Social Network Connections

After reading about it for weeks, I finally saw "The Social Network," the movie about Facebook's founding by Mark Zuckerberg (and some other people) - and if you've seen it too, maybe you'll know why I'm giggling just a little about blogging my thoughts on it. Here's everything that came to mind, short and sweet like a status update:

- Bravo Jesse Eisenberg! Ever since I saw "Adventureland" (also starring Kristen Stewart. Gross.), I though he was poised to take up Michael Cera's mantle of awkward, ill-fitting T-shirts. Turns out the guy has some acting chops afterall. If this doesn't break him out of the Cera-on-a-budget roles, nothing will.

- I knew the Winklevoss twins, aka Armie Hammer, looked familiar! Hammer played scam artist/Serena love interest Gabriel on "Gossip Girl!"

- After the movie my boyfriend and I stormed Wikipedia to figure out who the hell Sean Parker is. In the movie, he was fairly instrumental in getting Zuckerberg to think bigger with Facebook. Drew insisted Shawn Fanning started Napster and that Justin Timberlake acted nothing like him. I said Sean Parker sounded familiar. Turns out, Sean Parker was Napster's business guy (which I guess says something about his business skills...) and Shawn Fanning was the programmer. Why was no one else confused by this?

- This is a movie of soon-to-be stars - like a concert when the opening band is booked before they score that big hit. I saw Andrew Garfield at a screening of "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus" last year at TIFF. He was excellent as Facebook CFO Eduardo, and now that "Never Let Me Go" is finally showing in Buffalo, I'll be able to get my fill of the next Spiderman. Rooney Mara, here playing Zuckerberg's ex-girlfriend Erica, is set to take off, too, with the American version of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" as, well, the girl with the dragon tattoo, Lisbeth. This year is quite the introduction to these two.

Summer isn't smart?

Today, the first day of school for many of the kiddies in my area, is a good day to reflect on how film companies assume that out of school, we're all stupid. Brooks Barnes wrote a great piece this week in the New York Times about "Inception" breaking the stereotype of the summer blockbuster - or, at least what Fox, Universal, Sony and Disney percieve as summer blockbusters. They force fed us "The Other Guys," "Sex and the City 2" and, dare I mention, "Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore," all while Christopher Nolan - whose style is better represented in "Momento" than "The Dark Knight" - took a chance that the average American wanted to see a well-crafted movie, not just something mindless.

Now don't get me wrong, I saw "The Other Guys" (and considered walking out) and "Sex and the City 2" (out of pure respect for the series, which I recently watched from beginning to end). I bought in to the summer madness, the rainy nights that needed to be filled with something other than sitting at home, staring at my Facebook feed. There is a place for the "Transformers" of the world. But when that movie, the over-hyped, star-studded, action-packed thriller/comedy/shoot 'em up, becomes every movie released that summer (disguised as a children's movie, a Nicholas Sparks movie, what have you), it tires even the most mindless of middle-America. How in the world, looking at the fare we've been offered this summer at the movies, could studios be baffled at why no one went to the show? Or, when "Inception" - which was star-studded and quite the shoot 'em up, by the way - topped the box office? It was well acted, smart and really needed repeat viewings for many to be understood.

What baffles me is that if that formula - or lack thereof, thank you Mr. Nolan - worked, maybe some of those award season-caliber films should be released in the summer. Afterall, if it's an award you're after, look to this year's statue winner: A summer movie with substance, "The Hurt Locker."

Ah, the family vacation.

Read my latest story with the Post and Courier about "Block Ice & Propane."

More Spoleto

Read my preview piece about the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra's first concert tonight.

Emmanuel Villaume's 10 years at Spoleto

My first multimedia piece for the Post and Courier.

So Southern

Check out the food blog I am writing while in Charleston, S.C.

Lee Dewyze - crowned

How is anyone surprised the Lee Dewyze won "American Idol?" He's so pretty.

