Justin captured some great lyrics this morning, but I'd like to point out that some songs have HORRIBLE lyrics. A few days ago Nicky Ip showed me this "Jazzercize" dance video. The more I watch it, the more it makes me cry tears of laughter:
So I went on a search to find some ridiculous work out / dance videos. Here's what I found:
Can you guess what's going to happen here?
Apparently this woman is stretching her face muscles.
And then there's the classic "take anything you want" video:
If you liked these, you may also like Justin's Dance Break post. :)
Know of any other videos? Leave a comment! :)
Monday, May 11, 2009
Added Sound, Additional Fury
Since the days when I would go to see horror movies with my ears covered, I have known that sound plays so very much into our perception of things. Others would close their eyes but I realized it wasn't what I was seeing that was scaring the poop out of me - I mean, what's SO scary about some dead girl with stringy hair walking down a staircase backwards like a crab?
No, it was the weird wet sloshy growling noise coming out of her rotting mouth that gave me the heeby jeebies.
Online these days, people are creating fantastically addictive transformations of familiar scenes and shows with slight soundtrack edits. It's really interesting, actually - how just changing the music or adding a sound effect can completely change the mood of a scene.
First, the funny - where this scene from Pretty Woman is made hilarious (in a 4th grade sorta way) by a single sound effect:
Next, from endearing and ha-ha funny (with racial undertones) to legitimately creepy, here's Diffrent Strokes with a Creepy Soundtrack
And finally, just slightly odd, here's a serious scene from one of my favorite shows, The Wire with the addition of a Laugh Track
Don't Quote Me
Dan,
I loved your last post on gay quotes. I, too, am a huge fan of quotes. In fact they sorta play big into my day-to-day life. I'm often evoking the words of others, whether in my Facebook status messages, in the columns and blogs I pen, or even my everyday discussions. Until last year I would say that about 75% of the words that came out of my mouth were actually stolen from The Simpsons.
These days, I'd say about 50% of what I say is from The Simpsons.
Below are a few quotes that I positively adore, all from music. Whether because of their intriguing ideas, the visuals they create in my head, or the mere poetry of how they sound or read, each one resonates with me on some deeper level.
Hey readers, feel free to share some of your favorite song quotes!
xoJR
"Father Lucifer you never looked so sane; you always did prefer the drizzle to the rain."
- Tori Amos, Father Lucifer
"Start a new fashion, wear your heart on your sleeve. Sometimes you reach what's realest by making believe."
- Carrie Underwood, Ever Ever After
"Woes are fleeting, blows are a-glancing when you're dancing through life."
- Fiyero, Dancing Through Life
"I wasn't born with enough middle fingers."
Marilyn Manson, Irresponsible Hate Anthem
"If you want to go I'll pack my suitcase. And if you want to stay I'll make a front door key. But if you need space to fly free, take all the sky you need."
- Ellis Paul, Take All the Sky You Need
"How I wish you could see the potential - the potential of you and me. It's like a book elegantly bound, but in a language that you can't read just yet."
- Death Cab for Cutie, I Will Possess Your Heart
"I feel so much spring within me."
- William Finn, A New Brain
"And you find some way to survive. And you find out you don't have to be happy at all to be happy you're alive."
"Give me clouds, and rain, and gray. Give me pain if that's what's real - it's the price we pay to feel."
- Light, Next to Normal
"Without you, everything falls apart. Without you it's not as much fun to pick up the pieces."
- Nine Inch Nails, The Perfect Drug
"And I won't miss his moods. His gloomy solitudes. His blunt, abrasive style. But please don't get me wrong, he was the best to come along in a long, long while."
- Pippin, I Guess I'll Miss the Man
"There's a little black spot on the sun today. It's the same old thing as yesterday."
- The Police, King of Pain
Oh and I'm sure there are tons more. Piles more! But these were top of mind, and I'm already creating a playlist with the songs they came from. This will be a good afternoon.
xoJR
I loved your last post on gay quotes. I, too, am a huge fan of quotes. In fact they sorta play big into my day-to-day life. I'm often evoking the words of others, whether in my Facebook status messages, in the columns and blogs I pen, or even my everyday discussions. Until last year I would say that about 75% of the words that came out of my mouth were actually stolen from The Simpsons.
These days, I'd say about 50% of what I say is from The Simpsons.
Below are a few quotes that I positively adore, all from music. Whether because of their intriguing ideas, the visuals they create in my head, or the mere poetry of how they sound or read, each one resonates with me on some deeper level.
Hey readers, feel free to share some of your favorite song quotes!
xoJR
"Father Lucifer you never looked so sane; you always did prefer the drizzle to the rain."
- Tori Amos, Father Lucifer
"Start a new fashion, wear your heart on your sleeve. Sometimes you reach what's realest by making believe."
- Carrie Underwood, Ever Ever After
"Woes are fleeting, blows are a-glancing when you're dancing through life."
- Fiyero, Dancing Through Life
"I wasn't born with enough middle fingers."
Marilyn Manson, Irresponsible Hate Anthem
"If you want to go I'll pack my suitcase. And if you want to stay I'll make a front door key. But if you need space to fly free, take all the sky you need."
- Ellis Paul, Take All the Sky You Need
"How I wish you could see the potential - the potential of you and me. It's like a book elegantly bound, but in a language that you can't read just yet."
- Death Cab for Cutie, I Will Possess Your Heart
"I feel so much spring within me."
- William Finn, A New Brain
"And you find some way to survive. And you find out you don't have to be happy at all to be happy you're alive."
"Give me clouds, and rain, and gray. Give me pain if that's what's real - it's the price we pay to feel."
- Light, Next to Normal
"Without you, everything falls apart. Without you it's not as much fun to pick up the pieces."
- Nine Inch Nails, The Perfect Drug
"And I won't miss his moods. His gloomy solitudes. His blunt, abrasive style. But please don't get me wrong, he was the best to come along in a long, long while."
- Pippin, I Guess I'll Miss the Man
"There's a little black spot on the sun today. It's the same old thing as yesterday."
- The Police, King of Pain
Oh and I'm sure there are tons more. Piles more! But these were top of mind, and I'm already creating a playlist with the songs they came from. This will be a good afternoon.
xoJR
13 Amazing Gay Quotes
Hello everyone! My name is Dan Leveille, as Justin introduced and I'm going to be Justin's "Plus One" this week. I'm really excited and hope you all enjoy my posts. :)
Last week I heard some amazing quotes relating to gay rights, about Miss California and the current gay rights status. I've compiled some recent and not-so-recent amazing gay quotes:
"All men with mustaches are gay"
-Carrie Prejean/Miss California's Mother, teaching her daughter about homosexuality
"Look at how much our marriage rate has dropped over the past half-century. Look at how our divorce rate has soared. We should be delighted that at least one group of Americans still wants to get married."
-The Chicago Tribune
"You could move."
-"Dear Abby" responding to a reader complaining about a gay couple was moving in across the street and wanted to know how to improve the quality of the neighborhood.
"If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards and to nailbiters."
-Anita Bryant
"I think that the longer I look good, the better gay men feel."
-Cher
"There is nothing wrong with going to bed with someone of your own sex. People should be very free with sex, they should draw the line at goats."
-Elton John
"My mother took me to a psychiatrist when I was fifteen because she thought I was a latent homosexual. There was nothing latent about it."
-Amanda Bearse
"War. Rape. Murder. Poverty. Equal rights for gays. Guess which one the Southern Baptist Convention is protesting?"
-The Value of Families
"Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?"
-Ernest Gaines
"You don't have to be straight to be in the military; you just have to be able to shoot straight."
-Barry Goldwater
"Ryan is not gay"
-Shana Wall, on her ex-boyfriend, Ryan Seacrest
"We had gay burglars the other night. They broke in and rearranged the furniture."
-Robin Williams
" I dunno how you all feel about it, gays in the military. Here's how I feel about it. Anyone dumb enough to want to be in the military should be allowed in. End of fucking story."
-Bill Hicks (comedian), Rant in E-Minor
Last week I heard some amazing quotes relating to gay rights, about Miss California and the current gay rights status. I've compiled some recent and not-so-recent amazing gay quotes:
"All men with mustaches are gay"
-Carrie Prejean/Miss California's Mother, teaching her daughter about homosexuality
"Look at how much our marriage rate has dropped over the past half-century. Look at how our divorce rate has soared. We should be delighted that at least one group of Americans still wants to get married."
-The Chicago Tribune
"You could move."
-"Dear Abby" responding to a reader complaining about a gay couple was moving in across the street and wanted to know how to improve the quality of the neighborhood.
"If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards and to nailbiters."
-Anita Bryant
"I think that the longer I look good, the better gay men feel."
-Cher
"There is nothing wrong with going to bed with someone of your own sex. People should be very free with sex, they should draw the line at goats."
-Elton John
"My mother took me to a psychiatrist when I was fifteen because she thought I was a latent homosexual. There was nothing latent about it."
-Amanda Bearse
"War. Rape. Murder. Poverty. Equal rights for gays. Guess which one the Southern Baptist Convention is protesting?"
-The Value of Families
"Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?"
-Ernest Gaines
"You don't have to be straight to be in the military; you just have to be able to shoot straight."
-Barry Goldwater
"Ryan is not gay"
-Shana Wall, on her ex-boyfriend, Ryan Seacrest
"We had gay burglars the other night. They broke in and rearranged the furniture."
-Robin Williams
" I dunno how you all feel about it, gays in the military. Here's how I feel about it. Anyone dumb enough to want to be in the military should be allowed in. End of fucking story."
-Bill Hicks (comedian), Rant in E-Minor
Meet Dan Leveille!
Good morning, J+1 readers!
A new week at Justin Plus One means another new Plus One joins the fray!
This week we go up, waaaaay up North to Rochester (RIT specifically) to find our co-blogger, Dan Leveille. A Twitter superstar and a brilliant, geeky, super-cute guy all-around, Dan is going to bring some upstate flair to Justin Plus One.
