Review: "The Landlord"

Will Ferrell is hysterical. I really enjoy most of his movies, and his humor is just awesome. If I could meet one celebrity, it would most likely be him. Recently, his put out a video on funnyordie.com that was met with much controversy. In the video, he is worried about his landlord, Pearl, coming to evict him. When she shows up, she's about 2 years old, and cusses up a storm. She also carries around a beer. Many people thought it was hysterical, others were very upset. To me, it's a little worrisome. I worry that the little girl will remember the words that were taught to her and repeat them. Hopefully, she'll be fine.

Review: "Playground Tales with Brooke Shields"

After Will Ferrell’s “The Landlord” came out, another celebrity decided to do her own short comedy video. Brooke Shields stars in “Playground Tales with Brooke Shields,” as a suburban housewife who has come across a new vocabulary. She sits down next to another mother, and hurls out slang to her daughter, who is playing on the playground. One phrase that she repeats is “LILY! Check yourself before you wreck yourself!” This is slang for “be careful.” She also talks about using her “pimp hand” and other slang, all while the other mother is astonishingly looking on. It’s actually a very funny video, although really short. I enjoyed it!

Review: Petey Pablo

I have a confession. When I am with my friends, I tend to play 95.1, a popular pop/rock type station that most people are familiar with. We sing along to the songs that we hear 80 times a day, generally having a good time. When the friends leave my car, though, something entirely different comes out. I put in “Still Writing in my Diary” by Petey Pablo. This is a rap CD, not R and B, not anything soft, just straight rap. If my friends knew this, they would probably laugh at me. I am not the type of person that would seem to like such music, but I really do. Although I wish the profanity was not so present, I can’t seem to get enough of the stuff. Petey Pablo is from North Carolina, which adds to his appeal. Many of his songs focus on the state, and he “raises up” the counties in which we live. I know it may be embarrassing to listen to a genre that is so far away from what I normally reach for, but I can’t help it. His lyrics are catchy (although they may not make any sense whatsoever), and the music behind them would be just as awesome without lyrics at all. Petey Pablo is by far my favorite rap artist of the moment. I just hope no one judges me for it 

Review: Run's House

While writing these blog entries, an MTV show has been playing in the background. Run’s House, starring Rev Run and his family, is fairly entertaining. It’s another reality show, focusing on a family and their conflicts. In the show I watched, Run and his family experience a number of issues. One of his little boys, Russy, took to stealing stuff from his family and hiding it in his room. The family had a hard time finding where their stuff was, until they saw him take a few things. In order to get him to see that they knew he was lying, they set up a camera in his room. Then they all went into their movie theater in their house and watched the video as he hid things that he stole. He felt really bad, and gave everyone back their stuff. I think that was a proper way for the family to correct the issue. Although most reality shows are worthless, Run’s House may have a good point to it, if it continues to show good ways to parent children.

Ty Pennington

Ty Pennington, the handsome host of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” got arrested this past weekend for DUI. I guess I should be angry at him, but I feel bad for him. He is a genuine guy, from every story and show I have ever heard or seen him in. He’s always so happy and real. I really think that he probably had a beer or two at a dinner, then made the mistake of driving. I know it was wrong, I just hate that it happened to him. I worry that ABC family will fire him for his mistake, and his reputation will be ruined. All humans make mistakes, and while Ty should learn from his mistake, and possibly experience repercussions from the mistake, that’s it. I just hope no one judges him because of his mistake.

Paris Hilton

So Paris Hilton got arrested a while back for a DUI. She claimed that she only had one drink, but the cops say she blew a lot more than one drink. Then, she was caught driving twice for driving on a suspended license. She had to go to court, and the judge sentenced her to 45 days in prison. I find this slightly annoying. Most celebrities just get their wrists slapped when something like this happens. I am not saying that’s right, but something needs to be consistent. I feel as if she has to go to jail because people are jealous that she’s an heiress. I’m not a fan of hers, at all. I don’t feel like she’s done anything productive for society, and she has no reason for her fame except her money. She’s a socialite, nothing more. I do feel as if everyone just wants to see her go to jail so they can see someone so spoiled have to go through something so horrible. A survey on TMZ.com asked if “Paris got what she deserved.” A whopping 98 percent said “yes.” I just feel like the world is cruel, and only wanting to see her fail. I think that if she has to go to jail, everyone should have to.

