Have Any Idea?

Know where this ugly guy is from? This movie is one of my all-time favorites!
I'll give you some clues:
1. It's a Universal production.
2. It deals with things out of this world.
3. Zapping big bugs is a normal part of the job for the 2 main characters.

Think you know? Stay tuned. I'll post the answer later in the week!

Rent is coming to a city near you!

In today's economy, it's not always easy to scrape up the cash to see a Broadway show, especially if you don't live close to New York City. However, there are ways to see the same shows both for a cheaper price and closer to home. You just have to know where to look!

Penn State University is doing a production of the show Rent, one of Broadway's greatest. The tickets are cheaper, and if you live in the area, the gas won't cost you nearly as much as it would to venture to NYC. This is a great opportunity to get some culture! 

Scheduling and Tickets

Opening Night: Thursday, April 7 
Preview at 7:30 p.m.: April 5 
Evenings at 7:30 p.m.: April 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19
Matinée at 2 p.m.: April 16
Evening: $18.00 • Preview/Matinée: $16

(Shown at the Pavilion Theater on campus) 

The easiest way to get get tickets is by phone (814-863-0255 or 800-ARTS-TIX (278-7849)) but they can also be ordered in person.

Check it out! I don't know much about Rent, but I've always heard it's a fantastic show. I will even be going myself!

Best in Film

ABC News and People Magazine recently teamed up to name exactly what the title says-- name the best in film. The results were aired on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 on ABC. America voted on the favorites in 15 different categories; the movies on the lists were chosen by an panel of actors, producers, directors, critics, and others in the film industry. The poll was open from November 2010 to January 2011 and over 500,00 votes were cast. Only ten of the fifteen categories were released on television while the other five (along with the rest of the results) were put online. The nominees were all extremely well-known, as well as extremely well-done. Some of my favorite movies were nominated and a few even won.

The categories were: best film, best comedy, best sci-fi, best animated film, best musical, best suspense/thrill, best action film, most romantic screen couple, greatest film character, greatest line, best horror film, best western film, best chick flick, best political/historical film, and greatest on screen kiss. Each category had four runners-up.    Many of these movies, if not all, are classics. Now, I personally cannot watch horror or suspense films due to a weak stomach and because I'm a chicken. However, I highly recommend watching these movies. If a movie is chosen by all of America, it must be good.

Best Film: Gone With the Wind (1939)
An all-time classic, Gone With the Wind took home several wins. If you've never seen it, I highly recommend that you do. It's extremely long (three total hours; after the first hour and 15 minutes there is a short intermission) but it is so worth it.
2. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
3. The Godfather (1972)
4. Casablanca (1942)
5. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Greatest Character: Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump, 1994)
It's no surprise that this lovable, yet dim-witted character is the greatest character; he shows what hard work and a heart full of love can really get you in life.
2. James Bond (James Bond Films)
3. Scarlett O'Hara (Gone With the Wind, 1939)
4. Dr. Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs, 1991)
5. Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones Films)

Greatest On-Screen Kiss: Gone With the Wind (1939)
Every girl wants to find her Rhett Butler, so she can be "kissed often, and by someone who knows how." Except Scarlett O'Hara. At least at first. This kiss makes it seem like Rhett finally won his girl over, but the battle isn't over yet.
2. From Here to Eternity (1953)
3. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
4. An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
5. Casablanca (1942)

I've already told you that there are many more categories. Check out the rest for yourself at http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Best_Film/!

The Ugliest Shirts on TV

I can guarantee that at some point in your life, you have once criticized what someone else is wearing. People do it all the time. I'm not saying we should judge other people, but sometime, the outfits we see on other people can be a little out there, and characters on TV are no exception to that rule. Fox New's entertainment section has been acting as the fashion police, and I figured I'd share their discoveries with you. Some of them are pretty bad.

 

Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen) from Two and a Half Men

Charlie himself said it best: at least he 

doesn't have to wear those ugly shirts anymore.

 

Original American Idol judge Simon Cowell

No costumes involved in this show, just

really bad decision making on Simon's part.

Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck) in Magnum, P.I.

Tom has truly aged very gracefully. However, open 

shirts aren't flattering on those with that much chest hair.

Alan Harper (John Cryer) in Two and A Half Men

Alan is Charlie's younger brother. 

It appears bad style runs in the family.

Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) in The Big Bang Theory

It is possible to be a brainiac and have a sense of style.

Apparently, Howard wasn't that lucky.

Laverne (Penny Marshall) in  Laverne & Shirley

No one could forget Laverne with her sense of style.

And the giant letter "L" that she always wore.

Dr. Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby) in The Cosby Show

I think the sweater in this picture says it all.

I have nothing more to add.

Kramer (Michael Richards) in Seinfeld

Kramer was known for his strange over-sized blazers.

The look fit him. (Not literally.)

Raymond Barone  (Ray Romano) in Everybody Loves Raymond

Flannel shirts are good every once in a while,

but how many flannels can one man own!?

Wonder Woman is Switching Things Up

Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman

Adrianna Palicki

Everybody has heard of Wonder Woman and knows about her magic lasso, bullet-deflecting bracelets, and star-covered short-shorts. However, in an upcoming NBC series, Wonder Woman will be switching things up. In the 1970's series, Lynda Carter wore the classic Wonder Woman outfit, as pictured to the left. The red top, the blue and white star-studded shorts, the lasso, the bracelets, and the red boots. But if all goes as planned, a new Wonder Woman show will soon be hitting the screen, and, as stated above, some changes will be made. However, the show first has to make it thought the pilot. David E. Kelley, the director of the upcoming pilot, has said that he wants to add some depth to the character of Wonder Woman-- he wants her to be portrayed as "a real complex woman and not just a superhero." Some fans have already been tripped up by the change, while others seem to like it. The changes may seem major to part of the population, and others may not care. It depends on how susceptible the fans are to change. The new costume, which, in the picture to the right, is worn by the lead actress of the pilot, Adrianne Palicki, differs in the pants and boots. The pants are now a type of blue leggings, and the boots are blue. Is the switch really that big of a deal? In my personal opinion, it is not. As long as the show is a good one, and the character is accurately portrayed, I don't see why the costume change matters. Then again, I am not a Wonder Woman fan. I can see why some would be upset with the change. No one wants to see a beloved character look a way their not supposed to. But sometimes change is good.

Feature of the Week: Back to the Future

"Wait a minute, Doc. Are... are you telling me you

 built a time machine... out of a DeLorean?"

"The way I see it, if you're gonna build a time machine

 into a car, why not do it with some style!?"

I'm not going to lie. I'm definitely in an 80's mood this week. The strange thing is, I wasn't even born until the 90's. But lately, I've been listening to Bon Jovi non-stop and I keep getting the desire to watch 80's movies. So I figured I'd share one of my all-time favorites with you today, and if you already guessed what it is from the quote above, you are officially my new best friend. Back to the Future was released in 1985, the same year the movie takes place. Now, if you're not one for confusing time travel movies, you may actually be okay with this one; it really isn't that bad. Compared to a movie such as The Time Traveler's Wife, this movie is a piece of cake. 

So, let me take you through it. 

Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is your average 17 year-old kid. He is awesome with a guitar, he slacks in school, he loves his beautiful girlfriend... and his best friend is a 60-some-year-old eccentric genius messing around with plutonium and the space-time continuum. Average right? The movie starts out with  Doc (Christopher Lloyd), the mad scientist, calling Marty up to come see his latest and greatest invention, but he has to wait until 1:00 AM to come. Marty sneaks out, video camera in hand, and witnesses Doc's breakthrough: DeLorean-turned-time machine that is powered by the incredibly dangerous chemical plutonium. Doc explains it all, including when he got the idea for the flux capacitor (the gadget that makes time travel possible) back in 1955. However, the situation turns sticky when the Libyan terrorists that Doc stole the plutonium from come to get their revenge. Doc's luck ran out, but Marty was able to escape, with one tiny little problem: he's now stuck in the year 1955 with no plutonium to get him back home. Through a series of events, Marty finds both his parents and interferes with their first meeting. This means his parents never met, which in turn means he was never born. With the help of the Doc from 1955, Marty must get his parents back together and get home all before he either a) disappears altogether, or b) misses the lighting storm that could potentially get him back home (after all, everyone knows that both plutonium and lightning produce 1.21 gigawatts of power, right?). What happens next? I guess you'll just have to watch and find out.

If you like the first BTTF movie, I highly recommend the second and third as well. Neither movie is as good as the first, but they still rather rock. Check them out. They're a little long, but the time flies. (Ha! Punny.)

