Fresh off Stella going home and LeAnne winning, I doubt tonight's episode will live up to last week's. But, we'll see....
Wow, this season seems so long. The previously eliminated designers came out and I didn't recognize half of them. This show needs to be on three nights a week like Big Brother.
The challenge: Avant-garde look based on the zodiac sign of one team member. I'm a Sagittarius, so let's see who else is. Daniel, Terri, Jerell, and Suede. I guess it could be worse. Sweet, Jerell is actually using Sagittarius. Go, him.
After all these seasons I still don't know how the designers find what they want in Mood in 30 minutes. It looks huge, with thousands of rolls of fabric just piled up. Ridiculous.
Some people hate on Terri, but I think she's hilarious. "Maybe Keith can count the pins that fall on the floor." So funny.
Tim Gunn is the BEST. Calling Kenley's a costume for Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. Freaking genius.
Heidi's message the next day says two designers will be eliminated this time. Whaaaat? I hope she's just messin' and means one will be eliminated, and then the designer who came back will be eliminated (again).
Oh my God, Daniel V is back! I love him. Oh, and of course Christian is back, because I really don't think he cares about designs, he only cares about plugging himself on other TV shows (i.e. Ugly Betty, etc). Sigh.
It's pretty funny watching Kenley argue with Heidi, because honestly, just because you look good in clothes, it doesn't mean you know about clothes. I think Heidi knows some, but really, judging is not her forte.
Why is Carmen here? Wasn't she kicked off like week 2? Joke.
I hate to sound like a fanboy but LeAnne's looks awesome yet again. And, you know, her model Karalyn is gorgeous.
Anyway, runway time! (Yay, Nina is back!)
The GOOD: Terri (I agree with Keith, though, the skirt looks a bit cheap), Joe (I really like this one), LeAnne (simple and perfect)
The MEH: Blayne (interesting, but too much), Korto, Jerell (great top, meh on skirt)
The BAD: Kenley (great design but the fabrics were awful), Suede
God Kenley, stop arguing with the judges. Seriously, please shut up and take criticism. You're a lot cuter when you're not being a bitch.
Wow, Jerell won. That's awesome, I'm glad he finally pulled a W. And Tim Gunn called it earlier in the show, either he'll win or crash and burn.
Blayne is out. Not a surprise. He was entertaining, but his garments (especially this time) weren't spectacular.
Shit, Suede is in. Terri is out? Man, that bugs me. Terri's was a lot better IMO. Man, Keith ruins the show again. Shit.
Let's get some pictures of the winner and two losers.
(For reference, I don't think the protruding fabric was there on the runway)
9.10.2008
Project Runway: What's Your Sign
9.09.2008
This is Awesome
I've hated on the film 'Disturbia' (not to be confused with the highly addicting song by Rihanna) ever since I heard about its premise because I don't like Shia LaBeouf and it's a plain ripoff of 'Rear Window.' And who would want to remake 'Rear Window?' It's a perfect movie.
In this post I call it out, as well as show similarities of the director's next project to 'North by Northwest.'
Today, /Film reports that Spielberg and DreamWorks may be sued over 'Disturbia' for its resemblance to 'Rear Window.' I like Spielberg, and I like DreamWorks, but I don't like this film or director or Shia, so this is great.
9.07.2008
Review: Love and Other Disasters
How can one pass up a movie with a title so epic as 'Love and Other Disasters?' Doesn't that sound like potentially the best romantic comedy of all time? Unfortunately, the movie opens very strong but cannot risk falling into traditional cliches and frustrations of the genre. A tip to the writer, Alek Keshishian: Even if you acknowledge something as a formula or a gimmick in your film, it's still a formula or a gimmick.
But let us begin with the good.
Brittany Murphy, always charming, can never seem to quite fit into a great role. We either get the 'Clueless,' 'Sin City,' or '8 Mile' Brittany, or we get the 'Just Married,' 'Uptown Girls,' 'Little Black Book' Brittany. Here, in 'Love and Other Disasters,' she falls somewhere in-between.
