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yes!
the red band trailer for the us adaptation of the girl with the dragon tattoo has leaked. you're welcome.

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happy memorial day!
while you catch up on all the nonsense that is my blog, don't forget to remember what today is all about.

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what i love (this week)

the song

go see bridesmaids and you'll get this. and want to recreate all of maya rudolph's dance moves.

the tv show

someone got drunk on the first episode. another person wore a mask. and one guy already admitted he wants nothing to do with bachelorette ashley. i mean, come on.

the movie

that's all.

the look

not this.

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dying
this is more than a year old, but i cannot get enough. happy saturday.

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movie review: everything must go

i will be the first to tell you: i am not a will ferrell fan. i can take him in an ensemble comedy (think old school or anchorman), but his solo starring or co-headlining roles (like stepbrothers) do nothing for me. unless the former snl-er goes dramatic. in his latest flick, everything must go, ferrell plays nick, a rebounding alcoholic who gets fired from his job and kicked out of his house by his wife all in one day. what follows nick's lowest of lows is a journey of self-discovery and a return to life's basics- all from his front lawn. the flick is a little disjointed, with about five mini-plot lines going all at the same time. the standout story from everything must go is the friendship nick strikes up with kenny, a shy kid who spends his days riding his bike up and down nick's street. nick teaches kenny the basics of business and baseball, while kenny reminds nick there's something worth living for out there. every performance in this movie is spot on, especially newcomer christopher jordan wallace (he's notorious b.i.g.'s son!) as kenny and vicky, christina, barcelona star rebecca hall as nick's new neighbor. everything must go isn't exactly a pick-me-up flick, but it will keep you entertained, especially at only 96 minutes.

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american idol finale

here are the highlights from american idol's season ender, before (spoiler) scotty mcreery took home the 2011 title.

this was the best performance of the night- the top girls took the stage to sing a beyonce medley before being joined on stage by the vocal powerhouse. b returned to the stage later in the night to premiere her new song, "1+1."

but that's not the beyonce performance to watch- her rehearsal backstage was 100 times more amazing.

this was the night's most bizarre- and obvious "you're married to the judge so we have to let you perform"- performance. j.lo's hubby sang some song no one's heard of, while she gyrated next to him doing choreography i can only assume she learned while filming selena.

each of the final two got to duet with one of their own idols. lauren alaina chose carrie underwood's "before he cheats." it's a nice performance, but lauren's 16-year-old self shines through as she's obviously starstruck on stage.

but scotty continued his i'm-a-pro attitude alongside tim mcgraw as the duo tackled mcgraw's hit "live like you were dying."

and lady gaga brought down the house with an overly theatrical take on "the edge of glory." no, seriously. she jumps off her giant set piece at the end. overly. theatrical.

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run on
the end of an era.

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the muppets are here!
...and i'm a little disappointed. they better release a second trailer- that actually shows what's going on with the muppets- soon to be keep my interest.

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the best (and worst) of billboard

rihanna opened the billboard music awards (who knew those were still around? i didn't) with her latest hit, "s&m." the performance was super grope-y, super sexualized and just what you expect from a song with that name. halfway through the performance who should show up but miss britney spears. the princess of pop popped up to tackle the remixed version of riri's hit. sadly - but not surprisingly - britney decided to lip sync (the poor audio engineer who had to flip between rihanna's live singing and britney's recording...) and looked like she wanted to get off the stage the second she appeared- she actually started to walk away after giggling her way through the staged pillow fight before realizing the cameras were still on her. hopefully britney will do better next time...

beyonce delivered- hands down- the performance of the night. i mean, she was receiving the "millennium award," so she needed to bring it. while the song hasn't exactly been a hit, b's performance of "run the world (girls)" definitely was.

this was my favorite non-performance performance of the night. lady antebellum brought the house down - and by that i mean gave us a night refresher from the over-the-top dance sequences - with their latest single, "just a kiss." i liked it, but i couldn't help but think how uncomfortable it must be for two people who are not in a relationship together to constantly have to sing love songs to each other. awkward.

didn't jay-z record a song called "death of autotune." yeah, the black eyed peas should take a listen to it. it's one thing to have a verse in autotune, but for every song to be all autotune all the time? not a fan. seriously, what did this group do before fergie?

ok, maybe i spoke too soon about britney. miss spears surprised the audience for a second time, showing up halfway through nicki minaj's turn on stage. the female rapper du jour rocked it out to her song of the summer "super bass" before heading into her verse from the "til the world ends" remix. then britney came out lip syncing (again) and just kind of strutted around until the song was done. if this is any indication of what the girls' joint tour will be like this summer, expect ticket sales to flatline.