Glee and Gaga

I recently arrived in Charleston, SC to be an arts intern at the Post and Courier covering the Spoleto USA Festival for the next three weeks. While I am discovering new places to eat, shop and tan, I am also discovering the scarcity of televisions in the residence hall we are staying in. My friends and I ran into our first floor lounge this evening, raring to watch "Glee," only to be shut down by some older ladies settling in - they had peanut butter on the table! - to watch the finale of "Dancing with the Stars." We proceeded to take the elevator to each floor, run around that floor and find it has no TV, until we reached the fourth floor. There, we met some other friendly Gleeks.

The episode itself was a mish-mash of hot and cold. Here's my breakdown:

Best song of the show: Idina Menzel singing "Funny Girl"

Worst song of the show: Menzel and Lea Michele singing "Poker Face" - talk about ruining an emotional moment!

Best line of the night: Brittany, "You look terrible. I look awesome."

Worst line of the night: Umm the whole last five minutes. Does there have to be a lesson in every episode?

Best character connection: Burt and Kurt Hummel when Burt comes to his son's rescue from Finn's homophopia

Worst character connection: Tina. Her vampire was ridiculous.

Runner-ups: Mark Salling singing "Beth" was cute and poignant - yeah, Quinn, let him be in the delivery room! Lea Michele's stuffed-dress (just hilarious. I think I can make one of those).

Only one "Idol" left for me

I text-voted several (or more than several) times for Lee Dewyze during "Glee" commercials tonight. After seeing Justin Timberlake sing "Hallelujah" on the Haiti benefit earlier this year, Tim Urban attempt it earlier this "Idol" season, and Jason Castro whine through it a few seasons ago, Simon's choice for Lee was just so tired. With Simon choosing him, Lee has been preordained as the "Idol," like Adam Lambert was last year. Could the song's repetition hurt him tomorrow night? Too bad my votes can't ensure his place in the final seemingly every "Idol" blogger has been talking about since the top 10 - a Dewyze-Mommasox finale.

Then again, repetition is not something "Idol" has ever been concerned with. How many times have we heard "Somewhere Over the Rainbow?" Or the fact that Matt Giraud sang "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?" last season and Casey and Mike proceeded to do it again.

Speaking of Casey, I didn't get a chance to write of my disbelief last week - Casey, America? Really? Over the teddy bear father with the best voice in the competition? Big Mike's music wouldn't ever be my cup of tea but I had to respect his resonant, smooth voice. Casey" sounds, as Kara said, like a lamb when he holds a note longer than two beats.

Then again, second best performance of the night goes to Casey with "Daughters," even though he looked so indignant to be playing it. Below, my favorite performance of the season: Casey with"Jealous Guy."

Idina's Lea's Momma

I think we all saw that coming.

And it's about time Idina Menzel sang on "Glee" - and a "Les Mis"-filled episode? More please.

As for Artie's storyline, he's a cutie but his emotional moments don't feel as real as Kurt's, probably because, as he said in Rolling Stone, Ryan Murphy based Kurt on himself in high school.

Neil Patrick Harris, I just don't love you like other people love you. But your scene with Sue - "I have a secret room upstairs. Like Letterman." - made me forget your annoying cameo in "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay." Not that the movie was good otherwise.

Glee update

Since "Preggers," I have been waiting for a "Glee" episode to make me sob on more than one occasion - tonight was the night!

It's incredible to me that Chris Colfer who plays Kurt was an unknown before the show. Every episode that features him, especially in scenes with his dad, I just weep. His eyes are so expressive and really, his version of Burt Bacharach's "A House is Not A Home" was sung so well. Not sure he out did his version of "Defying Gravity," but I loved it.

Then I cried during the Kodak commercial where the dad is talking to the baby and e-mailing pictures to "Grammy." I think Kurt left me vulnerable to advertisements. (I tried to find it online...but I haven't yet. I'm always so baffled when that happens.)

As I wrote earlier, I was so glad Kristin Chenoweth returned! But was anyone else disappointed that Lea Michele didn't chime in on "Home"? I love the song - I've got a family connection to the Dorothy role in "The Wiz" - so that was part of it, too. So I cried.

It occurred to me tonight to tally up the awardees on the show :

Tonys: Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff

Drama Desks: Groff, Chenoweth(2),

Emmy: Chenoweth

Nominations: Matthew Morrison (Tonys, Drama Desks), Lea Michele (Drama Desk)

Someone said to me recently that TV and movies has really changed Broadway in stars now transition from one to another to another and back again. I'll be thinking on that.

