As a devoted fan of Michael Jackson, it’s very hard for me to comprehend that he is no longer with us. I never thought Michael would live a long life, but I wasn’t prepared for him to leave us today. I’ve never felt such sorrow following the death of a famous figure or someone I didn’t know, but while remembering Michael, I find it hard to hold back tears and emotion. It’s extremely difficult to write a tribute to the King of Pop. I won’t even attempt it. However, I will remember Michael only through his music and dance. It’s difficult to narrow down to my favorites, but my heart is set on the following: [Read more →]

Tags: music by Lauren LaBumbard
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As a child of the 80’s, I’m a great fan of Michael Jackson’s music. Whenever I hear “Thriller” or “Billie Jean”, I still crank up the volume. He was just a brilliant musician, and his music resonates with millions of people. However, I’ve never been too keen on Michael Jackson as a person. The plastic surgery was odd enough, but the sleepovers at Neverland Ranch and sips of “Jesus juice” were beyond creepy. Still, it’s shocking and sad when someone passes so suddenly. [Read more →]

Tags: health & medical, music by Nancy DeGregorio
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While never a great fan of Michael Jackson, I always appreciated his talent.  Just to watch his music videos was to see a performer doing what he was born to do.  The flexibility of his movements, all in perfect sync with the music.

While we may have envied his talent and the success which he achieved, in large part because of that talent, we with smaller talents and much less material success, may well have found more happiness in our lives than did the late King of Pop.  Yes, Jackson enjoyed a level of success that none have since equaled and few could even imagine, but happiness seemed to elude him. [Read more →]

Tags: music by B. Daniel Blatt
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The weird thing is that in death Michael Jackson looked more like Farrah Fawcett than he did himself. He had a Farrah Fawcett nose, a Farrah Fawcett chin, and as close as a black man could have, a Farrah Fawcett complexion.

And wouldn’t it be like a Farrah Fawcett wannabe to die the same day she did, stealing her headlines and screen time. I don’t know much about Farrah Fawcett except that she was a hot babe who died with more dignity and courage and honor than any honest man has a right to expect from an honorable death.

Michael Jackson was a fruit. Whatever that word means. He was a different genus. Deciduous or something other than human. Farrah proved herself to be the most decidedly human of babes. A mench. A force of nature. A human beautiful being. A better man than the name that stole her dying moment.

Tags: music, television by Clark DeLeon
41 Comments »

It may be Christmas time in Chicago, but none of the ladies or gentlemen in The Merry Gentleman are enjoying the holidays, at least not at first. During the opening credits a professional killer commits a murder and a tearful wife leaves her husband for a new life. But do not be misled by this action-packed beginning. This is a thoughtful and deliberate film about a disparate trio whose lives are tinged by regret and hope. [Read more →]

Tags: Gail sees a movie, movies by Gail D. Rosen
2 Comments »

So, last week David Letterman made a joke about New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez raping Sarah Palin’s 14 year-old daughter. I have to say, the joke was pretty funny. It was really directed at A-Rod and his womanizing, and I could not help but laugh at that. However, the joke was pretty damn inappropriate too. Letterman should have refrained from that zinger, given the young girl’s age and her status as private citizen. It would not have been much better if he had been referring to Palin’s 18 year-old daughter either. She is still a young lady outside the public forum. But he did not refrain, and from there we have the drama. [Read more →]

Tags: television by Robert O'Hara
5 Comments »

All aboard! The Bachelorette hit the tracks last night and made me want to punch a ticket for a ride. That was certainly the coolest set of dates put together “in Bachelorette history.” The breathtaking views, the first-class service, the private train cars… funny how the NYC subway looks nothing like that, especially when you’re the last one to squeeze on and the only view you have is of some woman from Queens’ hairy armpit (no offense Michael). [Read more →]

Tags: Lauren Likes TV, television by Lauren LaBumbard
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Last year The Weekly Standard kindly published my ruminations on the yearly celebration of the 1958 camp sci-fi classic The Blob in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. If you haven’t been, go see the movie in the very theater where the blob-consumes-audience scene was shot. It’s a hoot. Indeed, I had so much fun reporting the event I decided to enter this year’s BlobFest short film competition. Check out my entry if you have a spare five minutes, let me know what you think, sympathize with my long-suffering wife and pugs, etc., etc.

Tags: announcements, movies by Shawn Macomber
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Paula: We’ve talked about how the election of Barack Obama has changed the temper of race relations in this country. You’ve said you felt it. So have I. Obviously, the iconic value of the presidency means a lot. But I also think that much of our capacity to incorporate change in this country comes from our devotion to movies, which have taught us to see life in terms of simple dramatic narratives of change.

The dramatic narrative of Obama’s election is in the tradition of a Hollywood movie. [Read more →]

Tags: conversations with Paula and Robert, movies, politics & government by Paula Marantz Cohen
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Look, I love the fact that the Viking Answer Lady exists at all, but her website is a teeny bit of a letdown. Take for example this disclaimer: 

[I]t is the Viking Answer Lady’s goal to encourage more people to learn about the Viking Age, and some of the very best questions that I’ve been asked come from schoolchildren. So, what can the Viking Answer Lady do for students? I can direct you to books and other sources where your answers may be found. I can give you hints that will allow you to use your school library’s card catalogue more effectively. I can direct you to other websites with related information.

