So, I decided to get on with this and pick out my 5 BEST and 5 WORST movies of 2010. I’m mixing them together in a general top 10 list. Because that’s how I roll. Here are the first 5:
We're not in Kansas anymore, Juno.
Inception I ordered this from on demand while I was out sick from work. I watched it three times even though I was so sick I could barely think straight. That is how much I enjoyed this movie (and it also made for some insane inception-like hallucinations, awesome). It has fantastic cinematography (the coloring and lighting is stunning), quite possibly one of my new favorite fight scenes of all time, a fast paced story and brilliant acting (Marion Cotillard, I’m looking at you….not so much at you, Ellen Page). Heck Yeah: #1 Best
Find a penny pick it up...if you want your movie to suck
When In Rome The other day a friend commented that they thought Easy A was one of the worst movies that had ever seen. I immediately brought up my go-to example of horrible film: Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (I’m still pissed about this ridiculous movie). But now…you know what? I need to point them in the direction of this movie. Because, THIS movie with its lack of sense, lack of plot, crappy acting, stupid logic, idiotic characters and lack of even a bit chemistry between the two very attractive leads made me freaking ANGRY.
KRISTEN BELL. CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF. Which means: Stop. Making. Stupid. Movies. Heck No: #1 Worst
Gangsta Nerd (gang-sta nurd) -n: One who will, in fact, cut you. And gank yo money.
The Social Network This was such a witty and intriguing look at a crazy smart yet devious little bastard billionaire. To me,it doesn’t matter if the story is true or not….I don’t know the people involved. I don’t want to pass judgment on real people. I enjoyed the movie and the dialogue. This was almost number one simply because the acting, dialogue and atmosphere was perfection. I didn’t know Jesse Eisenberg had this in him, he had an arrogant intensity that made him compelling to watch. Army Hammer was hilarious and believable as a pair of ambitious twins. And truly, to me, this was a full film where even the little moments were exciting or funny. Heck Yeah: #2 Best
If we confuse them with wacky fashion, they won't notice how bad this movie is.
Sex and the City 2 Nope. Not even the clothes could save this movie. Heck No: #2 Worst
Whose a pretty pretty prima ballerina? We are!
Black Swan I have always liked Natalie Portman. I thought she was great in Closer and Garden State. But I feel that *this* movie is the one where she finally let go and became the character. Not much else has to be said about her performance. She was truly believable. And though I still maintain that Requiem for a Dream is my favorite Darren Aronofsky film, this is a frantic and demented film. I like that about it. Heck Yeah: #3 Best
So I haven’t posted in a month. Been crazy around here. I was trying to write all my posts at once and dump them all in one day, but that isn’t working. So I’m just going to start from *hopefully* last night’s Project Runway (and post old posts over the next few weeks) and move forward. I am also going to change the layout because the short width of the columns makes it looks like there is more copy than there is and I feel like it looks daunting to read.
I don’t know if people are still reading but I’m going through some of the shows beginning or that have already begun and I’m going to choose between these to recap:
New Shows: Nikita
Lone Star
The Event
Undercovers
My Generation
$#*! My Dad Says
Outsourced
No Ordinary Family
Abdi I am so proud of Abdi this week. This was a beautiful drawn piece. The emotion was there, the technical skill was there and there was a concept beneath it. It felt like he was immersed and the title “Baptism” relates to his spirituality. Heck Yeah
Jaclyn Aesthetically this was pretty interesting. It felt serene calm, muted. However I feel like Jaclyn felt muddled when it came to her concept. I don’t think an open ocean represents being confined in any way. If she wanted to show freedom with the rock I think she would have fared better hanging it using string that way it would look like it’s floating. Eh…Heck No
Miles The idea of something ugly coming from something beautiful and then Miles creating something beautiful out of that is interesting. But like so many people say…it really is all about process for him. These final pieces ended up a little too obscure and arrangement was bizarre and dry. Eh…Heck No
Nicole I actually like this. Yes it was a little obscure but Miles’s was FAR more obscure. At least you can derive meaning from this. It felt prehistoric and yet alien at the same time. Someone on the IMDB message boards said it may have fared better if it had “cave-like” drawings on it, I agree. Eh…Heck Yeah
Peregrine Conceptually this was interesting, and it was definitely a very personal work. But the sculpture itself was weak and felt…like arts and crafts. I DID like the legs turning into the tree. I think that was unique. Eh…Heck No
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I was disappointed that they let Nicole go. I think she’s been stronger in the competition than Peregrine has. Despite that, I think Peregrine is definitely talented.