In other news..."American Idol" is now, in a word, boring.

Glee (April 27, 2010)

I'm going to say it since no one else really has - the last two episodes of "Glee" have been less than stellar. No great songs, not even great Sue lines. Tonight, though, we learn how the Cheerios stay thin - a concoction that has to do with Ipecac and maple syrup - and Kristin Chenoweth returns.

'Bout time. Idina Menzel was great, but since she didn't sing, this episode is better.

Mmmbop

Hanson is coming out with a new album. For those of us who have every album of theirs (me? what?! no....), it's kind of exciting to see what all those babies and wives have made them. This is one of my favorites from the last album:

Tender TV

"Parenthood" is the most moving TV I've seen in awhile - Lauren Graham, Dax Shepard and Erika Christensen combine with a great supporting cast to tell the stories of love and hardship of the Braverman family. It's refreshing to see such a supportive family drama in the midst of broken families - and those are represented, too. Just about every episode brings tears to my eyes, especially the tender moments with 5-year-old Jabbar (Tyree Brownpossible the cutest kid ever) and his new dad, played by Shepard. A friend recently turned me on to the show and I watched about 5 episodes of it on Hulu this past weekend and just caught the latest.

Anyone who loved "Gilmore Girls" would probably love to see Graham in a similar, if less chatty, role. I get a little frustrated with how rebellious her daughter, played by Mae Whitman, is - that tends to feel exaggerated. Then again, I was so not rebellious at 15, so it might be true! She's always sneaking out to meet her boyfriend, appropriately named Damien, and what not.

Christensen, whom I've only seen in "Swimfan" about a thousand years ago, is great, too, playing a lawyer mother of a little girl. Her husband is this super cute stay at home dad, played by Sam Jaeger. So progressive.

"Death at a Funeral"

There are two major reasons to see "Death at a Funeral:" James Marsden on acid and Danny Glover in a wheel chair.

I saw Chris Rock on Bill Maher a couple weeks ago and fell for his completely non-persona. I have never been a fan of his stand up but after seeing him talk straight, I thought seeing his new movie might be interesting. He doesn't play "Chris Rock" in it - so refreshing to see him as probably more like himself for once. Besides, there's a part where James Marsden sits naked on a roof, damn high in two senses of the word.

Back with "Glee"

In January, it felt like such a long time until "Glee" would be back on TV. 

But I'm just going to say it: Best scene in the show was when Idina Menzel and Mr. Shu met for the first time at the Vocal Adrenaline rehearsal. She better sing. It's crazy how much better she looks on camera in "Glee" than she did in the "Rent" movie - she looked old and overly made up then. Last night, she looked great. And I was so pumped when she went back to his apartment. I like where that storyline is going. 

Jonathan Groff was also a great addition, as let's face it, everyone knew it would be. Cory Monteith as Finn has never been able to sing as well as Lea Michele as Rachel so, Fox, nice work at finally giving us a talented guy. (I've always liked Artie, but he hardly sings alone! And that David Bowie cover...ugh.) He and Michele have great chemistry already, probably from acting opposite one another in "Spring Awakening." 

The episode itself was mediocre partially because though we had a break from the show, the show did not give any time difference like a Spring break or something. It plunged in almost unnervingly - though the recap was thorough and funny. Also, it occurred to me last night a pretty big plot flaw - there's not way in "real life" that Vocal Adrenaline and New Directions would be competing. Most competitions of this sort divide by size and VA is huge while ND is small. Maybe I just want to keep Groff on the show for as long as possible. 

Lambert and "Idol" together again

n. Last year, my roommate and I logged more than 50 votes one night for Adam Lambert. So, it seems fitting, especially with my previous posts about Lambert and my respect (read: love) for his voice (read: his nail polish) and showmanship (read: glam), that I give my commentary this week when he was the mentor.

