Dancing with the Stars - Week #7

Tonight our stars will be dancing two dances. First is a ballroom and then a Latin.

Ballroom Round:
1) Laila Ali (Quick Step) - it was very good. Her outfit made it hard to see what her feet were doing though
2) John Ratzenberger (Fox Trot) - that was good. Again he is not the best dancer but I still find him very entertaining to watch.
3) Apolo Anton Ohno (Fox Trot) - again that was excellent. He is really becoming the one to beat.
4) Ian Ziering (Tango) - he loosened up a bit which was nice to see. His posture was bad in spots but it was good over all.
5) Billy Ray Cyrus (Waltz) - it's hard to critique when he did not do much. Karina was great though!
6) Joey Fatone (Fox Trot) - by far the best of the night so far! It was fun and wonderful.

Latin Round:
1) Laila Ali (Samba) - that was also excellent. Latin is definitely her strong suit.
2) John Ratzenberger (Rumba) - that was not to bad. It was not all that sexy but again very entertaining.
3) Apolo Anton Ohno (Mambo) - again he was terrific. I love watching him dance.
4) Ian Ziering (Mambo) - again he was very good. The ice is beginning to melt.
5) Billy Ray Cyrus (Samba) - oh that was bad. I think the two dances really messed him up.
6) Joey Fatone (Jive) - again I think that was the best of the night so far. His footwork was wonderful.

So I think either Billy Ray or John will be leaving us tomorrow. We will see then.

Her Highness and the Bell Boy (1945)

Another romantic comedy I really enjoyed. Princess Veronica (Hedy Lamarr), has arrived on vacation in New York City. She has come to America to reuinte with the man she loves, Paul MacMillan (Warner Anderson). Paul is a newspaper reporter she met in her country and they fell in love. However, when they realized they could not be together he left and came back to New York. After being couped up in her room Veronica decides to go out and find fall. This is when she runs into a bell boy at the hotel, Jimmy Dobson (Robert Walker). He thinks she is a new maid in the hotel and they go out and about through the city. This is when Jimmy lets Veronica know that he is friends with Paul MacMillan. When they return to the hotel Jimmy learns who Veronica really is and she asks him to be her assistant while she is there. He accepts the position and begins to fall for her. His best friend, Albert (Rags Ragland), and His paralyzed girlfriend, Leslie (June Allyson), are not happy with the new arrangement. Soon Jimmy finds himself falling in love with the princess and thinks they could be together. However, he does not know about her feelings for Paul. Things become very complicated when Veronica's uncle, the King, dies and she becomes Queen.

This movie was very cute. Lamarr was beautiful as she always was. June Allyson was also beautiful, and incredibly sweet, as the paralyzed Leslie. Ragland was hilarious as the oaf with a heart of gold, Alfred. A great romantic movie to watch on a night in.

The King and the Chorbus Girl (1937)

A very sweet and cute romantic comedy. Ex-King Alfred Bruger (Fernand Gravey) lives a life of leisure in Paris. It seems that since he no longer runs a nation of two million people he drinks instead. He has not seen daylight in years and really does not like to leave his apartment. His subjects, Count Humbert (Edward Everett Horton) and Duchess Anna (Mary Nash), are very concerned about Alfred. His doctor says that Alfred needs to feel like he has something to live for, to feel the thrill of the hunt. The count and duchess are not sure how to help Alfred so they decide to take him to a local club. There he sees and falls for one of the chorus girls, Dorothy Ellis (Joan Blondell). Once the count and duchess realize that Alfred likes Dorothy they decide that she can help the, get Alfred out of his funk. They recruit the girl to spend time with Alfred and play hard to get. Of course, the real trouble begins when Dorothy begins to fall for Alfred as well.

I really enjoyed this little film. Gravey was very funny in the role of the king who lost his throne. Blondell was also wonderful as the chrorus girl who is swept off her feet. A nice movie to watch on a lazy morning.

Cover Girl (1944)

The all-time Rita Hayworth classic. She plays Rusty Parker, a young dancer and singer at a club in Brooklyn. The club is owned by her boyfriend, Danny McGuire (Gene Kelly). One night she learns about a contest to be the new cover girl for a prominent magazine. She decides to go for it and try out for the contest. She thinks she has blown it when the publisher, John Coudair (Otto Kruger), and his assistant, Cornelia "Stonewall Jackson (Eve Arden), come to the club to see another girl. However, John is taken with Rusty because she reminds him of the fiancee, Maribelle Hicks, who left him at the alter. As it turns out Maribelle is Rusty's grandmother who was very happily married to her grandfather, the man she left John for. Once Rusty becomes the new face of the magazine she gains instant fame and the people come to the club to see her. However, Danny is not happy with the new situation. He is also unhappy with the new man, Noel Wheaton (Lee Bowman), who wants to take Rusty to Broadway. Now she must decide if she will choose a career on the Great White Way or love.