I’m going to separate the posts so they won’t get so congested. Here are the best & the worst from last week.
Top Three:
Mondo Adorable. The minute he said “Mary Tyler Moore” I could instantly see the connection. The skirt is the best part, it has such movement and body. The handkerchief at her neck is weak though, it looked too messy. The overall look may have been too young for the win though. Heck Yeah
Valerie This dress has the exact right amount of sexy/professional qualities. The bright red is eye catching. The little details are what really make this dress something special. The fit could have been better, it looks a little straight up and down, not enough shape. Heck Yeah
Gretchen This is chic and cute, the model looks great but Valerie’s was better for this challenge. I don’t know that everyday woman think “Yeah! Jumpsuits are for me!” because…they’re not. They look pretty terrible on the majority of the population, they’re for models and high fashion. I don’t equate Marie Claire with high fashion, so I think this outfit is the incorrect choice. Heck Yeah
Bottom Three:
Jason….seriously?
The fit is awful, the color is ugly, WTF is with that ugly collar, and it makes her look short and her legs look like tree trunks. Styling is terrible.
I know I’m turning into an episode of Grey’s Anatomy but…..
SERIOUSLY?
Nicholas Again…seriously? But in a different way. I can’t believe they sent him home. Look, this wasn’t great. The cap was RIDICULOUS, the cut out was messy and it really did look like it had been eaten by an animal. And there was waay too much going on. HOWEVER, there were enough good elements to keep him in the competition. I can see style and interest. The judges are acting completely insane this year and I’m already pissed off. Eh…Heck No
Peach Oh Peach. This was….boring….and ugly. And looking at it makes me tired. Why are the boobs all the way up to her neck? Why does it look like she’s being strangled by the tail of the animal that at Nicholas’s shirt? And how can you get ugly AND boring all in the same garment? Heck No
Oh my. Who the hell was that lunatic screaming in the front? Has she been there this whole time? Is there someone that can knock her out so she’ll shut the hell up?
Anyways! The finale! I can’t believe we’re here already. I’m excited, especially for tomorrow! We’ll get to see some of the best routines of the season. I heard that they’re recreating the Alex hip hop routine…but…without Alex? That doesn’t make sense. I mean…MAYBE with Lauren, but without Alex it doesn’t carry the same impact.
Kent & Lauren
Hip hop Bollywood! Energetic, insane and a little fun. Kent is the erratic strobe light of the dance competition. Can’t say much, this wasn’t bad but I wasn’t madly in love with it either. The cheesiness was kind of annoying to be honest.
Lauren & Twitch
Okay choreography. The concept was a little annoying. BUT Lauren is really great. She TRULY hits the moves HARD, which is difficult for contemporary dancers because tend to be a bit too soft (and light) when they do hip hop. She’s really exciting to watch.
Robert & Mark
I like the concept, and this was mostly fun. I have a hard time with Tyce’s routines though. His choreography doesn’t always have musicality to it, and when it does (in moments and flashes) the moves feel too *obvious* with the music, if that makes sense. They both danced it well though Mark is much sharper, Robert’s moves seems to be too long when I don’t think it calls for that. Also, for a dance about electricity and energy…it was lacking any.
Kent’s solo
I’m not sure but the moves feel a little crisper than normal. I enjoyed it, though I’m not madly in love with the usual reaching and stopping to star up at the heavens.
