(TV) SYTYCD Top 16 (Fox, 2007)

It's that time again ladies and gents. This is going to be a long one.

So there were a few things this week that sort of screwed up the voting. First, one of the contestants(Jessie) got "sick" and had some chest pain. She was rushed to the hospital and as expected Fox took the opportunity to exploit the crap out of that situation. Since the doctors wouldn't release her from the hospital to perform on Wednesday night, her partner, Pasha had to dance with one of the choreographer's assistants, who was older, and let's just say a little less sexy than Jessie. While he did very well, it was hard to pull your eyes away from his mismatched partner(see below).



Because Jessie did not perform on Wednesday, she would automatically have to "dance for her life" -- literally I guess, on Thursday. If the doctor's don't release her on Thursday, then she would be kicked out of the competition. dun dun DUN!

Luckily, the doctor's released her and not only did she do a solo, but they allowed her and Pasha to dance the number they were originally supposed to dance on Wednesday. All the drama boded well for Pasha who was not in the bottom 3 and was safe. Unfortunately, when it came down to the judging, Jessie was sent home.

Another "shocker" was that Cedric who was given a third chance last week, was NOT in the bottom 3 couples and once again escaped elimination. On Wednesday, Cedric performed an emotional contemporary piece that was about "goodbye's," gave a heartfelt speech about how much he's learned, AND was offered a full scholarship to the Debbie Allen(guest judge) dance school. This is what probably drew votes to save Cedric. The kicker is that one of the better dancers, Danny, was in the bottom 3. Danny's reaction was a little odd in that he just started laughing uncontrollably while the judges were speaking. Because Cedric stayed on, Jesus(one of my faves) was sent packing.

The last thing I'd like to comment on before I get to my favorite piece is Fergie's performance of "Glamorous." The audio is always horrible on this show, but it was definitely showcased this week when it was so blatantly obvious that Fergie lypsynced the chorus. When she did sing, it sounded horrible. The only good part about that performance was when Ludacris came out to rap--OH and after having censored "ass" by saying "if you ain't got no money take your broke-broke home," th audience proceeded to yell "ASS"!

As for the choreography, one routine in particular stood out this week. It was choreographed by Wade Robson and performed by Hok and Jamie. Very interesting and well performed. I put the long version so you guys kinda get the backstory of the piece, which adds some depth.

(M) Hard Boiled. (John Woo, 1992) Grade: A

Thoughts: I don’t know where to even begin in this review. This is CLASSIC Hong Kong style film. Chow Yun Fat, Tony Leung (hot), and Anthony Wong all star in this action packed cop vs. bad guy film. Although the dialogue and plot suffer a bit, the action sequences by far make up from whatever is lacking. This movie is amazing!!

(M) Tau Man Ji D (Initial D). (Andrew Lau Wai Keung, Alan Mak Siu Fai, 2005) Grade: C+

Thoughts: This movie is based upon the famous Japanese manga by the same name. Takumi Fujiwara (Jay Chou) becomes a drift racer without even knowing it and must race some of the biggest names in the drift circuit. The film was everything the Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift was trying to be but more entertaining and filled with better looking guys like Shawn Yu.

(M) Tin Sun Yut Dui (2 Become 1). (Johnnie To Kei-Fung, 2006) Grade: C+

Thoughts: 2 Become 1 would make a great Lifetime channel film. Miriam Yeung plays the main character Bingo who has the perfect life – great job, friends and place – until she finds out she has breast cancer and has to learn to accept her new fate.

Movie Count: 55

(M) Au Hasard Balthazar. (Robert Bresson, 1966) Grade: A-

Thoughts: The story of the life and death of Balthazar, a donkey and the people around him. The film is fairly simple in production and even the acting is a bit over the top, but the religious message and symbolism within is very powerful. The final scene of the film is compelling and touching.

(M) Parapluies De Cherbourg, Les (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg). (Jacques Demy, 1964) Grade: B-

Thoughts: A lot of singing … a lot. How much you ask? The entire film is sung. I kept waiting for some dialogue but nope. It was hard to get use to but once you get passed that the story was pretty good. Genevieve Emery (Catherine Deneuve) is a 16 years old girl who is in love with Guy Foucher (Nino Castelnuovo). She gets pregnant but he has to go off to war. When he comes back Genevieve is married to another man. He decides to marry an old childhood friend and years later Genevieve and Guy cross paths again. It was melodramatic but entertaining.