The movie is about Love, as well as a few Other Disasters. One of those disasters is that Brittany Murphy's character Jacks (short for Jackson) is stuck on an ex-boyfriend who she sleeps with in order to "fill a void. Literally." Another Disaster is the abundance of gay stereotypes portrayed in the film. Her gay best friend Peter (Matthew Rhys, of TV's 'Brothers & Sisters') enjoys living in fantasy relationships because every time reality hits, it hits too hard and too real. Funny, charming, and entertaining these all are. Yet somewhere around the beginning of Act II the film loses its touch.
Jacks' main interest in the film is Paolo (Santiago Cabrera), who Jacks assumes is gay. The disaster here is that he is not, and like so many other films, cannot simply correct her because of countless odd coincidences. The movie amounts to frustration that is only passed by the film 'Serendipity.' (Which I enjoys, until I wanted to rip my hair out 30 minutes in.) Why can't Paolo simply say "I'm straight" thirty minutes into the film and be done with it?
All of those are disasters of the characters, which, while not the best writing in the world, are a part of the film. The disaster of the film itself is the half-ass attempt to play on the formula 'Adaptation.' did so much better so many years earlier: With one of the main characters writing a film script about the film we are watching. Yes, Peter is trying to become a famous writer, and eventually he turns the film we watched into a script. Naturally he wants it to be more like 'real life' (which, by this point, we're hardly in those waters anymore), and naturally the studio wants to spice it up with a happy ending, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Orlando Bloom. This film would have been better without the tricks and Courier New font roaming free on my screen.
Despite its structural flaws, the film has some redeeming qualities, mainly in some witty exchanges of dialogue and how to furnish your expensive London apartment (how do they afford that place?). Worth a watch if it is on the tube, but barely worth the rental.
Rating: 3.5/7
9.03.2008
Project Runway: Double O Fashion
Why would I watch the Republican National Convention when I can watch Project Runway instead? The presidential election is huge for America, yes. But fashion is Universal.
This season is going by so fast. Only 9 designers left. Where has the time gone? And LeAnne's model Karalyn is beautiful (still).
Blayne is hilarious. "I want every challenge to be involving Mary-Kate Olsen. I want to marry Mary-Kate. Who doesn't? Besides Tim Gunn." I like him more every episode. Except he called Mary-Kate Olsen a fashion legend. What?
Is it bad I don't know who Diane Von Furstenberg is? Kenley's crying, so it must be a big deal. But Diane thinks Marlene Dietrich is one of the most glamorous women in the world, so obviously she knows what she's talking about. Wow, the movie 'A Foreign Affair,' which I haven't seen, was directed by Billy Wilder (my favorite). I'm slacking and need to see that film stat.
I hope I don't bite my tongue, but this challenge has Jerell's name written all over it. A classy, retro dress? So him.
Wow, Kenley. Stop crying.
Stella is kind of a jerk. Why keep what you're doing a secret? It's not like people are going to want to copy you. All your designs suck. Plus, you're in the same room. They can watch you do it.
Kenley's look is disgusting. I think it's the fabric. It's too flashy for the 'spy' feel that the challenge is going for. However, there is a bit of Shanghai feel. But that's in the shape, not in the fabric.
LeAnne's dress looks fabulous. The jacket looks great, but not with that dress. Tim's a genius in saying, "Shrink it."
Stella's looks horrific in the workroom. I hope for her sake it comes together on the runway.
Man, Nina is gone again? I miss her so much.
The GOOD: LeAnne, Terri (wow, that jacket is fantastic), Jerell (this one's hot, but a bit sloppy)
The MEH: Joe, Korto, Blayne (what a jacket, though)
The BAD: Suede, Stella (who is she, Batman?), Kenley (totally boring, and a miss)
Joe's looks so tacky. I agree with the judges that it's not cohesive, as well as the gap in the back not working.
Kenley, stop interrupting Heidi while she tries to talk. I'd be pissed if I was Heidi.
I'm glad the judges like LeAnne's. She's my faaaaaaaaaaavorite. But the way this is edited, with the judges not saying much other than they like it, leads me to think she won't win.
Korto's looks good, but I agree with what Tim said earlier in the workroom, that the yellow up top looks like a sticking out bra strap. The yellow on the bottom -- great. Top -- not so much.
