Glee - So Far So Good!

As of tonight, I've now seen four new episodes of Glee. And as of tonight I think the show has hit a new level of awesome.

I should start off by saying that I probably would've liked Glee no matter what. The pilot totally won me over and it's a freakin' musical in a TV show! It hits all my happy buttons. But there is always the pesky matters of plot and characterization to consider when you make a commitment to a program.

The first two new episodes, "Showmance" and "Acafellas" were good, but I was starting to wonder about consistency with the story lines - people keep ducking in and out of the club, the whole fake pregnancy thing - and neither episode really popped for me. I loved Josh Groban's cameo in "Acafellas" but was bitterly disappointed when he didn't sing. The man has the voice of an angel, damn it! Still funny, though.

Last week's ep, "Preggers", again introduced a plot element that I'm not certain about. A character is pregnant, she's telling one boy he's the father when he's not, and another character wants the baby because she's lying to her husband about being pregnant. Huh. But the whole thing with Kurt having the whole football team dancing to "Single Ladies" on the field was priceless. Plus, a great library line; "I got this from the library. Did you know you can just borrow books from there. All of them. Well, except the encyclopedias."

As for tonight's episode, "The Rhodes Not Taken"...now we're getting somewhere! Guest star (and recent Emmy winner) Kristin Chenoweth, one of my favorite singers/actresses, was an absolute hit, not only delivering showstopping numbers (I've already downloaded the track "Alone", a duet with star Matthew Morrison) but also a hilarious and real performance as a former Glee member with issues joining the current Glee club. Plus, there was more drama with the teens and their teacher, Rachel finally ate a slice of humble pie, we now have a full Glee club, and their first big performance ended on a high note. The whole episode felt solid and was just a joy to watch.

Hopefully we'll have more of that flavor in the weeks to come. But at least Glee seems to be living up to the hype. Yay!

Movie Review: Let the Right One In

I went into this movie last Friday night on the heels of a lot of hype. Back when I went to Fan Expo, everyone on the panel discussion I attended on Vampires in Fiction said that this Swedish sleeper hit was the best recent vampire film they'd seen. Reviews have all been good as well. I gotta say though that while I definitely enjoyed it, I watched the credits roll that night without any sense of "Oh my God, that was awesome!" I started to wonder what all the hype was about.

Now that I've had a few days to let it process, I am starting to see a few things about Let the Right One In that make the film stand out. The story about Eli, a vampire in the body of a twelve-year-old girl who befriends Oskar, a twelve-year-old boy, comes across as a surprisingly sweet tale of adolecent romance, given the subject matter. Many of the classic vampire elements are here, from sunlight = bad to not being able to enter a home without being invited (hence the title).

But what I think is the true message of the film didn't really hit me until those few days later. I think what makes the movie stand out was that it really shows the downside of being a vampire. Most vampire movies I've seen show vamps as being powerful, confident individuals, part of communities of other vamps and living indulgent, aristocratic lifestyles. Not so for Eli. She is lonely, dependant on others for survival, constantly at risk of being discovered and stuck as a twelve-year-old. Not a glamorous life at all, and showing in the full light of day (pardon the pun) that is what makes this vampire movie so unique...and so haunting (trust me that scene at the pool...you'll know it when you see it...is quite jarring). I don't know why it took a few days to pick up on all of this (maybe I was having a slow week), but I got there eventually.

My Verdict: Quiet, mature, a bit touching, and it makes you think. In a vampire movie. Wow.

Album Review: The Boy Who Knew Too Much

Ahhhh, Mika's back! Happy days!

And as it turns out, the Brit pop star's new album, The Boy Who Knew Too Much, is a worthy follow up to his last outing, Life in Cartoon Motion, released all the way back in 2007. Boy is a fun, frothy mix of disco, pop, vaudeville and a few other odd yet invigorating ingredients, which makes for a tasty audible treat.