(M) To Catch A Thief. (Alfred Hitchcock, 1955) Grade: B+

Thoughts: John Robie (Cary Grant) is an ex-cat burglar accused of a new spree of jewel crimes, similar to his style, going on in the Riviera. John has to try to clear his name while getting the girl Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly). Grace Kelly is stunning in this movie, she is beyond beautiful. Cary Grant is cool and composed; I think everything George Clooney is trying to be. I liked Hitchcock’s style of film and am eager to watch more of his work.

Movie Count: 52

I had a random celebrity run in this weekend. I saw Democratic presidential nominee Dennis Kucinich at a vegan restaurant in Santa Monica. OK. Not really celebrity per se. And no one else seemed to notice him. Ha ha.
PS His wife is really pretty.

On another note, Paul McCartney is performing at Amoeba. I can only imagine the nightmare of trying to go. I mean, I tried to see the Shins and it was horrid. Try someone 10x bigger.

(TV) SYTYCD - Top 18



I'm not grading these anymore. My blogs will just be a synopsis of the episode and my thoughts, along with my top 2 performances. This show was much better than last weeks overall. While not one performance really stood out in the couple performances, most of them were relatively good. The two performances I picked this week were the solos, in which the contestants had to dance for their spot in the top 16.

(Top) This is Shauna, who, I thought was for sure going home unless she brought it in her solo. Well, she brought it and she stayed. Freakin' amazing solo; gives me goosebumps everytime I see it.

(Bottom) Cedric can freestyle like crazy, but he can't do partner work. Thus, he was in the bottom again and had to dance a solo. This week, they decided to get rid of another good dancer to give Cedric one last chance. If he screws up again next week, he's OUT!

Topic: I love the Cure :)

*Man I am still pumped about finding out the Cure is coming to town. I want to tell everyone even though no one but a handful of people care. YAYAYAYAYAYYAYAY the Cure is coming back. I'm only going to listen to the Cure today. Okay maybe for most of the day.

Topic: THE CURE US DATES!!!

*All I want to do is cry and scream and jump and scream some more. Oh my gosh The Cure is coming back to town and playing the Hollywood Bowl.

AAAAHHHHHH I love it. I have no idea how I am going to function the rest of today.

AT LAST!
HERE THEY ARE…

Thu-Sep-13 Tampa - St Pete Times Forum
Sat-Sep-15 Atlanta - Gwinnett Center
Mon-Sep-17 Charlotte - Charlotte Bobcats Arena
Wed-Sep-19 Washington DC - Patriot Center
Fri-Sep-21 Philadelphia - Wachovia Spectrum
Sun-Sep-23 New York City - Madison Square Garden
Tue-Sep-25 Boston - Agganis Arena
Wed-Sep-26 Montreal - Bell Centre
Thu-Sep-27 Toronto - Air Canada Centre
Sat-Sep-29 Chicago - Allstate Arena
Tue-Oct-02 Denver - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Thu-Oct-04 Salt Lake City - E Center

Sat-Oct-06 San Francisco - Shoreline Amphitheatre - Download Festival

Mon-Oct-08 Seattle - Key Arena
Tue-Oct-09 Vancouver - General Motors Place
Thu-Oct-11 Santa Barbara - Santa Barbara Bowl
Sat-Oct-13 San Diego - Cox Arena
Sun-Oct-14 Los Angeles - Hollywood Bowl
Tue-Oct-16 Houston - Toyota Center
Wed-Oct-17 Dallas - American Airlines Center

65 DAYS OF STATIC WILL BE OPENING EVERY SHOW

TICKET DETAILS HERE SOON…
RSX

(M) Edge Of Seventeen

Back in my early twenties I had quite a number of gay friends and as a result saw quite a bit of "gay cinema". This movie was probably one of my favorites and I had been thinking about it lately and decided to netflix it. I really like this movie. Eric and Maggie are 17 years old and best friends. They both get a job at a local amusement park during the summer. Maggie is waiting for Eric to take the next step in their friendship. However, at the amusement park Eric meets Rod which awakens feelings in him that he hasn't ever felt for anyone. Sadly, Rod's interest in Eric is only sexual. Eric has to struggle with understanding himself and letting others in on who he is. After many hard learning experiences Eric decides to try an be straight and do what is expected and he admits his love for Maggie. Sadly Eric's attempt to be straight costs him his best-friend. Eric's mother doesn't know what to do and Eric feels very alone but luckily his lesbian friend at the local gay-bar and some other members of the gay community are able to be the friends and family Eric needs at this crossroad in his life. A very well done film.

