Maybe it's all those Perry Mason novels I devoured as a kid, but I cannot resist a good Courtroom Drama. In the past I have loved The Practice, Law and Order SVU, Ally McBeal and Boston Legal. Looks like I may have discovered a new summer watch.
I was just channel surfing this evening and stumbled on Raising The Bar (TNT 7 & 9 pm Tuesdays). There were only 25 minutes to go when I started watching. Today's case was about a father who posted some semi-clad pictures of his little son innocently on a social networking site and was then prosecuted for child pornography because those pictures ended up on a porn website. As a result of this case, he was reduced to supervised weekly visits with his son, under indictment for child pornography which literally ruined his life and it all started with posting pictures of his son on a social networking site. Raising the Bar stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar (who many may recognize from Saved by the Bell - and boy has he come a long way) as a public defender - the do-gooder type - and he does a stellar job. It co-stars Gloria Reuben, Jane Kaczmarek (from Malcolm in the Middle) and Natalia Cigliuti. All the characters seem well etched from what little I saw and the show appears to be edgy and relevant.
I guess I've found something to do with my Monday evenings this summer. It's only 8 pm. What to watch next?
Monday, June 29, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
MJ is dead
I used to love his music once upon a time so I just cannot let it pass without a mention on this blog. I still can't believe that Michael Jackson is no more. I grew up listening to his songs, watching his music videos, watching him wade through numerous controversies and ultimately become a misunderstood, bankrupt recluse.
Let us set aside his flaws (and he does have many of them) and celebrate his groundbreaking career. Starting out as part of the Jackson 5, he found fame and fortune despite a controlling, sadistic father and ended up as one of the major legends of our time. Right from 'Thriller' to 'Black or White' to "We are the world" to his moonwalk - Michael was different from the run of the mill pop star. He was unique and will always be remembered for his music. That he was part of so many unfortunate controversies like his numerous surgeries on his nose and lightening of his skin, the child molestation accusations (to this day I am not sure if he was just an innocent that got manipulated for money or if he was truly guilty), his kids (who show no trace of African American in them by the way - that said, he may have been a wonderful dad to them) is...well... unfortunate. He was NUTS for sure but there was no denying his musical genius. Would his mega-comeback efforts have been successful? We will never know.
Rest in peace MJ!!
Some of his works: Beat It
Stranger in Moscow
Heal the World
Let us set aside his flaws (and he does have many of them) and celebrate his groundbreaking career. Starting out as part of the Jackson 5, he found fame and fortune despite a controlling, sadistic father and ended up as one of the major legends of our time. Right from 'Thriller' to 'Black or White' to "We are the world" to his moonwalk - Michael was different from the run of the mill pop star. He was unique and will always be remembered for his music. That he was part of so many unfortunate controversies like his numerous surgeries on his nose and lightening of his skin, the child molestation accusations (to this day I am not sure if he was just an innocent that got manipulated for money or if he was truly guilty), his kids (who show no trace of African American in them by the way - that said, he may have been a wonderful dad to them) is...well... unfortunate. He was NUTS for sure but there was no denying his musical genius. Would his mega-comeback efforts have been successful? We will never know.
Rest in peace MJ!!
Some of his works: Beat It
Stranger in Moscow
Heal the World
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
It don't matter if you're black or white
Or does it? My initial title for this post was 'Racism in Hollywood' - then I thought it might be a bit too harsh... a better word for it would be "typecasting"!!
My coworker (who is Asian) pointed out, during one of our water cooler breaks, that there are no substantial roles for Asians in Hollywood unless the movie is about martial arts or the Asians are playing 'nerdy' characters (but for some reason the same cannot be said of Asian women - case in point being Lucy Liu, Michelle Yeoh, Sandra Oh - although technically she is Canadian but you get my train of thought). We then started to rack our brains to see if we could come up with Asian male stars in Hollywood that were main protagonists in non-martial arts movies and we came up with.... NO ONE (we did come up with Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee, but he died an untimely death so we will never know).
