Podcast: The Demented Encyclopedia #1.

This is the first episode of The Demented Encyclopedia, the podcast that joins bloggers Travis McCollum of The Movie Encyclopedia, and... well... me.

This first episode is a bit of a long one, partly due to the topics at hand, and partly due to it being the first episode and having to get some explanations out of the way. The episode is split up into six segments.

Plugs (3 Minutes)

I plug my Idol Chatter: American Idol Live Blogs.

Travis plus his blog's Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains Castoff Interviews.

Main Topic (25 Minutes)

The main topic of discussion this week is the Oscars, from what we thought of the winners to the controversies therein.

Reality Round-Up (40 Minutes)

A weekly feature, at least until the seasons end, the Reality Round-Up covers the past week in both American Idol and Survivor. The Idol talk goes on a bit too long here (roughly 31 minutes), but mostly because we have some catching up to do. We both doubt future discussions will last even remotely close to that long. Survivor talk, on the other hand, goes by pretty fast (clocking in around 9 minutes), as we talk about a couple things from the past episode and who we think will win it all (a villain, of course).

If I Had Written/Directed ________ (9 Minutes)

Another regular feature, this one goes into what we would do had we been in charge of certain films. In other words, the negatives that we'd clean up. The theme this week? Oscar films, of course. Travis takes on Avatar, while I take a stab at Up in the Air. Oh... and a bit of a spoiler for that last one if you haven't seen it yet.

Recommend a... (12 Minutes)

This feature allows us to briefly recommend something that the mass population might not be to familiar with. I recommend a small Canadian horror film called Pontypool, while Travis discusses the newly released DVD for the best of That Guy With The Glasses.

Monologue of the Week (6 Minutes)

The final segment wraps up the show as we each choose a monologue to dramatically reenact. I choose the opening monologue to Pontypool, while Travis goes the more comedic route with a stand-up routine he's quite fond of.

And that does it for the first episode. Special thanks to Kevin MacLeod's Incompetech website for his royalty-free music. Please, let us know what you think! What do you want to hear more of? What do you want to hear less of (besides American Idol)? What did you think overall?

Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #3.3.

[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]

It's results show time! My thoughts as to the potentials going home? Girls: Paige and either Katie, Katelynn, or, potentially, Lilly (if based on vocals alone). Guys: I really have no idea. If based on popularity and not vocals, then Tim Urban and Todrick... but of course, the irony would be that they go home the week both are actually really good and not when they both suck.

7:00: Recap of the last 2 nights. And a reminder, yet again, that the Top 12 will be revealed tonight. Can't wait!

7:01: Ryan: "This... is American Idol!"

7:02: Oh God, Matt and Scott from last season are doing a duet tonight. Let's just hope they've both improved.

7:03: Top 16 singing Michael Buble. Quite enjoyable.

7:10: Ryan announces that the first theme week will be The Rolling Stones. Sweet. On to the eliminations. Girls are up first. Didi's first, so she's safe. She's talking through her teeth. Anywho... yeah, she's safe.

7:12: Siobhan is up next. Totally safe. And... yup.

7:13: Ohhh, Paige and Katelynn are called up at the same time. One is safe, the other is going home. My call is Paige. And the one going home is... Katelynn? Damnit! Yeah, this is no singing competition. I'm not saying Katelynn's an amazing singer or one of my favorites, but damn was Paige awful.

7:15: Now for the obligatory "Let's have them sing the song America hated right after they were given bad news." Or LHTSTSAHRATWGBN, if you're into the whole brevity thing.

7:21: Switching over the guys real quick. Wow, Ryan calls up Tim, Todrick, Lee, and Casey all at once. Interesting. Tim's waiting, and we go to Todrick. Now to Lee. And now some Casey. So who the hell is leaving and who is staying? Casey is... safe! Hell yeah.

7:23: Tim is... safe! WTF? But OK. He was good last night. Todrick and Lee are left? LAME. That means one of them is going home? It better be Todrick. And the person going home is...

7:24: Todrick. Alrighty then. I actually really liked Todrick's performance last night, but Lee did deserve to move on.

7:25: I actually don't mind this LHTST... forget it, the re-sing. It's not as energetic as last night, but that's understandable. He did just get told he didn't make it into the Top 12. Though that final run was really good. And the judges thought that little re-sing was fantastic.

7:32: And we're back. Scott and Matt from last season doing Billy Joel. If you don't remember Scott and Matt, Scott was the blind guy and Matt was the one who could never figure out what kind of artist he was, so he had maybe 1 good week for every 3 bad. Matt's actually doing really well right now. Scott... not so much. And now for a bit of dueling pianos... and back to singing. That was pretty fun. Matt was excellent. Scott was way pitchy.

7:35: Wow, Scott has an album out. Lol... Scott: "It's good to see you, Ryan." For those that don't remember, there were some issues last season between Scott and Ryan, such as Ryan going to give Scott high fives and forgetting he can't see. So there were some funny running jokes.

7:40: And we're back. Crystal Bowersox is up. Oh, she's totally safe. And I'll go slay some people if she's not. She's safe. Though she doesn't seem to be looking well.

7:41: Big Mike's up! He'll be safe, especially after last night. And even if it weren't for last night, he has a huge (no pun intended) fan base. Yeah, he's safe. lol@Ryan, though. "Do you think you could fit on one stool?"

7:43: Lacey's up. I suppose that means she's safe, too. Yup.

7:44: Aaron's up. Bleh. I guess he's OK, then. He's got the tween girls' vote, which is basically the David Archuletta vote... and that's a powerful vote. And he's through.

7:45: Two guys left. Alex "The Mullet" Lambert and Andrew Garcia. I'd say it should be Alex, because I don't really care for his voice. But I'm thinking Andrew's going home. And the second guy going home is...

7:47: The Mullet! Wow. Color me surprised. I love me some Andrew, but I really did figure Alex was gonna stick around. Poor guy. Let's hear his re-song. As I'm listening to this, I'm realizing that the two girls left are Katie and Lilly. If it's based on vocals for the other night purely, Lilly'd be gone. But if it's based on vocals overall, Katie's going home. And based on popularity, I'd say Katie's going home. So I'm pretty sure Katie's going home. But we'll see... right after the commercials.

7:55: Back... apparently some intense emotions during the commercial break with Alex. But we gotta move on and figure out which girl is going home. And the last girl going home is...

7:56: Lilly! Holy crap on a popsickle stick. Katie just beat a bunch of odds. But Lilly really was God awful this week, despite the judges' (bizarre) comments to the contrary. Unfortunately, I'm now subjected to her terrible re-sing. I almost wish it would have been like Todrick and she'd gone home with a much better song. Though actually, I think she sang it better tonight than she did the other day.

7:59: The "journey" video--the video of clips that show the journies of those going home and how they got to this point.

8:01: Going a bit overtime here, but now we have our Top 12. And next week they'll be doing The Rolling Stones! Hope it goes well.

Final Thoughts: Some obvious, some surprises... still can't believe Paige is still there... or Tim, despite his good performance last night. Also can't believe Katie made it over Lilly (again, despite her terrible performance this week). But oh well. Crystal, Casey, Lee, and Big Mike are still around, so that's good. See y'all next week!

Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #3.2.

[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]

Welcome to the second night of the Top 16 performances. It's time for the Top 8 Guys. Let's hope it's better than the girls (I find myself saying that on a weekly basis, don't I?). Let's see if Casey can continue his "great" streak, if Alex "The Mullet" Lambert can finally impress me, if Tim Urban is still ungodly terrible, if Lee continues to get better, if Todrick will make Big Mike the only contestant of color left on the show (since we know Paige will be going home tomorrow), if Aaron can get past his "Jonas Brothers" feel, and if Andrew proves he peaked too early.

8:00: Ryan: "This... is American Idol."

8:02: Oh God, I'm so conflicted. Lee = really good. "Fireflies" by Owl City = insanely, horribly annoying. I'm not sure I can get over my bias against this song to like it. His gruff voice helps it a little, but I'm not sure this was the right song for him.

