day 2.75

the grammys

are on right now. check back tomorrow for a full recap.

day 2.74

they're (coming) baaaaack

it's official. mtv has signed snooki andco. to a second season of the surprise hit jersey shore. originally developed to be a real world-style concept for the 2000s, jersey shore was supposed to have a revolving cast every season. little did mtv know that it would be the characters and not the show itself that became popular. jersey shore gets higher ratings than mtv's former star series the hills, which took contracting the cast of js even harder - the cast decided to stick together and negotiate a big paycheck for season 2. the guidos and guidettes will be raking in $10,000 per episode for the second season, of which there are 12 total (up from 9 the previous year). any appearances they make outside of the 12 episodes - on tv or real life - will cost extra. the only cast member not returning for another installment is - no surprise - angelina, who left after the third episode of the first season. no word on when production on jersey shore season 2 will begin, but i can tell you one thing - it won't be in jersey. the cast will be plunked down in a different vacation spot (probably mexico or florida). will the guidos and guidettes be able to survive outside their element? will they be able to survive months off the airwaves? we'll have to wait and see.

don't forget to tune into the grammys tomorrow night on cbs.

day 2.73

in mourning

ok, i'm not really in mourning, but i am disappointed. one of my favorite series, ugly betty, is ending this may. the abc show was always a ratings winner until this season, its fourth, when the alphabet net decided to move the show to friday nights. no one watches tv on friday nights. was it any surprise when the show was barely pulling in 4 million viewers a week, down by close to 60 or 70 percent? apparently it was for abc, but i wasn't shocked. that's when i started to get scared that abc might want to kill the show. but, when abc announced that betty would be moving to wednesdays starting in january, my hope for the show was back. sadly, the network has announced that this will be the final season for the show. i'm glad that both the fans and the creative team behind the show is getting advanced notice, but i hate hate hate when shows don't know they're entering their final season. i feel like writing for a season and writing for a finale are completely different, especially for this show. this season has been one of creative resurgence for the show and i'm sad to see it come to an end. maybe abc got scared because the show was developing beyond its original pitch, with betty getting a makeover, becoming more independent and starting to find her place in the world. on top of ending the show prematurely (i would have at least liked to seen them get a 5th season), the episode order for the current season has been cut down from 22 to 20. that's two less episodes to bring the show full circle. can we at least get a tv movie to really wrap things up? i can't help but think the show will be rushing to an ending rather than building up to a finale. from what i've read, though, the show has always had an ending in mind, which probably will make this unexpected finale better than it would be. i've also heard that that ending will - spoiler alert - feature a major wedding. chances are it's either betty and lost love henry or between hilda (betty's sister) and baby daddy bobby. i think this cancellation will make what episodes are left - which include kristen johnson's return as an over-the-hill party girl temp, a drag queen version of vanessa williams and a new love interest for vanessa's character - that much better. i'll just miss seeing becki newton and michael urie having witty banter every week. someone get those two a sitcom! the good news that comes from this is that the great cast of the show is now free to do other projects. american ferrera, the show's star, is set to focus on her film career - she stars in our family wedding and how to train your dragon, both out this year - but ana ortiz, becki newton, michael urie, vanessa williams and eric mabius are all reportedly being courted for pilots going into production in the next couple of months. the same is true for the casts of nip/tuck, dollhouse, three rivers, lost, scrubs and better off ted are in the same boat. i guess the silver lining is we'll get some (hopefully) really good shows next fall.

day 2.72

sorry

no time today - i promise quality tomorrow.

day 2.71

the best heidi montag parody

ever.

day 2.70

martha stewart pulls a conan

martha stewart is leaving nbc. the lifestyle guru is making like oprah (and tyra) and taking her daytime talk show, the martha stewart show, off the free airwaves and moving to cable. martha signed a deal with hallmark channel this morning that has her producing programming for the net for the next 3 years starting this fall. the martha stewart show will be the foundation for the network's new daytime block and will be followed by an hour and a half of original programming from martha's company. that means you'll have to pay for gems like the one above from now on. while this move is sure to be financially successful, i don't exactly see viewers moving with martha. she's not the kind of television presence that has a following (i.e. oprah). yes, her shows have always been watched, but i would venture to guess it's by people who just need to kill time. i know i've watched martha because there is absolutely nothing else to watch when she's on. i don't really like the show. when it first started, the show was supposed to be a traditional talk show. now it's all about forcing celebrities into awkward craft situations and doing hours devoted to cats. not my cup of tea. not my cup of tea at all. sorry, martha, but i won't be following you to the hallmark channel. at least not on purpose. should my cable mislead me to believe golden girls is on, then maybe i'll accidentally see you.