That's enough about me, I'll let Dan do the rest!
My Name:
Dan Leveille
My Location:
Currently: Rochester, NY (Rochester Institute of Technology)
Hometown: Berlin, NH
My Site/ Sites:
dan-lev.com, Personal Portfolio:
Book Maid: a Pet Project Textbook Trading site for RIT
Most active social networks:
twitter.com/danlev
facebook.dan-lev.com
dan14lev.deviantart.com
What I might post about:
I don't have a set plan about what I'll post about. Whatever I find interesting and want people to share with people. I often post about Interesting new innovations (such as businesses, products, technologies, websites), social media, gay marriage, anything interesting about the web.
What I love:
I love the web. That sums it my life up in 4 words. But to further expand, I'm into web development, design, and I love social networking. I'm into photography (mostly portraits). I love creating new business ideas, marketing, and entrepreneurship and I love people who do the same.
What I hate:
I hate people who do nothing with their life, who have no aspiration or goals. I hate people who say "You have to much time on your hands" - because they're usually wrong. And like everyone else who has at least half of a brain, I also hate the National Organization for Marriage, Miss California.
My Last Word:
I'm a friendly person and I love meeting new people! I invite you to reply to posts and interact! I don't usually write large posts. I like to keep it moderately short, unless I get really passionate and rant about something. I hope you enjoy my posts!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Shane Mercado is Alive and Well!
Remember Shane Mercado? Of course you do - he made Single Ladies more famous than Beyonce did. He was the inspiration for tons of fat people/out-of-shape girls/and mechanics to "put a ring on it."
But where is he now? Well, it turns out that he's dancing at Campus Thursdays at a bar called Splash here in New York City. (And his hair doesn't seem to be purple any longer.)
And I caught him. Doing Single Ladies. Just last night. See the whole performance right here!
xoJR
One night I'm going to come to you, inside of your house, wherever you're sleeping, and I'm gonna cut your throat.
Well, all, it would appear my haphazard time as Justin’s plus one has dwindled, and perhaps on a week that isn’t as insane for me (being slammed at work, family issues, plays, screenings, nerve-frying STD tests), Justin will be kind enough to have me back. Hopefully you got a taste of who I am through my thoughts on film, theatre and monologueing about weather, and maybe, just maybe, you weren’t reviled by what you tasted. Thank you for reading throughout the week, and do add me on Facebook/Dlist or whatever (fuck Twitter) if you care to keep up with the incoherent rambling that define me. In the self-righteous words of Dustin Lance Black, you are beautiful and God does love you. All the best.
Video Games of Days Gone By
I love YouTube. Frankly, I don't see how anyone could not. It is literally a dump of every possible thing you've ever wanted to find but didn't think to until just that second.
Are you looking for the opening credits to that Canadian comedy from Nickelodeon history, You Can't Do That on Television?
Not a Problem!
or maybe you are PISSED that Legally Blonde the Broadway show has not been released on DVD yet, and just wanna rock out to So Much Better...
Here ya go!
And speaking of musicals, did you know that someone adapted The Portrait of Dorian Gray?
I didn't until I just found it on YouTube!
But one of my favorite things about YouTube is the glut of video game footage. Allowing me to remember Nintendo and arcade games gone by. Thank heavens that the world is filled with nerds who actually sit there and record themselves playing games.
Below are a bunch of my favorites from the past. What favorite games did you have as a kid?
Batman the Movie the Arcade Game
Most people said this game was lame. Now looking at it, I have to agree - but for some reason I LOVED playing it. Or watching cooler, older people play it.
The Simpsons Arcade Game
Now this game just plain rocked. Especially if you had 3 friends to play with. I, of course, had no friends whatsoever when I was of the age to play this game. So I just had my camp counselors force other kids to let me play with them.
Michael Jackson's Moonwalker on Genesis
When you are a diehard fan of MJ, you are a fan of EVERYTHING. Even absolutely horrible Sega Genesis adaptations of his movie. Why is he saving kids? Where did Bubbles come from? I used to sneak over my friend Ricky's place to play this (we weren't allowed to hang out because my mom thought he was a "bad influence"... whatever. Either way, while this game was bad... at least it wasn't as odd as the arcade version, where you got to play as four palette-swapped MJs:
Mad Dog McCree
For a while there was a fad in the arcades for these live-action light gun video games. At the time I had dreams of being a stunt actor, and I loved the overly-dramatic deaths staged on the screen. Needless to say I spent a ton of quarters on this game.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game
Oh man, I must have beaten this game four thousand times... and spent just as many dollars on playing it. Sure, I bought it for Nintendo as well... but it was a lame substitute, and, as it was an NES game, I constantly had to blow in the cartridge and it never fixed it.
I mean, come on! No contest (shakes head)
Anyway, there are a ton more. Maybe I'll post about them some other time. I will leave you with another shameful part of my past - a television show I used to watch called GAMEPRO. Back then, I thought it was awesome. Now, looking at the host in his denim jacket... well... between that and him saying a Nintendo game has "the best graphics ever"... let's just say it's long enough ago that I don't have to feel bad about it.
Maniac Mansion? Fred is Fried? Dude?
::shakes head::
Thursday, May 7, 2009
When It Just Won't Go Away...
No, not herpes, silly. Rain! As I sit in an office on this extremely wet day, I ponder what I’d rather be doing right now. In a just world, every rainy day/evening would consist of me curled up under my covers with Chinese food and an armful of DVDs, but alas, I’m one of those people who continuously books themselves up days and weeks in advance(don’t ask me why), so by the time rain rolls around and I feel like heading home, I realize “oh wait, I already have plans to_________ ” (tonight, I already have a pair of tickets to see “Star Trek” at the Ziegfeld at 7 – see you there!).
But really, what IS the perfect rainy day activity? Making sweet, sweet love with your partner to sounds of rain pitter-pattering on your rooftop is up there, one of the most glorious pairing sof activity and weather. I’ve, alas, only fucked in a downpour once and it was in the backseat of my old Honda Accord, so it didn't quite have the ideal romanticism that goes with rainy sex. I also happen to love having movie days as a rainy-day alternative -- there's something about a communal respite with random people on a day of drudgery -- though trudging out to a multiplex can be a chore itself in general weather unpleasantness.
As gross as it sounds on the surface, have you ever intentionally walked home in a torrential rain without any sort of umbrella/hat/newspaper/shielding device? It takes a few seconds to get used to, but as long as you don’t have anywhere you need to be and look presentable at later, there’s something oddly beautiful, freeing and subversive in being drenched, turning what's generally thought of as a plan-ruining event into an activity of its own.
What’s your ideal rainy day? Movies, fuck sessions, frolicking, curling up with a book, getting stoned?
Dance Break!
So today is an interestingly dramatic one. Will Governor John Lynch sign New Hampshire into gay marriage history? Apparently his phones are ringing off the hook.
Also, after much fanfare, the next photo of Carrie Prejean was shown. Boringly enough, she's just basically facing the other way. The Dirty is milking these photos, and frankly, I think the excitement is just about over.
So what do we do while we wait for gay marriage and the undoing of the fan of opposite marriage?
HOW ABOUT A DANCE BREAK!?
I just realized it's been a long time since I've posted something fun that's making the rounds on the web. Sure it's shallow, non-political, and doesn't feature Miss California titties... but, really, admit it: you woke up this morning with a hankering to see some Korean police officers breaking it down gay-style to "Nobody."
I mean, doesn't everybody?
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
SUMMER MOVIES: My 10 Most Anticipated
10. “Taking Woodstock” – director: Ang Lee
(opens in limited release August 14)
Normally, Ang Lee’s name on anything has me sitting erect and alert, waiting with bated breath to see the end result, and I have no doubt his latest will be something special. In fact, the only reason this is so low on my list is how lame and familiar the trailer seems to me (and the seemingly lack-of-confidence August release date). I’ll assume/hope that’s simply the fault of a marketing team and not Lee himself, because I love the idea of him tackling a story like this, with themes/tone so vastly different than anything he’s touched upon before. I’m also fascinated to see what he does with a leading man like Demetri Martin, who I’ve never seen do anything besides deadpan stand-up.
9. “Land of the Lost” – director: Brad Silbering
(opens June 5)
I seem to be one of the few self-titled “hip” people who hasn’t quite hit my Will Ferrell saturation point, and I still think when given the right material, the guy can be genuinely hilarious (see: “Anchorman,” “Talladega Nights,” “Step Brothers,” the list goes on). That, paired with (a) the fact that early test-screening reviews seemed to unanimously say that the movie is filled with surprisingly trippy/out-there visuals, and jokes whose absurdity/oddness levels push the boundaries of mainstream tolerance, (b) a moderately amusing trailer, and (c) a random feeling in my gut, have me thinking that this just might be the perfect “really fun to get high before” movie of this summer.
8. “(500) Days of Summer” – director: Marc Webb
(opens in limited release July 17)
Just when I thought I’d had all I could stomach when it comes to Fox Searchlight quirkfest romances, this trailer for a quirkier-than-quirky rom-com starring Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt comes along and makes me re-evaluate. It still might ultimately be too adorable or twee for some, word has been emanating from Sundance that the movie’s a non-nauseating crowd-pleaser, and really, how can one resist those two actors headlining a movie (even if Zooey has been going for the paychecks lately with “Yes Man” and “The Happening”)?
7. “The Hangover” – director: Todd Phillips
(opens June 5)
This is one of those cases where a trailer pretty much single-handedly convinced me I wanted to see a movie. Todd Phillips is one of those directors who just knows precisely how to handle the hetero fratboy humor (see “Old School” and “Road Trip” for prime examples), and his “Starsky & Hutch” is an underrated gem in my eyes, despite what anyone/everyone else thinks. Here, he looks to be back in prime fratboy mode, and much in the way he brought Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn to mainstream awareness, he appears to be doing the same here for “Daily Show”/”The Office” veteran Ed Helms, and one of the funniest comics in the history of comics, Zack Galifianakis. Early word from screenings is very, very good, and at least to me, it looks very, very funny.