That got me thinking about Indians (or lack thereof) in Hollywood – with the exception of Kal Penn, I cannot think of any desi or American of Indian origin that has made it big in Hollywood. This, despite the fact that Ashok Amritraj is actually a bigwig Hollywood producer with movies like Raising Helen (the next door neighbour was portrayed by a desi I have to admit but the movie was not about her) and Bringing Down the House to his credit. Aishwarya Rai is trying to make inroads but with limited success this far. Hopefully movies like Slumdog Millionaire will help pave the way for us to shine in movies as well. As a direct consequence of the movie, I hear that Freida Pinto is starring in a Woody Allen flick – I send my good vibes & wishes her way and hope she is successful in establishing a strong, if petite, presence in Hollywood.
P.S. If you can think of non-martial arts movies with Asians/Indians (yes – I’ve already thought of Harold and Kumar but they are both kinda sorta nerdy and losers) in the main role please leave a note :)
My coworker (who is Asian) pointed out, during one of our water cooler breaks, that there are no substantial roles for Asians in Hollywood unless the movie is about martial arts or the Asians are playing 'nerdy' characters (but for some reason the same cannot be said of Asian women - case in point being Lucy Liu, Michelle Yeoh, Sandra Oh - although technically she is Canadian but you get my train of thought). We then started to rack our brains to see if we could come up with Asian male stars in Hollywood that were main protagonists in non-martial arts movies and we came up with.... NO ONE (we did come up with Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee, but he died an untimely death so we will never know).
That got me thinking about Indians (or lack thereof) in Hollywood – with the exception of Kal Penn, I cannot think of any desi or American of Indian origin that has made it big in Hollywood. This, despite the fact that Ashok Amritraj is actually a bigwig Hollywood producer with movies like Raising Helen (the next door neighbour was portrayed by a desi I have to admit but the movie was not about her) and Bringing Down the House to his credit. Aishwarya Rai is trying to make inroads but with limited success this far. Hopefully movies like Slumdog Millionaire will help pave the way for us to shine in movies as well. As a direct consequence of the movie, I hear that Freida Pinto is starring in a Woody Allen flick – I send my good vibes & wishes her way and hope she is successful in establishing a strong, if petite, presence in Hollywood.
P.S. If you can think of non-martial arts movies with Asians/Indians (yes – I’ve already thought of Harold and Kumar but they are both kinda sorta nerdy and losers) in the main role please leave a note :)
Monday, June 22, 2009
The Celebrity you cannot stand...
For me, that person would be Reese Witherspoon - not that I know anything about her that is terrible or awful but I just don't like her.
She seems like a devoted mom, a very smart business woman, a very good actress but there is something about her that I just cannot stand. Maybe it's her always cheery personality in front of the cameras, but I find her very fake. I think she is one of those people that will always be "on" for the camera but can be very different off it.
On the other hand, a celebrity I think would be fun to know and hang out with is Tina Fey. Again, I know squat about her!
So what is this magnetic pull (or aversion, as the case may be) that causes us to instantly like (or dislike...) a person? You know, how sometimes you just click with a person and sometimes, come what may, you just cannot carry on even a conversation with someone?
So what about you? Any celeb you particularly do not care for or someone that you think will be fun to know? Leave a note.
She seems like a devoted mom, a very smart business woman, a very good actress but there is something about her that I just cannot stand. Maybe it's her always cheery personality in front of the cameras, but I find her very fake. I think she is one of those people that will always be "on" for the camera but can be very different off it.
On the other hand, a celebrity I think would be fun to know and hang out with is Tina Fey. Again, I know squat about her!
So what is this magnetic pull (or aversion, as the case may be) that causes us to instantly like (or dislike...) a person? You know, how sometimes you just click with a person and sometimes, come what may, you just cannot carry on even a conversation with someone?
So what about you? Any celeb you particularly do not care for or someone that you think will be fun to know? Leave a note.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Just for fun
I came across this forward recently and just loved it - so here it is...
The Man Rules
At last a guy has taken the time to write this all down - Finally , the guys' side of the story.
We always hear " the rules " from the female side. Now here are the rules from the male side.
1. Men are NOT mind readers.
( FIRST & FOREMOST RULE)
2. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.
3. Sunday sports, It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.
4. Crying is blackmail.
5. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one:
Subtle hints do not work!
