Streep’s Life is ‘Complicated’, Blunt is the Young Queen ‘Victoria’ & The Biggest Movie of All Time Hits DVD

ON DVD:

AVATAR, the biggest movie of all time gets its big DVD release just in time to celebrate Earth Day. I still loved the move the second time I watched it, although I felt a strong sense of how much brighter and more fun it was to see it on the big screen. Formatted to fit your TV definitely takes away from the WOW factor and makes the film look cartoonish… so now might be the time to invest in a big, beautiful HD flatscreen!
My Grade: A-

THE LOVELY BONES is almost just as much of a remarkably visual work of art as the above mentioned film. Featuring a wonderful performance from the young Ronan, Peter Jackson’s adaptation of the beloved novel is dripping with intoxicating imagery reminiscent of an acid trip. I didn’t love the choice to cast Wahlberg as the father, but overall I thought it was a pretty fantastic interpretation of a novel that seemed impossible to translate to film.
My Grade: B+

IT’S COMPLICATED for Meryl Streep in Nancy Meyer’s hilarious adult comedy where the greatest actress of all time is sandwiched with funny men Steve Martin & Alec Baldwin. The entire cast is spot-on, including John Krasinski in a supporting role. Big laughs, big fun, but like most of Meyer’s movies it goes on a bit too long.
My Grade: B

THE YOUNG VICTORIA features a lovely performance from Emily Blunt, who has come a long way since her fabulous role in The Devil Wears Prada. This biopic of Queen Victoria is short, simple and a sweet love story, featuring gorgeous costumes & cinematography. But after a while, all of these ladies in fancy dresses movies start to look alike.
My Grade: B-

UNCERTAINTY, starring my future husband Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is an indie flick with an interesting presentation. Using a Sliding Doors effect where they show two different stories, dignified by the colors yellow and green, the unique feature follows one couple for a day, transitioning between the two separate plots. It’s worth checking out but I felt unfulfilled at the end.
My Grade: B-

MAMMOTH stars mega-hottie Gael Garcia Bernal and one of my favorite gals, Michelle Williams as a wealthy married couple whose bliss is interrupted by monotony and the idea that things are too perfect. I loved the photography and performances but in whole the film is pretty dull and doesn’t offer much to take with you in the aftermath.
My Grade: C+

VINTAGE VAULT

I recently added two of my favorite movies to watch as a kid to my collection.... yeah!!

2 FILMS I CAN NOT WAIT FOR

If I had the power to feast my eyes on these two films without having to wait for them to play at a theater near me, I'd die! Two of my FAVORITE female filmmakers have upcoming movies that are getting GREAT BUZZ and rave reviews.















LISA CHOLODENKO's film "High Art" is one of my absolute favorite films of all time. She made me fall in love with the art of capturing mood, lusting over images and celebrating the true spirit of independent film. I adore her and am so excited she is the one responsible for "The Kids Are All Right", the new movie starring Annette Bening & Julianne Moore as a couple with two children who are grown up and curious about who their biological father is. It's getting great reviews and this would really put Cholodenko on the radar of Oscar & Golden Globe voters, me thinks!


I also adore NICOLE HOLOFCENER, especially for her writing style and mastering the art of realism & some of my favorite movie dialogue. Her films "Walking & Talking", "Lovely & Amazing" and "Friends with Money" always feature memorable performances from every actor (especially Catherine Keener, who has appeared in all of the director's films). Holofcener's character sculpting and talent for getting the performances she does are flawless. Again, the celebration of independent filmmaking is celebrated through her works and I'm so excited to see "Please Give" starring Keener, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt & Rebecca Hall.

Check out the trailers when ya get a chance!

3 Shows I REALLY Like, That I'm Really Worried For...

It's not easy to survive in prime time these days. The competition between the main networks is fiercer than ever and each season a handful of your favorites get the ax, just when you start to love them. Here are 3 shows I look forward to each week, but that I'm trying not to get too attached to...

3. How to Make it in America
Sundays @ 10pm on HBO
I was hooked after the 8-episode arc of HBO's latest dramedy. It's only a 30-minute show, which always leaves me wanting more and I really like the writing, the characters and the influence NY culture and nightlife has on the aesthetic of the show. However, ratings for the first season were not up to par of other HBO heavy hitters like Entourage, which I don't think is nearly as good. I try not to be a pessimist, but I have a feeling these young actors are still going to be wondering how they can make it in Hollywood.