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what i love (this week)

the song

the show

i don't have a movie or look this week. sorry i'm not sorry.

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christina and cee-lo get "nasty"

who knew? before they were judges on nbc's the voice, christina aguilera and cee-lo teamed up to record "nasty," a track rejected from aguilera's last album and the burlesque soundtrack. turns out it's actually pretty radio friendly. check out "nasty" above. then try to get it out of your head (it might be hard).

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book review: lies that chelsea handler told me

first my horizontal life. then are you there vodka? it's me, chelsea. followed by chelsea chelsea, bang bang. now, lies that chelsea handler told me. handler continues her climb up the new york times' best seller list with her latest offering. too bad she didn't write it herself. lies is a compilation of essays penned by chelsea's staff, friends and family chronicling different - big shocker here - lies she's told them over the years. a different familiar face (well, technically, name) writes each chapter, each one more absurd than the one it follows. after each "victim" tells his or her story, chelsea adds a paragraph explaining her relationship with the person. the book lives up to its predecessors, but because it isn't written by handler herself, it lacks a little of the laugh-out-loud factor. if you're new to handler's books, don't start with lies. reading the first three first will make the references - and additions - to earlier stories that much better. but, if you've joined chelsea's absurd journey through bed sheets, beach chairs and belvedere cocktails, then by all means pick up lies that chelsea handler told me. you won't be disappointed.

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tv time: cbs & the cw

here's my take on what will hit, and what will miss, this fall on cbs and the cw.

the hits: cbs

the network - normally known for its appeal to the geriatric set - seems to be shifting its focus to the 20something crowd with 2 broke girls. this series looks like the perfect pairing for how i met your mother, with a very similar visual vibe. the dark wit of kat dennings is sure to bring the laughs, especially paired with the paris hilton-esque beth behrs.

unforgettable looks fresh off the cbs crime procedural conveyer belt, meaning it will fit right in with the likes of csi, criminal minds and ncis. plus, the series has a familiar star- former without a trace star poppy montgomery (with a new hair color). the series will fill the void left behind by the cancellation of medium.

a gifted man could really go either way, but if a network can pull this kind of show off, it's the eye. man is the one high-concept series i can see catching on, because it will be episodic in nature. plus, it fits the old cbs brand of touched by an angel and early edition.

the misses

how to be a gentleman will be funny for a couple of episodes, then grow tired. quickly.

i just don't know - i think jj abrams should probably cool it for a while and focus on one series at a time. all his shows start to run together. plus, i think the networks think an abrams series is a sure bet. but, last year's undercovers flopped and lost, while a hit for abc in the beginning, stumbled to a lackluster end.

the hits & misses: the cw

with only four new series headed to primetime, and the fact that it's the cw, there's really no telling what will hit and what will miss on the network. let's be honest, none of these shows will crack the 2 million viewer mark, if they even come close.

the one thing the cw has going for it is a bit of star power, between rachel bilson and sarah michelle gellar (in a series originally intended for sister net, cbs). both of their series seem a little more grown up for the network, which could pay off big. the third scripted series, the secret circle, seems like a better fit for the network that's pretty much taken the cw's place, abc family, but is a good match for the net's biggest series, the vampire diaries. and reality show, h8r, which pairs celebrities with their "haters" should never, ever air. like ever.

