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shy ronnie returns!

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back tomorrow

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i love kelly ripa

every halloween i look forward to talk show hosts dressing up. seriously, it's probably my favorite part of the holiday. regis and kelly always go over the top and this year was no exception. check out two of today's show's segments, and click here to watch the whole show online now.

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nada

back tomorrow...

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this explains so much.

#musicmondaytuesday

taylor swift finally got angry. like carrie underwood beating up a car angry. but with less actual violence. the stand-out track from swift's third studio album, speak now, is definitely "better than revenge." the song will probably never make it onto country airwaves, but is sure to be the new bitter girl anthem. i've been waiting for swift to break free of the "my life is a perfect storybook with rainbows, butterflies and glitter everywhere" theme for a while now - the girl is approaching her 21st b-day - and make some music that's relatable, not fantasy. speculation is that "better than revenge" is about swift's split from joe jonas and the girl he picked up post-swift, actress camilla belle. it's very rocky, it's well produced and there are no references to princesses. the song could have easily been a hey monday or paramore, which is a big departure for swift. however, the rest of speak now is basically "love story" meets "white horse" plus some time. taylor needs to break out of her comfort zone. even doing something like a duet with kelly clarkson or one of her celeb bffs, like surprise pop star selena gomez, could help taytay evolve as an artist.

remember grayson chance? the piano-prodigy middle schooler who became an overnight youtube sensation with his cover of lady gaga's "paparazzi?" well now he's ready to hit the radio. the 13-year-old debuted his first single, "waiting outside the lines," today on ellen degeneres' talk show (chance is signed to degeneres' label, eleveneleven). the song is exactly what i'd expect from grayson - very augustana meets cobie calliat. i'm glad no one steered him toward being the next justin bieber. chances are chance won't be a huge sensation, at least not with this slow of a song, but he's only 13 - he has plenty of time to become a massive pop sensation. in about 5 years or so, i say chance will have quite the career. check out the performance from ellen above.

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the city, 2008-2010

it's time to add another headstone to the tv graveyard. whitney port confirmed to ryan seacrest this morning that mtv pulled the plug on the hills spin-off, with no plans to continue the series in any way, shape or form. i can't say that i'm surprised - i had my suspicions at the end of the summer when port tweeted that she was now a homeowner in l.a. you can't exactly be in a show about life in new york if you live in l.a...well, unless it's a sitcom. the series never had the draw of its predecessor and, with lauren conrad's exit from the hills, time-slot companion the city took a big dip in the ratings. i didn't watch the city nearly as religiously as i did the hills in its heyday (i watched only the first and last episodes of the final season sans lc), but what i did see in the city's final season seemed promising - they were actually showing port's somewhat real life. they weren't hiding the fact that she was a designer, just the fact that she was famous. but let's be honest, the real star of the city was kelly cutrone and when she got her own show, kell on earth, on bravo, there was even less of a reason to watch the show. i do expect port to pop up on lauren conrad's new mtv series, which started filming this month.

i can't get this out of my head...

"hey, everybody! did you hear the news?"

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ready for new year's eve?

it looks like we might have the next all-star ensemble cast comedy on the way. february's valentine's day is reportedly getting a sequel. director gary marshall announced almost immediately after valentine's day release that he and writer katherine fugate were working on a sequel to the hit, called new year's eve. the film will follow the same interconnected storyline as its predecessor, but with a whole new cast and focused on, you guessed it, new year's eve. while new line cinema, the studio behind the first flick, hasn't announced the sequel, hasn't greenlit or announced the project yet, the internet is abuzz with rumors of who will headline the new movie. apparently glee star lea michele is at the top of marshall's list, alongside justin bieber, halle berry, zac efron and reese witherspoon. i don't know about you, but this list sounds pretty promising. so promising that, if the movie isn't made, i'll be very disappointed. i remember reading soon after marshall's announcement that the only character from the original movie who might make the transition between flicks was taylor swift's slightly ditzy high schooler felicia. i don't know if that's the best idea (taylor's acting needs just a little bit of work), but it could be a way to bring the audience back. if the rumors are to be believed, production will start on new year's eve this winter (around, yep, new year's eve) and the film will be released next december. let's all cross our fingers.

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i'm slightly obsessed...

cher lloyd is the next big thing. and the reason why the x factor can't come to america soon enough.

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tuesday

no no no no no no

some things should be left alone. but the hollywood trend now seems to be less about originality and more about ruining classics (i mean they're remaking footloose! and not even as a musical...just a remake now). the black eyed peas premiered "the time" today, the lead single off the beginning, the follow-up album to last year's the e.n.d. "the time" samples the dirty dancing theme "time of my life" heavily. basically all that was added was some techno rapping. and it's just not good. i'm all for making something modern. for making something current. for updating things and introducing them to a new audience. and, usually, i like when songs sample classics (see: jay-z "young forever"). but not this time. it just doesn't sound right together. will.i.am's autotuned vocals and fergies soul-infused sound just don't do "(i've had) the time of my life" justice. check out the track above and judge for yourself. the mash-up sounds thrown together and forced. good mash-ups, samples and covers bring something fresh to a song without taking away it's value. i don't think that's done here. hopefully the rest of the beginning is better than this, or else it might really be the end for the bep's.

