This is..... Your Final 7.

Okey Dokey!!! It's been like lightyears since I last posted. I'm afraid this post will most likely turn out crap due to me actually physically forcing myself to post to avoid this blog from being deader than it already is. Well, the last thing I had on my mind was American Idol since I just watched it.

I will post my upcoming rant on the current state of the Music Industry if I can get myself to post after this.

So anyway, AI's top 7. We have, Kris, Lil' Rounds, Adam, Danny, Anoop, Matt, and Allison. In short, AI should have ended last week or 2 weeks ago and should just have crowned Adam winner, seems the show week after week is just a formality that will eventually lead up to that.

There, could've ended this post there. Oh but I won't, not to worry, I'll have a breakdown of the current state of the competition.

So, I'll start from the judges. Kara has actually proved me wrong in a way. I think her opinion actually makes sense most of the time, even if she still does seem a bit bitchy at selected times. I still think she was highly unnecessary though, and the farce that was last weeks episode where only 2 judges got to speak proves my point. Paula, on the other hand has gone off worse than ever, I seriously won't be surprised if someday they reveal that she snorts a truckload of Coke just before every show. Jumping around, pulling stupid faces and making far-out metaphors.

Crazy.

Contestants wise. I firmly think Adam is the winner of this season. I mean seriously, it's like man against boys here. Everyone is competing on 1 level and then Adam comes out and looks like a guest performer.

Closest we can get to an actual competitor is Danny but as much as I like the guy, I will admit that he fails to surprise us. Every week is a great performance though, very solid and consistent. But he dosn't have the same pull that Adam does, where you tune in week after week just to see what he will do next.

Anoop, Lil' Rounds, Kris and Matt are obviously just fillers even if Kris is slowly getting better. I really dislike the guy cause he's absolutely average but I'll have to say that, his performance today was pretty awesome. Today being Disco week, for those that aren't reading my blog on a day-to-day basis. Lil is definitely out, and shoulda been earlier. Same boring shit every week. Anoop meanwhile, I think he saved Matt for another week. Those 3 should be the bottom 3 but comparing Anoop and Matt, I think Anoop actually did worse.

The judges meanwhile fawn over their dark-horse, who has a face to match her title, Allison. Haha sorry, that was a cheap shot but yea I really don't like her and I don't see why the judges praise her every week. I get the feeling that people just support the youngest there everytime because... hmm, come to think of it, I dunno people do it, underdog votes perhaps?

So yea, she's just another chubby 16 year old who wants to be a rocker chick. I'll admit the tone of her voice is alright, husky and pretty suitable for rock n roll. But I see her being marketed as just another gimmick. If she wanted people to take her seriously, she would be in a band because thats what her talents would be best utilised. Then again maybe she will after this, after an increased profile.

So, thats the verdict so far to anyone who gives a damn. Danny Adam final with Adam winning it cleanly. Lil Rounds and Anoop to be eliminated next.

Until my next post,
See yas.

Fashion often starts off beautiful and becomes ugly,
Art meanwhile, starts out ugly, and sometimes, becomes beautiful.

This is..... American Idol

Okay, got off my lazy ass and decided to post something, just to get the flow going again. I'm sorry if this post will sound half-assed but I'm gonna just write it off the cuff cause I need a kickstart.

Alright, anyone who watches TV knows that American Idol 2009 has started and as of today has swung into full gear by starting with our Final 13. I would've done week by week updates from hollywood week but was frankly just abit too lazy.

So I'm gonna keep this brief and summarize what I have to say about the show since the first episode of this season. Right, here we go.

American Idol is something that everyone subconsciously waits for if you've been following it from seasons before. It just gives you something mini to look forward to on TV. And of course is a talking point.

However, I really felt this season's AI is starting to get jaded and frankly a little boring. It's obvious they feel the same on their side, wringing the changes left right and center. I think this year's show should be the last but as we all know, franchises will be milked for all they're worth and I can still see it going, 2 or 3 years from now, nothing but a bag of gimmicks.

So, anyway. First and most obvious change Kara Dioguardi. Up yours if you think I care that I spelt it wrong. I think they attempted to maybe make it fresh by bringing another unnecessary addition to the well balanced judging table. FAIL. I, like many people, think that the reason why AI is so popular and entertaining is due to the right balance of things on the show. Brilliant host in Ryan Seacrest, entertaining judging table in the 3 judges, etc. Add one more to that and the show slows down a little.

