Sunday, December 31, 2006

Face Hunter

I love FaceHunter cause looking at euro trash in spandex is fun!

Dreamgirls

The highly anticipated "Dreamgirls" opened on Christmas Day, to rave reviews. Bill Condon was given the reigns by Warner Brothers (who bought the film rights in the 80s) for the film adaptation of the 1981 Broadway musical that had earned over a dozen Tony nominations and Grammy awards for several of its cast members. Honestly, it's sad that something two decades in the making could look so rushed and hodge-podge. I'm not quite sure what the critics saw in this rough, scrappy movie. Possibly they wanted so much to like it, that they disregarded the lack of a store line, character development or any sort of pizazz that you would expect from such a great plot.

Beyonce Knowles plays Deena, a member of an all-girl group called "The Dreams". They are trying to "make it", and get a chance at performing at the Apollo, where they receive a warm reception. Deena is the pretty girl of the group, but her voice does nothing in comparison to Effie's. Effie White is the powerhouse of the trio, and belts out her gospel-driven songs like she's a wolf trying to blow the house down. Jennifer Hudson takes her shot as Effie in the movie adaptation, and does a better job than anyone else of immersing herself in her role.

For a little over two hours, we follow the Dreams as they try to make a name for themselves in the overly white pop music world. An interesting fact that the movie reflects on is that several songs recorded by black groups were "stolen" by record producers and re-recorded by more popular white groups. The original versions of these songs were then virtually erased by radio stations as if they were never there, mainly due to the heavy bribes, called "payola", that would result in the disposal of the previous recordings. This was highly illegal, but highly effective.

The Dreams' manager, Curtis, played by Jamie Foxx, decides that he wants Deena to be the lead singer. He thinks that her lighter voice and weight will carry the group into the pop world. Effie is destroyed by this and decides to leave the group. At this pivotal moment in the film, we are witness to Jennifer Hudson's moment of glory. She sings "And I am Telling You", which won Jennifer Holiday, the original Effie, a Grammy. Hudson puts every ounce of emotion into her performance, which literally had the audience that I was in burst into applause at the end of the scene. I would pay ten dollars again just to see those few moments; screw the rest of the movie.

The next part of the movie speeds up to six years later, and shows how the group has evolved now that the focus is on Deena Jones. She is now more interested in becoming a movie star, and starts to pull away from the girls as well as Curtis. Ultimately, she finds out what Curtis has done to get the group where it is, and is upset about the illegality of it. She contacts an estranged Effie and they begin to heal their deep wounds.

There are a lot of big names in the movie. Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover, Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles...but Jennifer Hudson plows through them all like a pro. Her first role may just be her defining one. The story may be lacking, and you may be confused about just who the characters are, but Hudson's performances as Effie may just be worth it all.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Holiday Movies

Now I get TBS playing 24 hours of A Christmas Story, but what is up with FX doing the same thing with Ice Age? Stoopid.

What do you think is the best Holiday movie? I'm pretty sure my vote would go to Elf for the sheer joy of it, but I'm a big fan of Bad Santa and Christmas Vacation. And even though it's not technically a Holiday film, I like Love Actually this time of year as well.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

The Holiday

Yeah, it's a chick flick alright. But Jack Black is in it. And my favorite actress Kate Winslet. And the hot Cameron Diaz. But does that make it any good?

Sort of.

Nancy Myers really hit a homerun last time out with Something's Got to Give. Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson gave solid performances and the material was really well constructed. So what happened here on The Holiday? I like the idea of exploring the love lives of people who have interesting jobs (Diaz makes movie trailers for a living and hears that guy who narrates them in her head at various intervals throughout the film), but I kind of think that casting not only Black as a movie music composer, but Ed Burns as a fellow composer is a bit of a stretch. Winslet and her brother Jude Law are more believable as a writer and editor respectively, but must Myers always put her characters in such lofty employment? Nicholson was rap record label owner, Keaton a novelist in Something, Mel Gibson in the over the top What Women Want was an Ad Executive. Does she not think we would watch if Diaz was a school teacher and Winslet a secretary?