First of all, I'm pretty sure he's been the best mentor this season, or ever - well, except for maybe Andrew Lloyd Webber. He actually gave people advice that made sense - be more playful, tune in to your inner actor, use falsetto at the end, quicken the tempo - and would have been helpful, had the contestants followed through. I must admit, I don't care for any week that "Idol" uses Michael Jackson, Madonna or, like this week, Elvis. At least the Beatles are coverable, even if they are a tough standard to live up to. Anyway, I thought the week was about as disappointing as it could get. Casey James - whose performance of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy" last week brought tears to my eyes - typically threw away his vocal because it was an uptempo song. Crystal Bowersox played a cookie-cutter performance of several of her others. Lee Dewyze, my favorite contestant, was good, but I won't be downloading his Elvis song like I did his adorable cover of The Stones' "Beast of Burden." The list goes on. I can't wait until tonight when Lambert performs and shows these kiddies how to actually perform.

But I'll still be watching next week!

My favorite part of "Idol" this year is Kara, though. I was ambivalent last year about her becoming a judge but I just think she's so cute. She cried during Mike's performance, she is so encouraging and if you do a quick Google search, girl can sing! I'm always scrutinizing her hair and her outfit because whoever her stylist is, man I wish I could bring her to Syracuse. Also, anyone notice she could be Katie Steven's mom? Hilarious.

"Little Secrets"

I gave up going to live shows on a regular basis a couple of years ago. Aside from a few classical music or jazz concerts and the occasional bar band, I stuck to that. I don't know if it was the crowd surfer falling on my head at a Lemuria show at Mohawk Place in '08 or the price or the fact that I haven't really loved a band in years, but where as I used to see a lot of bands - granted, not great ones sometimes - in high school, I'd about given it up.

The last two weeks have been a revelation. I think I needed the break from live music so I can appreciate it now. Here's my list:

Passion Pit March 28, Niagara Falls, NY- Even though their light show broke down and even though I didn't know all the words to all the songs, Passion Pit made me want to dance so much that I broke many a sweat during the set. Mayor Hawthorne and the County was one of the openers and my love for '60s pop - and Marvin Gaye? - was satisfied. Passion Pit, for those who aren't familiar with them, play electro-pop, mixing synthesizers and instruments and are indie darlings hailing from Massachusetts (the lead singer's parents live in the Buffalo area!). They only have one album out, so as a lover of it, I heard everything I wanted. The highlight? "Little Secrets" was incredible live - so much energy even for a bunch of dudes pressing buttons. The other highlight? When the band came out for an encore and played a cover of The Cranberries' "Dreams."

Miike Snow March 30, Syracuse, NY (at SU in the Schine Underground) - I totally missed the opener of this show because the group of us going had beers at Chuck's first. The tickets were $5 each, so we didn't care in the least. I've never been to this venue before and there was probably only 200 people there, maybe less. I could barely see the stage which maybe wasn't a bad thing - the band was pretty boring. Their music was good but the performance lacked what Passion Pit had - energy. They played "Animal" and "Burial" to the crowd's delight, still, just as the CD stagnates around track 8, the band loses steam after those numbers. The highlight? "Sylvia" was awesome because they did the whole song, broke it down by layers and then built it back up to a huge climax right in the middle of the show - also, it's probably my No. 1 song on the record. 

The Hold Steady April 10, Syracuse, NY (The Westcott Theater)- Let me just say that this show was partially made by the fact my boyfriend and I had Alto Cinco beforehand. When I first moved to Syracuse, I didn't much care for Alto Cinco - which is conveniently located next to the Westcott - but now, after trying the nacho fries and the BBQ Tofu burrito, I'm hooked. Anyway, we waited an hour for a table there and met up with my boyfriend's dad who is a big Hold Steady fan, too. Turns out, he's not the only dad loving on Craig and the boys. The demographics of the Hold Steady show leaned male (so that's where all the guys have been hiding since 2003...) and tended up. After watching a bunch of tween hipsters jam at Passion Pit, I was pleased, especially because there was no line for the women's room. While our friend called it "the best show ever," I tend to disagree. "Magazines," "Southtown Girls" and much of the back catalogue the band played was awesome - and, granted, I haven't been listening to them for very long. There was a lot of fist-pumping, beer sloshing and sing alongs that truly show the dedication of the Hold Steady's fans. But, somewhere in the middle, they started playing songs from the yet-to-be-released album. I get that bands have to try out new songs on the road - never in a clump in the middle of the show! It felt like the energy got sucked out of the room, at least where I was standing. I will say, though, since that night all I've been listening to is The Hold Steady - I even made a Hold Steady Pandora station. Dudes play a great show.