Britney Spears, continued

Speaking of Britney Spears, why hasn’t anyone seen her baby? Her baby was born back in September of 2006, and yet the only view anyone has ever seen of him is his foot. It’s actually a bit creepy. I understand keeping your son out of the limelight, but to cover him from head to toe every time they step foot in the outside world is kind of weird. For a while, I thought he may have a cleft palate, and they were waiting until he was old enough to give him surgery. Now, he’s past old enough, but they still aren’t showing him. Is he ok? Is he cross-eyed? Who knows? He really could have a problem, because they have not shown one photo of him, ever. I guess we will know eventually. She can’t hide him when he starts to walk.

Britney Spears

Britney Spears is a trainwreck lately. About a month or so ago, she shaved all of her hair off and got tattooed, eventually ending up in rehab. I really hurt for her. Everyone made fun of the situation at the time, but no one really wondered about her, and how she is doing. It’s sad that everyone likes to see a rock star fail. I wonder sometimes if she’ll ever escape the life that she’s built for herself. I also wonder if she ever regrets chasing after such a dream. Sure, she’s got money, but she also has many, many failed relationships, and looks like the saddest person in the world. Is it really worth it? I wonder if she thinks the fame and money are worth it. I hurt for her, and her family. I hope she can find a safe way away from all of this.

Lindsay Lohan

I just don’t have time to watch hour-long shows and two hour-long movies anymore, so the remainder of this entertainment blog will pretty much focus on the entertainment industry and the people who are a part of it. Recently, I heard rumors circulating about Lindsay Lohan and her struggles. You may not remember, but she came back from rehab recently. She was in rehab for alcohol and possibly drugs. Well, the other day, a video started circulating the internet with Lohan doing crack cocaine and talking about her sexual conquests with different men of Hollywood. It’s so sad that stars fall into this funk so often. I really worry for her, and hope that she comes out of this soon.

Review: CSI: Miami

CSI: Miami is a pretty good show. I was a little apprehensive at first, because I really enjoyed the Vegas show. I was really warming up to it, until I noticed a common theme. I noticed that every show has half-naked women traipsing around (well, it IS Miami) in little bikinis. As much as this sex appeal may be interesting to the male population, I am not ok with my boyfriend or any other male friend watching such trashiness. In addition to the bikini-clad women everywhere, the show almost always focuses on some sex crime. Rape, child pornography, sodomy, and sexual abuse are the most common. After a while, I just don’t feel good about watching the show. If they can tone the sex down a bit, I will consider watching it more often. Otherwise, I will turn to other shows.

Review: CSI:Vegas

CSI is a show that has held my attention since my forensics teacher first showed it to us in 11th grade. I fell in love with the characters and relationships. Warrick Brown, Gil Grissom, Sarah Sidle, Nick Stokes, and Catherine Willows all come together to form a truly solid cast. In recent months, I have heard much debate on whether or not CSI: Miami is better or worse than the original, Vegas. I fought very hard about Vegas being better, until I caught a show recently. I was appauled at what was being shown. A man shoots himself in the head, and the viewer sees everything, from a window behind him. It was so disgusting. Also, we see a man behead a woman, skin her, and mount her skin like a deer head. I was shocked at what was allowed to be on a regular television show. Maybe Miami is a better show after all. To be reviewed next…

Review: "My Hands are Bananas"

So I'm not sure what's going on, but I can't link websites from Blogger right now. Sorry, guys! It's just not letting me do it.


A set of youtube reviews would not be complete without "My Hands are Bananas." This video is hysterical. It was made by some kids up in Montana, but they act German. The video begins with an "Allo....Hello....Allo" said very breathily by the main guy. Next, he points out, "You people...all have hahnds...zey are are, normal hahnds. Five fingers, und some hair, but mine are...very bare. Do you know vy?" That line alone can easily be the funniest one. He then confesses that his hands are, in fact, bananas. As he notes this over and over again, he asks people to keep the monkeys away from his hands, while being chased by monkeys. Later, he warns to "beware the milky pirate," which seems to be a man dresed sort of like a pirate, who likes milk a lot. Really, it's a trip down random lane, but it's worth the couple minutes of questioning why you took the time to watch it!

