BLACKISH REVIEW:

Blackish continues its slow phase with another predictable ‘shaky, at best’ BLACK MATH (Season 4, Episode 18)

GRADE: C-

As we all know and respect the show for, it tries to use every episode as a platform to voice its take on real life social and political issues and situations while exposing the viewers to the varied components of African American culture. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its lighter and purely comedic moments.

 

This week, it takes on the issues and perceptions of ‘white’ universities (Stanford University case in point here) and ‘Black’ universities (Howard University Case in point here). Its efforts were…shaky, at best. 

 

It starts with Bo (Tracee Ellis Ross) and Dre (Anthony Anderson) worried about Junior (Marcus Scribner) not getting any replies from the colleges he applied to. Junior then comes in, with two mail packages in hand, berated by Dre (what else is new?) for using ‘snail mail’ instead of e-mail. The first mail is a full scholarship to Howard University which of course Dre is ecstatic about; the second mail is an admission to Stanford University which comes with a not so good financial aid. The decision to Bo and Junior is obvious: Stanford University, because I mean, it’s Stanford, right? This doesn’t go down well with Dre who begins to go on and on about how black universities are not held in high regard as white universities just because white people say so. So of course he ensures that he and an unwilling junior go on a campus trip to HU, maybe he could get this one shot at ‘real blackening’. 

 

Dre and Junior go on a trip to a snowy black utopia that is HU, however ended up meeting a black on black protest and a weirdo nerd culture, in Dre’s perspective, making the trip an apparent disaster.

 

Bo then reminds Dre of how hard it was for him, as a HU graduate, to integrate black into society and how much catching up on white culture he had to do before he could relate with his co-workers. This finally softens Dre towards Stanford, to her delight, however Junior had other plans. Apparently the trip gave him a positive vibe of the university, reminding him of why he should be proud to be black and how he has probably met his future wife (who threatened to punch him in the face if he continued staring). One can only guess how Dre and Bo reacted to this. 

 

The subplot involving Jack (Miles Brown), Diane (Marsai Martin) and Ruby (Jenifer Lewis) were boring; at some points it was downright bad. Diane was right; Jack is not funny (at least in this episode). None of his ‘apparent comedic bits’ worked for me. At least one thing was achieved from this: we got introduced to one of Ruby’s many past lives - as a showbiz manager. 

 

She turns Jack into an Instagram star and despite her best efforts, Diane flops and she gets dumped by Ruby as a client at midnight while wearing her pajamas. Apparently there is Michael Jackson evidence that you’ll be taken seriously as an entertainer if you sleep in show clothes, ready at any time.

 

However, Diane soon creates a new punch line ‘what? I’m just saying’ (which was as flat as a pancake), soon ousting jack as the new comedy supreme. Diane, you aren’t funny either (at least in this episode). We all know you as the dark and twisty one, which is ironically the funny bit about you. Stay in that lane.

 

The episode as a whole was full of predictable plot lines, paucity of laughs and I doubt members of the HU alumni will be happy about their representation in this episode. It seems Blackish is in its slow phase at the moment. Last week’s North Star, centered on Easter with multicultural food recipes was also a bit wobbly and predictable, albeit better than the latest installments. No need to worry. They’ll bounce back. They always do. 

 

SIDE NOTES:

 

• Honorable mention: Junior. If you look at the episode as a Junior-centric episode, it wasn’t half bad. The best scenes were with him in it and it showcases a more mature Junior who makes informed decisions.

 

• Blackish is sending off Junior to college kinda like the way Zoey (Yara Shahidi) was sent off to college in season 3, all the way to a spin off series of her own, Grown-ish. Could there be a Junior-centered spin off in the works? I wonder what it’ll be called…

 

• Earl Johnson (Laurence Fishburne) was sadly missing from this episode. Perhaps he’s in Vegas. He might have given us some laughs

 

 

Blackish airs every Tuesday night on ABC.

LA LA LAND MOVIE REVIEW: The train to fantasy land you'll want to be on.