6. “Drag Me to Hell” – director: Sam Raimi
(opens May 29)
Those of us who were wondering when horror maven Raimi would quit playing with boys in tights and get back to the good ole horror genre he got his start in should hopefully have our appetites satiated with the tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top “Drag Me to Hell,” which got enthusiastically awesome reactions at South by Southwest (SXSW) festival back in March, and looks like an insane amount of fun. Two minor drawbacks: a PG-13 rating, and the presence of Justin Long.
5. “Away We Go” – director: Sam Mendes
(opens in limited release June 5)
I can’t quite put my finger exactly one why I’m so excited for this one, it just looks like an endearingly low-key venture from a very good director who has a tendency to go for less… shall we say, subtle work (“American Beauty,” “Jarhead,” “Road to Perdition,” “Revolutionary Road”). Featuring lifelong supporting players John Krasinski (“The Office’s” Jim) and Maya Rudolph (“SNL”) in leading roles, and with the presence of Jeff Daniels, Catherine O’Hara, Jim Gaffigan, Allison Janney, Maggie Gyllenhaal as support, this looks like it could potentially be a beautifully modulated small gem to offer us solace in between the non-stop onslaughts of Wolverines, Terminators and Nights at the Museum.
4. “Bruno” – director: Larry Charles
(opens July 10)
This character from Sacha Baron Cohen has always evoked a multitude of feelings from me: (a) consistent laughter and amusement, (b) admiration/reverence for the brilliant, incisive way Cohen uses the character to explore the still very prevalent homophobia that pervades America, (c) revulsion/unease/discomfort at having to watch (basically) documentary footage of a multitude of Americans display the most supreme levels of homophobic attitudes/behavior/vocabulary. I bristle particularly at the prospect of the last factor paired with having to watch Cohen’s latest in a packed theater with a potential slew of fratboy “Borat” fans, and the chorus of “ewwwwws” and other discomfiting audience reactions to come with them. Still, hopefully his latest will offer as much laughs and insight to be able to bear the negatives that come with it (similarly to how rewarding “Borat” was in the same respect). This one’s going to be a tough sit in the movie theater for me, personally, but hopefully it’ll be worth it.
3. “Funny People” – director: Judd Apatow
(opens July 31)
Apatow scored home runs with “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up,” and if they weren’t perfect, they showed promise that one day he might grow into the great comedy director all us “Freaks and Geeks” fans knew he one day could be. With his latest, Apatow seems to be taking another large step closer to emulating his idol, James L. Brooks (“Terms of Endearment,” “Broadcast News,” “As Good As It Gets”), if still retaining his flair for raunch and identical ensemble cast. I think this looks really, really good, but only time will tell if – like his other films – this one suffers from a case of bloat (i.e. being 15-30 minutes too long).
2. “Inglourious Basterds” – director: Quentin Tarantino
(opens August 21)
Though I’m a bit disconcerted by how fast this thing was shot (Tarantino apparently was in a rush to have it ready in time to play at Cannes this May), and I’m not happy with Tarantino seemingly dropping his affinity for visual flair, this looks like it has potential to be a shit-ton of fun, and I’ve learned never to doubt QT on anything. I’m one of the few film dorks out there who resisted the urge to read his (leaked online) screenplay, but word has it the film has a few elements this trailer doesn’t even begin to hint it, and the whole thing has a big, broad, not-grounded-in-reality vibe to it all. Hrm, we’ll see how that plays with my stickler-for-realism dad, who I know will want to see this based on the ‘killing Nazis’ angle.
1. “Up” – directors: Pete Docter and Bob Peterson
(opens May 29)
It seems everyone I know has seen the first 45 minutes of this at some film festival or event or another, and their raves make me want to punch them all in the face, and wish I could just see this fucker already. With the exception of “Cars,” Pixar has never let me down, and this looks to be another massive winner in their wheelhouse. I don’t have much else to say to explain my anticipation except: “Wall-E,” “Ratatouille,” “The Incredibles,” “Finding Nemo,” “Toy Story 2,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “A Bug’s Life,” “Toy Story.” That said, if this isn’t some sort of masterpiece, more than a couple peeps are going to be disappointed.
(opens in limited release August 14)
Normally, Ang Lee’s name on anything has me sitting erect and alert, waiting with bated breath to see the end result, and I have no doubt his latest will be something special. In fact, the only reason this is so low on my list is how lame and familiar the trailer seems to me (and the seemingly lack-of-confidence August release date). I’ll assume/hope that’s simply the fault of a marketing team and not Lee himself, because I love the idea of him tackling a story like this, with themes/tone so vastly different than anything he’s touched upon before. I’m also fascinated to see what he does with a leading man like Demetri Martin, who I’ve never seen do anything besides deadpan stand-up.
9. “Land of the Lost” – director: Brad Silbering
(opens June 5)
I seem to be one of the few self-titled “hip” people who hasn’t quite hit my Will Ferrell saturation point, and I still think when given the right material, the guy can be genuinely hilarious (see: “Anchorman,” “Talladega Nights,” “Step Brothers,” the list goes on). That, paired with (a) the fact that early test-screening reviews seemed to unanimously say that the movie is filled with surprisingly trippy/out-there visuals, and jokes whose absurdity/oddness levels push the boundaries of mainstream tolerance, (b) a moderately amusing trailer, and (c) a random feeling in my gut, have me thinking that this just might be the perfect “really fun to get high before” movie of this summer.
8. “(500) Days of Summer” – director: Marc Webb
(opens in limited release July 17)
Just when I thought I’d had all I could stomach when it comes to Fox Searchlight quirkfest romances, this trailer for a quirkier-than-quirky rom-com starring Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt comes along and makes me re-evaluate. It still might ultimately be too adorable or twee for some, word has been emanating from Sundance that the movie’s a non-nauseating crowd-pleaser, and really, how can one resist those two actors headlining a movie (even if Zooey has been going for the paychecks lately with “Yes Man” and “The Happening”)?
7. “The Hangover” – director: Todd Phillips
(opens June 5)
This is one of those cases where a trailer pretty much single-handedly convinced me I wanted to see a movie. Todd Phillips is one of those directors who just knows precisely how to handle the hetero fratboy humor (see “Old School” and “Road Trip” for prime examples), and his “Starsky & Hutch” is an underrated gem in my eyes, despite what anyone/everyone else thinks. Here, he looks to be back in prime fratboy mode, and much in the way he brought Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn to mainstream awareness, he appears to be doing the same here for “Daily Show”/”The Office” veteran Ed Helms, and one of the funniest comics in the history of comics, Zack Galifianakis. Early word from screenings is very, very good, and at least to me, it looks very, very funny.
6. “Drag Me to Hell” – director: Sam Raimi
(opens May 29)
Those of us who were wondering when horror maven Raimi would quit playing with boys in tights and get back to the good ole horror genre he got his start in should hopefully have our appetites satiated with the tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top “Drag Me to Hell,” which got enthusiastically awesome reactions at South by Southwest (SXSW) festival back in March, and looks like an insane amount of fun. Two minor drawbacks: a PG-13 rating, and the presence of Justin Long.
5. “Away We Go” – director: Sam Mendes
(opens in limited release June 5)
I can’t quite put my finger exactly one why I’m so excited for this one, it just looks like an endearingly low-key venture from a very good director who has a tendency to go for less… shall we say, subtle work (“American Beauty,” “Jarhead,” “Road to Perdition,” “Revolutionary Road”). Featuring lifelong supporting players John Krasinski (“The Office’s” Jim) and Maya Rudolph (“SNL”) in leading roles, and with the presence of Jeff Daniels, Catherine O’Hara, Jim Gaffigan, Allison Janney, Maggie Gyllenhaal as support, this looks like it could potentially be a beautifully modulated small gem to offer us solace in between the non-stop onslaughts of Wolverines, Terminators and Nights at the Museum.
4. “Bruno” – director: Larry Charles
(opens July 10)
This character from Sacha Baron Cohen has always evoked a multitude of feelings from me: (a) consistent laughter and amusement, (b) admiration/reverence for the brilliant, incisive way Cohen uses the character to explore the still very prevalent homophobia that pervades America, (c) revulsion/unease/discomfort at having to watch (basically) documentary footage of a multitude of Americans display the most supreme levels of homophobic attitudes/behavior/vocabulary. I bristle particularly at the prospect of the last factor paired with having to watch Cohen’s latest in a packed theater with a potential slew of fratboy “Borat” fans, and the chorus of “ewwwwws” and other discomfiting audience reactions to come with them. Still, hopefully his latest will offer as much laughs and insight to be able to bear the negatives that come with it (similarly to how rewarding “Borat” was in the same respect). This one’s going to be a tough sit in the movie theater for me, personally, but hopefully it’ll be worth it.
3. “Funny People” – director: Judd Apatow
(opens July 31)
Apatow scored home runs with “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up,” and if they weren’t perfect, they showed promise that one day he might grow into the great comedy director all us “Freaks and Geeks” fans knew he one day could be. With his latest, Apatow seems to be taking another large step closer to emulating his idol, James L. Brooks (“Terms of Endearment,” “Broadcast News,” “As Good As It Gets”), if still retaining his flair for raunch and identical ensemble cast. I think this looks really, really good, but only time will tell if – like his other films – this one suffers from a case of bloat (i.e. being 15-30 minutes too long).
2. “Inglourious Basterds” – director: Quentin Tarantino
(opens August 21)
Though I’m a bit disconcerted by how fast this thing was shot (Tarantino apparently was in a rush to have it ready in time to play at Cannes this May), and I’m not happy with Tarantino seemingly dropping his affinity for visual flair, this looks like it has potential to be a shit-ton of fun, and I’ve learned never to doubt QT on anything. I’m one of the few film dorks out there who resisted the urge to read his (leaked online) screenplay, but word has it the film has a few elements this trailer doesn’t even begin to hint it, and the whole thing has a big, broad, not-grounded-in-reality vibe to it all. Hrm, we’ll see how that plays with my stickler-for-realism dad, who I know will want to see this based on the ‘killing Nazis’ angle.