Firstly, just look at her and you can tell she can be a bitch, and she showed it to Bikini Girl during the earlier rounds. Also I don't see why they need her, she can't grasp the concept of speaking into a microphone or the concept that the mic picks up your hands banging on the table. We have Paula, who's constantly high so she only says good things, then Simon to counter-balance that by speaking sense, albeit in an overly harsh way. Then we have Randy to be a balance between the 2. Kara has some weird mood swings, sometimes she is as nice as Paula and sometimes she verges on being Simon. In any case, absolutely unnecessary and a clear sign the producers feel the show has stagnated.

I feel the different way of qualifying to the finals is actually a pretty good audition and out of the pool I think the system did select the best 13, even if Jamar from hollywood didn't even make it to the final 36.

This is getting a tiny bit long so I'm gonna cut to the exciting part, the contestants. I feel this years contestants are pretty average and some of them are just there to make up the numbers. But first of all, let us thank god that Tatiana did not make it through.

OK, in a nutshell, there are only 5 of them that are even worthy listening to.

Danny, who already sounds like a recording artist, and also sings with so much emotion and this combined with the fact that his wife died a few weeks before the competition and he's doing this for her, means he is a clear favourite. I will say that he will at the very least be in the top 3, if not the final 2.

Adam Lambert. Boy, this guy, to borrow the judges words, is in a class of his own. I personally feel he has an unfair advantage over the rest in that he was part of the cast of the stage play, Wicked which is a fairly large production. That obviously means he has the singing chops and as we saw, he is supremely confident on stage. Problem is I think he's the typical emo kid. If America accepts him, easily into the top 3.

Lil' Rounds. Your typical black singer. This girl reminds me of Fantasia, Latoya London and Mary J all rolled into one. With the lack of blacks in this years edition, she might just nick it. At least top 4 for me. Only problem being that with typical black singers like she is, it might get a little boring after a few shows.

Scott McIntyre. Not sure of the spelling but he's the blind guy. His courage is just stunning. I really feel this guy whenever he sings and he's just so likeable. I'm just waiting for the week where he can sing Josh Groban and I hope he does "You raise me up". He'll obviously get sympathy votes but realistically I don't think he will win it. Top 5.

Apart from the 4, which I feel are clear favourites, I also really like Alexis, she's just such a cute little pixie and boy does she have soul. The tone of her voice is really something special. I also think Matt is pretty cool. He looks a bit like Justin Timberlake and he knows what he wants to do. They'll fall somewhere along the wayside though, but maybe appear on the music charts sometime in the future?

Alright, now for the rest of them. I think the fillers are Sawyer or whatever his name is, the oil rig dude. He's such a nice guy but do we really need another Rubben Studdard or Taylor Hicks? Average at everything. Same goes for Kris. Absolutely average in every way.

Jasmine is such a sweet girl but her voice borders on being irritating with all the screaming. She'll always be in Lil Roundss' shadow so I doubt she will go far. I like the other girl purely for her hair but she's such a gimmick, the one with red hair. Just another typical rocker chick wannabe. These girls would do so much better in bands. She actually reminds me of the nurse from last season.

Last girl, Megan. This one is a pure and utter joke. I have no idea why she's in the final 13. Her singing is so average and from tonights performance, she made a mockery of the show. What do you think this is? The 70s? Her dancing is also irritating as hell, with her hips swaying thing. As usual though, beauty can take you places, as we saw with Kristy last season. I think her tattoo is cool though. But kick her out fast.

And lastly Anoop and Jorge. Anoop has such a smooth voice and he looks like a cool dude but I don't think he has the consistency to make it far. His lack of experience shows on stage and in song choice. Jorge is just such a lovable guy. He's funny and he does have a great voice. But not for American Idol, the fact that he has to work on his accent makes it a little to hard for him. Unless they allow him to sing Juanes or something every week cause I think he can break into the Latino market.