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tv time: fox

here are my predictions for fox's fall line-up.

the hits: fox

i've never really enjoyed fox's attempts at comedy, but this is a show i can get behind. zooey deschanel stars in new girl, a show about a 20something forced to move into a bachelor pad after the end of her relationship. i already see a cheesy deschanel sister promo (emily stars in the network's bones) in fox's future.

joining new girl on the comedy front is i hate my teenage daughter, headlined by my name is earl's jamie presley and tony winner katie finneran. the duo star as two moms who, you guessed it, hate their teenage daughters. the promo makes the show look hilarious, and its a return to the lost art of the multi-camera sitcom.

i'll never watch this, but it looks hilarious.

the misses: fox

sometimes, well enough should be left alone. but fox didn't get that message and will launch the animated adaptation of napoleon dynamite this fall. dynamite would have been right on target in 2004, but it's been 7 years since the movie became a sleeper hit. i don't know if the audience is there for this series.

high concept doesn't work! why don't the networks get this? while this show sounds interesting - figuring out why missing alcatraz prisoners are back in the modern world, unaged - it would make a much, much better movie. i wish creator jj abrams would return to his tv start, alias, a show that was a lot more serialized- you could tune in having never watched the series and understand what was going on. i don't think that'll be the case with alcatraz.

this show's been pushed back again. and again. and again. originally announced at last year's upfronts, the show was pushed back until may of this year. then, the network decided to move it to fall. terra nova follows a group of us citizens who travel to a new earth (hence the title) to rebuild society and find salvation. yeah.

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tv time: abc

here are my predictions for abc's new shows - and there are a lot.

the hits

it's juno's styling meets the heart of ugly betty. or at least it looks that way. suburgatory follows a dad and daughter's move from the city to the suburbs. the fact that cheryl hines is involved guarantees laughs.

here's abc's take on the period pice, pan am, which follows the lives of pan am airline stewardesses in the 1960s. it's very catch me if you can and stars christina ricci, so my hopes are high. let's hope the series lives up to its look.

this is one of those shows that could go either way and probably would've been better served on the big screen, but i'm excited to see it. revenge follows a young woman's return to the hamptons to, well, seek revenge on the uptight community who turned her life upside down many years ago. emily vancamp, from everwood and brothers and sisters, headlines the drama.

the three little girls return. abc's bringing back charlie's angels for another go around, this time set in miami. the show will headline's abc's big night- thursdays- so the network obviously wants this show to succeed. from this short clip (above), i'm already hooked. my only reservation? the sound of new charlie's voice.

tim allen returns! the home improvement star returns to the network that made him famous in last man standing, about a father forced to live in a woman's world. the show will be a success if only for the fact that allen is behind it.

now for the two shows i'm most looking forward to. first, good christian belles (formerly "bitches"). belles follows one woman's return to the post dallas suburb she grew up in, where she winds up facing off against the group of girls whose lives she mad a living hell in high school - expect lots of funny flashbacks (i hope). kristin chenoweth stars as the group's queen bee. sadly we won't get to see this (or the next show) until midseason.

apartment 23 - which originally had bitch in the title, too - just looks really funny. plus, it's got krysten ritter. yeah.

the misses

here's abc's take on the fairy-tale show, once upon a time. while it features a strong cast - house's jennifer morrison and big love's ginnifer goodwin headline the series - the concept too wackadoo to work. the alphabet net obviously wants it to- they've bumped extreme makeover: home edition to fridays to free up time on sundays for once upon a time- but i'm not convinced it'll be worth it.

this show already aired once. it was called busom buddies.

high concept mystery. enough said.

high concept mystery. people like shows they can tune into and understand what's going on, not series that require intense-viewing. it seems like this concept - child goes missing, search ensues - gets pitched and picked up every year. and it seems like ashley judd stars in it every year. probably because she's made about 5279367209 movies with this plot.

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tv time: nbc

it's the most wonderful time of the year: upfronts! the networks started unveiling their new fall slates this week- here's a look at what will be a hit (and what will bomb) on nbc.

the hits

the big trend for the networks this year was mad men-style dramas. nbc's take, the playboy, club looks like it'll mix a lot of sex with a lot of mystery. in just the trailer (above), we already know someone dies. yeah. the playboy club is also a big risk for the net, which could lose big associating itself with a controversial brand.

welcome back, christina applegate. after abc canceled (for no reason!) samantha who?, the sitcom star returns with up all night, which follows her life as a working mom who wasn't quite ready to become a mom. the supporting cast- will arnett as her husband and maya rudolph as her wack-a-doo boss- add to the show's ante. also helping the show? nbc isn't adding it to the network's past-its-prime thursday night comedy block. instead, it will anchor a new comedy hour on wednesdays with free agents, a show that could go either way.