8:03: Randy thought it was a strange song choice, but he made it his own. Ellen likes he made it a little rock. Kara thinks he looks confident, and how he made it a better song with his version... I can agree with that, since it can't get any worse than the original. Simon doesn't think he had a "moment" with that song, and that he's better than that song, but he likes his progress over the last 3 weeks and thinks he has a good chance at being in the Top 12.

8:11: The Mullet is up with "Trouble" by Ray Lamontagne. His singing isn't bad, but I hate the tone of his voice. I'm sorry, I just can't get over it. It's almost exactly like James Blunt, and James Blunt just drives me crazy. I can't stand his voice.

8:13: Randy thought he could have done a bit more with the song. Ellen finally has her own opinion and disagrees with Randy, thinking he's getting better and better every week. Kara: "The only thing standing in the way of you winning is you right now." Simon agrees that he needs more confidence and needs to relax.

8:16: "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley now by Tim Urban. He's finally impressing me for once. But now he's gone up from Sanjaya to Jason Castro (who blew me away with this same song a couple seasons ago). But seriously, finally... he did something good.

8:18: Randy thought he did a pretty good job. Ellen got out of her seat to go hug him and tell him he's fantastic. And that's the first time a judge has ever left the panel to go on stage with a contestant. Kara thought he was going home a few weeks ago, and now thinks he might be in it. Simon: "I kind of feel responsible for you doing well tonight." Such a Simon thing to say.

8:25: Andrew Garcia is up. Let's hope he redeems himself. He's doing "Genie in a Bottle" by Christina Aguilara. Uh huh. Ha... it's actually good. He was commended in the past for changing up a Paula Abdul song. So maybe he's only good at singing 80s/90s female pop songs? Kinda strange, but OK.

8:27: Randy thinks it was a very interesting song choice, but it didn't quite work for him. Ellen thought it was a great song choice, but it wasn't until the end when she was really surprised by it. Kara: "You peaked so early." Yup. Simon agrees with Kara, and thought it was a little desperate. But I feel so bad for him, because the judges refuse to judge him without comparing him to that Paula Abdul song.

8:34: No! Casey! Not country! He's singing "You'll Think of Me" by Keith Urban and... I actually like it. It doesn't really sound country. Yeah... this proves that Casey is amazing. He made me like a country song.

8:36: Randy thought it was a little safe. Ellen thought it was great. Kara is "kinda back on the Casey train." But we know she's really just trying to separate herself from the sexual stuff. Simon thinks it's been his "second best." But overall, they liked him, as did I.

8:38: Ugh. More country. Aaron is singing "I'm Already There" by Lonestar... and it's terrible. It's horribly pitchy. This is painful to listen to, and not just because it's country. It's just... it's like he forgot how to sing. Maybe he and Lilly Scott drank from the same Kool-Aid this week. Both are good singers, both did country, both sounded terrible.

8:40: Randy thought it was really good. Ellen didn't like it. Kara says the song is in the third person. Since when is "I" in the third person? Simon calls Kara rubbish. I liked his comment about how "if we keep telling them 'you can't do this, you can't do that' or we'll just confuse them. It was a good song, get over it." That was great. But yeah, not a great song choice (or vocal).

8:47: Todrick is up with "Somebody to Love" by Queen. And... I'm not hating it. In fact, it's pretty good (but I love Queen). See, Casey should have done Queen instead of country. I actually think this was Todrick's best performance, hands down.

8:49: Randy: "Todrick is back!" Ellen loved it. Kara: "There were times I didn't know whether to laugh at it or love it." What a biotch. Simon thinks he's more of a broadway singer, but commends him for attempting to fight for the Top 12 (and it may have saved him).

8:54: Big Mike is up with "This Woman's Work" by Maxwell. Sorry Big Mike, by Maxwell should be banned from American Idol. His vocals are good, though. Really, really good, actually. Just don't care for the song. But I suppose if anyone could pull off that song, it's Big Mike.

8:56: Randy: "...really? Really really?" lol. He loved it. Ellen: "The show just began." Kara is crying. Yeah, really. Simon: "This was so needed tonight." And he says it was the best performance they've had of all the live shows thus far.

8:59: Recap. Lee + Owl City = Head explosion. The Mullet + James Blunt = Illegal Cloning. Tim Urban + Good singing = WTF? Andrew Garcia + Genie In A Bottle = tee hee. Casey + Country = Pleasant Surprise. Aaron + Country = Bleeding Ears. Todrick + Queen = Amazingly surprising. Big Mike + Maxwell = Superb vocals for a moderately annoying song.

Final Thoughts: Some incredibly interesting choices, and a ton of surprises. When I can say that I liked Tim Urban and Todrick was actually one of my favorites of the night... you know something's up. And also when somebody sings a Maxwell song and actually does it well (and/or makes the song bearable)... and somebody makes me tolerate a country song... yeah. I honestly have no clue who is up to go tomorrow for the guys. Based on vocals, I'd say Aaron and Andrew. But it's not about the vocals with these guys, or else Tim would have been out a couple weeks ago. So who knows?

Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #3.

[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]

I know it seems I've only been doing Live Blogs recently, but I swear I have other reviews coming. It's just been pretty busy at the moment. Anywho, on with the show! We're working with the Top 8 Girls and... let's hope it's closer to last week than the week before. And it should be now that Haeley is gone. After this week, we move on to the Top 12, where it really gets good. And hey, tonight's only 1 hour. So let's get to it.

7:00: "This... is American Idol!"

7:01: lol, Ellen is snuggled up with Simon, seemingly smelling his face.

7:02: Katie Stevens is up with Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway." At first I thought she messed up, but it was just the opening "da da da da dum dum"s. Not doing too bad. Really flat with those low notes. And a bit sharp with higher ones. Though the whole thing sounds a bit karaoke.

7:04: Randy thinks it's, imagine that, "Karaoke." Ellen didn't think she connected to the song, didn't "feel" it. Kara doesn't think Katie really knows who she is as an artist right now. Simon feels it's too confusing for her, because she's taking the advice they give her, but she's still messing up some how. Though it's kinda funny how he goes "You and you kinda sucked" long pause "the energy out of the song."

7:11: Siobhan is back and is gonna sing "House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals. After surprising me last week, and with me really liking this song, I hope she kills it tonight.

7:12: Starting a-capella. Doing really well. I just got goosebumps. Oh man, that was brilliant.

7:14: I was still so caught up in the moment I nearly forgot I needed to be typing the judge's reactions. So... Randy loves her. Ellen was moved. Kara really liked it. Simon thought it was "all a bit weird." Loser. What? He said she didn't do anything different with the song. I quite disagree.

7:17: "The Story" by Brandi Carlile is up now being sung by Lacey. I dunno. I used to really like her, but her voice has been really shaky and slightly grating the last few weeks. This one's not that bad, honestly, but it's just OK.

7:18: Tell us what's cool about this Randy. It was a bit sleepy, but it was her best performance in a long time. I can go with that. Ellen agrees. Kara thought it was a brilliant song choice. Simon didn't "love love" the song, but she sang it really well.

7:24: "I Feel The Earth Move" by Carol King... by Katelyn Epperly (Big-Haired Girl). It's OK so far. She hit one bad note. She didn't really modernize it much. Hit some more bad notes. I think they'll call her on some bad notes and how it sounds kinda old.

7:26: It's never good when they go "Let me start with the positives." Randy thinks it was sleepy, boring, and didn't really fit her at all. lol@Ellen: "Is THAT a guitar?" (Katelyn was on a keyboard, and Ellen screwed up last week by calling the piano a guitar). But she didn't think it was enough to go on. Kara agrees. Simon likes her hair... but didn't think she took a risk or fought for a spot in the Top 12.

7:34: What? Ryan just said that the guys won't be on until 8 tomorrow. Bah. Anywho, Didi is up. I don't think Ryan said what she was singing, though. I'll get back to you on that. She's doing pretty well vocally. She's just strumming a couple basic guitar chords for music, and there's a light piano in the background. But that's about it. Apparently the song is "Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac. I thought it was really good vocally, but the song was a bit sleepy.

