Tropic Thunder is exactly what was forecast.

You may remember the kid on the left in the glasses as a loser friend from knocked up, but I remember him from Almost Famous as the Led Zeppelin superfan kid.


I wasn’t going to blog about this movie because my opinion on it was simple… If you like Ben Stiller movies, and you laughed at the trailer, then you will like this movie. If you loathe Ben Stiller and think the trailer is stupid, then you will hate it. This movie is simple, kind of like Zoolander, except I liked Zoolander more. I laughed, don’t get me wrong, but it was like eating Cheerios. No one eats a bowl of Cheerios and raves that it was amazing, you just are happy to have a tasty breakfast. (Or Dinner, I won’t limit Cheerios to a single meal)

One surprise was the performance of Tom Cruise. I use to be a huge fan of Cruise, but in the last 3 years since he jumped on Oprah’s couch he’s become more and more repulsive. I walked out of the theater talking more about him than the other funny moments. It was a perfect move by Cruise; not taking himself too seriously. Only time will tell if this is a step in the right direction, or a hiccup in his pursuit of crazy. The other cameos in this movie were great. The actors making fun of the industry was the best part of this little film.

So, why are you writing a blog about this movie then? I decided to write this after reading Entertainment Weekly’s review of the film. Lisa Schwarzbaum gave this film an “A” rating. Really? An “A” for this simple little movie? Movies like Juno and No Country for Old Men didn’t earn that high of a rating according to Schwarzbaum. Is this lady just giving A’s away? My friend Danny, a high school teacher, use to lament students expectation of earning A’s because that was like a pass. Just because parents and colleges expect A’s doesn’t mean Danny would give them out for a performance that was par for the course. “C” means you hit the marks and did what was expected.

I try and rate things with that same integrity. I am calling Schwarzbaum’s ‘integrity’ into question here. I think she got it just plain wrong. Most of the time I agree with EW, but they got it wrong here. It’d be generous to give it a “B”, it was not excellent, it was Cheerios.

The wait is over, it’s on to the finals!

Syesha, I appreciate how you carried yourself during courtesy week.
Too bad you didn’t step it up and go out with a bang.


Last night I bumped into a friend that I hadn’t seen for a while and he mentioned my blog. It always makes me happy to know that people are actually reading this thing. At times it feels like I release these things into cyberspace and no one reads them. Anyway, my friend commented that I talk a lot about American Idol. At this point it’s the only TV show that I keep up with weekly. While life is too often described as busy, I do enjoy the 90 minutes of Idol. Plus it is the only show for which I cannot avoid a spoiler. With other shows like Lost or The Office, I can generally change the channel or change the subject quickly enough. But Idol is everywhere and it only takes a single sentence to ruin the surprise. I do love the Idol and want to experience with the rest of my friends.

With that, the show does have some areas that are lacking. There is a great article in last weeks Entertainment Weekly that gives suggestions for improving the show. I completely agree with the overhauling that is suggested. If you want, take a minute and give it a read. Fox announced that they are cutting the results show to a half hour next season. Hopefully this means they will cut the horrible Ford commercials and the group numbers. I heard Seacrest say that he wasn’t sure how they’d cram all that show into 30 minutes. Really Ryan? We’re talking about you saying a name. It could actually be done in 15 seconds.

Okay, enough about programming issues, on to moments that made me laugh from last week’s Idol. Syesha does a crappy rendition of Fever and Ryan Seacrest makes sure that we see the “classic chair”. Syesha’s performance of Fever was her giving up and not trying to be relevant. She was giving a Broadway Audition rather than creating a case that she is a potential pop star. The most laughable moment though was David Archuleta’s pathetic attempt at exuding street cred by singing “Boo”. It made him seem pathetic. The news that is swirling about his father is also making him appear less like an Idol and more like a Von Trapp child. (More on that at the end of this post.)

The finals are working out to be everything that I expected and what everyone wanted. My feeling is that if Archuleta wins, the show will end up loosing fans and followers. The tween crowd is going to tune in, no matter what. But my feeling is that the 22-32 demographic will not buy it and many will tune out. My prediction is that when the finalists perform with other pop stars Archuleta will look lame and out of his league, while Cook will be in step with whomever he is paired with. Again, let’s hope that justice can beat 13-year-old girls.

I stand by my Prediction that our next American Idol is…

1. David Cook

Trouble in the Archuleta Family?

In the event that you haven’t heard about David A’s daddy drama, here’s a little video that helps paint the picture.

If you don’t want to watch a video then the combination of images below gives a representation of the personality dynamics between David & his Dad. (Note the German Flair!)