Anyway...there are some good laughs, but not enough to say this is a comedy. And there is some emotional heft, but not enough to say it's a drama. It's a bit lost in what it wants to be. I've heard some reviewers mention that it's the kind of movie that makes you wish you were watching Love Actually again on DVD. Silly, but kind of spot on. All the actors are very capable, even if slightly miscast in Black's regard, but the story lines are too convienent. It's typical mushy movie bullshit at the end and although I still liked the movie, I wouldn't say to rush and see it in the theater. It's a nice rental for "date" night with the significant other. (In other words, if you have to watch a flick of this nature it beats some crap with Kate Hudson...if you get my drift fellas.)

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Best of 2006 : TV

What was the best TV had to offer in 2006? Well, I can think of at least a couple dozen but I'll try to keep my list to a top ten for the sake of seeming like a shut in who never turns off the tube.

1. Hiro Nakamura!!! My little lovable Japanese time stopper is the best reason among a sea of reasons that a) Heroes is the best new show on TV and b) you should be watching!

2. The Entourage boys.

3. James Spader and Will Shatner chewing up the screen on Boston Legal.

4. Tim Gunn.

5. Jim and Pam's cliffhanger kiss on The Office.

6. Alec Baldwin on 30 Rock.

7. Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford on Studio 60.

8. The incredible transformations that take place on The Biggest Loser.

9. Lost. I still have no clue 3 seasons in what the fuck is going on?

10. Call me a pussy, but I still think Grey's Anatomy is better than your average night time soap opera.

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Best of 2006 : Film

It's time for the year end list bullshit that is required of all blog sites. Let's get her rolling with my choices for best films of the past year. Let me preface that with the continuing development in technology (Tivo and Netflix) and rising movie ticket prices, I've kind of slowed down running to the theater to see every movie that hits the multiplex. But of what I did see, here's what I thought was the best.

1. Borat
2. Jackass 2
3. The Devil Wears Prada
4. Little Miss Sunshine
5. An Inconvenient Truth
6. Brick
7. Thank You For Smoking
8. Slither
9. Inside Man
10. The Break Up

Now I bet you were expecting some art house fare, or at least some of the front runners in the Oscar race...but I do live in the South now. We don't get exposed to much in the way of the talked about pictures. We get Cars, Happy Feet, Over the Hedge and Superman Returns of 21 of the 22 screens on a typical weekend. My Netflix list is blown up, so I plan on seeing as much as can of the lot that are getting the year end buzz elsewhere before the big night (Academy Awards).

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Golden Globes: And the Nominees are...

Before we look through this list, let me say that this past year for me was more about TV than Film. I've certainly heard of many of the nominated films, but I have not seen many at all. But when has that stopped me from offering an opinion?

Movie Nominations

Picture, Drama: Babel,Bobby,The Departed,Little Children,The Queen

Bobby made the cut? Hmmm....Emillio Estevez is back?

Actress, Drama: Penelope Cruz, Volver ; Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal ; Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sherrybaby ; Helen Mirren, The Queen ; Kate Winslet, Little Children

Kate Winslet is the new Meryl Streep.

Actor, Drama: Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond ; Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed ; Peter O'Toole, Venus ; Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness ; Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland

Double Leo nomination? That's lunacy.

Picture, Musical or Comedy: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,The Devil Wears Prada,Dreamgirls,Little Miss Sunshine,Thank You for Smoking

No Jackass 2? Borat! Very nice!

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Annette Bening, Running With Scissors ; Toni Collette, Little Miss Sunshine ; Beyonce Knowles, Dreamgirls ; Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada ; Renee Zellweger, Miss Potter

Toni Collette is Supporting Actress at best in Little Miss Sunshine. Meryl Streep easily wins this one.

Actor, Musical or Comedy: Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan ; Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest ; Aaron Eckhart, Thank You for Smoking ; Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kinky Boots ; Will Ferrell, Stranger than Fiction

The only question is will he accept his award in character?

Supporting Actress: Adriana Barraza, Babel ; Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal ; Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada ; Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls ; Rinko Kikuchi, Babel

Emily Blunt was snarky and funny as the suffering assistant in Prada, but is she really nominated for a GG? The buzz is about Jennifer Hudson...

