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Michael Cera Saves "Year One." Kind Of.

2009-06-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

The first time I saw the trailer for Year One, I had this gut feeling that most of the funny parts were in the trailer. And after seeing the movie last night, I can safely say that I was about 89% correct. Despite its being a "caveman comedy," I have to admit I had high hopes for Year One-- Michael Cera, Jack Black, Judd Apatow, David Cross-- how can you go wrong? But I guess you can go wrong, because I don't think the movie was as good as it could have been-- the film definitely had its funny moments, but I definitely laughed more during Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Knocked Up. Admittedly, Apatow has set the bar high for himself (even despite the occasional slip-up--Zohan, anybody?), but I was expecting more just the same.

That being said, I think Michael Cera was probably the saving grace of Year One. While he seems to have reprised the awkward, yet well-meaning, put-upon sidekick role (albeit this time in a bedhead wig and a loin cloth,) Cera's comedic charm runs rampant in this movie, and somehow, he manages to bring a certain pathos to the movie's pervasive toilet humor (and yes, I am aware I just used the words "pathos" and "toilet humor" in the same sentence). So while it doesn't measure up to the Apatow comedies of summers past, Year One might just help you forget about the recession for an hour or so.

Screw Air Guitar, Let's Have Air Sex

2009-06-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

Get ready, because the Air Sex World Championships (think Air Guitar, without the guitar....) is coming to Los Angeles (to Echoplex on June 26, to be exact.)

Now, I can see how watching people having imaginary sex could be somewhat funny, but I can also see how this could be sorta gross. And while the rule stipulate no nudity (since the Echoplex serves alcohol,) and that all orgasms must be simulated "or at least arguably so," I wouldn't be surprised if a contestant or two broke the rules. Eww.

Beam Me "Up," Pixar

2009-06-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

I saw Up in 3-D over the weekend and I absolutely loved it. However, I wouldn't really recommend seeing it in 3-D. It's not worth the extra money, even though I did look pretty cool in the Rivers Cuomo-style 3-D glasses. I thought the story was pretty quirky (even by Pixar standards)-- I found the whole talking dog thing to be hilarious, even though it was a little odd that talking Bulldogs and Doberman Pinscher were roaming around the mountains of South America. I only had one gripe throughout the movie: I know it's a cartoon and I'm supposed to put common sense aside (they did fly to South America in a Victorian airlifted by balloons), but throughout the movie I couldn't stop wondering about the kid's mom. Wasn't she freaking out back at home wondering what happened to her son? But common sense aside, I thought it was one of the better movies I've seen this summer for the following reasons:

Chubby kids, chubby dogs, and little old men are the cutest things known to man, when combined, the combination is fatal.
"Dogs Playing Poker" NEVER gets old.
A female bird named Kevin.

Mock New York Times Wedding Announcements?! I think I'm In Love...

2009-06-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday I had what NPR lovingly refers to as a "driveway moment." If you don't speak ~~nerd~~ NPR then here's the gist: You're listening to NPR in the car and when you get to wherever you're going, you end up sitting in your parked car because the story on the radio is SO incredibly compelling you don't want to get out and miss the end. The story in question was a review of the book Weddings of the Times (it was broadcast on yesterday's edition of All Things Considered), and essentially it's a collection of mock New York Times-esque wedding announcements. A friend got me hooked on reading Sunday NYT's weddings section a couple years ago, and now I am shamelessly addicted-- I'm still undecided as to whether or not this makes me a voyeur or a hopeless romantic. And since I'm also a fan of ridiculous satires a la John Hodgman's The Area's of My Expertise (after writing this I've just realized that Hodgman has written the forward for Weddings of the Times--am I psychic or what?) this book is either my literary soulmate or my arch nemesis (I'm simultaneously enamored with the concept and incensed that I didn't come up with this idea first).

Here's an excerpt:

Caroline Hanson, Dean Van Wyck

Caroline Hanson was married to Dean Van Wyck on Saturday at the Peach Tree farm in Scarsdale, NY. The bride, 33, wore a strapless white Vera Wang wedding gown.
The bridegroom, 38, wore tight-fitting purple breeches, a white silk shirt, a fox-fur mantle, and a livery collar from which was suspended a diamond the size of a walnut."

Scarlett Johansson Wants to Be the Next Zooey Deschanel Brigette Bardot

2009-06-02T09:25:00.001-07:00

I don't try to hide the fact that I'm not really fan of Scarlett Johansson. I know most ~~men~~ people think she's God's gift to the world, but frankly I think she's a pretty mediocre actress. So you can imagine the extent of my scoffing when she came out with that Tom Waits cover album a while back. And perhaps after hearing some of the not-so-complimentary reviews of her solo album, Johansson has teamed with Pete Yorn for her next release, Break Up. If you ask Johansson she'll say that the album was inspired by the Serge Gainsbourg- Brigette Bardot collaboration. (Now she wants to be Marilyn and Brigette?!? Sigh.) But it seems more likely that Johansson has decided ~~rip off~~ to take a cue from fellow actress-singer Zooey Deschanel (who teamed up with singer-songwriter M. Ward to form the duo She & Him). Now, I love Pete Yorn (I played Musicforthemorningafter to death in the early '00s), and I know he hasn't been able to live up to the buzz generated by his debut album, but Scarlett Johansson??? Isn't that getting a little bit desperate? Even Leighton Meester would have been a better choice!