just a thought...

i still haven't seen this movie, but that doesn't mean i can't talk about it. avatar really isn't as successful as we've been led to believe. at least not in the fact that it's the biggest movie ever. while it is the highest grossing film, avatar is not the most watched. the hollywood reporter compiled a list of the biggest movies of all time according to ticket sales. the ranking system we have today bases who places where by total revenue. seeing as avatar is playing in mostly 3-d theaters with a ticket up-charge of anywhere from $3 to $15 (in imax) and the money is never adjusted for inflation, avatar is the #26 biggest film of all time. it definitely has time to crack the top 20, and shows no signs of slowing down, but i don't expect it to be the next gone with the wind. yep, that's right - gone with the wind is the biggest film of all time.

day 2.69

up, up and away

over the weekend, i got the chance to see the george clooney buzz-worthy flick up in the air. the movie follows a corporate guy who flies around the country firing people from various businesses. when his company decides to go digital, clooney's character takes on the task of teaching the girl (twilight's anna kendrick) who spearheaded the company's new digital frontier how the system works offline. along the way, he falls in love when he wasn't looking for. up in the air is one of the most enjoyable movies i've gotten to see in a long time. the three main actors (clooney, kendrick and vera farmiga) all give great performances and it's no surprise they've all been given nominations in the big award shows - the fact that they haven't won anything is the actual surprise. i didn't look at my watch once during the movie, which is always a good sign that i'm enjoying myself and am not bored out of my mind. maybe it was because i was super focused on the size of anna kendrick's head. she should definitely not wear her hair straight back in a pony tail. huge. but, anyway, if i can stay focused during a movie, then you should be able to, too. i highly recommend seeing up in the air (plus, i plan to read the book it was based on), even though the final half hour is a big descent into depression. but don't worry, it's not that depressing. just a blow to the whole "i wanted it to just keep better from here" expectation.

day 2.68

getting saggy

last night, tnt and tbs simulcast the sag awards. i didn't get a chance to tune in, but i did keep up with who won what. below is the list of the night's winners and what i think of them.

tv actor and actress in a comedy series: alec baldwin and tina fey, 30 rock - i love this show, but no one seems to watch it. i only watch the rock (as i lovingly refer to it) on dvd, so i don't know much about the current season other than it's in a bit of a creative slump. oh well, they alec and tina still get to take home statuettes

tv comedy ensemble: glee - yay! i hope glee can keep up its momentum and have staying power in the tv landscape. i cannot wait until april when the show returns. i'm already over this season of american idol - am i the only one who didn't understand the appeal of "pants on the ground?"

motion picture supporting actor: christoph waltz, inglorious basterds - this is still on my "must see before the oscars list," but from what i've heard waltz is deserving. he's reportedly the part of the movie that makes it watchable.

tv actor and actress in a drama series: michael c. hall, dexter; julianna marguiles, the good wife - two strong winners and two shows i need to catch up on.

tv drama ensemble: mad men - i've only seen the first season of the show, but i've heard it has gotten way, way better. i'll have to find some time to fit in the second and third seasons.

actor or actress in a telefilm or miniseries: kevin bacon, taking chance; drew barrymore, grey gardens - this list looks shockingly similar to the list for the golden globes, and we all already know what i think of these two.

motion picture best actor and actress: jeff bridges, crazy heart; sandra bullock, the blind side - another mirror image of the globes. sandy is one step closer to that oscar.

motion picture ensemble cast: inglorious basterds - critics choice awards anyone?

motion picture supporting actress: mo'nique, precious - you go girl!

check back later tonight or tomorrow for a review of up in the air, a flick i'm surprised hasn't taken home really any statues this year.

day 2.67

Check back tomorrow for a full post on the SAG awards and a review of Up in the Air.

day 2.66

leighton meester is still singing

here's the latest offering from the singer/actress, "your love is a drug."