7:36: Randy didn't think there was a "wow" moment, but better than last week. Ellen liked it. Kara thought it was her favorite moment of the show this season? Um... no. Not really. I disagree with your personal opinion and call you wrong in your thoughts. Simon agrees with Kara. Craziness. The vocals were really, really good... but it was not the best of this episode (which was Siobhan so far), much less the entire season.

7:38: Now we're up with Paige, singing "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin. Crossing over into movie territory here. This is kinda... awkward. And some strange notes. I'm... not sure what I thought about that, but I don't think I liked it.

7:40: Randy didn't think she's good enough for that song. Ellen thought the song was supposed to be more uplifting, and she made it more heavy and depressing. Kara: "It was all wrong." Simon: "It was a horrible choice of song. The arrangement, to be fair, was horrible." They're already talking about her like they know she's gone this week. But I agree with all of them.

7:48: "Give Me One Reason" by Tracey Chapman... Crystal Bowersox! God, I love her. It's not even as strong and brilliant as last week, but it's really fun. And her voice is always great. I really liked that.

7:49: Randy loved it. Ellen: "I need new adjectives for you... best performance of the night." Kara says she knows who she is. Simon: "You are one million billion percent in the Top 12 next week." And she's the one everybody has to beat, apparently. I totally agree with that.

7:55: Last one of the night. Lilly Scott. "I Fall To Pieces" by Patsy Cline. Eh. Country. I shouldn't say that automatically makes me hate it, but it certainly bumps it down a few notches. And seriously, no bias here (especially since I love Lilly Scott), but she's just doing really poorly right now. Her voice does not fit this song. It's kinda painful, actually.

7:57: Randy thought it was hot. Ellen loved it. Kara liked it. Simon thinks she's very brave, but it didn't have the "wow" factor. I suppose I'm closer to Simon's thoughts than anybody. But I just did not like it.

7:58: The Recap. Katie... is in a lot of trouble this week. Siobhan is totally safe. Didn't care for Lacey this week, but she'll be safe. Katelyn is kinda in trouble. Didi will be safe. Paige is gone. Crystal is safe (and probably gonna be in the Top 3, if not Top 2). Lilly... I'd say she'd be in trouble if everybody else didn't love it. I think the judges are going to watch it back and realize they're crazy (much like Michelle with Creed last week).

Final Thoughts: Paige is going home, and the second female will be either Katie or Katelyn (based on vocals, Katie. Based on fan-base, maybe Katelyn). Based on my thoughts, I thought the worst of the night were Paige and Lilly, but Lilly's not going anywhere (which is good, I think, because I do really like Lilly... just not tonight).

Oscar Night 2010: The Live Blog.

[It's Oscar day! And much like every other movie blog on the intarwebz, I shall be doing a live blog shortly. So just to prep, I'm gonna post up who I think should win, who will win, who could possibly win, and then the actual winner. I'll do this now (sans actual winner), and come one hour from now, I'll re-arrange the bits to correspond with when each is announced. And in between the winner decisions, I'll comment on the goings-on of the actual show.

Hopefully this will be better than last year. Last year, there was this whole big switch from analog to digital television, so the channel the Oscars was on was all fuzzy. There were long stretches where you couldn't see or hear anything, and even longer stretches where you could only hear stuff. So short of the electricity going on, there's really not anything that can be worse than last year.

Also, I doubt my choices right now and my choices on the LAMB Oscar Pool... or even the Oscar-related LAMBcast... are the same (though they're probably closest to the LAMBcast). Mostly because I don't remember, and some I've just changed my mind about since. So without further ado, here are my choices.]

It's time for the live blog! Continue refreshing for more of my thoughts and for the announced winners. And it begins... now.

7:30: All the leading actors/actresses are listed off one-by-one. I'm not gonna spell them out, mostly because I can't spell some of their names.

7:31: Haha! Neil Patrick Harris! That's freakin' awesome. He's singing "No one wants to do it alone" to explain why he's there. And a Twilight joke. lol... "There are two hosts tonight, and I fired my agent 'cause one's not me."

7:34: Steven Martin and Alec Baldwin are lowered from the ceiling in a giant ball thing. Ha... Steve Martin made a funny.

7:35: Aw, poor Meryl Streep.

7:39: Burn! Alec to Steve: "They just don't give Oscars to stand-up comedians, but nobody has to tell you that."

7:40: And there it is, the first mention of Bigelow vs. Cameron.

7:41: Clooney seemed a bit miffed... but maybe that's just me.

7:43: Again... Clooney seems a bit miffed. But maybe it's just an act. Who knows? On with the show!

7:44: Penelope Cruz is out for the first award: Best Supporting Actor. There's Matt Damon for Invictus. Woody Harrelson for The Messenger (Ben Foster spotting!... at least in the clip). Christopher Plummer for The Last Station. Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones. And Christoph Waltz for Inglorious Basterds.

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Will: Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds)
Want: Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds)
Possible: ...it's gonna be Christoph Waltz.
Actual: Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds). Totally knew it.

7:49: Yeah... no idea what Christoph Waltz was just talking about in his acceptance, but good for you!

7:50: Ryan Reynolds is introducing Best Picture nominee, The Blind Side.

7:55: And we're back. Cameron Diaz and Steve Carell are up. Steve is funny.

7:56: Animated characters talking about what they feel about being nominated. This is pretty cool/funny.

7:58: Announcing best Animated Feature Film. There was The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Coraline, The Secret of the Kells, Princess and the Frog, and Up.

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Will: Up
Want: Up
Possible: It's gonna be Up (it was nominated for Best Picture, for cryin' out loud).
Actual: Up

8:00: Alec and Steve talk about The Hangover before introducing Amanda Seyfried and Miley Cyrus. Wow, is Amanda getting married? That dress is huge. But now it's up for Best Original Song. There were songs from Crazy Heart, Princess and the Frog, Nine, and Paris 36.

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

Will: The Weary Kind (Crazy Heart)
Want: Down in New Orleans (Princess and the Frog)
Possible: Almost There (Princess and the Frog)
Actual: The Weary Kind (Crazy Heart)

8:04: "I'd like to thank my wife. I love you more than rainbows, baby." Um... k.

8:05: Chris Pine introduced Best Picture Nominee, District 9.

8:11: And we're back. Alec introduces Robert Downey Jr. and Tina Fey. Robert Downey Jr. is hilarious. It's a writing award... which one? Original Screenplay. We have The Hurt Locket, Inglorious Basterds, The Messenger, A Serious Man, and Up.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Will: Up
Want: Up
Possible: The Hurt Locker
Actual: The Hurt Locker

8:15: At least I got it with my "Possible" guess, so I wasn't completely off.

8:17: Molly Ringwald and Matthew Broderick. Molly seems really stiff and nervous right now. They're talking about John Hughes. Followed by a bunch of John Hughes movie clips.

8:21: A bunch of former Hughes film stars come out on stage, introduce his family, say goodbye, and leave.

8:23: Samuel L. Jackson comes out and talks about Best Picture Nominee, Up.

8:27: Out comes Carey Mulligan and Zoe Saldana. They're here to give the awards for Short Films.

8:31: First is Animated Short.

ANIMATED SHORT (Guessing)

Will: A Matter of Loaf and Death
Want: Don't know.
Possible: Don't know.
Actual: Logorama

8:32: Yeah, haven't actually seen any of the shorts (of any type), so I was really just picking one.

8:33: Next is Documentary Short.

DOCUMENTARY SHORT (Guessing again)

Will: Rabbit a la Berlin
Want: No idea.
Possible: No idea.
Actual: Music by Prudence

8:34: This lady bursts in during the middle of the dude's speech and speaks really slowly until they start playing the music to hurry them along.

8:35: Now for the Live Action Short.

