American Idol Scraping the Bottom of the Barrel?

Is American Idol scraping the bottom of the barrel for Season 8? I have avidly watched all the try-out shows, Hollywood Week and even the first two groups (plus the cuts). I have been amazed at how poor the over-all talent is this year! What happened American Idol? Please tell us.

There are many in group 1 and group 2 of American Idol that I don’t even remember. I’ve seen their clips. Then I’m still left sitting in front of the television asking: “Were they in the tryout American Idol episodes? Were they in the American Idol Hollywood Week episodes?”

I am very disappointed. Last year and in previous seasons of American Idol, I remembered a lot of the contestants when it came time to see the actual show performances. This year, I’m left scratching my head.

In previous seasons of American Idol, I was glued to my television. The first two groups have left me very unimpressed. I’ve gone and gotten popcorn. I’ve refilled my drinks. Why? Because the American Idol contestants this year are so bad and I’m not glued to the television like in previous seasons of American Idol.

So, I have to ask….. Is American Idol Season 8 scraping the bottom of the barrel?

What Dreams May Come Review

The movie, What Dreams May Come, is one of my favorites for movies. The movie, What Dreams May Come, has some incredible graphics in it. That is one of the things that I like so much about it. You will be amazed at how well the graphics and putting things together is done. It is so realistic, even though you know it’s not.

In this movie, Robin Williams plays the part of Chris Nielsen. He makes a journey that is guided by Cuba Gooding Jr., who plays the part of Albert Lewis. It is through this journey, Chris tries to save his wife from the after-life destination after she committed suicide.

You can learn alot about your own values, morals and even theological beliefs from the movie, What Dreams May Come. It is in this movie that many of my ideas were actually challenged.

Yet, if you just want to kick back and relax, What Dreams May Come is also good for that as well. You don’t have to literally sit back and think about all of it. It’s very entertaining and enjoyable just as a movie.

What Dreams May Come is 113 minutes and is rated PG-13 because of the death theme and some graphic images.

Yes Man Movie Review

The movie, Yes Man, is very uplifting and inspiring at the same time. Even though Jim Carrey makes this movie funny in many parts, it does have a serious theme. You will find that you are laughing a great deal through the movie, Yes Man.

Jim Carrey plays the role of Carl Allen. Carl is focused on the present. He is rather anti-social. His life is at a virtual stand-still. His friend from the past asks Carl to attend a seminar with him. It is free.

At first, Carl takes the ideas of the seminar too far. He says Yes to everything in his life. His friends take advantage of him in the movie, Yes Man. But then things eventually balance out. I won’t give away the ending to the movie and spoil it for you.

This is a great movie to watch. It teaches you about balance. However, it’s not an in your face type of movie. Yes Man, is even a movie that teens could learn from. You will be laughing and learning at the same time when you watch the movie, Yes Man, with Jim Carrey.

American Idol Season 8 Finishes Up Hollywood Week

American Idol Season 8 finishes up Hollywood week. Different from last year, there will be the top 36 contestants now instead of the top 24. For the show, they will perform in groups of 12. So you will have three groups performing during the first round of the actual show. The interesting thing is the first round is a mix of both girls and guys this year.

I personally was surprised at some of the contestants that actually survived Hollywood Week of American Idol Season 8. In group one you will find Tatiana Nicole Del Toro. Now this girl can sing. But, she is so full of drama! Did you see how she was after each of the rounds in Hollywood Week? Then when she actually made it to the American Idol Season 8 finals to move onto the show was even worse!

Casey Carlson was another female contestant that made it to the actual show for American Idol Season 8. She surprised me too because I don’t remember her from the tryouts or from anything in Hollywood week! Casey Carlson will be in group one as well.

One person to keep your eye on for American Idol Season 8 is going to be Nick Mitchell, aka Norman. Nick or Norman was a real character in the auditions. He was hilarious! The thing is that Nick or Norman can sing. This guy really has a voice. He loves to entertain. I personally think that he is the type of person that is needed for American Idol Season 8. People will turn on the show just to see how this guy is doing.