Review: "Old Gregg"

Another one of my new favorite youtube videos is "Old Gregg," a six minute dose of sheer confusion. It follows a fisherman who catches some type of half man, half fish. The manfish eventually falls for the man who caught him, and takes him back to his place (not before showing him his "downstairs mixup", the one are of the video I fast forward through). While at his place, Gregg shows the man everything he has in his cavern, which he says is filled with "all things that are good." It's ridiculously random, but very funny. After watching the video, I learned that this is just a small part of a series that a british comedy group filmed. The group, called "The Mighty Boosh," based his character on Rick James (at least according to wikipedia). All in all, it's really a funny film.

Review: "Flea Market Montgomery"

Youtube consistently puts out some really funny videos. One video that has recently been brought to the public's attention is "Flea Market Montgomery," an advertisement-turned-internet phenomenon. With over a million views, "Flea Market Montgomery" is becoming wildly popular. The whole premise of the video is just a larger African-American man, rapping about his flea market in Montgomery, Alabama. He repeatedly notes that the flea market is akin to a small shopping area ("It's just like...it's just like...a mini-mall!") The strange thing is, from the looks of the place, it is not "just like a mini-mall." No, it looks more like a discount furniture store. Even if the place does have mall-like qualities, all he mentions is "living rooms, bedrooms, and dinettes." To me, a mall would have much more than those three items.

"Flea Market Montgomery" is a hysterical advertisement, but it is NOT "just like a mini-mall."

Review: "Tongue and Cheek: living in France"

Of all of the blogs on the Internet, "Tongue and Cheek: Living in France" is by far my favorite. The Blog follows Corey, a California native, as she lives in the countryside of France with her husband and two children. She is one of the more interesting people that I've read about, as she's an American living the French lifestyle. I originally stumbled upon her page while googling "Paris Flea Markets," and couldn't stop reading. It was like a really good book- I just couldn't put it down! Her travels, her beautiful family, and her amazing life are all so interesting, it's hard to turn away. Corey is really sweet, too. Right before I left for Paris recently, I emailed her and asked for her opinion on good places to go in Paris. She wrote me back with a huge list of places! I think I'll continue to follow Corey through her blog...it just gets better every time!

Review: Facebook.com

Facebook is an awesome way to keep in touch with friends. It's very much like Myspace, only for college kids. My school, Gardner-Webb University, is on the site, and it allows me to keep in touch with friends from my old school (Summerville High School), plan parties and events, and leave notes for my friends. Recently, I planned a party, invited people, and had a good sized RSVP list within about 15 minutes. It's incredibly useful.

Review: "Cute Overload!"

Of all of the websites on the internet, there are few that put a smile on each viewer's face. Cute Overload manages to do just that, each and every day. I found the website by going to bored.com. The website focuses on cute photographs and videos of animals. Dogs, cats, and other animals are posted each day. It's a simple concept: adorable animals doing adorable things. It's easy to get caught up in the sweet photos. There have been times which I've stayed online just staring at these photographs. It's a really entertaining website, and I highly recommend it!

Review: The Tyra Banks Show

Tyra Banks is amazing. A former Victoria's Secret model, she is now a busy woman. She is the host and creator of America's Next Top Model, and also hosts her own talk show. Many people think she tries to be Oprah Winfrey, but I'd tend to disagree. She is her own person, and doing her own thing. When Oprah used to be new and young, she did investigative journalism as Tyra does now. Now, Oprah has the opportunity to relax and chill out with celebrities, without worrying about ratings. Tyra is not a replacement for Oprah, and she doesn't try to be. Her shows hit such issues as eating disorders and abuse, and she always seems to have the right view on things. Tyra is AWESOME!

Review: "Next" (Part 2)

I wrote a bit about "Next" a while back, and I've decided to post the second part. Here's the last part of that review!

So the girls wait on the bus, and cattiness is high. The first girl to go leaves them with a smart-aleck remark, and stands in front of the bus and poses. As she’s posing, 3 statistics about her show up on the screen. They are normally the strangest things possible. For example, as one blonde hair, blue eyed girl posed in front of the bus, these statistics showed up:

-Loves to bite her toenails
-Can’t stand the name “Greg”
-Wants to strip on the moon

When the guy meets each girl, he can say “Next!” at any time, and the next girl will come out and replace the girl that he’s with currently. Almost every time, no matter what, the guy says “Next!” to the first girl. She normally says something like, “Yeah, I didn’t like you anyway!” The guy comes onscreen and says something like, “ I was looking for a girl that I could take out to eat, not someone I’d be worried would eat me!” This comment almost always goes along with the view that almost every girl is fat.

As the rejected girl walks away from the guy back to the bus, a woman voices over yet another corny line.

