Post-Apocalyptic Excitement

Posted Mar 27, 2007 by Wes Phillips

Updated Mar 30, 2007 at 06:03 PM

One of my favorite films over the past decade has to be “28 Days Later.”  Released in 2002, director Danny Boyle’s (Trainspotting) low-budget masterpiece puts a different spin on the zombie genre as Britain is emptied by a man-made virus that turns people into ... you guessed it ... violent, super-human zombies. And these zombies don’t lurch, they sprint.

It may sound stupid, but Boyle’s great cast (Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson), washed-out cinematography and smart script turned a tired genre on its head.

Anyway, when I heard that Fox was making a sequel and that Boyle wasn’t directing, it made me a little sad inside. I’ve heard rumblings about “28 Weeks Later,” but had seen nothing except a poster until today.

Well, color me excited. The trailer was just released and it looks like a winner. It’s a trailer mind you, but I felt the same way after watching the post-apocalyptic “Children of Men” trailer and it ended up being my favorite film of 2006.

Judge for yourself below, or wait to go see it on May 11 in theaters. Or watch it over and over below, then go see it. Or watch it over and over below, then over and over in theaters.

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Former “Idol” Pickler Gets TV Special

Posted Mar 27, 2007 by Walt Belcher

Updated Mar 28, 2007 at 12:30 PM

  The eight videos nominated in the VIDEO OF THE YEAR category include Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats”; Dixie Chicks’ “Not Ready to Make Nice”; George Strait’s “The Seashores of Old Mexico”; Keith Urban’s “Once In a Lifetime”; Kenny Chesney’s “You Save Me”; Rascal Flatts’ “What Hurts the Most”; Sugarland’s “Want To”; and Toby Keith’s “A Little Too Late.”

  The final four nominees for VIDEO OF THE YEAR will be announced at the beginning of the 2007 CMT MUSIC AWARDS airing live from Nashville’s Curb Event Center at Belmont University on Monday, April 16 at 8:00 p.m., and fans can vote at CMT.com as well as via mobile phone throughout the live broadcast to determine the final award of the night.

Kellie Pickler hit stardom in 2006 when she was chosen to appear on season 5 of “American Idol. “

Since that time, the 20-year-old from Albermarle, N.C. has been busy following her dream of being a country music singer. Released in the fall of 2006, her album, Small Town Girl, debuted at number one on the country album chart and Pickler went on to become the best selling new solo country artist of the year.

On the strength of her debut single, “Red High Heels,” the album was certified gold in January ‘07. Her new single, “I Wonder,” is a moving song that she wrote about her relationship with her mother. Pickler is nominated for a 2007 CMT MUSIC AWARDS for her video, “Red High Heels,” in the category of BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR.

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Christina Applegate Cast in Sitcom

Posted Mar 27, 2007 by Walt Belcher

Updated Mar 27, 2007 at 01:12 PM

The title sounds like a line from “Green Eggs and Ham.”  Applegate will play a woman suffering from amnesia.

Jean Smart, who won an Emmy for her role on “24” as the wife of President Logan, will play her mother.

Also joining the show will be Melissa McCarthy, who plays the chef Sookie St James on “Gilmore Girls” which apparently is coming to an end this season.

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Dancing with the Stars—- 03.26.07

Posted Mar 26, 2007 by Chris Kuhn

Updated Mar 27, 2007 at 12:02 AM

We’re back in the ballroom on tonight’s Dancing with the Stars (ABC/Mondays). Tonight, it’s all about the quick-step and the mambo. Tonight’s scores from the judges will be combined with last week’s numbers, and audience votes from both weeks will also be added together to determine who’s going home tomorrow night.

Corny host Tom Bergeron and mush-mouthed co-host Samantha Harris are ready to get the ballroom hopping. And who knows what crazy things the judges will say this evening!

Let’s find out and start dancing…and blogging!

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Apolo Ohno & partner Julianne Hough
Quick-Step

We watch Julianne yell at her partner, slap him and smack him around – all while beaming away with a dazzling, cheery smile. She’s a real spit-fire but she’s whipping this Olympic medalist into shape.