Supporting Actor: Ben Affleck, Hollywoodland ; Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls ; Jack Nicholson, The Departed ; Brad Pitt, Babel ; Mark Wahlberg, The Departed

Lots of big names in there. Is this really supporting actor?

Director: Clint Eastwood, Flags of Our Fathers ; Clint Eastwood, Letters from Iwo Jima ; Steven Frears, The Queen ; Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel ; Martin Scorsese, The Departed

Clint Eastwood with a double nomination!!! What the hell is going on here?

Screenplay: Guillermo Arriaga, Babel ; Todd Field and Tom Perrotta, Little Children ; Patrick Marber, Notes on a Scandal ; William Monahan, The Departed ; Peter Morgan, The Queen

Monahan re-wrote an Asian classic...is that worthy of an award?

Foreign Language: Apocalypto, USA; Letters from Iwo Jima, USA/Japan; The Lives of Others, Germany; Pan's Labyrinth, Mexico; Volver Spain

You knew Mel was gonna slip in here somehow. But it is cool to see two contemporary American stars like Gibson and Eastwood get nods for making a Foreign film.

Animated Film: Cars,Happy Feet,Monster House

This is me not caring.

TV Nominations

Series, Drama: 24, Fox; Big Love, HBO; Grey's Anatomy, ABC; Heroes, NBC; Lost, ABC

Lost is so good, but Heroes is the new kid. Wait, these cats love Kiefer...

Actress, Drama: Patricia Arquette, Medium ; Edie Falco, The Sopranos ; Evangeline Lilly, Lost ; Ellen Pompeo, Grey's Anatomy ; Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Evangeline Lilly has been stellar this year, and although I like Grey's Anatomy...I'm over Meredith.

Actor, Drama: Patrick Dempsey, Grey's Anatomy ; Michael C. Hall, Dexter ; Hugh Laurie, House ; Bill Paxton, Big Love ; Kiefer Sutherland, 24

Kiefer dominates this category.

Series, Musical or Comedy: Desperate Housewives, ABC; Entourage, HBO; The Office, NBC; Ugly Betty, ABC; Weeds, Showtime

Office or Entourage? How about a tie this year?

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Marcia Cross, Desperate Housewives ; America Ferrera, Ugly Betty ; Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives ; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine ; Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

Seinfeld curse be dammed. Julia is back.

Actor, Musical or Comedy: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock ; Zach Braff, Scrubs ; Steve Carrell, The Office ; Jason Lee, My Name is Earl ; Tony Shalhoub, Monk

What's so sad about this is that I think the guys in this category are perhaps my favorites on TV right now. And yet, I'll be devastated when that retard Monk wins for like the 10th year in a row.

Miniseries or movie: Bleak House, PBS; Broken Trail, AMC; Elizabeth I, HBO; Mrs. Harris, HBO; Prime Suspect: The Final Act, PBS

Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Gillian Anderson, Bleak House ; Annette Bening, Mrs. Harris ; Helen Mirren, Elizabeth I ; Helen Mirren, Prime Suspect: The Final Act ; Sophie Okonedo, Tsunami, The Aftermath

Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Andre Braugher, Thief ; Robert Duvall, Broken Trail ; Michael Ealy, Sleeper Cell: American Terror ; Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tsunami, The Aftermath ; Ben Kingsley, Mrs. Harris ; Bill Nighy, Gideon's Daughter ; Matthew Perry, The Ron Clark Story

Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Emily Blunt, Gideon's Daughter ; Toni Collette, Tsunami, The Aftermath ; Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy ; Sarah Paulson, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip ; Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds

Izzy has had a rough year...

Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Thomas Haden Church, Broken Trail ; Jeremy Irons, Elizabeth I ; Justin Kirk, Weeds ; Masi Oka, Heroes ; Jeremy Piven, Entourage

I'm so about the Piven, but Hiro Nakamura is my main man right now. Go Masi!!!

Friday, December 08, 2006

The Grammys

For the past ten years I've been slipping further and further off the map of what is good music according to the prestigious Grammy awards. Now with the most recent batch of nominees being announced yesterday I can see that I am completely shut out from what is mainstream. I think the Grammys shoud change their name to the Worst in Music awards. What do you think?

Even though I'm less than impressed I still took the time to handicap the race a little. My predictions are in bold.