Meet the New Hot Chip: Passion Pit

2009-05-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

So I've become a little bit obsessed with the band Passion Pit. While I have to say I really don't care for the band name (it sounds like a dirty Vegas strip joint), their music is so good, they could be called Live! Nude! Girls! for all I care. If I had to draw a comparison to another band, I'd say they sound like a less-robotic version of Hot Chip, although at times they channel a sound that rivals (and probably surpasses) The Postal Service ( listen to "Live to Tell the Tale" to see what I'm talking about). If you're too lazy to click on the "Live to Tell the Tale" link you HAVE to at least watch the "Sleepyhead" video. The song is amazing and the video is pretty freaking awesome.

Filled With Glee (Or Something Like It)

2009-05-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

So after hearing all the buzz about Glee, I decided to see what all the fuss is about-- since I'm one of the few people in America who does not watch American Idol, I watched the pilot on Hulu. And I have to admit I was a little impressed. I was expecting a High School Musical ripoff, and what I got was a subtly funny, and somewhat touching show about a ragtag band of high school students and teachers in Ohio. And while I understand showing the pilot post-American Idol was a smart marketing move, I can't help but wonder whether the American public will be able to remember that they took a liking to this show when fall rolls around. Will they still be curious whether Rachel and Finn ever get together? Will they care whether or not Mr. Schuester finds out how much his co-worker Emma adores him? Will they remember how much they want Mr. Schuester to tell off his ridiculously irritating wife? And more importantly, since they've already rolled out the big guns (it doesn't get bigger than a song-and-dance number set to the music of Journey), can there possibly be anything else to look forward to? Only fall will tell.

Star Trek Movie Review or J.J. Abrams, What Were You Thinking?!

2009-05-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

So last night I saw Star Trek, and I'm pretty much convinced that high fructose corn syrup has addled the brains of a majority of Americans, because this movie was pretty gosh darn awful. The dialogue was ridiculous, the storyline was uninspired, and even the set looked cheap. How did this manage to get a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes?!? When it came down to it, Star Trek was about the eye candy, and if I really wanted eye candy I would have saved my $12 and watched an episode of Gossip Girl.

All the Not-So-Singular Ladies

2009-05-13T17:52:00.000-07:00

I've always wondered, what my stage name would be if I became a famous recording artist. My name is way too ordinary to look cool on an album cover. Like would Feist be as cool if she was Jones? Probably not. And that always got be wondering how people end up picking their stage names, because Lord knows I can barely decide on a screen name without going through some mental anguish. And after some careful thought, I've come to a conclusion as to what the ordinary-named do when they become famous (well, the female ones anyhow), they become "ladies."

Yes, that's right. You have your Lady Gaga (Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta), Ladyhawke (Philipa "Pip" Brown-- who probably didn't need a stage name, Pip Brown is kinda cool), Ladytron (this name applies to a whole group, but I'm letting slide for the sake of continuity), Lady Sovereign (Louise Amanda Harman-- definitely needed the stagename in her case), etc...

I don't know about you, but I think I've had it with the "ladies." What's next? Dames? Countesses? Duchesses?

The LA Times Needs a Kick in the Shins

2009-05-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, an interview with Shins lead singer James Mercer was printed in the LA Times, and if this is what newspapers are coming to, then perhaps the slow, painful demise of print journalism is a good thing.

'"Chutes Too Narrow" was the breakthrough album in 2003, and the Shins sound became only more refined and complex.'

Ok, so A) Chutes Too Narrow is not the Shins' greatest album (although I do have to say, I love "Pink Bullets"), and I would hardly call it a breakthrough. And B), If you have to refer to a so-called "breakthrough" Shins album, it is undoubtedly Oh, Inverted World. OIW is amazing from start to finish, and really cemented the Shins in the indie pop scene. Good God, even Zach Braff knows that!

The Fashion Show's James-Paul: Christian Siriano Lite?

2009-05-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

I am a BIG Project Runway fan. And like many people out there, was a little dismayed when I heard the show got sold to Lifetime: Network for Women and Terrible made-for-TV movies starring people like Tori Spelling. So when I heard The Fashion Show was going to fill Bravo's reality fashion TV show void, I felt a little less betrayed. Until I watched the first episode that is. Not only were the clothes horrendous, but I just kept on feeling like it was a second-rate Project Runway. Which brings me to my case in point, the James-Paul/Christian Siriano connection. Not only do both of these young fashion designers have a striking resemblance (dark glasses, petite build, long dark bangs, cute button-ish nose), but both worked at Vivienne Westwood in London. Coincidence? I think not. Time will only tell whether James-Paul will develop a catch phrase (tigerish? savage? feral?) that Bravo can turn into a T-shirt slogan.

Why, hello there

2009-05-09T17:41:00.000-07:00

At one point or another everybody has some kind of witty comment to make about something. Here are some mine-- witty comments, that is.