day 2.65

it's official

conan has left the building. well, he'll be leaving the building tomorrow night, jan 22. conan was already scheduled to go on hiatus starting next week so the end of his short tonight show reign is not as abrupt as it may seem. jay leno will regain the 11:35/10:35c time slot beginning march 1st, after the olympics. the new tonight show with jay leno will be a hybrid of the original show and jay leno's primetime disaster. between friday and march 1, nbc will rerun early episodes of the tonight show with conan o'brien - you know, the ones without him talking crap about the peacock net. conan's severance package includes $45 million, $12 million of which will go to pay his now job-less staff. as part of his deal to leave nbc, conan cannot return to the airwaves until september 1. though, that would be the normal start date for any new show he would have, so it's really not that big of a deal. rumor has it that fox is interested in getting into the late night game, though i saw an anonymous quote that if conan didn't work on nbc, why would he work on fox? but, with the recent renewed interest in the ginger comedian, fox's tune may have changed. truth be told, i'm a leno fan (though i think conan was good for late night, just too juvenile for the earlier show) and i'll be very interested to see how all this works out. either nbc is going to bounce back big or keep on falling. i guess we'll find out starting in march.

day 2.64

heidi montag is still gross

i promise the blog will pick back up this weekend, but for now i'm just going to post these videos from heidi montag's interview with access hollywood's billy bush about her new body and album. heidi looks...well, crazy. her eyebrows do not movie, probably a combination of her eyebrow lift and botox. for botox to work correctly, the face muscles affected have to be constantly moving for the poison to distribute correctly. since she was basically paralyzed, she couldn't do that. in the interview, heidi confesses that she really wanted "h for heidi" seized breasts - yes, she's a grown woman - and that she "almost died" after surgery. watch the freak show below. how this girl can think she looks "perfect" now is beyond conceivability to me. she's been aged at least 10 years and looks plastic, not natural. but to each her own i guess.

day 2.63

back to school

enjoy this while i get back into the groove of homework.

day 2.62

the globes! the globes!

last night was the 67th annual golden globe awards, hosted by the hollywood foreign press at the beverly hilton. the golden globes - as i've said umpteen times before - are usually my favorite awards show because they honor both tv and movies and, historically, are host-less. unfortunately, this year the press associated decided to give ricky gervais hosting duties. gervais started the night off with dirty jokes and ended with them, not ever finding a good flow. the crowd, however, didn't seem to mind because, well, they were all drunk. ok, not really. but champagne does flow freely throughout the night of the show at the tables. here's a breakdown of the night's winners and what i thought of them.

motion picture, drama: avatar - um, is anyone surprised? this movie has so much buzz (and so much revenue) that there really was no other option. i just feel bad for lee daniels and precious because, in any other, james cameron-less, year, he would have won.

motion picture, comedy or musical: the hangover - deserved, but surprising. for a typical comedy to get a big time award is quite the fete. i was expecting (500) days of summer to take the globe because it's indie and has a musical aspect. the biggest question here is why mike tyson was invited. i understand he was in the hangover, but it was little more than a cameo. talk about taking something as far as it'll let you.

director: james cameron, avatar - i was just hoping that his ex, catherine bigelow, was going to get to shove it in his face again after the critic's choice movie awards. oh well. i like cameron because he really is a filmmaker, making his voice heard in every part of his work and not just taking responsibility for one aspect of his movies.

actress in a motion picture, drama: sandra bullock, the blind side - yes! yes! yes! i'm so, so, so happy that sandra is being recognized for her work in this movie. i wouldn't want to see anyone else take the statue next to her. i love this movie and, if you haven't seen it, go out right now and catch a showing. it's that good.

actor in a motion picture, drama: jeff bridges, crazy heart - ok, i'll accept it because i haven't seen the film.

actress in a motion picture, musical or comedy: meryl streep, julie and julia - is anyone surprised? this woman is amazing and i like that she's humble about it. plus, her role required a physical transformation and that always, always gets rewarded with awards.

actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy: robert downey jr., sherlock holmes - talk about surprising. while i'm glad for downey, i was expecting daniel day lewis to nab this one just because he was in a musical. i'm glad to see that these shows are starting to think outside the box as to what's a challenging or exceptional performance and reward work across all genres.

actress in a supporting role, motion picture: mo'nique, precious - yes! yes! yes! (again) i wish this movie had gotten more nominations because it is that good. mo'nique shows her acting chops, stretching her typical range of comedy to the extreme, extreme of drama.

actor in a supporting role, motion picture: christoph waltz, inglorious basterds - ok.

television series, drama: mad men - this is an obvious choice because the show is a period piece. anytime people are working that far out of the box, it's rewarded.

television series, comedy or musical: glee - ahhhhhh! this is uh-may-zing. if you're not watching this show, you should be. go out, buy the first 13 episode dvd set and gear up for its return in april. it's already been renewed for a second season, so this is an investment you'll be glad you made. rarely does a freshman show get rewarded in the award show arena, but this one deserves it. expect even more noms for it next year.

