Welcome back to Simple Man Entertainment. I said we'd be back with some movie reviews, and here is one you'll want to check out.
This past weekend I sat down with the kids to watch a movie, and we ended up watching The Pink Panther 2. It was an impromptu thing, be we sure enjoyed it. So here is a look at the movie and my own thoughts about it.
Who's Who? First of all, let me clue you in on all the faces you'll be seeing in the movie, or at least some of the ones you'll recognize. Playing the lead role as Inspector Jacques Clouseau is Steve Martin. This should be your first clue that this is a good movie. Playing his detective assistant, Gendarme Gilbert Ponton is Jean Reno, another name you may be familiar with. Other names you'll see in the movie that you may recognize are Andy Garcia(Vicenzo), Emily Mortimer (Nicole), Alfred Molina (Chief Inspector Randall Pepperidge), John Cleese (Chief Inspector Drefus), and Lily Tomlin (Mrs. Berenger), to name a few.
Kid Rating: For kids, this movie gets a 5* rating. It is rated PG and does have a bit of mild language and suggestive humor, but nothing most kids wouldn't already be seeing in their television shows anyway. My kids loved it. I was actually surprised how much they enjoyed it, and it brought a whole lot of laughs. Of course, my kids are teens, and younger children (under the age of 10-12) may not get the humor. You may want to see it yourself before you decide whether you want to show it to your kids.
The Story Line: If you have seen the first Pink Panther movie, you remember that Jacques Clouseau (Martin) solved the mystery of the Pink Panther diamond's disappearance. When the famous "Tornado" thief begins taking national treasures from countries around the world, an "international dream team" of detectives is created and it is requested that Clouseau be a part of that team. The Pink Panther Diamond again is stolen, and the bumbling detective is once again trying to solve the mystery, find the criminal, and get back the diamond, which is the treasure of France. Along the way Clouseau makes numerous hilarious mistakes, yet ends up solving the crime and getting the girl by the end of the movie.
My Thoughts: Personally, I love funny movies. I often feel that I deal with enough serious stuff in the world. I work hard, pay the bills, deal with the kids, and I just like to watch something that makes me laugh. This movie, The Pink Panther 2, definitely did that. Some parts had me laughing until there were tears in my eyes. It definitely is a movie that will take your mind off reality and allow you to have a great laugh. After all, laughter is the best medicine!
Hi everyone. Welcome back to Simple Man Entertainment. Tim is taking a bit of a hiatus for the weekend, so I'm back to give you the results from the So You Think You Can Dance show last night, and running a bit behind at that. Lol. I hope you'll forgive me.
I must tell you, last night was the first results show I was happy with! Finally! They cut the people I though they should…but I don't want to get ahead of myself.
The show started out with an excellent group dance. It was a dance bringing together both Samba and Hip Hop, and two of my favorite choreographers are the ones who got it all together - Napoleon and Tabitha. Great routine to the song "I Know You Want Me" by Pitbull. This was a hot routine, with everyone looking sexy out there.
Before the show really got going, Nigel discussed the passing of three greats in entertainment this past week, and I definitely think they are worth bringing up here. Within the past few days, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson all have died. It has been a sad time for the entertainment industry, yet we can all celebrate what these unique personalities have brought to entertainment and the way we view it today.
After Nigel's speech, the first five couples came out on stage. First came Asuka and Vitolio, who ended up in the bottom three, much to my delight. Brandon and Janette were next, and they were safe, and I was so happy to hear that. Evan and Randi were then save, Phillip and Jeanine were safe, and so were Ade and Melissa. I was very happy, but that left three couples and two more spots in the bottom three.
Next the next three couples cam on stage. Jonathan and Karla were first, and Nigel had predicted they would be in the bottom three, as did I. We were right. They deserved to be there, and they knew it. Next were Caitlin and Jason, and then Kupono and Kayla. I wasn't quite sure who would be in the bottom, but I felt it was called right, with Caitlin and Jason ending up being the last couple in the bottom three. That left Kupono and Kayla safe. Happy about that, being a big fan of Kayla…but then again…who isn't?
As the bottom three couples went to prepare for their solo dances, they brought out the Rage Boys Crew, a group of younger boys and young men to do a routine choreographed by Tiffany Burton. This routine was great, and some of the smaller boys were so great. I was impressed with their talent.
It was time for the solos after that. Asuka was up first, and I didn't think her dance was that great. She always seems to resort to shaking her butt. The butt can only get you so far girl.
Then came Vitolio. It was okay, but it didn't really do anything for me.
Up next was Karla. She did pretty good. It didn't really grab you, but it wasn't bad.
Her partner Jonathan was next. Once again he brought on the gymnastics, which Nigel chastised him on the last time he danced for his life. Apparently he didn't listen.
Caitlin came out next and she rocked. She did the best performance for the girls, and you really felt her personality come through with a strong dance, although I didn't like the last 2 seconds of it.
Jason was last. Out of the guys, I felt his dance was the best. He did well, although it was a bit on the desperate side.
While the judges went backstage to decide who was leaving, The Veronicas came out on stage to perform their hit single "Take Me on the Floor." I liked their electronica groove, and must say it has been the best musical performance yet this season.