I Say:
He’s doing better tonight with his posture than last week, and this dance is all about a stiff back. I’m not a big fan of this dance. They’re slipping and sliding quite a bit. Not sure if it’s part of their routine or if the janitor used the Swiffer Jet a bit too much. I’m not knocked out but for what it is, it’s probably pretty good. I’ll give it a 7.

The Judges Say:
Len – Tells him that he’ll stay for weeks and weeks.
Bruno – Calls the dance fresh and exciting.
Carrie – Says he’s the surprise of the season and so good so early.

Scores:
26 (Len and Bruno – 9, Carrie – 8)

The Last Word:
Wow, they did better than I expected. Once again, it shows what I don’t know.
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Shandi Finnessey & partner Brian Fortuna
Mambo

The former Miss USA finds it a bit awkward getting so romantic on the dance floor with someone she hardly knows. She’s giddy as a school girl and a bit awkward. But Brian’s doing his best to work it out of her. Good luck with that, guy. She’s a real goofball.

I Say:
I really like the mambo. It’s such a sexy dance. And she brings the sexiness but she still moves a little akwardly and doesn’t know what to do with her height. Wrestling goddess on the ballroom dance floor Stacy Kiebler from a few seasons back could give her a few lessons, that’s for sure. I think they only deserve a 5.

The Judges Say:
Carrie – Tells her she looked beautiful (uh-oh, Paula’s here) but says they were out of sorts.
Len – Says footwork was good but didn’t sell it.
Bruno – Notes that there were good moments but he could tell she was challenged by the hard choreography.

Scores:
20 (Bruno and Len – 7, Carrie – 6)

The Last Word:
I think the judges were being kind. Be happy with your score, Shandi. You’re probably going home next week.
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Clyde Drexler & partner Elena Grinenko
Quick-Step

The basketball great is still suffering from long-time injuries. So Elena makes him feel right at home – by bringing him to a basketball court and challenging him. Something tells me that he’s going to win this game of HORSE. But can the gangly giant handle this challenging dance? Serious doubts here.

I Say:
They’re such a bizarre pairing and he struggles to dance with his partner instead of just dragging his little ragdoll across the dance floor. He still struggles to have any rhythm. Man, this guy is nice but he’s really hopeless. The crowd loves it though. I don’t care. I still give it a 4.

The Judges Say:
Bruno –Calls it David and Goliath rewriting history and making music and commends him for a step in the right direction.
Carrie – Tells him he did a great job and is a real crowd pleaser.
Len – Says he did a nice job overcoming a lot of serious obstacles.

Scores:
18 (6 across the board)

The Last Word:
Ha! Kind words from the judges but their real thoughts are in their honest numbers. Yep, he’s that bad.
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Leeza Gibbons & partner Tony Dovolani
Mambo

Leeza says she’ll be more relaxed this week because the mambo is a sexy dance. The TV talk show host even debuted their dance at her 50th birthday party. Now, she’s ready to share it with all of us. She looks great at 50.

I Say:
She definitely seems more relaxed that last week, though I still sense a little hesitation.  But she’s selling it more than last time. I think she just might not be flexible enough to bend more so she’s a little more stiff than other contestants we’ve seen, regarless of age. I’d give her try a 6.

The Judges Say:
Len – Says it was precise but still a tad careful and she needs to go out and give it a bit more welly (HUH?)
Bruno – Calls it a proper mambo but like a debutant on a first date and urges her to let the tramp out on the dance floor.
Carrie – Tells her it was fantastic and applauded her ability to have fun while dancing.

Scores:
21 (7 across the board)

The Last Word:
Happy birthday, Leeza. You just got a special present from the judges.
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Ian Ziering & partner Cheryl Burke
Quick-Step

Ian is struggling with this one. The actor keeps kicking himself in the shins but when his dad arrives to watch the practice, he does his best quick-step to impress dear old dad (and I do mean old). Are we sure this is his dad and not grand-dad? Hmm.

I Say:
I think they’re following all of the rules here but once again, I just dislike this dance so much that sometimes I can’t tell. I don’t feel these two have as good a chemistry as she did with Emmitt and Drew the past two seasons. But the crowd loves them. Or maybe they just really like Cheryl like I do. Okay, I’ll give them an 8.