LIVE ACTION SHORT (Guessing again)

Will: Instead of Abracadabra
Want: Don't know.
Possible: Don't know.
Actual: The New Tenants

8:36: Yup... so, I got all the Shorts completely wrong. But again, I hadn't seen any of them or heard really anything about any of them. And this guy's talking super slow. Speed it up, guy. Poor second guy who didn't have time to speak.

8:37: Ben Stiller is out... dressed as a Na'Vi. lol. He's there for Best Make-Up. He's being really funny. And the nominees are... Il Divo, Star Trek, and The Young Victoria.

BEST MAKE-UP

Will: Star Trek
Want: Star Trek
Possible: The Young Victoria
Actual: Star Trek

8:43: Jeff Bridges comes out to introduce Best Picture Nominee, A Serious Man.

8:47: Jake Gyllenhaal and Amy Adams come out for Best Adapted Screenplay. Nominees are Up in the Air, Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, In the Loop, An Education, and District 9.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Will: Precious (it's based on the novel Push by Sapphire, you know)
Want: District 9
Possible: Up in the Air
Actual: Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire

8:50: For all the people who yelled at me, mocked me, and called me crazy for saying that Precious would beat out Up in the Air for this category, especially in the LAMB Devours the Oscars post I did, this I say to you: F*#@ You! Told ya so! Nana nana boo boo! (Because I'm not childish in any way).

8:52: Steve Martin introduces Queen Latifah. She's here to talk about the Governor's Awards.

8:54: Honorary awards recipients, Roger Corman and Lauren Bacall.

8:55: Out comes Robin Williams... and already a balls joke. He's giving the award for Best Supporting Actress. There's Penelope Cruz for Nine, Vera Fermiga for Up in the Air, Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart, Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air, and Mo'Nique in Precious.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Will: Mo'Nique (Precious)
Want: Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air)
Possible: It's gonna be Mo'Nique... there's really no other possibility.
Actual: Mo'Nique

9:00: Mo'Nique has given the best speech of the night so far.

9:01: Colin Firth comes out to introduce Best Picture Nominee, An Education.

9:05: And we're back with Sigourney Weaver. She's talking about Art Direction. There's Avatar, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Nine, Sherlock Holmes, and The Young Victoria.

ART DIRECTION

Will: Avatar
Want: Avatar
Possible: Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Actual: Avatar

9:07: With Sigourney Weaver giving the award for a visual-based award with Avatar as a nominee, I was totally surprised that Avatar won... *cough*

9:08: Alec and Steve introduce two clothes whores? hehe... Tom Ford and Sarah Jessica Parker. They're here to give the award for Best Costume Design. And the nominees are Bright Star, Coco Before Chanel, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Nine, and The Young Victoria.

COSTUME DESIGN

Will: Nine
Want: Don't care.
Possible: The Young Victoria
Actual: The Young Victoria

9:10: Not sure why I picked Nine over The Young Victoria when my gut told me to go with the latter. Maybe it's because the former was full of so many Oscar-winning people. But still, it was my "Possible" choice, so I feel it at least somewhat counts.

9:11: Charlize Theron is out to introduce Best Picture Nominee, Precious.

9:16: And we're back. Steve and Alec introduce a segment about horror movies... beginning with a hilarious spoof on Paranormal Activity.

9:18: Out come Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner to talk about the genre. And they're damn straight that horror films aren't given their due at the Oscars. Let's watch this little montage thingy now...

9:22: Pretty good... but only a half-second clip of Night of the Living Dead and 28 Days Later? Lame. Anywho, Zac Efron and Anna Kendrick introduce Sound Editing and Mixing, narrated by Morgan Freeman. I love how they have to explain WTF Sound Editing and Mixing are every year, because nobody really cares enough to remember. Anyway, Sound Editing is up first.

SOUND EDITING

Will: The Hurt Locker
Want: The Hurt Locker
Possible: Star Trek
Actual: The Hurt Locker

9:26: Now it's up to Sound Mixing.

SOUND MIXING

Will: Star Trek
Want: Star Trek
Possible: The Hurt Locker
Actual: The Hurt Locker

9:26: I was banking on the fact that more mainstream action movies tend to go in this category, but I guess I didn't take into account that "the best movie of the year" is technically an action movie.

9:28: Elizabeth Banks is up now... to the E.T. theme. And she's really enthusiastic! (And makes a pretty funny James Cameron joke... he's been hit quite a few times tonight).

9:29: John Travolta is up to introduce Best Picture Nominee, Inglorious Basterds.

9:34: Sandra Bullock is on stage now to give the award for Best Cinematography. The nominees are for Avatar, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, and The White Ribbon.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Will: The Hurt Locker
Want: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Possible: Avatar (Strong possibility)
Actual: Avatar

9:36: Seriously? I mean, seriously? This is the only one that was truly going to upset me if it happened. In the classic sense of the word, there IS no cinematography in this movie. It's all CGI. This was a BS win for this movie. Whatever.

9:37: Demi Moore is out now. It's the part of the show where we see the montage of those Hollywood individuals who have died in the past year. Are they trying to say something about making Demi introduce this segment (like her career being just as dead)? And... huh, that was much shorter than the past few years. Maybe they just cut out all the people nobody had ever heard of.

9:45: Back with JLo and Sam Worthington. And they're here to give us Best Original Score. And "The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers" dance to all the best scores including Sherlock Holmes, The Hurt Locker, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Up, and Avatar. The dances of Up and Avatar were the best, though the score for Up is much more emotional and penetrating (you know what I mean).

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

Will: Up
Want: Up
Possible: Fantastic Mr. Fox
Actual: Up

9:52: Heck yeah. I'm actually doing pretty good with my choices. And I take back what I said about Mo'Nique's speech. This one just given was the best of the night so far.

9:53: Gerard Butler and Bradley Cooper are now out for Visual Effects. The nominees are Avatar, District 9, and Star Trek.

VISUAL EFFECTS

Will: Avatar
Want: Avatar
Possible: There's no way Avatar isn't winning.
Actual: Avatar

9:55: This one was pretty obvious. Like I said, there was no way this movie wasn't winning Best Visual Effects.

9:56: Jason Bateman is up to introduce Best Picture Nominee, Up in the Air.

10:01: And we're back... getting down the nitty gritty. Matt Damon is out to give the award for Best Documentary. Nominees include Burma VJ, The Cove, Food Inc., The Most Dangerous Man In America, and Which Way Home.

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Guessing)

Will: The Cove
Want: The Cove
Possible: No idea.
Actual: The Cove

10:04: I only chose The Cove because that's the only one I'd ever hea... did I just hear Fischer Stevens? Really? Fischer Stevens was involved with this movie? I did not know that. Huh.

10:05: Tyler Perry is now on stage... not dressed like a woman. And it's down to film editing. And the nominees are for Avatar, District 9, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, and Precious.

FILM EDITING

Will: The Hurt Locker
Want: The Hurt Locker
Possible: Inglorious Basterds
Actual: The Hurt Locker

10:07: I really have a lot of respect for editors. If I couldn't direct movies or act, I'd love to be an editor. It's a lot of work, but it's fun to me.

10:08: Keanu Reeves at the Oscars. Foreshadowing? Anyway, he's introducing Best Picture Nominee, The Hurt Locker.

10:14: And we're back with Quentin Tarantino and Pedro... let's leave it with Pedro. Quentin is being goofy, but they're introducing Best Foreign Film. Nominees are Ajami, The Milk of Sorrow, A Prophet, The Secret in Their Eyes, and The White Ribbon.

BEST FOREIGN FILM (Guessing)

Will: A Prophet
Want: Don't know.
Possible: The White Ribbon
Actual: The Secret in Their Eyes

10:17: Wow, I don't think anyone saw that coming (no pun intended). I actually haven't seen any of the foreign films this year, but the only ones I'd even heard of are A Prophet and The White Ribbon. And I had been under the impression that those were the top contenders for the winner. I guess not.

10:18: Kathy Bates is out now introducing Best Picture Nominee, Avatar.

10:23: We're down to the nitty gritty officially now. The big four are left. First up, Lead Actor. The nominees are Jeff Bridges, George Clooney, Colin Firth, Morgan Freeman, and Jeremy Renner. Kate Winslet is here to give the award, which will go to..