Strong hints do not work!
Obvious hints do not work!
Just say it!
6. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.
7. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.
8. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become Null and void after 7 Days.
9. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.
10. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one
11. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.
12. Whenever possible, Ppease say whatever you have to say during commercials..
13. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.
14. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not A color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have noidea what mauve is.
15. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.
16. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," We will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.
17. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.
18. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine... Really.
19. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as Football or Hockey.
20. You have enough clothes.
21. You have too many shoes.
22. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!
23. Thank you for reading this. Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight; But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.
The Man Rules
At last a guy has taken the time to write this all down - Finally , the guys' side of the story.
We always hear " the rules " from the female side. Now here are the rules from the male side.
1. Men are NOT mind readers.
( FIRST & FOREMOST RULE)
2. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.
3. Sunday sports, It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.
4. Crying is blackmail.
5. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one:
Subtle hints do not work!
Strong hints do not work!
Obvious hints do not work!
Just say it!
6. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.
7. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.
8. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become Null and void after 7 Days.
9. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.
10. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one
11. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.
12. Whenever possible, Ppease say whatever you have to say during commercials..
13. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.
14. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not A color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have noidea what mauve is.
15. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.
16. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," We will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.
17. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.
18. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine... Really.
19. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as Football or Hockey.
20. You have enough clothes.
21. You have too many shoes.
22. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!
23. Thank you for reading this. Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight; But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Curious about The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Today, I eagerly raced to my mailbox to retrieve my latest Netflix flick - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I've been very curious about this movie and all the Oscar buzz it generated and today I got the chance to see if it lives up to its reputation and I must say that it does to an extent - a very different love story. Not sure if it was the face that it was nearing my bed time but I found it a tad long.
The movie starts in a hospital where an old woman is on her deathbed with her daughter beside her. She requests that her daughter read to her from an old diary. It turns out that the diary belongs to Benjamin Button who was abandoned the day he was born and taken in by a young black woman Queenie who works for an old people's home. Benjamin Button was born old and starts "aging" in reverse. What follows through the movie is the story of his extraordinary life.
The story starts off a little slow. Benjamin is a kid but looks like an old man and seems to blend in at the Senior home. He soon makes a friend when Daisy comes to visit her grandma who lives at the same Senior home. What follows then are a series of incidents in Benjamin's life that bring him various experiences - all the while he crosses paths with Daisy at different parts in their lives, finally meeting in the middle.
Cate Blanchett is simply luminous - there's no other word for it - and essays her part well. Brad Pitt is good in this role. There's a scene on the sailboat where, in his sunglasses, he looks heart-stoppingly gorgeous. The makeup is a true standout in this film - whether it is making Cate Blanchett look 20 something and then age progressively, or make Taraji P. Henson look realistically old (I've always wondered about Taraji's name - did her mother know an Indian woman named Tara, who was addressed with respect as 'Taraji' and thought that to be a name? - anyway, I digress...) or of course make Brad Pitt look so alarmingly old and amazingly young again.
My two cents? All in all, I would give it 3 stars - worth a watch for sure.
The movie starts in a hospital where an old woman is on her deathbed with her daughter beside her. She requests that her daughter read to her from an old diary. It turns out that the diary belongs to Benjamin Button who was abandoned the day he was born and taken in by a young black woman Queenie who works for an old people's home. Benjamin Button was born old and starts "aging" in reverse. What follows through the movie is the story of his extraordinary life.
The story starts off a little slow. Benjamin is a kid but looks like an old man and seems to blend in at the Senior home. He soon makes a friend when Daisy comes to visit her grandma who lives at the same Senior home. What follows then are a series of incidents in Benjamin's life that bring him various experiences - all the while he crosses paths with Daisy at different parts in their lives, finally meeting in the middle.
Cate Blanchett is simply luminous - there's no other word for it - and essays her part well. Brad Pitt is good in this role. There's a scene on the sailboat where, in his sunglasses, he looks heart-stoppingly gorgeous. The makeup is a true standout in this film - whether it is making Cate Blanchett look 20 something and then age progressively, or make Taraji P. Henson look realistically old (I've always wondered about Taraji's name - did her mother know an Indian woman named Tara, who was addressed with respect as 'Taraji' and thought that to be a name? - anyway, I digress...) or of course make Brad Pitt look so alarmingly old and amazingly young again.
