What was the Song of Summer for 2008?

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With Labour Day Weekend upon us, this means two things: Time to put away those white pants for another year, and time to crown the Song of Summer 2008. But along the way, I thought why not crown a few also-rans who gave their best effort? Congrats to these songs below. You may not have been THE Song of Summer 2008, but you certainly are worth honorable mention:

Rock Song of Summer 2008: "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay, solely for making us all embrace sweeping epic rock songs again, just when we all thought Coldplay couldn't come up with something that didn't sound just like "Clocks".

Ballad of Summer 2008: "Take a Bow" by Rihanna. The song isn't actually very good. The lyrics are pretty lame and repetitive. But damn me if it isn't catchy as hell.

Import Song of Summer 2008: "American Boy" by Estelle feat. Kanye West. Brit import Estelle had Kanye featured on the song to gain some further attention Stateside, but she didn't need it. The catchiest parts of the song have nothing to do with Kanye, it's all Estelle's crooning magic.

The Kylie Minogue Memorial Award for Guilty Pleasure Song You Can't Outta Your Head: "When I Grow Up" by The Pussycat Dolls. Narrowly beating out "Burnin' Up" by the Jonas Brothers, the Pussycat Dolls yet again prove that they can make anyone a fan after over 100 listens. Plus, they win the title of Most Confusing Summer Lyric for: "I wanna see the world, drive fast cars, I wanna have boobies". Or groupies. Some even think rubies. Who knows!

Unexpected Hit of Summer 2008: "Paper Planes" by M.I.A. Further proof that all you need to turn your song into a hit is some careful placement in an ad for something that has nothing to do with your song (in this case, the trailer for Pineapple Express).

Song of Summer That Should Have Been: "The Beat Goes On" by Madonna feat. Kanye West and Pharrell. Madge came back in top form with this year's Hard Candy, which produced the springtime hit "4 Minutes". Her followup, "Give It 2 Me" has failed to chart in North America though, except on dance charts. With a killer interlude by Kanye, as well as an uber catchy chorus featuring a Donna Summer sample, this was the tune Madge should have released. Here's hoping she does so this fall.

This is all fine and dandy, but who's the real champion? Who can be declared as having the Song of Summer 2008? Chris Brown? Lil Wayne? Kid Rock? The answer, with the accompanying vid, after the jump!




With much deep thought as well as taking into consideration its success in several completely arbitrary and biased categories, the Song of Summer 2008 is....





That's right, it's "I Kissed A Girl" by Katy Perry!!! What made Perry rise above the rest? First, it's her breakout hit and brought forth a new star on the music scene. The song spent seven weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, more than any other song this summer. Perry made it acceptable for girls to drunkenly make out with one another, thus starting a trend that is sure to poorly influence 9 year old girls everywhere. The resulting controversy and novelty of the song is undeniable, and contributed to its hit factor. Oh yeah, and did we mention that it's just ridonkulously catchy and fun to dance to? C'mon Katy Perry haters, admit it, by this summer's end, when she kissed a girl, you liked it too.

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Did The Dark Knight Ruin the August Box-Office?

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Since it opened on July 18th, all anyone can talk about regarding movies is The Dark Knight. Heath ledger's performance. Christian Bale's rough batman growl. Those record-breaking box office receipts. Without a doubt, The Dark Knight has gained more hype and praise for any movie to come along easily since The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and maybe since Titanic.

Yet with all the hype surrounding The Dark Knight, it seems as if the rest of the releases over the course of August have failed miserably in the wake of the Batman franchise behemoth. While Warner Bros. is doing a happy dance, see why everyone else is kicking themselves, after the jump!



August has traditionally never been the strongest month for summer box-office, yet in recent years, several films have learned that the desire for summer entertainment certainly stretches into the final month of warm weather. Films such as the last two Bourne films, Superbad, The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Talladega Nights, Rush Hour 3, and Wedding Crashers, all easily crossed $100 million and were considered great successes.

This year however, seems to be different. The film closest to crossing the $100 million mark is The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, which will barely cross the mark, and will do so while paling in comparison to the greater successes of its predecessors (and its $140 million budget). Even having excellent word-of-mouth seems to have failed, as comedies Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder will both struggle to see $100 million grosses. Considering Express's modest budget, there's no shame in that, but compared to previous summers where comedies have dominated August, the numbers put forth by both Express and Thunder are troublesome.

But is The Dark Knight to blame? Partially. Lots of things can be blamed for the lack of success for many movies in August. Heinous reviews for The Mummy. The hard-sell satire of Thunder. Stoners actually don't go to theatres to see stoner movies, so they're waiting for DVD to see Express. The Olympics. Yet all of these films are targeted by The Dark Knight demographic of young males, so would they have had bigger opening grosses if The Dark Knight wasn't so huge? You bet.