actress in a television series, drama: julianna marguiles, the good wife - talk about a way to end your comeback year on top. totally unexpected, but completely deserved (or so i hear). i'm going to have to pick this series up, but probably over dvd this summer before season 2 starts next fall.

actor in a television series, drama: michael c. hall, dexter - this had to feel good for the cancer stricken actor. while i've only caught a couple early episodes of the series, hall is really, really good in it. i also appreciate how he kept his battle with disease secret until after voting for the show closed as to not garner any sympathy votes. getting the globe has to be even more motivation to beat cancer and get back to this buzzworthy show.

actress in a television series, comedy or musical: toni collette, united states of tara - the aussie actress won the emmy for this role and so the globe is no surprise. while i would have liked to see lea michelle get it for her work on glee, i can understand and appreciate toni's win. tara is a really well done show and it's surprising that it doesn't get noms beyond collette's acting role.

actor in a television series, comedy or musical: alec baldwin, 30 rock - well deserved, that's all i gotta say. this is another show that people need to be watching. i feel like if it weren't on the sinking ship that is nbc, it would be a mega-hit.

actress in a supporting role, television: chloe sevigny, big love - jane lynch was robbed! robbed! chloe really came out of nowhere to grab this award and i don't know if it's deserved...but that's because i don't watch the show.

actor in a supporting role, television: john lithgow, dexter - i hear it's well deserved.

miniseries or motion picture made for television: grey gardens - so good. this flick could have made the art theater circuit has hbo not put it on tv. go rent it if you haven't seen it.

actress in a miniseries or motion picture made for television: drew barrymore, grey gardens - drew really transformed herself for this role and showed she has talent beyond the romcoms she's known for. she was robbed of the emmy last year and this award is a good reward and makes up for it.

actor in a miniseries or motion picture made for television: kevin bacon, taking chance - haven't seen it, so i'll accept that it was deserved.

day 2.61

the golden globes

...are about to start on nbc. check back later for full coverage and my thoughts on the show.

day 2.60

the critics have spoken

last night, the critics choice awards aired live on vh1. i don't usually catch the critics choice awards, probably because they air on a friday, but, yesterday, i had been traveling and crashed into a hotel room and turned on the show. plus, the critics choice awards are often a good prediction of what will happen at the oscars. hosted by one of my favorites, kristin chenoweth, the awards were relatively entertaining - though whoever was writing the show should have been monitoring how much of the free champagne the presenters were drinking because some of the presentations were a little slurred, stuttered and the jokes fell flat. the best portions of the show were the pre-taped "screen tests" by kristin, which included spoofs of twilight: new moon, the lovely bones, orphan and up. below is a list of the winners and what i think of them.

best picture: the hurt locker - this movie has come out of nowhere and is making major buzz. the biggest controversy is that the film is directed by kathryn bigelow, ex-wife of james cameron, director of avatar, which was nominated in almost every category against locker.

best director: kathryn bigelow, the hurt locker

best actor: jeff bridges, crazy heart - crazy heart is another out-of-nowhere flick that's making a lot of buzz. they're saying it's bridges' best work ever. i'll tell you when i see it.

best actress: tie: meryl streep, julie and julia; sandra bullock, the blind side - this was by far the highlight of the night. first off, these two are two of my favorites and deserved the award. the only thing that would have made it better would have been if precious' gabourey sidibe had grabbed a statue, too. but she's just on her first movie, so there's time. the acceptance speeches by these two were great, especially because...well, watch for yourself. these women are obviously talented actresses.

best supporting actor: christoph waltz, inglorious basterds

best supporting actress: mo'nique, precious - yay! comedians who make the transition into the dramatic world almost always grab the awards.

best young actor/actress: saoirse ronin, the lovely bones - the most shocking thing about saoirse getting the award was that she looks so different from the film's previews. maybe that's because it's been almost 2 years since the flick was filmed - it took that long to do all the special effects.

best ensemble: inglorious basterds - brad pitt wasn't there to accept though.

best animated feature: up

to check out more from the show, including kristen's skits, click here.

day 2.59

sorry

day of traveling. no blogo today.

and to whoever requested a lovely bones review, if i see it you can be sure it'll get reviewed. i'll keep you posted.

day 2.58

jersey shore goes to the kids

while i don't really watch the show, i do know who is who. and i love children in adult situations (save noah cyrus).

