ECLlPSE Post-Premiere

Wow.  So I've always known that box office results do not represent the quality of a film, but what amazes me is Twilight's ability to keep surpassing its own records.  Apparently, the movie has already, in the first 5 days of its release, brought in about $161 million in North America.  Also, in just midnight screenings alone on the first night, the movie brought in over $30 million, breaking the record set by New Moon.

Although extremely cheesy and overly dramatic, Eclipse surprised me in that it managed to stay true to the book (very unlike the first two disastrous movies), and was successful in finally admitting the nature of the Twilight movies. They're cheesy, high-school, melodramas meant to touch the hearts of young, hopelessly romantic girls longing for always and forever (hence the vampire-draw) love.  Well, the movie did all of that but also, it allowed us to laugh in between the oh-so-serious fight scenes, at silly one-liners like Jacob's , "We both know I'm hotter than you", and pretty much every scene Bella's dad is in.

Anyways, a big thank you to Krysta who graciously invited me to the American Express Front of the Line premiere in Toronto, where we bumped into the very cute werewolf, Jared (Bronson Pelletier), and ate yummy snacks post-movie.  Also, if you've never been in the Elgin Theatre, make sure you check it out - it's gorgeous inside.

I Heart the Geek

The Laws of Attraction are weird and unexplainable.  Take for instance, mainstream America’s growing attraction to the underdog.  Pop Culture has officially welcomed the age of the Geek.  I like to pinpoint it to the first season of The OC, where Seth Cohen stole every girl’s heart, including that of California girl, Summer. 

Gone are the days of the popular jock, now coming in second to the emo-loving, tech-savvy, comic book enthusiast of today.  With the growing popularity of geeky comedies like Superbad and Knocked Up, awkward boys like Michael Cera and Seth Rogen are attractive, I think, because when hairlines recede and good looks fade, there has to be something more than the superficial.

Actually, comedians have kind of always been exempt from the conventional romance rules of Hollywood.  Guys like Jim Carrey and Kevin James (from King of Queens) get the girl even while not exactly having Brad Pitt-like good looks.

It's kind of like the fairy tales we all grew up with, like Aladdin, where audiences identify with seeing the street urchin end up with the princess.

My Top 5 Geeks of All-Time:

#5 Steve Urkell  from Family Matters.  The stereotypical geek, Steve had the too-short pants kept up with suspenders, plaid shirts and oversized glasses, not to mention the annoying nasal-y voice.  But, his alter-ego Stefan Urquelle shows us that beneath every geek there’s a smooth guy just waiting to get out, so you should stick around for when that happens.   

#4 Carlton Banks from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.  So annoying and such the tattle-tale, with his endless supply of sweaters and preppy clothes, poor guy pretty much never got the girl.  Not to mention his obsession with Tom Jones...And the Carlton dance, ohhhh the dance.

#3 Duckie Dale from Pretty in Pink.  Molly Ringwald’s best friend, complete with the goofy hair, shoes, and desperation.  He wasn’t cool enough to get into the hottest spot in town but always waited for his beloved, red-headed Andie.  Jon Cryer will always be remembered for serenading Andie with Otis Redding’s Tenderness.

#2 Samuel (Screech) Powers from Saved by the Bell.  Zack Morris’ best friend with a heart of gold!  For some reason, Saved by the Bell never actually followed typical High School conventions.  At Bayside, the head cheerleader hung out with the class valedictorian and the biggest geek in school.  With that said, Screech’s goofiness and cluelessness made the show what it was, comic gold for the 80s, and somehow, still in syndication almost 20 years later.

#1 Dwight Schrute from The Office.  From his awkward display of useless knowledge on bears and beets, to his love of Battlestar Gallactica, he gets #1 for being so uncool that he’s cool.  He wears his geekiness as a badge of honour, embracing what he loves and stands for, and does so with so much confidence that he transcends the traditional characteristics of the geek, creating a new genre with his unique personality.

