Dancing With the Stars Episode 2 Aired 9-27-10

Audrina Patridge: Oh no she’s having boyfriend drama? Poor baby… I was shocked that Tony was comforting her; I’ve never seen him be so sweet. She just looked so darn cute up there. I thought she had good posture. Tony was having fun with her, it’s nice for him that he finally he has a good partner. I think it’s funny that the dance studio is an escape from the drama in her life for her! The dance wasn’t super exciting but it was a good job! I’ve never seen Tony so excited! She is sounding more and more like a normal person! That was an epic moment in the Celebraquarium with Brooke; I can’t wait to see Tony’s shaved legs!

My score: 8

Brandy: I love that she messed up last week and no one could tell! Doesn’t every woman seem to butt heads with Maks? Do they pick feisty chicks be partner with Maks so that his butt-head side comes out or is he just really arrogant? Oh well…I still love him anyway! Their routine was cute but it was full with a lot of gimmicks and modern dance moves. It was a little weird, so I dunno quite what to think of it? I think it was too early in the season to give her a solo Maks… The judges scored her too high.

My score: 6

Bristol Palin: She is a pretty girl! Don’t make her ORANGE! What is it with the Oompa Loompa syndrome? Ummm… I will refrain from making offense comments about Sarah Palin here, J but I must say I do quite enjoy that accent of hers! They picked a cute song for her. She looked like she forgot some of her head bobs out of nervousness. She is trying really hard and has improved, but her body she looks stiff.

My score: 6

Florence Henderson: She’s so cute! She’s all star struck and excited for the competition! She’s so funny too! I liked her glamorous housewife outfit! I think her footwork was a bit off and not quite in sync with Corky’s., but, I liked the sense of humor Corky’s put into the routine (especially the end)! Can she be my grandma? She even winks at Len, how precious!

My score: 7

Jennifer Grey: I had no idea that she was a cancer survivor that is amazing that she found out because of the show. I was amazed by how she moves her body. I bet she feel sexier than she ever has in her life! Her moves are so sharp and I can’t believe how she can keep up with crazy-fast Derek. I was so impressed! She does a lot of emoting on her face. I loved how Tom sat down casually on the floor with them to receive her critique from the judges. I was worried that she might pull a Marie Osmand and faint, I have never seen anyone that exhausted after a routine. 

My score: 9

Kurt Warner: He’s funny and goofy but I think Anna is much more serious. That little moonwalk at the beginning was random. I didn’t like the outfits they were boring! I’m not a fan of Army print but they could have come up with a more exciting costume. I wasn't excited by their routine, it was a little blah. He did a good job, but there was no pizzazz to it. I thought he was better last week!

My score: 7

Kyle Massey: I know that he is young but in order to succeed, he needs to take this seriously and improve his diet. He is so silly, has his voice even changed all the way yet?  Lacey looked like a crazy ballerina prom queen, she always had the most fun with her outfits! I thought Kyle looked like he was wearing exercise pants! I think the little gags in their routine were actually incorporated nicely! Not as exciting of a dance as last week but I still liked it! I was surprised that Len said that he liked it since he is usually such a stickler.

My score: 8 

Margaret Cho: I’m glad that she is taking the dance seriously this week! She looked so cute! I’m glad they dressed her feminine. Her movements were a little bit herky jerky, and she had to look to Louis to remember the steps. She did struggle and have some missteps. She was not in sync with Louis, and seemed like she was having a hard time keeping up him. It was such a vast improvement from and I think the audience appreciated that! Louis’ and Margaret’s shade of their pink on their costume did not match and it was noticeable…ew!

