Andrew and I had discussed the possibility of doing this year's Script Frenzy together. Had a great idea for a possible TV pilot if you happen to like Chinese food.
But, as is our way, we managed to get busy. The month is half over and we haven't written 100 words of a script, much less 100 pages.
So here's to next year. Script Frenzy, I hardly knew ye.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
I have not been blogging
I know that comes as a major shock to all of you who don’t read my blog. Which is probably pretty much everybody.
But now Andrew has a blog and I really ought to post some stuff here so he isn’t cooler than me. It would be absolutely tragic if he ended up cooler than me.
If you are bored (and if you are reading this you must be), go check out his tragically hip blog at neodrew.com.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
The Return of Idol...
I watched the season opener of American Idol last night. Good stuff. If the Boston auditions are any indication of the level of talent possible on this year's Idol (season 9!!!) then we are in for a good year.
Still remaining to be seen:
* How will Paula's absence affect the show.
* How will Ellen DeGeneres affect the show.
* How will Simon's announcement that this is his last season affect the show.
I'm not overly concerned about the loss of Paula - she was perky, but often annoying. Kara DioGuardi proved to me last season that she's more than up to the task of giving valuable feedback to the contestants. Good feedback is much more important than syrupy niceness.
Ellen worries me a little bit. I like her talk show (when I actually watch it), but her appearance on last year's edition of So You Think You Can Dance was painful. She was all about making the joke and it really detracted from the judges' feedback. To be a successful judge she will need to set aside her tendency to quip on every critique and comment solely from the pop-culture viewpoint that she can be so good at.
I have no idea how Simon's bombshell will change things. It might not do anything. It might change everything if they start focusing more on Randy or Kara to see how they will be able to handle that lead judge position. It could also really change things if Simon starts acting like a short timer and doesn't give every show 100%.
A lot of potential in this season - I'm looking forward to seeing how it all pans out.
Still remaining to be seen:
* How will Paula's absence affect the show.
* How will Ellen DeGeneres affect the show.
* How will Simon's announcement that this is his last season affect the show.
I'm not overly concerned about the loss of Paula - she was perky, but often annoying. Kara DioGuardi proved to me last season that she's more than up to the task of giving valuable feedback to the contestants. Good feedback is much more important than syrupy niceness.
Ellen worries me a little bit. I like her talk show (when I actually watch it), but her appearance on last year's edition of So You Think You Can Dance was painful. She was all about making the joke and it really detracted from the judges' feedback. To be a successful judge she will need to set aside her tendency to quip on every critique and comment solely from the pop-culture viewpoint that she can be so good at.
I have no idea how Simon's bombshell will change things. It might not do anything. It might change everything if they start focusing more on Randy or Kara to see how they will be able to handle that lead judge position. It could also really change things if Simon starts acting like a short timer and doesn't give every show 100%.
A lot of potential in this season - I'm looking forward to seeing how it all pans out.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Idol Finale - Finally
I was out of town during the week of the American Idol finale and didn't have an opportunity to watch my TIVO recording of it until this weekend. I'm not going to give a blow-by-blow of a show that most people watched almost 2 weeks ago, but I decided I did want to make a few comments.
Some of the blogs I read on the show noted that Kris pretty much sucked on Kara DioGuardi's tune that she wrote for the finale. I have to disagree - while he started a teeny bit shaky, I actually liked his style for the song better than Adams'. Overall, I thought that based on performance, the competition was pretty close to a draw. Adam and Kris are very different artists, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.
I thought the criticism of Kris being "too lightweight" was rather unfair too, considering that everyone knew by that time exactly what kind of singer he is and he was merely being true to himself.
At the same time, I thought the judges missed some areas of potential criticism of Adam. He has crazy skills in his falsetto range, but at times I find his sound pinched, overly bright, and downright annoying. That will be fixable on any recording by the way they process his vocals in studio, but his vocals are not as perfect as many have stated during this season.
As to the outcome - it could easily have gone either way and I'm really unsurprised that Kris was the final victor. When looking at the final 3, you had two Christian worship leaders, and one goth bad boy. Did anyone really think that a large number of Danny's fans were going to vote for Adam? Some have interpreted the outcome as a sign of rampant homophobia, and maybe some votes were decided based on that kind of criteria. But personally I think it's more likely that those who like a raw, acoustic sound just preferred the style of Kris over the highly-polished vocals and antics of Adam. It's about musical preference, not moral judgment.