La la land, a musical set in the old Hollywood era of Los Angeles, gives us a glimpse into the lives of two inhabitants of the city of stars. The story follows an aspiring actress, Mia (Emma Stone), who crosses paths with an aspiring jazz musician, Sebastian (Ryan Gosling). Just like any other aspiring star in Los Angeles, they both have to deal with countless rejections and that wedge called a career that gets right in the middle of any relationship during the journey to the top. Written and directed magnificently by Damien Chazelle, the same guy that gave us Whiplash, La la land offers its viewers a chance to dive into a true cinematic experience in the form of a marvelously crafted dream sequence, aided by top notch choreography, cinematography and sound. Amazing music is delivered by Justin Hurwitz, who is worthy of every accolade that comes his way via this movie. Both Justin and Damien tap into that unspoken formula all old Hollywood musicals are made of (Singin in the rain and The Sound of Music are honorable mentions), creating an unexpected feeling of nostalgia and emotional content. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling not only recreate that great chemistry they exuded in Crazy, Stupid, love, they improve on it and let it flow in abundance to be felt by any living creature who sees this picture. They don't even seem to be seriously acting; they make it look so easy, just having fun in front of the camera, making it easy for them to carry the audience along and make us share in their hopes and dreams. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone excel triumphantly in this film, exuding graces of a young Gene Kelly and a young Audrey Hepburn respectively. La la land is a gift from Retro-Hollywood to the 21st century, wrapped with a perfect bow of artistry and creativity and offering us a perfectly timed form of escapism in times of political discordance and global meltdown. Here's to the ones who dream, foolish as they may seem.