The Judges Say:
Carrie – Says it was a solid quick-step but she knows he has so much potential.
Len – Tells him to watch his elbow and watch the skippy, hoppy steps – but overall, good
Bruno – Says it was like watching a bunny rabbit hopping around the dance floor (and he continues to pick a fight with the audience who boos him before he finishes)

Scores:
22 (Bruno and Carrie – 7, Len – 8)

The Last Word:
I think they tend to judge Cheryl’s guys more harshly. I remember that happening last year in the beginning with Emmitt, too. We’ll see if this trend continues.
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Paulina Porizkova & partner Alec Mazzo
Mambo

Former supermodel Paulina is struggling with the Latin dance. She just can’t find her inner Latina but she’s going to try to turn her Czech girl into a senorita.

I Say:
She turns nicely and more smoothly than some of the other ladies we’ve seen so far. But she lacks an energy needed to really pull this off. Still, I think she’s better than Shandi and Leeza.  Not that this is a tough order to fill. I give it a 7.

The Judges Say:
Bruno – Says she lost her way to Havana sometimes but she got to Puerto Rico.
Carrie – Tells her she has great extensions and says she was looking pretty sexy.
Len – Call it a bit stiff and starchy but he could tell she was having fun (and now Len starts picking a fight with the audience…I think a fistfight is coming soon.)

Scores:
21 (7 across the board)

The Last Word:
Well, well, well. Finally the judges make some sense.
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Billy Ray Cyrus & partner Karina Smirnoff
Quick-Step

Last week, country singer Billy Ray was surprisingly stiff. I don’t see him doing well with this one. Poor Karina. She’s really got her hands full with keeping this one in the race. His family stops in to see dad working hard and they’re really cute but Billy Ray is pretty hopeless.

I Say:
She’s doing as good a job as possible to keep him moving in synch with her. It’s better than last week for him, that’s for sure. But he still needs a lot of work. I don’t see him getting that much better. Okay, I’ll give him a 6 for his clear improvement but he’ll be struggling all season long.

The Judges Say:
Len –  Calls him the wild man of wongo and took a musical valium, calmed down and did the rest perfectly right.
Bruno – Tells him to forget about the band and that he’s become a real gentleman.
Carrie – Votes him the most improved dancer from last week.

Scores:
21 (7 across the board)

The Last Word:
I’m not sure why the audience is booing these scores. They were kind to Billy Ray.
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Heather Mills & partner Jonathan Roberts
Mambo

We get to see Heather shaking her hips and loving every minute of it. She’s thrilled to be doing something so fun because most of her day is pretty serious business – land mines, animal rights, alimony proceedings, etc. The fundraiser just asks the audience for one thing – don’t vote her out first.

I Say:
She really gets into the dance and has fun getting in character on the dance floor.  Her partner flips over and picks her up and drops her everywhere. It’s pretty good and surprisingly energetic. I give her a 8.

The Judges Say:
Carrie – Tells her she’s blown away by her and that it was the hardest routine all night.
Len – Says it was better than her fox trot, absolutely great.
Bruno – Calls her red-hot Heather and tells her that he can’t believe what she did.

Scores:
24 (8 across the board)

The Last Word:
This is well-deserved. She really did a nice job. it’s getting harder and harder every week to dislike her. Damn.
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John Ratzenberger & partner Edyta Sliwinska
Quick-Step

Edyta knows that the quick-step may be a little tough for the oldest participant in the dance. But the actor is hanging in there. I really hope this guy does well. John came into the competition late after his predecessory backed out. Edyta is a great dancer and patient coach and if anyone can keep him in the competition, it’s her.

I Say:
He does a nice job keeping up with the fast footwork and they glide nicely along the dance floor. An attempt at a clever karate kick doesn’t work out too well, but boy, does he do a nice job on this one. Give this guy a solid 7 for effort.

The Judges Say:
Bruno – Says there’s plenty of life in the old wolf and tells him he sold it.
Carrie – Tells them she wasn’t crazy about the opening but loved how it ended.
Len – Tells him that he’s a great actor and this was another great performance.

Scores:
21 (7 across the board)

The Last Word:
Good to see the judges have been on a roll listening to me. I am quite the dancing expert after all. (Not.)
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Laila Ali & partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Mambo

Boxer Laila Ali and her dance coach feel the pressure to top last week’s acclaimed performance. She takes him to the gym to beef up her partner before the big dance and she works up the spice action during their practice. Let’s see how spicy she’s going to get.