The judges were back, and they made up their minds. The girl to go was Asuka, and I was so happy. That was a long time coming. They commented that she had not grown, and I definitely agree. I hope she has learned a good lesson, that acting snooty gets you nowhere!
Then there were the guys. Jason was safe, and then it was down to Vitolio and Jonathan. I'm not a fan of either of these guys, but it was Jonathan who was eliminated, and I wasn't surprised at all. Saw that one coming. He relied too much on gymnastics and was never able to really grow. Vitolio made it by, by the skin of his teeth and Nigel as much as promised him that he'd be cut next week if he didn't improve.
So, I guess we will see what happens next. I was happy with this show and felt that the ones that were cut did deserve it.
That is it for today. Stay tuned for some movie reviews coming up in a few days, and of course next week we'll be back to keep you updated on So You Think You Can Dance as well.
Welcome back to Simple Man Entertainment. As you know, we've been following the show, So You Think You Can Dance, and we are getting closer and closer to the top ten. Last night was Episode 10 and the top 16 dancers came out and put on quite a show. Thank goodness it was a better show than last week!!!
Before I get to the routines, let me mention that regular judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy were joined by Toni Basil, a well-known dancer, musician, video artist, choreographer, and actress. She will be awarded the 2009 Hip Hop International Living Legend of Hip Hop Award in August of this year.
Karla and Jonathan opened the show. They were dancing a Hip Hop routine choreographed by Dave Scott. Dancing to the song, "By My Side" by Jackass ft. Ne-Yo, I about groaned as I watched the routine. They weren't hitting it at all, they weren't together, and it was a bad start to the show. The judges agreed with me, with Nigel saying there was "no excitement" and that it felt like a "Sunday School picnic." He even bet that these two would end up in the bottom three, and I am definitely inclined to agree with him.
Next up were my least favorites on the show, Asuka and Vitolio. As you remember last week, I was hoping they would get cut, but for some reason America decided to show them some love. This week there were dancing a Jazz routine choreographed by Mandy Moore, who called this routine "thrash, rocker, jazz." Dancing to the song "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar, I was really expecting them to hit this routine, but I didn't feel it was big enough, "rocker" enough, and the song outdid their dancing. In this case the judges and I didn't see eye to eye. They received high praise from Nigel who said it was "fantastic." Mary seemed to agree a bit more with me, calling it "not synchronized" and "a little shaky." Toni recommended that they not "Let technique get in the way of your emotions." Yes, this couple was a bit more connected, but still, they are not anywhere near my favorites.
Ade and Melissa were next, bringing a breath of fresh air. They were to perform a Rhumba choreographed by Tony Meredith. They danced to "Emotion" by Destiny's Child, and boy did they bring on emotion. This routine was so hot I thought the floor would melt. Sensual and earthy, they brought it with this dance. Nigel called Melissa the "sexiest girl up there" and jokingly praised Ade, saying, "What a differences Ade makes." Mary bequeathed it with her signature scream and said they were "so in tune." Toni threw a huge compliment towards the choreographers, telling Melissa and Ade "You were hot because they were hot" speaking of choreographer. Tony Meredith and his partner, who are also excellent dancers.
Out next with a Dave Scott Hip Hop routine were Brandon and Janette. Dave Scott mentioned that this was a "hip hop and rock" piece, and it definitely was! Dancing to "What a World" by Common, they really smacked this routine. They were hitting it, bringing the hip hop and the rock side to the dance. Perhaps even the best routine of the night. They got a lot of love from the judges. Nigel said it was "good stuff" and compared it a combination between "Jr. Allstars, 50-Cent, and Cher." Mary went on to say that they "really hit that" and gave them a huge scream, making their day.
After losing partners last week, Kayla and Kupono were partnered together, and for their first routine together, they had to dance a Viennese Waltz, choreographed by Jean-Marc Genereux and his wife France. They danced to "Sweet Dreams for You" by Jewel. It was a lovely dance and the couple performed well together for their first time dancing with each other. The judges enjoyed it, with Nigel calling it "very elegant." Mary actually put them on the "hot tamale train" along with a scream loud enough to deafen Nigel and poor Toni. Toni felt they were "always in the moment," called Kayla "somethin' else," and said she "really loved this dance." High praise from the usually reserved Toni Basil.
Next up were another of my favorite couples, Evan and Randi. They were dancing a contemporary piece choreographed by Mia Michaels to "Koop Island Blues" by Koop ft. Ane Brun. The piece was interestingly choreographed around Randi's butt, which was hilarious, but it turned out to be a hot piece. They danced it well and had the attention and love of the audience. The judges loved it too, with Mary saying it was "one of the best numbers" and "terrific." Nigel felt it "will be remembered" and that it was "beautifully danced." Toni summed it up, calling their routine "phenomenal."
Jason and Caitlin were up next with a Paso Doble, choreographed by Jean-Marc Genereux. This is a tough dance to perform, but I thought they pulled it off well. They danced it to O'Fortuna from Camina Burana. It was strong and perhaps better than I thought it would be. There were definitely some technical problems, but they were committed to the dance. "Mary called it "fearless" and Toni said they "lived with the music." Nigel felt they did an "exceptionally good job."