Lauren & Robert
I absolutely love this song. It’s one of those songs I was hoping to see on the show. I think it’s actually the intro to “To Build A Home” (the song Billy did his audition to). Pretty and flowy, and I actually like the pillow “gimmick”. My favorite part was when she threw the pillow at Robert and jumped into his arms right after.
Lauren & Kent
Oh Mandy. The idea was cute, the dancers perfect for it….but the choreography was sooo…amateurish. It didn’t look particularly difficult and it didn’t look interesting. Especially for a finale dance, this should be something we can’t take our eyes off. I *guess* they danced it well, but the choreography was lacking so I didn’t notice.
Robert’s solo
I liked this a lot. It was fun, I liked that he was hitting some of the beats. Robert’s facial expressions are so intense sometimes I can’t tell if he’s really like that or faking.
Kent & Allison
So much Stacey Tookey this season! It makes me so happy. My favorite parts where Allison’s beautiful spin/jump combination, and when they were pulling each other’s strings. This was really beautiful, I love that both dancers were so emotional and this was Kent’s best performance. Allison, of course, is a revelation.
Lauren’s solo
I really liked her music choice, and she really hit the moves. She’s such a strong dancer, and that’s really appealing.
Robert & Kathryn
Oh man I’m so happy to see a Spencer Liff routine. The one with Jose & Kent had to be one of my favorite Broadway routines this season. He gets the atmosphere SO RIGHT. It really is like we’re watching an actual BROADWAY ROUTINE unlike some routines this season *cough*Tyce*cough*. But OMG, they were in character the whole time, and I felt the intense nervous energy from Robert and Kathryn was intense. Surprisingly steamy!
Lauren & Pasha
Wow this was intense and sexy. That move where she’s bent over in front of Pasha was insane. I wasn’t so sure about the music (I’ve never liked ballroom paired with pop music) but I actually didn’t feel like it ruined the dance at all. I really do hope that Lauren wins this. She truly transforms with each dance.
Kent & Robert
Another guy fight! Really this was kind of messy, sloppy and not terribly strong for me. But the slow motion punch was kind of cool. I felt no precision or real strength in their movements, they were a bit flaily. The music was more intense than the dance or the dancers, really.
Hey guys, I’m sorry but I’m going to have to post the WOA recap tomorrow along with the SYTYCD & Project Runway recaps. These past few weeks have been sooo hectic at work. I have really had no time to write recaps or even sleep. Hopefully in a week or two things will calm down a bit because I am drained! Anyways, I’ll have some stuff up tomorrow.
Sorry I’m so late getting this up, I wasn’t sure whether or not I was going to recap Project Runway at all, but I love this show too much to not! I wasn’t completely happy with all the work, but there were some nice pieces in there.
A.J. Not bad, I actually kind of like this. The top is kind of nice, if a little messy. I don’t mind the tulle but it may be too full. The styling is fun. Eh…Heck Yeah
Andy Impressive. I love the cape and maybe the top, but the rest of the outfit isn’t good. Too much black…not enough textural difference so it starts to blend a bit. The pants look unattractive. Overall it’s a little cliché, but definitely impressive. Eh…Heck Yeah
April I like this just a little more than the judges do. The craftsmanship is awful, but the basic shape is kind of nice, and with more time it could’ve been “something”. I hate the damn side ponytail though, its tiresome. Eh…Heck No
Casanova Oh my. I can’t say much about this. It’s unflattering, it’s skanky and it is so incredibly tacky. I can say that the skirt has a nice flow when the model was walking, but otherwise it’s odd and not pretty. Heck No
Christopher This is cute, but he really didn’t do a whole lot to the original dress. That makes it less impressive. The collar is pretty nice, it makes the dress. I also like the contrasting fabrics. Eh…Heck No
Gretchen There was a lot of “meh” on the Runway this week so I’m not that surprised she won. This is nice and simple and clean. I’m not madly in love with the sleeves, I think they look too unfinished. But I really like that the bottom is higher in the front, it gives it more interest. Not sure about those shoes with the dress though. Heck Yeah
