WHITNEY SONGS!!!

Kristy Lee Cook: She’s this year’s resident country girl (with a name to back it up). I’m never too pleased with the country singers on idol making pop songs twangy. I’m never that happy about it when country singers do the same on their own records (I’m talking to you, Alabama!). Last week it was Journey’s “Faithfully.” This week? Who knows.

Jason Castro: He proved that he has a beautiful voice last week when he sang “Hallelujiah” (originally sung by Leonard Cohen, subsequently covered by Jeff Buckley and countless others). The dreads are fun, he seems lovable and goofy. I’ll be very interested in seeing how far Castro can carry his hippie-dippy charm. I hope at least to the top 5.

Adam Sandler Joins Team Apatow

Adam Sandler and Seth Rogan are set to costar in a new comedy by writer/director Judd Apatow (The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up). Apatow’s wife, Leslie Mann, will also star in the film. No word yet on the plot.

The news makes me a little nervous. I love Happy Gilmore as much as the next girl, but lately I have not been feeling the Adam Sandler love. I have yet to force myself to sit through I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, and I don’t remember the last comedy he was in that I really loved—though I do sit through Spanglish every time I catch it on cable.

Perhaps an Apatow movie is the very thing to cure my Sandler fatigue, since Apatow is my current failsafe comedy standard.

Great Spring Break Flicks

Officially, my final spring break as an undergrad starts today. It’s been a while since spring break has meant anything more for me than getting to squeeze more hours in at work and trying to hang out poolside once or twice. If that’s the case for you too, here are my suggestions for some movies that give you the chance to take a vicarious vacation:

Dirty Dancing: Who wouldn’t want to take a seemingly boring trip to the Catskills if they knew a whirlwind romance with Patrick Swayze and some really hot dancing would be involved? The key to his heart? She carried a watermelon.

It Happened One Night: One of my favorite old movies, It Happened One Night may be the ultimate black and white fantasy: a cross-country road trip with Clark Gable. Gable is second in my old-time actor crush book behind only Marlon Brando (circa Streetcar Named Desire). He flirts his way from Miami to New York City with Claudette Colbert, and makes ancient busses and motels seem classy.

The Life Aquatic: I’d give anything to be able to tag along on Bill Murray’s quest to find the elusive Jaguar Shark that ate his best friend. There are a lot of fantastic-looking stop motion creatures to be seen on the Cousteau-esque adventure, and the cast of characters are too quirky to resist.

My Father the Hero: As creepy as the premise of this movie is if you dwell on it (a girl tells the guy she likes that her father is her boyfriend to make him jealous), this movie is a great spring break pick. The beach setting is enough to make any of us stuck at home damn jealous, and it’s always fascinating to see a now-famous star (in this case Katherine Heigl) in a young, early role.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail: It may not be a trip any of us can actually take, but the Python gang makes coconuts, rabbits, and French people completely hilarious.

Alright, that’s it for me. I’m taking a break from posting for the rest of the week to work on some things. See you next week!