And really, anyone who has watched Idol over the years knows that this is probably the best possible outcome for both of the top finishers. Kris will have the full support and marketing of the Idol contract to help him launch his career. Adam will have the option of a little more artistic freedom than he would have otherwise. So really it's a win-win.
Anyway, those are my thoughts. I'm sure there are those who will disagree. You're entitled and it doesn't even hurt my feelings.
Until next season....
Some of the blogs I read on the show noted that Kris pretty much sucked on Kara DioGuardi's tune that she wrote for the finale. I have to disagree - while he started a teeny bit shaky, I actually liked his style for the song better than Adams'. Overall, I thought that based on performance, the competition was pretty close to a draw. Adam and Kris are very different artists, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.
I thought the criticism of Kris being "too lightweight" was rather unfair too, considering that everyone knew by that time exactly what kind of singer he is and he was merely being true to himself.
At the same time, I thought the judges missed some areas of potential criticism of Adam. He has crazy skills in his falsetto range, but at times I find his sound pinched, overly bright, and downright annoying. That will be fixable on any recording by the way they process his vocals in studio, but his vocals are not as perfect as many have stated during this season.
As to the outcome - it could easily have gone either way and I'm really unsurprised that Kris was the final victor. When looking at the final 3, you had two Christian worship leaders, and one goth bad boy. Did anyone really think that a large number of Danny's fans were going to vote for Adam? Some have interpreted the outcome as a sign of rampant homophobia, and maybe some votes were decided based on that kind of criteria. But personally I think it's more likely that those who like a raw, acoustic sound just preferred the style of Kris over the highly-polished vocals and antics of Adam. It's about musical preference, not moral judgment.
And really, anyone who has watched Idol over the years knows that this is probably the best possible outcome for both of the top finishers. Kris will have the full support and marketing of the Idol contract to help him launch his career. Adam will have the option of a little more artistic freedom than he would have otherwise. So really it's a win-win.
Anyway, those are my thoughts. I'm sure there are those who will disagree. You're entitled and it doesn't even hurt my feelings.
Until next season....
Monday, May 18, 2009
Idol delay probability
For any of the one, two or three people who might occasionally stumble across this blog, please note that due to circumstances beyond my control (sort of) I won't be blogging on the season finale of Idol when it airs.
The reason? I'm out-of-town this week and will probably not be able to watch the show until I return to Tejas on Sunday. Bummer.
I will most likely make some comments on the show when I finally do watch it, but I doubt I'll do my usual blow-by-blow since it won't exactly be breaking news by then.
My sincere apologies to all my fans. If I have any. Which I doubt.
The reason? I'm out-of-town this week and will probably not be able to watch the show until I return to Tejas on Sunday. Bummer.
I will most likely make some comments on the show when I finally do watch it, but I doubt I'll do my usual blow-by-blow since it won't exactly be breaking news by then.
My sincere apologies to all my fans. If I have any. Which I doubt.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
American Idol 8.9 - The top 3 sing two songs each
From 100,000 to three amigos. That's how Ryan summed up the season so far. Any way you slice it, the three finalists have done a great job in getting where they are. They all deserve props.
Danny Gokey
Dance Little Sister - Terence Trent D'Arby
Paula's Pick
Very nice song choice for Danny. This song is upbeat and bluesy and Danny looks like he's having fun with it. It's a perfect fit for his vocal style. He's doing well playing to the audience, although he's still not great at using the whole stage. I especially like the little scat singing duet he does in the middle with the sax player. It's fun and I wouldn't mind hearing that again... it's a winner. Woot.
Kris Allen
Apologize - One Republic
Kara and Randy's Kool Request
I have to admit it. Although Kris hasn't been my most favorite this season, he really showed why he's still in this thing. That was a completely legitimate, very indy performance. I thought it sounded flawless, but Paula claims she heard a very obvious bad note. Listening back, I think she way overstated the case. His voice cracked ever so slightly on the second chorus, but it wasn't a "bum note". Not even close. Between Kara and Paula, I'm thinking that they are just telling him that they don't want him in the finale. I guess that's fair. Ish.