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emma stone, please and thank you.

just another reason to look forward to saturday.

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ready to scream?

it's been a decade since the last scream movie was released. but this april, the fourth installment - the beginning of a new trilogy - is set to be released. the teaser trailer for scream 4 premiered at spike tv's scream awards this weekend. it doesn't give much away about the plot of the film, but it does give you a look at original stars neve campbell, courtney cox and david arquette. check it out above - it looks like it will fit right in with the original three movies, walking the line between parody and true-to-form slasher flick. emma roberts supposedly takes the lead role, but from the looks of the trailer, neve campbell's sydney is back as the driving force behind ghost face's return. i seriously cannot wait for this movie to hit theaters. check out the trailer above.

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willow smith whips her hair

it has arrived! the musical sensation that is willow smith's "whip my hair" has finally arrived in music video form. the video is very age appropriate - it takes place in a school - but it's high concept and doesn't belong on the disney channel. check out the video above, in which willow (surprise) whips her hair around to give her boring classroom some color. there's even a dance break involved. my one complaint is that the video isn't the nicki minaj remix.

if you want a hit on the radio today, you need you some nicki.

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red: really entertaining dramedy

bruce willis is back doing what he does best - action with a touch of comedy. red follows the story of frank, a retired cia operative who can't seem to find happiness in life's simplicity. after a series of somewhat unfortunate events, brought on by how much he hates his life's dullness, frank enlists 3 of his fellow retirees - played brilliantly by morgan freedman, john malkovich and scene-steeler extraordinaire helen mirren - to get his life back to the way he wants it. red is just the kind of movie i want to see when i go to the theater - something that is beyond entertaining, but that i don't have to think about. and that i don't have to think analyze after i leave the theater. i just get to laugh at the scenes i remember. i'm not usually a fan of the comic book-turned-movie, but definitely check this one out. comic book movies are becoming more and more sophisticated. i mean, where else are you going to see "the queen" use a machine gun?

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back tomorrow

...with a review of red.

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more new music

rihanna's next single, "what's my name," has hit the internet. the song features former-rumored beau drake and has hit written all over it. it's a little slow, but the hook is infectious and the beat is bound to get stuck in your head. check out the song above.

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all good things must come to an end?

do you ever think to yourself, "what the hell happened to kirsten dunst?" the '90s teen comedy staple has worked on few projects since spiderman 3 in 2007. there was that stint in rehab and all, but in-demand actresses don't stop working. well miss torrence shipman is back in a movie that's getting some serious oscar buzz. all good things stars dunst as the wife and possible murder victim of a real estate-tycoon heir, played by ryan gossling. it's based on the life of robert durst, a real life heir to the durst real estate fortune. durst's wife, kathleen, disappeared in the early 1980s, and she hasn't been heard of or found since. rumors have long followed durst that he in fact murdered his wife, and suspicion grew stronger when durst's long time friend was found murdered in 2000. check out the trailer above. it looks like it's going to be a serious psychological thriller and will probably make everyone question if they really know who their significant other is...kirsten dunst has three more projects in the works now, including the highly anticipated adaptation of jack keouac's on the road, with kristen stewart. it seems like dunst is taking on much more dramatic roles, which hopefully will pay off for the star.

want to hear some new music?

a lot of musical acts released new singles this week. here's a look at some of the ones that caught my eye.

everyone's favorite dirty party girl is releasing a companion album to animal, called cannibal. "we r who we r" is the lead single off the disc, and from the sound of it, cannibal will be more of the same. auto-tuned sings-speak all about sex, drugs and rock and roll. i mean, is anyone really complaining? we all need some guilty pleasure music in our life.

speaking of guilty pleasures, it looks like pussycat dolls lead single nicole scherzinger is giving a solo career another go. the singer's earlier attempts, "baby love" and "whatever you like," failed to take off and a 2007 album called her name is nicole never made it to stores. "poison" is very club, very dance. it reminds me a lot of where kelly rowland has gone with her career (see: "commander"). hopefully nicole's dancing with the stars win and possible spot on the x factor's judging panel will help "poison" take off.

leighton meester's solo music career seems to have been put on the back burner, but her film career is taking off. the gossip girl star already filmed the roommate and monte carlo, both due out next year, and is part of the ensemble cast of country strong. leighton plays a new country teen queen and a snippet of a song from the movie, "words i couldn't say" hit the internet today. check out the short clip above. if leighton's pop/dance-inspired music career doesn't take off, she might want to consider the country route. she definitely has the voice for it.

and, speaking of country strong, the music video for the title single was released today. in the flick, gwyneth paltrow plays a recovering alcoholic country music superstar trying to get her career back on track. paltrow sings all of her own songs and, wouldn't you know, she's actually pretty good. good enough to land a guest gig on glee. check out the video above - the movie hits theaters december 22.