day 2.57

heidi montag-pratt is disgusting

but, like we didn't already know that. the reality tv "star" has nabbed yet another magazine cover to divulge the secrets of her plastic surgery "addiction." yes, addiction. and she views it as a good thing. the hills villainess recently went under the knife for 10 different procedures all performed at once, including a revised nosejob, ddd breast implants, a chin reduction, ear pinning, cheek implants, facial injections, butt augmentation and liposuction. remember, heidi is only 23 years old and dropped $30,000+ on the treatments. and why? my guess is simply to get press. heidi recently "released" her debut album, exclusively online, through "pratt productions," a company whose sole client is heidi. hmm. her music career - which will never take off - isn't going to get her press, so why not do something drastic and headline grabbing to push the sh*t you're trying to shovel around? being so fame hungry is - there's no other word for it - disgusting. heidi has no other talent than to be this shell of a person she has created. remember, this girl started out as a fashion design major, then entered the world of p.r. and then just became a famewhore. in my opinion, she's obviously extremely insecure and has no clue who she wants to be. why anyone would want to look up to this "woman" is beyond me, but girls do. to proclaim that plastic surgery perfection is an admirable quest is a disservice to the insecure girls who already saw montag-pratt as an object of beauty. the fact that she plans on going even larger with her breasts in the future is even more disturbing - she's a step away from being that cat lady freak entertainment tonight has been checking up on for years. can we just lock this new species of famewhore away somewhere and never think of her again? i stopped watching the hills over a year ago when lauren conrad was ready to depart and it had become nothing more than a poorly written sitcom. if you're - for some bizarre reason - still watching the program, stop immediately. untalented people like this don't need to be paid our attention anymore. even if i choose to write posts about them.

day 2.56

conan calls it quits...sort of
the light night war continues to rage. conan o'brien released quite the statement today that basically says that the peacock net can go fly a kite when it comes to tooling with their late night line-up. i posted the letter below. it's both a screw you way and a classy way to exit the program. but don't feel too bad for conan - he'll be leaving nbc with about $80 million.

people of earth: in the last few days, i’ve been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and i want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. for 17 years, i’ve been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, i’ve been absurdly lucky. that said, i've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.

six years ago, i signed a contract with nbc to take over the tonight show in june of 2009. like a lot of us, i grew up watching johnny carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. i worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 i have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. it was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, i would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.

but sadly, we were never given that chance. after only seven months, with my tonight show in its infancy, nbc has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.

last thursday, nbc executives told me they intended to move the tonight show to 12:05 to accommodate the jay leno show at 11:35. for 60 years the tonight show has aired immediately following the late local news. i sincerely believe that delaying the tonight show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what i consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. the tonight show at 12:05 simply isn’t the tonight show. also, if i accept this move i will be knocking the late night show, which i inherited from david letterman and passed on to jimmy fallon, out of its long-held time slot. that would hurt the other nbc franchise that i love, and it would be unfair to jimmy.

so it has come to this: i cannot express in words how much i enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. my staff and i have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of the tonight show. but i cannot participate in what i honestly believe is its destruction. some people will make the argument that with dvr's and the internet a time slot doesn’t matter. but with the tonight show, i believe nothing could matter more.

there has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, i currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next.my hope is that nbc and i can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.

have a great day and, for the record, i am truly sorry about my hair; it’s always been that way.

yours, conan

day 2.55

r.i.p. american idol, 2002-2010

well, at least that's my prediction. today, fox and simon cowell announced that the brit talent scout would be exiting the show after the current season. cowell made the announcement the network's television critic's association presentation as he signed contracts on stage for his new venture with fox, an american version of the british idol replacement, the x factor. simon will complete the season of american idol that kicks off tomorrow night and then leave the show to begin work on the x factor, which will debut in fall of 2011. this means fox will air american idol in the spring, so you think you can dance in the summer and then the x factor in the fall starting next year. american idol is already losing steam, not having put out a real star since carrie underwood 5 or so years ago. the show will continue on after simon, but how or why is unknown as of yet. i really don't want to see piers morgan judging on idol or for them to find some random angry brit as a replacement. for the show to continue to be successful, they'll have to do a complete revamp. get rid of randy jackson, make over the look of the show, etc. why fox won't just make this the final american idol and then do the x factor from here on out, like in england, is beyond me. factor is basically idol, new and improved - there's no age limit, groups can compete and the judges mentor and not just critique the contestants. plus, there's the rumor that paula abdul will be back on the judges table with simon on the new show. the biggest name to come from england's version of the show is leona lewis. my prediction for this season of idol is that it will either be huge or so-so. people are going to want to tune in to get their fix of simon and see what ellen degeneres is like as a judge, but after that novelty runs out, i don't think there will be much left. plus, they've gotten rid of the wildcard round just one year after bringing it back! i guess we'll have to wait and see.