The last routine of the night was a Tyce Diorio Broadway routine, being danced by Phillip and Jeanine. They danced to an old tune, "Moses" from the Singing in the Rain original soundtrack. This was a cool piece. It was whimsical and unique. Phillip did a huge leap over the couch they used as a prop, which resulted in ripped pants. Nigel commented that Phillip "now knows what it feels like dancing with your ass hanging out of your trousers." However, Nigel felt that he needed "more" from Phillip. Mary felt that it was "so much fun" and said that Jeanine was "stellar." Toni felt that they did "better as a couple this week" and called the routine "adorable. I really like Phillip, so I hope he stays in this week and really is able to pick it up a notch next week.
At the end of the night, I felt the top three performances were done by Ade and Melissa, Brandon and Janette, and Evan and Randi. I really don’t think they will be in the bottom three, and I definitely hope America doesn't make a mistake here. Out of the other five couples, well I think it is anyone's guess, although I agree with Nigel that Jonathan and Karla will probably be there. Who will be joining them? I'm not sure. I guess we'll be finding out within a few hours.
Stayed tuned to Simple Man Entertainment. We'll be back in the morning to let you know who is going home. Until then, let me leave you with a thought about dance that really impressed me: "Great dancers are not great because of their technique. They are great because of their passion." ~ Unknown
The better half and I were sitting on the couch Saturday night after those teenage Frankenstein’s of ours sacked out and we had finished with our family and financial responsibilities for the day. We were trying to decide what to do in the way of entertaining ourselves, and while we have many options at our disposal we decided to find a movie to watch. The movie we settled on was “Swing Vote” with Kevin Costner.
“Swing Vote” is not a new release and has been out for about 10 months. The film stars Kevin Costner and has a whole host of great actors in supporting roles. Kelsey Grammer plays Republican President Andrew Boone and Dennis Hopper plays Democratic Presidential nominee Donald Greenleaf. Stanley Tucci and Nathan Lane play their respective Chief of Staffs.
This story is set in a little New Mexico town called Texico. Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner) appears to be the town slacker who doesn’t seem to care about anything but drinking beer and fishing. Bud’s daughter Molly who is played by Madeline Carroll is about the only one who cares about him and takes care of them both. Molly Johnson is also very serious about hers and his obligations including Bud’s right to vote, which he appears to avoid at any cost. His friend Walter (Judge Reinhold even thinks he is a joke.
On voting day in Texico Bud not only loses his job, but gets drunk and passes out in his truck, and forgets to meet his daughter at the polling station like he promised. At that point Molly takes it upon herself to vote in his place but runs into some technical difficulty LOL. What follows is a very comical series of events and errors in poor Bud and Molly’s life. These two even have the candidates changing platforms to stand on issues that their parties would not usually support.
They both meet the President and his challenger. They also get to meet the NASCAR King Richard Petty and Willy Nelson speaks to Bud on TV. Unfortunately Bud is not taking any of this very seriously. Meanwhile Molly is doing all of the talking and thinking for her dad, and is becoming more unhappy by the day as they lead up to Bud’s day to vote for the next President, because his vote decides who wins.
Throw into the mix a selfish TV station manger played by George Lopez who dreams of getting back to a major market and his favorite female reporter who originally breaks the story Kate Madison (Paula Patton) who almost gives up her professional ethics to keep control of the story and almost jeopardizes Bud’s chance to vote and it gets hairy for Bud, because Molly finds out and runs away to her mother. Luckily Bud gets her back in time to host a televised debate of the two candidates.
The great thing about this flick besides an awesome cast of actors is the fact that both conservatives and liberals are featured in the film. Another thing is the fact that they all played very well together and in the end and at the end the film remained independent of Hollywood partisan politics. I think that this is a great film and is family friendly also I hope you all enjoy it.
That’s it for Simple Man Entertainment today, but we will se you again soon. Have a good day and CIAO4NOW!!!!!
This past week we all got to see another round of the To 20 for So You Think You Can Dance, but this time there were only nine couples. There were some very good routines danced that night although I don’t think any one of them stood out as great.
My favorite routines were danced by Ade and Melissa, Brandon and Janette, Evan and Randi, and Max and Kayla. Ade and Melissa danced a Jazz routine that was very well executed, and Little C told Ade he was everyone’s competition. Brandon and Janette performed a disco routine that the judges thought was not only the fastest disco routine ever performed on the show, but the best as well. Evan and Randi did a Jive routine that was very good too, but not their best routine. Max and Kayla did a Pop/Jazz routine that was smoking hot and the judges all said so too.
However these dancers are not what today’s post is about. Today’s post is about those dancers who had found their way into this weeks bottom three, and the Guy and Gal that got cut from the show this week. I will have to tell you that I was not surprised by two of the couples that appeared in the bottom three, but one couple that landed there totally surprised me.
The couples that appeared in this weeks bottom three were Jason and Caitlin, Kupono and Ashley, and Max and Kayla. As you all just read Max and Kayla performed a smoking hot Pop/Jazz routine. Both of the other couples performed Hip Hop routines that were choreographed by Shane Sparks. I must say that both Hip Hop routines were not performed well, but I think a lot of that had to do with the choreography and not just the dancers themselves.