My score: 7

Michael Bolton: Laryngitis? Please go home! Why oh why did they put him in that hideous animal print blazer? He was still whining this week, although he had more of a reason to whine, but at least he pushed through. The routine felt rather slow paced but at least he took off that awful blazer. He seems like he’s in good shape, but he still just doesn’t look sexy.  The audience was bored! His steps were awkward, and he looked loose and lazy. Bruno was WAY too mean, I felt really bad for him after that. I didn’t know they had a 3, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before!!! That was WAY too harsh! He got out there and moved! He did not deserve a 3! Carrie Anne is right about Michael carrying stress in his body, you can see it! Poor thing needs to loosen up!

My score: 5

Mike Sorrentino: At least he is willing to let Karina boss him around, but he is too concerned with his image and looking “cool” at least in the “Jersey Shore” sense, to me he is still a complete goober! I have a feeling that he wouldn’t be working so hard if Karina wasn’t so pretty. Can we please use his name instead of his stupid “Situation” title? WTF? He looked like he was hopping up and down instead of dancing. And I saw a LIFT Carrie Ann! The whole thing was rather awkward!

My score: 5

Rick Fox: He is brave to do a dancing competition knowing he has a foot injury that ended his career. It was sexy and cheeky and you could see how much fun the judges were having while watching it. He is keeping up with Cheryl, which is impressive! He has really good connection to the music and his partner for an athlete. I loved it! I didn’t see any mistakes, but the judges are right it could have been a BIT sharper… WTF Judges? 7?

My Score: 9

Surprise: Giving a 3 to Michael Bolton??? Audrina stepped up her game and made me like her!

Disappointments: Both Kurt and Kyle’s performances were underwhelming compared to last week.

Watch-ability: Jennifer Grey was amazing again and I was SO impressed with Rick Fox this week.

Who is getting my votes? Rick: 3 Florence: 2 Audrina: 1 Jennifer: 5

Who should get the boot? Sorry Michael Bolton, I feel bad for you, but that routine was just bad to the bone! WOOF!

Photos from Facebook fan page

America’s Next Top Model Cycle 15 (Aired 9-22-10)

Finally some makeovers! YES! Still the least amount of Top Model tears I think I have ever seen? Curious…

Thoughts: I like it when Tyra spends time with the girls because you get to see her genuine personality. I thought it was cute to see her get excited to see Liz and Sara's baby pics, aw!

It was very clear to me that Terra wasn’t strong enough for the competition or the lifestyle if she couldn't deal with being away from her mommy even though she has her sister there with her. Then the makeovers just totally pushed her over the edge…GOODBYE!

I love how Chelsey is willing to do anything for the competition. It shows how strong and committed she is, most girls would flip if Tyra wanted to accentuate one of their flaws but she embraces the gap in her teeth; wow. She totally rocked the shoot, LOVE IT!

Jane’s longer hair is one of my favorite transformations; it makes her look more feminine.

Yea! Rhianna is going to be a willow hippie!

Kacey’s weave is pretty and I’m glad they gave her contacts; it will help her look younger

I don’t know why Liz was so freaked out by her makeover because it wasn’t that dramatic, she already had such short hair.

Kayla's color scared me at first, it was SO intense, but then I fell in love with it. It really suits her because she is so fair and it makes her pop out of the bunch with her being the only red head. But (psst...) I admit that I am totally bias being an "unnatural" redhead myself. She's becoming one of my favorites! This pic was the best of the week to me, I am so in love with how superior she looks in this scene.

WTF did they do that to Sara’s eyebrows? Darken her hair, but lighten her brows? Are you sure you know what you’re doing Tyra? No wonder she got eliminated! I thought it was funny that Sara came off as graceful rather than seductive and she is the “manly” one! 

I was glad to see Sara go even though Lexie didn’t do well, but I was surprised that she was the one to stay since Tyra said her photo was “blah” !? Lexi looked so dazed in her photo shoot. 

At fist, I thought she was one of the stronger girls but I think I am wrong. But, they made her look old fashioned in her photo shoot which made her look...old? I think she looks rather regal though. 

The guest judges are so often scary, I'm like, "you work in fashion, but you look like that?" She was way too old to pull off that hairstyle.