Nathaniel Marshall is yet another one to keep an eye on. He’s so dramatic about everything. He’s lived a hard life but come on now.. enough with the constant tears. He too has a really good voice and truly surprised me in auditions and in Hollywood week.

Danny Gokey made it through the auditions and came to Hollywood Week with his dearest and best friend. Gokey lost his wife not too long ago and almost didn’t come to the American Idol Season 8 auditions. He survived Hollywood Week and will be on the show for American Idol Season 8. However, his friend didn’t make it. Will Gokey be able to hold up to the pressure of being on the actual show for American Idol Season 8 without his dear friend with him?

Movie Review of Fireproof

Fireproof is a relationship based movie. The whole focus of Fireproof is the husband trying to save his marriage from ending in divorce. He’s a firefighter. Being a firefighter is where the name of the movie came from.

I noticed driving through town that several of the local churches are offering free showings of the movie, Fireproof. This is because Fireproof has a very strong religious theme to it for the permanency and the work that is required in a marriage. In fact, I heard about Fireproof from my teen daughter’s youth group minister.

The firefighter in the movie receives a book called, The Love Dare. It is a 40 day journey that he promises his father to take in order to save his marriage. In Fireproof, if the marriage is going to end, the father asks that the son at least give it 40 days and do everything that the book tells him to do. If in the end, the marriage is going to be a divorce then so be it. But at least try The Love Dare and give it a shot.

Fireproof was made by a religious organization. The acting is rather poor. However, the message in Fireproof is something that you definitely want to consider. The lessons from the Love Dare in Fireproof are very worthwhile for people to learn about and know about.

I give Fireproof 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Movie Chaos is Real Chaos

You might remember Jason Statham from the movie, The Transporter. He’s a very talented and riveting actor that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The movie Chaos is no exception to the thrill and adventure that you will go through watching this DVD. It is one of the best movies that I’ve personally seen Jason Statham star in recently.

Jason Statham is suspended from the police force because of a bad shooting on a bridge. Yet, a bank robber specifically requests that Jason Statham be brought back on the force to handle the hostage situation. In the movie Chaos, the bank robber brings up that in all chaos there is order.

One thing about the movie Chaos that you will discover is the Chaos theory. Not to give away the ending, this is definitely one movie that you will want to rent on DVD and watch. Be sure to have your snacks in hand though because you won’t be able to leave your sofa while watching Chaos.

My Sassy Girl (2008)

When I heard they were turning the Korean romantic comedy My Sassy Girl into an American movie, I had mixed feelings. First, I was excited because I highly enjoyed the Korean original. But I was also skeptical because it seems many Asian movies translated into an American version simply aren’t as good. Either way, I knew just had to see My Sassy Girl.

Bring It On’s Jesse Bradford and The Girl Next Door’s Elisha Cuthbert are Charlie Bello and Jordan Roark. Yann Samuell directs in what appears to be his American directorial debut. Victor Levin took on the task of crafting an English screenplay based on the original film’s screenplay by Jae-young Kwak. The story is based true stories Ho-sik Kim posted online before compiling the relationship woes into a novel.

My Sassy Girl is the tale of the first and last time Charlie Bello falls in love. From their initial meeting, trouble is the name of the game. Imagine an amorphous mass of dating disasters and you get an idea of the relationship between the young couple. Some mysterious force with the strength of gravity between two planets must be at play between Charlie and Jordan as the relationship truly makes no sense on the surface. Everything seems pitted against the two of them. Things suddenly come to a halt when the two write letters confessing their love for each other. Agreeing to meet a year later to read the love letters together, Charlie and Jordan go their separate ways.

I won’t ruin the end of the movie for you – whether they end up together or miss each other reading the letters by a day. You will just have to rent the movie to see how the story ends. There is, however, a strong message behind the romantic woes — a tale of destiny. We can’t sit and wait for destiny to happen, but we must build the bridges ourselves.

The film is certainly similar to its Korean counterpart. The storyline is the same, with a few details changed to make sense in a different culture. The intro matches that of the original movie, but in a less creepy sort of way. Whereas the Korean movie has an animated intro with weird babies suckling at their mothers’ breasts, the American movie shows a montage of events with bright, yet simple sets to illustrate Charlie’s life to this point.