I Say:
I would expect someone as tough, muscular and physical as her to lack gracefulness. But she’s definitely got grace and sex appeal on the dance floor. She’s a real natural and makes a great team with Makxim. It’s a really solid routine and the audience clearly loves it. She stays in character the whole time and I think deserves my first 9 awarded for the night.

The Judges Say:
Len – Says it had rhythm, great moves and clearly was the best mambo of the night.
Bruno – Calls it simply irresistible.
Carrie – Tells her it was hot, hot, hot and applauds her strength in her upper and lower body.

Scores:
27 (9 across the board)

The Last Word:
Well-deserved. I liked it.
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Joey Fatone & partner Kym Johnson
Quick-Step

Last week, this team scored the highest score and now they’re following the new highest score. Kym is struggling to keep the singer/actor’s posture in check. He is silly all the time but I can’t wait to see what they do. I’m a big fan of Kym and I loved them last week.

I Say:
They do a nice job on the dance floor. They flow well together and keep the pace and energy flowing. I like it but maybe it’s just my disdain for this dance. I think Laila was better. Still I give them an 8.

The Judges Say:
Carrie – Says she expects the complete package from him and he delivers.
Len – Calls it light, bright and fast-moving
Bruno – Tells him after the goofy opening he took off like a rocket and really sold it.

Scores:
24 (8 across the board)

The Last Word:
That’s the right score for that performance but I suspect we’ll see some 27s and 30s down the road from Joey. He’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
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It’s official – we’ve now seen every team dance one ballroom and one Latin dance each. The judges’ scores have now been combined and here’s how the leaderboard looks, minus the audience’s take:

At the top - 
Laila and Max, Joey and Kym and Apolo and Juliane

In the middle –
Ian and Cheryl, Heather and Jonathan, Paulina and Alec, Shandi and Brian, and John and Edyta

At the bottom –
Leeza and Tony, Clyde and Elena and Billy Ray and Karina.

What did you think of tonight’s performances?  I think Shandi and Clyde are most vulnerable. I still haven’t decided if I have a favorite just yet but I have a few that I enjoy watching: Joey and Laila, in particular. But I’m surprised by how much I’ve been digging Heather Mills and John Ratzenberger, too. How bizarre. We’ll just have to see if I’m not alone in that. Stay tuned…

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YouTube Names ‘Winners’

Posted Mar 26, 2007 by TBO.com

Updated Mar 26, 2007 at 05:51 PM

It’s official! The user-generated content on YouTube is a tall-boy can of weaksauce. (Yes, it comes it cans.) Sure, the site is great for checking out old videos of Husker Du on “Joan Rivers” or Wes Anderson’s brilliant American Express commercial. But the stuff created by Regular Joes like you and me (after all, we are the “You” in YouTube) is bloody awful.

To wit: The first annual YouTube Video Awards.

Finally, at long last, the impossibly benevolent folks at the insanely popular video sharing site—Time magazine‘s “invention of the year” for 2006 and widely credited with revolutionizing the Internet—have answered our desperate prayers, painstakingly separated glorious wheat from pesky chaff, and lovingly presented us with the very best of the best amateur videos on the entire World Wide Web.

And they really suck.

The winner of the Best Commentary award is an interminable video of an annoying shirtless guy standing around talking about how hot it is. The Best Music Video award winner shows a woman just sitting there and playing an acoustic guitar for four minutes. (Yes, the song is nice, but c’mon—this is supposed to be about the video, isn’t it?) The Best Comedy award went to a short about a guy who’s apparently stranded on an island, which features exactly one mildly humorous line (“We were wrong—Jamal ate himself”).

Mercifully, they also included a Most Creative category and wisely gave the nod to indie-rockers OK Go for their clever “Here It Goes Again” video—truly an outstanding achievement in the field of treadmill choreography. Then again, how shrewd do you have to be to give one of your fledgling no-name awards to a video that already won a Grammy?

Let’s face it—now that they’ve taken down all (well, most of) the copyrighted stuff, YouTube isn’t nearly as interesting as it used to be, is it?

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