I thought Chris was gonna crumble with her sister Terra getting eliminated but she let her bitch-ness prevail. “Oh, I knew my sister was gonna get eliminated.” Fine if you knew it, but don’t say that! For looking so devastated she sure got over it quick.

Did anyone else notice how painfully obvious it is that they are using a voice over for Tyra summing up her critiques when she is off camera? It sounds like they are dubbing in Tyra sound bites! Someone needs to get on that to make it sound more natural.

Surprise: I could not believe that Lexi, Rhianna, and Ann let their “fake makeover” prank go so far! Lexi should be an actress that was totally an Academy Award Winning Performance.

Disappointments: The photo shoot as a whole was a let down because the concept was really cool and the girls should have had it easy since they got to pick their own words to embody. Hello? You are surrounded by gorgeous male models; draw some inspiration!

I love how Kayla had no problem with being connected to her male model even though she’s a lesbian. And Ann rocked it even though she admitted that she doesn’t have experience being “physical” with a guy. 

For the most part, they looked like they were all doing Ballet Dancer 101 poses. It would have been fine if they were supposed to be ethereal angels, but these were dark fallen angels, why’d they all look so soft and passive?

I agree with the judges that Ann needs to have a stronger presence in person and I’m glad that they talked to her about it this early on in the competition because I’ve seen them get eliminated for that reason in past cycles and I wouldn't want that to happen to her, hopefully she will bring a bit of her kooky personality across to the judges!

Sources: All photos are from cwtv.com

Dancing with the Stars Season 12 Premiere (Aired 9-20-10)

Initial Attractions: Shirtless Men (Maksim), Shiny things, Tom Bergeron’s hilariousness, and absence of Samantha Harris (YES!)

Audrina Patridge: She talks just as fake in the studio (I'm assuming it's because she knows she’s on camera) as she does on her show. I’ve never understood the appeal of The Hills the girls just seem to talk incessantly about nothing. Funnily enough, she is a native of my hometown and current residence; Yorba Linda (Land of the Stuck-Up Bitches) which is known for its expensive homes. Her dancing was a bit herky-jerky and lacking fluidity. But you could tell she was having fun and she did exude a lot of confidence. When she spoke to Brooke she seemed more real and down to earth, hopefully she keeps learning how to speak like a human.

My score: 7

Brandy: She’s just so cute and sweet, but I think she is going to get distracted by Maksim’s sexiness. Her promo picture scared me because she looks so rigid and timid. She was lacking in her footwork technique, it looked to me like she was walking. She looked like a beautiful Amazon Barbie Doll. Snore; no pizazz, but I will root for her to keep Maks on the show so I can enjoy his beautifulness.  

My score: 7

Bristol Palin: She needs to loose her baby fat! She is cute and she seems like a normal, down-to-earth girl, but I don’t understand how she is a “star”? She is very stiff and timid in her movements, and seems like she has no clue what she is doing. I commend her for keeping a smile on her face, but I think I saw her channeling Kate Gosselin with her quintessential poses.   

My score: 5

David Hasselhoff: On no, I hope he is trying to be funny, because otherwise I was laughing AT him. I wanted to barf at the sight of his gyrating hips. Black is his friend because it is slimming and keeps those jiggly bits of his intact. He looked like he was counting while dancing, what was up with all that mouth action? The routine had a lot of gimmicks that were distracting audience from his lack of technique. He was so out of breath by the end and he’s not even that old or overweight. Kym needs to whip him into shape!

My score: 5

Florence Henderson: She’s 76? Wtf? She looks damn good for her age. I like how feisty she is for an older lady. I was surprised by what a potty mouth she was; OMG! She looked a bit confused during her routine and was looking down at her feet and making weird faces… At least she’s not carrying any weight on her, which will be a huge advantage. She was a bit rigid, but that is expected for her age. I LMAO when she made Len blush!  