1. “Up” – directors: Pete Docter and Bob Peterson
(opens May 29)
It seems everyone I know has seen the first 45 minutes of this at some film festival or event or another, and their raves make me want to punch them all in the face, and wish I could just see this fucker already. With the exception of “Cars,” Pixar has never let me down, and this looks to be another massive winner in their wheelhouse. I don’t have much else to say to explain my anticipation except: “Wall-E,” “Ratatouille,” “The Incredibles,” “Finding Nemo,” “Toy Story 2,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “A Bug’s Life,” “Toy Story.” That said, if this isn’t some sort of masterpiece, more than a couple peeps are going to be disappointed.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
What About Aaron Tveit?!
After Rob's totally amazing post about the Tony nominations earlier today, and my super-fun interview with Musical Director Jesse Vargas over on Homo-Neurotic.com, I found myself clicking through the New York Times Art Section today.While there I came across a blog post called "Meet the Non-Nominees" The article, as one might assume, was about all of those poor saps who were NOT nominated for Tonys.
The list is long and shameful, but, as Rob said - a lot of them were screwed because their shows are no longer on the Great White Way, and, well, an award show has to be about marketing, doesn't it?
There's just one problem:
They decided to skip on saying who got screwed in the featured actor/actress categories! This means that Aaron Tveit, one of the hottest, most talented guys of the new Broadway generation - and a featured actor in the fantastic Next to Normal got snubbed AGAIN!
What does it feel like to not even make the Non-Nominee list? Nay, to have your entire category - both genders and both types of Broadway shows, completely excluded?
Oh there, there Aaron. Your time is coming. Hopefully this year Raul Esparza will finally take home an Antoinette Perry statuette so I can take up your cause and find another snubbed actor to scream and complain about.
In the meantime, here's a mess of Aaron Tveit's videos. Enjoy his beauty and brilliance.
TONY Nominations -- There Will Be Light...
Well, kids, it’s TONY time, and this morning, the nominations for the 2009 awards were announced, and there were a few shockers in the mix. That’s right, the TONYs, also known as ‘an even gayer Oscars’ and a celebration/desecration of all the theatre community has to offer. Whether or not you agree with my opinion, I can at least say I know what I’m talking about when I discuss this shit – I’ve seen every Broadway production this season except for “Waiting for Godot” (which I’m seeing tomorrow), so until tomorrow night, I can’t speak as to how deserving/egregious its Best Revival nomination, and lack of ones for Nathan Lane, Bill Irwin, or John Goodman, are. But everything else, I’ve seen, and is fair game.
Truth be told, I think this is the most pleased I’ve been with nominations in quite some time, akin to how I felt about the Oscars the year the Academy inexplicably removed their heads from their asses and nominated “There Will Be Blood” and “No Country for Old Men.” Anyway, we’re here to talk about theatre, so below, I’ll give my thoughts about the worthy nominees, not-so-worthy nominees, and egregious snubs (as well as the worthy snubs) contained within this morning’s TONY nomination announcements; considering the number of categories, I’ve just tackled the chief Play/Musical/Revival categories, as well as the acting ones:
Best Play
- Dividing the Estate
- God of Carnage
- Reasons to Be Pretty
- 33 Variations
Two great plays made the shortlist (“God of Carnage” and “Reasons to Be Pretty”) and two really good ones, so no complaints here. It’s tough to say who exactly I’d cast my vote for, as “God of Carnage” was easily my favorite experience at a play this season (I’ll confess, I’ve seen it thrice), but in terms of pure written word, “Reasons to Be Pretty” probably takes the cake. Also, “Carnage” with its A-list cast has been selling out for its entire run, while the nameless “Reasons,” which has been regularly struggling to fill more than 25% of the Lyceum theater, could really use the boost a TONY win would give.
It’s a tough call, but I have to give my vote (and my prediction for the win) to “God of Carnage” – it’s a vicious, dark-but-hilarious crowd-pleaser that’s been breaking the bank, and that’s tough to beat. In terms of snubs, the not-bad-as-reviews-said “Impressionism” was, as expected, completely shut out. Also completely ignored in every single category: the thoroughly lame and familiar Holocaust porn “Irena’s” Vow.” Expect a closing notice within hours.
Best Musical
- Billy Elliot, The Musical
- Next to Normal
- Rock of Ages
- Shrek The Musical
Truth be told, I think this is the most pleased I’ve been with nominations in quite some time, akin to how I felt about the Oscars the year the Academy inexplicably removed their heads from their asses and nominated “There Will Be Blood” and “No Country for Old Men.” Anyway, we’re here to talk about theatre, so below, I’ll give my thoughts about the worthy nominees, not-so-worthy nominees, and egregious snubs (as well as the worthy snubs) contained within this morning’s TONY nomination announcements; considering the number of categories, I’ve just tackled the chief Play/Musical/Revival categories, as well as the acting ones:
Best Play
- Dividing the Estate
- God of Carnage
- Reasons to Be Pretty
- 33 Variations
Two great plays made the shortlist (“God of Carnage” and “Reasons to Be Pretty”) and two really good ones, so no complaints here. It’s tough to say who exactly I’d cast my vote for, as “God of Carnage” was easily my favorite experience at a play this season (I’ll confess, I’ve seen it thrice), but in terms of pure written word, “Reasons to Be Pretty” probably takes the cake. Also, “Carnage” with its A-list cast has been selling out for its entire run, while the nameless “Reasons,” which has been regularly struggling to fill more than 25% of the Lyceum theater, could really use the boost a TONY win would give.
It’s a tough call, but I have to give my vote (and my prediction for the win) to “God of Carnage” – it’s a vicious, dark-but-hilarious crowd-pleaser that’s been breaking the bank, and that’s tough to beat. In terms of snubs, the not-bad-as-reviews-said “Impressionism” was, as expected, completely shut out. Also completely ignored in every single category: the thoroughly lame and familiar Holocaust porn “Irena’s” Vow.” Expect a closing notice within hours.
Best Musical
- Billy Elliot, The Musical
- Next to Normal
- Rock of Ages
- Shrek The Musical
If you’re like all my musical-loving friends and pretty much everyone on the BroadwayWorld.com and Broadway.com message boards, you’re probably still having a conniption fit right now. The queer-beloved (Justin included) “9 to 5” was shockingly – and deservingly, if I might add – left off the nomination short list for Best Musical, in favor of the insanely fun (and loathed by theatre fags everywhere) “Rock of Ages.”
Frankly, this has been a pretty shitty season for original musicals, and in my purview, there were only two that even deserved mention in this category (“Next to Normal” and “[title of show]”), so the fact that one of them made it in is good enough for me. I have no great hate for “9 to 5,” but it was just a big, processed, candy-colored, minorly fun musical machine with lame jokes and no memorable songs, so I’m kind of happy that the nominating committee showed some balls and left it off.
I’ll try my best to ignore that they gave my most loathed musical of the season (the soul-sucking, movie-tarnishing, insincere, grossly sentimental “Billy Elliot”) a record-tying 15 nominations. “Shrek” was nothing special, but significantly more entertaining than it had any right to be, so I’m not mad about it’s nomination – not much else to say about it really. “Next to Normal,” for my money, is by far the best thing on Broadway right now – play or musical – and deserves any and all accolades brought to it.
Not only the only one of these nominees that’s genuinely emotionally resonant, and an actual piece of art, "Normal’s" just insanely compelling, brilliantly acted, and jam-packed with awesome, beautiful, iPod-worthy music to boot. Though it’s more of a dark horse in this race, taking a backseat to the touring-friendly “Billy,” I think one would be wise to seriously watch out for its chances, and even if it doesn’t end up winning, I think these 11 nominations could go a long way towards bringing people in and finally getting the word-of-mouth the show desperately needs out there.
As for “Rock of Ages,” well… no, this isn’t a “good” show. And I won’t lie, both times I’ve seen it, I went drunk – but for anyone with an affinity for ‘80s music, the show’s a sincere blast, and I know I had a fuck of a good time with it. I probably wouldn’t advise anyone pay $100 to see it ($26.50 orchestra lottery 90 minutes before curtain is the way to go), but if you do, it’s a good, fun, trashy, silly time at the theatre. It maybe doesn’t deserve the title of “TONY Nominee for Best Musical” that it’ll get to brandish years from now, but I’m kind of glad it’s in here – at the end of the day, I’d rather see it take the big prize than “Shrek” or “Billy.”
Best Revival of a Play
- Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
- Mary Stuart
- The Norman Conquests
- Waiting for Godot
This was always the category that was going to be a bloodbath. Where certain categories had a dearth of quality (see: Best Musical), this one had an embarrassment of riches. No matter who made it in, at the end of the day, there just had to be unfair productions getting the chop. I think it’s fucking ridiculous that there’s no mention of “The Seagull” or the brilliant “Exit the King” here, but it’s tough to argue with the choices.
Like I mentioned, I haven’t seen “Godot” yet, but “Mary Stuart” is terrific, and “Joe Turner” is one of the better productions of August Wilson I’ve ever seen. That said, the trilogy of “The Norman Conquests” deserves to win this (and probably will). The plays are right up my alley, both enormously sad and brilliantly funny – often within the same line of dialogue – and infinitely rewarding for anyone looking for either entertaining works or theatre with some meat on its bones. Frankly, I'm just grateful the wildly overrated "Blithe Spirit" was left off the short list.
Best Revival of a Musical
- Guys and Dolls
- Hair
- Pal Joey
- West Side Story
“Hair.” Nuff said. This is another shit-show of a category, with barely anything to choose from. “Guys and Dolls” was awful, and “Pal Joey” was mediocre (I’m being generous). “West Side Story” was a solid production, but hindered by a number of problems; chief among them, (a) an infinitely boring leading man in Matt Cavenagh, and (b) Sharks and Jets who looked like they might whip out the poppers and lube and start fucking each other at any moment. “Hair,” on the other hand, was perfection, making a show that’s often been ripped for being dated and a very specific product of its time period, into something wholly relevant and riveting. There’s really no other option here.