This was a wonderful movie. The chemistry between Hayworth and Kelly was wonderful. The singing and dancing was fun to watch and did not seem to overtake the movie like it can in many musicals. This movie was the predicessor to Xanadu in 1980 with Olivia Newton-John. Gene Kelly was also in that film and that was his last movie role. However, the original can not be beat and is a must see for all classic movie buffs.

Fog Over Frisco (1934)

A fairly well done mystery. Arlene Bradford (Bette Davis) is a young woman who becomes involved with shady characters. One of these shady people is Spencer Carlton (Lyle Talbot). Spence gets Arlene involved in a plot to steal securities. She takes them from her step-father, Everett Bradford (Arthur Byron), because she hates him. However, this is a very dangerous business and soon Arlene disappears. Her step-sister, Val (Margaret Lindsay), is worried sick over Arlene's disappearance. She enlists the help of a reporter, Tony Sterling (Donald Woods), to find her sister. Tony and his photographer, Izzy Wright (Hugh Herbert), find Arlene's body stuffed into the trunk of her car. Now they, along with Val, must find Arlene's killer because he strikes again.

This was not the best mystery ever but it was not to bad. Davis was touted as the star of the film however she is in it for only a few minutes. The rest of the cast is ok but they are nothing great to watch. Another movie to watch when there is nothing else on.

That Touch of Mink (1962)

A very cute romantic comedy. Cathy Timberlake (Doris Day) is on her way to a job interview. She is standing on a street corner when a Rolls Royce limousine owned by Philip Shayne (Cary Grant) splashes her with mud. Well of course she does not get the job. Shayne does not have time to stop but he feels guilty for what happened and sends his assistant, Roger (Gig Young) out to look for her. When he finds her he brings her up to meet Mr Shayne. Well of course he finds her extremely attractive and wants to have an affair with her. The only problem is that she is still a virgin and wants to remain so until marriage. Cathy's roommate, Connie (Audrey Meadows), tries to warn Cathy about a man like Shayne but she will not listen. She ends up going on a trip to the Caribbean with Philip and that is when the real comedy begins. Now what will happen with the pure young woman and the handsome bachelor?

This movie was very cute even though it is outdated now. Day and Grant were wonderful as the mismatched couple. Look for cameos by Micky Mantle, Yogi Barra and Roger Maris. If you like romantic comedies then this is a must see.

The Terror (1963)

A typical cheesy Roger Corman horror flick. Andre Duvalier (Jack Nicholson) is a lieutenant in Napoleon's army. He is separated from the rest of his unit and becomes lost. As he is riding along the beach he sees a beautiful young woman, Helene (Sandra Knight). He follows her and she disappears into the ocean. He passes out and when he comes to he is in the home of an old woman, Katrina (Dorothy Neumann). She claims to know nothing about he woman but the man who works for her tells Andre otherwise. He tells Andre that he must go toe the home of Baron Victor Von Leppe (Boris Karlof) to find her. When he arrives at the Baron's home he sees a painting on the wall of Helene. However, he soon learns that this is Ilsa, the Baron's wife. She has also been dead for twenty years. Now Andre must find out what is going on before it is to late.

This wasn't the worst movie I have ever seen but I have seen better. The acting was pretty bad, even by Nicholson. It is hard to believe that he and Knight were married at the time because they had no chemistry on screen. If you like horror movies it is worth watching just for the cheese factor.

The Swan (1956)

A very delightful romantic comedy. Princess Beatrix (Jessie Royce Landis) lives for only one thing. She wants to make her only daughter, Princess Alexandra (Grace Kelly), a Queen. She has worked her entire life to make sure this happens and it seems that her wish my finally come true. She receives a telegram from the palace that Crown Prince Albert (Alec Guinness) will be arriving in two days to visit. Beatrix is sure that he has finally come to ask Alexandra to marry him after touring all of Europe looking for a bride and coming up empty. They begin to prepare for the Prince's arrival and Alexandra tries her best to make a good impression. However, when Albert arrive he sleeps for 24 hours and does not seem at all interested in Alexandra. That is when Beatrix comes up with another plan. She decides to host a ball in Albert's honor. To peak his interest she has Alexandra invite her tutor, Dr. Nicholas Agi (Louis Jourdan), to the ball to make Albert jealous. However, the plan falls apart as Nicholas and Alexandra begin to fall in love. Beatrix must now fix everything because Albert's mother, Queen Maria Dominika (Agnes Moorehead), will be there the next day.