LEAD ACTOR

Will: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
Want: Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker)
Possible: Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker)
Actual: Jeff Bridges

10:32: Despite loving how Renner did in Hurt Locker, I'm happy for Jeff Bridges, because I love that man. I haven't seen Crazy Heart yet, but I'm sure he deserves it.

10:33: They'll really need to speed this show up. They still have 3 awards to go, and they're already starting to go over in time. And I have to wake up early for work in the morning. What happened to the 45-second speech rule? Does it not matter for the Big 4? Speed it along, guys, especially if you're gonna do the never-ending praises on the Lead Actresses like you did with Lead Actors.

10:39: Now we're up to the Lead Actress award. The nominees are Sandra Bullock, Helen Mirren, Carey Mulligan, Gabourey Sidibe, and Meryl Streep.

10:47: Sean Penn is up to give the award. The award goes to...

LEAD ACTRESS

Will: Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)
Want: Don't care.
Possible: Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)
Actual: Sandra Bullock

10:48: Wow, even though I put it under "Possible," I didn't actually expect it to happen. She looked utterly shocked when they said her name. I feel particularly bad for Meryl Streep, who after all those nominations, she still didn't win... and in fact lost to Sandra Bullock. Granted, I haven't seen The Blind Side yet, and I'm sure it's wonderful and she's wonderful in it. Though she did give quite a good acceptance speech.

10:52: Barbra Streisand is out on stage now to give the award for Best Director. Here it is, folks. It's potentially the first female director winner of the Academy Awards. The nominees are James Cameron (Avatar), Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Basterds), Lee Daniels (Precious), and Jason Reitman (Up in the Air). And the winner is...

BEST DIRECTOR

Will: Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
Want: Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Basterds)
Possible: James Cameron (Avatar)
Actual: Kathryn Bigelow

10:55: I'm all for this win. I think she did a great job with The Hurt Locker, and if Quentin Tarantino couldn't have won, I like that she did.

10:58: And now Tom Hanks is up to give the winner for the Best Picture. This is it, folks.

BEST PICTURE

Will: The Hurt Locker
Want: Inglorious Basterds
Possible: Avatar
Actual: The Hurt Locker

10:59: Wow, I couldn't even get my previous comment all typed up before Hanks said the winner. They really were rushing it. But good stuff, nevertheless.

Final Thoughts: I thought this was one of the most obvious Academy Awards in some time, with only one real surprise (foreign). As for Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin... didn't care for them much. I actually liked Hugh Jackman last year better, and I could hardly see and hear him (see the top of this post). Maybe they'll get Neil Patrick Harris next year. But yeah, good show, if it did go a bit long.

Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #2.3.

[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]

It's time for the results! My guesses for the guys are Tim Urban and Jermaine (same as last week). My guesses for the girls are Haeley Vaughn and either Lacey or Paige. So let's find out if I'm right, or if America got it wrong yet again.

7:00: Crazy, overly dramatic montage of the last two nights.

7:01: Ryan: "Whatfor will be leaving us tonight?" Who is Whatfor? Oh, you mean WHICH four? Oh, and "This... is American Idol!"

7:03: Wow, Simon admits he was wrong about somebody last night, but wouldn't say who. He actually had to turn the TV off when he watched it back, it was so bad.

7:04: The Top 20 are singing Black-Eyed Peas. Having fun with it. I like this group song better than last week's.

7:10: First eliminations. Tim is up first... wait, so does that mean he's safe? Damnit! He WAS safe. Stupid America. Todrick is up now. He's safe... or is he? Ryan tells him to hold on for a minute as he goes to Big Mike. Big Mike's safe (of course). Casey's up... he BETTER be safe. And he is. And it's down to John Park. Uh oh. It's between Todrick and John? Hopefully Todrick is gone. And it's...

7:13: FUDGE. John Park. Damn it to the eternal pits of hades. Into Tartarus. Sigh.

7:14: John Park's singing his final song on stage. Oh well. With the likes of Casey, Lee, and Crystal, there's no way... but whatever.

7:20: Back to the results. And still on the guys. Lee's up first, so he's safe. Yup. Aaron Kelly is up... he's either safe or will be made to stand and wait like Todrick. He's safe. Now it's Alex "The Mullet" Lambert. The mullet is safe. So now it's down to... Jermaine and Andrew Garcia. Oh, if Andrew goes before Jermaine, I'm gonna be pissed. There will be Hell to pay. And the one going home is...

7:24: Jermaine. Thank God. I was gonna smack a ho or something (because I'm ghetto thug like that). But now he has to sing. Bleh.

7:25: *surfs the internet while Jermaine sings*

7:32: And we're back... to hear some Danny Gokey from last season. And it's... strangely country sounding. You know, I liked Danny last season, but I'm not really digging this song. And he's actually had a couple bad notes. Just two or three, but still. Ick.

7:36: Apparently it's Randy Travis' fault for Danny going country. Lame. Though he's being kinda funny dorky. Anywho...

7:42: Now the girls are up to go home. Lilly's up first. She's totally safe. Yup. Paige is up. She's safe. Now Katie Stevens. She's safe. So it's down to Michelle and Didi. Hm. Of the two, I think it should be Michelle, but it'll probably be Didi. And the one going home is...

7:45: Michelle. Wow. That's right, Michelle! Trying to sing Creed. I'm thinking she might be the one Simon was talking about where it was worse when he watched it back. It better have been, because I was really confused about their comments to her last night.

7:46: Ugh, now she has to sing again. I'll take this moment to discuss the "goodbye song" and the logic behind it. At least at this stage in the show, the reason the contestant wasn't voted through was because America freakin' hated the song and performance. So why make them not only sing it again for America, but also sing it right after they're told they're out of the show when they're all upset and will only sing it worse than they did the first time? Yeah...

7:52: One more to go... Katelyn is up, and she's safe. Crystal Bowersox is up, and I don't even have to hear Ryan say it. She's totally safe. Yup. Siobhan is up now, and she'll be safe... yup. So now it's down to Haeley and Lacey. Oh God, it better be Haeley. If Lacey goes... argh. Well, let's see who it'll be. And the one going home is...

7:55: Haeley. Thank God. She shouldn't have even been in the Top 24. She's been aggravating me since her initial try-out. But lol, back to the Pooter mascot.

7:56: The goodbye video for all those leaving tonight. I'm mostly upset that John Park left, especially before Tim Urban. Is Tim going to be this year's Sanjaya?

7:58: Ugh, Haeley's gotta sing us out with her goodbye song. I'm tempted to turn my TV off (or at least hit the mute button). But it's like a train wreck. This is actually even worse than last night. Like, over twice as bad.

Final Thoughts: Glad to see Haeley gone (I do feel bad for her, though... she seems like a sweet girl, and she's crying while singing and trying to get through it. But the judges should not have put her into the Top 24). Also glad Jermaine is gone. But I hate that John Park left. Oh well. I'll see y'all again next week for the Top 16 performances!

Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #2.2.

[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]

And now we're up to the Top 10 Girls. Let's pray to God they do better than last week.

7:00: Ryan: "And this... is American Idol!"

7:01: Crystal Bowersox is OK! Thank God.

7:02: Is it just me, or is it really annoying when Randy boos Simon? He's really the only one that does it anymore.

7:04: Ugh. I was afraid this would happen. Crystal Bowersox is first (which is great), but that means I have to sit through 2 hours of not-as-great singers after that. Unless they're better this week. So what's she singing?

7:05: "As Long As I Can See The Light" by Creedence Clearwater Revival. She put a Gospel Blues kinda thing to it, and she's freakin' amazing. I actually think her opening gave me chills. This is brilliant.

7:07: Randy... I have no idea what he's talking about right now. Something about truth. But I think he loved it. Ellen: "That is pure, raw, natural talent." Kara thought she made up for last week (though I liked last week, too). Simon: "I completely misunderestimated you last year." And he just compared her to Kelly Clarkson (in star-power).