67th primetime Emmy awards

once again, the Emmys are here an here are the nominations. My predictions will be posted later. Stay tuned. See also: 67th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Winners, when announced on September 20, will be listed first and highlighted in bold. Programs Outstanding Comedy Series Louie (FX) Modern Family (ABC) Parks and Recreation (NBC) Silicon Valley (HBO) Transparent (Amazon) Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix) Veep (HBO) OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES Better Call Saul (AMC) Downton Abbey (PBS) Game of Thrones (HBO) Homeland (Showtime) House of Cards (Netflix) Mad Men (AMC) Orange Is the New Black (Netflix) Outstanding Variety Talk Series The Colbert Report (Comedy Central) The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central) Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC) OUTSTANDING VARIETY SKETCH SERIES Drunk History (Comedy Central) Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central) Key & Peele (Comedy Central) Portlandia (IFC) Saturday Night Live (NBC) Outstanding Limited Series American Crime (ABC) American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX) The Honorable Woman (SundanceTV) Olive Kitteridge (HBO) Wolf Hall (PBS) OUTSTANDING TELEVISION MOVIE Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Curtain, Poirot’s Last Case (Acorn TV) Bessie (HBO) Grace of Monaco (Lifetime) Hello Ladies: The Movie (HBO) Killing Jesus (Nat Geo) Nightingale (HBO) Outstanding Reality - Competition Program The Amazing Race (CBS) Dancing with the Stars (ABC) Project Runway (Lifetime) So You Think You Can Dance (Fox) Top Chef (Bravo) The Voice (NBC) Acting Lead performanceS Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Anthony Anderson as Andre “Dre” Johnson, Sr. on blackish (Episode: "Sex, Lies, and Vasectomies") (ABC) Don Cheadle as Marty Kaan on House of Lies (Episode: "It’s a Box Inside a Box Inside a Box, Dipshit") (Showtime) Louis C.K. as Louie on Louie (Episode: "Bobby’s House") (FX) Will Forte as Phil “Tandy” Miller on The Last Man on Earth (Episode: "") (Fox) Matt LeBlanc as Himself on Episodes (Episode: "Episode Five") (Showtime) William H. Macy as Frank Gallagher on Shameless (Episode: "A Night to Remem... Wait, What?") (Showtime) Jeffrey Tambor as Morton “Maura” Pfefferman on Transparent (Episode: "") (Amazon) OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton on Nurse Jackie (Episode: "I Say a Little Prayer") (Showtime) Lisa Kudrow as Valerie Cherish on The Comeback (Episode: "Valerie Is Taken Seriously") (HBO) Julia Louis-Dreyfus as President Selina Meyer on Veep (Episode: "Election Night") (HBO) Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation (Episode: "One Last Ride") (NBC) Amy Schumer as Amy on Inside Amy Schumer (Episode: "") (Comedy Central) Lily Tomlin as Frankie Bergstein on Grace and Frankie (Episode: "") (Netflix) Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Kyle Chandler as John Rayburn on Bloodline (Episode: "") (Netflix) Jeff Daniels as Will McAvoy on The Newsroom (Episode: "What Kind of Day Has It Been") (HBO) Jon Hamm as Don Draper on Mad Men (Episode: "Person to Person") (AMC) Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill on Better Call Saul (Episode: "Pimento") (AMC) Liev Schreiber as Ray Donovan on Ray Donovan (Episode: "Walk This Way") (Showtime) Kevin Spacey as President Frank Underwood on House of Cards (Episode: "") (Netflix) OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison on Homeland (Episode: "From A to B and Back Again") (Showtime) Viola Davis as Annalise Keating on How to Get Away with Murder (Episode: "Freakin’ Whack-a-Mole") (ABC) Taraji P. Henson as Loretha “Cookie” Lyon on Empire (Episode: "Unto the Breach") (Fox) Tatiana Maslany as Various Characters on Orphan Black (Episode: "Certain Agony of the Battlefield") (BBC America) Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson on Mad Men (Episode: "Person to Person") (AMC) Robin Wright as First Lady Claire Underwood on House of Cards (Episode: "") (Netflix) Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie Adrien Brody as Harry Houdini on Houdini (History Ricky Gervais as Derek Noakes on Derek: The Special (Netflix) Timothy Hutton as Russ Skokie on American Crime (ABC) Richard Jenkins as Henry Kitteridge on Olive Kitteridge (HBO) David Oyelowo as Peter Snowden on Nightingale (HBO) Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell on Wolf Hall (PBS) OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE Maggie Gyllenhaal as Nessa Stein on The Honorable Woman (SundanceTV) Felicity Huffman as Barbara “Barb” Hanlon on American Crime (ABC) Jessica Lange as Elsa Mars on American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX) Queen Latifah as Bessie Smith on Bessie (HBO) Frances McDormand as Olive Kitteridge on Olive Kitteridge (HBO) Emma Thompson as Mrs. Lovett on Sweeney Todd: Live at the Lincoln Center (PBS) Supporting performances Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy SerIES Andre Braugher as Captain Ray Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Episode: "The Jimmy Jab Games") (Fox) Tituss Burgess as Titus Andromedon on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Episode: "Kimmy Goes to School!") (Netflix) Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy on Modern Family (Episode: "") (ABC) Adam Driver as Adam Sackler on Girls (Episode: "Close-Up") (HBO) Tony Hale as Gary Walsh on Veep (Episode: "East Wing") (HBO) Keegan-Michael Key as Various Characters on Key & Peele (Episode: "Sex Detective") (Comedy Central) OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES Mayim Bialik as Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory (Episode: "The Prom Equivalency") (CBS) Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy on Modern Family (Episode: "Connection Lost") (ABC) Anna Chlumsky as Amy Brookheimer on Veep (Episode: "Convention") (HBO) Gaby Hoffmann as Ali Pfefferman on Transparent (Episode: "") (Amazon) Allison Janney as Bonnie Plunkett on Mom (Episode: "Dropped Soap and a Big Guy on a Throne") (CBS) Jane