I really enjoyed this film. Kelly was elegant and beautiful as she usually was. Landis was a hoot as her mother, Princess Beatrix. There were two versions made prior to this one. The first was also called The Swan, made in 1925 starring Frances Howard and Adolphe Menjou. The second was One Romantic Night from 1930 with Lillian Gish. However, nothing watching Princess Grace shine in this version.

The China Syndrome (1979)

A very good and intense drama. Kimberly Wells (Jane Fonda) is a reporter at a TV station in LA. She does mostly fluff pieces and really wants to move onto more important stories. She gets her chance when the station sends her to the Ventana Nuclear Power Plant to do a story on nuclear energy. While she is there with her cameraman, Richard Adams (Michael Douglas), and sound guy, Hector Salas (Daniel Valdez), something happens. There is an "incident" in the control room with the water pressure in the towers. The control room , lead by Jack Godell (Jack Lemmon), is in a panic and Richard secretly tapes everything. When they arrive back at the station the general manager decides they can not air the footage because Richard violated Federal law by filming the the plant without permission. However, Kimberly is not going to let that stop her. She decides to investigate the situation on her own. She talks to Jack Godell and tries to get him to help her. What they uncover is extremely dangerous and people are willing to do anything to keep in covered.

A lot of people think this movie is outdated but I do not feel that way at all. There are still several nuclear power plants in operation today, one very close to me in Toledo, Ohio. The acting in this film was superb. Fonda and Lemmon were both nominated for Oscars for this film. A wonderfully tense thriller still worth watching today.

Turnabout (1940)

A very interesting movie. Tim (John Hubbard) and Sally (Carole Landis) Willows are an unhappily married couple. The fight constantly and their staff have learned to deal with the weirdness in the house. However, soon the weirdness is intensified. Tim is a partner in a very powerful advertising agency. He resents the fact that Sally does nothing all day. She stays in bed all morning, goes to lunch with his partner's wives and goes shopping. One night they are arguing, which is not unusual, however someone is tired of the bickering. They have a statue of a man in a turban that is on a high shelf in their bedroom. This night the statue comes alive and asks them if they really want to change lives with each other like they always say they do. They agree and the next morning they wake up as the other person. Of course this causes some problems with the partners and their wives. It seems that maybe Tim and Sally had it better than they realized.

This movie was not wonderful but I found it pretty entertaining. The acting was a little over the top but that was fairly common in the 1940s. There was a TV series in 1979 based upon the novel this movie was also based upon. All in all this is a good movie to watch when there is nothing else to watch.

The Bride Came COD (1941)

A very cute little comedy. Joan Winfield (Bette Davis) is the heiress to an oil fortune. She is bored with her life and decides it needs some excitement. She meets Allen Brice (Jack Carson), a bandleader, and they fall madly in love in a few days. They decide to elope to Las Vegas and hire a plane to take them there from California. The pilot, Steve Collins (James Cagney), has serious money troubles. Soon the bank will repo his plane and he will be out of business. When he hears that Joan's father is concerned about he elopement Steve makes a deal with him. He will return Joan to her father, unmarried, in exchange for the money to buy his plane outright. When Joan's father agrees Steve kidnaps her and they fly off towards Texas. However, they soon encounter plane trouble and they soon crash in the desert. They come across a ghost town where a lone man lives. Soon they begin to get to know each other and eventually start to like each other. However, Allen soon arrives and wants Joan to marry him. Which man will she end up choosing?

This was a cute movie. Davis and Cagney were wonderful even though they were not know for their comedic prowess. Eugene Pallette was also very funny as Joan's oil tycoon father. This is a great movie for a lazy weekend afternoon.

American Idol Finals - Week #7

So tonight the top 6 sing songs of inspiration for Idol Gives Back week. I hope you all vote your hearts out because each vote is worth real money for a great cause.

1) Chris Richardson (Change the World) - it was pretty good. Still somewhat nasally but not bad. Maybe the clips of Ryan & Simon in Africa (that made me cry dammit!) softened me up?
2) Melinda Doolittle (There Will Come a Day) - all I can say is Amen sister. I loved the gospel feel she gave this beautiful song.
3) Blake Lewis (Imagine) - it was uh. I realized what it is I do not like about him. He sings in a monotone a lot of the time.
4) LaKisha Jones (I Believe) - it was much better than last week but still not her best. I never thought I would say this but I like Fantasia's version better. Fantasia put a lot more heart into it than LaKisha did.
5) Phil Stacey (The Change) - he ruined an absolutely beautiful song by my all-time favorite artist. It was awful! I don't know what the heck the judges were listening to since they loved it.
6) Jordin Sparks (You'll Never Walk Alone) - it started off rough and was a little pitchy but it was pretty good overall.