chelsea handler hits primetime. the late-night funny lady serves as the inspiration behind are you there vodka? it's me, chelsea, inspired by her book of the same name. the smartest thing about the series? that handler isn't starring as herself. instead, that 70s show star laura prepon takes the leading role, while handler will pop up in guest stints as her own older sister. the dumbest thing about the series? that nbc's holding it over until midseason, which means we won't get to see it until january ... at the earliest.

another show nbc's holding back is smash, which has been described as glee for adults. the series follows the creation of a broadway musical about marilyn monroe. from the short trailer, i'm already a fan. the series stars will & grace's debra messing and american idol alum katherine mcphee, and will follow the midseason launch of nbc's the voice.

the misses

who told the networks we wanted to watch fairy tales? both nbc and abc plan to launch fairy tale-inspired series this fall. because adults are into that, right? wrong. check out the trailer for grimm, a crime procedural inspired by the grimm fairy tales. yeah. might as well pull this one right now.

there are a lot of shows coming out next season that would probably make great movies. bad tv shows, but great movies. awake falls into that category. these high-concept mystery series just don't lend themselves to the small screen (see: the event). if you're interested, awake follows the lives of people who are actually living in two different worlds.

to check out all of nbc's new shows (those not listed here could go either way), click here.

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what i love (this week)

the song

i cannot tell you why i like this song. i really have no idea why. really.

the show

obsessed. this will be the show that saves nbc. maybe.

the movie

i mean i want to see it again, so you should want to see it for a first time. go. now.

the look

you look like an adult! now start singing like one. please.

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book review: sweet valley confidential

they're back. the twins who made it cool to read return to your bookshelf in author francine's pascal's sweet valley confidential. it's been 10 years since we last saw jessica and elizabeth wakefield- and a lot has happened. no longer bffs, the duo are now sworn enemies fighting silently from different coastlines. elizabeth's made the move to nyc, struggling to become a writer. jessica's planted herself in sweet valley, where she's playing the role of happy homemaker ... to (SPOILER) elizabeth's ex. the beach read follows the wakefields through their journey to reconnect and find themselves. if you weren't an avid fan of the original series, chances are you'll find it hard to keep up with pascal's unending onslaught of series references. the early chapters- split between the present and flashbacks- help those who aren't familiar catch up, but the stories not worth a first-timers, well, time. while just a few more than 200 pages, sweet valley confidential drags on-and-on, running in circles to a very predictable resolution. the side players seem under-developed (maybe because their histories can be found in the original books?) and the pop culture references are outdated (betsy johnson as the hottest designer? really?). unless you're a sweet valley o.g., or desperate, don't bother picking up the book- just wait for juno scribe diablo cody's big screen adaptation of the original books.

book review: bossypants by tina fey

now this is a book i can get behind. tina fey's foray into the publishing world is the perfect book to kick off summer reading season. it's short, it's fast-paced and- most importantly- it's hilarious. bossypants features a collection of essays spanning fey's (cartoonish) life, and teaches you how to raise a smart, funny, awkward, virgin daughter. no, really- fey promises that herself. fey is her self-depricating best when revisiting her childhood and early days as a struggling comedian, which make up the meat of the memoir. the book's slowest parts come near the end, but they're still peppered with funny asides and pictures (a picture book for adults!) as to not make you want to kill yourself. everyone- young, old, male, female or transgender- will find something to like (and laugh at) in bossypants.

if you're a fan of chelsea handler's book collection, then bossypants is the book for you. if you're not ... then, well, you should be.

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movie review: bridesmaids

it's like romy and michelle's sluttier, drunker, unsanitary cousin. the kristin wiig-penned bridesmaids follows annie (wiig) as she's forced into the role of maid-of-honor at her best friend's (maya rudolph) wedding. annie goes head-to-head with too perfect helen (rose byrne), who can't seem to let anyone else have control. the film's a hilarious 2 hour exploration of female friendship, with stellar performances by all involved. while the 2 hour running time is a little much, it's to be expected from a judd apatow-backed film. my one complaint about bridesmaids is its lack of quotable lines. you walk away from the theater on a laughter-high, but there's not one line you can repeat over-and-over again, like the hangover or in other apatow pics. the film's left open for a sequel, as (semi-spoiler) annie's storyline seems to just be taking off. melissa mccarthy's turn as the lovable butch bridesmaid megan steals the show, even if it means watching a woman do things no one ever wants to see. bridesmaid is a must see, just don't expect to walk away having seen your new favorite movie. it's a crowd pleaser, but without a cult-audience future.