Krakowski as Jacqueline Voorhees on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Episode: "Kimmy Gets a Job") (Netflix) Kate McKinnon as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "") (NBC) Niecy Nash as Denise “DiDi” Ortley on Getting On (Episode: "The 7th Annual Christmas Card Competition") (HBO) Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut on Better Call Saul (Episode: "Five-O") (AMC) Jim Carter as Charles Carson on Downton Abbey (Episode: "Episode Nine") (PBS) Alan Cumming as Eli Gold on The Good Wife (Episode: "Undisclosed Recipients") (CBS) Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones (Episode: "Hardhome") (HBO) Michael Kelly as Doug Stamper on House of Cards (Episode: "") (Netflix) Ben Mendelsohn as Danny Rayburn on Bloodline (Episode: "") (Netflix) Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series Uzo Aduba as Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren on Orange Is the New Black (Episode: "Hugs Can Be Deceiving") (Netflix) Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart on The Good Wife (Episode: "Loser Edit") (CBS) Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Dance of Dragons") (HBO) Joanne Froggatt as Anna Bates on Downton Abbey (Episode: "Episode Eight") (PBS) Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister on Game of Thrones (Episode: "Mother’s Mercy") (HBO) Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris on Mad Men (Episode: "Lost Horizon") (AMC) Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie Richard Cabral as Hector Tonz on American Crime (ABC) Damian Lewis as Henry VIII of England on Wolf Hall (PBS) Bill Murray as Jack Kennison on Olive Kitteridge (HBO) Denis O’Hare as Stanley Oats on American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX) Michael Kenneth Williams as Jack Gee on Bessie (HBO) Finn Wittrock as Daniel “Dandy” Mott on American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX) Outstanding supporting actress in a limited series or a movie Angela Bassett as Desiree Dupree on American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX) Kathy Bates as Ethel Darling on American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX) Zoe Kazan as Denise Thibodeau on Olive Kitteridge (HBO) Regina King as Aliyah Shadeed on American Crime (ABC) Mo’Nique as Ma Rainey on Bessie (HBO) Sarah Paulson as Bette and Dot Tattler on American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX) Directing Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series The Last Man on Earth (Episode: "Alive in Tucson"), Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Fox) Louie (Episode: "Sleepover"), Directed by Louis C.K. (FX) Silicon Valley (Episode: "Sand Hill Shuffle"), Directed by Mike Judge (HBO) Transparent (Episode: "Best New Girl"), Directed by Jill Soloway (Amazon) Veep (Episode: "Testimony"), Directed by Armando Iannucci (HBO) Outstanding directing for a drama series B oardwalk Empire (Episode: "Eldorado"), Directed by Tim Van Patten (HBO) Game of Thrones (Episode: "Mother’s Mercy"), Directed by David Nutter (HBO) Game of Thrones (Episode: "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken"), Directed by Jeremy Podeswa (HBO) Homeland (Episode: "From A to B and Back Again"), Directed by Lesli Linka Glatter (Showtime) The Knick (Episode: "Method and Madness"), Directed by Steven Soderbergh (Cinema Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special Hamish Hamilton for The 87th Academy Awards (ABC) Louis J. Horvitz for The Kennedy Center Honors (CBS) Natalie Johns for Annie Lennox: Nostalgia Live in Concert (PBS) Don Roy King for Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special (NBC) Glenn Weiss for The 68th Tony Awards (CBS) Outstanding directing for a limited series, movie or dramatic special American Horror Story: Freak Show (Episode: "Monsters Among Us"), Directed by Ryan Murphy (FX) Bessie, Directed by Dee Rees (HBO) The Honorable Woman, Directed by Hugo Blick (SundanceTV) Houdini, Directed by Uli Edel (History) The Missing, Directed by Tom Shankland (Starz) Olive Kitteridge, Directed by Lisa Cholodenko (HBO) Wolf Hall, Directed by Peter Kosminsky (PBS) Writing Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Episodes (Episode: "Episode Nine"), Written by David Crane & Jeffrey Klarik (Showtime) The Last Man on Earth (Episode: "Alive in Tucson"), Written by Will Forte (Fox) Louie (Episode: "Bobby’s House"), Written by Louis C.K. (FX) Silicon Valley (Episode: "Two Days of the Condor"), Written by Alec Berg (HBO) Transparent (Episode: "Pilot"), Written by Jill Soloway (Amazon) Veep (Episode: "Election Night"), Written by Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, and Tony Roche (HBO) Outstanding writing for a drama series The Americans (Episode: "Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?"), Written by Joshua Brand (FX) Better Call Saul (Episode: "Five-O"), Written by Gordon Smith (AMC) Game of Thrones (Episode: "Mother’s Mercy"), Written by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss (HBO) Mad Men (Episode: "Lost Horizon"), Written by Matthew Weiner & Semi Chellas (AMC) Mad Men (Episode: "Person to Person"), Written by Matthew Weiner (AMC) Outstanding Writing for a Variety special The 72nd Golden Globe Awards (NBC) Key & Peele’s Super Bowl Special, Written by Brendan Hunt, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, and Rich Talarico (Comedy Central) Louis C.K.: Live at the Comedy Store, Written by Louis C.K. (LouisCK.net) Mel Brooks: Live at the Geffen, Written by Mel Brooks (HBO) Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special (NBC) Outstanding writing for a limited series, movie or dramatic special American Crime (Episode: "Episode One"), Written by John Ridley (ABC) Bessie, Written by Dee Rees, Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois, and Horton Foote (HBO) Hello Ladies: The Movie, Written by Stephen Merchant, Gene Stupnitsky, and Lee Eisenberg (HBO) The Honorable Woman, Written by Hugo Blick (SundanceTV) Olive Kitteridge, Written by Jane Anderson (HBO) Wolf Hall, Written by Peter Straughan (PBS)