Ivy Honestly, the top started off kind of good. I really like the fraying. The shape is too large though, and it really looked bad with those pants. And…Ivy…pants out of pants? No…I don’t care if you fit or rouched them, that is just not impressive and you KNOW that isn’t what the judges were looking for. Eh…Heck No
Jason Nope. He put that thing on backwards and it looks sloppy and ugly. C’mon man. Heck No
Kristin I would like this, but it looks a little too messy. The top part seems to be getting somewhere, and the folding is kind of nice, but it looks kind of sloppy overall. Eh…Heck Yeah
McKell THIS went home? It isn’t great, but I don’t think she deserved to go home. The styling is just bad bad bad, but in general it is a cute enough dress that I was expecting her to stay for another week. I hate the shoulders, but the halter/collar thing was kind of nice. Eh…Heck No
Michael C One word. Skankerific. Okay some more…bad fit. Oh…and sloppy. Heck No
Michael D Not bad, the fabric is kind of pretty though I truly hate these kind of dresses. They just feel so cheap, like something a highschooler could get at “Forever 21”. I do like what he did with the beading though. Eh…Heck No
Mondo Oh no. What was he thinking? Ugly, ugly, ugly. I hate this. The shape is so dull. And while the green fabric wasn’t his fault, he didn’t help it by choosing an awful fabric to go with it. Heck No
Nicholas This could have been interesting. I like the idea of pairing sportswear with formal wear, but I think he chose a really bad fabric. Eh…Heck Yeah (on concept alone)
Peach Cute, if a little uninspiring. If it wasn’t for the fabric this wouldn’t be nearly as interesting. I don’t like the color combination of that kind of pink with that blue. It just doesn’t seem to work. Eh…Heck Yeah
Sarah Pretty cute! I have a love for rompers even though I know they’re often not flattering on most people. I really like how sporty this is and I like the little gold touches. Heck Yeah
Valerie Also really cute. Those pants look really great on the skirt. Very structural and the colors look really nice together. I hate what she did with the boobs though. This could have been the winner if she made a couple changes. Heck Yeah (despite the boob problem)
Almost there! Who are you guys rooting for? I find myself leaning towards Lauren, I feel like she has been the most consistently strong and good throughout the competition.
Top 4
Is anyone else tired of Tyce this season? I really really wish we had more choreographers. I also think it ends up spreading the ones we have too thin and they end up not doing work that is as good as it could be. This was okay, I wasn’t all that interested it. I thought it was pretty boring and didn’t connect with it.
Lauren &YAY PASHA Pasha
Really beautiful. Lauren looked like a pro up there. Though I kept feeling like the dance hadn’t started yet (I’m so used to a slow start and then the music and the dancing picking up), but I really did enjoy how slow it was, it was sultry but not necessarily steamy or sexy.
Adechike & Lauren
There wasn’t enough energy in the dance. When I see African Jazz I expect there to be a lot of energy and a lot of joy. He really was very tight. His movements were well danced but I didn’t feel life and joy and freedom in his dancing.
But…I was worried he was going to cry. L Poor Adechike.
Robert & Anya
I thought a bit of his footwork was just a little unsteady. Ialso feel like I could see him thinking through the steps, but there were a few moments where the emotion was there and his connection with Anya was there.
Kent & Courtney
Reaction to Kent + Disco? SYSTEM OVERLOAD! This was actually a little slower than I expected. That lift and spin was insane and terrifying. I am surprised that Kent’s head didn’t spin off the stage and out into the cosmos when they did it. It was better than the judges gave it credit for, and Kent’s WORST dance was that damn step.
Lauren & Ade
What is with Lauren seducing guys tonight? I agree with Cat that Lauren was like a Bond villain. Someone posted on the IMDB boards that they didn’t see Lauren as sexy, I can see that. She’s great and strong, but while she can be…sexy/cute I guess, she’s never seductive like Anya. Still, I think she’s the one to beat and this was a cool routine. It reminded me of a spy movie…a femme fatale movie like er…Femme Fatale (only this was better).