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
- Jeff Daniels, God of Carnage
- Raúl Esparza, Speed-the-Plow
- James Gandolfini, God of Carnage
- Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King
- Thomas Sadoski, Reasons to Be Pretty
You really couldn’t ask for a better group of nominees. While Gandolfini’s the only one here who I’d deem less than “excellent,” I still have no issue with his nomination (we’ll see how I feel after I see Bill Irwin in “Waiting for Godot” tomorrow). Esparza, Sadoski and Daniels did tremendous work, but at the end of the day, Rush gave one of the best performances I’ve ever had the pleasure to see on a stage, and it’d be borderline-criminal to give the award to anyone else.
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
- Hope Davis, God of Carnage
- Jane Fonda, 33 Variations
- Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage
- Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart
- Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart
“Irena’s Vow’s” lone shot at a TONY nomination, lead actress Tovah Feldshuh, was ignored here in favor of five glorious performances that I’m pleased as punch with getting recognized. I worried that Hope Davis’s work in “God of Carnage” would get overlooked in favor of the showier Gay Harden, and similarly I thought “Mary Stuart’s” Walter might get ignored in the shadow of the “bigger” performance by McTeer, but much to my delight, both women in each show were recognized here.
That said, I’d have to go with Harden or McTeer for the win here, with a slight edge to Harden. Not only is she a big star and Oscar-winner, she’s giving a performance completely unlike anything anyone has ever seen her do before in her film work, and seamlessly teeters from “big” to “small” moments, mixing humor and sadness, subtlety and grandiosity. I think she’s your winner.
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
- David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish – Billy Elliot, The Musical
- Gavin Creel, Hair
- Brian d’Arcy James, Shrek The Musical
- Constantine Maroulis, Rock of Ages
- J. Robert Spencer, Next to Normal
Ironically, Spencer replaced d’Arcy James (who played his part off-Broadway) in “Next to Normal,” and gives, without a doubt, the best performance among this group, though the scales are tipped a bit given that he’s the only one who has complex emotions to play – and man, what a voice. It helps that it’s kind of a weak category (also see: every single Musical-related category), but he really deserves to take this.
I’ll hold my tongue on the Billys, given the fan base. Creel is solid, if unspectacular, in the central role of the “Hair” ensemble, Claude, but his chances might be helped that he’s an extremely likable presence on and off-stage, and he’s a huge advocate for equal rights among the gay community. d’Arcy James is fine as the big green ogre, and Maroulis, well… I enjoy the show, but what the fuck is he doing here as a nominee?
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
- Stockard Channing, Pal Joey
- Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical
- Allison Janney, 9 to 5: The Musical
- Alice Ripley, Next to Normal
- Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story
Look, Alice Ripley gives one of the best musical performances of all time in “Next to Normal,” requiring an outpouring of emotion, subtlety and breathtaking singing, and she will without a doubt, absolutely no question, win this award, but I wish, just wish there was some actual competition for her to half to fend off to add some weight to the win, y’know? Channing, Janney and Scaglione were very good (while Foster gave yet another soulless, money-grubbing performance is a monster cash-machine of a show), but Ripley is going to take this in a cakewalk.
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
- John Glover, Waiting for Godot
- Zach Grenier, 33 Variations
- Stephen Mangan, The Norman Conquests
- Paul Ritter, The Norman Conquests
- Roger Robinson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
I’m glad to see the “Norman” guys here (Mangan’s ‘Norman’ in the trilogy, and Ritter is ‘Reg,’ for those curious), but I’m a little sad to see ‘Tom,’ a.k.a. Ben Miles – the best of the ensemble, in my opinion – left out in the cold here. Also unfairly ignored: Steven Pasquale as an asshole incarnate in “Reasons to Be Pretty.”
I had no real issue with Grenier (also known as Edward Norton’s boss in “Fight Club”) in “33 Variations,” but the only impression he really left on me was how much he shouted. Robinson’s terrific in “Joe Turner,” but I think I’d have to cast my vote for Ritter. Either way, someone from “Norman” should be winning this award.
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
- Hallie Foote, Dividing the Estate
- Jessica Hynes, The Norman Conquests
- Marin Ireland, Reasons to Be Pretty
- Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit
- Amanda Root, The Norman Conquests
Hallie Foote grated on some people in “Dividing the Estate,” but I loved her work, so I’m happy to see her recognized here. Same goes for the very, very good Ireland in “Reasons to Be Pretty,” who gets to deliver the centerpiece monologue of the play – all I’ll say is it takes place in the middle of a mall food court, and it’s worth the price of admission. Again, both the “Norman” ladies are fantastic, though I’d have to slightly tip the scales towards the supremely wonderful Amanda Root, who lent enormous shading to the abrasive prude Sarah.
In addition, it would've been nice to see Andrea Martin here for her broad-but-awesome work in "Exit the King." Either way none of this matters, because the award’s going to go, in a sentimental favorite nod, to Angela Lansbury. Look, we all love Lansbury, but come on, she has enough awards that we don’t need to reward her again for this fun, kooky performance that’s really nothing to write home about.
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
- David Bologna, Billy Elliot, The Musical
- Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot, The Musical
- Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5: The Musical
- Christopher Sieber, Shrek The Musical
- Will Swenson, Hair
Jbara and Kudisch do more with their roles than others might have, and I would have no issue if they took this award, but Sieber and Swenson each transcended the material with their portrayals as a midget king and the charismatic leader of a tribe of hippies, respectively. I’d be perfectly happy seeing either of them take this, though I have a feeling it’s Swenson’s for the taking – Berger has always been a crowd favorite. If only the staggeringly beautiful Aaron Tveit had been included for his stunning, nuanced work in “Next to Normal,” this might have been a real horserace.
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
- Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normal
- Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot, The Musical
- Karen Olivo, West Side Story
- Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey
- Carole Shelley, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Plimpton and Olivo both stole the respective shows in largely unmoving productions, and as a result, I think one of the two is going to be taking the win here. I’ll be totally fine with either scenario, but once again, truly best in the category is the one involved with “Next to Normal,” Jennifer Damiano. Turning a character who’s a sarcastic pain-in-the-ass on paper into the one we most identify with is no easy feat, but Damiano manages to turn Natalie into a full-fledged human being, truly a rarity for a musical. As you can see, I have trouble saying anything positive about “Billy Elliot,” but I admit Gwynne was pretty good – even so, Shelley’s nomination is an embarrassment.
Frankly, this has been a pretty shitty season for original musicals, and in my purview, there were only two that even deserved mention in this category (“Next to Normal” and “[title of show]”), so the fact that one of them made it in is good enough for me. I have no great hate for “9 to 5,” but it was just a big, processed, candy-colored, minorly fun musical machine with lame jokes and no memorable songs, so I’m kind of happy that the nominating committee showed some balls and left it off.
I’ll try my best to ignore that they gave my most loathed musical of the season (the soul-sucking, movie-tarnishing, insincere, grossly sentimental “Billy Elliot”) a record-tying 15 nominations. “Shrek” was nothing special, but significantly more entertaining than it had any right to be, so I’m not mad about it’s nomination – not much else to say about it really. “Next to Normal,” for my money, is by far the best thing on Broadway right now – play or musical – and deserves any and all accolades brought to it.
Not only the only one of these nominees that’s genuinely emotionally resonant, and an actual piece of art, "Normal’s" just insanely compelling, brilliantly acted, and jam-packed with awesome, beautiful, iPod-worthy music to boot. Though it’s more of a dark horse in this race, taking a backseat to the touring-friendly “Billy,” I think one would be wise to seriously watch out for its chances, and even if it doesn’t end up winning, I think these 11 nominations could go a long way towards bringing people in and finally getting the word-of-mouth the show desperately needs out there.
As for “Rock of Ages,” well… no, this isn’t a “good” show. And I won’t lie, both times I’ve seen it, I went drunk – but for anyone with an affinity for ‘80s music, the show’s a sincere blast, and I know I had a fuck of a good time with it. I probably wouldn’t advise anyone pay $100 to see it ($26.50 orchestra lottery 90 minutes before curtain is the way to go), but if you do, it’s a good, fun, trashy, silly time at the theatre. It maybe doesn’t deserve the title of “TONY Nominee for Best Musical” that it’ll get to brandish years from now, but I’m kind of glad it’s in here – at the end of the day, I’d rather see it take the big prize than “Shrek” or “Billy.”
Best Revival of a Play
- Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
- Mary Stuart
- The Norman Conquests
- Waiting for Godot
This was always the category that was going to be a bloodbath. Where certain categories had a dearth of quality (see: Best Musical), this one had an embarrassment of riches. No matter who made it in, at the end of the day, there just had to be unfair productions getting the chop. I think it’s fucking ridiculous that there’s no mention of “The Seagull” or the brilliant “Exit the King” here, but it’s tough to argue with the choices.
Like I mentioned, I haven’t seen “Godot” yet, but “Mary Stuart” is terrific, and “Joe Turner” is one of the better productions of August Wilson I’ve ever seen. That said, the trilogy of “The Norman Conquests” deserves to win this (and probably will). The plays are right up my alley, both enormously sad and brilliantly funny – often within the same line of dialogue – and infinitely rewarding for anyone looking for either entertaining works or theatre with some meat on its bones. Frankly, I'm just grateful the wildly overrated "Blithe Spirit" was left off the short list.