Some think that a big movie doesn't hinder others, but helps them, kind of like "well, The Dark Knight is sold out, let's go see Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2". This happened with the hoopla surrounding Titanic, as it helped other films, such as Good Will Hunting and As Good As It Gets, push their grosses past $100 million by simply getting people to actually trek to a theatre. Why this hasn't happened with The Dark Knight is a mystery. My best guess is that in summer (unlike with Titanic's winter release), with so many films being action-CGI-spectaculars all going for the same demographic, people just decided to go see the one of quality, instead of the one where Brendan Fraser is fighting the same thing we saw him fight back in 2000.

Or maybe people just thought all of the other August movies were a load of crap. After all, who greenlit Mirrors?

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Which Summer Movie Did You Miss The Boat On?

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Summer is a special time for movie-goers. With the major studios packing all of their eye candy into the span of May-August, many people end up going to the movies as often as once per week. And with releases such as Wanted, Hancock, Wall-E, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Mamma Mia!, and The Dark Knight all coming out within four weeks of one another, sometimes even for the most avid moviegoer it was hard to keep up.

It can be so hard to keep up in fact, that often a movie or two which you had every intention of seeing in theatres, often gets swept aside in favour of BBQ's, cottages, and other summer plans that take advantage of not being indoors. With summer at its end, check out the movies I'm sad I missed out on, after the jump!



Missed The Boat Movie #1: Sex and the City: The Movie. I, like many a 'mo, have often prided myself on being the Stanford to my friends' Carrie et al. Which is part of the reason it's so blasphemous that I completely missed the movie while in theatres. While I was away at a wedding on its opening weekend, thus not allowing me to see it with my Carrie and friends, that's hardly an excuse. After all, the film had one of the longest and most successful theatre runs of any film released this past summer. Yet by the time I got home from the wedding, it seemed that every female in the universe went to go see it opening weekend, and thus I was left with nobody to go with. After convincing my bf to go see it with me at the drive-in, I thought it was a done deal. But then fate shat on my face, and it stormed that night. Boourns Mother Nature! As a hardcore fan of the show, I'm disappointed in myself, but intend to make it up to Carrie and the gals by buying the DVD on September 23rd. Even if the movie turns out to be crap.

Missed The Boat Movie #2: The X-Files: I Want To Believe. And I really did. Want to believe in getting to see this movie in theatres, that is. Yet again, seeing this movie on opening weekend got usurped by busy weekend plans. Yut I assumed I would be able to see the following weekend, right? Not so much. Thanks to underwhelming reviews, even more underwhelming box-office, and opening in the shadow of The Dark Knight juggernaut, the X-Files sequel bombed outta the gate, and never had the chance to recover. Two weeks later we tried to go see it in the theatre, only to discover that it wasn't playing anymore. Apparently, the opening weekend really does count now more than ever.

Missed The Boat Movie #3: American Teen. In the wake of aging archaeologists, brooding superheroes, and robots with acronyms for names, it's pretty easy for a small independent documentary to get lost amongst the sea of explosion-happy summer fare. Yet American Teen was the one indie film this summer that seemed to have the buzz going for it, and could have led it to become the summer's sleeper hit. That is, if anyone went to see it. Unfortunately, all the positive buzz it rode from the Sundance Film Festival, as well as those comparisons to The Breakfast Club, didn't generate at the box office. As a result, the film was never allowed to expand into more screens, meaning it still hasn't even arrived in my lovely town of Waterloo. Maybe the always-wonderful Princess Cinemas will give it a second chance a few months down the road.

What about you? have any movies that you wanted to see over the summer, and missed the boat on? Post in the comments section below!

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A 4th Judge Gets Added To The American Idol Resurrection Tour

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Easily the best news to come along since The Battle of the Davids ended with Cook being the champion, Fox has recently announced that American Idol will be adding a fourth judge, songwriter Kara DioGuardi, for this winter's upcoming 8th season of the juggernaut reality contest. DioGuardi has already made a name for herself in the industry by becoming an accomplished songwriter, writing for several big-name female singers, as well as many former Idol contestants.

So, with producer Nigel Lythgoe voluntarily bowing out earlier this summer, and the new addition of DioGuardi, does anyone else smell a reboot of this quickly fading show? Whether or not it'll work, after the jump!



I, of course, have never met Kara DioGuardi, so I have no idea what she's like in real life. She could be a scowling Brit who only wears grey and black t-shirts, a loopy former pop star who loves whatever is in those Coca Cola cups a little too much, or a famous producer who likes to give people improperly-spelled nicknames based upon domesticated animals. Who knows, maybe she's all three. At least the split personalities would provide a much-needed energy injection into the trio of judges.

That's why Idol's producers are going for, at least - a new dynamic. Smelling that over the past two seasons Idol may have become (gasp!) lame in the eyes of its younger demographic, they're looking to spice things up in the most probable place - the judges table. While many people may assume that this is the much-prophesied moment when Idol will jump the shark, I think that after eight years, it's about time they added someone who'll actually add a worthy opinion beyond a combination of "you look so beautiful tonight, and you're heart is in the right place, but it was a little pitchy, dawg. It was like singing on a cruise ship". Who knows, maybe DioGuardi attended the So You Think You Can Dance School of Constructive Criticism, and will be able to actually say things that will help build the contestants into stronger performers, instead of crushed egos.