movie review: Stoker

stoker tells the story of a girl, India stoker (Mia wasikowska)who just lost her father (dermout mulroney) in sort of a mysterious way. suddenly, an uncle, charlie stoker (Matthew Goode), whom she has never heard of before, appears and somehow convinces her mother, Evelyn stoker (Nicole kidman) to stay in the house for some time. his stay brings about a string of mysterious occurrences in the long run. when i first watched the trailer of this movie, i thought, 'wow. quite thrilling. wentworth miller is quite the writer. cant wait'. but, the movie as it turns out, ended up being bland. i even thought that other critics comparing this movie to the Hitchcock genre was unnecessary. it started very slow and ended even slower. one would think that from the trailer, the movie would contain enough spine chilling moments. as for the acting, i was thoroughly disappointed with Matthew Goode. he didn't even convincing as the mysterious and villainous uncle charlie. his gazes that i think were suppose to be probing and spellbinding were just eye itching and i just grew tired of them.

Nicole kidman was the only one who managed to give an okay performance, especially in the last scene. even Jacki weaver's brief cameo as aunty Gwendolyn 'gin' stoker, was boring and frankly made the character seem even unnecessary. wentworth miller's screenplay, as for me, had a lot of spaces that just made the whole thing look half done. there weren't enough 'oh my God' moments to make his scripts comparable to Hitchcock's. all in all, stoker was a tiring thriller that just made me wonder 'what was nicole kidman thinking in choosing this script?'. although i applaud her desire to be versatile, given her appearance in last year's the paperboy, i think she is just choosing the wrong scripts.

 my rating: 4.1/10

Movie review:The dark knight rises

The dark knight rises continues with the story of billionaire Bruce Wayne, played by Christian Bale after the death of Harvey dent. It also introduces characters Bane, played by Tom Hardy and Selina Kyle alias Catwoman, played b Anne Hathaway. Let me not waste time giving the movie's storyline and go straight to the review. The movie had a slow start at first but my adrenaline started to pump when Selina Kyle stole Wayne's mother's pearls from a highly protected secret compartment, unveiling her as one interesting character instead of a normal waitress we all thought she was initially. Christian Bale, once again, delivers a heart warming performance in this last installment of the highly successful series. Tom Hardy, gave an interesting performance as Bane, this movie's main villain, with a personality as strong as steel and a voice that sends chills down the spines of the movie's viewers.but the best part part of the movie came at the end when Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) unveils as the Batman's nemesis, making it one of the best cliffhangers I have seen in a while. Marion Cotillard oozes grace as the movie's silent poison, the green snake under the green grass, lying in wait until she is in the best position to strike. Tom Hardy gave an impressive performance as Bane, and made sure Bane came across as a ruthless villian, but I feel Heath ledger's the Joker was a much more interesting villain to watch.

Though Hardy tried to bring forth Bane as the franchise's best villain, Ledger's the Joker still stands as the best villain of the franchise. The sound effects, as usual, were exceptional. Christopher Nolan surely has the ability to assemble a remarkable team that anastomoses beautifully to make sure the final installment of the series is a masterpiece, which it turned out to be. But, the most interesting character turned out to be Selina Kyle, played Marvellously by Hathaway, with such sleekness and sexiness that any female superhero should embody. She works the cat woman suit much better than her predecessors Halle Berry and Michelle Pfieffer while at the same time, giving smooth dialogue and mesmerizing the audience with her smart and quick humorous thinking. All in all, the movie turned out to be a perfect ending to a perfect series with a perfect cast and an extremely perfect crew.

Movie review: Hope Springs

Hope springs is about a couple, Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy lee Jones)in their 60s. One day, Kay wakes up and finds out that her she is bored of her marriage and decides that her and her husband need therapy so, she schedules an appointment with the eccentric Dr.Bernie Field (Steve Carrell), much to Arnold's chagrin, though he goes anyway. While there, Dr. Field tells them to try new things, new sexual things like oral sex and the rest and you can imagine how hard that will be for the couple in their 60s to carry out. Anyway, the whole experience seemed like a flop when they flew back home to Omaha and Kay decides to pack and leave, only for them to reignite the dwindling fire in their relationship right before she leaves. Which of course leads them to renewing their vows and promising to be there and more considerate of each other. I don't know about anyone else, but when I first heard about this movie, I thought it would be like a spinoff of Streep's 2009 film It's complicated as both seem to have the same theme surrounding the love story of an old couple, but in the end, it turned out to be a different package. The movie offers reasonable comic relief momentarily while at the same time, taking us on a journey about the lives of an old couple who seem to have lost their spark. Of course, it so helps that the main cast includes a talented trio of veterans in the movie business.