Read me at Syracuse.com

My writing efforts have been at my internship lately. Check out my first article about Wagner's "The Flying Dutchman," playing this weekend in Syracuse.

"Nine" Review, in brief

“Nine” has all the sex appeal money can buy. Penelope Cruz, clad in lacy lingerie, stretches her long legs over her head; Fergie howls and growls while she rolls around on the beach wearing little more than a shawl; even Dame Judi Dench squeezes into a corset.

But “Nine” loses the depth of the Maury Yeston, Arthur Kopit musical on which the movie is based by using famous faces – and bodies – instead of capable voices.

While Daniel Day-Lewis gives a passionate performance as Guido Contini, a filmmaker and philanderer with a bad case of writer’s block, he speak-sings through the score’s difficult moments, whispering the anguished high notes in “I Can’t Make This Movie” and shortening held notes, an interruption to Yeston’s melody lines. As Guido’s mistress Carla, Cruz delivers “A Call from the Vatican” using similar disappointing techniques, though her recording includes a dazzling high C, which only the sound mixers know the authenticity of.

Still, at least their songs are integral to the story of a man fighting for his craft and his women. Kate Hudson, playing a Vogue writer and Contini fan, sings the bossa nova-style “Cinema Italiano,” a song created just for the movie. In addition to sounding like a karaoke performance, the song has no bearing on the plot. Another new song, the burlesque number “Take It All” performed by Guido’s wife Louisa, played by Marion Cotillard, feels weak. It replaces the stage show’s “Be on Your Own,” a powerful declaration that Louisa is finally leaving Guido. “Be on Your Own” frees Louisa from marriage; “Take It All” frees her from clothing.

Only Fergie’s gritty version of “Be Italian,” her voice full and lusty, burns with the passion of which she sings – and her over-the-shoulder glances during the song’s tambourine dance are smoldering. She combines the name-recognition, talent and sex appeal producers obviously felt they needed to sell the movie. But, if all the material had the strength of “Be Italian,” she and Day-Lewis could have done that without Cruz, Cotillard or – especially – Hudson.

Tim Burton at MoMA

From Edward Scissorhands to Jack Skellington, the characters in many of Tim Burton’s films reflect the alienation he felt as a child in suburban Burbank, California. The Burton exhibit on display at the Museum of Modern Art echoes this sense of isolation through its content – one set of drawings is titled “Little Dead Riding Hood”– and in its placement in the same building as Monet.

Red-and-white-striped monsters created by a film director that does not consider himself an artist by trade may seem out of place in MoMA. But Burton’s skill in several media – an oil painting of a wolf howling at the moon recalls the swirls of “Starry Night” and detail-oriented pencil drawings of the Martian brain look more like finished pieces than sketches – should convince visitors otherwise.

Unfortunately, curators Ron Magliozzi, Jenny He and Rajendra Roy undermine the respect a MoMA exhibit demonstrates with poor organization of the artwork. Burton’s work seems, at first, to be divided chronologically, though there is little direction for visitors looking for progression in his work. Placards with years and descriptors about the mostly untitled works, correspond only haphazardly to where the pieces actually hung on the wall, and the full walls overwhelm instead of welcome.

After several walls of morbidly funny drawings with hand-written captions like “Whipping a cow for whipped cream,” another room changes the exhibit’s focus from Burton, the artist to Burton, Hollywood phenomenon. A platform displaying movie props, like the white sweater from “Ed Wood,” is essential for Burton’s cult following, as are the sketches of characters from “Batman,” “Sweeney Todd” and others that hang on the surrounding walls. However, the awe they inspire diminishes the disclosure of Burton’s never-before-seen art – and the creations of the lonely boy from Burbank continue being ignored.