Best Revival of a Musical
- Guys and Dolls
- Hair
- Pal Joey
- West Side Story
“Hair.” Nuff said. This is another shit-show of a category, with barely anything to choose from. “Guys and Dolls” was awful, and “Pal Joey” was mediocre (I’m being generous). “West Side Story” was a solid production, but hindered by a number of problems; chief among them, (a) an infinitely boring leading man in Matt Cavenagh, and (b) Sharks and Jets who looked like they might whip out the poppers and lube and start fucking each other at any moment. “Hair,” on the other hand, was perfection, making a show that’s often been ripped for being dated and a very specific product of its time period, into something wholly relevant and riveting. There’s really no other option here.
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
- Jeff Daniels, God of Carnage
- Raúl Esparza, Speed-the-Plow
- James Gandolfini, God of Carnage
- Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King
- Thomas Sadoski, Reasons to Be Pretty
You really couldn’t ask for a better group of nominees. While Gandolfini’s the only one here who I’d deem less than “excellent,” I still have no issue with his nomination (we’ll see how I feel after I see Bill Irwin in “Waiting for Godot” tomorrow). Esparza, Sadoski and Daniels did tremendous work, but at the end of the day, Rush gave one of the best performances I’ve ever had the pleasure to see on a stage, and it’d be borderline-criminal to give the award to anyone else.
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
- Hope Davis, God of Carnage
- Jane Fonda, 33 Variations
- Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage
- Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart
- Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart
“Irena’s Vow’s” lone shot at a TONY nomination, lead actress Tovah Feldshuh, was ignored here in favor of five glorious performances that I’m pleased as punch with getting recognized. I worried that Hope Davis’s work in “God of Carnage” would get overlooked in favor of the showier Gay Harden, and similarly I thought “Mary Stuart’s” Walter might get ignored in the shadow of the “bigger” performance by McTeer, but much to my delight, both women in each show were recognized here.
That said, I’d have to go with Harden or McTeer for the win here, with a slight edge to Harden. Not only is she a big star and Oscar-winner, she’s giving a performance completely unlike anything anyone has ever seen her do before in her film work, and seamlessly teeters from “big” to “small” moments, mixing humor and sadness, subtlety and grandiosity. I think she’s your winner.
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
- David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish – Billy Elliot, The Musical
- Gavin Creel, Hair
- Brian d’Arcy James, Shrek The Musical
- Constantine Maroulis, Rock of Ages
- J. Robert Spencer, Next to Normal
Ironically, Spencer replaced d’Arcy James (who played his part off-Broadway) in “Next to Normal,” and gives, without a doubt, the best performance among this group, though the scales are tipped a bit given that he’s the only one who has complex emotions to play – and man, what a voice. It helps that it’s kind of a weak category (also see: every single Musical-related category), but he really deserves to take this.
I’ll hold my tongue on the Billys, given the fan base. Creel is solid, if unspectacular, in the central role of the “Hair” ensemble, Claude, but his chances might be helped that he’s an extremely likable presence on and off-stage, and he’s a huge advocate for equal rights among the gay community. d’Arcy James is fine as the big green ogre, and Maroulis, well… I enjoy the show, but what the fuck is he doing here as a nominee?
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
- Stockard Channing, Pal Joey
- Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical
- Allison Janney, 9 to 5: The Musical
- Alice Ripley, Next to Normal
- Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story
Look, Alice Ripley gives one of the best musical performances of all time in “Next to Normal,” requiring an outpouring of emotion, subtlety and breathtaking singing, and she will without a doubt, absolutely no question, win this award, but I wish, just wish there was some actual competition for her to half to fend off to add some weight to the win, y’know? Channing, Janney and Scaglione were very good (while Foster gave yet another soulless, money-grubbing performance is a monster cash-machine of a show), but Ripley is going to take this in a cakewalk.
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
- John Glover, Waiting for Godot
- Zach Grenier, 33 Variations
- Stephen Mangan, The Norman Conquests
- Paul Ritter, The Norman Conquests
- Roger Robinson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
I’m glad to see the “Norman” guys here (Mangan’s ‘Norman’ in the trilogy, and Ritter is ‘Reg,’ for those curious), but I’m a little sad to see ‘Tom,’ a.k.a. Ben Miles – the best of the ensemble, in my opinion – left out in the cold here. Also unfairly ignored: Steven Pasquale as an asshole incarnate in “Reasons to Be Pretty.”
I had no real issue with Grenier (also known as Edward Norton’s boss in “Fight Club”) in “33 Variations,” but the only impression he really left on me was how much he shouted. Robinson’s terrific in “Joe Turner,” but I think I’d have to cast my vote for Ritter. Either way, someone from “Norman” should be winning this award.
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
- Hallie Foote, Dividing the Estate
- Jessica Hynes, The Norman Conquests
- Marin Ireland, Reasons to Be Pretty
- Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit
- Amanda Root, The Norman Conquests
Hallie Foote grated on some people in “Dividing the Estate,” but I loved her work, so I’m happy to see her recognized here. Same goes for the very, very good Ireland in “Reasons to Be Pretty,” who gets to deliver the centerpiece monologue of the play – all I’ll say is it takes place in the middle of a mall food court, and it’s worth the price of admission. Again, both the “Norman” ladies are fantastic, though I’d have to slightly tip the scales towards the supremely wonderful Amanda Root, who lent enormous shading to the abrasive prude Sarah.
In addition, it would've been nice to see Andrea Martin here for her broad-but-awesome work in "Exit the King." Either way none of this matters, because the award’s going to go, in a sentimental favorite nod, to Angela Lansbury. Look, we all love Lansbury, but come on, she has enough awards that we don’t need to reward her again for this fun, kooky performance that’s really nothing to write home about.
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
- David Bologna, Billy Elliot, The Musical
- Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot, The Musical
- Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5: The Musical
- Christopher Sieber, Shrek The Musical
- Will Swenson, Hair
Jbara and Kudisch do more with their roles than others might have, and I would have no issue if they took this award, but Sieber and Swenson each transcended the material with their portrayals as a midget king and the charismatic leader of a tribe of hippies, respectively. I’d be perfectly happy seeing either of them take this, though I have a feeling it’s Swenson’s for the taking – Berger has always been a crowd favorite. If only the staggeringly beautiful Aaron Tveit had been included for his stunning, nuanced work in “Next to Normal,” this might have been a real horserace.
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
- Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normal
- Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot, The Musical
- Karen Olivo, West Side Story
- Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey
- Carole Shelley, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Plimpton and Olivo both stole the respective shows in largely unmoving productions, and as a result, I think one of the two is going to be taking the win here. I’ll be totally fine with either scenario, but once again, truly best in the category is the one involved with “Next to Normal,” Jennifer Damiano. Turning a character who’s a sarcastic pain-in-the-ass on paper into the one we most identify with is no easy feat, but Damiano manages to turn Natalie into a full-fledged human being, truly a rarity for a musical. As you can see, I have trouble saying anything positive about “Billy Elliot,” but I admit Gwynne was pretty good – even so, Shelley’s nomination is an embarrassment.
Hooked on Hulu
As anyone who has been to my apartment knows, I am a bit of a media whore. Giant, flat screen TV. Surround sound. Wii and Playstation 3. And as anyone who knows me even a little bit knows, I am almost always going out, and rarely home to enjoy any of the media I am constantly purchasing.
For people like me, a site named Hulu came into being. Unfortunately, I don't have time to watch television on Hulu, either. I'm too busy blogging, Facebooking, flirting and sometimes (sometimes!) working.
BUT that doesn't stop me from immensely enjoying the Hulu aliens campaign brought to us by those genius men, Crispin, Porter and Bogusky. Is there any ad campaign they do that DOESN'T rock? Well, yeah I guess the creepy, back-from-the-tomb Orville Reddenbacher was a bomb.
I'm sure you've seen some of them... but I doubt you've seen all of them! The conceit is simple: celebrities are aliens that have invaded the earth. They brought with them Hulu to soften our brains so that they can harvest and eat them. AKA: Totally ridiculous, but turned into gold with some real star power!
The newest one featuring Denis Leary is gold - "Bliggety Blogs, Facey-Spaceys, and TweetiePages!" Loves it.
And a side note, is that a stunt belly on Seth MacFarlane? If not... dag yo, he's kinda cute!
Denis Leary and his finger flagellum!
Seth MacFarlane and his alien belly baby!
Eliza Dushku and her lizard tongue!
Tentacled Alec Baldwin!
Monday, May 4, 2009
At Long Last, An Awards Show Where Bruce Springsteen competes with Hannah Montana...
Okay, truth be told, I’ve never been a huge MTV watcher, even when I was in their prime demographic (I occasionally partook in “Beavis & Butt-head,” but that was it), but I always make it a point to watch their annual Movie Awards. I do this because:
(a) I like wallowing in nostalgia for things emblematic of my youth -- oh, how I long for those days of Mike Myers hosting,
(b) I try to keep up-to-speed on what the younger, dumber generation enjoys, and
(c) rarely, oh so rarely – and usually dependent upon the host – they’re kind of entertaining or amusing.
But I’m generally dumbfounded by the nominations for said awards that were announced via MTV press release this morning. For the nominations to simply be a shit-show of laughter-inducing, quality-bereft trash would be expected, but something a bit more stupefying was on display this time around. I’m not saying foul play is necessarily at work, but something was definitely fishy in tween town.
WTF #1: I totally get/appreciate that these are for the MTV generation, and aren’t expected to epitomize the “best” of cinema, but I thought at least they were supposed to be things that were popular, right? Nominations like “Twilight” for Best Movie and Vin Diesel in “Fast & Furious” as Best Male Performance – these I understand, they make sense to me. But Anne Hathaway for Best Female Performance in “Bride Wars”? Did anybody (besides me) even fucking see “Bride Wars”?
Johnathon Schaech for “Prom Night”? While I know who Schaech is, thanks my dorky affinity for the 1996 forgotten gem “That Thing You Do!” and 1998 camp classic “Hush” with Jessica Lange and Gwyneth Paltrow (check it out immediately if you haven’t seen it), I highly doubt the ADD-inflicted tweens who vote for these awards know who he is or even remember “Prom Night” – which came out well over a year ago (decades in MTV-years) – let alone actually cast their votes for him.