My two cents? All in all, I would give it 3 stars - worth a watch for sure.
Monday, June 15, 2009
18 and counting...
This morning on the Today show, I watched as Meredith Vieira interviewed the oldest son of the show "18 kids and counting". To give you some background, this show , aired on TLC, follows a family (the Duggars) that has 18 kids and mom and dad. The oldest son got married last year and is now expecting his first baby with his wife.
Over the last couple of years, I have watched this family appear on the Today show and talk about their plans and their lives etc. etc. So Michelle and Jim Bob (the parents) think that children are blessings from god and there can never be too many of them. Michelle said that children are like flowers - would you say there are too many flowers? My response to her is that we do not have a responsibility to look after the flowers for 18 years but we do have that responsibility towards our children. The Duggars claim to have a well-oiled machine that has the older kids helping out the younger ones in a "buddy" system. I have seen this happen where the older kids almost lose their childhood because they are, in essence, doing the job of their parents. Michelle and Jim Bob say that they have quality time with their kids - they've got to be joking - I can't even imagine how one goes about knowing each and every one of their 18 kids.
Fawning over families like the Duggars with 18 kids is what has led to Octomom in the first place. The trend seems to be shifting towards having huge families and then hawking them to TV channels which will air each and every moment of their lives. Now that being said, I do like the occasional Jon and Kate + 8 episode on TLC because that family seems so much more real to me compared to the Duggars who seem to be programmed on auto-piliot to be cheerful and without individual personalities (and I know this because I watched one episode out of sheer curiosity and it was one too much for moi). On Jon and Kate, on the other hand, you get drama (sometimes a little more than we bargain for as is the case right now), crankiness, fun and everything that goes along with having 8 kids.
Coming back to the Duggars, it was heartening to note that Joshua and his wife only plan to have 2 or 3 kids. But for the fans of the Duggars, never fear, because by then the son or daughter #2 will be ready to carry on the family tradition and the show will go on.
Over the last couple of years, I have watched this family appear on the Today show and talk about their plans and their lives etc. etc. So Michelle and Jim Bob (the parents) think that children are blessings from god and there can never be too many of them. Michelle said that children are like flowers - would you say there are too many flowers? My response to her is that we do not have a responsibility to look after the flowers for 18 years but we do have that responsibility towards our children. The Duggars claim to have a well-oiled machine that has the older kids helping out the younger ones in a "buddy" system. I have seen this happen where the older kids almost lose their childhood because they are, in essence, doing the job of their parents. Michelle and Jim Bob say that they have quality time with their kids - they've got to be joking - I can't even imagine how one goes about knowing each and every one of their 18 kids.
Fawning over families like the Duggars with 18 kids is what has led to Octomom in the first place. The trend seems to be shifting towards having huge families and then hawking them to TV channels which will air each and every moment of their lives. Now that being said, I do like the occasional Jon and Kate + 8 episode on TLC because that family seems so much more real to me compared to the Duggars who seem to be programmed on auto-piliot to be cheerful and without individual personalities (and I know this because I watched one episode out of sheer curiosity and it was one too much for moi). On Jon and Kate, on the other hand, you get drama (sometimes a little more than we bargain for as is the case right now), crankiness, fun and everything that goes along with having 8 kids.
Coming back to the Duggars, it was heartening to note that Joshua and his wife only plan to have 2 or 3 kids. But for the fans of the Duggars, never fear, because by then the son or daughter #2 will be ready to carry on the family tradition and the show will go on.
Friday, June 12, 2009
The Ellen Degeneres Show
Happy weekend to everyone (and by everyone I mean the 2 people that actually read this blog - he he)!!
Now I have followed many a chat show this far but only recently discovered Ellen's show and I must say that I absolutely adore it. Thanks to this marvel of modern technology called the DVR, I am able to record the Ellen show everyday of the week and watch it with the hubby in the evenings. Now, said hubby I think actually enjoys the show but claims to be a reluctant watcher "forced" to watch it since I am watching it - but let's get back on topic.