day 2.54

new year, leap year

continuing my marathon of movie watching, i caught leap year, amy adams' new film, this weekend. following a boston woman's trek to ireland in order to propose to her boyfriend on february 29th, "leap day," an irish tradition in which every 4 years - when the 29th rolls around - a woman can propose. the trailer (above) gives away most of - if not all of - the plot, but it's still worth seeing if romcoms are your thing. with an infusion of wry british humor, leap year steps off the beaten path of typical fish out of water flicks. matthew goode, as adams' irish guide, gets the most laughs per scene, which is probably a let down for adams. i really like amy adams, but she doesn't really get to make too many jokes in the movie. the laughs she provides are from sight gags and physical comedy, a bit of a waste if you ask me. while leap year won't find its way onto any awards show or "best of" short lists, it will keep you entertained for 2 hours. the biggest waste of the movie is that the supporting cast - namely john lithgow and it's always sunny in philadelphia's kaitlin olson - is under utilized. what you see in the trailer is about all you see of the duo in the actual movie. i didn't even know olson was supposed to be amy adams' sister until i read about the movie after i saw it. while they were weren't really necessary other than the amount they were used in the film, a call home or a surprise appearance in ireland would have been funny. neither of the actors even gets to make a joke, even thought they're comedians by trade. in the end, leap year is predictable but will keep your interest - especially if you're trying to avoid the busy theaters of avatar screenings.

day 2.53

no
time.

day 2.52

montana says sayonara to disney

hannah montana is officially over. well, technically. the fourth, and final, season is set to enter production this month, ending lensing sometime this summer when. while the third season hasn't even finished airing, disney stockpiles episodes out of convenience and to keep the look of their series as consistent as possible - they want the kids to look and stay young. this 4 year run is quite the feat for disney and may make hannah montana the longest running show in the network's history. before that's so raven, all disney series were limited to 65 episodes - which in the normal tv world is the equivalent to 3 seasons. while hannah is sure to stay on the net through 2012, both through new episodes and reruns, miley cyrus is officially done with the series. the final season will focus on character miley stewart getting older and trying to figure out if she can really be hannah forever or if she'll just have to be herself. um, isn't that the plot of the entire series? the show's final season will reportedly also include miley and co moving out of their plush malibu pad, but no word on where they're going. let's hope miley sticks with the mouse house (and they're many production imprints) as to avoid the less-than-stellar careers of the disney stars before her, like hilary duff and raven symone. the star already has the last song and the wings series - a fantasy about fairies based on the book of the same name- lined up for disney, so i'm pretty sure she's on the right path.

just in time for the demise of hannah montana, disney has released the first trailer for their the series' replacement, good luck charlie. the series stars two disney vets - cory in the house's jason dolley and wizards of waverly place's bridget mendler. the series looks network sitcom worthy, a bit of a departure for the net. as the traditional sitcom dies off on network television, the writers and creators of past mainstream hits are turning to children's networks where the format is still favored. hence, the shows become more sophisticated and adult-friendly. check out the trailer for the series above. i don't think the show will do anywhere near the success of hannah montana, but it's sure to be more popular than recent additions to the disney lineup like jonas. maybe i'm finally becoming too old for the disney channel, because i'm less and less interested in what they're offering to the public. this show looks promising, but the fact that the sprouse twins haven't aged in about 5 years creeps me out.

day 2.51

the ginger always loses

it looks like conan o'brien may be looking for a new job starting next month. the red-headed funnyman is reportedly on his way off the peacock airwaves. and jay leno would be in. it hasn't even been a year since conan took over hosting duties for nbc's the tonight show from leno, but nbc is feeling the loss. ratings are down for the net all around, with cbs's letterman-hosted late show beating nbc for the first time since leno was host. and the primetime numbers are weak, weak, weak with leno's new format taking 5 hours of programming time away from the network. according to tmz, leno's current show will go on indefinite hiatus starting february 1 and the veteran comic will return to 11:30/10:30c after the network's airing of the olympics winds down later this year. sources say there was a long staff meeting at leno's nbc studio today to figure out what exactly will happen when the star returns to the airways, with one option cutting leno's program down to a half hour which would then be followed by an hour of conan, pushing the jimmy fallon hosted late night to directly compete with abc's ratings winner jimmy kimmel show. the second option would be for the network to completely buy mr. o'brien out of his contract and give jay back the show that made him a household name. this was one of the plans being tossed around before jay was offered his primetime showcase, but was tossed to the curb because it would be a major million dollar payout. looks like the audience and ad sale lost is more costly for the net than conan's severance. hopefully the network will release some sort of statement in the next couple of days once they've figured out what exactly will happen, but either way leno will get back his after hours comedy slot. looks like the peacock may finally be getting its mojo back. my question is, what the hell are they going to be putting in those 5 hours a week at 10/9c??