“Mark wanted someone fit, but Candi’s body just wasn’t a hit!”

“Mark was looking for a girl with long hair. Mandi’s noggin was just too bare!”

“Mark envisioned a gorgeous beauty. The only good thing was Andi’s booty!”

Oh, those lines make me sick.

The guy goes through the girls, one by one, until he finds one he doesn’t mind hanging out with. They hang out for a while, and at the end of the show, the girl has the chance to go on a second date with him or take one dollar for each minute she spent with him. The choice varies, but when the girl chooses the guy, the viewers are supposed to believe that they live happily ever after.

This show is the most ridiculous, most unrealistic show I’ve ever seen. The corny lines are abundant, and overused. If you ever are clicking through the channels and see this show, don’t waste precious minutes of your life watching it. It’s a waste of channel space.

Review: That 70's Show

That 70's Show is pretty much the greatest show to grace FX's lineup. Topher Grace, Ashton Kutcher, and (my favorite) Danny Masterson. It follows a group of friends through their lives in the 70's. There's the self-absorbed girl (Jackie), the dumb foreigner (Fez), the smart girl (Donna), the dorky guy (Kelso), the semi-responsible guy (Eric), the laid back guy (Hyde), and Eric's family. Kelso usually creates enough issues that need to be dealt with in one episode, but sometimes they deal with Eric's family issues and Hyde's legal issues. Each show is full of laughs, and generally easy to relate with. I don't ever watch it and have a hard time believing anything depicted could actually happen in real life. Generally, it's an awesome show.

Review: My Super Sweet Sixteen

MTV has some interesting shows. Usually, they are incredibly shallow, and hard to relate to (such as Next! and The Hills). Such is the case with "My Super Sweet Sixteen." The show focuses on 15 year old girls who want to throw a huge party in honor of their sixteenth birthday. They pout if they don't get their way, they whine that they need a Lexus or Mercedes. Amazingly, for such an irritating show, it is very interesting to watch. It's easy to get caught up wondering what kind of dress the girl will get, what kind of car her parents will buy her, and how extravagant the party will be. Although it is a horrible waste of money, it really is a guilty pleasure, and almost hard not to watch.

Review: Myspace.com

In this day and age, websites are just as entertaining as television shows and movies. For this reason, I've decided to review a website as one of my blogs. Myspace.com was created by a man named Tom Anderson in 2003. Within a few months, it exploded into an internet phenomenon. It has changed the face of the internet, and many spinoffs of the site have emerged since. Nothing has come close to being as popular as Myspace. Facebook.com came out as another communication website, but never came close to being as popular as Myspace. Myspace is great for allowing an avenue of communication between friends and family. I use it to communicate with my three sisters, although my youngest sister doesn't always allow me to view her profile, for one reason or another. It's also a way for me to post photographs that I have taken, and show what I really enjoy. I write blogs as well, and update mine every few days. Myspace is a great form of entertainment all around. Everyone should give it a try!

Review: Miami Ink

TLC sure does have some great shows. What Not to Wear, Little People, Big World, and Take Home Chef are all some great shows that the channel offers. Miami Ink falls in line with the great lineup they have. It focuses on a tattoo parlor in Miami, and follows the lives of each person. It's very interesting to me, because it's a completely different life than I live. The artists do not do silly tattoos, they will only do ones with meaning behind them. On the particular show I watched, the female artist did a portrait of a young man's brother, who died in a car accident. Another tattoo artist did a dragon around two flowers, which symbolized his protective nature over his two children. The show is an intriguing one to watch, especially for the artistry. The way they draw on people's skin with ink seems almost like a pen and ink, rather than writing on people's skin. It's really amazing, and beautiful to watch.

Review: Take Home Chef

While watching TLC today, I came across a show, "Take Home Chef." Take Home Chef stars Curtis Stone, a handsome chef with an even handsomer accent. He goes to the supermarket and picks whoever he first sees to cook for. Surprisingly, it's normally a drop-dead gorgeous woman. When he walks up to them, they are incredibly surprised, and he asks them if they want him to cook for their family that night. Almost always, they agree, and Stone walks around the store with them, interviewing them and asking questions about their food preferences. They pick out some food, he pays, and they go back to the person's house to cook for them. Normally, they make some amazing recipes. It's a great concept, and a very fun show to watch. In the show I watched, a woman helped cook a stir fry for her boyfriend with Stone. It was an entertaining show, and very interesting. It was hard to miss the eyes and the giggles that the woman kept making towards Stone, but it's hard to blame her!