Some people believe that this will ruin the dynamic amongst the three existing judges. But how? After eight seasons, the dynamic between Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell has become so routine that it takes a Paula flub (like this past season's Jason Castro fiasco) to get any attention. Plus, considering the rumors that Abdul may eventually leave Idol, why not ease in her replacement now?

So, with DioGuardi in, I must ask whether this is because Nigel Lythgoe has jumped ship? Who knows, but here's a suggestion to the producers if they're continuing to look for ways to spice up the show: Get rid of Seacrest already and hire Cat Deeley to host both Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. Even if she only gave the illusion of giving a rat's ass about the contestants, that would be more than Seacrest has done for the past four seasons.

Oh yeah, and can we just try to get Simon Cowell to wear colour for once? Just to see what it would if would look like for him to (heaven forbid) wear green.

Continue reading "A 4th Judge Gets Added To The American Idol Resurrection Tour"

Pink is Back: "So What"?

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I've always been a fan of Pink, even in her early "There You Go" days when she was an RnB singer (remember that? Gotta love those record labels and their creative control). Yet after her greatest commercial success with M!zzundastood, it seems that fans turned their backs on her ever evolving rocker image. Her third album, Try This, tanked commercially, and it seemed she was going to be one of those pop stars that would just fade away from the pack (paging Willa Ford...).

The same thing happened when her fourth album, I'm Not Dead, faded quickly as well. But a rare resurgence in her singles "U+Ur Hand" and "Who Knew" over the past year, brought Pink back into the spotlight, and is somewhat credited with resurrecting her career in North America. And IMHO, it's essential that we keep Pink around and letting her do what she wants. Check out the reasons why, as well as the video for her new single, after the jump!



It's plain and simple really: Pink has never been afraid to stand apart from the crowd, and the music industry needs more of those. Here's a woman who knows she's different from the generic pop star, and isn't afraid to use it. She's able to use her commercial success to produce her album the way she wants, and above all, is never afraid to, heaven forbid, be herself.

Case in point, "So What", the lead single from her upcoming fifth album, Funhouse. The song takes aim at the scrutiny raised by her recent failed marriage to Carey Hart, and on it she sings about her carefree attitude to what others think of her (ex-husband or otherwise).

Nobody is better at poking fun at their own image either. Listening to the song, many will believe she's taking shots at Hart for their failed marriage, yet Hart appears in the video with her in front of a background littered with tabloid headlines regarding their separation. What this shows is her knack for tackling those who have attacked her, but at the same time embracing those moments of lunacy that go along with being a pop star. The moment in the video when her hair is set on fire is downright hilarious, not just because it's an unexpected sight gag, but because her attitude pokes fun at those of "entitled" pop stars, something that Pink recognizes she is.

Oh yes, and did I mention she's a knockout performer? I was fortunate enough to catch Pink opening for Justin Timberlake last year, and she blew me away, and my friends and I agreed she stole the show out from under Justin's nose. Her voice is notoriously rougher than the likes of Jessica Simpson or Beyonce, but her pipes hold up equally as well live, showing she had a much greater range than I initially expected. Plus, her ability to captivate an audience and perform with a skilled and surprisingly acrobatic routine was unmatched for the evening, regardless of Justin's efforts to bring Sexyback.

So props to you, Pink, for being yourself and embracing it all, both the good and the bad. In a world that's clamoring for Britney to have her third comeback, why not give it to a woman who actually deserves it.

Watch the new video for "So What" below!

Pink - So What

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Who's Gunning for Oscar Glory So Far in 2008?

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When it comes to awards in the film industry, the year can be divided into two sections: Fall, and Everything Else. Regardless of some films being able to maintain their buzz throughout the year to score a best Picture nod (Gladiator, Crash, Little Miss Sunshine), it's still a rare feat when a film released before September ends up with a slew of nominations (in fact only six of the forty past nominees in the 2000's for Best Picture have been released pre-September). For actors, it's usually no better, with a performance having to be on par with Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich or Russell Crowe in Gladiator to survive the onslaught of awards-centric performances that come between September and New year's Eve.

This autumn seems to be no different, with many Oscar heavies weighing in: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reteaming for the first time since Titanic in Revolutionary Road; Baz Luhrmann pairing with Hugh Jackman and his Moulin Rouge! muse Nicole Kidman in the epic Australia; Gus Van Sant's biopic Milk, with Sean Penn; Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron in the adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Road; and the fall season kicks off early with last year's big winners, the Coen Brothers, teaming with George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Tilda Swinton in Burn After Reading.

So in this gamut of Oscar heavyweights, are there any already-released films or performances that stand a chance? Hit after the jump to see who!



Of course, the biggest hype for any film so far this year has to be The Dark Knight. Not since The Lord of the Rings trilogy has there been a film to reap such sweeping critical praise and box office success. If there has ever been a superhero film to come along with a valid shot at Best Picture, it's this one. Partially driving that buzz is Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker. After all the buzz, it turned out that Ledger's performance really did live up to the hype, and is thus far the most obvious choice for a Supporting Actor nomination.