"Stella was not stellar." This guest judge is awful (not Diane). Nina needs to come back ASAP.
YES! LeAnne won again! Yay yay yay. Two weeks in a row, holler. She's great.
YES! Stella's out! This is definitely the best episode ever. Oh my God, stop talking and get off my show already.
And for reference, here are the winning and losing designs. Try to guess which one is which!
Big Brother 10: Update
Yes, I have been keeping up with Big Brother 10 (which you can watch for free on the CBS site).
I'm really excited that my alliance of four is in the final five. Unfortunately Jerry won HOH this week. I really, really dislike him. He's such a jerk and a hypocrite. But hey, Ollie and Michelle and April and Libra and all these people I don't like got booted, so it's okay.
I'm hoping for a Dan/Memphis/Keesha final three, with Dan/Memphis final two and Dan winning on votes (which is unlikely since he pissed off lots of people). But then again, maybe they will admire Dan's great game play. Doubt it, though.
9.02.2008
'Remember the Titans' Was a Good Springboard
Yesterday I caught a showing of Remember the Titans on TV, and once it was finished and the credits started, I was surprised how many of the child/young actors that are now big names appeared in this film. It seems like this was a first role, or at least starting point, for numerous careers.
In IMDB Order:
Donald Faison, who is best known these days as Turk on Scrubs, had a significant part here. I can't really count him, though, because he was put to fame for his work in the timeless 'Clueless.'
Kip Pardue, whom I love for his role as Victor in 'The Rules of Attraction,' has this as one of his first credits. He was also in the humorous 'But I'm a Cheerleader' (which starred the gorgeous Clea DuVall, but that's another blog post).
Hayden Panettiere, who I affectionately refer to as Kairi (from Kingdom Hearts), has a large part in this film. It was far from her first gig, but I think it was her first major bit. You can see her now on Heroes, and also the cover of almost every teen magazine.
Kate Bosworth has a small part here as the judgmental girlfriend. It's hard to recognize her -- I knew she looked familiar but couldn't tell it was her. There's a huge difference between her at 17 here and her at 19 in 'The Rules of Attraction.' Most recently she did 'Superman Returns,' which was decent, and '21,' which was awful.
Ryan Gosling had a small part as one of the players. IMDb shows a bunch of TV credits, but this looks like his first serious film role. He's gone on to make 'The Notebook,' as most know, but has proven himself a great actor in 'Half Nelson' and to a lesser degree 'Lars and the Real Girl.'
Denzel Washington.... Just kidding. He's long been famous and great. Still is.
Watch the movie now, if you haven't seen it recently, and you'll notice what I did. This movie really is a gem.
Don LaFontaine Dead at 68
/Film reports that Don LaFontaine has died. This is a real big deal. Let's think about how much this man has done.
Thousands and thousands of movie trailers have used Don as their voice. He's been doing voice work for years and years, meaning his effort has shaped the movie-going experience significantly. He started work in the late-60s/early-70s, which brings him to and through a revolution of the movie promoting industry. Imagine how different trailers would have been over the years without him, and perhaps how many studios would have made millions and millions less dollars. Think of all the trailers that will now come out and have the voice-over done by someone else.
Movie trailers were his forte it seemed, but Don also did thousands of commercials, among other things. I feel like his death will have a more significant impact on the film industry than most think. Maybe it will be more subtle, but it will be there.
Blog Cleanup
Because I took a nap earlier I'm far from tired. In an attempt to lull myself to sleep, I'm going to go through and clean up the blog. This includes, but is not limited to: re-labeling posts, deleting posts (note: nothing will be deleted, just permanently moved to Draft format), editing titles, fixing typos, removing posts that are short rants, killing irrelevant topics, and rewriting history.
Just kidding -- anything involving predictions or statements that are now proven incorrect will be left intact. I'm not that insecure.
9.01.2008
In the Spirit of Soundtracks....
In light of my post about the Narnia soundtracks, another film with a great musical score is Pan's Labyrinth. Conveniently you can listen to the soundtrack in its entirety on the official movie site.
Also, if you haven't seen the movie, you should do that, too.
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