Review: Newsies

Newsies, which came out in 1992, is a movie about poor young men, who have to make a living for themselves (and sometimes their families) by selling newspapers. It is a fictional story starring Christian Bale and Bill Pullman, as well as David Moscow. Christian Bale is "Cowboy," a rough teenager who really needs love. When the price of the papers that they sell is raised, Cowboy insists that they protest the increase. He isn't very good with words, so his friend, David (David Moscow) helps him rally the troops. They don't get too much support from the community, until a writer (Bill Pullman) starts to document everything, which allows them to garner more followers. The movie is actually a musical, and has some of the best music I've heard in any movie. Newsies is really a great, feel-good movie.

Review: The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada is pretty much one of my favorite movies. It stars Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, and is about an average girl who decides to work for a fashion magazine, Runway. The movie is based on a novel by Lauren Weisberger, of the same name. She wrote about her work at Vogue magazine, and her terror of a boss. Hathaway is Andy Sachs, and is dating a gorgeous guy (Adrian Grenier). When she goes to work at Runway, she deals with a horrible boss (Streep) who makes her bow to her every whim. Runway begins to take over Andy's life, and it isn't long before she makes sacrifices that she had no intention of making. She makes good decisions in the end, though, and all of the loose ends get tied up.

Review: The Last Kiss

The Last Kiss, starring Zach Braff and Rachel Bilson came out in 2006, among fair reviews. What appealed to me was the fact that Paul Haggis wrote it, and everything I've seen from him is awesome.
The movie focuses primarily on Braff and his girlfriend's relationship as an average couple in Wisconsin. They find out that they're about to have a baby, and Braff sees his life flash before his eyes. Just at the moment when he's feeling as if "there are no surprises" left for his life, Rachel Bilson steps in. They met at a wedding- she's a college sophomore, and really into him. He has to decide which life he wants to have. While this is going on, there are sub stories with 3 of his friends, as well as his girlfriend's parents.
All in all, this was an engaging movie with a great cast. As with all of Braff's movies (such as Garden State), it has a great soundtrack, as well. I'd call it a must see!

Review: Idiocracy

Today I rented Idiocracy, starring Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, and Dax Shepard. You won't find many copies at your local Blockbuster, because it's not an incredibly popular movie.
The movie begins with showing the viewer a common man (Luke Wilson) who works on a military base. He's not stupid, but he's not very smart, either. As part of an army experiment, he is placed in a freezer along with the only woman they could find, a prostitute (Maya Rudolph). Unfortunately, the military base goes under, and they are forgotten until about 500 years later. As a result of a garbage landslide, their freezers are opened, and they are released into the future. As the movie explains, throughout history, stupid, white trashy people had too many kids. Also, people with high IQ's do not have any, so the world has turned into a complete dumb biosphere. Pretty much everyone in the world seems to have a slight form of retardation. When they test Luke Wilson (by having him put a square peg in a square hole, add 2 + 1, etc), they find that he's the smartest guy in the world. As a result, they make him fix their problems, and he becomes president. It is a completely satirical film, but really makes you think about the future of humanity.

Entertaining websites

While on one of my favorite websites, Slickdeals, last week, I came across some codes that could be redeemed for free Blockbuster movie rentals. Because of this, my next few blogs will be mainly DVD's I've rented using these coupons. Sorry, the codes are gone now, but feel free to browse through the forums to find great deals. I've found some amazing deals in the past few months, such as a free Senseo coffee maker, free wedding planning book from State Farm, and even had Walgreens owe me money by the time I finished shopping. Try it!

Review: Billy Joel Concert

I've always loved Billy Joel. He's amazing, and has amazing music. Ever since I was little, my parents played Billy Joel in our houses and cars, and I have yet to find a song I do not like.

When my boyfriend gave me tickets for Christmas to the concert in Columbia, SC at the Colonial Center. I was so excited! We drove up on Wednesday afternoon, Valentine's day. We got there an hour early, and found our floor seats. It was amazing how great our seats were! Floor left, in the center aisle. Billy Joel put on a great show, and had a great set list. We really had an amazing time, and it's one I will remember forever. I will post more about this show in the future!

The picture displayed is one I took from my seat...great seats, I told you! :)

Review: Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson is classic. Even though his debut album, Brushfire Fairytales, came out in 2001, it seems like he's been around forever.