Adechike & Kathryn
This was a good dance, but why was Kathryn being showcased so much more t han Adechike? She gets most of the good parts AND she’s wearing a bright red dress. I really liked this dance, but of course Kathryn out danced Adechike. But really he’s a great dancer and I’m not too worried about his future. I loved that last shot, with Kathryn on Adechike’s back.
Robert & Dominique
Wow. I was surprised. I was expecting a bit of a disaster. But Robert was hitting some pretty hard moves. This was so much fun. It was one of the better NappyTabs routines, and I’m happy about it. They didn’t push too many weird lifts, and it was nice and hard. The aesthetics were great, the balloons and the clothing. It all came together to make something really nice. While it may not be the mindblowing dance that Alex had, it was definitely memorable. And while Robert was really good he did NOT out dance Dominique.
LOL @ Dominique: Can I? Yeah I’ll go…yup!
Kent & Neil
Awe Travis. I love Travis, he has got to be one of my favorite people from this show. This was beautiful. It’s really uplifting to see beautiful contemporary, we’ve had some amazing pieces in the last couple weeks and it makes me happy. Very sad and moving piece and Kent and Neil are so well suited to dance together. They just look like they match, like they’re brothers or friends. And they’re strong yet elegant in a way.
Nicole & Abdi (Order & Chaos) Well. I’m disappointed. Abdi’s looked like a strange green monster or cave from a Dr. Seuss book and Nicole’s was aesthetically uninteresting. Nicole started somewhere interesting, and I like that you can start to see a “head” in the work, but in general it looks like a rinky dink craft project. I’m surprised because Nicole excels at this type of stuff. Abdi seemed lost this week and I don’t get the idea of “chaos” from the piece.
Miles & Jaclyn (Male & Female) Not the most amazing, but honestly….who were they going to give the win to? Jaclyn’s technical skill was lovely, but that doesn’t matter when the concept is weak and the composition is dull. I don’t mind her consistent theme, but she doesn’t always need to be nude to get her point across. After a while it starts to lack any type of oomph. I liked the gooeyness and the thickness of the tar, but I found Miles’s to be mostly dull. The two pieces next to each other felt removed and uninspiring in the end.
Mark & Peregrine (Heaven & Hell) BOTH were incredibly literal. To me, Peregrine’s was weaker than Mark’s. She went over the top, throwing everything she had at the piece. It looked ridiculous and was actually kind of boring and tired. Mark’s was, at least, simple and clean and making the scar glow was actually somewhat interesting. However, Peregrine has been stronger *throughout* the competition, so it was no surprise that the judges chose to keep her.
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I don’t have any favorites this week. I just wasn’t thrilled with the work.
I can’t believe they used that freaking song. That stressed me out. Kent looked less like a little boy than he usually does. I don’t know that it was Kent who was choppy, I think it was the choreography + the music that was choppy. Kent did a fine job, though I’m uncomfortable watching him make sexy faces at Anya. He looks like someone’s little brother.
Robert & Kathryn
The beginning reminded me of Stacie’s dance from season 5 with Brandon & Anya. The emotions were REALLY there, it seemed incredibly genuine. The lifts (which really felt like he was carrying her and desperate for her, in a symbolic way), and the way that Robert dragged her across the stage a couple times was beautiful. This dance was all about Kathryn though, which isn’t a good thing when it should be all about Robert. I loved the little twist at the end, and if you rewatch the dance Robert is the one who is holding onto Kathryn the most.
Adechike & Courtney
Tyce? This was actually *kinda* fun. Adechike exudes so much strength from limb to limb that it’s insane to watch him move across the stage. Adam actually said it well when he described Adechike as a tightly wound ball who needed to loosen up. I kind of hate it when I agree with the judges sometimes. I could see that he didn’t have enough style. It seems hard for contemporary dancers to do jazz because it really is about character and style. But honestly he was great.