Today's show featured Heidi Klum and Matt G from American Idol after his ouster from the show. Now as most Ellen shows go, there is dancing, humor, and quirky but honest-to-goodness fun fun fun all the way. I love her brand of humor, the way she makes guests feel at-home and is so down to earth with the audience. She also has that little sparkle in her eyes even though she's been doing this for a few years now. She invents these fun games she plays with both the celebrity guests as well as the audience. If you guys missed her commencement speech at Tulane University, here it is. She was really funny and did a wonderful job.
Alrighty then, gotta get back to Ellen - have a good day!!
Now I have followed many a chat show this far but only recently discovered Ellen's show and I must say that I absolutely adore it. Thanks to this marvel of modern technology called the DVR, I am able to record the Ellen show everyday of the week and watch it with the hubby in the evenings. Now, said hubby I think actually enjoys the show but claims to be a reluctant watcher "forced" to watch it since I am watching it - but let's get back on topic.
Today's show featured Heidi Klum and Matt G from American Idol after his ouster from the show. Now as most Ellen shows go, there is dancing, humor, and quirky but honest-to-goodness fun fun fun all the way. I love her brand of humor, the way she makes guests feel at-home and is so down to earth with the audience. She also has that little sparkle in her eyes even though she's been doing this for a few years now. She invents these fun games she plays with both the celebrity guests as well as the audience. If you guys missed her commencement speech at Tulane University, here it is. She was really funny and did a wonderful job.
Alrighty then, gotta get back to Ellen - have a good day!!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Old is gold...
The other day I was online on youtube and caught some episodes of the usual saas-bahu saaga that seems to be so popular in India these days. The show started with a believable enough story but as it progressed, it got more and more unbelievable. The story moves at a snail's pace and I am, at this point, thoroughly annoyed with the main characters. That does not bode well for a series...
It makes me sad to see these shows today rampant on TV when I have grown up with shows like Nukkad, Intezaar, Karamchand, etc. which were truly lovely little gems... Some of my favourites were Honee Anhonee, Karamchand, Air Hostess, Mr. Yogi, Kacchi Dhoop, Indradhanush, Trishna, Isi Bahane, Kashish, Rishtey to name a few. They each actually had a story, a plot that moved along with each episode which we eagerly waited for and were all unique in their own way.
I am sad about what I perceive to be a regression in television - if we could produce these gems in the 80s and 90s why are we having such a tough time today? Hopefully the 2000s are just a small detour before we get back on track.
It makes me sad to see these shows today rampant on TV when I have grown up with shows like Nukkad, Intezaar, Karamchand, etc. which were truly lovely little gems... Some of my favourites were Honee Anhonee, Karamchand, Air Hostess, Mr. Yogi, Kacchi Dhoop, Indradhanush, Trishna, Isi Bahane, Kashish, Rishtey to name a few. They each actually had a story, a plot that moved along with each episode which we eagerly waited for and were all unique in their own way.
I am sad about what I perceive to be a regression in television - if we could produce these gems in the 80s and 90s why are we having such a tough time today? Hopefully the 2000s are just a small detour before we get back on track.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
So you think you can dance is back!!!!!!!!
One of my summer faves - So you think you can dance (Wed 8 pm on Fox)- is back - yay!!!! Maybe its because I have two left feet but I am always fascinated by the dances on this show. Dancing with the stars pales in comparison. I can't wait to see who stands out this season - Loved Katie and Joshua from the previous season and Allison and Ivan from the season before that, Travis and Benji, Heidi and Benji's sister (her name escapes me right now!!) and Hawk. Oh and as a proud desi I must mention that Bollywood found a place in this show last season and it turns out that we have a Bollywood number being performed tonight!!!!!
Some of my personal highlights of tonight's show are listed below:
1. The opening number - a hip-hop routine performed by Janine and Phillip - simply awesome considering Janine is a ballet dancer and she matched Phillip step for step.