I downloaded this to my iPod right on it's release date (Sept. 22), and in the last two days I don't know how many times I've listened to the opening track and first single "We Are Golden". Like I mentioned in a previous post it has become my most current anthem. It's the kind of song that you sing along to at the top of your lungs while jumping around in your underwear (which, by the way, is what Mika does in the music video). A sample of the uplifting lyrics:

"Teenage dreams, in a teenage circus
Running around like a clown on purpose.

Who gives a damn about the family you come from?

No giving up when you're young and you want some!" (Awesome!)

But there's plenty more to this album. You can clap along to "Blame it on the Girls". "Rain" has a baseline that made my car mirrors vibrate nicely. "Dr. John" reminded me of the Beatles. Then down near the end of the album you have the 1940's nightclub feel of "Pick Up Off The Floor" and "Lady Jane" (though "Lady Jane" had some pretty trippy lyrics).

My Verdict: Boy was well worth the wait and a brilliant second helping of a talented artist. Hopefully there'll be more to come.

Perhaps one of the Greatest Ad Campaigns Ever!

One of my all time favorite cars, sold to vampires! Could it get any better?

"Where's my Emmy man? You got my Emmy? Huh?"

The 61st Annual Prime Time Emmy's were on tonight, and thanks in large part to host Neil Patrick Harris' charm and the decision to group the awards together by genre, it was quite the event.

I would usually classify the Emmy's as my second favorite awards show (tied with the Golden Globes, with the Oscars being number one...though the Tony's are catching up to that second place spot quite nicely), but like most awards shows television's biggest night tends to be a fairly inconsistent form of entertainment, with some broadcasts being better than others, and even the better ones having their off-balance moments. But in this particular case, the good far outweighed the bad. Let me break it down for you...

The Good:

1. DR. HORRIBLE HIJACKS THE BROADCAST! Well...not really. But the devious attempt by the titular super-villain to, rather ineffectively, tout the wonders of the internet over television was spot-on funny. Plus the whole Dr. Horrible cast was reunited, there was a little singing, and it was just the right length. Perfect. And on that note...

2. Neil Patrick Harris as Host - With a great opening musical number, nice zingers all through the night, obscure career references for each presenter, and being so put-out after loosing the Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series award to John Cryer, Harris was just about as perfect an award show host as anyone could be. Even Jon Stewart had to admit he was awesome. Plus the white tux was very sleek.

3. John Hodgeman as the Commentator - The perfect gravy to Harris' hosting, The Daily Show's resident expert offered some hysterical, and almost all fictional, comments on each winner as they approached the stage, livening up a part of the show that's often very dull.

4. Dividing the awards by genres - By keeping like-minded awards together, and still saving the two big series awards for last, the whole evening felt much more cohesive.

5. Family Guy getting in on the fun - A special Emmy version of Stewie beating up Brian (shouting "Where's my Oscar?" instead of "Where's my money?") acknowledged FG's unprecedented Best Comedy Series nomination and added a little irreverence to the festivities.

6. Tearjerker 'In Memoriam' - Sarah McLachlan singing "I Will Remember You" over the images of the people the television industry lost over the last year = not a dry eye anywhere.

7. The little things - Jimmy Fallon actually funny? Pokes at Kanye? A moving set that didn't look cheesy? Kristen Chenouweth's teary acceptance speech? We actually ended on time? Like I said, little things.

But no awards show is without it's flaws. Here's The Bad...

1. Those stupid "coming up in __ minutes" bullets under some of the acceptance speeches - What? The person speaking is so boring you have to remind the people watching that something else is coming up shortly? Come on, how rude is that?

2. Ricky Gervais is still awkward - Normally I love Gervais and everything he does (including that foray into pop music in the 80s, as I talked about in a previous post), but I've noticed the last couple of times he's been on the Emmy's I've been squirming due to jokes that fall flat and that whole thing between him and Steve Carrell. Maybe that's what they're going for, but still.