So who else does that leave? Early potential Oscar grabbers have quickly fizzled out, including Kimberly Pierce's anti-war drama Stop-Loss, the political Swing Vote, and the period romance The Other Boleyn Girl. Yet some other films have left many particularly surprised. Iron Man shouldn't be counted out, especially for its timely screenplay as well as career-resurgent acting from Robert Downey Jr. (who may have to fend off himself with his roles in Tropic Thunder and The Soloist).

In terms of other actors, the only others to stick out seem to be Javier Bardem in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and James Franco in Pineapple Express. Franco's performance however, is hardly the kind to garner Oscar attention, even in a supporting role. The best scene stealer to bet on may be Tom Cruise, who with Downey, runs away with Tropic Thunder in every scene he's in. After a rough few years, this may be Cruise's shot at a critical comeback. No pun intended.

The field for actresses is even more barren at this juncture. While Meryl Streep has (of course) gained Oscar buzz for carrying Mamma Mia!, the material will probably prove to be too lightweight to be considered real awards candy, especially in the shadow of heavy dramas (Streep will probably snag nom #15 though for her work in this fall's Doubt).

If all of this seems to be disheartening, there's plenty of films already released that are shoo-ins in other categories. The screenplays for Hamlet 2 and Tropic Thunder would be great additions to Original Screenplay, while The Dark Knight's inspirational weaving of various classic Batman stories could be a viable choice for Adapted Screenplay.

Meanwhile, the Animated Film race is already heated up, with Kung-Fu Panda, WALL-E and Dr. Suess' Horton Hears a Who! all receiving mass critical and commercial success. Likewise, the documentary field has had its own share of critical gems, with the release of Young@Heart, American Teen and the upcoming Religulous.

So yes, film fans, the big ones are still to come, awards-wise. But take heart at the ones already released, and help me jumpstart the campaign for Hamlet 2's "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" for Best Original Song by going to see it in theatres next week!

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Why Another Rihanna #1 Is Another Nail In The Coffin Of Album Sales

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As officially reported today by Billboard, Rihanna entered her second week at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 today with her single, "Disturbia". That's impressive for any female singer of the ripe old age of 20, let alone the fact that this is her fourth #1. And her ninth Top 10. In three years. Since that ties her with Mariah and Beyonce for the most #1's of any female in the 21st century, I'd say Rihanna's sitting real pretty right now.

So how about that recording industry she works in? Well, during the 21st Century, while Rihanna's been having a blast, the recording industry has never seen a year where album sales increased. Not once. Since that's the big cash cow (yes, even still today - 99 cent iTunes songs don't cost as much as $18 CD's), that means every record label has had to face a juggernaut of constant erosion, and dropping everyone from employees to musicians.

Hit after the jump to find out why Rihanna is the sign of the album's death knell.



Those darn kids (and their parents. And grandparents) and their iPods, driving the world to a place dominated by singles instead of full albums. It's something that technology has always been behind (remember when the big perk of CD's was that you could skip the crappy songs on an album instead of blindly fast-forward past them?), but with the iPod and downloadable music, the album has become what some consider to be merely the obsolete format for artists to release a package of songs. Now people, instead of having to buy the album filler and skip over it, just don't have to buy the filler anymore. In this age, Rihanna has somehow mastered the art of having huge singles, but never big album sales and yet, she is arguably the biggest female star of the moment.

Want proof? With "Pon de Replay", "S.O.S.", "Umbrella" and this year's "Disturbia" and "Take a Bow", the girl has made a run for Song of the Summer four summers in a row. Tack on her other 5 Top 10's from the past few years, and you have someone who has dominated radios and iPods everywhere. Just not the album chart. Rihanna's highest-selling album of the three since her breakout in 2005 has been Good Girl Gone Bad, which, including the sales from it's re-release this past spring, just hopped over the double-platinum mark at the end of May. So since the highest selling albums of the year still go over quadruple platinum, why isn't Rihanna doing the same?

Because she's not Carrie Underwood. Or Josh Groban. Or Chris Daughtry. The people who seem to buy albums still are fans of the country, adult-contemporary, and rock genres, which have great success still in album sales. Rihanna's demographic isn't interested in buying whole albums anymore (exception to the rule: High School Musical), they just want that catchy song they heard on the radio. And they want it now, so they download it instead of getting a groaning parent to drive them to the nearest Best Buy.

This is all fine and dandy, except that it means that the days of the album are slowly drawing to their close, at least in the format that they're in now. If sales continue to erode, record labels may become less willing to commission an artist for a full album, opting just to work with them on a single instead. And so the album may become that rare treat only granted to those with the success and clout to "justify" one. Because eventually, it won't be just teens downloading songs. It'll take time, but country fans, rockers and soccer moms will follow suit eventually. So what do we do if albums go out the door and they start charging us $4.00 a song?