Johnson was a surfer before he became a singer, but once his talent was realized, he was unable to hold back. He's put out a few more albums, but none have been as great as that first one, Brushfire Fairytales.

The album has wonderful songs with amazing lyrics. His lyrics are moving as well as passionate. In "The News," Johnson confronts the indifferent attitude newscasters have towards world events. He sings, "A billion people died on the news tonight/But not so many cried at the terrible sight/Well mama said/It's just make believe/You can't believe everything you see/So baby close your eyes to the lullabies/On the news tonight...Why don't the newscasters cry when they read about people who
die?/At least they could be decent enough to put just a tear in their
eyes."

His work is amazing, and the greatest thing to listen to while stressed.

Review: Nintendo 64

Way, way back in 1996, Nintendo put out a state-of-the-art entertainment system, a 64-bit graphic system called Nintendo 64. It was revolutionary, and premiered with a few games, such as Mario 64.

Today, such a system seems like a dinosaur. The jaunty moves, poor graphics, the lack of many colors, and the mono sound causes one to laugh at how high tech the game system...wasn't. In the midst of the laughter, though, I can't help but love the system for it's lack of sophisticated technology. It's a fun system, and it's very easy to understand. So many games today are so complicated, it's impossible to follow them.

The only problem I have with this system is the reliability of it. It's 11 years old, so I understand that it won't be working exactly like it did when it first came out. I have to turn the system on and off again and again when I want to play it, and it gets really irritating after a while.

Otherwise, a great system, and fun to reminisce with :)

Review: Mario 64

While reminiscing the other day, I realized how much I used to love the game Mario 64. I was never really into video games, but my little sister and I really enjoyed a few Nintendo 64 games.

I went online to the website craigslist.org, and asked if anyone had a system and games. A guy wrote me, and said that he had one with a few games and controllers for 25 dollars. I traded him a Wal-Mart giftcard, and drove home with my system.

I started playing Mario 64, and became sort of hooked. It's a really fun game, with varying levels of difficulty. I have to use walkthroughs to get through a lot of the levels. Whether or not you use walkthroughs or not, if you can't beat one level, you can go on to another, and beat those. All in all, you need 120 stars to beat the game. There are around 6 games in each level, and each gives you a star.

Mario 64 is a good game, except for the camera angles. There are so many times in which you're almost unable to see what you're doing, just because of the camera angle. If Mario stayed in the middle of the screen, all would be fine, but he moves around with and/or against the camera.

Review: Marie Antionette

I watched the DVD "Marie Antoinette" last night. We chose the film because we will be visiting Versailles in less than two weeks. I felt like we should have at least a small knowledge of the place. The movie has been touted as "Gidget in Versailles," so I thought it would be interesting. In general, the movie is very boring. It is slow, with very little plot points. Kirsten Dunst shines in her role, though. She is perfect for the role of Marie Antionette, and does a great job playing the spender, the young, fun queen. I think that the movie was slow because it focused on the historical aspect of Marie Antoinette and her life, rather than taking a major plot issue and making a big deal of it. All in all, this is a great movie for historical purposes, but not so great if you want an interesting movie.

Review: I Love New York

While flipping through channels this evening, I happened to fall upon VH1. A show called "I Love New York" was on, and because I didn't have anything else to watch, I stayed on the channel.

"New York" is Tiffany Pollard, a reality tv star who first showed up on VH1's "Flavor of Love." The public liked/hated her so much, she ended up with her own show.

The show started out with 9 guys, all fighting for New York's attention. They are almost all African-American, except for a random white guy. He is called "Mr. Boston," and played out to be a huge dork. His nasal voice, mixed with his "geeky" clothes pinpoint him as a target.

The guys have to split up in 3 groups, and make New York's chihuahua a doghouse. The men who build the best one will go on dates with her later that night. She ends up picking 3 guys, and the leader of that group gets "something special." New York plays it up to be sexual, but as a viewer, I figured that it was just innuendo. Strangely, she and one of the winners is seen in her bedroom in sexual poses. I guess it wasn't innuendo after all.

All in all, the show pretty much stunk. It was yet another reality show that wastes channel space.

Review: Hotel Rwanda

Gardner-Webb shows different movies on a closed-circuit channel each month. This month has a great lineup in store, and Hotel Rwanda is one of the better movies that are playing. It stars Don Cheadle, and focuses on the conflict between the Hutu and the Tutsi in Rwanda, Africa. The genocide was horrible, and the movie really showed what it was about.