Happy Birthday Darth!!

hi everyone. just to let you guys know i'll be posting my hawaii blogs on my personal site. they start today.

Want a free Jamba Juice??? Jamba Juice Smoothie Offer.

My Web site is the featured TypePad blog. Yay! Look here. I like their write-up. :)

(TV) So You Think You Can Dance - Top 20 - Week 1 (Fox, 2007)
Grade: B+



This is my favorite part of the show and where the real competition starts. I was really looking forward to seeing really good choreography and performances, but this first show fell short. It was either good choreography, bad performance or boring choreography, good performance. There were a couple that stood out, which I have posted here. The first(above) choreographed by Mia Michaels, was really the one that blew me away. It is performed by Lacey Schwimmer(sister of last year's champion--ballroom dancer) and Kameron Bink(HOT). This show has sparked my interest in contemporary dance. It's SO much harder than all the other dances because from what I can tell...there are no counts. The movement is so intricate and yet imperfect making it beautiful.

The second(bottom) is here because it's just really bizarre. I don't know if it's good or bad, but it's interesting. This is perfromed by Jesus Solorio(contemporary?) and Sara Vongillern(the only b-girl in the competition). Wade Robson choreographed this piece and I think he's on something or he's found another dimension of dance cuz the stuff he comes up with these days are just....interesting. I also found out that he makes music now; that's a long way from the Britney Spears days.

I'm back from Hawaii and I had a blast. I still have to upload pictures to my computer and sort them out, but look out for a blog on my personal site. For now, I will be cool like New Wave and blog on multiple movies that I saw during my stay in the islands. I'll keep it short since people have probably already blogged about them and some I don't have much to say about.

(M) Blood Diamond (Zwick, 2006)
Grade: A+
Amazing performances from the cast, especially Leo and Djimon. Jennifer Connelly was charming and has really grown up since her Labyrinth days. The story was compelling and disturbing. Leo is hot.

(M) The Last King of Scotland (MacDonald, 2006)
Grade: B+
The whole time I was watching Blood Diamond, I kept thinking to myself that Leo should have gotten the Oscar but I told myself to hold off on my decision until I watched this movie. I still think Leo should have won. So back to Forrest Whitaker, who did a great job portraying this character. I didn't like the story as much as Blood Diamond, but it was interesting because it was loosely based on true events.

(M) Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (Story, 2007)
Grade: C+
As Kevin Smith said this morning on K&B, "it was watchable." I never watched the first one, and only watched this one because my little brother wanted to watch it and my dad paid. Jessica Alba's dye job is HORRIBLE, the acting meh, and the writing meh. I think it's funny that Johnny Storm has to say "Flame on" to start his fire hee hee.

(M) Wild Hogs (Becker, 2007)
Grade: C-
Yes, as if United hadn't tortured me enough, they gave me this crap to watch. C- is basically the lowest grade I will give a film cuz I don't like being mean and people put effort into making movies. There were so many star actors (John Travolta, Tim Allen, Marissa Tomei, William H. Macy)in this film that somehow I was hoping it would be at least a little bit good. Alas, I was mistaken. Corny jokes, sappy theme, biker stereotypes; it was almost like a bad western movie on motorcycles. The funniest part of the hole movie was the end credits when they did a spoof of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition where they rebuilt the biker bar they burned down. Bad.

Watch the spread of religions over time in 90 seconds. Quite interesting. http://www.mapsofwar.com/ind/history-of-religion.html

Topic: 2007 LA Film Festival

The LA Times put out the film festival calender and information section on Sunday. Here is a list of the films I am considering seeing (films repeated twice if showing more than once).