Simple: Watch the video on Youtube. You can already do that on your iPhone already. Problem solved! (well not really, but everyone love a bandaid) Here's Rihanna in one of her non-Top 10's (just for kicks), with Maroon 5 in the "If I Never See Your Face Again" video, below:






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America's Best Dance Cruel

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My roommates pretty much despise me every single time I put on repeats on Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew 2. And often, they have every right to. After all, JC Chasez uses the same four criticisms to critique the crews, Layla Kayleigh pretty much serves no purpose whatsoever, and now that he's usurped Matthew McConaughey as the shirtless spokesperson for hot men of the world, Mario Lopez just isn't that enticing with clothes on (not that he ever really was in the first place).

However, this season ABDC did have its merits. The first being Lil' Mama, who at 19 provides better advice and wisdom than Mary Murphy's screams from So You Think You Can Dance ever could (take hint Mary: Lil' mama wears a sequined baseball hat every week and is still more toned down than you).

The second thing that has made ABDC essential viewing this season, even in the begrudging eyes of my roommates, was Fanny Pak, the dance crew selected from the West Coast. Bringing with them an 80's vibe without a hint of irony, as well as the most unique choreography of the season. So why aren't I watching the season finale, which is currently on as I write this? The answer, and a clip, after the jump!




It's simple, Fanny Pak got shockingly booted two weeks ago when they were one of the final three, leaving SoReal Crew and Super Crew (can you tell the difference? Neither can I) to duke it out for the title of America's Best Dance Crew To Come Along Since Season One Ended Four Months Ago.

Now I must disclose that this article has nothing to do with my bias towards Fanny Pak (which in turn has nothing to do with my mild crush on Fanny Pak leader Matt Cady), and mostly about voting competitions coming down to popularity contests. Throughout the competition, Fanny Pak was totally, to quote Lil' Mama, slept on. Every week they came out with a mind-blowing, self-choreographed number that left the judges ecstatic and the audience chanting their names, something that didn't happen with other crews on such a consistent basis. So what happened?

Well, it seems the two Crews (SoSuper and Real... er.... I mean...) had more friends in high places, because they got into the final two on what seems to be popularity and not necessarily talent. Even though the judges were ultimately the ones to let Fanny Pak go, it seemed like they almost felt they had to, after weeks of them being in the bottom two while the other two consistently placed at the top. But did it mean they deserved to be there?

Judging from the final showdown last week, not so much. When it came down to more skilled dancing and choreography, both teams failed in the eyes of the judges for being unable to keep up with the challenges and "blow us away". You could see Lil' Mama and Shane Sparks feeling as if they had really bitten themselves in the ass with this one.

But alas, sometimes this just happens. Sometimes the people who don't deserve to win end up succeeding, and the people with real talent end up getting eliminated. But who knows, sometimes there's a silver lining that proves you didn't even need to win to be successful in the first place. Just ask Chris Daughtry. So while the two remaining crews duke it out tonight, I'm content with knowing that the deserving champions will somehow find a way to succeed. It'll happen Fanny Pak, you wait and see. After all, as JC says (in every episode): "You guys are artists".

Need further evidence? Check out their dance during Janet Jackson week below, or go to muchmusic.com to check out more clips.





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It Doesn't Get Any More Creepo Than: Facebook Accounts for Your Infants

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So recently I had an acquaintance from high school add me on Facebook. This person and I weren't particularly great friends in high school, and I believe we haven't actually spoken two words to each other since the 10th grade. Regardless of this fact though, I never hesitate from doing some obligatory Facebook-creeping on their pictures and whatnot once they add me, just to see what they've been up to for the past decade or so.

And so I was browsing through her pictures and realized that lo and behold, she's had an adorable baby recently. Yet this is where the feelings of "aw, isn't that cute" turned into "ugh, that's a little creepo", when i realized that her baby was tagged in all of the pictures. Some further investigation confirmed my worst suspicions: this infant, who judging from the date of the photo album can't be any older than 6 months, has his own Facebook account.

Why is this the more than a little creepo? After the jump!



Some new parents out there may be crying foul at this statement (mainly because they too have also created Facebook accounts for their babies). But here's the thing, as much as I'm all for being able to put on your Facebook profile whatever you want, I'm also a consenting adult, and thus can look at whatever inappropriate drunken pictures, lewd comments, and overall things-you-don't-want-your-boss-or-children-to-see that I like. Children are different, and there's restrictions on things for children, including on the Internet, to shield them from the horrors of the Verne Troyer sex tape until they're old enough. Heck, you can't even get a MySpace account until you're at least 13. These babies may not be able to comprehend Facebook now, but in a few years they will (and yes, Facebook will probably still be around then), and they may not fully grasp the Naughty Toy application they way grownups can.

All of this leads me to my next point. Some may argue that creating a Facebook profile for your infant is no different than creating one for your pet (to which I am certainly guilty. All pets past and present have profiles on my Facebook). The difference is that my Bassett Hound is never going to actually create his own Facebook profile, let alone comprehend what I've put in the one created for him. Imagine that someone created a Facebook profile for you, and then years down the road you discovered this and took it over, and upon first glance, learned that this was the identity they set up for you? Even if you're six years old, this is still like telling a child their favourite dinosaur is T-Rex when it's really Triceratops. That sh!t just ain't gonna fly. So do your kid a favour: Avoid the identity crisis and post his baby pictures on your own Facebook, and when they're old enough to get their own profile, ask them if you want their baby pictures to be tagged. Just don't get offended when they say no. After all, do you have a burning desire to have pictures tagged of you whilst getting a bath? Didn't think so. Unless you're Verne Troyer maybe.