Adam Lambert
One - U2
Simon's Say
Without a doubt Adam will have a career in the music industry. But I'm pretty sure I won't be buying a lot of his albums. While the performance was fully adequate, I personally found it whiny and annoying. It was not my favorite performance from Adam so far this season; and it wasn't my favorite of the night so far. The judges are fawning all over him, but I'm not jumping up and down.
I'm going to piggyback here on the Idol Gives Back video. The anti-malaria cause is worthwhile and can make a real difference for people. If you want to contribute to this or any other cause that Idol is supporting, you can do so at the Idol Gives Back page. If you want to learn more about the malaria issue in particular, you can head over to Melinda Doolittle's favorite charity organization, Malria No More.
Now back to the songs....
Danny Gokey
You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker
This is a great song. And it was a great arrangement. And a perfectly amazing performance. I may end up buying this one on iTunes - it would be the first one all season. It really was a unique take on a very familiar song and he earned the kudos he just received from all four judges.
Kris Allen
Heartless - Kanye West
I'm not a Kanye fan (sorry GG & Mike) so I'm not familiar at all with his music. I'm guessing when he sings this song, it really doesn't sound much like this. But here's the thing - I am fairly impressed with the song itself. It's good writing. And I'm enjoying the simple guitar & vocals only arrangement that Kris is singing. I especially like the slightly Latin feel to it. Interesting choice and a very, very good job.
Adam Lambert
Cryin' - Aerosmith
This song is fairly typical for Adam. And his performance actually feels predictable to me. I'm so over the screaming glam-rock thing. I was much more impressed several weeks ago when he did the quiet ballad. The high note at the end was OK, but overall I am not finding this a memorable performance. I was bored. Simon may be all in a dither over Adam, but I've personally lost interest. He's more than a one trick pony, but he does really like that one favorite trick, and screeching vocals isn't something I like to listen to.
I have to be honest. I'm really really hoping that there is an "upset" tonight that sees Kris and Danny in the final two. I'm actually expecting to see Adam and Danny go on, with Kris being eliminated. But it could also be that Danny goes home leaving Kris and Adam as the final two.
In other words, it's anybody's game. Excellent job, Idol. This is the first season where all three of your top three (and all four of your top four) actually deserve to win. They should all have very lucrative recording contracts coming out of this.
Danny Gokey
Dance Little Sister - Terence Trent D'Arby
Paula's Pick
Very nice song choice for Danny. This song is upbeat and bluesy and Danny looks like he's having fun with it. It's a perfect fit for his vocal style. He's doing well playing to the audience, although he's still not great at using the whole stage. I especially like the little scat singing duet he does in the middle with the sax player. It's fun and I wouldn't mind hearing that again... it's a winner. Woot.
Kris Allen
Apologize - One Republic
Kara and Randy's Kool Request
I have to admit it. Although Kris hasn't been my most favorite this season, he really showed why he's still in this thing. That was a completely legitimate, very indy performance. I thought it sounded flawless, but Paula claims she heard a very obvious bad note. Listening back, I think she way overstated the case. His voice cracked ever so slightly on the second chorus, but it wasn't a "bum note". Not even close. Between Kara and Paula, I'm thinking that they are just telling him that they don't want him in the finale. I guess that's fair. Ish.
Adam Lambert
One - U2
Simon's Say
Without a doubt Adam will have a career in the music industry. But I'm pretty sure I won't be buying a lot of his albums. While the performance was fully adequate, I personally found it whiny and annoying. It was not my favorite performance from Adam so far this season; and it wasn't my favorite of the night so far. The judges are fawning all over him, but I'm not jumping up and down.
I'm going to piggyback here on the Idol Gives Back video. The anti-malaria cause is worthwhile and can make a real difference for people. If you want to contribute to this or any other cause that Idol is supporting, you can do so at the Idol Gives Back page. If you want to learn more about the malaria issue in particular, you can head over to Melinda Doolittle's favorite charity organization, Malria No More.
Now back to the songs....
Danny Gokey
You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker
This is a great song. And it was a great arrangement. And a perfectly amazing performance. I may end up buying this one on iTunes - it would be the first one all season. It really was a unique take on a very familiar song and he earned the kudos he just received from all four judges.