7:14: Oh hell. Talk about antithesis. Going from the best of the girls to the worst. And she's singing Miley Cyrus. Le sigh. So which Miley song is Haeley Vaughn singing?

7:15: "The Climb"... OK, this is a pretty good song, at least. Let's see how she rui... I mean, does with it. Not doing too bad, but... and this is terrible... her lisp annoys the crap out of me when she's singing. And now she's hitting some really bad notes. Ugh. *Twitch* Just end it already. I think... yeah, yeah, my ears are bleeding again. And the judges think...

7:18: Randy's gonna keep it real ("It was excruciating"). Totally agree. Ellen agrees. Kara says people are rooting for her. I think those are the people at that website who tries to get people to vote for the worst singers to cause controversy. Simon: "It was a complete and utter mess."

7:25: Awesome. I really like Lacey Brown, despite her note doing well last week. Hopefully she redeems herself this week. She kinda reminds me of a red-headed Alice (one of the only good characters in Twilight). So what's she singing?

7:27: "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None The Richer. And... her voice is still shaky. It almost sounds like she'd do much better with lounge-type songs, so this is awkward. Though she was more energetic this week; I'll give her that.

7:30: Randy thought it was Karaoke. Ellen thought it was adorable, despite the fact she didn't change it up. Kara thinks she needs to step it up. Simon: "I think it was marginally better than last week." He says it was good, but not memorable, especially compared to Crystal Bowersox.

7:38: 17-year-old Katie Stevens is up. And she can say "Give me a kiss" in 7 languages. Interesting. So what are you singing?

7:40: "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae. I'm actually enjoying it so far. She's doing much better than last week. I liked it. Pretty good. Could have been better, but pretty good.

7:42: Randy: "There were some bright moments in there." Nice back-handed compliment. Ellen thought it could have been better. Kara agrees with Ellen and thought she (Katie) really got into the song at the end, which I totally agree with. Simon's frustrated because he likes her, and she's taking their criticisms, but she's still failing to meet their expectations.

7:50: Up next is the originally thought weird-named Didi Benami. She kinda reminds me of Amy Smart. And now she's meowing... moving on...

7:52: "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers. Good song. And how will she do? She has a lounge-type voice (there's a couple of those this season). I'm not sure how that lends itself to this particular song. But she's doing pretty well otherwise. She has a good voice. Sometimes the lounge thing works, usually when she's in the higher range. But when she gets lower, it gets iffy. She needs to stay in a higher range, in other words. But still, really good for what it was.

7:52: Randy is totally hating lately. He hasn't said more than 2 positive things for the last 2 episodes. Ellen didn't like the song choice. Kara didn't like it at all. Simon thought it was screechy and all over-the-place. Huh. I mean, I can see where she had some bad notes and it wasn't the greatest in the world, but I thought it was at least decent. The judges were hard. And I feel so bad... she's trying so hard not to cry right now.

8:01: Michelle Delamor says her Alicia Keys performance last week was "a bit predictable." Talk about understatement. But this week she's doing "With Arms Wide Open" by Creed. Didn't see that coming. Hope she can pull it off. I used to be a pretty big Creed fan when I was in high school. So... let's see.

8:03: Didn't really change it up at all (at least instruments-wise). She is doing vocals a bit differently. And she's doing pretty well. Though she needs to be belting it out right now. Scott Stapp really goes all-out at some of these parts in the original, and Michelle seems to be holding it all back. And that last note was horrendous.

8:06: Surprise surprise, Randy didn't like it. Ellen was slightly more positive, but still didn't think it was all that great. Kara... um... "My favorite performance of yours ever." Does Michelle really suck that much? And then she followed it up with how it could be a bit unrecognizable? It sounded almost exactly the same except for the voice. Simon agrees with Kara, oddly enough. Though I like that he admitted to giving contradictory advice.

8:08: I also like that Ryan just pointed out Randy's grumpiness.

8:14: Yay, Lilly Scott is up. She's one of those lounge-type singers. She's singing "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke.

8:15: Not much to say. I really liked it.

8:17: Randy loved it and thought it was the best of the night (I disagree there. Crystal Bowersox is still the best of the night). Ellen loved it and thought it was the best of the night. Kara loved it. Simon thought it was good but wasn't crazy about it and thought Crystal was better. I agree with Simon.

8:26: It's Katelyn Epperly AKA Ms. Big Hair. She's singing... "The Scientist" by Coldplay. Blah. Don't care much for Coldplay. Let's see how she does.

8:27: She's playing piano, too. Doing good with her voice. Kind of slow and boring, but she's singing it well.

8:29: Randy really liked it, but thought it was a bit too slow. Ellen thought it was too slow, as well, and "kind of fell asleep." Kara understands what they're saying, but she "kinda loves" her. Simon thought it was a smart choice of song, but thought she tends to become a bit corny when she performs. Despite that, he thought it was "a million times better" than last week, which I do agree with. But I agree with Randy and Ellen that the song was way too slow, but enjoyable.

8:37: Paige Miles is up next. And she's singing... "Walk Away" by Kelly Clarkson. Let's see how she does.

8:38: Simon thinks she's the best vocal of the singers (as he said last week). I really do not agree with this. She's not doing bad at all. But she's just... average. Not blowing me away. Though not making me hate her, either. It's just OK.

8:40: Randy liked it, but wasn't over-the-top in love with it. Ellen disagrees with Randy; she loved it. Kara liked it. Simon agreed with Randy. I agree with Randy and Simon.

8:48: Uh... Siobhan Magnus is last. I did not like her last week. At all. Though the judges loved it. And... wow, she used to have a Mohawk. Did not see that coming. So what is she doing this week?

8:50: "Think" by Aretha Franklin. Goin' old school. I'm liking this better than last week. So I think it was probably the song I didn't like last week. But she has a really good voice. Holy crap, that note was crazy (in a good way).

8:52: Randy loved it ("it was dope"). Ellen loved it. Kara can't get over that note. Simon: "Once again, you are such a strange person." lol. He thought parts of the song were terrible, but that note was incredible. I concur, though not so much about the terrible.

8:54: And the recap. Crystal was still the best of the night. Haeley was still the worst of the night. Lacey was alright. Katie was pretty good. I liked Didi, even though the judges didn't. I did not like Michelle, even though the judges did (mostly). Lilly was really good, though the judges are starting to over-rate her. Katelyn's was too slow, but good vocals. Paige was alright. And Siobhan was insane.

Final Thoughts: The girls were so much better tonight than last week. Crystal, Lilly, and Siobhan were the best of the night. I'm thinking Haeley and either Lacey or Paige are going tomorrow night for the girls. See y'all then.

Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #2.

[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]

Alrighty, guys! The Live Blog is back! Now it's time for the Top 10 Guys. Thank God they switched 'em around this week. I'm not sure I could wait another day for the guys and sit through the girls again first. So here we go.

7:00: Ryan: "This... is American Idol!"

7:01: Uh oh. The girls were supposed to go tonight, but Crystal Bowersox (AKA the only really good girl) was hospitalized and cannot perform tonight. Let's hope she'll be good enough to come back and stay.

7:03: Ryan to Ellen: "Have you ever missed a show?" Ellen: "I missed American Gladiators when it went off the air..." lol.

7:04: Simon still thinks the girls are better. WTF? Anywho, Big Mike's up first. And he'll be performing...

7:06: "This is a Man's World" by James Brown. I so like this better for him than last week's. This is completely fitting for his voice. This was a great kick-off to the show. Let's hope it sets up the rest of the night.

7:08: Randy thinks that the season is just getting started now. Ellen is still funny. Kara: "You owned it tonight." Simon: "It was like going from a pussy cat to a lion in one week." I totally agree. I thought he was excellent.

7:16: John Park is up next. Apparently English is his second language. Interesting (seriously... he has no real accent). Now move on to the song. And he's singing...

7:17: "Gravity" by John Mayer. A couple shaky notes, but overall pretty good. Don't care for the song, but I'm not really a John Mayer fan.