ka ka ka ke$ha

here's a mini-music review for you. the other night i decided to grab ke$ha's debut, animal, on itunes while it was still specially priced for under $7. i've been listening to the she-rap/singer since september - long before "tik tok" fell on anyone else's radar. animal lives up to the build up of "tok" and then some. my one critique is that the way the tracks play, the disc progressively goes from high energy pop to slower songs. but, with the help of itunes shuffle, that little complaint is nbd. there are plenty of radio-friendly songs, including my favorite from the cd, "dinosaur." check it out above and consider downloading the disc while it's still cheap.

day 2.50

oh, mariah

last night, mariah carey made quite the appearance at the palm springs international film festival. after being named breakthrough actress for her work in precious, the known diva took to the stage looking similar to post-glitter breakdown mimi. while the video above cuts out some of her speech, most of the crazy is there. luckily (i guess) mariah wasn't having a mental breakdown. she was just plastered beyond belief - and even admitted to it. watch the clip above as carey shares some bizarre - and uncomfortable - inside joke, pay reference to the woman who was supposed to play her part in the film, but had to drop out (helen mirren) and just make a complete ass of herself.

two belated movie reviews

over the past couple of days, i've seen two movies that have been at the theater for a little while but still deserve reviews. first up, the princess and the frog.

the princess and the frog is probably the lamest disney princess flick i've seen. maybe it's because the last time i saw a disney animation film in the theater i was 9. or because i'm almost 20 now (though that's kind of the same reason). this latest offering from the mouse house has just done ok at the box office - it would be making good returns if it weren't a disney cartoon. if the film had been released over the summer, taking care of an entire 3 months in which children need entertainment, i think it would have done better. and may have looked better. tpatf's animation quality is pretty low for disney. it's not just because it isn't computer generated, but because it just appears simplistic. maybe that's what they were going for, but other disney classics - like cinderella and beauty and the beast - have awe inspiring animation. i think disney built this flick up too much and didn't take into account that the thing that makes all their past movies great is that they are fantasy based. while the film takes advantage of magic, it takes place in the real world - something people are attempting to escape when they make the trek to the movies. watching princess tiana and her prince as frogs for the majority of the movie is trying. i would much rather see them as people and everyone else in the film as a frog. the honor of being disney's first black princess is almost discredited by the fact that tiana is slimy (i'm sorry, mucus-y - you'll get it if and when you see the movie) for the flick. the villian is some weird blend of aladin's jafar and cruella de vil, which isn't a good thing. the best character of the movie - tiana's friend lottie - is barely in the film and doesn't get a musical number, even though broadway star jennifer cody voices her. on that note, the music of the film isn't memorable or timeless - you won't be singing anyone of it's tunes when you leave the theater because you won't be able to recall any! bottom line is, if you're a disney fan, check out the princess and the frog - but don't hold you breath for it to live up to the ad campaign's hype that it's "the best disney film since the lion king," because it definitely isn't.

i read a review of did you hear about the morgans? brushed the film off as just a tbs-rerun worthy flick. well, is that bad? i don't know about you, but the movies that get played over and over again on channel like tbs always entertain me - and the morgans doesn't disappoint. while the film can feel slow (my watch check - a sign that i'm bored - total was 3 or 4), the storyline is entertaining. the film is a bit predictable, but that's expected in any out-of-town-ers romcom, right? hugh grant gets a belly laugh one-liner pretty much every scene, though they're often tossed in at the end of the scene and can become later-laughs (meaning you laugh after the fact and it's just awkward in the theater). my biggest problem with the flick - which follows a separated couple having to be relocated in the witness protection program after witnessing a mob-like crime - is sarah jessica parker's wig. the hairpiece itself deserves a razzie award for worst acting by a wig in a comedy. i don't understand why someone insists (maybe it's sjp herself) that the actress wear this banged mess in her romcoms - i'm pretty sure it's the same look from failure to launch a few years back. why doesn't someone go "hey, people want to see carrie bradshaw - not carrie's unfortunate looking cousin." while the film won't - and isn't - getting any award show buzz, it does its job: it entertains (and in under 2 hours, no less).