So who's going home? Phil if there is any justice but who knows.

Dancing with the Stars - Week #6

So the stars have to learn two dances this week. They have a latin dance and a group swing. I love the group dances. I think I watch it for the same reason people watch NASCAR - the chance of a crash! Here we go.

1) Joey Fatone (Samba) - I think that was as manly as ballroom dancing gets. Great job again.
2) Heather Mills (Paso doble) - it was pretty good. Her arms were a little jiggly but not to bad.
3) John Ratzenberger (Mambo) - he is not the best dancer but I enjoy watching him. He seems to have fun and really gives it his best.
4) Laila Ali (Cha Cha) - that girl can shake it! Very good again this week.
5) Billy Ray Cyrus (Jive) - oh that was a mess. I'm glad he had fun but it was awful.
6) Apolo Anton Ohno (Rumba) - that was wonderful again. I think he is becoming the front runner very quickly.
7) Ian Ziering (Paso doble) - he is still holding back. It was good but I know he can do better.

Group Swing: I liked how this was choreographed and not just everyone dancing in a circle and getting their solo moment like past group dances have been. I loved how Laila picked up Apolo that was hilarious. It was also nice to see Ian loosen up a bit and just have fun.

So I think John or Billy Ray will be leaving tomorrow. I will miss whoever leaves because I actually enjoy watching all of them.

American Idol Finals - Week #6

I am excited because tonight's mentor is one of my favorite singers - Martina McBride. Let's see how the kids do with country week.

1) Phil Stacey (Where the Blacktop Ends) - it was pretty good. His best night in a very long time. The last note was off key but overall pretty good.
2) Jordin Sparks (Broken Wing) - that was amazing. She definetly did Martina proud. She held that last note almost as long as she does.
3) Sanjaya Malakar (Something to Talk About) - now Sanjaya is back. In his defense though they had him singing in an octave that was half a key to low for him. However, it was off key most of the time.
4) LaKisha Jones (Jesus Take the Wheel) - I like the sentiment behind the song but it was not her best. When she went into the chorus it was like she was screaming. The beginning was beautiful but the end middle was bad.
5) Chris Richardson (Mayberry) - he was off key the entire song and he is singing through his nose again. This was brutal.
6) Melinda Doolittle (Trouble is a Woman) - again she is simply amazing. I now believe she can sing anything in any genre and still be heads above the others.
7) Blake Lewis (When the Stars Go Blue) - it was ok but there is something about the way he sings that really annoys me for some reason.

So who's going home? If there is any justice it would be Chris or Sanjaya but who knows.

Dancing with the Stars - Week #5

Tonight it is the rumba and the samba. This should be interesting.

1) Ian Ziering (Samba) - that was pretty good. He loosened up quite a bit which was nice to see.
2) Clyde Drexler (Rumba) - he may have glided on the court but he can not glide on the floor. I think his time is about up.
3) Heather Mills (Samba) - it was ok but not her best. Still way better than Clyde.
4) Joey Fatone (Rumba) - that was nice. It was good to see him do a slow dance for a change.
5) John Ratzenberger (Samba) - for an old white dude he can dance pretty well. This was much better than last week.
6) Laila Ali (Rumba) - that was nice. The champ is back!
7) Apolo Anton Ohno (Samba) - that was excellent! Best of the night by far.
8) Billy Ray Cyrus (Rumba) - it was not bad but was slightly boring and stiff. He is still way better than Clyde.

I really hope Clyde goes. I do not think I can sit through two dances from him next week.

American Idol FInals - Week #5

So Jennifer Lopez is this week's mentor. This should be interesting!