Tommy lee Jones was excellent as the cynical and the continuously skeptical Arnold and he was diligently able to express the feelings and thoughts of this character onscreen, convincing the audience about Arnold's situation as a husband who feels everything is fine just the way it is. Meryl Streep, of course, is known for her wide range of versatility and her ability to embody any type or form of character and she does so excellently as Kay, a woman who is well aware of the inertia in her marriage and despite her husband's objections, is determined to fix that. I therefore say, Meryl Streep is one hell of an actress. It is performances like this that makes Meryl Streep the best actress in this generation. She goes deep into the character, holding nothing back,and exudes grace and oozes talent. Fresh off The Iron Lady, nobody follows an Oscar win with a brilliant performance, quite like Meryl Streep. In overall, the movie turned out to be a fascinating look about the lives of old couples today who might have lost that spark in their marriage and somehow offers a solution to that situation.

My rating: 8.6/10.

Movie review: Sparkle

Sparkle is a musical set in the 1960s about a singing group. Yeah, I know, cliche. Wthe cast includes Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks, Derek Luke, Carmen Ejogo, Mike Epps,Tika Sumpter..... Whitney plays a mother of three who tries to keep her three daughters away from the music business, but they do the best they can to get into the music business. Sister, the eldest, played by Ejogo, is the lead singer in the group, and tries her best to push the group to stardom, while engaging in a relationship with a comedian called Satin (Epps), who, at the ends, turns out to be detrimental to Sister and the girls' future as a singing group. Here, Derek Luke plays a Gordy/ Curtis Taylor Jr kind of character here. In general, I think the movie is good, a little cliche, and deemed as the inferior look-alike of Bill Condon's Dreamgirls. Granted, the movie is about Sparkle (Spark's character), and everyone is going to see this movie because of the legendary Whitney Houston, but Carmen Ejogo managed to carved a niche for herself with her electrifying and magnificent performance as Sister. She lights every scene she is in with her mesmerizing performance and disarming voice, so mesmerizing that when you leave the theater, you forget about Houston and Sparks and start thinking about Carmen Ejogo. She might be in for a serious treat in the forthcoming awards season. Truly Oscar worthy. Mike Epps is another actor that managed to surprise me in this movie. The normally comedic actor, decided to take a dramatic and quite a villainous turn in Sparkle, and he gave a surprisingly great non-comedic performance as the movie's main antagonist, making him one to consider seriously.

 As for miss Houston, I must say, she gave quite an amazing performance, what I would term an amazing goodbye. Even her voice, definitely not as good as before, was till spellbinding, especially when she rendered 'his eyes is on the sparrow' sending me chills down my spine. As for Jordin, her acting wasn't as good as her co-stars, perhaps she didn't use an acting coach for this movie. My advice, she should sharpen her acting skills, get more acting roles, and of course, have an acting coach. But she needs no vocal coach, as she sang amazingly in the movie. In general, my rating for this movie is 5.8/10.

hello guys

i know I've been away for a while but don't worry, am back. I've been working on my seminar titled exercise and cardiovascular health. my supervisor is a hard man but i will break through. I'll be talking about how exercise promotes a good heart and how its lack leads to various forms of diseases. stay tuned.

Decemberists' 'King Is Dead' Is No. 1 on Billboard 200

The Decemberists claim their first No. 1 album as "The King Is Dead" debuts atop the Billboard 200 with a career-high 94,000 sold in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That easily beats its initial first week estimate of around 70,000.

While it's a best-ever week for the group, it's still a so-so figure for the top-selling album. However, after the past two weeks, any number at No. 1 that's north of 60,000 is welcome.

The Decemberists Look to Their Roots for 'King Is Dead'

Last week, Cake's "Showroom of Compassion" broke the SoundScan-era (1991-present) record low for a No. 1 album with only 44,000 sold. That record was set just one week earlier, when Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" shifted 52,000 atop the list.