My score: 6

Jennifer Grey: I knew that there would be a Patrick Swayze references. Her emotionality was so raw and honest, I really hoped she could hold it together. Her passion is based off of something so real and fresh and it showed. I know her name is Grey but please put her in a brighter color, she dances like a beautiful bird, but she looked drab in that color. She showed such grace, beauty, and peacefulness in her body. She definitely has good technique. I just worry whether Derek can handle her maturity and seriousness as a partner. She is my season favorite and who I am rooting to win it!

My score: 8

Kurt Warner: He had a few stumbles but he was very light on his feet and graceful for such a tall guy. He seemed joyful and looked very emotionally connected to Anna. I think having his family be so enthusiastic to have him compete made him committed. The judges underscored him.

My score: 8

Kyle Massey: He’s charismatic because he’s so sweet, goofy, and nearly giddy about the competition. I think he over-danced a bit which caused his movements to lack control because it was a bit overdone. He brought so much fun, young energy that was exciting to watch!

My score: 8

Margaret Cho: I couldn’t help but root for her because she was so honest and trying so hard. You could see her anger and determination on her face in the start but it kinda scared me. I totally LOL-ed when she got lost in her cape. I figured she was so covered up, because of her excessive tattoos, but that outfit was ridiculous and hideous. And then Louis dropped her? I didn’t get that it was supposed to be comedic; it looked like it was an accident. I agree with the judges that she didn’t need to be so over the top. The whole thing made me uncomfortable.

My score: 6

Michael Bolton: He seems like a whiner, I doubt his potential. He had no strength in his free arm. I don’t think he was very connected to the music or to Chelsie. It was okay, kinda blah. I think he should stick to singing since he’s got a tour going on. I love how he gestured using a rotary phone when he was “fake voting”.  

My score: 6

Mike Sorrentino: YUCK! He’s just a set of abs and a big mouth. He sounds like he is talking out of his ass, what a goon! I was expecting a train wreck, but it was a valid effort for only 5 days worth of practice. Nice cheesy disco moves buddy! I could tell Karina danced around him like she usually does when she has a weak partner. Too many “tricks,” not enough dancing.

My score: 6

Rick Fox: My first thought was that he looked like Prince Charming. He was graceful like a swan (especially in that cream color he was wearing). He had a few stumbles (more like stutters) and he was a bit too soft and girlie with his arms, but I see a lot of potential.

My score: 7

Surprise: Kyle Massey, I thought he was just gonna be a silly chubby kid who had no clue what he was doing, but he was so committed and the most entertaining.

Disappointments: I thought Michael Bolton would be charming and graceful but he was whiny and slouchy. I also thought that Margaret’s comedic craziness was inappropriate and stupid.  

Watch-ability:  I really didn’t think that this cast would be this entertaining but it was a very varied bunch. I LMAO (and not just at Tom Bergeron’s jokes) and I got teary eyed, I loved it!

Who’s getting my votes? Rick Fox: 1, Florence Henderson: 1, Kurt Warner: 2, Kyle Massey: 3, and Jennifer Grey: 5.  

Who should be eliminated? The Situation was barf-able but the one with the least potential is probably Bristol.

Sources: All photos are from ABC.com

America’s Next Top Model (Aired 9-15-10)

When are the makeovers Tyra? I wanna see some Top Model Tears!!!

Thoughts: Okay in all seriousness, only a few of these girls are in need of a makeover, and I retract my statement about Ms. Anamaria Gaga having no personality. She has a personality; it’s just not a very good one.

I can’t say that I was sad to see her go, and I think it’s really amazing that the judges all agreed that she was TOO thin! She was like a sack of bones and that is not fashionable. It seemed pretty clear to me that she is one of those girls who looks in the mirror and sees a distorted image of herself. She defiantly has a problem. I love how she thought she was going to have the best high rise runway walk and then she fell! LMAO!