Friday June 22nd - Bajo Juarez
Saturday June 23rd - Made in LA, Bajo Juarez
Sunday June 24th - Constantine's Sword
Wednesday June 27th - The Hottest State
Thursday June 28th - Does Your Soul Have A Cold?, Rocket Science
Friday June 29th - 2 Days in Paris, Does Your Soul Have A Cold?, Constantine's Sword
Saturday June 30th - Rocket Science
Sunday July 1st - 2 Days in Paris

Topic: Vegas, Bingo, Relationships



*Back from Vegas and I would like to report good news but I can't. Let's see I lost around $100 on slut (slot) machines which is a lot for me but I'm trying not to be so cheap. Our bowling league Panda Strike struck out on the lanes bowling some of our worst games ever. Dang it.



*On the plus side I did get my Wynn buffet which is always a treat AND I got to play Bingo. Yes B-I-N-G-O. I have to say it was great fun :) You get free soda and hot coco and rock out with the old people. Good times. The only thing is next time I have to remember to get more cards. Dare I play ABC's National Bingo Night??!!??

*So recently I found out all these couples around me are breaking up. It is pretty sad. One of them has made me quite upset because it is a good friend of mine but yea. I realized no matter how long you are with someone or how much you think they are going to get married or whatever you never really know. And even if they do get married they could always divorce. So in conclusion ... relationships are a crapshoot and guys are pigs (well that goes without saying actually).

Topic: LCD Soundsystem, TV, High School


*This past Sunday I went to see LCD Soundsystem at the El Rey. It was such a great show ... so much energy. I joked with Pigern it was really Dance Party USA not LCD Soundsystem. Oh and he did a Joy Division cover which I thought was AWESOME. The only bummer part was the show was too short. I was so tempted to go again on Monday or Tuesday.

*I have been working a lot more than usual due to the fact that my coworker left so I have to pick up the slack. It is good and bad. I mean I like being busy but our deadlines are so close it is a bit taxing.


*So I found out when my 10 year HS reunion will be and luckily for me it is on the same day as the wedding of my good good friend of mine. So as sad as I am (I'm not) I will be missing my 10 year HS reunion at the Queen Mary.


*And thinking about HS, Darth and I were talking about what a great show Freaks and Geeks was because he has started watching Undeclared again. Freaks and Geeks never stood a chance in making it because it did such a good job of really showing awkward, unattractive kids go through HS ... the most awkward unattractive period in our life. Shows like the O.C, One Tree Hill, Dawson's Creek and 90210 (the show that started it all) did great because it showed extremely good looking kids with money having fun. It is sick and sad and disappointing.


*I'm off to Las Vegas this afternoon for my bowling tournament. Hopefully we do well ... go Panda Strike! But honestly I doubt it. Ha ha. On the plus side, I can eat at Wynn and drink and gamble so there is that.

(M) Clifford
This movie with Martin Short was something I saw many many years ago. It is about a little 10 year old boy named Clifford (played by Martin Short) who wants to go to Dinosaur-World. He is such a hassle to his parents that they leave him with his uncle in Los Angeles. Clifford's uncle, Martin (played by Charles Grodin), has promised to take Clifford to Dinosaur-World. But when work requires a project to be redone in 48 hours, Martin has to cancel his plans and Clifford wants his revenge. It is entertaining and Mary Steenburgen (the most BEAUTIFUL woman in the world) is also in this film.

One of my favorite scenes is when Martin comes home to find Clifford tied up (by Clifford's own doing) and Martin asks what happened. Clifford tells him, "Oh Uncle Martin, I am so glad you're here. I got on the train to run away, but a person tried to touch my special no-no place! And when I got back, there were bikers here. And they tied me up, Uncle Martin, and then they told me stories that they do on their bikes. Some of them were fun but some of them were scary!"

It's amusing if you see it. Martin Short is quite a character.

Entourage Season 2 is probably better than Season 1 but I really don't know what it is about this show that makes me keep watching. When Season 2 started I felt like I was seeing more naked women which was a disappointment because I don't want to watch a show that relies on nudity, but that ended after a few episodes, which I was thankful for (surprisingly, haha). This show isn't great, it's not amazing, but it's not horrible or a total waste of my time either. Not all the characters are interesting but there are the one's I enjoy, mainly Johnny Drama and Arie Gold. The gay asian assistant is funny and I hear he plays a bigger role in Season 3 which I shall be starting soon.

