day 3.201

movie review: monte carlo

selena gomez, movie star? the disney starlet makes a case for herself in monte carlo, a tween-centric rom-com. gomez plays grace, a texas high schooler who can't wait to escape her small-town life, even for a week. after graduation, grace, her best friend emma (katie cassidy) and step-sister meg (leighton meester) jet off to paris. the girls seek out adventure on a lack-luster tour, coming up empty. then, adventure finds them, when grace turns out to be a doppelganger for british socialite cordelia. when cordelia decides to blow off a trip to monte carlo, the three girls swoop in and jet off to play pretend. romance, mystery and chaos ensue. monte carlo's the perfect escape film- the movie itself is beautiful, the director's very own love letter to france. while the plot's been seen before, it's a story that holds up and holds interest. at just less than two hours, monte carlo met my watch test, mixing just the right amount of laughter and heart. while it might be targeted toward tweens, don't skip out on it- gomez's turn on the big screen is worth checking out.

movie review: larry crowne

tom hanks and julia roberts together? movie magic. tom hanks stars as, you guessed it, larry crowne, a big-box store clerk who loses his job when he doesn't have the college education to move up the corporate ladder. crowne decides to head back to school in order to regain his life. and who should his teacher be but julia roberts. while most of the movie's given away in the trailer (above), larry crowne is well written (co-scribed by hanks and my big fat greek wedding's nia vardalos) and well acted, with a supporting cast including gugu mbatha-raw and george takai. it's a rom-com with a lot of heart and a lot of smiles. while you might not laugh out loud from start to finish, you'll definitely leave the theater feeling like you just watched a movie from the 90s. at an hour and 40 minutes, larry crowne's the perfect summer comedy for every and anyone.

day 3.58

review: the roommate

thrillers targeted at teens tend to be either really scary or really stupid. the roommate strikes a balance between the two extremes. while it's predictable, there are some genuine scares and enough unintentional laughs to make it worth watching. the movie follows sara, played by former friday night lights star minka kelly, as she navigates her freshman year at university of los angeles (the "we don't have to pay anyone anything" stand-in for ucla). everything seems great for sara - she's made some good friends (one of whom is former disney star aly michalka), she's moved on from her hometown boyfriend (with twilight and burlesque's cam gigandet) and she has a nice, if overprotective, roommate, rebecca. turns out that roommate, played by gossip girl star leighton meester, has a bit of the crazy in her. ok, a lot of the crazy in her. rebecca is literally off her meds and takes it upon herself to make sure no one does anything to ruin the bond she's forming with sara. naturally, she goes around ripping out some people's belly rings, creeping sara's friends out...oh, and she tries to kill a few people. just your normal college stuff, right? at just an hour and a half, it's the perfect length for a movie that requires little to no thought. while high schoolers will probably want to run screaming away from college after seeing the roommate, those of us who have experienced college life can relate to a lot of the movie. and be thankful that, though we sometimes might think our roommates are bitches, they aren't psychotic ones.

day 3.30

review: country strong

it's a little bit walk the line. it's a little bit lindsay lohan. it's a lot a bit country strong. gwyneth paltrow's big return to the big screen isn't disappointing, just surprising. paltrow plays kelly canter, a not-quite-rehabed alcoholic country star on her comeback tour. the movie is less about kelly, though, and more about the, er, support (?) system around her. country strong is strongest when the whole ensemble is given the chance to shine through the sometimes over-thought plot. garrett hedlund and leighton meester give movie star-making performances, while tim mcgraw has definitely found his groove as the sometimes controlling, always supportive husband; mcgraw's hairpiece even gives a great performance - surprisingly, the hollywood foreign press completely snubbed the cast for any noms. writer/director shana feste is still finding her footing, so there are some slow parts, and some unnecessary scenes; but, the movie is full of heart and has enough great moments to make you leave wanting more. but don't think you're seeing a feel-good flick; you'll definitely come close to shedding a tear or two if you can hold them back. while the plot is nothing new, the music and performances are, and they're enough to make me say country strong is definitely one to put on your "need-to-see" list.

day 2.316

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.

day 2.66

leighton meester is still singing

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

day 351

okay, i like it a little better today

what a difference a day makes. rihanna released the music video for her new single ("wait your turn") today and, after seeing the video, the song grew on me. weird, right? i guess seeing the complete artistic direction can change opinions. check the video out above. rihanna never released the music video for "russian roulette," the first single off her new album rated r, even though the entire video was filmed. i'm guessing after the single failed to take off, her creative team decided they needed to start over? remember to check rihanna on abc this thursday and friday on good morning america and 20/20.