Does anyone else see this though? I couldn’t stop thinking how much she looks like Gaga!

I was so excited to see that Ann got best photo! She was gorgeous on camera; I hope some of the girls start giving her some fashion tips so that she can look just as amazing at panel.

I really commend Kayla for her bravery and her honesty, this photo shoot was really emotional for her but she used that to her advantage and delivered. I love how she was looking toward the light; she was like a beautiful bird. What was up with her voice though??? She was so squeaky, was she ill or is that how she talks ‘cuz if it is she is gonna suck at the live action stuff.

Tera is one of those girls who just let her nerves get the best of her and if she is struggling now, that is not a good sign. I can’t believe she broke down in the first shoot. I don’t think she can handle the pressure.

Surprises: I know that only Sara put “Manly” as her bullying word on herself…but she is not the only one who looks androgynous. Is androgynous high fashion? Overall these girls are not the soft pretty types but do have that hint (or abundance) of masculinity about them.

Disappointment: How did Rhianna get so lost? Step up your game!

Watch-ability: I love how the creators of this show try and put positive messages out there to young girls and show them that they are not alone. Every single one of them had been bullied in some way because of the way they looked or who they were (granted Tera’s “soup cooler” was kinda lame and probably the reason she couldn’t draw any inspiration from it.) I love how Kacey was the “Oreo” that was so creative and a very interesting concept for her to work off of. All in all a really creative and inspiring photo shoot!

America’s Next Top Model (Cycle 15) Aired 9-8-10

Initial Attraction: Interestingly creative photo shoots/ Tyra Banks antics

Thoughts: Here we go again! I am not surprised that Tyra has decided to throw something new into the mix this season in order to keep the show fresh. Although it is hard not to root for the “pretty girls” on the show, I am always intrigued by the quirky high fashion weirdos so this should be an interesting cycle.

I have to say that Tyra was much more “normal” on this season premiere episode (didn’t you just love the intro that was all about herself?) but maybe she had to cut down on her wildly elaborate entrances for budget sake. Even Miss J was dressed in casual (male) clothing…it was unsettling no?

Also there was a lot less ear splitting screaming (I didn’t even have to turn my volume down like I usually do) in this premiere, but I noticed a lot of timid/nervous girls and a lot more crying.

Here is a breakdown of the models:

Anamaria: Not too impressive, she has a pretty face, she almost reminds me of Lady Gaga in a way (I think it’s the shape of her mouth) but I don’t think she’ll last long, she doesn’t seem to have any personality.

Ann: I cannot help but like this girl, (she reminds me of petite cycle winner Nicole) she is undeniably odd looking, but I really hope that she will be able to use that to her advantage in photo shoots to come and that her awkwardness will not get the best of her.

Chelsey: I was really glad to see her make it, she has such strong features and an air of confidence without being cocky…I wonder if she’ll stay a blonde.

Chris: As half of the annoying sister-sister duo, I really don’t have much of an opinion about her as a model since I find it hard to take her seriously.

Ester: She has beautiful feminine features, but with such a large bust size I don’t know how it will play out during the nude/bathing suit shoots. I have a feeling she may be thrown into the plus size debate. But, Jay did say that she was able to fit into the designers dress with no issue so that may be a moo point.

Jane: I love how wide and flat her face is, you go Ivy League girl! I find it interesting to watch the girls with brains on this show and hope that she doesn’t become too meticulous about her modeling.

Kacey: Don’t like her at all, she’s not only catty but I think Jay is right, she looks OLD! Why’d they bring her back?

Kayla: This girl acts like a scared rabbit! Although she does look much better with the straight hair as opposed those wild curls, I don’t really see high fashion though, she looks more like a swan.

Kendal: I couldn’t stop laughing after her comment about semen that I don’t think I heard much of her interview session with Tyra, she’s gorgeous, but only time will tell if she can model.