Oh well, thats about it. If I missed anyone they probably didn't deserved to be mentioned anyway. Lets see what new system they put into the results show. I'm guessing it will give the judges some form of control. Prediction on elimination, hmm. If 2 are out, I would say Megan and maybe Kris, cause his votes are split with Matts and who performs better out of the 2 will stay, and Matt did pretty well. Bottom 4 would be Megan, Kris, Anoop and Jorge though. But the fact that Anoop and Jorge have their own independant voters in Indians and Puerto Ricans mean that I think they're in slightly stronger positions. However as we all know, surprises do happen. The voters are the same ones who once voted Bush into Presidency and Taylor Hicks all the way to winning.

Life, is too short when we're having fun,
but too long when we're not.

Chick of the Week: Scarlett Johansson

Sigh busy busy busy has been keeping me from my beloved blog so this week I will give all of you a treat. Scarlett Johansson!! There's just something about her that really draws me to her. She's really beautiful and in a classy way too, with a beautiful smile. Enchanting.

The fact that she's only 24 might be surprising as the New York-born girl has been in quite a few movies, namely The Horse Whisperer and Lost in Translation. She has also released an album covering Tom Wait's songs. Unfortunately though, it's not that good, speaking from experience. However 2 movies that really have me captivated and first got my attention were The Island and The Prestige. I thought she was absolutely stunning in both.

Unlike the rest of Hollywood which is stick thin, Miss Johansson actually has some curves and apparently dosn't believe in Hollywood diets. Unfortunately for us though, she IS married to Ryan Reynolds. Oh well, we can see her next in He's Just Not That Into You which is due this year. Until then, enjoy.

Absolutely captivating.

Oh god....

Favourite of the bunch.

Isnt it Ironic,
That Rush Hour, is the slowest time of the day.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Ah, hello again dear readers, as usual the preliminaries, Uni work, inter-department football training and playing games has prevented me from updating more frequently. Nevertheless, I was at Signature, the Gardens to catch The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which much like it's name, made me curious to watch it soon as I heard it's "story".

What the story is about.
The movie starts showing us a dieing woman telling her daughter her life story, details are not made clear but it seems the daughter almost regrets not spending more time with her mother and they're not exactly close. Anyway the brief outline of the story is, after the war, a baby is born, his mother dies in the process of giving birth. His father, so distraught, picks up the baby and it's the ugliest thing ever. He runs out and leaves the baby at a welfare house. The caretaker of the home takes the baby as her own and nurses it. It appears the baby is affected by all kinds of diseases, the kind old dieing people get.

This is where the movie "begins". Benjamin Button starts growing up, but he is no normal child. Physically he grows younger every year, but mentally he is normal, growing older. As you can probably tell his life will not ever be normal and the movie sweeps us into his life as he attempts to find his purpose in life, and find love among other things along the way.

Who is in the movie.
Brad Pitt adds another feather to his cap, doing so well as Benjamin Button. He pushes through the age dimension and you recognise him, no matter at what age. Cate Blanchett really ups my respect for her again. Thoroughly versatile, she ages beside Brad Pitt and is really his contrast. Holding her own against him, I really thought she did extremely well. Well the movie is really based around these 2 but other notable members of the cast included, Tilda Swindon, whom you might remember from Constantine, Jason Flemyng as Thomas Button, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali plays Tizzy and last but not least Taraji P. Henson as Queenie, the caretaker, who was brilliant.


Why you must watch this movie.
When I left the cinema and the movie finished, I felt a little blown away by what I had witnessed for the past 3 hours. Yes, the movie is very long, almost 3 hours but when your in there, it definitely does not feel like 3 hours. It really just flows on by. From Benjamin's childhood all the way to his "old age".

The first thing I would compare this movie to is Big Fish. If you loved Big Fish, you will most definitely love this movie. The idea of it is so farfetched but it works. They manage to put it across in a manner that dosn't have you asking questions every few seconds. Going into the movie I was already questioning myself how it would turn out. But they do it extremely well, making everything simple to digest and in the process just nudging the story on, making it easy to follow.

I really take my hat off to Brad Pitt. His portrayal of Benjamin Button really sucks you in, you feel for him, you want him to do well, you cheer him on. Even from a young age they somehow manage to make it look like Brad Pitt and boy does he transform in front of your eyes. The makeup is simply mindboggling but I'll come back to that later. The fantastic thing about Brad Pitt is not only does his character transform physically, he mentally transforms too, one going younger and one going older. The way he manages to do this really is just astounding. He grows as a man and slowly finds his place.