However after their awesome performance I was really surprised to see Max and Kayla in the bottom three and actually it really ticked me off. The other couple I thought belonged in the bottom three was Vitolio and Asuka who I thought performed a mediocre at best Waltz routine. I also think that these were the two dancers who should have been cut last night. Unfortunately for me or perhaps fortunately for them the decision was not up to me.
Anyway as the rules for the show clearly state that the three couples with the lowest public votes go into the bottom three each week and then those dancers have to dance for their lives on the show in their own styles. I have to say that all of six of these dancers performed their solos excellently, but at the end of it all Max and Ashley were the two cut this week. This means that their partners Kupono and Kayla will now be partners.
On another note I think this week’s guest performances were great to watch. An ethnic dance routine in the Hindu style was performed by Jundarlal Gangani, while Kristina Debarge and her dancers performed her hit song “Good Bye”. Kristina was much better than last weeks guest performer whose name escapes me now, because he was that memorable.
That is all for this week but Simple Man Entertainment will be back again next week. I also hope that you enjoy the video of Max and Kayla’s Pop/Jazz routine I really though it was great. Have an awesome weekend my friends and CIAO4NOW!!!!!
Last night was Episode 8 - the top 18 - of So You Think You Can Dance. I had very mixed emotions about this show. Why? Well, let me give you an overview of the show first, and then I'll let you know what I really thought of the show as a whole last night.
To kick off the evening, Randi and Evan were doing the Jive to the music "Shake a Tail Feather" by Ray Charles. Great tune, I may add. It was a nice start to the night; however, after their "smoking" routine last week, I was a bit let down. Lil C (the guest judge this week) called Randi a "firecracker," which is definitely true. Mary states that the two were "built for the Jive" but she was a bit disappointed, as was I. I think Nigel summed it up best: "It just wasn't comfortable."
Next up - Ade and Melissa. They were performing a jazz piece choreographed by Sonya to the music "24 Hours" by Terry Parson. This was an excellent routine, although I definitely felt the hot pink pants that Melissa was wearing were a huge distraction from the piece. I've always liked Sonya's choreography, and I definitely felt this was danced beautifully. Lil C called it "buck" and actually said that Ade was "everybody's competition." Not sure I'd go that far, but he definitely is an incredible dancer.
With the first hip hop routine of the night, Jason and Caitlin took the stage. After last week's Bollywood routine, they had a lot to live up to, and dancing to "Missin You" by Trey Songz, I'm not sure they did it. The hip hop routine was lame at best. Lil C said it was a "nightmare" and "corny." Mary said it was like watching "Michael Jackson and Britney Spears" (and not in a good way). However, Nigel disagreed with the other two, saying they "Looked really good out there." Sorry Nigel, I didn't agree with you. I thought it was definitely not the best hip hop routine I've ever seen…not even close.
Thankfully Brandon and Janette came out next to dance a Disco that would save the day. Dancing to "Loving is Really My Game" by Brainstorm, they really lit the stage on fire with the fastest Disco routine ever danced on the show. There were a couple mistakes that happened, but they kept going, never losing their energy. A great performance. Lil C (who has never been a fan of Brandon) was won over and called it the "birth of progression" in Brandon. Mary thought they were really "gettin' down" and that they "nailed it." Nigel gave it high praise, saying it was "one of the best disco routines."
Asuka and Vitolio were next up with a Waltz. I wasn't excited to see them, since last week I really thought they sucked (no booing please). They are not two of my favorite dancers, although I think that independently they are very good dancers. As a couple, these two have not clicked, and Asuka even stated that the reason was that she didn't find Vitolio attractive. I found that this put me off a bit. While everyone is attracted to different people, I found this statement to be quite egotistical and perhaps a little on the "nasty" side from her. No wonder I don't see much passion in this girl's dancing. She seems to think she's better than the rest. Well honey, in my opinion, you'll never make it to the top 10. But…back to the dancing…lol. The dance was nice. I don't think it accomplished what the choreographer wanted it to. Love the song though ("Dreams are More Precious" by Enya). They did get some love from the judges, with Mary calling it "painfully beautiful" and Nigel saying there were like "a different couple this week." I guess we'll have to see. Could they be in the bottom three??? I kinda hope so.
A sigh of relief. Max and Kayla were up next. Now these two I love, especially Kayla. I was wowed last week. Could they do it again? They were dancing a pop jazz routine. It was choreographed by Brian Friedman, a choreographer we haven't seen on the show for a couple years. Glad to see him back. The two danced to the song "Hot Like Wow" by Nadia Oh. It was a different routine. I thought the two performed very well. Mary said they "nailed it" and Nigel called Kayla a "frontrunner" in the competition. Well duh. I already knew that. The girl can dance and I think she'll be in the top 4.
Next were Jonathan and Karla. These two were in the bottom three last week and they really needed to step it up a notch this week. They performed a Contemporary to the song "Falling Slowly" by The Frames (a song to check out). I found this routine beautiful and definitely much better than the routine they performed last week. The judges liked this routine too. Mary felt that Jonathan danced this genre "better than your own" and said it had her "spellbound." Lil C threw out the word "buck," a sure sign that he was impressed with the routine.