2. Parenthood
Tuesdays @ 10pm on NBC
You would think big names like Ron Howard and Brian Grazer can just call the shots and do whatever they want, but at the end of the day ratings and NBC are the deciding factors in Parenthood getting picked up for a second season. Like medical dramas, a show revolving around family drama is hard to stand out with all of the other prime time TV resembling it. For me, it's all about the cast and I've already grown so attached to these brothers and sisters - loving the casting of Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Erika Christensen and even Dax Shephard has proven himself in my eyes. I'd really like to see what develops and hope we can see a new family grow up for a while, but something tells me not to get too excited about this show.


1. Mercy
Wednesdays @ 8pm on NBC
When Mercy was shooting across the street from me in Jersey City, I was hellbent against watching it because the crew is full of assholes and my car got towed because of them. After moving back home I decided to give it a chance and was instantly hooked. I'm really not a fan of hospital shows and I worry for the future of the show because it's hard to be a surviving prime time hospital show. They're all the same in one way or another, so I fear it's hard for the stellar cast and writing of Mercy to stand out, even though it's way better than the similar shows it premiered with this season (Trauma and Three Rivers). I think it's my favorite hospital show, even over Nurse Jackie. Granted, I am no Grey's Anatomy fan and would love to see that shark-jumping series get cancelled and have Mercy sweep in for another season. I know they are on competing networks, but I hate that girlie, McShitty show!

James Marsden Adds Life to 'Death'

Film Review: DEATH AT A FUNERAL
starring Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Zoe Saldana, James Marsden, Danny Glover, Loretta Devine, Keith David, Peter Dinklage, Tracy Morgan, Regina Hall
directed by Neil LaBute

At first glance, one might mistake this reinvention of the 2007 British comedy of the same name as the latest invitation into family chaos by Tyler Perry. It's actually directed by Neil LaBute, who is respected for directing heavy character pieces like Your Friends & Neighbors and The Shape of Things. The original film was an indie hit the year it was released, and even though I never saw that film in its entirety, I was a bit turned off when I saw the trailer for the urban version. It looked like producers collected a bunch of black comics, took an idea from a few years ago and said, "we can market this for a whole new audience". Luckily, my preconceived notions were wrong and I got to benefit from the new, hip version, just like anyone else will. It's packed with ridiculous humor and screamingly laugh-out loud moments (people in my specific audience were SO loud and clapping at certain scenes). The one thing I was really surprised to find was that someone like James Marsden could outshine some of Hollywood's most famous and celebrated male comedians. Rock, Lawrence and Morgan kind of fall short in comparison to the range of comedy Marsden provides with this performance. He steals the show! It's also a major plus that half-way through the film he shucks his clothes and gives us a peek at the good stuff! Like most films of this slapstick nature, the plot is lacking at times and some of the dialogue is weak and underwhelming. I expected more out of Regina Hall and found Luke Wilson's character to be completely unnecessary and a waste of the production budget. But overall, I got to laugh loud with the rest of the audience and took Death for what it is.
My Grade: B

Bye Bye Betty

After four bright & bold seasons of Betty, she finally gets her braces off and gets everything she set out to accomplish. Last week ABC aired the series finale of the campy and often ridiculous Ugly Betty, a show that was nothing like anything else on TV when it debuted a few years back. Like any show we grow to love and invite into our homes every week, it's hard to say goodbye. I grew quite fond of all the members of the Suarez family, the scene-stealing duo of Mark and Amanda and of course, no-one does high-fashion conniving, scheming, backstabbing couture the way Vanessa Williams can. This is a cast, writing team and production I'll certainly miss, for it added a huge splash of color and originality to prime time. However, you could tell somewhere during Season 3 that Betty was destined to wrap up at some point in the near future. It's always better to bow out before the shark jumping gets more and more evident and absurd, and you could feel that special something missing out of just about every episode that aired in Season 4. So, bye bye Betty... we'll miss you, but it really was just your time.

My Grades:
Season 1: A
Season 2: A-
Season 3: B
Season 4: B-

MOMENT OF THE WEEK

I don't even need the week to conclude in order to declare its best moment! Glee, TV's most talked about prime-time hit returned last nite at exactly 9:28pm. About an hour later, a music video debuted - Sue Sylvester's rendition of VOGUE. There are no words! JANE LYNCH is a GENIUS and I can't wait for next week's "Power of Madonna" episode. Dear Glee, Please don't ever jump the shark!