7:19: Randy: "I think the John Mayer vibe is your kind of vibe... but you didn't bring anything new to it." Ellen: "So much better a song choice." Kara: "Way better than last week, but my concern for you is [...] the connection." Simon: "There was nothing to get excited about that." I don't think he's going home this week (he sure as hell better not with Tim Urban and Jermaine still there). But he does need to step it up a bit.

7:27: Casey's up! Hooray! Whatcha singin', Casey? Apparently something that's been done a few times before (Bo Bice and Elliot Yamin were a couple names tossed around. I'm likin' it already). So... what is it?

7:30: "I Don't Wanna Be" by Gavin DeGraw. Rockin' out on the guitar, too. I like this song. Totally rockin' it out. This song totally fits him. And that was a freakin' awesome guitar solo at the end with the final lyric of the song.

7:32: Randy and Ellen loved it. Um... what? Kara thought he went 2 steps backwards? No way. Haha... Simon: "Did he not return your calls?" But he didn't think he has the grit in his voice? I totally disagree with Kara and Simon. Pashaw.

7:40: Alex Lambert, rockin' the mullet. He's gonna be playing the guitar this week, as well. So what are you singing, Mr. Mullet (besides your own made-up language)?

7:41: "Everybody Knows" by John Legend. Doing pretty well so far. I can't place his voice this week. Last week I said James Blunt. It seems a little less Blunt and little more... not sure. And I did not like that last note... Otherwise, good.

7:44: Randy: "Such an improvement over last week." Ellen: "Like someone took the unripe banana and put it in a paper bag." lol@banana analogies. Kara: "There isn't a person out there not rooting for you." Not sure about that, but OK. Simon doesn't think he's in it to win, but really thinks he has what it takes.

7:51: Todrick is up next. I happened to like his song last week (he changed up Kelly Clarkson). This week, he's singing another female's song (Tina Turner). Let's see which one...

7:53: "What's Love Got To Do With It" by Tina Turner. He's slowed it down slightly from the original, made it more current-R&B. But I'm digging it. His voice is good, too. I enjoyed it.

7:55: WTF, Randy. They always ask them to change up the song. And when they do, they tell them not to. They also told him last week he looked too much like a dancer. Ellen and Kara are now telling him to dance more. Simon didn't like it, either. And they're asking him to change it up and make it his own... but he does, and they tell him not to change it and make it his own... and it's nothing but conflicting criticism. The song could have been terrible, and the judges would have annoyed me here.

8:04: Uh oh... Jermaine is up next... dancing in a one-piece green outfit. And he's bashing the judges. What are you singing?

8:05: Dear God... "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye. This is way too old and non-current for this show, and I'm sure the judges will point that out (come on, if Tina Turner was too old, this certainly will be). This is, as Simon would say, totally self-indulgent. I mean, the vocals aren't bad, but I just didn't care for the performance or song.

8:07: Randy didn't like the song choice. Ellen is struggling for positives. Kara thinks he's doing too much and forcing it. Simon: "You did kind of a caberet type performance with it; therefore it's making you very old fashioned." Yeah... I agree. I didn't like it really at all.

8:16: Andrew Garcia is up! Come on, Andrew. You're my second favorite guy. Please be good. What are you singing?

8:17: "You Give Me Something" by James Morrison. Good vocally so far. Not very exciting of a song, but the vocals are excellent as usual. It almost looks like he's half asleep. There's no charisma there. Hm.

8:19: Randy thought it was pitchy? I wouldn't say pitchy. I might agree it wasn't the right song, but I wouldn't say pitchy. Ellen disagrees and points out that his Paula Abdul song put the bar way too high. Though Kara said she wants him to do something more like last week, though last week she said she didn't like it. Kara's annoying me tonight. Simon thought it was just OK, and that he's better than OK.

8:27: 16-year-old heartthrob Aaron Kelly is up next. And he's singing...

8:29: "My Girl" by The Temptations. At least he has more charisma than last week. Though it sounds like he's trying too hard at times. He's putting too much grit and soul into parts of the song where it doesn't need to be (and that he can't really pull off). And there were some pretty pitchy moments.

8:31: Randy liked the first half better than the second half. Ellen thought it was a little forgettable. Kara really liked it (furthering my annoyance with her). Simon didn't like it and thought it was all over the place. I agree with everyone but Kara.

8:38: Oh God, Tim Urban is next. This guy did horrible last week (he was the one who came in for the other guy that couldn't move on). So what are you doing this week?

8:39: "Come on, Get Higher" by Matt Nathanson. So far better than last week, though that's not too hard. Still a very shaky voice. There's no way this guy's gonna win. In fact, he better go home this week. Not liking this all that much. He's really not ready for this show--Simon was right last week. So what did they think this week?

8:41: Randy thought it was very karaoke. Ellen agrees and thought maybe he should be on Glee (please no). Kara liked the song choice but didn't like the performance. Simon... is crazy? He thought it was an incredible improvement over last week and thought he was better than the other singers tonight (who he thought were more karaoke than Tim)? No way. Shut your mouth now, Simon. Now. Ahora.

8:49: Lee is last. Well, thank God. At least they're ending with somebody good. After a string of not-so-good, I'm glad to see Lee up last. So what's he doing tonight?

8:50: "Lips of an Angel" by Hinder. I think fitting for his voice. I like the little changes he's made to the song. They aren't drastic, but they're small enough to make it fit him. I think the judges will love this. I thought it was really good.

8:52: Randy liked it (despite some pitch problems). Ellen agrees. Kara thought it was a big improvement from last week. Simon thinks vocally he's the best guy, but he's gotta shake off the nerves. I agree that if he knocks off the nerves, he'll be great.

8:56: The Recap. Big Mike... one of the best tonight. John Park, good vocals, not-so-good song choice. Casey (I don't care what the judges say, I loved him). Alex was loads better from last week. I feel so bad for Todrick; the judges can't give him straightforward comments. Jermaine just needs to go. Andrew needed something... more. Aaron was a bit all over the place, but better than last week. Tim Urban just needs to go. Lee was really good.

Final Notes: My thoughts are, like last week, Jermaine and Tim Urban are going. But who knows? Stay tuned for tomorrow night when I have my live blog for the Top 10 Girls. See ya then!

THE CRAZIES.

My excitement for The Crazies elevated within just the last couple days when some pretty good reviews started to surface. So I was pretty hyped for the film before I went to see it. And I really need to go see it a second time... but not for the reason you think.

I had probably one of the most annoying theater experiences tonight. Let me explain. First, I'm sitting there waiting for the previews to start, and in walks the Crazy Girl. From those who don't know or haven't been around here that long, the Crazy Girl was one of my students from student teaching that drove me insane... mostly because she was. And I heard her say not long after she stepped in "I have to kill myself now," followed up soon by "I'll explain later." I know exactly what she was talking about. Once she takes a seat--right in front of me--the lights dim and the previews start.

Enter two of my most annoying (current) students rushing in, having snuck in to the movie (as it's rated R, and they aren't old enough yet). Girl #1 is one of my loudest, most annoying, and most offensive students. Every other word out of her mouth would make a sailor blush, and she tends to yell everything with not a care in the world for other people. Girl #2 is just strange--she's a weird mix of bubbly and obscene... again, with very little consideration for others. Now, these two girls also happen to know (and have probably slept with) half the movie theater staff. And they also have this love/hate relationship with a few of them (which I get to hear about every 5 seconds during class). These two girls decide to sit next to me. At first, Girl #1 sits right next to me and never shuts up. And about 5 minutes into the previews, declares "This is boring," and pulls out her mp3 player, holding it up for all to see its shine and blasting the music for all nearby to hear. Once the movie starts, however, they switch spots, and Girl #2 sits next to me. She proceeds to, quite literally, never take her hands or eyes off of her cell phone, texting the whole damn time (and then try to ask what happened during the movie that she's not paying attention to). And both of them have to comment, rudely, about every person that walks into the theater late, as well as every little movement that happens on screen.

This is when a few big girls brush past us and sit on the other side of me and be nearly as bad. They constantly talked at the screen or prepped themselves for scares like they had never seen a horror movie before.

