I'm pretty sure I have a sickness...

...and the solution is more So You Think You Can Dance. Oh yes, the girl who HATES reality TV is obsessed with this show. I like to pretend that it's a healthy obsession (yes I know that's an oxymoron) but more often than not I'm aware that I like the show a little TOO much. Why am I admitting this? Well it has come to my attention that I'm a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to my beliefs regarding film/tv and music...

I'm just trying to say: we all have our thing and mine involves the reality TV love child of Survivor and Dancing with the Stars.

Ah well.

EDIT: (July 3rd) Because I KNOW there are people as sick for this show as I am and because Matt and I generate so much content on a weekly basis that I think is HILARIOUS and well worth sharing please prepare yourselves for Mattobhan's weekly SYTYCD rant. Enjoy.

So You Think You Can...is back

So I decided to post the critiques my friend Matt and I have been passing between us as we generate A LOT of content that could be interesting if you like this show. If not, please skip.

Overall I think that the season is going to be killer because I think that the level of dancer they managed to find is incredible. That said, they seem to have loaded the dice on this one because everyone got a style that at least one partner was fairly comfortable with...I suppose that's acceptable; so long as they don't continue the trend. As strange and uncomfortable as the crappy routines are, they make you that much more excited when the couples really hit it hard. Remember Jamie Bayard's last solo dance in Season 3? That made most of the rest of the season less awkward by comparison (look to the right for associated discomfort).

Philnine (Phillip and Jeannine) - I actually really loved this routine (because I have a crush on Tabitha and Napoleon; even though he looked like he was trying to be a male Marilyn in the preview) but I can see where my friend Matt's coming from with the dislike of Phillip. I still like him now but can see my affection waning if the judges continue to praise him the way they do.
P.s. I did think it was adorable how excited they were to be safe this week...though that might have been all about her jumping on him.

Asulio (Asuko and Vitolio) - She has dancer-tude. I HATE dancer-tude. Some of the cheerleaders I have met used to have it and the women who danced chorus in my mom's shows...it's a certain smugness that just pisses me off. Which bothers me cause I thought she was really cute when I first saw her and her partner and I haven't experienced dancer-tude coming through much on this show. She has crazy hips though. He is a little irritating...I can't decide, maybe he'll grow on me. YES to the Tyce annoyance that has been expreassed by many friends...he's universally irratating; though sometimes I like his routines. This one gets an F.

Karlathan (Karla and Jonathan) - They're pretty cute although Matt's right about him...I really think he has a certain awkwardness to him when he's trying to be sexy. Not impressed by Karla. With all the experience she has she should be better. Just my thought. Mary needs to shut her trap.

A lot.

Evandi (Evan and Randi) - I loved this routine! This is what I mean about Tyce's routines being hit or miss for me. The moments of ticking between the smoothness just killed me. I have the HUGEST summer crush on Evan. Like BAD. She is a little awkward. We'll see if she gets more comfortable. How old is she?

Pony (Paris and Tony) - AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

HAAHHAHAHAHAHA. Yeah, I thought it was pretty good on my first pass but then I watched it again. Hmm...I agree, worst of the night.

Caitson (Caitlin and Jason) - I like Caitlin a lot...I think her stuff is really interesting. That said, I didn't think this was a very good Bollywood routine...I liked it, but I wasn't impressed the way I wanted to be. I like him lots though, I think they're both strong and I'm excited to see what they do next.

Brannette (Brandon and Jeannette) - I was not as bored as I was expecting to be but I have now discovered that I bow to peer pressure and no longer enjoy Brandon as a result of the judges hating on him so much. Also, Jeannette is SOOOO Miami...and it's great!

Kupley (Kupono and Ashley) - I like Ashley's energy and I think Kupono is quirky and fun :)

MelAde (Melissa and Ade) - I'm not surprised that Matt's loving on Melissa ;) I also share Matt's dislike of the pick in Ade's hair but the routine was beautiful. Just GORGEOUS. And the song choice really helps. Adam Shankmen and Mary both needed to shut up after that though. It's like the screaming models on ANTM times a thousand. Brtual.

Kaylax (Kayla and Max) - My housemate walked in halfway through this routine and got so distracted she couldn't finish her sentence and had to sit down and watch until the end. It was good. The thing is, Kayla's dress, was part of it I think. Who knows...

It's predictable but I'm super excited about Wednesday :D

-Siobhan

This is a public service announcement for good TV...

I just watched the pilot of this show and all I can say is, "please watch this show." It is intelligent and morally ambiguous in the best possible way.

If you're a fan of the medical drama but can't stand the cheese: this show is for you. If you are a fan of the caustic wit of dramas such as Dead Like Me, Dexter or Weeds this show is definitely for you.

Enjoy!

EDIT: (June 10, 2009) I do enjoy being right... 'Nurse Jackie coming back for more'.

Star Trek: the next review

I saw this a couple weeks ago with some friends and wanted to weigh in since I’m pretty sure there is at least one person who will read this (other than me) and I like to be there for them. I care.

As action films go I think it was successful in doing what it set out to do (i.e. revamp a popular franchise in order to considerably expand its fan base). The film is fun and fast paced, never dragging and not overloaded with countless exchanges of unintelligible diatribe (you know like the last half of that sentence). I do believe that the gigantic collection of knowledge which surrounds the Trek universe—essentially that any question one might need answered in order to properly develop one’s characters has already been answered—benefits the production in that they were then able to concentrate on picking and choosing which aspects of the story they wanted to explore.

If there’s already a fully formed world, you don’t have to spend so much time creating it.

The other nice part about starting at the beginning of the story is that it allows you to retell it and shape the characters in the process. In the case of the film, it allows the actors to avoid having to try and mimic the original series (at least not TOO closely). Certainly there’s a little “wink wink, nudge nudge” going on between the director and the audience when a character speaks their famous lines, “damn it man I’m a doctor, not a physicist!” But by in large the actors were allowed to create their own versions of each character and it works to the film’s advantage (this is of course excluding Zachary Quinto’s Spock, who is more or less a spot on rendition of the classic Leonard Nemoy).

I cannot speak for serious fans of the original series (who I believe would probably have more than a few notes for Abrams; a self professed anti-fan of the series). But as someone who is quite familiar with the Trek universe, I enjoyed it. Like the Batman films, this work because the series is being rebuilt from the ground up as an entirely new entity. Because it’s not trying to improve, merely examine from another angle. That seems to be the key to revamping a series without angering its fan base.

Unless it is Keira Knightley’s Pride and Prejudice.

That revamp, had no hope...just a lot of buying power.

However, it's not all rosy in the new land of Trek because JJ Abrams (and I do enjoy his work) has made the worst rookie mistake (or the dumbest directorial decision) in history. LENS FLARES!!!! The set is so shiny (specifically that of the bridge) that whenever the actors move around the additional light catches the camera and flares in the lens. Now it's been minimized as much as possible I'm sure but it is the most annoying thing about the film. By the end (read climactic scenes in which all the hardcore resolution is meant to be happening) I was busy counting lens flares!

Just try and ignore them: I dare you.

Case in point: are we in vegas or on a starship? And where did Spock's ear go?

-Siobhan

P.S. Just because I love all things random and the fact that Star Trek fans will pretty much buy anything: http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/05/star-trek-knit.html