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i got nothin...

so watch these :)

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and the nominees are...

the list of nominees for this year's american music awards were announced today. here's a look at the nominees and who i think will take the statues home november 21 on abc.

favorite male artist (pop/rock)

• justin bieber
• eminem
• usher

no one had a bigger year than the biebs. and, since this is a fan-voted award show, i expect every tweenage girl from california to new york to be voting with bieber fever.

favorite female artist (pop/rock)

• ke$ha
• lady gaga
• katy perry

lady gaga has plenty of little monsters who will take to their keyboard to vote. plus, no female artist has swept the country and changed the face of music like gaga.

favorite band, duo or group (pop/rock)

• the black eyed peas
• lady antebellum
• train

a group hasn't crossed from country to pop airwaves since rascall flats. everyone was singing "need you now" this year, so much so that the song officially got added to my "way overplayed, i'm done with you" list. i always think it's interesting when award shows cross-nominate acts - lady a is also nominated in the country band/duo/group category and will most likely win favorite album in the country category.

favorite album (pop/rock)

• justin bieber, my world 2.0
• katy perry, teenage dream
• eminem, recovery

this one is a tough call and it really depends on whose fans are the most voracious voters. katy perry and eminem's albums are both doing incredibly and will continue charting, as both albums have plenty of singles to come. my guess is that katy will take this trophy.

favorite male artist (country)

• jason aldean
• luke bryan
• brad paisley

from what i've heard (and i don't listen to all that much country radio), paisley's water has gotten a lot more play than these other two artists. he's also the most well known of the three, which will help him - people voting for katy perry or justin bieber may click paisley's name just because it sounds familiar, not because they actually listen to the music.

favorite female artist (country)

• miranda lambert
• taylor swift
• carrie underwood

this is yet another tough one. i'm thinking miranda lambert will take the american music award home. she's traditionally more country than carrie underwood (i don't think taylor has a chance this year, but those same pop fans who could sway the paisley vote could play a role here) and has quickly become country music's go-to girl.

favorite band, duo or group (country)

• zac brown band
• lady antebellum
• rascal flatts

there's a good chance lady a could take this category, too. but, if they get the pop award, i wouldn't be surprised if the zac brown band grabs the trophy.

favorite album (country)

• jason aldean, wide open
• lady antebellum, need you now
• carrie underwood, play on

favorite male artist (soul/r&b)

• chris brown
• trey songz
• usher

usher is yet another cross-listed artist. he has a greater chance of taking home the r&b award than the pop award, where his protege justin bieber is more likely to strike gold.

favorite female artist (soul/r&b)

• alicia keys
• rihanna
• sade

i think alicia keys will take both this category and the next, favorite album. rihanna's rated r did not perform well, only garnering one hit with "rude boy." keys is the safe vote.

favorite album (soul/r&b)

• alicia keys, the element of freedom
• sade, soldier of love
• usher, raymond v. raymond

artist of the year

• justin bieber
• eminem
• ke$ha
• lady gaga
• katy perry

i really have no clue in this category - it could be anyone's game. i think twitter promotion and fandom will decide who gets this trophy, which most likely means bieber or gaga.

t-mobile breakthrough artist

• b.o.b.
• justin bieber
• taio cruz
• jason derulo
• ke$ha
• lady antebellum
• travie mccoy
• mike posner

breakthrough artist categories are always tricky for me because so often these people have been around for a long time - justin bieber, lady antebellum and travie mccoy have all been around for a couple of years. if we're really going for a "new" artist, i'd say b.o.b. or mike posner will take this award home, but we'll just have to wait and see. if you want to vote, or see the full list of nominees, click here.

chelsea handler to have after party

e! is going to get a little funnier. the cable net greenlit a new half-hour sitcom for late night host chelsea handler. the new show, titled after lately, will be a mockumentary style series documenting the behind-the-scenes world of chelsea lately. chelsea and her staff will work with basic story outlines, rather than scripts, so the acting will be improvised and appear more off the cuff. the series is kind of a modern-day take on hbo's groundbreaking series the larry sanders show. only a few episodes of the show have been ordered, with no premiere date set, but expect the show to launch sometime before the new year.

