Times have changed... [updated]

I can honestly say with 100% assurety that this song would never make it in a movie today.



Here's a little Wiki-info about Detroit, Michigan. I'm not knocking it as a place, I'm sure it's a fine place to live. It's just not the city it once was ("the Paris of the west"). I mean, how many people do you know now who dream of moving to Detroit to make a name for themselves? At the end, Cordy and Angie drive off into the sunset of Detroit - a "beautiful" skyline filled with tall, black smoke stacks pumping columns of soot into the sky.

Also - it's just part of the greatness of the movie, The Happiest Millionaire. It's so outdated and fabulous. Cordy is thrilled and excited while telling her mother how their car broke down twice on the way home. This is a car with no interior (they use an umbrella when it's raining) and it's the middle of winter. My sister remarked how patient Cordy is. I just figured it was the times. Broken fan belts were new and exciting.

So, it's a funny movie with a few good songs, but mostly I find it hilarious that there's a "love" song about Detroit. These are people living in Philadelphia and New York, which, according to the reference in the song, are "boring 9 to 5 towns". Bored with nothing to do in New York City? Well, why not try out your luck in Detroit, Michigan! Maybe that puts it more into context?

I wonder what you're captain of?

I have now watched/listened to Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog many more times than one person should. But I can't get the songs out of my head and everytime I watch it I find something new and funny and great.

Like the title of this post...it's a little nugget of greatness hidden in the duet at the end of the "A Man's Gotta Do" song at the end of Act One.

Actually, she sings it right about here...at this scene in this photo, which is an odd coincidence because I found that photo last week.

Just thought I would reiterate how much I love this show.

The Barnacle

Yes. Neil Patrick Harris aka Barney Stinson aka Doogie Howser, MD is also Dr. Horrible. He has a fantastic singing voice and a good sense of humor. He also manages to dress nicely, play a womanizing jerk, and kind of make me forget he's batting for the other team while singing show tunes. Talk about image control. Here's a couple clips. The first one I've posted before but it's good and I love it and it's my blog so there. The second is NPH with Kelly Ripa talking about how her son's teacher is in love with NPH. The third makes me happy because I ALWAYS sing this theme song...ask Krissie. I can't help but start singing along with it during Monday Night Suit Up.

Now Featuring...the songs of ABBA

I haven't done one of these for a while.

This weekend I went to see Mamma Mia! with my mom, my aunt and my sister. We were sitting and waiting for the movie to start and I turned to my mom and said, "I honestly cannot remember the last time I went to a movie with you." She told me that's because she hasn't been to a movie theater in years. YEARS people. YEARS! Granted, my mom is not really into movies and music and such, but still. years.

So thus ended her streak. With Mamma Mia!, which was funny for reasons other than it being a comedy...which it isn't. We liked it though for being so silly and slightly embarassing (men in short shorts and Meryl Streep dancing provocatively...also Pierce Brosnan singing). I think the best way to describe it is that it was filmed like a stage production - Hairspray was filmed like a movie, Grease was filmed like a movie. Mamma Mia! still felt more like a broadway show than a movie. It was fun that way though. Obviously this isn't the best movie ever made and I wouldn't pay full price, but it was fun and I'm glad I went with my mom, aunt and sister because that made it more fun.


Also, I really like Amanda Seyfried's voice (she plays Sophie) and I did buy the soundtrack for that reason.

This picture is for Lauren. "dot, dot, dot!"

And Colbert just said this: "Batman may have won the box office, but Mamma Mia won my heart." I'm not saying Mamma Mia is better than Batman, that's just a funny statement and further evidence of Colbert's funniness.

Here's what I was talking about...

This is the Grease winner (Laura Osnes) for Sandy singing Jesus Christ Superstar. It's so much better. Granted, Carly is competing in a completely different type of competition - she really just yelled too much for my taste (as is the case with pretty much everything she sings).



Also - I kind of love these "find the next Broadway star" shows. They have that little extra cheese factor that is missing from American Idol. Especially over in Britain.

Here's the winner (Lee Mead) from Any Dream Will Do singing with Josh Groban. I loved this performance and I love how sad the other guys are - like someone has punched them in the stomach...and they aren't gracious about it at all.

American Idol, yes I am posting about American Idol

As I see it there are clear front runners in this season. I've only watched this season and last - but am enjoying this season a lot better.

Mostly I was excited for this week. Andrew Lloyd Weber was the guest mentor so they all had to sing his songs. Although I have to say...he is kind of creepy looking. I'm curious to know what his face looks like in person.

Last year, Krissie and I got into Grease: You're the One That I Want and watched the whole thing. Then, when we got to England they had shows on there: Grease is the Word and Any Dream Will Do. They were talent searches for the new leads in Grease and Joseph opening in the West End. We totally got into the last few episodes there and would stay home to watch it with Louise. Weber played a big part in the Joseph show and may have judged a night on Grease. I remember one of the girls singing Jesus Christ Superstar and it was amazing.

So tonight, when Carly got up there and sang that it just did nothing for me at all. I don't really like her in the first place so maybe I'm biased. Also, her husband's facial tattoos are yucky and she wears nothing but black leggings/stockings/skinny jeans. ugh.

Syesha did very well, but she is also an actress so that was no surprise. I say if a girl makes it to top 3 it will be her.

Brooke was alright. That whole stopping and starting over thing was weird, but it would have been weirder for her to keep going and making up stuff, right? I think she may go home this week. Not to mention, I think people might be getting tired of her over-emotional state...and by people I mean me.