Lexie: She’s obviously incredibly confident and she reminds me of girls I went to high school with, that being said, I don’t know if she looks very high fashion, but I think her thin face and long nose gives her an edge. I think she’ll look better with a different hair color.

Liz: I absolutely love the masculine lines of her face, she looks very high fashion to me and I think she is beautiful and could look very exotic. I can’t wait to see what they do with her hair and hope she doesn’t disappoint.

Rhianna: Definitely the stand out girl in auditions, it was obvious that Tyra, Jay, and Miss J all LOVED HER! She seems like she already has the show in the bag, but as the show has gone in the past, the ones who seem promising in the beginning tend to fizzle out fast or let it go to their head and loose confidence. I hope that this is not the case for her because I want to watch her draw upon her surroundings and connect with them to show that modeling is an art form. I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that she’s the winner.

Sara: She’s too loud and obnoxious, I can’t take her seriously.

Terra: As the other half of the sister-sister duo, she seems more serious about it, and a little more humble which I think is a good thing. I hope she out-performs her sister. I thought she was going to have a seizure when she got picked as the last girl. Don’t you always feel so awkward when they react like that?  

Surprises: that they didn’t pick the Megan Fox (I called it before Tyra did) look alike pageant winner. She was so cocky that I thought they would put her on the show just to add drama. I would have loved to see her crash and burn but she does look WAY too catalogue for this cycle.

Disappointments: That Jordan didn’t get picked, she was so much like Cycle 14’s Rae, but then in the end you saw that she really did want it. I was curious to see how she would do and what kind of hair style they would give her for those dopey-esc ears. Trade her for Sara!!!

Watch-ability: I am really looking forward to this season, I have a feeling it might be a little more serious and a little less kooky, but you never know with Tyra. I cannot wait to see these girls smize! I do think that this was the most sane and drama-less premiere I have seen, but for my ear drums and my sanity…that’s a good thing!

The Fall (2006)

Initial Attraction: Lee Pace/ Stunning Cinematography

Thoughts: Director Tarsem filmed for four years in over 20 countries and claims there are no special effects in the film which is astonishing considering its cinematic surrealism.

Tarsem (who is from India) has been directing mostly commercials and music videos for the past 20 years and claims to watch a lot of “bad porn”…I get that from the ridiculousness that is “The Fall”. Tarsem must be making bank on royalties to be able to have afforded to shell out millions of his own money to make this film.

The film feels a bit choppy at times because of all the cross-cutting between Roy (Pace) interacting with Alexandria (Catinca Untaru) in the hospital, and the telling of the fantastical tale of the Black Bandit (also Pace) and his comrades.

As enjoyable as the film is because of its visually stunning and abstract (even the movie’s poster is based off of a famous work of Salvador Dali’s) scenery, costuming, and art direction, it is a bit hard to follow and nonsensical.


However, the scenes where Roy and Alexandria bond and form a (I’ll be it selfish and deceiving on Roy’s part) friendship start off as endearing and late in the film became incredibly moving and emotionally charged. I got the sense that there was a lot of improv going on between Pace and Untaru that Tarsem kept instead of cutting which made their relationship feel very natural and real. (During one scene Pace says “What?” several times because he is having a hard time understanding Untaru through her thick accent.)

Disappointment: The one objection that I had to the look, was the way they dressed the Black Bandit. This is a character who yields weapons and is supposed to be dangerous and swashbuckling. I found it hard to take Pace seriously in all that eyeliner, funky hair don’t, stupid hat, and swishy palazzo pants ( I was forced to wear similar hideous pants in my junior high choir years and never quite recovered). I think all that crap he was wearing hampered his acting abilities.

Surprise: What I couldn’t get out of my head after watching the film, was the music; "Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92, II. Allegretto" by Beethoven. Being more familiar with Mozart, I had no idea that it wasn’t composed specifically for the movie. It is haunting, melancholy, dramatic, romantic, and macho all in one and is the perfect backdrop for this piece of art. I don’t think I will ever be able to separate it from the images of the film or the Black Bandit himself (the main theme of the symphony is the character’s perfect theme music).