Jose & Comfort
Great song. I need to go watch Pretty in Pink now. Jose had a little bit of a groove, which worked for the routine but he was WAY too loose. He wasn’t bad in this at all. He wasn’t great or memorable. And Comfort definitely out danced him, but that’s to be expected. I’m glad to see new choreographers, it was a fun little dance if not as….on the mark as I hoped. There were nice moments and I loved the jazzy feel but it could have been better.
Lauren & Allison
Another Tyce? I’m tired of him. This was nice, there WAS a LOT of strength coming from those girls. You could see in their muscles, you could see it in their extension. I think they both danced more masculine and hard/tough than some of boys this season. I think they were both great but I still have to hand it to Allison, she is just incredible, she’s hitting it hard and she looks more mature. But Lauren was keeping up and she’s strong enough to keep my focus.
Billy & Ade
Awe man. I need to go watch Donnie Darko now. I’m so happy to see two Stacie Tookie routines in one night. The moment where Billy & Ade were standing in a line and swaying, then they kind of spun away from each other….was the best part for me. It was chilling and stunning. And the moment where Ade turned around when Billy reached out his hand was also beautiful. This was definitely ART like Adam said. Also, Stacie’s face when Mia complimented her was so sweet.
Jose & Kent
I just love Kent + broadway. He’s really dynamic and fun to watch dancing it. This week I can REALLY see what Nigel was saying about Kent taking the Broadway world by storm. After his dance with Neil and this, I can really agree. He’s and interesting to watch. I really enjoyed this piece, so very atmospheric which is what I love about these kind of broadway dances. I’m kind of upset that Jose gets to do breakdancing in this…like wtf?!
Lauren & Adechike
I kind of liked this. It was slow and smooth. I felt the hotness (maybe not necessarily sexiness, but definitely some type of fever). I think this song is the kind of song that was made to be danced to. Not the Beyonce version, just the song in general. I thought they were both pretty good, though Lauren was definitely more engaging than Adechike, I watched her throughout. Again I didn’t feel sexiness or passion, but I can agree that it was very *jazzy* which actually makes it kind of intruiging, in my opinion. The finger snapping moments were really nice, though they could have been executed better (with more personality, pizzaz and togetherness).
Billy & Robert
These boys were going at it. I really think they both did a great job. I keep talking about how strong the dancers are this season (and I mean strength, as in when you look at their movements you see the strength in their bodies). I could see they were working hard for their money, and they were having a good time. Despite being disappointed that Billy decided not to dance last week I am glad that he’s still here. I liked them both here and they both grabbed my attention for different reasons.
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Heck Yeah (Routines):
Billy & Ade
Robert & Kathryn
Kent & Jose
Heck No (Routines): Kent & Anya (terrible song + routine couldn’t be saved)
Jose & Comfort (cute routine, great comfort, boring Jose)
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Solo Rundown
Jose
If I could give Jose credit for at least one thing, I would say that he exudes a lot of confidence and excitement when he’s dancing his solos.
Lauren
Lauren likes to do a lot of twisty turny stuff. No annoying big moves, which is nice. Just a nice somewhat personal little dance.
Billy
I’m surprised. Billy was hitting some really hard moves. This makes me think that he would be better at hip hop than he has been.
The problem contemporary dancers often have with hip hop is hitting the beat, especially in a krump routine or a routine with a lot of isolations. After this solo I’m wondering why he wasn’t better at that krump. Anyways, brilliant. As usual.
Kent
Is it weird that I hated Kent’s outfit? Kent really likes these dramatic R&B songs, its pretty surprising. He’s very reachy and emotional in this, which I like.
Robert
Robert’s reach is really amazing. He’s always stretching and incredibly limber in all of his dances.
Adechike
Is this not the most perfect song for Adechike? Hah, I think it’s great that he chose this song. Really nuanced and beautiful dance.
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I’m not going to do Heck Yeah or Heck No solos, I feel like I’m just going to end up sounding like a broken record.