day 2.49

the celebrity apprentice returns

donald trump revealed the new crop of "celebrities" that will be taking on the boardroom (yes, this show is still on) starting march 14. the cast list looks like the reject list from dancing with the stars, with the biggest name belonging to sharon osbourne. though the donald said that "everyone wants to be on the show" and that they had to turn away former dwts competitors, i don't buy it. this guy still thinks this is the number 1 show on television. like usual, the cast has been split into male versus female (why they do this i don't know - they always end up combining at some point). here's the break down.

men's team

• darryl strawberry - apparently a former baseball player
• bret michaels - i guess he's given up on his hunt for america's next top stripper
• bill goldberg - alleged wrestler (this show and wwe aren't the same demo, don)
• michael johnson - olympic track star
• rod blagojevich - nbc couldn't get him for i'm a celebrity, so they settled for this
• sinbad - he's still alive!
• curtis stone - a chef from tlc...

women's team

• cyndi lauper - because girl's just want to have fun
• sharon osbourne - i'm hoping she'll give us a joan rivers-style outburst this season
• holly robinson peete - she hasn't acted since hangin' with mr. cooper
• selita ebanks - former victoria's secret model and nick cannon fiance
• maria kanellis - female wrestler (wwe stars do not equal celebrities)
• carol leifer - alleged comedian
• summer sanders - from figure it out!

will you be watching when the show returns in march? i'll probably watch the first couple of episodes and tehn see what happens.

day 2.48

come back

manana

day 2.47

yes, they made a second one

disney's second fiddle to the high school musical series, camp rock, is set to premiere a sequel this summer and a teaser for the flick was released this week. check it out above. it looks like the all jobros will have a little more to do with this one, instead of joe taking the spotlight. but, i find it hard to believe there was much material for a sequel. we shall see.

day 2.46

i give nine a 1

if you're interested in seeing nine, i don't advise it (unless you're trying to knock out entertainment weekly's 25 movies to see before the oscars list). a movie adaptation of the broadway musical of the same name, somehow gets lost in translation - in more ways than one. the musical itself was adapted from the italian film 8 1/2. in an attempt to recreate what is presumably the feel of the italian film, director rob marshall (who succeeded in bringing chicago to the big screen) get too bogged down in the intricacies of the film work that the movie itself lacks plot or character development. focused around 1960s italian director guido contini, played by daniel day lewis, the film is almost two hours of mess. lewis - along with costars judi dench, nicole kidman and penelope cruz - seems to be too focused on creating a character that has no depth than actually playing the part. the same four actors also have issues picking accents. dench's character, supposedly a parisian costumer, starts out with an italian accent, then a french one and ends the film with her normal british accent. in movies where fantasy is an integral part of the film itself, i don't understand why actors are forced (or choose) to try on a heavy accent on top of the one they already possess. just speak normally and we'll play along like you're all italian. ironically, sophia loren - the only real italian in the movie - speaks english the best out of those amongst her fellow actors doing an affectation of an accent. the acting in the film, aside from this picky bit, is exceptional. it's the lack of story or character development that leave you scratching your head and asking, "did i just see an art film?" the best moment in the film - kate hudson's performance of "cinema italiana," previewed in the trailer above - is the shortest musical performance and was written exclusively for the film. knowing "cinema italiana" doesn't appear in the original stage musical makes me even more weary of seeing it should it appear at a theater near me anytime soon. aside from the other show-stopping number - fergie as a hooker singing "be italian" - the music is relatively bland and does nothing to move the film along. mostly, the songs are extensions of random lines of dialogue that you wouldn't expect to have importance. dench's number is all about a certain costume that may or may not be used in guido's latest movie. marion cotillard, as guido's jaded wife, does the best acting job but gets saddled with two of the most head-ache inducing songs. penelope cruz's (guido's mistress) "a call from the vatican" is pretty much a burlesque performance. the one thing i found amazing was that cruz had virtually no accent while singing. i'd say someone puts on her spanish accent a little thick if she can sing in perfect english. kidman's song - which i can barely recall - is fine, but her part is so small. you'd expect the main character's muse to have a big role, but kidman doesn't speak a word of dialogue until the film's last 45 minutes. it's amazing she even got paid for the role as it was little more than a glorified extra position. all in all, skip nine and just listen to the soundtrack if you want a feel for the flick - it's (sadly) the best part.

day 2.45

happy new year!