Plus, don't you need an email address to start a Facebook account? Does this mean these babies have email addresses too? Who is going to email an infant? Technology may be leaping forward, but maybe it's in the best interest of children everywhere to let their technology stop at Tickle Me Elmo.

Continue reading "It Doesn't Get Any More Creepo Than: Facebook Accounts for Your Infants"

Should George Lucas Stop Making Movies?

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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Krystal Skull was easily the movie I had greater anticipation for than any other coming out this year. In a year when Christopher Nolan was feeding my Batman-obsessed brain The Dark Knight, that says a lot. I stuck through all the early groans regarding Harrison Ford's age, and waited with baited breath for the film itself.

You can imagine what a great delight it was when all the smack talk being circulated regarding Ford's age turned out to be untrue. Even at 64, Ford was still Indiana Jones like nobody else could be. It definitely was not Harrison Ford's age that ruined the movie. It was George Lucas.

Now, Lucas reported to AP that while he has no intentions of passing the torch from Ford to Shia LaBeouf (who played Mutt, Indy's son in IJ4), he claims that he still intends on going after Ford for a fifth installment, especially if he can find a "good" story.

"The franchise really depends on me coming up with a good idea," Lucas said. "And that series is very research-intensive. So we're doing research now to see if we can't come up with another object for him to chase ... hopefully we'll come up with something."

So why is this such a bad idea? And why does this signal that George should just retire already? After the jump!



Well first of all, George and his "good" stories are what sunk the Indiana Jones franchise in the first place. While certain other things hindered the film (lame alien CGI, Steven Spielberg seemed to have mailed in directorial instructions from Malibu), it was the story itself that weakened the film the most. Krystal-skulled aliens? No wonder Steven and Harrison held out for so many years. This was the best George could come up with?

I was willing to go with the alien plot until it strayed too far away from the whole idea of Area 51. The first 20 minutes of the film were brilliant, and then it receded into a brainless plot with even more brainless action sequences (the scene where LaBeouf swings on vines through the jungle with monkeys was particularly brutal).

But does this really mean that Lucas should get out of the movie making business now? In a word, yes.

Why? Well let's first establish the fact that the only new idea Lucas has come up with in the past 20 years was 1994's Radioland Murders, which tanked. Everything that has been a Lucasfilm production during that time since has been a Star Wars or Indiana Jones affiliated production. While Lucas certainly isn't the first filmmaker to get a lot of mileage out of a particular franchise (did anyone actually ask for the upcoming Saw V?), is it too much to ask for something new? Hell, even Terence Malick came out of hiding during that time and started making new films again.

The other issue seems to be that Lucas has become pretty curmudgeonly in his old age. As the story writer and producer on the Indiana Jones films, it is his responsibility to come up with the maguffin that drives the plot. However, he fully admits that while both Ford and Spielberg came up with ideas of their own, it had to be Lucas' way or the highway. Lucas has become notorious for maintaining painstaking creative control over his projects, which is why he independently produced the Star Wars prequels himself. Several other directors refuse to relinquish creative control either, Quentin Tarantino coming to mind. This would be all fine and dandy, except the problem is that unlike Tarantino, Lucas can't seem to make a good movie to save his life.

So Indiana Jones and Star Wars have made Lucas a very rich man. Indiana Jones helped make Spielberg a very rich man too, but at least Lucas' counterpart still continues to challenge himself with artistic and poignant films in between his commercial fare. Is it too much to ask that Lucas do the same? With the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars opening this weekend, I suppose we'll see in a few days whether the clamour for more of the same stories is still there. Regardless of its success though, it has come high time that either Lucas show us something new, or show himself the door.

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Battle of the Power Ballads: "Don't Stop Believing" vs. "More Than a Feeling"

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It would be an understatement to say I have a mere guilty pleasure for 70's and 80's power ballads. Something about the uber-cheese that is seemingly shellacked into each classic power ballad from that era without a hint of irony just always makes me smile, even if it often makes others do the opposite (case in point: my unsuccessful attempts to get someone come see Def Leppard/REO Speedwagon with me this summer). Usually these people are from somewhere amongst a generation equal to or higher than X. I've noticed though that cheesy power ballads have found a home amongst Gen Y (myself included) who seem to relish these gems of the past with an excitable fervor. Some may think it has to do with us being the iPod generation, but I think it has more to do with just being able to freely embrace cheese. And of these relics of the past, no two seem to stand out more than Boston's "More Than a Feeling" and Journey's "Don't Stop Believing". Both are slowly building anthems who've gained a resurgence in popularity over the past few years. But which one takes the (cheese)cake? Find out after the jump!



The two songs shall be judged in a variety of completely arbitrary categories to determine a true champion.