Phillip and Jeanine, two of my favorites from last week, were up to perform a Tango. I almost groaned. Phillip…the Tango??? Well, I must say it was better than it could have been, but still not what I'd call good. Mary did give it an "A+ for attitude" and said that Jeanine was a "hot mama" in this routine. Lil C gigged Phillip for dancing with "no confidence" and I thought he was right. Nigel summed it up well, calling it "great entertainment." I agreed. It was fun, but the technical side definitely wasn't there.
Last of all Ashley and Kupono took the stage. They danced a hip hop routine to "Imma Be" by The Black Eyed Peas. This was the second hip hop, and it wasn't any better than the first. Lil C said that Ashley "had some nice moments," which she did. Nigel said it made him feel "underwhelmed." Mary said it was "okay" and that she "didn't hate it but she didn't love it."
Now first a note on the hip hop routines. I didn't like either of them. This week it was Shane Sparks doing the choreography for these routines instead of Tabitha and Napoleon. I think that the choreography may have been some of the problem here. Shane is a wonderful and well known choreographer but I don't think he provided these dancers with great pieces. I really do think that his choreography didn't suit them and may have been at least part of the reason that both of the hip hop routines fell flat.
As for the entire show, I was left feeling a bit disappointed. I really thought last week was great. This week, there were a couple good performances, but nothing that really jumped off the screen and grabbed me. It's pretty much anyone's guess who could be in that bottom three this week. I'm definitely hoping that the dancers step it up for next week so I'm not disappointed again.
Here are a couple of the better routines from last night. Be sure to let us know what you thought of the dancing and the show. We'd love to hear. Do you think we called it wrong? Well leave a comment and tell us. Until next time, thanks for checking out Simple Man Entertainment again…see you tomorrow for the results show post.
Welcome back to Simple Man Entertainment today. I have written about a few movies here, and I have said repeatedly that I would that I would write about Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino”. Well I finally got to see this movie over the weekend and I wish I had seen it a lot sooner. Anyway here is my long awaited post on “Gran Torino”.
Written by Nick Schenk and Dave Johannson and was released in January of 2009. “Gran Torino” opened at the box office to wide critical acclaim, and took the lead in box office earnings for that week. “Gran Torino” continued to claim excellent box office earnings for several weeks too.
“Gran Torino” is a story about a former Korean War veteran and retired auto worker named Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood). The film begins with the funeral of Walt’s wife who appears to be the only person he ever cared about. It is immediately apparent that Walt is not a very happy person with himself, his family, and the world in general.
It is also evident that Walt has no respect for anybody either. Father Janovich (Christopher Carley) the parish priest who had befriended Walt’s wife and promised her to look after Walt is a major sourced of Walt’s disrespect. Walt’s family receives a large helping of disrespect from Walt also. Walt’s new neighbors receive the greatest amount of Walts disrespect as well as his hatred because of their ethnicity.
Walt Kowalski’s neighbors are also the catalysts for Kowalski’s actions from near the beginning of this story to its climactic unexpected end. Walt’s new neighbors are tribal Hmong people from the hills of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. When you add this to Walts nightmare experiences during the Korean War they are the obvious targets for this troubled man to vent his anger and hate upon.
It also doesn’t help their relationship with Walt when the oldest son of Walt’s neighbors Thao (Bee Vang) attempts to steal Walt’s prized possession his 1972 Ford Gran Torino. Unfortunately for Thao, he was forced to try to steal the car by his cousin who leads the local Hmong gang because he wants Thao initiated into the gang. I say unfortunately because Walt catches Thao in the act.
This one single act sets the stage for everything else that happens in the movie. Thaos family forces him to apologize and serve Walt for a period of time as a form of penance for the attempted theft. During the course of events that surround Walt during this time he is finally befriended by Thaos sister Sue (Ahney Her).
Apparently Thaos gangster cousin is not satisfied with Thaos fumbled attempt at stealing the Gran Torino and attempts to force Thao to try again. In the struggle that ensues between Thao and his family against the gang, their fight spills over into Walt’s yard and these wannabe tough guys meet Walt and his M1 Garand rifle up close and personal.
After this confrontation Walt’s neighborhood, which is mostly ethnic Hmong people see Walt as the Neighborhood hero, a position that Walt is unwilling to accept. In apparent Walt Kowalski fashion he ultimately accepts an invitation to dinner at his neighbors and becomes a respected man and potential friend.
He also befriends Thao at this time and teaches him some skills that he can use to find a job. Thao is a willing student and learns the lessons Walt teaches him in handling tools as well as the lessons he teaches Thao in order to man him up. However Walts new found friendships with his neighbors are disrupted once again by the local Hmong gang.
These gangsters jump Thao after work, shoot up his house in a drive-by, and seriously beat up Sue. Walt becomes so enraged by all of this happening in his neighborhood and to his friends, so he decides to take matters into his own hands. In typical Eastwood tough guy fashion Walt finally puts an end to the gang problem in his neighborhood.