Hotel Rwanda is incredible. Paul, a hotel manager, and his family are documented as they try to save themselves, without sacrificing friends and family along the way. They use the hotel as a safe house for refugees, and end up housing over 1000 by the end. The people are abandoned many times, by all sorts of armies, even the UN.

The filmography in this movie wasn't exceptional, in my opinion. It was average work, but it didn't need to be greater than that. The storyline carried the film, high-paid actors and filmographers were not needed.

I almost want to say that the movie was too neat and tidy. I feel as if everyone who you really, really wanted to live, lived. Since the movie was based on a true story, it's understandable, but I felt as if parts of it were hard to believe.

All in all, this movie is a winner. Be prepared to cry.

Second impressions

I am back to talk about this multimedia presentation, from www.mediastorm.org. This is such an amazing story. In my last post, I spoke about what the presentation was about, what the story behind it is. This time, I am going to critique the presentation as a multimedia presentation. While I'm here, let me say a little bit of a disclaimer. I am a 20 year old college student. The people who made this presentation are in their fourties. They are professionals, I am a student striving to be a professional at some point. They know what they are doing, I'm still figuring it out. I don't really have the authority to give any negative critiques at all, but, nonetheless, this is an assignment, and I have to fulfill it.

That having been said, here goes.

The presentation opens with a close-up of the woman, Julie, dishing up a meal to her elderly father. She sits down to eat with him, and as we watch, she introduces herself in a voice-over. A picture of her husband, Ed, fades in, and he voices over his introduction. Pictures of their family come across the screen, and at this point, the setting has been presented. The viewer feels as if they know the backdrop of the story, they have had a glimpse into who the people shown are. The pictures themselves are breathtaking.

Next, Julie voices over an introduction of her father, Herbie. He's such a cutie, I wish I knew him personally. In addition to the pictures and video of him smiling and joking around, the negative side is presented as well. Because he has dementia, he has some bad days. A close-up of Herbie, looking positively confused, is shown. A video of him rambling incoherently about eggs is next, and has the potential to break the viewer's heart.

Clips and photos of the day-to-day flash across the screen, truly intimate glimpses into this family's life. It becomes very obvious that Julie is overworked. As she practices yoga in the living room, she says, "There is not a single minute of the day that somebody doesn’t need something from me." Within seconds, a picture from the same time frame flashes on the screen; an image of her daughter hugging her as she's attempting to do yoga. Everything that the family says in the voice-overs is presented as they are speaking in either film or video. It really is wonderful.

Next, the viewer is taken through a tough time that the family went through while filming this presentation. Herbie had to watch his house be torn apart before it was sold, and really didn't take it well. He ended up falling that night, and afterwards, wasn't the same. They take him to the hospital, but the doctors don't seem to actually care. Clips of Julie crying by his bedside, Ed in a moment of frustration, and the kids upset are shown. This is really an emotional time, and the viewer can easily become emotional as well.

The presentation wraps up with the family speaking very honestly about how they feel about the situation as a whole. Julie says that she's not sure how much longer they can last. The kids say that they will take care of their parents when they are old.
Overall, it's very open and raw.

There are all different kinds of media used in the presentation. Interviews with each of the family members are used as voice-overs, other audio includes the audio from the videos that are intermixed with photos. By doing this, the video is much more interesting.

First impression

Now that the semester is up and running, homework is in full swing. Not to be left out, this class, my digital media convergence class, has some of the most. I'm expected to do about four blogs a week now.

My professor assigned us a 1-page homework assignment the other day. I didn't want to do homework and the blog, so I asked if we could just blog our homework assignment. He really took to the idea, so the next few blogs will be a review of a multimedia presentation.

This particular entry will document my initial reactions to a multimedia piece I have chosen off of the website mediastorm.org You can find the particular multimedia flash presentation here. I'd suggest watching it before reading the rest of this entry. If you don't, this blog might not make a lot of sense. It's around 11 minutes, but it's very much worth it.

This multimedia presentation is beautiful. Not surprisingly, it was done by a married couple, a filmmaker and a photojournalist. The wife is Julie Winokur, and the husband, Ed Kashi. They have two children, a 11 year old boy and an 8 year old girl.
They moved from San Francisco, CA, to New Jersey in order to care for Julie's father, Herbie.