3. Repeat Offenders - Let me just preface this by saying I am very hypocritical in this sentiment when it comes to my favorite shows. The Daily Show should get every Emmy it can possibly get, and it got another one last night. But I hate it when shows I don't watch get Emmy after Emmy over shows I do watch. I just hate it! The ceremony really should scrap the Best Reality Show category if The Amazing Race is going to be the only show that wins it. And 30 Rock getting another gold statue when shows like Family Guy and Flight of the Conchords are waiting in the wings? But the real kicker for me was Brian Cranston getting his second Emmy in a row when Hugh Laurie, in that same category, hasn't won a single time for House even though he's been nominated again and again. Laurie does everything the other nominees do, and he does it while covering his accent and walking with a limp and a cane! Come on! Something's not right here!

Still, in spite of a few bumps, a good show overall. What do you think? Do you agree with my assessment or do you think I'm completely off base?

My Own 9 Years of Beatlemania (and Counting)

EW came out with a great issue last week. As the front cover proclaimed: The Beatles Invade Again! (Just as a side note, I've always loved that picture of John and Paul, from back when they were still getting along). Now that Beatles: Rock Band has been released (I so want it!), along with digitally remastered versions of their albums, rock's greatest band is poised to make yet another splash on the pop culture scene. And while nothing will ever come close to the original Beatles craze back in the 60s, the fact that they still generate such excitement is a testament to their quality as a band and their impact on culture and history.

I didn't officially hop on the Beatlemania bandwagon until the holiday season of 2000. Ah, what a magical time; I had finished high school the previous summer, and had just started at the University of Waterloo, taking my first tentative steps into adulthood. Through December of that year I was working a part-time stint at the Hickory Farms kiosk at our local shopping mall to earn a little extra dough for Christmas. But you see, that kiosk happened to be located right outside the HMV store...and just a few weeks before, the album 1 had been released.

Some of you may recall 1. It was a collection of twenty-seven of the number one singles the Beatles released from their heydays of the early sixties until they broke up in 1970, and the first compilation album on one disc for the band. It also happened to become the best selling album of 2000 world wide, surpassing everyone's expectations and once again putting the Beatles back in the spotlight.

Now me standing at the counter of that Hickory Farms kiosk for a few hours a day, I couldn't help but listen to 1 as it was played over the HMV speakers...and I fell in love. Head over heels in love! From the youthful exuberance of "She Loves You" to the sorrow of "Eleanor Rigby" and the mature bluesy sound of "Come Together", the richness and variety of their music struck a chord with me big time (pun intended). 1 made it's way onto my Christmas list, and it was in my stocking that year. I still have it to this day.

I don't want to make my onset of Beatlemania sound like a religious experience, but in some ways it kind of was. Before that Christmas I was still lingering in my boy band phase of adolescent musical tastes. Once I got into the Beatles a whole world of music opened up for me. As I tried to experience everything I could having to do with the Fab Four I also got into the Stones, the Who and other 60's bands, then I moved on to the eclectic mix that was the 70s. For the last few years I've been way into New Wave and 80s music (still haven't really revisited the 90s yet; go figure). Suddenly the pop music landscape was much bigger and far more exciting than I ever could have imagined.

But the Beatles remain my greatest love, always at the top of my list of favorite bands. A Hard Days Night is also on my list of favorite movies (if you haven't seen it yet, it was re released on DVD back in like 2002, so hop to it!) When George Harrison passed away in November of 2001 I mourned with the rest of the world, partly because I feel like I didn't get the chance to have him in my life for as long as so many others had. With John Lennon assassinated in 1980 (about eleven months before I was born) Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are the only two surviving members now. I visited NYC for the first time in August of last year, and got the chance to see the Dakota and Strawberry Fields in Central Park, and I'm so glad I did.

While I doubt that everyone will have the same experiences with these mopped topped kids from Liverpool that I have, I am grateful to the Beatles not just for their music and not just for their impact on history, but for opening my eyes to a greater selection of music. Don't get me wrong, I still love the Backstreet Boys, but now I can add "Magic Bus" and "Paint it Black" to my iPod along with "I Want It That Way". And as the Beatles continue to make an impact in the world, I will cheer; I will experience it along with everyone else; I will join in the debates over which songs and albums are better than others; and I will keep listening to the music, no matter what format it comes in.