Kris Allen
Heartless - Kanye West
I'm not a Kanye fan (sorry GG & Mike) so I'm not familiar at all with his music. I'm guessing when he sings this song, it really doesn't sound much like this. But here's the thing - I am fairly impressed with the song itself. It's good writing. And I'm enjoying the simple guitar & vocals only arrangement that Kris is singing. I especially like the slightly Latin feel to it. Interesting choice and a very, very good job.
Adam Lambert
Cryin' - Aerosmith
This song is fairly typical for Adam. And his performance actually feels predictable to me. I'm so over the screaming glam-rock thing. I was much more impressed several weeks ago when he did the quiet ballad. The high note at the end was OK, but overall I am not finding this a memorable performance. I was bored. Simon may be all in a dither over Adam, but I've personally lost interest. He's more than a one trick pony, but he does really like that one favorite trick, and screeching vocals isn't something I like to listen to.
I have to be honest. I'm really really hoping that there is an "upset" tonight that sees Kris and Danny in the final two. I'm actually expecting to see Adam and Danny go on, with Kris being eliminated. But it could also be that Danny goes home leaving Kris and Adam as the final two.
In other words, it's anybody's game. Excellent job, Idol. This is the first season where all three of your top three (and all four of your top four) actually deserve to win. They should all have very lucrative recording contracts coming out of this.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
American Idol 8.9 - The top 4 sing ROCK!!!
Tonight will be awesome for Allison and probably Adam. It might be a little harder sell for Danny and Kris. We'll see how it goes.
It will also be "trial by fire" since the idols had no run through on stage with the band due to an on-stage accident which left one of the AI signs at a precarious angle.
Slash - legendary guitarist from Guns n' Roses - is the guest mentor this evening. Cool beans.
Adam Lambert
Whole Lotta Love - Led Zepplin
This song is a no-brainer for Adam. He looks the part of the glam-rock dude. He sounds it even more. This is probably his genre when he cuts his first album, and this song may as well be on it. I'm not engaged with him much, but he sounds amazing. His pitch is amazing. His performance is ... amazing. If anything, the vocal is almost too clean. Seems to me there should have been some grind in it - dirty things up a bit. It's almost like ending the baseball game with no grass stains on the uniform - somehow I just wasn't convinced. He has a killer instrument, but I am buying his performances less and less. The more I think about it, the more everything he does seems rather like a put-on. So sue me.
Allison Iraheta
Cry Baby - Janis Joplin
It's not fair. Allison has that belter thing going. She has the sexy huskiness in her voice. But still, she has a strength an purity in her voice. I'm jealous. And she totally nailed the song. I liked it - forget what Randy had to say. I thought it was fantastic. My only criticism - her lipstick is too pink. It should have been a deeper shade of red. *shrug*
Kris and Danny
Renegade - Styx
I'm glad the duet pairings ended up with Danny & Kris together - I'm not sure either one of them would have compared favorably to either Allison or Adam. There were some really nice parts in both of their solos and the duetting sounded great. I would have liked stronger vocals from Kris overall, but I think Danny was great. Overall a very strong performance from both, though probably only an 8 out of 10.
* * * At the halfway point, I think Allison is the current frontrunner * * *
Kris Allen
Come Together - The Beatles
Um... no. I guess this is OK, but it's sounds like a cheap imitation. I'm not a fan of this performance at all. This is not what I wanted to hear from Kris. I appreciate the fact that he changed it up quite a bit from the original, but it's such a classic song that it sorta just feels ruined instead of fresh and interesting. Meh.
Danny Gokey
Dream On - Aerosmith
This is a great song. I'm a little worried for Danny. He sounded great in his rehearsal clip, but this is definitely a roll of the dice. He's perfect on the the beginning... but he went slightly sharp on the first held note. Sounds pretty good on the middle section, but again just a little bit pitchy. And as he went for it with the screaming at the end, his voice broke and he ended on a shriek that had no control at all. I still love Danny and the beginning was nice, but I'm guessing he'll be in the bottom two with Kris after that performance. I will say though - I have a huge amount of respect for Danny in general. He hasn't done anything all season that would negatively impact his position as a worship leader - all his songs have had a message consistent with his beliefs. And he also hasn't done anything to dishonor the memory of his wife.