Watch-ability: Catinca Untaru’s Alexandria is not only adorable, but her honesty, innocence, and eagerness for Roy’s stories makes you want them too. Even if it is not an entirely cohesive storyline you don’t really care, because you are simply fascinated.

Side-note: Although this seems like a Lee Pace fan page, I swear it is not, this is the last one I am blah blah-ing about (for now) : )

Sources: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080529/REVIEWS/805290301 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RVMuqBH9kc http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460791/

Possession (2009)

Initial Attraction: Lee Pace…that’s it

Thoughts: Okay, so by now I am such a monstrous Lee Pace fan girl that I will even sit through a crappy thriller/ sibling switcheroo movie co-starring Sarah Michelle Gellar just to watch Lee (Yikes!)

This movie made no freaken sense. First of all what husband is that darn romantic? Michael Landes’ Ryan seemed more like the wife in this film.

Second, I get the fact that the brothers were lying on the ground beside each other after the car accident, and the when their blood touched it what made Ryan’s spirit jump into Roman’s body (as if your blood touching is really enough to possess someone else) but then how does the fact that Roman was really pretending even make sense?

Call me a romantic, but I watched the alternate ending to this film and preferred it. (In which (Gellar) Jess and (Pace) Roman embrace after he shows her the crib he made and you get the sense that Jess decides to make peace with her decision to love her husband’s spirit through Roman). It sure made a lot more sense with the rest of the plot.

Surprises: What was up with that ending? Does Jess feel her husband’s presence on her neck or something? What the hell? He wasn’t dead? He was in a freaken coma! Was that creepy Roman coming back to haunt her? Why was she smiling? She had just killed Roman and her husband was in a coma and she was pregnant with a dead psycho’s baby???

Lee Pace actually scared me in this one, with his tatto's and bulging muscles, but even when he was trying to beat the crap out of Jess at the end and Jess is retaliating I’m all like “don’t hurt him!” Then I am thinking to myself “he is trying to kill a woman who is pregnant with his baby, this is messed up!

Watch-ability: Uh…Lee Pace shirtless…? That’s pretty much it…

Soldier’s Girl (2003)

Initial Attraction: Lee Pace/ Trans-gender story


Thoughts: Once you get away from all the military bullshit and watch Barry interact with Miss Calpernia, it feels like any other love story.

Lee Pace’s portrayal of Calpernia Adams is not only convincing, but riveting, and emotional. It is easy to see why this film jump-started his career and got him a Golden Globe nomination.

Aside from Pace’s deepness in his voice he really does look and act like a woman (he lost an astonishing 25 pounds for the role). It really is admirable to see how committed he was to this role and the powerful and tragic (true) story behind it.

I admit that I am only vaguely familiar with the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy, and I by no means believe that this story speaks for the attitude of the military or it’s personnel, but I do not understand where such intense hatred stemmed from in Glover and the rest of the soldiers who ridiculed Barry. He was not making any sexual advances on any of the other soldiers and I don’t think he even considered himself to be homosexual. He kept to himself and tried as hard as he could to resist confrontation, it sounds like those military boys were looking for trouble.

Barry was the only one who showed Glover any kindness and yet he sides with Fisher (a very inconsistent character who I didn’t like from the beginning) As soon as Fisher pulled out that baseball bat I knew Barry was going to die.

This movie went quickly from cute to disturbing.

Surprises: As Calpernia is attempting to “woo” Barry he/she is showing a lot of cleavage and at first I’m like “okay they just put a bra on him and then stuffed it”…no. Completely topless, those ta ta’s look so realistic I was like “Did Lee Pace grow boobs for this role too?” Congratulations to the make-up department, those were some amazing prosthetic breasts…WOW! I had to constantly remind myself that I’m an adult watching a serious film to keep from giggling.