this too!

in more music video madness, leighton meester premiered a sneak peek of her video for "somebody to love" last night during a new episode of gossip girl and it made me like her song better too. i guess music videos are making a comeback in the creativity department and in understanding the concepts behind these really bizarre musical ventures. check out the sneak peek above.

the oscars have a host! strike that: hosts!

after hugh jackman said he wouldn't be back for a second go around, speculation started as to who would take the helm of this year's show. broadway production powerhouse - and producer of this year's awards show - adam shankman announced today that steve martin and alec baldwin would cohost the show this march. martin has hosted the show twice before solo, while this will be alec's first go around. the duo should help to balance each other out. i think this is a genius move, but it could turn into a catastrophe. both men are insanely talented and hilarious, but when a host isn't a straight-forward comedian, sometimes the bits are hard to watch. hopefully, all goes well. the two were great together when steve guested on 30 rock last season.

day 230

leighton meester wants "somebody to love"

gossip girl's leighton meester's first official single ("somebody to love") has dropped and, well, it's just blah. after making her musical debut as the featured artist of one of the summer's hottest songs, cobra starship's "good girls go bad," i was expecting a lot more from leighton. the single, which features r&b sensation robin thicke, has a retro vibe but relies little on vocal talent. leighton does this bizarre sing/speak thing for most of the track and, when she does sing, she's drowned out by thicke. i'm also confused as to what the genre leighton is attempting is. the song isn't straight forward pop, isn't soft rock, and isn't r&b. it's a weird combination of the three. check it out above and listen for yourself. hopefully leighton's whole album won't be as conceptual as this single. and, hopefully, a second single is released sooner rather than later so that miss meester's singing career doesn't crash and burn before it even gets off the ground. the song will probably get some play at the clubs - i see at least 10 remixes in its future - but i don't see it taking off on radio. it's too slow and not catchy enough, mainly because the only hook is the repetition of "somebody to love."

glee to bring glee to a city near you

this is probably some of the best news i've heard in a long, long time. the creative team behind glee is reportedly putting together a summer concert tour featuring the cast that would bring the show choir routines we get to enjoy each week on the show to life. while it's still in the early planning stages, talk of a tour have been around since the show's preview episode last spring. while it hasn't been a complete ratings darling, glee has held solid with about 7 million viewers per week. add to that the amount of dvr playback it gets and the crazy amount of money the songs are raking in on itunes, it's a no brainer that there are plenty of people out there that would be willing to shell out some cash to see the likes of lea michelle and cory monteith rock it out to "don't stop believe it" live. this is extremely good news after the cast's recent boot from the macy's thanksgiving day parade. while no contract had been signed, the cast was reportedly offered a verbal deal by macy's to appear in the parade next month. the problem? the parade is broadcast by nbc and the peacock net allegedly wasn't too keen on promoting another network (that is beating nbc) and it's star show of the new season. while nbc has promoted other competing casts in the past (american idol, high school musical), it was after they had become a phenomenon in their own right. glee creator ryan murphy responded to the boot with, "i completely understand nbc’s position, and look forward to seeing a jay leno float,” an obvious jab to the network's recent turn to shunning original series. getting rid of 5 hours of primetime tv has been a big issue in hollywood's creative community and many aren't interested in sending their projects to the network. if nbc keeps it up, they may not have any new shows (or hits) to stay afloat much longer.

day 270

cobra starship gets their west side on

in honor of their two nominations at this year's video music awards, cobra starship was asked to make a promo for the show alongside "good girls go bad" collaborator leighton meester. the band and gossip girl took to the transit museum in brooklyn to shoot the 30 second spot, making use of an antique subway car, with choreography by wade robson, who got his start as a dancer for britney spears. while a choreographer was necessary is beyond me, the spot is a one of the cooler music-based things shown on mtv (when people are awake and watching the channel) in a long time. though, in my opinion, leighton meester should have been used more than just a little "hi, i'm standing over here on the stairs looking all bored and stressed while reading" part. oh well. the second spot features music's latest (and only) it girl taylor swift. the "vma side story" spot is double the length of cobra's and features double the talent (with about 15 less people involved). i'm pretty sure taylor is set to perform at the show and hopefully she'll bring it. my favorite awards show performances recently have been tswifts, so i hope she doesn't eff this up. the show airs live september 13th at 9/8c on mtv and is being hosted, once again, by russell brand. hopefully he's learned his lesson and won't be making any jobro/virgin jokes this time around.