Kirstie Alley is Selling Fat...as usual

TV Review: KIRSTIE ALLEY'S BIG LIFE
Sundays at 10pm on A&E



Even though she's embarassed and angry about how much weight she's allowed herself to gain again, Kirstie Alley knows FAT sells! She knows being bigger is always better for her career and her true fans always stick by the fat actress. Alley invites viewers into her BIG life, introducing us to her two kids, staff of personalities, struggles with the paparazzi and, of course, her pet lemers. The show also focuses on what Kirstie is most famous for - her weight rollercoaster! I actually really like everything about this show. Kirstie is a class act. She seems to genuinely be in a vulnerable place while filming, but still manages to be very funny, real and without a doubt, fun to watch. Her life is full of lunacy and it's a refreshing type of energy to see in a reality show. There's so much reality crap on TV that, though it might be a fun trainwreck to watch, is filled with such negativity and ugliness. Kirstie may be fat, but she's full of spirit. You wanna lose weight, Kirstie? You go girl! But I'll take FAT Kirstie or I'll take Look Who's Talking Kirstie. Big or small, she's alright in my book. And I'd like to close this blurb by admitting that I love all three LWT movies. Even the third one with the talking dogs.

My Grade: B

Sticky & Sweet Defines Madonna as #1 Touring Female Artist

DVD Review: MADONNA: STICKY & SWEET TOUR

While her album sales for Hard Candy may have been meager in comparison to some of today's biggest show-stoppers, none of those artists could compare when it came to touring. Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour has put her on the top of the list as the #1 touring female solo artist and when you check out her DVD, it's easy to see why. A show packed with amazing sets, graphics, energy and color, this is one of her most entertaining tour DVDs. While I was a little sleepy during the Evita segment, I thought Madonna really showed her fun side, and was back to the bad girl we all fell in love with. We love M Dolla when she's cussing and touching herself inappropriately and at 50+ she's still making it look better than ever. Whether you love or hate her, there's really no room for your opinion in Madonna's world! She owns it. Your purchase comes with a CD of live tracks (which includes the 4-Minutes version of Vogue, which I love) and the DVD, which also has a behind the scenes documentary. Go Madge!

My Grade: A-

MOMENT OF THE WEEK

I'm starting to understand why people love BAD reality TV. I guess there really is nothing like a good train-wreck, and while there were lots of great moments in the world of TV this week (like when Austin & Justin danced @ Hilda's wedding on Betty, awww!) nothing can really compare to fame-sucker Kate Gosselin's tremendously awful performance to Gaga's Paparazzi on DWTS. GAG! I know a Buzz Aldrin two-steps takes longer than his journey to the moon, but I'm ready for Kate to go back to her dozen children and get off my damn TV screen!

How to Make a Hit out of a Mini-Season: Reviews of HBO & SHO's New Series

TV Review: HOW TO MAKE IT IN AMERICA
Sundays @ 10pm on HBO

When I saw the clips for HBO's new series, I immediately thought it looked like an Entourage spin-off. It's not - because you'll actually care about these characters. Judging from the 8 episode first season, this has potential to be the next big thing for HBO. The cast is full of young talent including Bryan Greenberg, Victor Rasuk and Lake Bell. We get Martha Plimpton (who looks better than ever) back on the scene - thank god! The only actor I hate watching is Luis Guzman. He kinda ruins the show for me to be honest. I just don't like looking at him and would be perfectly content with him getting whacked off at the beginning of Season 2. I love the essence of NY that is captured and the implementing of photography into each episode. It's creative, well written and full of promise. You will certainly feel jipped at how short season one is and it's one of those to add to the "I wish this show was an hour!" category.

My Grade: B+


TV Review: LA LA LAND
On showtime

Showtime is becoming notorious as being the premium channel with multiple personalities. You've got US of Tara, Tracy Ullman constantly dressing up in her array of characters and now you can add LA LA Land to the list. Brittain's comic Marc Wootton portrays three different characters who are all desperately seeking fame in Los Angeles. Each character is pathetic and ridiculous in their own right and acting in real-life situations, a la "Borat". While some of the scenarios are side-splitting and Wootton is really great at transforming and presenting these whacky personalities - a lot of the jokes go on a little too long. This is the opposite of a show you wished were an hour - it's only 30 minutes and you'll wish it were 15. There's something to be said for the fact that it can be really funny, but for the most part it's SO annoying. Wootten at times can be painful to watch, especially as the disgusting red-head character.

My Grade: C

CLICK HERE TO HEAR 6 NEW SONGS FROM SIA'S UPCOMING ALBUM "WE ARE BORN"

can't wait. she's also coming to philly this may, who's comin' with?!

STAR OF THE WEEK

Sheryl Crow is a ROCKSTAR. She did a lil' NBC double-header this past week with appearances on Cougar Town and The Marriage Ref. She looked amazing and actually had really natural, comedic talent. I'd love to see her do more acting!