Nominations

Album

•Dixie Chicks; Taking The Long Way
•Gnarls Barkley; St. Elsewhere
•John Mayer; Continuum
•Red Hot Chili Peppers; Stadium Arcadium
•Justin Timberlake; Future Sex/LoveSounds

Record

•Mary J. Blige; Be Without You
•James Blunt; You're Beautiful
•Dixie Chicks; Not Ready to Make Nice
•Gnarls Barkley; Crazy
•Corinne Bailey Rae; Put Your Records On.

Song of the Year/Writers

•Be Without You; (performed by Mary J. Blige)
•Jesus, Take the Wheel; (Carrie Underwood)
•Not Read to Make Nice; (Dixie Chicks)
•Put Your Records On; (Corinne Bailey Rae)
•You're Beautiful; (James Blunt)

New artist

•James Blunt
•Chris Brown
•Imogen Heap
•Corinne Bailey Rae
•Carrie Underwood

Pop album

•Christina Aguilera; Back to Basics
•James Blunt; Back to Bedlam
•Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint; The River in Reverse
•John Mayer; Continuum
•Justin Timberlake; FutureSex/LoveSounds

Rock album

•John Mayer Trio; Try!
•Tom Petty; Highway Companion
•The Raconteurs; Broken Boy Soldiers
•Red Hot Chili Peppers; Stadium Arcadium
•Neil Young; Living With War.

Contemporary R&B album

•Mary J. Blige; The Breakthrough
•Jamie Foxx; Unpredictable
•India.Arie; Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship
•Prince; 3121
•Lionel Ritchie; Coming Home

Rap album

•Lupe Fiasco; Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor
•Ludacris; Release Therapy
•Pharrell; In My Mind
•The Roots; Game Theory
•T.I.; King

Country album

•The Dixie Chicks; Taking The Long Way
•Alan Jackson; Like Red on A Rose
•Little Big Town; The Road to Here
•Willie Nelson; You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker
•Josh Turner; Your Man

Alternative album

•Arctic Monkeys; Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
•Flaming Lips; At War With the Mystics
•Gnarls Barkley; St. Elsewhere
•Yeah Yeah Yeahs; Show Your Bones
•Thom Yorke; The Eraser

Thursday, December 07, 2006

This one's for Joolie.

The old school...



So, since I finally have the chance to get off my ass and post something here, I decided to write about a something personal for me. Wrecking Crew, by John Albert, hits on the Los Angeles that I grew up in. It's the story, as told only by someone who actually lived it, about a group of guys who find redemption playing baseball.

However, these guys are'nt your usual 30 somethings playing on weekends tyring to relive past glories. These are the guys that I grew up looking up to. Punks, junkies, cross dressers, losers, failed actors. The stories are the stories of pretty much everyone that I knew, when I was a kid, sneaking out of my parents house to see Bad Religion at the Sportsmans Hall, for the fist time. The guys who used to call the Godzillas and the Cathey de Grand theirs. These were the people that I looked up to.

It's the L.A. that they don't talk about on E. It's the L.A. that I still feel in my heart, from time to time. The author did a terrific job of capturing not only the true nature of the charecters that make up this story, but of the feeling that everyone who has ever been branded a loser, fuck up, or just never fit in, gets when for just once, they get to taste winning, even if just for a moment.

The books been out for a while now, so if you have'nt got a hold of it yet, do so.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

The Return of My Nano Pod



Thanks to my Dad, the above item is now a permanent fixture in my living room. Early Christmas presents rule! I am so happy to be able to fall in love with my Nano Pod all over again. And the sound on this puppy is amazing!

Now Playing: Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson

Date with Destiny?

February 17th @ 3 PM Joolie, my girlfriend Amy and I will be testing our knowledge of pop culture in front of a panel of producers in sunny Orlando, FL. That's right, we got word today that our applications for the World Series of Pop Culture were accepted and we were given our date with destiny.

In case you are wondering, they give all 3 teammates a written test which lasts about 30-45 minutes depending on how quickly you can get through it and then score them quickly. If all 3 teammates pass (I guess they have a bar they set to weed out the frauds) then we get a group interview that is videotaped. And finally, if we score high enough on our tests and interview well...we get a call later that evening to attend the 8 team throw down the next day. I'm confident we will make the cut and compete on Sunday. And then we'll have to see how it goes.