day 231

leighton's leakage

now that leighton meester is back to shooting the new season of gossip girl, she's taking time off of her burgeoning music career. but, to remind us that she is, in fact, a singer, someone leaked a new track - "body control" - onto the internets. it seems like leighton is going gaga - and i mean that she's taking some inspiration from lady gaga. the song is a fast paced, radio friendly, dance track with plenty of synth beats, much like the material lady g included on her debut album, the fame. it sounds like it could have come right out of the 80s. no word on whether or not this is an official single or just a demo, but either way it's a going to get stuck in your head after you listen to it. you're welcome. or not. check out the song above.

diablo's back

if you were a fan of 2007's juno, then you might be in for a treat come september. diablo cody, who wrote juno, is back with her second film, jennifer's body. out september 18th, the film follows a mean girl/cheerleader (megan fox as jennifer) who is possessed by a demon to destroy all that is evil. sadly, all that is evil entails almost every boy in the girl's high school. when her nerdy friend, needy (played by mamma mia's amanda seyfriend), discovers jennifer's secret she has to battle back, tracking down the demon's source. sounds like some heavy stuff right? well, after watching the preview, it's not that bad. the dialogue appears to have diablo's trademark wit - more of a dark comedy vibe than a slasher film. in fact, the movie has already been compared to one of my favorite flicks, heathers. check it out for yourself above.

day 173

a gossip girl's professional debut

       

gossip girl star leighton meester (aka blair waldorf) has made her radio debut with the single "good girls go bad," a song by punk-pop group cobra starship featuring the actress/singer.  the song, which you can check out above, is sure to be a summer hit.  i wouldn't be surprised if it wound up being the song of the summer.  go on and jam out to it - it's hard not to get this song stuck in your head.

madonna, 2009 edition

       

it looks like madonna will do anything to stay relevant.  the material mom has teamed up with missy elliot and justin timberlake in recent years and it looks like her new duet partner is lil wayne.  the video above is a clip of a rumored new madge track, "revolver." it has a very britney spears vibe, which i guess would make sense for madonna.  i could definitely see this song being a radio hit this summer, similar to last year's "4 minutes."  the singer ends her mega-million dollar sticky and sweet tour this summer, so a new album would make total sense right about now.

don't believe the hype!

while some reports are surfacing (based off of a claim by one person) that the cw has put the kibosh on the planned 80s themed gossip girl spin off (whose pilot airs this monday as part of a regular ep of the series), the ceedub has made no official decisions - and won't until later this month at their upfront presentation.  speculation about a cancelation is surrounded by the reality of the network's fall schedule.  with already announced pick ups for almost all existing series and giving sunday nights to the cw's local stations, there is little room for new series.  to be exact, there are only 2 hour-long blocks.  problem?  the network has 3 hour-long shows in the works (aside from the melrose place relaunch which is expected to get a slot no matter what).  the gg spinoff is up against mischa barton-lead a beautiful life, a show all about model life in nyc, and twilight-inspired vampire diaries.  my thought is vampire diaries won't get picked up or will be a mid season replacement.  the gg spin off would be a hit for the net because it has a built in audience; the other two shows require predictions.  hmm...i guess we'll know by summer.  

nothing like some new music to brighten up your saturday, right? 

day 170

a gossip girl rocks out

        

cindy lou who a rocker? yep, little j - aka taylor momsen - and her band, the pretty reckless, made their debut last night at new york city's annex as the veronica's opening act.  taylor has long expressed the desire to form a band and/or launch a singing career and it's not coming true. over the past year, taylor has helped develop, conceive, and assist in picking a style and sound for the pretty reckless with the help of interscope records, with whom the band is signed.  if you want a chance to see the group perform live, just grab some veronicas tickets. taylor and her punk-rock crew will be opening for the australian sisters through the summer.  but if you can't manage that, the band's debut cd is set to drop this fall and features song writing credits by taylor.  click here to hear a leaked demo from the pretty reckless; the song's name is unknown, but i'm quite the fan.  and, remember, little j isn't the only gg star with a singing career. leighton meeser (aka blair) was recently signed to universal and will be in the recording studio this summer to get an album out by the end of the year.  click here to hear her demo of the 80s punk rock hit (and similar sounding voice to taylor momsen) "bette davis eyes." both stars' reps say their singing careers won't affect their gossip girl status or conflict with shooting schedules. no word on whether singing will be incorporated into the show though.  

that's it kiddos. check twitter for some smaller stories.