However I will not divulge the end of this epic Clint Eastwood vehicle, but I will tell you that it is not the ending one would expect from an Eastwood film. The ending is extremely powerful and poignant though. I would definitely recommend this movie as a must see to all of you. It might even be able to teach your children a valuable lesson about becoming involved with gangs.
I hope you all have enjoyed this post and that you also enjoy the trailer as well. That is all I have for you today but I will be back again very soon CIAO4NOW!!!!!
As we all know Wednesday night was the first night of the competition of the long awaited season five of So You Think You Can Dance. Ten couples got the chance to dance to routines from some of dances greatest choreographers, and show us the fans and viewers what they can do. During the first show of the season there were many memorable performances and there were also a couple that were not so memorable.
Today we are going to go over the results from last nights show and talk about who danced for their lives and who ultimately got the axe and went home. As I said there were a lot of great dances performed Wednesday and a couple not so great, which made the job for the Judges of the show a little difficult. In the end I think the judges made the right decision and cut the right couple, although I think the female dancer that was cut was cut because of the poor performance of her partner.
The judges for this weeks show were Nigel Lythgoe, and Mary Murphy who are the permanent judges and guest judge Adam Shankman who is a world renowned choreographer and film producer. During their critique on Wednesday night’s dance routines I would have to say that they were very accurate in their professional opinions of each couple. I would also have to say that I think they did a great job last night when they picked the three couples who would dance for their lives singly in their own styles.
After all ten couples in three groups had been brought out on stage and seven of them had been pronounced safe we found out which ones were not. The three couples who were picked to dance for their lives based on Wednesday’s performance were Tony and Paris who were judged on their performance of a Hip Hop routine, Vitolio and Asuka who performed a Broadway routine, and Karla and Jonathan who performed a Cha Cha routine.
Paris Torres was the first to dance for her life and did so in the contemporary style of dance. While she is obviously a talented dancer I think that she did not give the judges or the audience her best performance.
Tony Bellissimo who is Paris’s partner danced in the second position in his chosen style which is Hip Hop. However I would have to say that is performance like the Wednesday performance left something to be desired.
Asuka Kondoh danced third in the group and did so in the Latin style which is her specialty. While Asukas performance was last night was great to watch she also did not perform this dance at her best.
Vitolio Jeune who is Asukas partner danced fourth in the contemporary style. I think his performance was excellent, but it could have had just a little bit more of his personality injected into his performance.
Karla Radomski danced for her life in the fifth position also in the Contemporary style. Karla is another very talented dancer, but last night her performance while better than Paris’s was still weak.
The last person to dance and in the sixth position was Jonathan Platero. Jonathan performed his routine in the Salsa style. His technique was great, but there was none of himself in the routine, but as I said he was great technically.
After these six dancers had performed for the judges it was time for them to go back stage and deliberate. In the judges absence we were treated to a performance by teen sensation Sean Kingston. As far as my critique of his performance goes, I don’t think he has the greatest voice and I don’t think his dancers would make the cut in So You Think You Can Dance either. Mercifully this performance was short and we got to the commercial break safely.
After the commercial break the judges were back and it was time for their critique of singles dance routines performed last night. While everyone waited with baited breath for the critiques to be over I had already pretty much figured out who was going and who was staying on the men’s side. It was the women’s side that I was not to sure about, but I was not surprised by the judge’s decision either. At the end of it all Asuka, Karla, Vitolio, and Jonathan were moving on to next week and Paris and Tony were going home. In Paris’s defense I will have to tell you that I think Tony’s Wednesday night performance may have helped to end the contest for Paris.
Well that is it for this weeks posts on So You Think You Can Dance, but we will be back again next week to bring you more on this awesome show. By the way enjoy this video it was my favorite performance on Wednesday night a Jazz routine with Evan and Randi, and as hot a routine as it was you would have never guessed that Randi is married. Have a wonderful weekend my friends CIAO4NOW!!!!!
Welcome back to Simple Man Entertainment. I hope you all got a chance to watch So You Think You Can Dance last night. If you didn't, you missed an excellent show.
Since I've watched every single season of So You Think You Can Dance from the beginning, I've definitely been spoiled by great dancing. Each show has been better than the last, and at the beginning of each season I always wonder will this new season keep up with the last. Well, the dancers didn't disappoint me last night!
The show started out with a Hip Hop routine performed by Jeanine and Phillip, and it was a show starter to be sure. In the words of judge Adam, it was "un-freakin' real," and I'd have to agree. I'm a huge fan of Napoleon and Tabitha's choreography in the first place, and the story that was danced was beautiful. I always look for dancing that jumps off my screen and really touches my emotions - this one did it.
Karla and Jonathan were up next, and I was hoping the Cha Cha would bring the show back, but it wasn't to be. This dance was merely okay in my book. There were some good tricks, but the basics weren't so great. With some of the great performances on the show, I think this number really just got lost. It didn't have what it took to really compete.
With a jazz routine, once again choreographed by Tyce Diorio, Randi and Evan were up. I loved this routine. They brought the show back with a routine that was smokin' hot, even though Randi is a married woman. Lol. The lifts were great, the chemistry was there, and I think this routine set Evan up to go a long way in this competition.