Sunday, December 03, 2006

TV Land's Top 100 TV Catchphrases

"Aaay" (Fonzie, "Happy Days")

"And that's the way it is" (Walter Cronkite, "CBS Evening News")

"Ask not what your country can do for you ..." (John F. Kennedy)

"Baby, you're the greatest" (Ralph Kramden, "The Honeymooners")

"Bam!" (Emeril Lagasse, "Emeril Live")

"Book 'em, Danno" (Steve McGarrett, "Hawaii Five-O")

"Come on down!" (Johnny Olson, "The Price is Right")

"Danger, Will Robinson" (Robot, "Lost in Space")

"De plane! De plane!" (Tattoo, "Fantasy Island")

"Denny Crane" (Denny Crane, "Boston Legal")

"Do you believe in miracles?" (Al Michaels, 1980 Winter Olympics)

"D'oh!" (Homer Simpson, "The Simpsons")

"Don't make me angry ..." (David Banner, "The Incredible Hulk")

"Dyn-o-mite" (J.J., "Good Times")

"Elizabeth, I'm coming!" (Fred Sanford, "Sanford and Son")

"Gee, Mrs. Cleaver ..." (Eddie Haskell, "Leave it to Beaver")

"God'll get you for that" (Maude, "Maude")

"Good grief" (Charlie Brown, "Peanuts" specials)

"Good night, and good luck" (Edward R. Murrow, "See It Now")

"Good night, John Boy" ("The Waltons")

"Have you no sense of decency?" (Joseph Welch to Sen. McCarthy)

"Heh heh" (Beavis and Butt-head, "Beavis and Butthead")

"Here it is, your moment of Zen" ("The Daily Show")

"Here's Johnny!" (Ed McMahon, "The Tonight Show")

"Hey now!" (Hank Kingsley, "The Larry Sanders Show")

"Hey HEY hey!" (Dwayne Nelson, "What's Happening!!")

"Hey hey HEEY!" (Fat Albert, "Fat Albert")

"Holy ____________, Batman!" (Robin, "Batman")

"Holy crap!" (Frank Barone, "Everybody Loves Raymond")

"Homey don't play that!" (Homey the Clown, "In Living Color")

"How sweet it is!" (Jackie Gleason, "The Jackie Gleason Show")

"How you doin'?" (Joey Tribbiani, "Friends")

"I can't believe I ate the whole thing" (Alka Seltzer ad)

"I know nothing!" (Sgt. Schultz, "Hogan's Heroes")

"I love it when a plan comes together" (Hannibal, "The A-Team")

"I want my MTV!" (MTV ad)

"I'm Larry, this is my brother Darryl ..." (Larry, "Newhart")

"I'm not a crook ..." (Richard Nixon)

"I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV" (Vicks Formula 44 ad)

"I'm Rick James, bitch!" (Dave Chappelle as Rick James, "Chappelle's Show")

"Is that your final answer?" (Regis Philbin, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire")

"It keeps going and going and going ..." (Energizer Batteries ad)

"It takes a licking ..." (Timex ad)

"Jane, you ignorant slut" (Dan Aykroyd to Jane Curtin, "Saturday Night Live")

"Just one more thing ..." (Columbo, "Columbo")

"Let's be careful out there" (Sgt. Esterhaus, "Hill Street Blues")

"Let's get ready to rumble!" (Michael Buffer, various sports events)

"Live long and prosper" (Spock, "Star Trek")

"Makin' whoopie" (Bob Eubanks, "The Newlywed Game")

"Mom always liked you best" (Tommy Smothers, "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour")

"Never assume ..." (Felix Unger, "The Odd Couple")

"Nip it!" (Barney Fife, "The Andy Griffith Show")

"No soup for you!" (The Soup Nazi, "Seinfeld")

"Norm!" ("Cheers")

"Now cut that out!" (Jack Benny, "The Jack Benny Program")

"Oh, my God! They killed Kenny!" (Stan and Kyle, "South Park")