Jason picked a weird song but did alright with it. I think he'll be bottom three this week. It was a girl song (Memory) - an old lady song even...from Cats. But honestly I don't know what he would have done better with. He's not suited for Broadway. That might hurt him.

Speaking of girl songs. David Archuleta sang Think of Me - only he kind of changed it up. I liked it. His vocals are always spot on - though he needs more of a presence/personality. I think that's more of an age and experience thing.

Finally, David Cook. He's totally grown on me. He sang Music of the Night. And although it wasn't really any different composition-wise, I think he sang beautifully. He's definitely better with the gritty, rock stuff, but still did a great job with this. And his look isn't bothering me so much any more.

So, bottom three I'm gonna say Brooke, Jason and Carly. Although Syesha could be in trouble since she performed first. Sometimes people get distracted throughout the whole show and forget to vote for the first performer.

"Enchanted" Mice and Rumbles in the Parking Lot.

first things first. sheryl and i went to see Enchanted and it was fantastic. Go see it. NOW.

b. we were sitting in the theater, patiently waiting for the amazing movie that was about to be shown for our viewing pleasure. we were the only people in the theater and had been sitting and talking for about 10 minutes. then, i heard the sound of paper rustling on the floor to the left of me. i didn't think much of it. then, i heard the noise again, only louder. THEN! i looked over to the wall of the stadium seating and saw something gray scoot across it. GRAY. SCOOTING. ON THE WALL. i said, "Sheryl, I hear something moving." then, "Sheryl, I think I just saw a mouse on the wall!!" then, "SHERYL! There's a MOUSE!!" we proceeded to scream like the wimpy girly girls that we are and we ran screaming from the theater straight to a group of theater employees. we told them what happened and they went in and after about 3 minutes came out saying they couldn't find it. we timidly and determinedly offered to show them the vicinity where the mouse was last spotted and what do you know? that cheeky little scamp showed his face AGAIN! the nerve! we screamed again (in front of the poor teenage boy who was armed with a dust pan) and i said "THAT'S IT! DID YOU SEE IT?!" and he obligingly went after it. of course it escaped into a hole in the wall and the boy only put the dust pan in front of the hole and we had to sit through the entire movie with visions of a dirty little theater rat scurrying over our toesies. we did sit on the other side of the theater with our feet on top of the seats in front of us, just as a precaution, and the scenes featuring rodents in the movie affected us more than they might usually...but still, good movie, funny story, icky theater.

3. for the first time since high school, i joined my mother and sister in black friday shopping. i slept two hours last night, waking up at 2:30, so we could be in Bowie by 4AM when Kohl's opened. Mommy entertained us with a story about how she almost threw down with some lady in a Safeway parking lot and the other people in line entertained us by booing and shouting mean things at the crowd of people who chose to show up at the last minute and form ANOTHER line heading the opposite direction from the one we were in which was now reaching to China. that second line was smart enough to wait their turns, otherwise i'm certain blood would have been spilt. after 2 hours in Kohl's (with the sun still asleep) we headed to Target and enjoyed a yummy pre-breakfast snack at Starbucks then shopped some more. then came Michaels and Jo-Anns. the moral of the story is now i am poorer than poor and still have things to purchase. but not too many things. now i just have a gagillion "projects" to finish before christmas.

P.S. today marked the glorious and official beginning of the Christmas music season. Fa la la la la and all that junk. :)

You Can't Stop the Beat

especially after tonight, when I will OWN Hairspray on DVD and will probably watch it a whole freakin' lot. Wahoo!

Across the Universe

My friend Sheryl and I went to see this movie this weekend. I loved it. I will preface this with a warning that although it is rated PG-13, it's on the higher end of that rating as it's "artistic" and set during the 60s with the Vietnam War and such. Not too graphic, just not squeaky clean. Mostly I was annoyed with a Titanic-like drawing scene. It wasn't really necessary.

If anything, though, the soundtrack is amazing. The movie is about Jude, a dock worker from Liverpool, who goes to America (sans visa) to track down his father. He meets Max and falls in love with Lucy, Max's sister. Most of the movie takes place in New York where Jude and Max move after Max drops out of college.

The best part of this movie, though, is the music. It's a musical using only Beatles music. The movie is filled with references (just look at the character names) from Beatles songs and the songs they chose to use work perfectly with the dialog and the story. It's amazing how they made the songs work as dialog - you kind of sit there thinking, "why doesn't everybody burst out into a Beatles song in real life" that's how natural this movie makes it seem. It also doesn't hurt that the two main male characters are gorgeous - one of which uses his British accent - and they both have amazing voices. I haven't stopped listening to the soundtrack since I bought it the morning after seeing the movie.

Now, I am a fan of the original Beatles songs, but I also really like a good cover (emphasis on good). Sometimes you need to switch things up. My only complaint is that they didn't include some of my favorite songs from the movie on the soundtrack. I am keeping my fingers crossed that a "more music from the motion picture" CD will be released later. If not, I will be mad.

A clip from one of my favorite songs/scenes in the movie. I've Just Seen a Face

We saw Wicked last night in London. It was playing at the Apollo Victoria Theater and we went with Louise. It was amazing. Seriously amazing. So amazing, in fact, that Krissie and I want to see it a couple more times....if I had the money I would pay to get in the front row. It was fantastic. Maybe I'll find a way to take Lauren so I can see it again. I know she would LOVE it just as much as we did. The script, the cast, the music, the costumes, the sets - they were everything they should be. I can't say any more about it, it was just fantastic.