Allison and Adam
Slowride - Foghat
here's the two real rockers together. And they actually sound very good together. Surprisingly, their skills are not just evenly matched - they are very, very similar. Their vocal timbre is so close it was at times tough to tell who was singing which part when they were duetting. I think they need to be a band together when they wrap up the idol obligations. Very cool stuff.
Wow. Tough night to judge. I am almost certain Kris will be going home with Danny standing next to him when he gets the news. However, a lot will depend on who benefits most from the departure of Matt last week. I don't see either Adam or Allison picking up a lot of votes from Matt's hand-me-downs. Kris and Danny have a better chance of snagging those with Danny likely taking the lion's share. So Danny, Allison and Adam will probably be the final 3 with it really being anybody's game at that point.
I am looking forward to whatever happens - this ahs been the strongest season of Idol to date with things getting better every week.
It will also be "trial by fire" since the idols had no run through on stage with the band due to an on-stage accident which left one of the AI signs at a precarious angle.
Slash - legendary guitarist from Guns n' Roses - is the guest mentor this evening. Cool beans.
Adam Lambert
Whole Lotta Love - Led Zepplin
This song is a no-brainer for Adam. He looks the part of the glam-rock dude. He sounds it even more. This is probably his genre when he cuts his first album, and this song may as well be on it. I'm not engaged with him much, but he sounds amazing. His pitch is amazing. His performance is ... amazing. If anything, the vocal is almost too clean. Seems to me there should have been some grind in it - dirty things up a bit. It's almost like ending the baseball game with no grass stains on the uniform - somehow I just wasn't convinced. He has a killer instrument, but I am buying his performances less and less. The more I think about it, the more everything he does seems rather like a put-on. So sue me.
Allison Iraheta
Cry Baby - Janis Joplin
It's not fair. Allison has that belter thing going. She has the sexy huskiness in her voice. But still, she has a strength an purity in her voice. I'm jealous. And she totally nailed the song. I liked it - forget what Randy had to say. I thought it was fantastic. My only criticism - her lipstick is too pink. It should have been a deeper shade of red. *shrug*
Kris and Danny
Renegade - Styx
I'm glad the duet pairings ended up with Danny & Kris together - I'm not sure either one of them would have compared favorably to either Allison or Adam. There were some really nice parts in both of their solos and the duetting sounded great. I would have liked stronger vocals from Kris overall, but I think Danny was great. Overall a very strong performance from both, though probably only an 8 out of 10.
* * * At the halfway point, I think Allison is the current frontrunner * * *
Kris Allen
Come Together - The Beatles
Um... no. I guess this is OK, but it's sounds like a cheap imitation. I'm not a fan of this performance at all. This is not what I wanted to hear from Kris. I appreciate the fact that he changed it up quite a bit from the original, but it's such a classic song that it sorta just feels ruined instead of fresh and interesting. Meh.
Danny Gokey
Dream On - Aerosmith
This is a great song. I'm a little worried for Danny. He sounded great in his rehearsal clip, but this is definitely a roll of the dice. He's perfect on the the beginning... but he went slightly sharp on the first held note. Sounds pretty good on the middle section, but again just a little bit pitchy. And as he went for it with the screaming at the end, his voice broke and he ended on a shriek that had no control at all. I still love Danny and the beginning was nice, but I'm guessing he'll be in the bottom two with Kris after that performance. I will say though - I have a huge amount of respect for Danny in general. He hasn't done anything all season that would negatively impact his position as a worship leader - all his songs have had a message consistent with his beliefs. And he also hasn't done anything to dishonor the memory of his wife.
Allison and Adam
Slowride - Foghat
here's the two real rockers together. And they actually sound very good together. Surprisingly, their skills are not just evenly matched - they are very, very similar. Their vocal timbre is so close it was at times tough to tell who was singing which part when they were duetting. I think they need to be a band together when they wrap up the idol obligations. Very cool stuff.
Wow. Tough night to judge. I am almost certain Kris will be going home with Danny standing next to him when he gets the news. However, a lot will depend on who benefits most from the departure of Matt last week. I don't see either Adam or Allison picking up a lot of votes from Matt's hand-me-downs. Kris and Danny have a better chance of snagging those with Danny likely taking the lion's share. So Danny, Allison and Adam will probably be the final 3 with it really being anybody's game at that point.
I am looking forward to whatever happens - this ahs been the strongest season of Idol to date with things getting better every week.
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