I ain't 'fraid of no ghosts.

If there's something strange        If there's something weird       

in your neighborhood                 and it don't look good 

Who ya gonna call?                   Who ya gonna call?

GHOST BUSTERS!                  GHOST BUSTERS!

I ain't 'fraid of no ghosts.

Are YOU afraid of ghosts? If you've ever seen Ghost Busters, then I'm sure you've realized the ghosts these men are busting really aren't that scary. I got on a kick recently; I had never seen the movie until this very weekend and now I'm currently watching it for the second time. It is a cheesy as can be, but I have to give them some credit; as far as lame 80's effects go, these aren't the worst I've seen. And when a movie has a theme song as awesome as Ghost Busters', it makes it all worth it. 

The original Ghost Busters debuted in 1984, and the second followed in 1989. While doing a little research today, I found that a third might soon follow. It's only been rumored, although a script definitely has been written. Bill Murray just isn't too excited for a third production, which is why he refuses to read this script. This is why nothing has happened yet. But, if these people can make the duo of movies into a trilogy, more power to them. Honestly, I'd love to see what they can do with the effects and technology of today. 

So if you've never seen GB, check it out. If you're nerdy like me, you're bound to get at least a few laughs out of it. And even if you're not, you can still get a cheap laugh from how awful the effects are. 

In the meantime, check out Ray Parker, Jr.'s video. You'll get an idea of what I mean by "awful." Even the music video is bad! But the song is so darn catchy.

Feature of the Week: Life as We Know It

Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel really nailed this one. This story of friends turned family shows that love can be found in the most unexpected places and brought about by the most tragic of circumstances.

Holly Berenson and Eric Messer aren't exactly friends. They only have two things in common: their mutual dislike for each other, and their love for their goddaughter, Sophie. However, when Sophie's parents (and Holly and Messer's best friends)  are killed in a car accident, the not-so-friendly pair must come together to provide for the little girl. Neither planned on giving up their lives, but soon they find themselves living together in Sophie's house, doing their best to raise her.

It takes a while, but the two start to warm up to each other. Their love of Sophie brings them together, and soon their dislike turns friendship. Before long, the friendship starts to transform into stronger feelings, but when Messer is offered a job in Phoenix (a long way from their Atlanta home) and eventually takes it, it rips the two apart. However, it doesn't take long for the two to realize their split was a mistake. All the while, Sophie lives and learns, and comes to know the pair as the only family she has.

This really is an excellent movie. It's the kind that has the ability to send your emotions all over the place. One minute your heart is aching and the next, you find yourself laughing your butt off. I highly recommended it.

Sayounara, Charlie Sheen

The TV sitcom Two and a Half Men has done incredibly well throughout its (almost) eight seasons. However, the success the show has known is about to come to an end. As I'm sure you've heard by now, one of the show's stars has gone off the deep end. Unless you live under a rock, you know I'm talking about Charlie Sheen.   Towards the end of February, Warner Bros. put a halt on production of Men, even though the season is not finished yet. Sheen, who insists he is clean and sober, was soon to follow on the list of Warner Bros. cuts. On March 7, the announced the actor's cut, which took effect immediately. So what does that mean for Men and the rest of the cast? As for right now, they are out of luck; the rest of the episodes set for this season have no chance of happening. However, CBS has the show contracted for at least one more year. With no Charlie, it may be a little hard to make a come back. Rumors of replacements have gone around. Names like Jon Stamos and Rob Lowe have been particularly popular, but nothing is for sure. Replacing characters can be done, but it's not always an easy feat. Sure, some can be replaced and life goes on; for example, when Steve Carell leaves the office, his role will not be hard to fill (although, I must say, Steve Carell leaves some pretty big shoes to fill) because of the type of role he plays. He's surrounded by co-worker; however, the role of Charlie is more family oriented. It's not easy to replace a brother and an uncle. At this point, all that is known is that nothing is known for sure.



Sheen needs a wake-up call in my personal opinion. Polygamy, bad-mouthing, and "winning" are not exactly signs of a sound mind. I think his energy should be focused now on looking healthy again; lately his appearance has been a little gaunt, even though no drugs are involved. Supposedly. Looks like that tiger blood really isn't doing you any good, Charlie.

Rock of Ages: Coming Soon!