It seems the only thing that doesn’t fully translate into the new movie is the humor. My Sassy Girl is touted as a romantic comedy, and the Korean version very much is. The mishaps are construed in a way to be charming. However, they lose some of the funny appeal in the new film. Not that the movie is a complete bore, it just seems somehow more tragic.

My Sassy Girl has a direct-to-DVD release in late August 2008. While I wouldn’t tell anyone to rush out to rent it, the movie is definitely worth picking up on a rainy day.

Schindler’s List

There have been numerous documentaries and dramatic productions focusing on the Holocaust, including a television mini-series which many consider to be the definitive work. As a result, in deciding to film Schindler’s List, director Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park) set an imposing task for himself. His vision needed to differ from that of the film makers who preceded him, yet the finished product had to remain faithful to the unforgettable images which represent the legacy of six million massacred Jews. Those who see this motion picture will witness Spielberg’s success.

The film opens in September of 1939 in Krakow, Poland, with the Jewish community under increasing pressure from the Nazis. Into this tumult comes Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a Nazi businessman interested in obtaining Jewish backing for a factory he wishes to build. He makes contact with Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley), an accountant, to arrange financial matters. For a while, there is no interest and nothing happens.

March 1941. The Krakow Jewish community has been forced to live in “the Ghetto”, where money no longer has any meaning. Several elders agree to invest in Schindler’s factory and the DEF (Deutsche Emailwarenfabrik) is born - a place where large quantities of pots are manufactured. To do the work, Schindler hires Jews (because they’re cheaper than Poles), and the German army becomes his biggest customer.

March 1943. Germany’s intentions towards the Jews are no longer a secret. The Ghetto is “liquidated”, with the survivors being herded into the Plaszow Forced Labor Camp. Many are executed, and still others are shipped away by train, never to return. During this time, Schindler has managed to ingratiate himself with the local commander, Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes), a Nazi who kills Jews for sport. Using his relationship with Goeth, Schindler begins to secretly campaign to help the Jews, saving men, women, and children from certain death.

Spielberg elected to film this motion picture in black-and-white, and it’s impossible to argue with his choice. Director of Photography Janusz Kaminski has made effective use of shadow and light, meticulously limiting the application of hue. The opening scene is in color, as is the closing sequence (which features the surviving “Schindler Jews”, each accompanied by the actor who played their character, placing a stone on their savior’s grave). There are also two instances when color is allowed to bleed into the blacks, whites, and grays. One little girl’s jacket appears red so that she stands out from the masses, and a pair of candles burn with orange flames. When color is used, it makes a point and an impression.

Schindler’s List gives us three major stories and a host of minor ones. First and foremost, it tells the tale of the Holocaust, presenting new images of old horrors. These are as ghastly and realistic as anything previously filmed, and Spielberg emphasizes the brutality of the situation by not pulling punches when it comes to gore. The blood, inky rather than crimson in stark black-and-white, fountains when men and women are shot in the head or through the neck.

The second story is that of Oskar Schindler, the Nazi businessman who saved 1200 Jews from death. Schindler starts out as a self-centered manufacturer, concerned only about making money. He hires Jews because they’re cheap, not because he likes them. But his perspective changes, and he risks losing everything to save as many lives as he can. His eventual lament that he couldn’t save more is heartbreaking.

The third story belongs to Amon Goeth, the Nazi commander of Krakow, a man who teeters on the brink of madness. Despite his intense hatred for Jews, he is inexplicably attracted to his Jewish housekeeper, Helen Hirsch (Embeth Davidtz). Disgusted by his feelings, he lashes out at her with a display of violence that is almost Scorsese-like in its blunt presentation. As written, Goeth could easily have become a conscienceless monster, but Spielberg works carefully to show unexpected depth and complexity to his character.

Often, the experiences of the minor characters provide the most lasting images. Helen’s story is memorable, as is the plight of young Danka Dresner and her mother as they strive to avoid death while staying together. There’s a Jewish couple that marries in the Plaszow camp, even though their chances of survival are dim, and a Rabbi who survives a close encounter with a Nazi gun.