Anyway, the two girls (my students) leave to go to the concession stand (mostly to bother the workers). That was a good 5 minutes or so. But then they came back and continue their never-ending annoyances. And outside the classroom, I couldn't really enforce anything or take up their electronics (though I could cuss at them). And they just laughed at me if I told them to put their stuff away or move somewhere else. It really wasn't until almost exactly the 1-hour mark that the security cop guy came in and pulled them out (as I later found out, after the movie, for harassing the concession stand guys, as well as sneaking in to an R-Rated film). So the last 40 minutes or so of the movie were about all I was really able to focus on.

This leads me in to my review. The movie is about Sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant); his wife, Judy (Radha Mitchell); his deputy, Russell (Joe Anderson); and his wife's co-worker, Becca (Danielle Panabaker). After a plane crash into the local water system, Sheriff Dutton starts to notice people in town go a bit crazy. They zone out and get violent. And when the military shows up, it takes them double time to try to stay alive, as the military is after anyone and everyone, not just the crazies (who are after anyone, as well).

As far as I could tell, the movie was pretty good. I couldn't get into the atmosphere and mood of the film until an hour in, but that wasn't the fault of the film. And once the girls left, the movie pulled me in almost immediately (which isn't hard to do, when the first scene after they left is the car wash scene). The beginning of the film had me at a loss with its transitions, but--again--I do not think that was the fault of the film. I missed so much in explanation at the beginning, I'm lucky I understood as much as I did.

The acting was pretty good as well, especially from Timothy Olyphant, who almost always impresses. And I've noticed a trend. If you want your horror movie to be good, especially when it has everything going against it, cast Radha Mitchell. Seriously, think about it. Vin Diesel versus aliens doesn't sound like a winner... but Pitch Black is awesome. Video game movies hardly ever work, but Silent Hill is amazingly creepy. Remakes, especially of the horror variety, are rarely good... but this film worked. And all star Radha Mitchell.

The scares are good. It's not a gore-fest (there is blood, but it isn't excessive). There are some jump-scares, but it also goes old-school horror with people just standing in the background or playing at expectations. I particularly loved the car wash sequence--maybe because it's mostly when the movie truly began for me--but really because it throws you into that fear of the unknown. With the windows soaped up, you just caught glimpses. You really had no idea what was going to happen next. It kinda goes up there with Adam's Capture in the original Saw (the camera flash scene).

I can't say too much else about it. I really need to see it again, and I'm sure the score would be higher in that case. Really, it was such an ironic movie (at least with the title) to have this happen in. I went to see crazy people and they all flocked to me. But whatever. For now, it is what it is. And it was entertaining.


A Keanu 'Whoa'

(P.S. Wasn't that hand/knife kill like... one of the coolest kills ever?)

Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #1.3.

[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]

Here's the third live blog for this week's American Idol. Let's see who's going home and who's moving on. My personal guess is that, of the girls... hell, any except Ms. Bowersox, and I'd be fine (OK, and maybe not Lilly Scott, either). But the guys? Jermaine Sellers and Tim Urban. Let's find out...

7:00: Some fancy editing stuff here... all dramatic and hardcore.

7:01: Ryan: "This............... is American Idol!"

7:02: Wow... it's the first results show, and they're already pimping "Idol Gives Back." Give us some space, guys.

7:03: Ellen: "There were some surprises. I said I liked bananas. That came out of my mouth." Have I mentioned how much I heart Ellen?

7:04: The Top 24 is singing together for the first time. Singing "American Boy" by Estelle. I really hate this song. Like, so much. You don't even know. The singing is good in this version, but I hate the music and overall sound that goes with it. It's just annoying to me.

7:07: I just realized who Crystal Bowersox reminds me of. She's totally a pudgier version of Emilie de Raven (AKA Claire from LOST).

7:11: Girls in the hot seat (as Ryan says). Siobhan is up first. And she's safe. Le sigh. Haeley Vaughn now. And she's safe too. Bah. Now Michelle (who I enjoyed) is safe. OK. Come on, guys. Katelynn now. Poofy hair is safe. Leaving us with...

7:12: Katie and Janell. Who's going? Janell was awful. I say her.

7:13: Yup, Janell. No surprise there. She hurt my ears last night. And... no, no!

7:14: *crying* She's singing again. Hey, she's actually doing better tonight than she did last night. Not hard to do, really. I mean, don't get me wrong. She's still really, painfully bad right now. But it's still not making my ears bleed.

7:16: Scratch that.

7:21: Allison Iraheta! She was one of my favorites from last season. Liking the song. Nice outfit, too. You know, I loved Adam Lambert the most of everyone last season. But his debut CD, for all intents and purposes, sucks. But I would totally buy Allison's CD just based on that performance, and she came in 4th. But then again, a lot of the best singers haven't won.

7:25: Back to the ladies! Another is gonna leave now. Paige is up first. She's safe. Of course she is. She went first. Anybody before the final two are safe. Including the next girl, Lacey, despite Ryan's attempt at a fake-out. Lilly Scott will also be sticking around, as will Crystal Bowersox (thank God). So it's down to Ashley and Didi. I'm thinking Didi is going. And the girl going home is...

7:27: Ashley? Bah. Whatevs, yo. Let's hear her sing a song. She doesn't seem very thrilled (not even sad, but... angry).

7:29: Oh wow, I think my ears just exploded. This is like... infinitely worse than last night. Ironic song to sing, though ("I'm just trying to be happy").

7:35: haha... Tyler in a bathrobe and boots and socks during rehearsals the previous day.

7:36: Alrighty, one of these guys is going home. Big Mike's up first. He's totally safe. John Park's safe, too (yes!). His mom and dad are so cute together. Speaking of, here's Aaron Kelly, who's--of course--safe. Todrick's up next, which means he's safe, which leaves us with Tim Urban and Joe Munoz. Oh man, this is totally Tim. And it's...

7:39: JOE?! Double-you Tee Eff?

7:40: Tim looks about as flabbergasted as I feel right now. This was totally a pity vote. Joe is singing right now... he's doing pretty good (especially compared to Tim's abysmal performance yesterday). I guess, looking on the bright side, I'm not having to listen to Tim sing again right now.

7:46: Oh joy... a break for some Idol Gives Back. And more stuff about Haiti. And Kris Allen, last year's (surprise) winner.

7:48: Kris sings. Video footage of destroyed Haiti and Kris helping out there. Tons and tons of pathos. He has water bucket-filling skills. Kid-lifting skills. Piano playing skills. Singing skills. Money-making skills. Girls only like guys with skills! GOSH!

7:50: Would it be inappropriate for Black-Eyed Peas to come in during the middle of Kris repeating "Let it be" with "Imma Be, Imma Be, Imma Imma Imma Be..."?

7:54: Alright, the last guy is about to go. Casey's up first, which means he's totally safe (Hell yeah!). What? Jermaine is up second? No way, that means he's safe? Bull! Who the hell is going, then? Lee's up next, so he's safe. And he knows that (you can see it in his smile). Next is Andrew Garcia, so he's safe. Again, thank God. So that leaves Retro Rocker Tyler and Mullet Rocker Alex Lambert. I'm thinking Alex is going. And the person going home is...

7:57: *sigh* Tyler. I think Tyler's cool. He says "I don't think I got that much constructive criticism during Hollywood Week, and what I was given now was a little too late." The camera goes to Simon, who you can see saying "Good point." Haha, wow.

8:00: Tyler sings, but the show's running over. Of course, the one guy I'd like to see sing again is gonna get cut off short. And he's actually putting more charisma in it tonight than last night. Of course.

Final Thoughts: Total shock... at least for the guys. I think America got it wrong. Tyler and Joe were no winners, but they shouldn't have been kicked off before Jermaine or Tim Urban or, hell, even Todrick. But whatever. It is what it is. Casey James, Andrew Garcia, John Park, and Crystal Bowersox are still on, so I'm happy. So stay tuned next week for Idol Chatter #2 (and its derivatives).