I’d bet most students who seek out the webpage of a self-proclaimed Viking Answer Lady aren’t writing papers but looking for a more effective way to exact revenge on school bullies in the embarrassing aftermath of those Dungeons & Dragons protection spells failing. I could be wrong. Still, Viking Answer Lady, I beseech ye — up the irons!

Hat tip: My paymasters at the world’s greatest extreme music magazine, Decibel. 

Tags: art & entertainment by Shawn Macomber
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Okay, before I even get started, if you like Bon Iver (pronounced bahn ee-vare) and want to see them live, your opportunities are dwindling fast, so go make arrangements now. Trust me. I saw them last week at The State Theatre in St. Pete, Fl and it was amazing. You can read my review of the show here.

Justin Vernon

Justin Vernon is the kind of rock star you should have a crush on. [Read more →]

Tags: music, nine questions with Van by Van McO
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So You Think You Can Dance was so annoying last night and when I say SYTYCD, I mean Mary. She’s always annoying but she was downright, mother f-in annoying last night. She didn’t shut her trap for one second. I had to pop another Xanax because she was so damn annoying. And did anyone understand a word Lil’ C said? You’re a krump dancer. Can you please use more words like “buck” rather than soliloquy and passion? Overall, I thought the show was disappointing. I have no connection to the dancers yet. Maybe one or two. They all have great talent, but I don’t think I like them yet. Anyway… [Read more →]

Tags: television by Lauren LaBumbard
2 Comments »

Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) are a thirty-something, deeply-in-love unmarried couple expecting their first child but, lacking stable careers and roots, they still feel like children themselves. Burt and Verona take to the road, ostensibly to find a place to raise their child. But the real journey involves visiting friends and family while they try to decide what kind of parents they want to be. In this movie that has both comic and serious moments, the individual moments are better than the whole film. [Read more →]

Tags: Gail sees a movie, movies by Gail D. Rosen
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It’s about time The Bachelorette changed its format and moved locations, even if that new location is Canada. Was that really Canada? I’m actually in Canada right now… Toronto to be exact. It’s a nice city, but their KitKat’s taste different. However, I’ve heard Whistler is amazing and I’ve heard right.

On another note… Jilly? Really? Really. [Read more →]

Tags: television by Lauren LaBumbard
3 Comments »

10. The Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive”

9. The Three Degrees’ “When Will I See You Again”

8. Wham!’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”

7. Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive”

6. Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”

5. Lesley Gore’s “It’s My Party and I’ll Cry If I Want To”

4. Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust”

3. Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry Be Happy”

2. Amii Stewart’s “(You Better) Knock On Wood”

1. The Bee Gees’ “How Deep Is Your Love”
 
 
Bob Sullivan’s Top Ten Everything appears every Monday.

Tags: Bob Sullivan's top ten everything, music by Bob Sullivan
1 Comment »

Given the sad role reversal between the Yankees and Red Sox over the past five years, this commercial, funny in its own right, is even funnier — even to me, loathesome Yankee fan. It’s been around for a little while so you may have seen it. Even so I still think you’ll enjoy!

Tags: sports, television by Terrence Cheng
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When I first saw The Matrix back in 1999, I instantly became fascinated with its “virtual reality world” concept. At the time, and for many years afterwards, I saw the theme as a metaphor for the illusionary material world we live in — a world of time, space, and the assumption that we are all separate individuals. My belief, in line with what I had taken from kabbalah, was that in reality, we were all one united energy force. Call it God, the light, Buddha, Allah, the universe, sentient energy, whatever. The point was that this energy created our illusionary world in order to experience itself. After all, since it was an all-knowing, all-powerful energy, existence was pretty boring. This energy wanted to experience the one thing it couldn’t know: what it was like to not be it. So, it created an imaginary world of time and space and separated itself there into different material elements that eventually evolved into human beings. [Read more →]

Tags: movies, religion & philosophy by Marc Oromaner
7 Comments »

I hear people say “that was the worst movie ever” all the time, but what really makes something THE WORST? The objectively worst movie ever was probably never released, but the subjective one… [Read more →]

Tags: movies by David Alfreds
1 Comment »

According to my cousin Carrie and my Grandmother, I’m the best dancer (or so I think ;o). Turns out, I can’t dance… at all. I’m so happy SYTYCD is back and here’s why:

Jeanine & Phillip — When I saw these two paired together the first thing I thought was lucky her. Not only has Phillip gotten lots of air time this season (and last), but he is ridiculous. His body moves like no body should move. [Read more →]

Tags: television by Lauren LaBumbard
2 Comments »

After Georgia (Nia Vadalos) loses her job as a classics professor in a Greek university, she takes a job as a tour guide. Georgia wants to show the tour group the ancient wonders of Greece, but her groups want fun-filled tours of the beach and shops. My Life in Ruins is like one of those latter vacations. There is not much substance, but it sure is fun. [Read more →]

Tags: Gail sees a movie, movies by Gail D. Rosen
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