Devoted Cities: For the iconic lyric "Just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit", DSB is played at just about every single sports event in good ol' Motor City. It's rare to see such devotion of a city to a particular song, and its one that Boston doesn't quite share with their eponymous city. While their songs may be played at Fenway Park, it's not necessarily MTAF that always fits the bill. heck, it could be any song. And really, are all the current members of Boston even from Boston anymore?
Advantage: Journey

Covered in Cheese: Both songs have had numerous covers over the years, but which could fit the bill for cheesiest cover of a cheesy song? (I think my brain just went into guilty pleasure overload) Kanye West has been seen recently performing a cover of DSB on his Glow in the dark Tour. The ultimate in fromage however, has to be *NSYNC's cover of MTAF on the European version of their original self-titled album (it's hard to dig up, but once you find it, you'll have cheddar flowing from your ears).
Advantage: Boston

Critical and Commercial Success: While DSB peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #8 in 1981, MTAF hit #5 on the same chart in 1976. Plus, Rolling Stone's List of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time listed MTAF #500. But DSB? Nowhere to be found.
Advantage: Boston

Best Use in a Sopranos Episode: MTAF was used in the 24th episode of the iconic gangster series, as Tony develops "More Than a Feeling": it's a panic attack. However, the song gets seriously trumped by series creator David Chase's decision to use DSB as the music playing over the controversial fade-out and ending credits during the series finale.
Advantage: Journey

Cultural Relevency: Both songs have been used in recent pop culture. MTAF was hailed the "greatest song of all time" on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and often gets used in various TV shows, including Criminal Minds, Scrubs, and even as a playable song on Guitar Hero. DSB however, has been seeing an even greater resurgence as of late, thanks to key placement in both The Sopranos as well as MTV's Laguna Beach. The result has been a return to form similar to that of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" after the release of Wayne's World. It even shot to #1 on iTunes for a brief period. If that doesn't give advantage, I don't know what does.
Advantage: Journey

WINNER: Journey's "Don't Stop Believing". I may be slightly biased, as I'm going to see Journey with Heart and Cheap Trick(!) in September. But who cares? The true test will come when 10,000 strong belt out "Just a small town girl...".

Continue reading "Battle of the Power Ballads: "Don't Stop Believing" vs. "More Than a Feeling""

Absorb This: Hoffman, Jolie, Depp approached for Dark Knight sequel

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Don't get me wrong, this kind of calibre of actors being added to an already stellar cast sounds amazing, and would fulfill my wildest dreams for a third round in the revamped Batman franchise. However, I find it hard to believe.

The London Telegraph is reporting that Johnny Depp is being approached by Warner Bros. executives to play the Riddler in the sequel to The Dark Knight, which stands to have a domestic gross of almost $400 million by the end of this weekend. Furthermore, this comes on the heels of reports that Warners is going after Philip Seymour Hoffman to play the Penguin, and that Angelina Jolie is reportedly pursuing the role of Catwoman. Read more on whether these rumors should be taken seriously, after the jump!



Realistically, going after such a high calibre cast for the third installment in the revamped Batman franchise is necessary at this point, especially after the strong performances given by Heath Ledger and Christian Bale in TDK. Bale however, is the only person from TDK that's actually signed on for a third installment. Not even director Christopher Nolan has signed yet for another addition to the Batman saga (although I have a feeling Warners will do whatever it takes to keep him).

Batman Begins and TDK scribe David Goyer admitted to Moviesonline.ca, however, that they aren't too keen on using any other past villains for any future installments: "We’re not going to tell you other than to say Batman has been published for 70 years. In the first movie we used Ra’s Al Ghul and the Scarecrow who had not been in the movies before and had not been in the 60s TV show and there are dozens, if not hundreds of other characters that fit that bill. Everyone says you have to use the Penguin or Catwoman. Well, I completely disagree".

I agree with Goyer that both the Penguin and Catwoman aren't necessarily worth repeating, in the face of 70 years worth of Batman villains who could be used. If he has his way, using any of the villains being allegedly offered to Hoffman, Depp and Jolie wouldn't be an option.

However, what Goyer should keep in mind is that some of the best stories ever told in the Batman mythology usually involves the big baddies, and Catwoman, as Batman's most enduring love interest, would fill the female void left behind after (SPOILER ALERT) Maggie Gyllenhaal's character was killed off. Overall, these three are definitely the kind of actors that Warners should be pursuing for roles in the next film, but whom they actually do end up playing, remains to be seen.

Maybe they should wait for a script to be written first anyway. That might be a good idea.

Got any better ideas for who could play a potential villain in the sequel to TDK? Feel free to post in the comments below!

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Liveblog: The "So You Think You Can Dance?" Top Six Results Show

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The Top Six results show for FOX's So You Think You Can Dance? was tonight, and as anticipation builds for the finale, a by the minute recap of the results seems in order. Chelsea, Courtney, Joshua, Katee, Mark and Twitch find out tonight who's going home (for a week before getting ready for the tour). Recap after the jump!





9:00: Welcome, to So You Think You Can Dance! Cue "the Rose" by Bette Midler. I'm sure this is probably beautiful, and all I can think of is Napoleon Dynamite. Never mind, Mark's shirt is ubuttoned.