I love Broadway. I think I've made that obvious through the course of this blog. The one thing I hate about Broadway is the amount of cash I have to fork over just to see one show. My list of shows I want to see continuously  grows, but the amount of cash in my wallet doesn't grow to meet those wants. So when I heard the show Rock of Ages will be made into a movie in the near future, I died a little on the inside. Former pro dancer from Dancing with the Stars, Julianne Hough, will be joining the cast as Sherrie, a small-town girl who moves to L.A. in order to follower her dreams to become an actress. She will be joined by Tom Cruise, who will play Stacee Jaxx, the "charming but arrogant" star who takes a liking to Sherrie. This particular show consists mainly of hits from 80's bands such as Bon Jovi, Styx, and Twisted Sister. Filming is scheduled to start in May.

Rock of Ages has been on my list of shows to see for quite some time now. It gives me great pleasure to think that I'll have the opportunity to do so without spending a small fortune to get myself to NYC and buy tickets for the show. All I'll need is the money for gas and a movie ticket (granted, neither of these are cheap anymore, but they're certainly cheaper than option 1). Movies like this present the opportunity for people who can't afford Broadway tickets to see the same show. Hopefully it will bring some culture to this area, as it is not an area that appreciates theater (for the most part, that is). I'm excited for the premiere. Hopefully you are too!

Dancing with the Stars Season 12

Are you ready for some sequins and booty-shaking? I know I am. Last Monday, the season 12 cast of Dancing with the Stars, ABC's hit show, was released during an episode of the Bachelor. Personally, I don't know much about the new dancers. I do know a few of them: for example, Hines Ward (love me some Steelers), Romeo Miller (hopefully he has more dancing skill than his father), and Kirstie Alley (who doesn't know the Fat Actress?), just to name a few. However, I have heard that critics aren't expecting a whole lot from this crew. All we can do is wait and see. They might just blow us away.

How well do you know the cast? Check 'em out, and get yourself familiar. Make sure you're ready for Tuesday, March 22!

The cast is as follows:

Kristie Alley

Age: 60

Profession: Actress

"Psycho" Mike Catherwood

Age: 31

Profession: Radio DJ

Chris Jericho (Christopher Keith Irvine)

Age: 40

Profession: Former pro wrestler

Sugar Ray Leonard

Age: 54

Profession: Former boxer

Ralph Macchio 

Age: 49

Profession: Actor

Romeo Miller

Age: 21

Profession: Rapper/Actor/Basketball player 

Petra Nemcova

Age: 31

Profession: Model

Chelsea Kane

Age: 22

Profession: Actress

Hines Ward

Age: 34

Profession: Pittsburgh Steelers wide reciever

Kendra Wilkinson

Age: 25

Profession: Model & TV personality

Wendy Williams 

Age: 46

Profession: Talk show host

Back Row: Hines Ward, Ralph Macchio, hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke, Romeo Miller, Sugar Ray Leonard
Front Row: Kirstie Alley, Chris Jericho, Wendy Williams, Mike Catherwood, Kendra Wilkinson, Chelsea Kane

Mahna mahna!

Mahna Mahna
Do doo be-do-do
Mahna Mahna
Do do-do do
Mahna Mahna
Do doo be-do-do be-do-do be-do-do be-do-do-doodle do do do-doo do!

Is it stuck in your head now? I'm sure it is. This catchy little jingle is pretty good at getting lodged in the brain, even when it's not welcome. But, the question is, where is it from? If you said the Muppet Show, you would be correct. It originally aired in episode 17 of the first season (1976) and reappeared later in June of 1996 in Muppets Tonight as the phenomena song. Just a little fun fact.

Even those who have never watched the Muppet Show at least know who the Muppet's are. This group of wacky puppets was put together in 1954 by Mr. Jim Henson. However, the bizarre group you see in this picture is not the entire crew. Our beloved friends who live down on Sesame Street are also Muppets, but they are not usually referred to as such. The Muppets are currently owned by the Walt Disney Company, and they have not been active for a long time.

...Until now.

The last Muppet movie was made in 1999 (Muppets from Space) and after that, the Muppets stayed away from the big screen. However, on November 23, 2011, they will be returning for another adventure with Jason Segel. So if you've missed the Muppets, you won't have to wait for long. They will be gracing our presence soon enough.