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from nanny to daytime diva

'90s sitcom star fran drescher is headed back to tv. the nasal-voiced the nanny actress will launch a daytime talk show at the end of november on six fox affiliates across the country (new york, los angeles and minneapolis are amongst the chosen few). mediaweek reports that the show will run for a three-week test period starting november 26. that's similar to the way the wendy williams show launched a couple years ago before becoming a syndicated property. the same people who launched williams' show are behind drescher's, which will apparently cover everything from pedicures to politics. the daily show will broadcast from l.a. and a national series rollout will happen if the show performs well. drescher seems like a good mix for the daytime community, somewhere in between ellen and wendy. no doubt she'll cover some tough topics, being both a cancer and rape survivor, alongside fluffier celeb pieces. drescher joins this season's talk show newcomers nate berkus and cbs' the view-esque the talk (launching monday, oct. 18). hopefully drescher will be able to fare better than recent actress-turned-talk show-host attempts by the likes of megan mullaly and bonnie hunt, neither of which were renewed beyond their original contracts.

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sue sylvester takes on snl

glee's jane lynch made her saturday night live hosting debut last night and lady didn't disappoint. the funnywoman didn't miss a beat as she moved from glee to political to faith hill parodies. check out some of the highlights below and click here to watch her full episode online.

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it's kind of a funny story is kind of a funny movie

zach galifianakis is surprisingly a good actor. the hangover star struck me as one note, but his turn in it's kind of a funny story proves he can do more than be a goofy sidekick (though it looks like he's not pushing his boundaries too far). it's kind of a funny story follows craig, a depressed 16-year-old who unknowingly commits himself to the local hospital's psych ward. craig has to stay in the hospital for a minimum of 5 days and new friend bobby (galifianakis) convinces him to make the most of his time. bobby becomes both mentor and confidant for craig, who is struggling with adolescent stress and pressure being placed on him by his parents and friends. being inside the hospital takes the stress off of craig and he is able to put his energy into things he actually cares about. lauren graham, emma roberts and viola davis round out the supporting cast of the flick, which is part heartwarming, part quirky and all around good. it's a little slow, but that's expected when dealing with pretty heavy material. if you can't sit still and need a lot of laughs in order to enjoy a movie, i'd recommend waiting until it's kind of a funny story hits the redbox or netflix.

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so, yeah...

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these might be my favorite housewives...

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my favorite web series is back!

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spidey gets the girl

the lead female role in the new spiderman franchise has been cast. emma stone landed the part of gwen stacey - no, not mary jane watson - in the reboot opposite the social network star andrew garfield. while it was originally rumored stone would take the role of watson (played by kirsten dunst in the first series), casting took a turn when director marc webb saw "stunning" chemistry between garfield and stone. gwen is spidey's main love interest in the first film in the new series, with mary jane playing more of a supporting role. the bright side here is that stone is actually a natural blonde, not a redhead like we know her. basically, she could have played either role. the irony here? bryce dallas howard, who played gwen in spiderman 3, is a natural redhead who went blonde for the part. with stone taking the part of gwen, casting is now up in the air for the role of mary jane. names like glee's dianna agron and the kids are all right and alice in wonderland star mia wasikowska circled with stone's in the casting pool, so those two may duke it out for the role of mary jane. we'll just have to wait and see.

in other casting news, chelsea handler has reportedly grabbed the sidekick role in reese witherspoon's new flick, this means war. chelsea will be playing - shocker - the snarky best friend to reese, who is the object of affection for two cia-agent best friends (chris pine and tom hardy), hence the war.

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nada

back tomorrow.

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the miley cyrus show!

it looks like saturday night live may have found its newest breakout star. vanessa bayer joined the weekend comedy staple this year as a featured player, but it won't be long before she's part of the main cast with sketches like this. bayer broke out one of the best miley cyrus impersonations in a "the miley cyrus show" sketch on last night's episode, hosted by bryan cranston. cranston was barely featured in his sketches, which gave the snl cast more time to shine. bayer's "miley cyrus show" fills the void left by the departure of amy poehler and "the dakota fanning show," while adding some more laughs. check out the sketch above, featuring cranston as billy ray cyrus paul brittain, another new cast member, as johnny depp.

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the social network

it's been described as "the movie of our generation." i don't know if that's true, but it's definitely a movie that will make an impact on the film industry. the social network, for those of you living under a rock, follows the rise of facebook. the movie is framed through revolving court cases, as founder mark zuckerberg faced various lawsuits after launching the site. the movie is incredibly written (the west wing creator/scribe aaron sorkin wrote the film), directed (by david fincher) and acted by one of the best ensemble casts to hit the screen in recent history. the social network is a career launching pad for the generally unknown casts. rooney mara (lisbeth salander in the girl with the dragon tattoo) and andrew garfield (our new spiderman) already got high profile gigs before the film was released. expect garfield and justin timberlake to be hot tickets for best suppoting actors come award season. the film is a little long at two hours, but well worth it. you don't need to rush out and see the movie - avoid the crowds - but definitely check it out.

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check back tomorrow

...for a review of the social network