Of course the Holocaust images are grim, but scenes of mass graves and exhumed bodies are not unique to Schindler’s List. While it’s impossible to deny their power, potentially more distubing are the instances of callous, individual murder. Spielberg doesn’t spare his audience when it comes to sudden violence or the dehumanizing factors involved in such events. After all, Jews were viewed as “vermin.” Schindler’s List is replete with moments like this.

The acting is uniformly excellent. Liam Neeson’s Schindler is shown in all his complexity, and his transformation is played with studied control. This is no sudden reversal of philosophy, but a matter of conscience that slowly dawns on the man. With a keen sense of Schindler’s character, Neeson depicts the metamorphosis from self-centered businessman to driven messiah.

Ben Kingsley, whose Gandhi transfixed audiences years ago, has the movie’s most understated role — one that he acts with simple sincerity. Equally as impressive is Embeth Davidtz, who snares the viewer’s attention during her limited screen time as Helen Hirsch, the object of Amon Goeth’s twisted affection. Speaking of Goeth, Ralph Fiennes stuns with his intricate, savage portrayal of the Nazi commander, a man fascinated by power and murder. Fiennes’ Goeth has the rare ability to both mesmerize and repulse, and this is a performance that will long be remembered.

Despite the grisly subject matter, this movie is essentially about uncovering a kernel of hope and dignity in the midst of a monstrous tragedy. The story of Oskar Schindler’s sacrifices for the Jews sets this apart from other Holocaust dramas. Uncompromising in its portrayal of good, evil, and all the shades in between, Schindler’s List offers a clear view of human nature laid bare: hatred, greed, lust, envy, anger, and, most important of all, empathy and love. Because this film touches us so deeply, the catharsis has a power that few — if any — other moments in film history can match. And that’s what establishes this as a transcendent motion picture experience.

verdict-must watch film

Jumbo

Another animation (a good one though) goes into the credit list of the Indian cinema. The movie Jumbo is about a fat, blue colored, young elephant named Jaiveer, who loves playing with frogs and is in his own dream world where there are loads of fun and fun around. Everything is happy around him but one thing disturbs Jumbo the most, that he is without a father. It was rumored that his father was a coward and had ran away from the elephant community. This is not well digested by Jumbo who decides to venture out in search of his father.

Jaiveer sets on a journey to the human camp close to the jungle. Unluckily he fails in his quest. On his way back home, he meets a pink, pretty eyed elephant Sonia (now every hero however fat and round deserves to have a heroine right?). Sonia, who by the way despises being called Pinky accompanies Jumbo back home only to find his mother gone. So the friendly Sonia takes the crestfallen Jumbo to her home - a village full of good humans.

Jaiveer sets his journey to the human camp, close to the jungle. Unfortunately he fails in his motive. On his way back, he meets a pink, pretty girl elephant, Sonia and he falls for her. This was quite obvious because our Bollywood films are incomplete without heroines, you see (and we are proud of it).

So, Jumbo and Sonia come back and find that his mother is gone. So Sonia, who also starts developing feelings for Jumbo takes him to her home - a village full of good humans.

OM SHANTI OM

Om Prakash Makhija (Shahrukh Khan) is a junior artist in the 1970s film industry. He and his friend Pappu (Shreyas Talpade) are trying to succeed in the film industry. Om’s mother, Bela Makhija (Kirron Kher), inspires and encourages her son to become a success. He dreams of becoming a ‘hero’ one day on the big screen. He is in love with the country’s heart throb and film actress, Shanti Priya (Deepika Padukone), who is very successful and famous.

Om goes to the premiere of her upcoming film Dreamy Girl starring Shanti, and sneaks in claiming he is the actor Manoj Kumar. On another occasion, during a shooting of a film, where Om is acting as a junior artist, he notices Shanti is caught in the middle of a fire scene which goes out of control. Om jumps in and saves her, as no one else does. Shanti is very grateful and they become good friends.

Om asks her if she will meet him for one evening and she agrees. Om is ecstatic and plans a wonderful evening for her - using props and a film set and several backgrounds in a studio to woo her. He tells her that she deserves all the happiness in the world; all she has to do is ask. She tells him that she will and abruptly goes away, leaving Om confused.

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