And you know Beatles: Rock Band will be on my Christmas list this year.

Book Review: Twenties Girl

What would you do if, in the middle of a whole bunch of other problems in your life, you started seeing the ghost of a deceased family member?

In the world of Sophie Kinsella, it's likely that situation would involve hilarious misadventures and a heavy dose of angst but, somehow, it would all work out in the end; and on that note Twenties Girl does not disappoint.

I had only ever read one of Ms. Kinsella's books, Confessions of a Shopaholic; and while I liked it I did not feel compelled to read any further. That series' heroine, Becky Bloomwood, was charming and relatable, but I found her staggering irresponsibility a bit of a turnoff (Of course you're in financial trouble, you just spent $400 you don't have on a scarf!)

But in Twenties Girl, Lara Lington (who's my age, by the way) is also charming and relatable, but also a hard worker trying to do the right thing and make her way in the world. That's something I can get on board with.

And Sadie, Lara's 105 year old great-aunt who's lingering on after death in the guise of a 23 year old 1920s flapper girl, is just a gem of a character; bold, brassy, take-no-prisoners and fun. She and Lara prove to be quite the team as Lara searches for Sadie's beloved dragonfly necklace and Sadie dips her fingers into Lara's personal and professional lives...whether Lara wants her to or not. What emerges is an adventure in life, love, history, secrets and the importance of family. Some might say this next statement is sacrilege, but I liked it much better than Shopaholic.

My verdict: Funny, touching and with ghosts. What's not to like?

What you may not know about Ricky Gervais

I didn't know this little tidbit of information until I was flipping through my new Famous magazine, and I thought I'd pass it on, just 'cause it is so surprising for those who didn't know.

See this gentleman in the picture? On the left?

That, dear readers, is Mr. Ricky Gervais!

I'm not making that up, I swear. Apparently, back in 1983, Gervais was part of a new wave pop duo called Seona Dancing (according to Famous it's pronounced SHAW-nuh Dancing) with a Mr. Bill McCrae. The name of the band came from a girl Gervais knew at University College who loved to dance.

They released a couple of singles, "More to Lose" and "Bitter Heart", in 83, and neither broke U.K.'s Top 40. The band called it quits shortly after, but Gervais spent a little more time in the music industry, managing the band Suede and working as a DJ. After that, he went on to become the comedian, actor and writer that we all know and love.

Weird, huh? Though in some ways it does make sense. Gervais has shown musical talent in his other works, like on The Office or, one of my favorites, his song "Lady" on his guest spot on The Simpsons.

So there you have it; Ricky Gervais, new waver! Just a little trivia for you. Or maybe you already know, and I'm just late to the party.

You can find the music video "Bitter Heart" on YouTube (click here). While you're there check out one of my favorite clips, an outtake of Gervais' appearance on Sesame Street, which proves that while that show is meant for kids, it's definitely run by adults.

The Blogger's Lament

I am not a fan of Perez Hilton. Not in the slightest. I think the self proclaimed Queen of all Media is a bit of a...well, I won't write it here but it rhymes with 'witch'. However, if I'm being perfectly honest, there are moments when I wish I had his life. Think about it. He doesn't work, at least not in the conventional sense. The only thing expected of this man is that he closely follow the topic he cares most about, write his posts, and people read them. Now me, being a productive member of society and working for a living, I don't have that luxury. My having a normal job puts quite a limit on how much I can keep up with my passion for pop culture.

Case in point.

The other day, as I was shutting down the computers at my library and closing up for another day I was thinking to myself; when is Mika going to put out another album? The British artist's last album, Life in Cartoon Motion, was a fantastic, bouncy, quirky bit of pop, the kind of music I really like. For those of you who may need a little memory jog, Mika sings like Freddie Mercury and his music is similar to Scissor Sisters, Robbie Williams or David Bowie. He gave us songs like "Grace Kelly", "Love Today" and "Relax, Take It Easy". But Cartoon Motion came out way back in February of 2007. The dude is way overdue for a new offering.