Within seconds of watching this presentation, one key point shines through: this family is beautiful. In every sense of the word, these people seems to embody "beautiful." The woman is stunning, the man, handsome, and their kids are just gorgeous. Herbie is also beautiful, with eyes that smile and an adorable grin. More than their physical beauty, though, this family has an inner beauty that out-shines their exteriors. They gave up so much in order to care for Julie's father, but they can see past the struggles that they have at the moment, and realize that what they are doing is right. I think Ed says it best:

"I feel that this period in a way is this sort of hidden gift. You would never think it at the moment, because it’s so traumatic and stressful, and sad. But in the long run the kids are being given this lesson, this life lesson in what it means to care for someone. What it means to come through for someone else."

I know that if I had to push aside all of my plans, move across the country, and make sacrifices every day, I would have a hard time not complaining every day. The family featured in this multimedia presentation handles their situation with class and love, something I know everyone would struggle achieving.

The Winokur/Kashi family is beautiful, as is their story. Though they struggle daily, I feel that their reward will be great.

Review: "Next"

Reality television shows have consumed the entertainment business these days. Flip through the channels, and you’ll find personal makeovers, home makeovers, dating shows, wedding shows, baby shows, survival shows, singing shows, talent shows, and so much more. MTV is one of the channels that seems to have nothing but reality shows, and to be honest, the majority of them are horrendous.

In the midst of the crap, one truly horrible show stands out. MTV’s “hit” dating show, “Next,” is a real gem. The scene is set: one gorgeous, single guy (or girl) desperately needs a gorgeous, single girl (or guy!) The producers manage to find five gorgeous singles, all willing to do anything for a date. Sound fake? Don’t worry, both the people and the show itself look as fake as they sound.

The show starts off with the gorgeous single talking about themselves. For example, there was a guy on the show the other day, and he was a businessman. As he introduced himself, he said,“My name is Mark, I’m a businessman, and I’m looking for a hot woman to help take care of MY business!”This voice-over plays as he adjusts his tie, flexes his muscles, and struts his stuff.

This is just the beginning of the corniness that is “Next.”

The women come on after the guy’s introduction. Normally, they wear as little clothing as possible, and flaunt every asset they have. Their voice-overs are just as scripted and corny as the guy’s.

“Hi, I’m Nikki, I’m 21, and I’m a gymnast. I’d like to show this guy how flexible I can be!”

“Hi, I’m Candi, I’m 20, and I’m a lifeguard. I’d like to show this guy my best mouth-to-mouth procedure!”

“Hi, I’m Jenni, I’m 22, and I’m a sales clerk. I want to sell this guy MY goods!”

It gets so much worse. Check back later for the second part of this review!

Review: "Crash"

After hearing all of the hype about the movie "Crash," I decided to give it a try. Frankly, I didn't expect much. Even though the movie won 3 Oscars, and tons of other awards, I've had some strange bias towards the movie since I heard about it.

Wow, was I surprised. The cast list alone is impressive enough. Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Matt Dillon, Ludacris, and Ryan Phillipe all make appearances in the film.

The camera angles, lighting, and focus were great. I remember thinking that the movie seemed like great photographs blended into a movie. It seemed like the film could have been stopped at any time, any frame, and you would end up with a perfect photograph. Truly a work of art.

In terms of what the movie is about, it focuses heavily on racism. It follows a few different actors: a Hispanic man with a young daughter, the white district attorney of LA and his racist wife, a wealthy African-American couple, 2 African-American friends, and some others. Each has something to learn about their views on race and equality.

This movie has a few of the most powerful scenes I've ever seen. For those who have seen the movie, the scene where the woman's car catches fire, and the scene where the little girl gets "shot." At the climax of both scenes, all voices fade out, and a beautiful foreign song plays as the events play out. It's amazing to watch.

Although the movie has a thousand pros, I did have a few complaints. There was a brief scene of nudity, which I felt was unnecessary. The same effect could have been achieved, just by covering up certain points. Also, the cursing in the movie was a bit over the top. I'm normally not a stickler, I can tune certain words out, but this was ridiculous. According to numerous websites, there are around 82-98 uses of the "f-word." To me, that's just a bit much.

In all, Crash was a beautiful movie, and would have been perfect for most ages had the cursing been toned down a bit.

First post!

I'll be blogging a few times a week about films, television shows, and music. This is for Digital Media Convergence class, but it will still have all of the elements of me, not just homework! Be sure to check up a few times a week for new posts!