Paris and Tony then were out on the floor doing another Hip Hop routine. Sorry, but they blew it. This routine was supposed to be rough and raw and it just wasn't there. This was Tony's genre, so what was going on here? He wasn't even hitting the moves, and he should have been. These two I believe are seriously are in danger of being in the bottom three and maybe even going home tonight.
Last year I loved the Bollywood routine performed by Katie and Joshua. This year they brought the cultural dance back, and Caitlin and Jason would perform it. They had a lot to live up to. The routine was a tough one and even the choreographer stated that it may have included too much and been too tough for week one. Did Caitlin and Jason live up to last year's Bollywood performance? No, I don't think so, but I have to say these two put everything they had into it. It was a respectable performance and they left it all out on the floor.
When Janette and Brandon walked out to do a Foxtrot, I almost groaned. This is a tough piece to do after the high energy of a Bollywood routine. However, I feel the couple really pulled this off. It was interesting, graceful, and well performed. Undoubtedly the best Foxtrot I've ever seen on the show. No, it didn't make my top three, but definitely one of the better performances of the night.
Doing a Wade Robson routine, Ashley and Kupono came out to perform jazz. The routine was definitely unique, as they portrayed crash test dummies throughout the routine. They did a great job at staying in the character that they were given to play. At the end of the day though, I don't think this routine was enough to become a favorite compared to many of the incredible routines performed throughout the show.
Out to save the day came Melissa and Ade, performing a Mandy Moore contemporary piece. I had really never noticed either of these dancers before this point. Melissa happens to be the oldest dancer this year, and last year it was the oldest dancer that got cut first. I don't think that will be happening this year. The routine was incredible. The dancing was strong and graceful by both of them, and it reached out and grabbed your heart. It actually made Adam Shankman tear up. These are two who I think will go a long way in this competition if they keep up this level of performance.
Last, but not least, Kayla and Max hit the stage. From the start Kayla has been a favorite for me, so I'd been waiting all night to see her take the stage. I wasn't disappointed with the Samba they performed. This was one of the night's best routines, and even though Kayla had never danced ballroom in her life, she did it brilliantly. The routine brought screams from Mary Murphy and raving reviews from Adam and Nigel. It wasn't hard to see why. It was sexy, sultry, earthy, and just incredibly HOT! What a way to end the night.
The first top 20 show was sensational. We saw some good dancing, some who needed a bit of improvement, and then some dancing that was absolutely incredible. This promises to be a great season, and from here it can only get better.
Stay tuned tomorrow morning for Tim's review of tonight's results show. We'll let you know who landed in the bottom three couples, the two that get cut, and whether we think this was the right choice.
Until next time….let me leave you with one thought on dance that I believe pertains to the show…"Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancing with the heart is another." ~ Unknown
P.S. Videos of my favorite performances from last night are below. Enjoy!
So You Think You Can Dance is perhaps the greatest reality TV show I have ever seen. It is has consistently beaten shows like American Idol and Dancing With the Stars in the ratings game as well as any other reality TV program out there. I have to tell you guys that I am seriously hooked on this show and I cannot wait to start blogging on it weekly. As you all know Joy who co-writes with me on a couple of blogs also wrote yesterday’s introduction to the show on Simple Man Entertainment and now I’m going to introduce you to this seasons dancers.
Here are your top 10 Girls:
1) Randi Evans: Randi age 23 is from Orem, Utah and attends Utah Valley University and is majoring in elementary education. Randi specializes in Jazz dance. 2) Karla Garcia: Karla age 23 is from Oxon Hill, Maryland. A graduate of New York University. Karla has also performed on Broadway in “Hot Feet”, danced in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular ensemble, and toured with “Wicked”. Karla specializes in both Jazz and Contemporary dance. 3) Caitlin Kinney: Caitlin age 21 is from Annapolis, Maryland. Caitlin graduated the Baltimore School of Arts and danced at the North Carolina dance Theater as an apprentice. Caitlin specializes in Contemporary dance. 4) Asuka Kondoh: Asuka age 25 is from San Francisco, California. Asuka graduated from the University of California at Irvine. Asuka is also a professional ballroom instructor. Asuka specializes in Latin Ballroom dance. 5) Janette Manrara: Janette age 25 is from Miami, Florida. She is currently attending Florida State University. She has studied Ballroom, Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, and Hip Hop. Janette specializes in Salsa dance. 6) Jeanine Mason: Jeanine age 18 is from Miami, Florida. Jeanine plans to attend the University of California. She has studied Ballet, Lyrical, Jazz, Hip Hop, Modern, and Contemporary dance styles. Jeanine specializes in Contemporary dance. 7) Kayla Radomski: Kayla age 18 is from Aurora, Colorado. Jeanine is a lifetime dancer as well as an actress and singer. Jeanine specializes in Jazz and Contemporary dance. 8) Melissa Sandvig: Melissa age 29 is from Los Alamitos, California. Melissa has danced with the Milwaukee Ballet Company, LA Opera, Long Beach Ballet, and Helios Dance Theater. Melissa specializes in Ballet dance. 9) Paris Torres: Paris age 19 is from Issaquah, Washington. A professional dance teacher, she was also a Miss Washington Teen pageant winner. Paris specializes in Contemporary dance. 10) Ashley Valerio: Ashley age 22 is from Mesa, Arizona. A lifetime dancer and performer. Ashley specializes in Contemporary dance.