1) Melinda Doolittle (Sway) - it was good and polished but this is the first time she hasn't blown me away. It seemed a little timid. However, her weakest performance is better than almost everyone else's best.
2) LaKisha Jones (Conga) - I am glad she did something up tempo. It was a very fun performance.
3) Chris Richardson (Smooth) - oh that was awful! Hey Chris - Justin Timberlake called and he wants you to quit trying to be him because it is not working!
4) Haley Scarnato (Turn the Beat Around) - I give her credit for getting through the "rap" part of the song and for remembering all the words. However, it was like watching someone in the Miss America pageant doing their talent.
5) Phil Stacey (Maria Maria) - all I can say is that it was better than last week. His voice kept cracking and he was off tune.
6) Jordin Sparks (The Rhythm is Gonna Get You) - another solid performance. The last note was slightly off but by far the best of the night.
7) Blake Lewis (I Need to Know) - he was copying Mark Anthony's style and phrasing through the entire thing. It was not that good.
8) Sanjaya Malakar (Besama Mucho - I know I spelled that wrong) - hell I give him credit for singing in Spanish! Maybe he needs to go on Spanish Idol because he sounds much better in Spanish than in English. What was up with the pirate look tonight?

So who will be going home tomorrow? Haley or Phil should but after last week anything is possible.

Dancing with the Stars - Week #4

This week we have the waltz and the paso doble (another dance I love). Let's see how it goes.

1) Laila Ali (paso doble) - uh I was underwhelmed. It was ok but it lacked the spark the paso is supposed to have.
2) Apolo Anton Ohno (waltz) - I liked it. Again I was not blown away but it was pretty good.
3) Leeza Gibbons (paso doble) - oh that was just bad. The timing was off, there was no fire and it was very awkward. I think she maybe in trouble.
4) Ian Ziering (waltz) - it was nice but again I am not blown away. Must be something in the water today.
5) John Ratzenberger (paso doble) - it was entertaining at least. Not the best but no one else it up to par either.
6) Clyde Drexler (waltz) - he always seems to me like he is walking not dancing. It was not good and he maybe in trouble.
7) Billy Ray Cyrus (paso doble) - I LOVED it! His footwork was pretty good and he had the fire. I think he did Karina proud.
8) Heather Mills (waltz) - again she did a great job. She lost her balance a bit at the beginning but it was very elegant. On a superficial note I loved her dress.
9) Joey Fatone (paso doble) - damn that was good! That was the best paso for me since Drew Lachey's in season 2 (which received a perfect score). They saved the best for last tonight!

So I think either Leeza or Clyde will be leaving tomorrow. We shall see.

American Idol Finals - Week #4

I wonder how many of these kids knew who Tony Bennett was before they started this show? Tonight they will be singing some American song classics. Once again I am sensing some song butchering tonight!

1) Blake Lewis (Mack the Knife) - it was ok. He has yet to really impress me. It was very blah.
2) Phil Stacey (Night and Day) - he was out of tune most of the song but the last note was good.
3) Melinda Doolittle (I've Got Rhythm) - this girl could sing the phone book and I would listen. Ella would be proud.
4) Chris Richardson (Don't Get Around Much Anymore) - it started off rough but I think this is his best performance yet.
5) Jordin Sparks (On a Clear Day) - I like that she is getting better each week. It's like watching her grew up before our eyes.
6) Gina Glockson (Smile) - I like her understated performances (like this and last week) better than her rocker thing. I thought she was very good.
7) Sanjaya Malakar (Dancing Cheek to Cheek) - it actually was not that bad. I think he did better than Phil did! Maybe the hype is finally frying my brain.
8) Hayley Scarnato (Ain't Misbehavin') - as hard as she tries she always seems like a blow up doll singing. She has zero personality.
9) LaKnsha Jones (Stormy Weather) - again she could sing anything and I would listen to it. This is starting to get interesting.

So I think it might finally be Phil's turn to leave tomorrow. We shall see tomorrow.

Dancing with the Stars - Week #3

So tonight it is the tango and the jive (another of my favorites). Here we go!

1) Shandi Finnessey (Jive) - it was ok but not that great. She was sort of stiff.
2) John Ratzenberger (Tango) - I liked it. It was not the best but it was entertaining.
3) Clyde Drexler (Jive) - well I give him an E for effort but it was not that good. He was very stiff.
4) Laila Ali (Tango) - that was excellent! I think she is becoming the one to beat.
5) Apolo Anton Ohno (Jive) - finally tonight a jive with some energy! I liked the Pulp Fiction thing too.
6) Joey Fatone (Tango) - that was excellent! Wierd musical choice but excellent.
7) Ian Ziering (Jive) - that was also excellent! He had great energy too.
8) Leeze Gibbons (Tango) - much better than last week. She is still uptight though.
9) Heather Mills (Jive) - so she is a stuck up, goldigging b*tch but I am earning a new respect for her. That was wonderful.
10) Billy Ray Cyrus (Tango) - again I am impresseed. That was pretty good.

So I'm not sure who will e leaving. I think Clyde and Shandi maybe in trouble. John could also be in jeopardy with the low scores he received.