WTF #2: 5 nominations for “High School Musical 3”? I’m sorry, I know these demographics are getting younger and younger as time goes on, but is MTV chiefly watched by 8-year-olds nowadays? I’d expect acclaim for shit like “Wanted” (3 nominations), “The Dark Knight” (4 nominations) and “Twilight” (7 nominations), but what’s the deal with the love for single-digits-targeting swill like “HSM3” and “Hannah Montana: The Movie”?
And all this sharing space with nominations like Kate Winslet for Best Female Performance in “The Reader” and 6 nominations for Oscar-beloved “Slumdog Millionaire”? While “Slumdog” was pandering and simplistic enough that I guess that it kind of makes sense that this crowd would like it, I find it a bit hard to swallow that kids putting up Zac Efron and Hannah Montana for awards actually sat through Stephen Daldry’s chilly, Nazi-sympathizing adaptation of Bernhard Schlink’s Holocaust drama.
I mean, some of these nominations are kind of cool/worthy (my props to MTV’s props for Robert Downey, Jr., Anna Faris, Amy Poehler, James Franco and Bruce Springsteen), but something like “Milk” being relegated to the ‘Best Kiss’ category? Way to continue that annual tradition of ‘two boys kissing is naturally funny, so we gotta include them in the clip reel’ that’s been going on since these awards started. Kudos.
I’m not saying that these bullshit, irrelevant awards are necessarily corrupt, but at the least, these nominations pose some interesting questions: Who exactly belongs to ‘The MTV Generation’ in 2009? What do these awards say about that generation, if anything? Are these actually the favorites of said generation, or just people that are presenting awards and/or agreed to show up? Does MTV/Viacom just need to portion out the nods to different film studios to create beneficial business relationships with all of them in the future? What do you think?
But at the end of the day, the real important question is this: who truly gave the Best Male Performance of the year: Zac Efron or Vin Diesel?
(a) I like wallowing in nostalgia for things emblematic of my youth -- oh, how I long for those days of Mike Myers hosting,
(b) I try to keep up-to-speed on what the younger, dumber generation enjoys, and
(c) rarely, oh so rarely – and usually dependent upon the host – they’re kind of entertaining or amusing.
But I’m generally dumbfounded by the nominations for said awards that were announced via MTV press release this morning. For the nominations to simply be a shit-show of laughter-inducing, quality-bereft trash would be expected, but something a bit more stupefying was on display this time around. I’m not saying foul play is necessarily at work, but something was definitely fishy in tween town.
WTF #1: I totally get/appreciate that these are for the MTV generation, and aren’t expected to epitomize the “best” of cinema, but I thought at least they were supposed to be things that were popular, right? Nominations like “Twilight” for Best Movie and Vin Diesel in “Fast & Furious” as Best Male Performance – these I understand, they make sense to me. But Anne Hathaway for Best Female Performance in “Bride Wars”? Did anybody (besides me) even fucking see “Bride Wars”?
Johnathon Schaech for “Prom Night”? While I know who Schaech is, thanks my dorky affinity for the 1996 forgotten gem “That Thing You Do!” and 1998 camp classic “Hush” with Jessica Lange and Gwyneth Paltrow (check it out immediately if you haven’t seen it), I highly doubt the ADD-inflicted tweens who vote for these awards know who he is or even remember “Prom Night” – which came out well over a year ago (decades in MTV-years) – let alone actually cast their votes for him.
WTF #2: 5 nominations for “High School Musical 3”? I’m sorry, I know these demographics are getting younger and younger as time goes on, but is MTV chiefly watched by 8-year-olds nowadays? I’d expect acclaim for shit like “Wanted” (3 nominations), “The Dark Knight” (4 nominations) and “Twilight” (7 nominations), but what’s the deal with the love for single-digits-targeting swill like “HSM3” and “Hannah Montana: The Movie”?
And all this sharing space with nominations like Kate Winslet for Best Female Performance in “The Reader” and 6 nominations for Oscar-beloved “Slumdog Millionaire”? While “Slumdog” was pandering and simplistic enough that I guess that it kind of makes sense that this crowd would like it, I find it a bit hard to swallow that kids putting up Zac Efron and Hannah Montana for awards actually sat through Stephen Daldry’s chilly, Nazi-sympathizing adaptation of Bernhard Schlink’s Holocaust drama.
I mean, some of these nominations are kind of cool/worthy (my props to MTV’s props for Robert Downey, Jr., Anna Faris, Amy Poehler, James Franco and Bruce Springsteen), but something like “Milk” being relegated to the ‘Best Kiss’ category? Way to continue that annual tradition of ‘two boys kissing is naturally funny, so we gotta include them in the clip reel’ that’s been going on since these awards started. Kudos.
I’m not saying that these bullshit, irrelevant awards are necessarily corrupt, but at the least, these nominations pose some interesting questions: Who exactly belongs to ‘The MTV Generation’ in 2009? What do these awards say about that generation, if anything? Are these actually the favorites of said generation, or just people that are presenting awards and/or agreed to show up? Does MTV/Viacom just need to portion out the nods to different film studios to create beneficial business relationships with all of them in the future? What do you think?
But at the end of the day, the real important question is this: who truly gave the Best Male Performance of the year: Zac Efron or Vin Diesel?
Here I Go Again On My Own
Welcome to the jungle, folks, I’m Rob. While I might not have fun and games for you, I’ve got bitchy, rambling musings on film, theatre and stupid people at large, and I hope I do well by Justin’s example and worm my way into the bottoms of your hearts (or at least, the heart of your bottoms).
I try to catch everything that I can in both categories – before the week is out, you’ll likely hear my thoughts on the Tribeca Film Festival, the TONY Awards and summer movies – but what’s important to know about me is that I don’t tend to subscribe towards high-brow or low-brow fare.
I see/enjoy all sorts of shtuff, and try to deal with art on its own level (i.e. I dug on both “Next to Normal” and “Rock of Ages,” and think “Synecdoche, New York”and “Rachel Getting Married” are just as valid/worthy works of cinema as “The First Wives Club,” “Slither” and “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion”).
Some folks tend to JUST like pretentious, arty shit, others just like quirky Fox Searchlight-distributed love stories, while a certain type can’t watch anything without the presence of Seth Rogen or Paul Rudd (both of whom I love incidentally) – and frankly, that’s fine. Not everything’s for everybody. But if we’re going to be spending time with each other this week, it’s best that you know I’m coming from a place of “It’s all good with me, as long as it ain’t shit.”
For example, I bristle when I say I hated something like “He’s Just Not That Into You,” and the response I get from a fan of it is “well, it’s not going to win any Oscars, but…” Well, frankly, FUCK that logic. Fuck it right in the ear. I don’t expect everything I see to be a fucking Oscar-winner (and how much credibility that even imply anyway?) I don’t expect everything I see to subscribe to the same standards or taste/tone/etc., or to be something David Denby, Manohla Dargis and Armond White will all agree is a masterwork of film (for those who care, my favorite things I’ve seen this year so far are “Coraline,” “Anvil! The Story of Anvil,” “Observe and Report,” “Tyson,” “Duplicity” and “Crank: High Voltage”).
That gay movie Justin posted a trailer to looks akin to enduring swine flu, but when I get a chance to see it, I’ll do so, and deal with it on its own level. I won’t be expecting high art, or something on the same level as a true story about a retarded, schizophrenic homeless man learning to play the violin.
I don’t hate “He’s Just Not That Into You” because it’s a sentimental chick flick (I fucking love “Terms of Endearment,” “In Her Shoes,” “Love Actually,” the list goes on), but because it’s endlessly fucking lame, insulting, pandering horseshit that makes women, men, gays and dogs all look like awful, uninteresting people who deserve to be blowtorched.
But that’s just me.
I try to catch everything that I can in both categories – before the week is out, you’ll likely hear my thoughts on the Tribeca Film Festival, the TONY Awards and summer movies – but what’s important to know about me is that I don’t tend to subscribe towards high-brow or low-brow fare.
I see/enjoy all sorts of shtuff, and try to deal with art on its own level (i.e. I dug on both “Next to Normal” and “Rock of Ages,” and think “Synecdoche, New York”and “Rachel Getting Married” are just as valid/worthy works of cinema as “The First Wives Club,” “Slither” and “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion”).
Some folks tend to JUST like pretentious, arty shit, others just like quirky Fox Searchlight-distributed love stories, while a certain type can’t watch anything without the presence of Seth Rogen or Paul Rudd (both of whom I love incidentally) – and frankly, that’s fine. Not everything’s for everybody. But if we’re going to be spending time with each other this week, it’s best that you know I’m coming from a place of “It’s all good with me, as long as it ain’t shit.”
For example, I bristle when I say I hated something like “He’s Just Not That Into You,” and the response I get from a fan of it is “well, it’s not going to win any Oscars, but…” Well, frankly, FUCK that logic. Fuck it right in the ear. I don’t expect everything I see to be a fucking Oscar-winner (and how much credibility that even imply anyway?) I don’t expect everything I see to subscribe to the same standards or taste/tone/etc., or to be something David Denby, Manohla Dargis and Armond White will all agree is a masterwork of film (for those who care, my favorite things I’ve seen this year so far are “Coraline,” “Anvil! The Story of Anvil,” “Observe and Report,” “Tyson,” “Duplicity” and “Crank: High Voltage”).
That gay movie Justin posted a trailer to looks akin to enduring swine flu, but when I get a chance to see it, I’ll do so, and deal with it on its own level. I won’t be expecting high art, or something on the same level as a true story about a retarded, schizophrenic homeless man learning to play the violin.
I don’t hate “He’s Just Not That Into You” because it’s a sentimental chick flick (I fucking love “Terms of Endearment,” “In Her Shoes,” “Love Actually,” the list goes on), but because it’s endlessly fucking lame, insulting, pandering horseshit that makes women, men, gays and dogs all look like awful, uninteresting people who deserve to be blowtorched.