2. The cha-cha was also good - but the hip-hop routine is still my #1 at this stage... Adam Shankman is doing a great job judging
3. The Jazz piece was excellent... a joy to watch. Kat Deely looks super tall by the way - especially standing next to these 2. (On a side note, I do get annoyed with the funny faces some contestents make when they ask for votes but I guess one cannot be too serious on TV)
4. Okay - so if I thought the first hip-hop routine was good, this second one simply blew me away. My critique by the way has nothing to do with the guy Tony being, as Adam said, 'the cute guy on the show'. Boooooooo Mary and Nigel!! Bollywood up next...
5. Of course they pick 'Jai Ho' for the Bollywood number which is technically not a song from a Bollywood movie - but who cares right? Not sure that it lends itself to a dance routine though... that said the pair performing it did a good job - they got good reviews from the judges. Jai ho!! On a side note, not sure why they keep referring to choreographer Nakul as Nicole :) Another side note (I know that we're having too many side notes - I never claimed to be a good writer) - no desis (or people of desi origin) in this competition :( Guess we don't have any time left over from the Spelling B...
6. My favourite choreographer Wade Robson is here - yay!! He does completely DIFFERENT things and very well I might add. Once again he does not disappoint - quirky and kinda nice. I like this routine. 2 thumbs up!!
7. There's something so enchanting about a contemporary dance routine - simply loved it!!
8. The samba was hot - I wish they had better music though - but a great way to end the show!!
Until next time...
Some of my personal highlights of tonight's show are listed below:
1. The opening number - a hip-hop routine performed by Janine and Phillip - simply awesome considering Janine is a ballet dancer and she matched Phillip step for step.
2. The cha-cha was also good - but the hip-hop routine is still my #1 at this stage... Adam Shankman is doing a great job judging
3. The Jazz piece was excellent... a joy to watch. Kat Deely looks super tall by the way - especially standing next to these 2. (On a side note, I do get annoyed with the funny faces some contestents make when they ask for votes but I guess one cannot be too serious on TV)
4. Okay - so if I thought the first hip-hop routine was good, this second one simply blew me away. My critique by the way has nothing to do with the guy Tony being, as Adam said, 'the cute guy on the show'. Boooooooo Mary and Nigel!! Bollywood up next...
5. Of course they pick 'Jai Ho' for the Bollywood number which is technically not a song from a Bollywood movie - but who cares right? Not sure that it lends itself to a dance routine though... that said the pair performing it did a good job - they got good reviews from the judges. Jai ho!! On a side note, not sure why they keep referring to choreographer Nakul as Nicole :) Another side note (I know that we're having too many side notes - I never claimed to be a good writer) - no desis (or people of desi origin) in this competition :( Guess we don't have any time left over from the Spelling B...
6. My favourite choreographer Wade Robson is here - yay!! He does completely DIFFERENT things and very well I might add. Once again he does not disappoint - quirky and kinda nice. I like this routine. 2 thumbs up!!
7. There's something so enchanting about a contemporary dance routine - simply loved it!!
8. The samba was hot - I wish they had better music though - but a great way to end the show!!
Until next time...
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
As I do most evenings, when I have nothing to do, I plop myself on the couch and turn on my much-beloved TV. Today as I was channel surfing, I came across this lovely little gem of a movie called Kit Kittredge: An American Girl. So here's my first movie review :)
It's set in Depression-era Cincinnati. Kit is a young girl whose main ambition in life is to be a reporter. As the story evolves we realize that all is not as it seems. This seemingly well-to-do family is coming up on hard times as the young girl sees her dad in the local soup kitchen. As things progress we are introduced to two "hobo" kids who end up working for the family in exchange for food. Kit and her mother end up turning their home into a boarding house to earn some money and keep the household afloat while her father goes to Chicago to look for a job. One of the two hobo kids is accused of being a robber and Kit and her friends set out to prove his innocence. The interesting melange of characters that occupy the boarding house provide interesting sub-plots but at the heart of the story is humanity, compassion and dignity. Throughout the movie we see human beings trying to hold on to their last shred of dignity as they become homeless, are forced to live in boarding houses, accept handouts and come to terms with their new situation in life. Simple kind acts can change lives.
All the kids in the movie act well. The plot is believable (well okay - kinda sorta) and all in all the movie provides good entertainment. I recommend it worth a watch!! Hope you have fun.
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