The murder scene was so disturbing and graphic it was literally haunting me in my sleep.

Disappointments: I get that soldiers are real “tough guys” and they have a lot of pent up adrenaline and testosterone and all that, but really with the profanity? Isn’t profanity more effective when it’s used sparingly? How many variations of the F-word can you use in one sentence? These guys will give you a run for your f*ck*ng money…

Watch-ability: This is a very powerful story that is culturally relevant and eye opening to people who don’t know anything about transgenders and what they go through. Calpernia Adams is a very important and admirable figure.

Plus…Lee Pace is still dead sexy even as a woman : )

The Real Calpernia Adams with Lee Pace (notice the breasts!)

Pushing Daisies (2007-2009)

Initial Attraction: Lee Pace/ Exploring Death

Thoughts: Embarking on my Lee Pace fanfare I expected to give this show a “shot” and started watching episodes online through links on IMDB. I wasn’t expecting much out of it since it had such a short life on ABC, I didn’t expect to fall in love with this show in the first 5 minutes.

Never have I watched a show that was intro-d with narration in each episode, giving it that “fairy-tale” feel. To me, Jim Dale’s voice is synonymous with magical qualities being so tied to the Harry Potter franchise.

Everything from the varying array of characters, to the candy colored (literally lick-able) set design, to the kooky costumes, makes the show magically delicious.

Aside from Lee Pace’s adorable awkwardness and charming restraint as Ned, the Piemaker, the joy of the show for me was Kristin Chenoweth’s Olive Snook.

I was never a Chenoweth fan (she has that ridiculously high pitched voice) but as I watched her pine after Ned (even when she knew he clearly didn’t return her feelings) and literally hop up and down in her pint sized body to try to be included in the going’s on surrounding Ned, Chuck, and Emerson I felt like I could identify with her the most. Plus I totally LMAO when she was dressed as a nun, singing in a giant field.

Surprise: I almost had a heart attack watching Anna Freil in an interview about the show on Youtube to realize that she is British (VERY British) and it made me wonder if it’s easier for a brit to do an American accent than it is for an American to do a brit accent??? Hers is so convincing.

Disappointments: (should really be “if the show had lasted longer”) that no one else in the cast ever joined in on Olive’s songs, that Alfredo [the mood enhancer guy] never returned, we never found out about Chuck and Ned’s fathers connection or the pocket watch, we didn’t get to see Ned embrace the idea of family, there weren’t more Ned/Chuck touching dreams (come on! You know that Ned would be having them all the time)

Watch-ability: The story is set in a completely fantastical world, yet the interaction between the characters makes you believe you are somewhere real.

“My name is Ned…I wake pies and make the dead, that was creepy…”

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)

Initial Attraction: Amy Adams/ Time Period/ Focus Features

Thoughts: Once I saw the trailer for this film, I knew that it would be something that I would enjoy seeing. I remembered Frances McDormand from a few other films (mainly the live action version of Madeline that I adored as a young girl) but had never seen her in a leading role, and wasn't sure if she could carry a film.

Of course, the film has its fun and heartwarming moments, but it didn’t feel to me as powerful as other Focus Feature pictures that I’ve seen (Atonement, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Pianist)

Loved the music and the costuming (especially that fancy lingerie) and watching Adam’s zany interpretation of Delysia but what I thought the film was lacking was true conviction from the characters.

Surprises: what I completely didn’t expect is that this film would lead me to…an obsession? As soon as Lee Pace showed up with his (fabricated) British accent and (replaced) piano playing, I knew that Delysia should pick him.

Disappointments: Unfortunately as good as an actress that Shirley Henderson is, as soon as she opens her mouth, I can’t stop thinking about Moaning Myrtle.

“If I Didn’t Care” was the perfect love theme for Delysia and Micheal, but Pace’s and Adam’s rendition was underwhelming.

Watch-ability: Lee Pace (Yum!)