"Oh, my nose!" (Marcia Brady, "The Brady Bunch")

"One small step for man ..." (Neil Armstrong)

"Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?" (Grey Poupon ad)

"Read my lips: No new taxes!" (George H.W. Bush)

"Resistance is futile" (Picard as Borg, "Star Trek: The Next Generation")

"Say good night, Gracie" (George Burns, "The Burns & Allen Show")

"Schwing!" (Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as Wayne and Garth, "Saturday Night Live")

"Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy" (Lloyd Bentsen to Dan Quayle)

"Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids" (Trix cereal ad)

"Smile, you're on 'Candid Camera' " ("Candid Camera")

"Sock it to me" ("Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In")

"Space, the final frontier ..." (Capt. Kirk, "Star Trek")

"Stifle!" (Archie Bunker, "All in the Family")

"Suit up!" (Barney Stinson, "How I Met Your Mother")

"Tastes great! Less filling!" (Miller Lite beer ad)

"Tell me what you don't like about yourself" (Dr. McNamara and Dr. Troy, "Nip/Tuck")

"That's hot" (Paris Hilton, "The Simple Life")

"The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat" (Jim McKay, "ABC's Wide World of Sports")

"The tribe has spoken" (Jeff Probst, "Survivor")

"The truth is out there" (Fox Mulder, "The X-Files")

"This is the city ..." (Sgt. Joe Friday, "Dragnet")

"Time to make the donuts" ("Dunkin' Donuts" ad)

"Two thumbs up" (Siskel & Ebert, "Siskel & Ebert")

"Up your nose with a rubber hose" (Vinnie Barbarino, "Welcome Back, Kotter")

"We are two wild and crazy guys!" (Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd as Czech playboys, "Saturday Night Live")

"Welcome to the O.C., bitch" (Luke, "The O.C.")

"Well, isn't that special?" (Dana Carvey as the Church Lady, "Saturday Night Live")

"We've got a really big show!" (Ed Sullivan, "The Ed Sullivan Show")

"Whassup?" (Budweiser ad)

"What you see is what you get!" (Geraldine, "The Flip Wilson Show")

"Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" (Arnold Drummond, "Diff'rent Strokes")

"Where's the beef?" (Wendy's ad)

"Who loves you, baby?" (Kojak, "Kojak")

"Would you believe?" (Maxwell Smart, "Get Smart")

"Yabba dabba do!" (Fred Flintstone, "The Flintstones")

"Yada, yada, yada" ("Seinfeld")

"Yeah, that's the ticket" (Jon Lovitz as the pathological liar, "Saturday Night Live")

"You eeeediot!" (Ren, "Ren & Stimpy")

"You look mahvelous!" (Billy Crystal as Fernando, "Saturday Night Live")

"You rang?" (Lurch, "The Addams Family")

"You're fired!" (Donald Trump, "The Apprentice")

"You've got spunk ..." (Lou Grant, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show")

Anything you think is missing?

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Virgin Digital Ad

So Virgin Digital has this ad campaign that cleverly contains something like 74 band names. For fun, let's see how many we can name. I've put down the ones I see below the picture and you can feel free to use the comments section to chime in. (Thanks Daniel!)


(click on the picture and it will take you to a larger size!)


My finds...
1. Whitesnake
2. The Zombies
3. Smashing Pumpkins
4. Alice in Chains
5. Blur
6. The Eagles
7. King Kong (yeah Jared..)
8. Spoon
9. Cowboy Junkies
10. (sadly) Matchbox 20
11. Pet Shop Boys
12. Scissor Sisters
13. Ratt
14. Phish (?)
15. Red Hot Chili Peppers
16. Cake
17. Black Flagg
18. The Gorillaz

Okay...now you go...

Wordplay

Calling all nerds. This is a documentary about crossword puzzles, focusing on both the popularity of the New York Times versions compiled by editor Will Shortz and and the build up the to the 2005 Crossword Puzzle Championships in Stamford, CT. The film luckily focuses only half of its attention on the dorks who compete, and trust me these are some really dorky people, and the other half on celebs who enjoy the puzzles like Jon Stewart, Bill Clinton and Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina. I found the creation of the puzzle to be the most fascinating element explored.