Any review of this movie wouldn't be complete without mentioning Cate Blanchett though. She is the normal person in the movie and is the "control" unit to Brad Pitt, showing you what age they are at the moment in time. She plays his love interest, Daisy and boy does she pull this one off. Much like Benjamin, you watch her grow throughout the movie, from a young girl, to a ballerina, a grown woman, and finally a dieing one. This woman is seriously versatile and I would say she is definitely one of the best drama actresses of our time. She exudes a beauty I did not notice before and she is one classy lady. Breathtaking performance.

Coming back to make-up though, I think they will win, or come close to picking up an Oscar in this department. This really just stands out in the movie. The visual effects used on Benjamin are superb as you see him grow backwards, from a 70-year old Brad Pitt to a teenage one. Very believeable. Same goes for Cate Blanchett, she grows from a young pretty Ballerina into a beautiful mother and gracefully ages in front of you.

There are so many quotable quotes from this movie, quirky ones similar to those in Forest Gump. The way he moves around questions of his age and quotes that shape his life. The script does not bore in a way some 3 hour movies can. No babbling on about nonsense, very to the point, and witty.

Unlike Big Fish though, where it's a happy and quirky through out, Curious Case is different. It's a slightly darker tale of a misfit in life, trying to get by. While your not laughing with him or cheering him along, you want to cry for him. The movie is a sad tale of how this man can never live properly cause in a way, he's old his whole life. When he was "young" he had to act old because it was simply how he was treated for looking that way, and when his appearance grew younger he was old in though and mind. The things he had to sacrifice along the way and how he has to live his life are pretty sad as well.

Overall though, you want to watch this movie. It's something so different, unique. It might drag along a little in the middle but you'll hardly feel it. All the actors do brilliant jobs and it's just enjoyable through-out despite it being a sad story. Go out, take the time to enjoy this in the cinema and you'll be glad you did.

8.5/10

We're meant to lose the people we love.
How else would we know how important they are to us?

Music for the Lounge.

Alright, after a considerable pause in which I have started Uni and then celebrated CNY, I feel it's time to post again. Since I've been labeled a "womanizer" because I post nice pictures of hot women, this week I'll go back to giving you guys and girls some music. Don't panic though, my chick of the week series will be back when I find another nice one.

So down to business. This week's music will be something slightly different and maybe less played or known but it'll be lounge music. Lounge music is very wide ranging from soft jazz to upbeat modern electro beats. Well my compilation is a sort of middle ground.

Have chic chill-out parties that you can't really find the music to go with? This will be suitable for you, it's chilled out, laid back, yet the beat is not too slow to ensure you have a jazzy background to people mingling or just chilling out. Y'know, music that would even be at home at a swanky art gallery party or something like that. Or even, after a long day, you just want to sit back, have a drink and enjoy for a bit, this is for you.

Ladies and gentlemen, music:

1) Incubus - Are You In? (Paul Oakenfold remix)
Alright Incubus and Paul Oakenfold might turn you off abit for lounge stuff but fear not. This is definitely one of my favourite lounge songs, the beat is so chill out the whole vibe of the song just really flows along.

2) Bebel Gilberto - Aganju (The Latin Project remix)
Now this is almost the epitome of lounge music in my opinion. As it is, Bebel Gilberto is one of my favourite musicians because her music is just beautiful, if you want softer lounge music definitely check out her stuff. This remix ups the tempo a little, giving the song a beat and just adding that little bit of chic to it. Suitable loud or just flowing background music. I made up this post almost solely based around this song.

3) Jazzanova - No Use (feat. Clara Hill)
Jazzanova, another of the lounge specialists. This is one band where you can just put them on and do other stuff (mingle, surf the net). It's inobtrusive yet it just gives you something to groove to in the background. All their stuff just goes along, with classy beats to compliment the jazzy melodies. Great for dress-up parties.

4) Liquid Lounge - Complete Life (Jazzanova remix)
As you can see, the artist's name is already Liquid Lounge, complete with a Jazzanova remix, the song builds slowly and bounces along, bubbling just under the surface. Once again you can just leave it on softly and you may not notice each and every note or melody in the song but this is where it excels, in the background hardly noticed but appreciated. It's a long song but you probably won't notice it is as it's just chilled out beats.

Hope you guys and girls enjoy this one, something a little different.

You can download it here.

The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe,
is that none of it has tried to contact us.