More Buzz = Higher TV Ratings right? Not necessarily

So, buzz is a good thing, right?  Getting people to talk about your product is what all marketers want.  But the age old saying "All publicity is good publicity" may not necessarily ring true.  According to this Neilsen Study, the level of online buzz about a TV show does not necessarily mean people are going to actually watch it.  What they say is that measuring the number of mentions a brand gets is all fine and good, but that data alone will not fairly predict ratings - you have to take a look at exactly what is being said in each mention, and identify whether the comments are positive or negative, to see how they really feel about it.

What was interesting was I remember, before the Lost Series Finale, all anyone could talk about was that Advertisers were spending up to $1 Million for a 30 second ad-spot.  Well, according to the article, ratings did not live up to what everyone thought they would be.  That kind of sucks for advertisers who probably used all the buzz around the Finale, to measure the number of people they expected to watch their ads and, in turn, figure out what they were going to pay.

It's really funny that the finale with the most buzz was Lost, but the one with the most ratings was actually Dancing with the Stars.  So I guess people like to publicly talk about whatever is currently trendy and not what they really watch behind closed doors.

Total ECLIPSE of the Heart

I’ve got some big news for all the open (and closeted) Twi-hards out there. I’m going to the premiere for Eclipse on Monday with a dear, dear friend of mine (Shout out to K-Jo for the awesome hook-up!) So excited, although the movie definitely doesn’t look as good as the books are addictive, there’s a special place in my heart for Twilight (swoon for Edward) and I’m excited to be one of the first people in Toronto to see the movie!

Will definitely post about it next week!

On another note, I can't seem to stop listening to the Temper Trap album literally on repeat, periodically throughout the day. That's all.
Love Lost by The Temper Trap

Sneak Peak at Sofia Coppola`s Somewhere

There`s something in the air this week (other than the non-stop rain) that is making for some fantastic trailers coming out, for movies that I actually want to see!  Just saw one for Sofia Coppola`s Somewhere, which is about an actor, who spends his time hibernating in LA`s infamous Chateau Marmont, attempting to smother his loneliness with plenty of distractions i.e. women and booze (the good life, of course).  Then, along comes his pre-teen daughter (Dakota Fanning`s little sister, by the way!) who fills that void.  Love the father daughter thing (especially since I am a self-proclaimed daddy`s girl) and Stephen Dorff still has that James Dean meets Dylan McKay thing going on. (Yes, he was the hottie Alicia Silverstone gave the finger to in the 1993 Aerosmith video for Cryin`)

Check out the trailer.


And, just for kicks, here`s the video for Cryin` featuring Aerosmith`s resident wild child, Alicia Silverstone and a smokin` hot Stephen Dorff.

This Movie Is Broken (Social Scene)

I just came across the trailer for This Movie Is Broken - A Rock Show Romance featuring the music of Broken Social Scene and I had to share it.

We are definitely long overdue for what looks like is going to be a new indie-rock movie about music and l-o-v-e.

It reminds me of one of the more recent ro(ck)mances, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - which I can seem to watch over and over again for Michael Cera's adorable-ness and that hilarious Andy Samberg cameo, not to mention that awesome Devendra Banhart track (Lover).

Oh, and did I mention, the movie takes place in our gorgeous city.

Check out the trailer.

Drake OFFICIALLY releases Thank Me Later

So, the most talked-about day for Hip-Hop in a long time, came and went yesterday. Drake's highly anticipated came out in stores (officially, because I know most of you heard it before, don't lie!) to what are expected to be very high 1st week sales, despite the album being leaked a couple of weeks back.

Either way, by now I'm sure you've all had a chance to listen to the album and I'd love to know what you really think. I'm getting mixed reviews and I have to say I kind of agree. I feel like the best songs on the album have already been released and I don't think it lived up to the hype. Poor guy though, because the real thing is almost never as good as the hype and Drake's come around at a time where everyone just wants him to be the one to 'save' hip-hop from the 'crap'hop that floods our stations today.

The problem is also that we all heard the mixtapes and got super excited because here was this up and comer who got so much love from the Greats that he had to be something special. Add that to the highly publicized race to sign him to a label - that kind of pressure would get to anyone. And all this before he even had a chance to release an actual album.