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check back-

posting on all the new shows coming to a tv near you coming this weekend.

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back tomorrow

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my final newsy's (until august)

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going gaga: "edge of glory"

it looks like gaga will be releasing different album cuts from born this way on itunes until the album drops at the end of the month. here's her latest, "edge of glory." the song sounds like another reworked madonna track, but i can't put my finger on it. while it's technically not a single, i'd expect "glory" to make its way onto the radio airwaves as early as tomorrow. everything gaga touches turns to gold...albums.

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what i love (this week)

the song

i cannot get enough of nicki minaj's "super bass." no, really- i even learned the first verse. i'm going to call it the song of the summer, because i'll be listening to it all summer long

the show

saturday night live returned last night with a mothers day-themed episode hosted by (second time) mommy-to-be tina fey. fey brought the funny (though not all the skits were great). above is my favorite of the night, a parody of bravo's latest docuseries, pregnant in heels. check out the rest of last night's clips here.

the movie

this movie hasn't even come out yet, but i cannot wait to see it. midnight screening, here i come- i hope bridesmaids lives up to the trailer's hype.

the look

damn. gwyneth paltrow at this year's met gala.

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the x factor

it looks like the x factor may finally be going somewhere. after months of speculation, simon cowell announced the show's official cast. while we've known music mogul la reid would be joining cowell at the judges' table, the other two spots remained a mystery- until now. cheryl cole and paula abdul will fill out the final two mentor slots on the show. cole's virtually unknown to american audiences, but she definitely has the industry know-how and pull to make a star. she's served as a judge for the uk x factor, producing the most promising act during the most recent season, cher lloyd (i'm a little obsessed).

but before joining x factor, cole helped headline the biggest girl group to hit britain since the spice girls, called girls aloud. the group was formed on the uk's idol predecessor, popstars. while the group never made it to america, there's a good chance they will with cheryl's sure-to-be stateside success. a reunion (the group disbanded to pursue solo careers) is planned for sometime in 2012.

and there's no need to explain paula - we all know paula. i'm just excited she'll be reunited with cowell for moments like this.

paula is reportedly in final negotiations to join the show after some contractual obligations with cbs (where her failed dance show, live to dance aired). but the hosts have signed on the dotted line. pussycat doll front-woman nicole scherzinger will join british tv presenter steve jones on stage to moderate and commentate on the series. apparently high school musical costar corbin bleu originally had the gig, but because of his lack of chemistry with scherzinger, he was dropped last minute.

all this news make me even more excited for the x factor to premiere. after the voice premiered before any of the x factor's cast was nailed down, i was nervous for the series' success. but i don't think i need to worry anymore - the cast is just as impressive (and will probably bring more personality and drama) as nbc's competition crew.

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glee does rebecca black

just when you thought you'd heard the last of rebecca black's "friday," it makes a comeback. the internet sensation made its way to glee, where the men of mckinley high will perform the, er, song during the series' prom-themed episode. surprisingly (well, not that surprisingly) the glee cast makes the song listenable- give it a try before the episode airs this tuesday.

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gaga v. minaj

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the latest (from me) from newsy

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working on...

a tony award's post. check back tomorrow for a full list of nominees!

day 3.143

new lady a!

can we officially retire "need you now" now? please.

day 3.142

what i love (this week)

the song

in this week's lackluster episode of glee there was a shining moment: quinn and rachel's mash-up duet of "i feel pretty/unpretty." the duo's solemn take on the tlc song (one of my favorites) proved the episode's message of "be yourself" better than the finale number to gaga's "born this way." i can't get enough of this mash-up, especially with the rainy weather i've been having. nothing's better for a rainy day than a 90's r&b ballad (ok, a lot of things probably are, but i'm going to stick with it).

the movie

i'm not ashamed to say i still watch every disney channel original movie. ok, i'm a little bit ashamed, but i accept it. the latest movie, lemonade mouth, is far from a good (or even entertaining movie), but the soundtrack is what gets me. i couldn't help myself from re-watching the performances on my dvr, especially the rap solo on this song.

the show

the best show you're not watching. the end.

the look

i mean, i had to.