David is Kurt Von Trapp; young, naïve and totally dependent on his parent.

David’s Father is a tyrant that is barking orders and annoying everyone around him.

(Note: Anytime you want to strengthen your argument, throw in a reference to the infamous Führer)
(Note: My last note was dripping with sarcasm. Don't do that, it's annoying.)

We wanted it, HE wanted it, Castro has fallen!

If you’ve ever wondered why other countries hate Americans,
it’s the fact that we embrace guys like this.



Finally, finally FINALLY! It took a week with two HORRIBLE performances and America gave Jason Castro the boot. How did this guy mess up Rock week? The answer is that he WANTED to go home. I’ve seen multiple interviews with him saying that he is just tired and done. Then when the vote comes down he was thanking Ryan Seacrest for sending him so that he didn’t have to practice three songs. This guy is a pothead with no drive and desire for success. I loved how ticked off Simon was at Castro’s blasé attitude. It was another moment where I just smiled and was reminded of why I agree with Simon so often.

Entertainment Weekly had a great article about song selection last week. It gave readers a picture of backstage dynamics and it didn’t paint a good picture of Archuleta’s dad. This must be chipping away at the image of this young star. While he seemed impossible to beat in the first month of this season, the tides turned when David Cook performed Lionel Richie’s “Hello”. This last week was sub par for Cook when it should have been perfect for him. I think he got in his own head and just didn’t make good choices. He really needs to build some momentum going into the finals.

This week seems obligatory and not really necessary. It is like an empty tribute to Syesha more than a real competition. The following week is when we will see the stand off of Archuleta vs. Cook and when we find out who wins in the battle of Justice vs. 14-year old girls.

For this week, I hope Syesha enjoys her moment.

3. Syesha Mercado
2. David Archuleta
1. David Cook

All of this “empty tribute” talk reminded me of the time Michael Jackson accepted the “Artist of the Millennium” award, when in reality all he was being presented with is a birthday cake. Enjoy this awkward moment. (note: watch the start and not the No Doubt acceptance speech. The only reason that is in the clip is because Michael is still on the stage.)

Summer 08!

Indy is a great way to say, Summer is officially here.



I made the weekly trip to my post office box last week. It is only a weekly trip for one reason, Entertainment Weekly. I do love this little magazine and a friend had mentioned that this week’s edition was extra special. Yes, it was time for the annual, double issue known as the summer preview. Could this be true? I am not done with school, I am not wearing sandals, I haven’t had a popsicle. All of that indicates to me that it isn’t summer yet! But Hollywood is continually expanding the amount of time in the season and this year, it starts in early May with Iron man. I usually flip through Entertainment Weekly to read anything that grabs my attention. This week was special and I ended up spending a half hour reading on the couch.

I hear rumors and maybe see trailers for months in advance, but it isn’t until I read about it in Entertainment Weekly that I really fall in love and commit to the movies of the summer. I love this season, because I end up seeing about a movie a week and all of them are usually the best of the best. This year was no exception and while there aren’t as many “sure things” when it comes to potential blockbuster films there are many that grabbed my attention. Here are the movies that I will see FOR SURE!

Speed Racer
This just looks yummy. While the directors brought us The Matrix which was great, they also brought us Matrix 2 & 3. I really look forward to seeing how this visually stunning movie turns out.
Prince Caspian
While the first film wasn’t the best, it was good. I love these books and Prince Caspian is one of my favorites. The previews seem very “300” esque, and I could listen to Aslan roar all day long.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
I thought Last Crusade was a great way to go out. I really hope this movie doesn’t overdo the Leathal Weapon 3, “I’m too old for this” theme. But even if that hope isn’t met, this is one film I plan on seeing at midnight.
The Happening
The preview I saw was gripping. It has a better buzz then “Lady in the Water.” Sure M. Night has let me down lately, but the previews along made me pee a little.
Wall-E
I trust Pixar, and this looks great! I loved Short Circuit and Wall-E looks just like Johnny 5. Plus it’s a love story, I love love love it!
Hancock
This looks like fun to me. Will Smith looks like the perfect anti-hero and Jason Bateman had 2 moments in the trailer. Hopefully it has a good story to weave in the jokes and effects.
Dark Knight
Absolutely LOVED Batman Begins, loved it. And I appreciate that Christopher Nolan is going right at the old franchise and showing a new take on te Joker. It will surprised if this isn’t in my Top 3 of the summer.
Step Brothers
This movie with Will Ferrel and John C. Riley looks cheesy and simple, but I like it. I liked their chemistry in Talladega Nights I’d love to get some simple giggles from them again.


Did I miss anything? Let me know what you saw on The EW List that you think should be included in my list.