So, with all that in mind, and with the fact that his mixtapes got so much love, maybe it's actually the record label's influence that screwed up Canada's own Drizzy-Drake. He probably could have done much better without them.

All Apologies - 2 days left till Season 3 of TRUE BLOOD premieres!

In a word - GENIUS!

HBO's latest viral video is none other than a carefully crafted apology video spoof, poking fun at the bad rep PR people get for their scripted videos full of product plugs and teleprompters. It's funny and awkward, really uncovering the elements of dark comedy that exist beneath all the sex and well, blood.

Ah, I'm so buying into all of these teaser videos and posters...2 days left. Also, keep in mind I so want that card for my birthday.

Carey Mulligan 'educates' on Life, Learning, and falling in Love with hot older men!

I just finished watching An Education, part of my must-see movie list that I just hadn’t gotten around to watching after Carey Mulligan’s Oscar nomination sparked my interest. And oh, how I loved it so! Carey Mulligan plays Jenny, this fresh-faced and naive, teenage school-girl growing up in early 1960s London. I heard a rumour that they were planning on remaking the classic My Fair Lady and Carey Mulligan was favoured to get the role, and I remember saying What? Why and how could they give such an important role to someone like her – but, now I know why. I so wanted to be her, going to all the jazz clubs and dog races, frolicking around Paris and Oxford with her beau. Every girl wants to be swept off her feet like a fairy tale but as we are educated in the film, life’s not a fairy tale, and the harsh reality of her childish choices eventually set in. Of course, the fashions were delightful, but most of all, it was the writing and story that kept me involved in Jenny’s life. Carey Mulligan’s monologues were compelling and wonderfully delivered- especially where she questions her headmistress, very unlike the ladies of her time, about why it’s so important for her to get a degree when she will end up a married housewife or schoolteacher anyway. I just read too, that Nick Hornby wrote the screenplay, the same guy who wrote High Fidelity - no wonder I fell into it so easily. At one point, Jenny says, "Action is character. If we never did anything, we wouldn't be anybody." I loved that - it made me want to jump on a plane and get out of the boundaries of my existence. You can’t go wrong with a BBC-backed film, (just like Pride and Prejudice!) and, unfortunately for those of you I talk to on a regular basis, I’ll probably be speaking in a British accent now for about a week.

Vanessa Marcil to return to General Hospital this summer & Julia Stiles joins the cast of DEXTER

The season finale of United States of Tara is on tonight, and I'm very interested to find out the root of Tara's dissociative identity disorder (DID) if they actually let us find that out in only the second season. Love the characters and Toni Collette's acting but I feel so bad for her family that I just want them to figure out what has made Tara need to cope so badly through various identities. We know now that the sisters were in foster care for sometime, although we don't know why so tonight should be a good one!

Also, big big big news for any General Hospital fans out there! Don't laugh or mock me, but I've been watching this show since I was literally in diapers and can somehow stop watching for years but pick it back up anytime. Anyway, the always gorgeous Vanessa Marcil (90210, Las Vegas, ex-girlfriend to Brian Austin Green) is set to make yet another return as the epic character Brenda Barrett sometime in mid-August. I read this on PerezHilton.com so I'm hoping this has serious validity to it because I'm already too excited to claim that I'm normal. With Sonny single right now (as in, not married to Carly like he has been four times already - got to love Soap Operas and how they make being married 6 times seem normal) and all torn up about his son being in prison, her return couldn't have come at a better time. Last time Vanessa returned to GH's Port Charles for a visit, viewership increased somewhere around 30% PLUS, James Franco is also said to be returning again for a guest-spot. It's looking to be a sweltering hot summer in Port Charles!

And, last but not least, the hit deadly drama, Dexter, won't be back for a 5th season until sometime this fall but news hit the stands today that Julia Stiles will be joining the cast for at least 10 episodes, probably as some sort of a woman-friend to our beloved Dexter. Since the earth-shattering, shocking season finale where (spoiler alert!!!!) Dexter's wife Rita was found murdered in the bathtub by John Lithgow's character, Julia will most probably develop some sort of relationship with Dexter while he copes with the aftermath of Rita's death. Way to keep us fans interested in the off-season!