Morrissey @ Hollywood Bowl (June 8) Grade: A+
Morrissey returned to the Hollywood Bowl after 15 years since his last performance there, and the man was definitely happy to be there. I was worried he would do the same set list as the Pasadena shows, but he opened with “The Queen is Dead”! And then “Last of the Famous International Playboys”! Amazing! The rest of the set was similar to his last tour but still fantastic! He only threw out two shirts this time. About 10 people rushed on stage to hug him. I noticed everyone in the audience was drunk. I’ve never seen so much alcohol consumption. It was a pretty rowdy crowd. All in all, fun night. I almost wished I saw him at his other Los Angeles-area shows. The performance was videotaped for an upcoming DVD. You know I’m going to buy it!

McDonald’s has started a promotion for 42 oz. drinks priced at 69 cents. Wow. That’s a lot of drink for less than $1. Who in their right mind can drink that much?

This is what you will look like if you do. Ha ha.

Topic: Raves, Dodgers, Sleep


*Saw the Raveonettes at the Echo tonight. Great set (much better than that Spaceland mess). They were really on even though you could tell Sharin was tired from the tour. Oh and celeb. sighting for the night was Ryan Gosling. Interesting to see him rocking out and no Rachel McAdams (darn it) but I digress. I love the Raves!! I'm sure I have seen them at least 7 or 8 times. I'm going to try to catch them one last time at this Little Radio thing but I doubt it because ....

*I joined another bowling league and I have already missed three games. I can't miss anymore. Ha ha. Oh well.


*So after losing three games in a row to the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers looked like they were going to add a number four. That all changed when Olmedo "Tomato" Saenz hits a homer and the Dodgers won 4-3 against the Toronto Blue Jays. Thank goodness.

*If you have a few minutes check out Darth's blog. Funny stuff man ... I promise.

*I need sleep ... ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Topic: Hawaii

Well house, I am off to the Big Island and Oahu for 11 days of rest and relaxation. I would say "fun in the sun" but last I heard it was raining over there. SUCKASS. Hope the rain lets up. I will probably be blogging on my personal page when I get back IF I have time. I have a feeling that when I get back it will be nonstop until residency starts. Not looking forward to that.

Itinerary
June 7-10: Big Island --- plans are to do the touristy things on Day 1 and explore/relax/eat/drink the rest of the days.

June 10-18: Oahu --- we'll be staying at my dad's house so FREE lodging and food. plans are to surf, eat, drink, relax, and then celebrate my brother's high school graduation and my medical school graduation at the Dole Cannery

June 19: I get back home at midnight the night of the 18th....which means I'll get home at around 2:30....and I have my pre-employment physical at 9:30---yay!!!

Topic: TV, SF, iTunes

*Frak I'm such a dork. I was trying to post something on here and deleted one of my old post. :( Oh well.

*I'm watching this BBC show called Hex and the theme song is Garbage #1 Crush. Pretty kick arse if you ask me.

*I was going to blog about going to SF but I am way too lazy. Here is a short run down: AirBart is now $3 bucks, Arcade Fire show was great, Greek venue at UCB is really cool, got to see my friend's house in Union City and an old hs classmate (good times), watched a lot of Roseanne (that show rules), rode the BART a lot, I remembered why I didn't like SF that much, saw a lot of old Cantonese people (they rule) and last but not least I got to spend time with FORRRRR TTTTTHHHHEEEEE CCCHHHHEEESSSSEEE (or is it Feta Cheese) :) Always the bestest!!!

*I have been listening to old cds at work because that is what I am loading on my iTunes here. I learned I really do love Aaliyah and old Depeche Mode is great.

This is mainly for Pigern, but also out there for anyone who likes books. It's like myspace for people who like books I guess.

www.goodreads.com

Topic: The Cure in Hong Kong!!!!

*MONDAY 30TH JULY
ASIA WORLD ARENA
HONG KONG
ONSTAGE 20:00
(FOR AS LONG AS WE WANT?!!)

TICKETS: On sale 10am June 8th
Hong Kong Ticketing - Hotline + 852 31 288 288 www.hkticketing.com

OH MY GOSH ... dare I go?? I don't know what to do. Tickets go on sale this Friday and I'm so tempted to try.