This week, Cake's sales flatten, dropping off a cliff from No. 1 to No. 25 in its second week (15,000; down 67%). That's the largest fall from No. 1 since Incubus' "Light Grenades" bombed from No. 1 to No. 37 in its second week (Dec. 23, 2006).

The Decemberists' last release, 2009's "The Hazards of Love," debuted and peaked at No. 14 with 19,000 in its premiere frame, per SoundScan. Their new album's first week was aided -- in part -- by Amazon MP3's offering of it on street date (Jan. 18) as its $3.99 daily deal. Digital downloads account for a whopping 65% of its first week (a percentage share that includes sales from other digital retailers, like iTunes).

Also starting high on the Billboard 200 is the "Kidz Bop 19" album at No. 2 with 70,000 -- tying the series' highest chart position and posting its best sales week since 2007. "Kidz Bop 9" also hit No. 2 back in 2006, while a "Bop" title that last sold more than 70,000 in a week was "Bop 12" in 2007, when it bowed with 71,000 at No. 7.

Coming in behind the "Kidz" is the Script's second album, "Science & Faith," beginning at No. 3 with 49,000. The band's last release, its self-titled 2009 set, peaked at No. 64 with a high-water sales mark of 9,000.

Veteran rock band Social Distortion nets its first top 10 album as "Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes" rocks in at No. 4 with its best-week-ever frame of 46,000. It's the iconic band's debut release for Epitaph Records and its first new studio set since 2004's "Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll." The group's previous peak on the list was with 1996's "White Light White Heat White Trash," which debuted and peaked at No. 27.

Also picking up his first top 10 is Gregg Allman, whose first solo set in 14 years, "Low Country Blues," arrives at No. 5 (36,000). Produced by T Bone Burnett, the collection features covers of tunes from the likes of Muddy Waters and B.B. King. Before this week, Allman had gone as high as No. 13 with the 1973 album "Laid Back."

Greg Allman 'Can't Wait' to Cut 'Low Country Blues' Follow-up

With the entire top five on the Billboard 200 being debut titles, it marks only the fifth time the feat has happened. It last occurred on the Oct. 17, 2009, list, when Barbra Streisand's "Love Is the Answer" led the parade at No. 1.

Just outside the top 10, coming in at No. 11, is James Blunt's third studio set, "Some Kind of Trouble," with 26,000. His sophomore release, 2007's "All the Lost Souls," arrived and peaked at No. 7 with 92,000.

As for the non-debuts in the top 10 this week, Bruno Mars' "Doo-Wops & Hooligans" moves 4-6 (34,000; up 6%), Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" climbs 13-7 (33,000; up 42%), and Swift's "Speak Now" descends 3-8 (31,000; down 13%). Perry's huge gain can be attributed to a special weekend deal in the iTunes Store, where customers with gift cards were encouraged to redeem them for select discounted albums, including "Teenage Dream" for a low price of $6.99. The title was up a staggering 173% in downloads.

Closing out the top 10 albums this week are Nicki Minaj's "Pink Friday," slipping 5-9 (28,000; down 11%), and Mumford & Sons' "Sigh No More," dropping 9-10 (27,000; up 2%).

Over on the Digital Songs chart, last week's No. 1, Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me," slips to No. 3 with 183,000 (down 55%). She's replaced atop the list by a familiar face, as Mars' "Grenade" returns to the top (204,000; down 7%). Wiz Khalifa's "Black and Yellow" rises 3-2 (201,000; up 6%), Enrique Iglesias' "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)" climbs 5-4 (167,000; down 8%), and Perry's "Firework" falls 4-5 (163,000; down 11%).

P!nk flies up the list with "Fuckin' Perfect," zipping 25-6 with 144,000 (up 104%) following the debut of its provocative music video last week. Right behind her is Pitbull's "Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor)," featuring T-Pain, rising 19-7 (141,000; up 55%). Diddy - Dirty Money's "Coming Home" also soars, as it shoots 14-8 with 140,000 (up 30%).

Pink's 'F**kin' Perfect' Video Gives Suicidal Teen a Second Chance

The Black Eyed Peas' "The Time (Dirty Bit)" slips 7-9 (137,000; down 13%), and Ke$ha's "We R Who We R" is down 9-10 (123,000; down 13%), completing the top 10 Digital Songs.

Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending Jan. 23) totaled 5.2 million units, up 8% compared with the sum last week (4.8 million) and down 10% compared with the comparable sales week of 2010 (5.8 million). Year-to-date album sales stand at 15.5 million, down 11% compared with the same total at this point last year (17.5 million).

Digital track sales this past week totaled 26.4 million downloads, down 4% compared with last week (27.4 million) and up 1% stacked next to the comparable week of 2010 (26.1 million). Year-to-date track sales are at 83.6 million, up 6% compared with the same total at this point last year (79.1 million).

Next week's Billboard 200 competes with the same week in 2010 when: Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" started at No. 1 with 481,000 while the previous week's topper, the "Hope for Haiti Now" compilation, fell to No. 2 with 143,000 (down 16%).

Kate Hudson is pregnant. the 31 year old has been confirmed pregnant by her celebrity mom Goldie Hawn to us weekly. she was first seen at an airport with an obvious baby bump. her and husband Matthew are fascinated with the situation.

Beyonce Knowles collaborates with Sleigh Bells

Beyonce Knowles has recorded with noise pop duo Sleigh Bells for her upcoming record.

US DJ and producer Diplo said he invited the group - made up of producer and guitarist Derek E. Miller and singer Alexis Krauss - to the studio while he was working with the 'Halo' singer and London-based DJ Switch in New York last week.
He wrote on his blog: "I like Sleigh Bells so much. Me and switch was in studio in NYC tryin to make tracks with derek and Beyonce last week after we played her team their album. (sic)"
The pair confirmed their collaboration via their twitter page, admitting the track they have recorded alongside Beyonce is very "intense".
They wrote: "Yeah damn beyonce on it was intense track may not get finished (?) but we finished the rum off at least."
Beyonce has been hard at work on the follow up to her 2008 'I Am... Sasha Fierce' album since the end of last year, but has mostly been associated with more traditional R 'n' B producers including Ne-Yo, Jim Jonsin and The Dream.
She did, however, say she is planning to make her own entirely new genre of music with the tracks.
Beyonce said: "I have a lot of live instruments that I'm putting into the tracks to try to change the sound and make my own genre of music."

hannah montana says good bye.

Hannah Montana is finally saying good bye. the Disney channel original series that brought out Miley Cyrus has finally aired its season finale where Hannah finally reveals her secret to the world. will she get a thumbs up or thumbs down? find out by watching it and post what you think of the episode right here.

Kristen Stewart and Robert pattinson are dating. the pair recently confirmed that to Oprah.

First Video Previews of 'Glee' Super Bowl Episode: 'Thriller'

FOX has started airing the promos of "Glee" post- Super Bowl coverage episode. Fans get the first look of the New Direction kids tackling Michael Jackson's famous number, "Thriller", on a football field, complete with the jerseys and zombies make-up.

Mr. Schuester and Coach Beiste devise a plot to bring together the warring glee club and football team factions. Meanwhile, Sue, desperate to win cheerleading Nationals, launches a dangerous plan to bring home a trophy.

Lionsgate Sets Release Date for Futuristic Thriller 'The Hunger Games'

Lionsgate is going full throttle with its upcoming adaptation of best selling young adult novel, "The Hunger Games". The studio has picked a release date for the movie, announcing that they will debut it in theaters across the nation on March 23, 2012, just in time for Easter holiday.

"The Hunger Games", the first in a trilogy of science fiction novels by Suzanne Collins, is set in post-apocalyptic America and follows 16-year-old Katniss. Living in the poorest district of Panem, she "must participate in a fight-to-the-death annual event called the Hunger Games. The battles are televised, and pit youths from each of the Capitol's 12 Districts against each other," The Hollywood Reporter sums up the story.

awards season

this time of the year is known for the awards seasons where you will be entertained from  the golden globes to the Oscars to the screen actors guild awards. fasten your seat belts and enjoy the ride through out the awards season. it is going to be impeccable.

clint eastwood to direct beyonce in'a star is born'

Hollywood directing powerhouse Clint Eastwood has signed on to direct actress and singer Beyonce Knowles in yet another remake of 'a star is born'. this would be the fourth remake of the 1937 classic that starred Janet Gaynor. Judy garland and Barbra Streisand starred in subsequent remakes. mad men star Jon Hamm, Will Smith, Eddie Murphy and Russel Crowe are considered for the male lead role. the story is about the relationship between a woman with a rising star and a celebrity with a fading star. twisted, ain't it?