9:03: Cat Deeley arrives!!! She looks pretty fine tonight as well, lovin' the colour. Thank you SYTYCD fashion department for not maiming her tonight. Ooh, Mandy Moore choreographed.

9:04: Do you think Nigel secretly forces the audience into yelling "JUDGES!!" so enthusiastically? Maybe tonight there will be one of those angry grandpa vs. surly teenager arguments between Nigel and the audience. They seem to occur more often every week.

9:05: Ooh, a dancing role in a new (untitled) movie by judge Adam Shankman is being given to the big winner as an extra bonus. Maybe the Hairspray sequel that's been announced?

9:08...aaaaaaaand we're back. And we're kicking off being back from the break with time-filler-judge-peptalk.

9:12: Courtney's probably gonna get the boot tonight, but can we all be in agreement that she rocks the pants off the solo efforts?

9:13: Loving the outfit choice Mark. Never before have suspenders ever been used so enthusiastically. Even if the funky of the bunch gets the boot tonight, at least he brought something never really seen before on the SYTYCD stage.

9:14: Katee is a gorgeous dancer. But does anyone else feel she scores better when being choreographed? She's in my top two, but Joshua may end up squeaking her out on the solo front.

9:18: Best Buy airs the same Miley Cyrus/Jonas Bros. commercial twice in a row, and i suddenly feel on the very old side of my demographic.

9:20: Over 11 million votes!!! It's a shame this isn't the show that brings in the kind of numbers better than presidential elections.

9:20: Maybe I was wrong, apparently Joshua knows how to bring the funk as well.

9:21: How does Chelsie always get the uber sex-bomb outfits? One can't almost blame Nigel for being such a creepo.

9:22: Twitch's solo proves to be the best of the evening. His "Don't Worry, be Happy" seemed like the kind of go-for-broke dance where, feeling as if you may go home, you throw upon the audience the one you just love for yourself.

9:23: A small breakdancing child just exerted more physical energy in 12 seconds than I did all day.

9:24: Maybe Nigel should actually widen the allowed SYTYCD age range to six year olds. But cat Deeley, that kid has no clue who Obi Wan is.

9:25: That Dairy Queen commercial with the couple squabbling over who gets to bring in the ice cream cake is on. Nobody has cheered for a the presence of forks since the middle ages.

19:29: Beware, the Snuggle with Fresh Release Bear has unleashed the unsuperhuman dancers upon us. Avert your eyes.

9:31: Cat cues us into the recaps of the girls' dances for last night. Let the filler clock begin. Tonight's goal is to see if we could fit in all the significant stuff (results, musical and group dance performances, and the 6 solos) into a half hour.

9:35: I do enjoy the recap of Chelsie's Pussycat Dolls dance though. "When I grow up, I wanna be famous, I wanna be a star, I wanna have boobies". Or groupies. Still not so sure. Enunciate, PCD!

9:35: Katee makes it to the finale. Chelsie and Courtney proceed to look like their being tortured as Cat excruciatingly cuts to the break. This is like watching torture porn for reality show contestants.

9:41: We now have a recap of scenes from the boys. Also known as the same dances we just watched recaps of six minutes ago. I'm using this for a potty break.

9:43: I return in time to see a recap definitely worth watching: Cat placing Twitch's grill, "spit and all", in her mouth. That girl is Buck.

9:44: Joshua is the first boy to make it to the finale. Katshua fans everywhere rejoice (myself included).

9:46: Lady Gaga begins her performance, and we're lead to believe were witnessing a Daft Punk show.

9:47: Never mind, it's not Daft Punk. Just a Cher drag queen.

9:48: Lady Gaga should learn that during non lip-synced performances, the mic should be farther away from your mouth.

9:49: What's the deal with shining the blacklight in your eye, Lady Gaga? Your eyes will hurt as much as our ears.

9:53: And girl number two is.... Courtney!!!!! Holy guac!!! I totally thought Chelsie had it for sure. Wow, there's a surprise I'm not mad about. Don't get me wrong, Chelsie was fantastic, but I never clicked with her as much as I did with the other final two girls.

9:55: Awwww.... I'm about to get teary during a SYTYCD results show. It just stings no matter who's going home tonight, they're just all that good.

9:56: And the final boy is..... Twitch!! I thought Mark was gonna slide right in there, figuring Twitch and Joshua would split their own votes. Twitch is amazing and I'm glad he made it. But kudos to Mark for always bringing that overwhelming sense of new to that stage. And you're pretty darn cute to boot.

9:57: Ooh, love the recap song. Go download some Brendan James immediately!! (namely "All I Can See" and "Green").

9:59: So the former partners got the boot tonight. When the top six have been this good all season though, not everyone must be entirely pleased with the top four. However, all of them are strong dancers, so strong that it's hard to pick the big winner. My money has been Katee all season, but now I think the smart money is on Joshua. The fact that he has little to no real training should push him over the edge in the votes. What do you think? Is there another in the top four whom you think has a better shot? Also, aside from Chelsie or Mark, is there anyone who's not in the final four that should be? Post below!!


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