Here we go. It’s been a while since my last post, so I’m going to briefly wrap my thoughts in a blur…
TV:
American Idol – I wouldn’t call myself an active viewer of this highly popular reality TV show, but heck, if I’m not doing anything from 8-9pm I’ll definitely tune into FOX. Especially during the first few weeks when you have all those tone-deaf lunatics who want nothing more in their lives than to be the next American Idol, but to be rudely turned away from the snip Simon Cowell. There’s nothing better than watching that pathetic tear roll down their poor faces. Call it humiliating… but I really point the blame at these contestants’ families… there is no way that everyone’s completely oblivious to what a real singer should sound like. As GOB from Arrested Development would say… COME ON!
The Moment of Truth – Now here’s a show that I’m going to make every attempt to keep up with. Its sluggish pacing still bugs me, but the questions are great. The only internal struggle now is how the last two contestants are so likeable; you really don’t want to see them suffer through these tough personal questions. The first guy was just so arrogant and stuck up that I really wanted to see him answer a big question wrong to create friction between him and his wife. But now the recent contestant seems like such an angel (she plans on being a virgin on her wedding night). And the questions are trying to spark some controversy between her and her family, but they haven’t broken through yet (though the clip for next episode shows her crying… so I can’t wait for that). But overall, this is still one of my favorite shows that’s currently on the air.
Movies:
The King of Kong: A Fistfull of Quarters – This very entertaining documentary basically on the two greatest Donkey Kong video game players in the world was a pleasure to watch. Its very brief history of the game was nostalgic, but it’s fierce competitiveness and storytelling throughout made this one of the best documentaries of 2007. The doc revolved mainly on the crowning of the Donkey Kong king, Billy Mitchell, and the challenger, Steve Wiebe. At first this might sound like a nerd’s documentary, but the stories were very in depth and the stakes were as high as Game 7 of the World Series. It followed the typical underdog story of any Hollywood sports story: the underdog trying to upset the powerhouse, with some foul play in the mix. This was a great way to simply let the events fall as they did.
Michael Clayton – I caught this film during its Oscar run in the theaters last weekend, and as this was the only film I haven’t seen out of the five Best Picture nominees, I was very excited. I was pleased and completely entertained throughout the entire movie. The director/writer Tony Gilroy did a magnificent job in his directorial debut. And the performances were exceptional. The title character was played by George Clooney, and he’s really come into his own the past few years with his roles in Syriana, Goodnight and Goodluck, and now Michael Clayton. He’s truly a heavyweight when it comes to Oscar season on top of being a very profitable and A-list actor. In addition to Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Sydney Pollack, and Tilda Swinton give amazing performances. This legal-thriller was written with a lot of intelligence and aimed for a majority adult audience. Out of all the five Best Picture nominees, I would say this was the most entertaining of the whole group… though I highly doubt it will take the trophy home.
Music:
FM Radio – Since my stereo system broke in my car last week, I’ve been stuck with FM radio during my ride to work. I was never a fan of the radio, nor have I changed my opinions about it. The good thing about listening to the radio is after song after song of pure crap, you’ll finally hear one song you love… and like my friend Chris put it, “it’s like winning the lottery.” Winning the lottery indeed… and because of that, I shall continue to suffer through most of radio’s crap just for that one song to relieve me of all the pain.
Sufjan Stevens – Yes… I’m never on track of new artists, but it doesn’t matter to me. And the artist that I currently can’t get enough of right now is the amazingly skilled Sufjan Stevens. This Michigan native truly captured my attention through my first listen of his album, Come on Feel the Illinoise! I’m not exactly sure what it was that drew me into his music so quickly. Maybe it was the intrigue of listening to such unique pieces of simple but full rhythms and beats as his eerie and mysterious voice hovers over the instrumentals. Maybe it was the bizarre topics of a number of his songs. Maybe it was the concepts of his albums (he claims he wants to compose an album for each state of America). I still don’t know… but listening to his music transcends the normal feelings you would feel. Listening to Sufjan Stevens is a true experience and you should give nothing less than your full-undivided attention to every note and every word in his songs. He’s a mastermind of music.