I wrapped up my work week just today, and after I got home I was sorting through some old magazines when I noticed a caption I hadn't read before...about a new single from Mika! I opened my laptop and got on iTunes to see if it was on there yet. Not only was it there, it's release date was posted as July, 2009. July? It's been out since July and I'm only hearing about it now? Not only that, this single is part of a whole new album that's available for pre-order. The Boy Who Knew Too Much will be released Sept. 22. That's like in two weeks! Why am I just hearing about all this now? Because I'm too busy with other things, that's why!

It's a good thing I love my job. I do love my job and I like being said productive member of society. But...every once in while...it seems like it would be nice to just pursue my passion full time. Maybe one day, when I fulfill my dream of opening a pop culture library, I can combine the two.

Until that day, go check out Mika's new single, "We Are Golden". I saw the video on youtube, and it's awesome! It may have to become my new anthem! Anyone agree?

Michael Jackson Funeral Today - A Few Thoughts

As I'm typing this, reports are coming in about Michael Jackson's funeral today. The King of Pop will be interred in the Great Mausoleum in Glendale, California, and from the looks of things it will be a private, somber service, a chance for family and close friends to say their goodbyes.

Even though this is the final step for Jackson, I think it's safe to say the media circus his death has caused isn't over just yet. Now that Jackson's death has been ruled a homicide there could be more news reports, more specials, more developments, perhaps even a trial. (I have to say I am surprised about the ruling on the cause of death. Overwork, an accidental overdose or his body just giving out after years of abuse made far more convincing reasons for Jackson's untimely demise.)

His passing may become one of those moments where you remember where you were when you heard the news. For me, I was at work, on the reference desk, when I got the news through an email from my roommate/co-worker John. I checked cnn.com real quick, and at first they were only reporting that Jackson was in a coma, but eventually it was confirmed that he had in fact passed away. Then the nonstop news coverage began and his music videos played continuously on music channels (I had no idea until then that Martin Scorsese directed the "Bad" video; that's just...true). Though I had mixed feelings about it, I knew that this was a moment in history; how could it not be?

My mixed feelings stem from the fact that you simply cannot reconcile the two people Michael Jackson had become by that point in his life. There's Michael Jackson the icon; the entertainer and innovator. The man who no one could touch during the 80s. The man who could dance and sing like no one else. The man who brought us Thriller, one of the greatest albums/songs/music videos ever. The man who pretty much reinvented the music video, who gave us the moonwalk and the sequined glove and other pop symbols, who was just...Michael Jackson!

But then there's also Whacko Jacko, the man who's bizarre personal life, slumping album sales and drastic changes to his appearance just defied explanation. The man who hung out with chimpanzees, who built a whole freaking amusement park in his back yard, who went on lavish shopping sprees and who made his children wear masks. The man who altered his appearance with plastic surgery to the point that he no longer looked African-American...hell, who didn't even look human anymore. The man who was accused not once but twice of a crime so heinous I don't even want to type it. Who abused pain killers, who tried to blame his record company after his album didn't sell well by claiming they were racist. The list goes on. You couldn't make any of this up, no one would believe it.

Lately what I've been hearing is the good side of Jackson and I think that's what his fans would like to remember; his musical genius and the positive impact he made on the entertainment world. Perhaps now that he's dead the strange and possibly criminal side of him doesn't matter anymore. I don't know. But I do know that even in death the man continues to fascinate us and to perplex us. I wonder if we will ever get the full picture of who he was...maybe even he didn't know by that point.

If his death was the result of murder, then hopefully those responsible will be brought to justice. In the meantime, as Mr. Jackson makes his way to his final resting place, I hope it will be a peaceful rest for him...even if his legacy isn't so lucky.