(TV) So You Think You Can Dance: Auditions (Fox, 2007)
Grade: A-

First off, I'd like to say how much I love this show. SYTYCD is basically American Idol for dancers, Dancing with the Stars without stars, and SO much better than either one of those two shows. I'll probably be keeping a running critique of the show in 2-3 week blocks(my schedule permitting)

These auditions aren't QUITE as obnoxious as AI's auditions because, while they have horrible dancers trying out for entertainment, it's not nearly as gratuitous as AI. Furthermore, the really GOOD dancers that are showcased during auditions make it worth the pain of watching the really crappy/delusional dancers. However, they do follow the AI format in finding "unique" stories about certain contestants. This season seemed to focus on those with disabilities. There was one dancer with a prosthetic leg, one with a prosthetic arm and one with scoliosis(see first video below)---prosthetic arm chick and scoliosis dude were pretty good actually. Scoliosis dude actually got offered a part in Shane Spark's next movie even though he didn't make it to the next round...not too shabby. Overall there were some really interesting dancers and I look forward to seeing the eliminations and the rest of the competition.

On my own little personal side note:
This show makes me miss dancing so much and I realize just how much I love it. Makes me wish there were closer dance studios here in the Inland Empire. Also makes me wish I had taken more classes while I was younger(i.e. lyrical, jazz and ballet).

Finally, my mom and I have a crush on Shane Sparks. He's so cute when he gets excited about the dancers---so passionate! love it.

Someone compiled a "Best Of's" Video. The beginning ones are ok, but if you wait until about minute 7....there's this really awesome pop-locker guy. I think he made Shane Sparks cry.

The Clogger: kinda like tapping but not....i still think it's tapping. He's really good tho.


"Hok": he made it last year but had to be disqualified because he only had a student visa. He has a working visa now....so he's moving on to the next round!

May Vegas Trip # 3: Gabe and Amy's Wedding

I did not blog about Vegas trips 1 and 2 because I was too lazy and the blogs wouldn't have been that entertaining. So Vegas Trip #3 was for my old Philly roomy, Amy's, bachelorette party/wedding, for which I was a bridesmaid. Now I know you're all wondering, "WTF does this video have to do with a wedding?" Well, nothing really, except that this was the theme song for the four days I was there. This was when I fell victim to the Dirrty South.

We went to a club every night I was there, and danced to "Make it Rain"(the version on this video is different from what was played in the club but I really liked the quote from R. Kelly "'See i order one bottle,and i f*** with one model,then i order more bottles, now i got more models") and songs like it at every club. I would not normally listen to ANY of these songs on the radio, but by pure repetition and a positive association like having a good drunken time with some pretty cool ass people, I grew to love these songs; seriously, I can't stop listening to them.....who's disturbed? I am. I think I'm black now...and by June 18 after my Hawaii trip I'll have the skin to match haha. So much for my, "hip hop is crap right now" credo.

Another highlight of the trip was the Stripper 101 class we took for the bachelorette party. Here I learned, as the article states, how to do a lap dance and swing on a pole. Who knew stripping had a method to it. Other things I learned:

1. Stripper poles come stationary and spinning. A spinning pole is WAY better. It's hard enough to hold yourself up there, let alone spin around a pole while doing so.

2. There are certain ways to take off your shirt so that you don't mess up your makeup OR your hair.

3. There is a special wait to take of your underwear apparently.

4. My upper body strength SUCKS ASS. My forearms, triceps and biceps were sore the next day. That didn't suck at all.

The wedding itself was the most laid back with the least information in advance I've ever been to. I had fun regardless and feel sad that I left my camera at the hotel and that I did not take as many pictures as I had wanted. I was a little worried about this weekend cuz the only people I really knew were the bride and groom. Luckily Amy's friends were freakin' cool and I quickly made friends with them.

I did not gamble at the tables AT ALL this weekend. I ended up squeezing in a couple rounds of Wheel of Fortune slots at the airport before I left--- I can't leave Vegas without gambling.

So that was my Vegas Trip and lengthy contribution to the house. Hope everyone had a good weekend! Oh and I did not watch any movies lol.