But that’s just me.
My Other Car is a Gay British Gangsta
Well, since this week's Plus One, Rob Scheer, is a big film buff - and he's a lil busy right now, I figured I'd slip in a movie post of my own. One that he will surely eviscerate me for later.
Now, I know I fall into the same trap every damn time. I see hot guys, near naked, doing sexy things to each other and IMMEDIATELY I must see the movie. It happened to me with Were The World Mine (shudder) and countless other times I don't wish to recall. And then the movie sucks beyond belief. Causing me to swear up and down that I won't fall for the same nipple and nutsack trickery.
... But then I do this again. I have to admit that I am definitely going to see SHANK.
Not enough for ya? Here's a longer version of the trailer:
There's also tons more video footage over at SHANK's official YouTube channel.
Oh, and I guess we should want to know what the movie is about, besides hairless hotties kissing each other's torsos:
Cal, an 18 year old Scally lad and gang member has nothing in his life except drugs, sex, random acts of violence and a secret that he keeps hidden from his mates. An online hook up for sex with a stranger, Scott (36), temporarily satisfies but fails to dampen his unspoken desires for his best mate, Jonno. Nessa, their twisted, foul-mouthed and controlling, de facto gang leader, suspects that there is something going on between them but she can't put her finger on it. Jonno, putty in Nessa'a hands, can't express his own deep rooted and unrequited attachment to Cal. Manipulating situations that bring her closer to having her suspicions confirmed, Nessa sets out about dividing loyalties and encouraging conflict.Blah blah whatever. So hot gangsters fucking each other. Drama ensues. That works.
For no good reason an innocent student, Olivier (19), falls victim to one of her plans and is mugged on her orders by the gang. Cal steps in to restrain them and creates a distraction allowing Olivier to run free. Ignoring Nessa's screams of contempt, he chases after him and offers him a lift by way of an apology. Fearing that the fall-out from Nessa for his actions will be harsh, Cal persuades Olivier to help him out. Seizing the moral high ground and sensing that there was something more to Cal's good samaritan act, Olivier allows Cal to stay with him for a few days.
Acting on his own attraction to Cal, Olivier seduces him and in doing so, exposes Cal to new emotions and a tenderness that he has never experienced before. Very soon they are overtaken by the embrace of the first flush of love.
HOWEVER - one potentially awesome bit. According to the kind folks over at Queerty, the director, Simon Pearce is 21. Good for him! That's super impressive. When I was 21 I was getting tricked by sexy shirtless guys into renting bad international gay movies that ended up sucking... much like this one might.
Now, I am not one who often steals things from others (lies, I even stole that lie from someone, I think). But I think Queerty put it best when they said:
"It's got all the proper elements for a decent film — love, sex, violence — which are also the right elements for a campy piece of garbage. You decide."I WILL decide. And I will do so without letting the hairless torsos and pert nipples and... Jesus. When can I buy my ticket already!?
See y'all at the Quad, I guess!
Meet Rob Scheer!
And so we bid last week's Plus One, Jason Schorr a fond farewell and jet back across the continent to NYC. (Did you miss last week's posts? Get it all in one post right here.)Our next stop is Hell's Kitchen, specifically, and there resides our next Plus One - Rob Scheer. A good buddy of mine (online AND off) Rob is a totes cute and extremely highly opinionated gay dude who can talk your head off about any movie or Broadway show (we've almost come to fists over 9 to 5 already... hopefully the fight won't continue on this blog).
So please, welcome Rob to Justin Plus One! It's another exciting week coming up... what with Tony noms and all of that stuff. So expect plenty of discourse, and maybe a few cat fights if you're lucky!
xoJR
My Name:
Rob Scheer
My Location:
New York, NY (Hell’s Kitchen)
My Site/ Sites:
DList
What I might post about:
I have no set agenda, but potentially: Summer Movies, “Next to Normal,” The TONY Award nominations, Gael Garcia Bernal, “The First Wives Club,” Robert Downey Jr., “Rock of Ages,” Recap of stuff I saw at Tribeca Film Festival, Drunken Shenanigans in the East Village, “30 Rock,” swine flu
What I love:
The Coen Brothers, Theatre, Golden Grahams, Gael Garcia Bernal, “Billy Elliot” (the film), James McAvoy, classic rock, Robert Downey Jr., Reading in the summer, Rainy evenings with Chinese food, Meryl Streep, Keith Olbermann, snuggling and DVDs, Zac Efron when he’s staring vacantly and looking pretty, Bill Murray, “Coraline,” Jane Krakowski, Paul Thomas Anderson, that cover of Details magazine with Daniel Radcliffe
What I hate:
Religion, People with better bodies than me who insist on taking off their shirt and/or wearing the tightest clothes known to man, Scarlett Johansson, “Billy Elliot: The Musical,” Renee Zellweger, the 50th street A/C/E stop, Perez Hilton, Zac Efron when he’s speaking, The Da Vinci Code
My Last Word:
I’m a Democrat film obsessive who's in a relationship and has somewhat of a surly demeanor on most days. I was born without the benefit of (a) fashion sense, (b) a sense of rhythm, or (c) style. I’m truly not an asshole to anybody for no reason, but I don’t respond well to arrogance, self-importance, unprompted nastiness or confrontational Conservative rhetoric. But at the end of the day, get me talking about movies or theatre, and I'll ramble for a good 15 minutes (and won't berate you if you disagree with me!). Oh, an d I'm not good at giving paragraph-long encapsulations of myself.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
This Just In - April 27-May 1
Just in case you actually had a life this week - what with Swine Flu and gay marriages and anti hate crime legislation and retiring Supreme Court judges and all... here's this week's This Just In to catch you up on what went down this week on Justin Plus One!
MONDAY
This week we welcomed brand new Plus One, Jason Shorr an artist with Disney Dreams living out on the West Coast. And in his hello post, Jason let us know that he's a huge spotlight hog. I then told Jason that he wouldn't have the spotlight this week, because pigs were all the rage... what with the Swine Flu chaos ensuing. I even included some classic videos of Swine Flu fear ads.
I then posted MORE on spotlight hogging, giving some major pimpage to my blog buddy Lucas and his now-running play, VGL 5'4" Top (I'm going tonight, you should too!) And at the end of the night, Jason let us know - in spotlight stealing fashion - exactly who men are.
TUESDAY
I kicked the day off introducing you to two funny/sexy new sites - guyswithipods.com and textsfromlastnight.com. Jason chimed in cautioning us to be careful because a cock pic is forever. And, speaking of porno, I brought back an old Livejournal tradition of mine - the Hump Day Sex Poll (yes, even though it wasn't Hump Day).
And finally Jason closed out the night showing us a hilarious clip featuring Julia Roberts, and showed us the art he'd be showing that night at his show.
WEDNESDAY
Still with porn on my brain, I started the day with two further cautionary tales of porn stars getting professionally fucked for what they did.
Jason then moved the conversation from less porn to more art. Porn then gave way to massive gay celebration as I caught us up on gay marriage rulings, and a horrible woman named Virginia Foxx from North Carolina. Jason, as overjoyed as I, continued the celebration.
THURSDAY
More good gay news! Straight from Justin, of course. Jason, fresh from his first Rufus Wainwright concert gave us the review and recap. And, upon hearing that Rufus had grown a beard, I went ahead and railed against facial hair in general.
Blasting through my rant, Jason informed us of International Male's Big Gay Kiss competition, where you can make $10,000 for video recording your making out with another guy.
FRIDAY
On Friday morning I gave my fawning review of Next to Normal, the Musical. And Jason gave us the (slightly delayed) update on his first ever art show. And then, as quick as ever, and as every Plus One before him, Jason Shorr bid us his fond farewell.
Thanks for coming by this week, Jason - I had such a blast! And if you came by to read Jason's posts this week, I hope you enjoyed them!
xoJR
MONDAY
This week we welcomed brand new Plus One, Jason Shorr an artist with Disney Dreams living out on the West Coast. And in his hello post, Jason let us know that he's a huge spotlight hog. I then told Jason that he wouldn't have the spotlight this week, because pigs were all the rage... what with the Swine Flu chaos ensuing. I even included some classic videos of Swine Flu fear ads.
I then posted MORE on spotlight hogging, giving some major pimpage to my blog buddy Lucas and his now-running play, VGL 5'4" Top (I'm going tonight, you should too!) And at the end of the night, Jason let us know - in spotlight stealing fashion - exactly who men are.
TUESDAY
I kicked the day off introducing you to two funny/sexy new sites - guyswithipods.com and textsfromlastnight.com. Jason chimed in cautioning us to be careful because a cock pic is forever. And, speaking of porno, I brought back an old Livejournal tradition of mine - the Hump Day Sex Poll (yes, even though it wasn't Hump Day).
And finally Jason closed out the night showing us a hilarious clip featuring Julia Roberts, and showed us the art he'd be showing that night at his show.
WEDNESDAY
Still with porn on my brain, I started the day with two further cautionary tales of porn stars getting professionally fucked for what they did.
Jason then moved the conversation from less porn to more art. Porn then gave way to massive gay celebration as I caught us up on gay marriage rulings, and a horrible woman named Virginia Foxx from North Carolina. Jason, as overjoyed as I, continued the celebration.
THURSDAY
More good gay news! Straight from Justin, of course. Jason, fresh from his first Rufus Wainwright concert gave us the review and recap. And, upon hearing that Rufus had grown a beard, I went ahead and railed against facial hair in general.
Blasting through my rant, Jason informed us of International Male's Big Gay Kiss competition, where you can make $10,000 for video recording your making out with another guy.
FRIDAY
On Friday morning I gave my fawning review of Next to Normal, the Musical. And Jason gave us the (slightly delayed) update on his first ever art show. And then, as quick as ever, and as every Plus One before him, Jason Shorr bid us his fond farewell.
Thanks for coming by this week, Jason - I had such a blast! And if you came by to read Jason's posts this week, I hope you enjoyed them!
xoJR
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