Here are your top 10 guys:
1) Kupono Aweau: Kupono age 23 is from Honolulu, Hawaii. Kupono is a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools. Kupono specializes in Lyrical and Contemporary dance. 2) Tony Bellissimo: Tony age 20 is from Buffalo, New York. A lifetime dancer he also writes short stories and poems. Tony specializes in Hip Hop dance. 3) Brandon Bryant: Brandon age 19 is from Miami, Florida. Brandon currently attends Miami Dade College. Brandon specializes in Contemporary dance. 4) Phillip Chbeeb: Phillip age 20 is from Houston, Texas. Phillip Attends Loyola Marymount University as an engineering physics Major. Phillip also founded the Marvelous Motion Studio in Houston Texas. Phillip specializes in Popping dance. 5) Jason Glover: Jason age 21 is from Fresno, California. Jason has studied both Tap and Hip Hop and has also tapped on stage with Gregory Hines. Jason specializes in Lyrical and Contemporary dance. 6) Vitolio Jeune: Vitolio age 26 is from Petionville, Haiti. Vitolio graduated from Florida’s New World School of the Arts. Vitolio specializes in Contemporary dance. 7) Max Kapitannikov: Max age 26 is from Moscow, Russia. Max is a lifetime dancer whose family is steeped in dancing tradition and his mother teaches Ballet. Max also enjoys sculpting and playing guitar. Max specializes in Latin Ballroom dance. 8) Evan Kasprzak: Evan age 21 is from West Bloomfield, Michigan. Max attends Illinois Wesleyan University. Max specializes in Broadway dance. 9) Ade Obayomi: Ade age 20 is from Chandler, Arizona. Ade is currently attending Chapman University. Ade has performed at Radio City Music Hall. Ade specializes in Contemporary dance. 10) Jonathan Platero: Jonathan age 21 is from Sanford, Florida. Jonathan was a world salsa finalist in 2006-2007 and performed as a dancer in High School Musical. Jonathan specializes in Salsa dance.
There you have it my friends the top 20 dancers for this seasons So You Think You Can Dance. The competition starts tomorrow or Wednesday for those of you 2 hours ahead of me or more. I hope you enjoy the show and give us feedback on what you think about the show. There will be two posts for this show on here per week one on Thursday for the Wednesday show, and on Friday for the Thursday show.
I hope you all have a good evening and a wonderful Wednesday CIAO4NOW!!!!!
Welcome to Simple Man Entertainment. Today I want to introduce to you a great show - So You Think You Can Dance. Maybe you are already a fan, or maybe you have never seen the show before. If you haven't seen the show, you're definitely missing out!
Here at Simple Man Entertainment we believe in supplying you with information on all kinds of entertainment. I for one am a big proponent of the arts and we have decided to bring a little art into your life in the form of dance, by blogging on this show each week.
Currently the show's 5th season is playing. You can find it on FOX, from 7pm-9pm on Wednesdays and 8pm-9pm on Thursdays.
This show is basically a dance reality show, but it is definitely far different than most of the reality shows that you see on TV. If you like American Idol, this is so much better. In fact, it has beat out the ratings for American Idol for the past couple of years. The show was created by Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, who are both from the UK.
Why was the show even created? Well, a lot of this had to do with a vision that Nigel Lythgoe had - a vision to bring back dance to America. Although dance used to be very popular, true dance, as an art, had all but died in American culture. However, since the show's creation it has begun to bring back dance in American in a huge way. This is one of the reasons we feel this show is worth blogging about.
Basically the goal of the show is to find "America's Favorite Dancer." They go out to major cities, hold auditions, and a limited number of those who audition go on to the next level, which is a several day event that takes place in Las Vegas. Then the show picks 20 out of all those that go to Vegas (usually close to 200 end up in Vegas). When the top 20 is picked (10 girls and 10 guys) the main part of the show begins.
Each week couples dance together. The couples are chosen randomly and the dances are also given to them at random. They perform, and for the first few weeks, the judges critique them and eliminate one guy and one girl on the Thursday night show. This takes place until the top 10, when America alone gets to vote on the contestants. The guy and girl with the least votes go home. This takes place until the finale, which is the final four, when the top dancer is finally revealed.
The show celebrates creativity, music, and of course the art of dance. Many new types of dance have been introduced on the show. Do you know what Bollywood dancing is? It's been done on the show. Heard of Crumping? It's been made popular on the show.
The incredible thing is that the top 20 is comprised of dancers from all different styles. There are salsa dancers, hip hop dancers, street dancers, contemporary dancers, ballet dancers, poppers, and more.
That being said, our next post will introduce to you the top 20 that will be competing for the title of "America's Top Dancer" on So You Think You Can Dance this year.
P.S. Here are a couple GREAT videos from last years season to give you a bit of a taste...Enjoy!!!
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