Happy Mother's Day!

Have you told your mom how much you love and appreciate her? Well, you better get on it, and make sure to do more often than just today! For all the moms out there that have ever changed dirty diapers, stayed up all night with a sick child, cleaned marker and/or lipstick off the walls, washed dirty hands and mouths, been at every dance and piano recital, band concert and soccer game, kissed a pretend (or real) boo-boo, and loved and cherished every step of the way, this is for you. I've been blessed with a wonderful mother, and I hope all of you are as lucky as I am.

To celebrate, I have a little game. Know what movie this picture is from?

When you figure it out, go kiss your mother and watch this movie. It will make you appreciate her even more. I'll post the answer later in the week. Happy hunting!

X-Factor Hosts Named

When Simon Cowell left American Idol, the world was pretty sour about the event. But now, Simon is making his way back into show biz to discover more of the universe's hidden talents. Cowell's new show, The X-Factor,  will uncover closet and open singers alike in a more America's Got Talent type setting. It's still a mystery to me why Cowell left Idol, as it is an incredibly popular show. When I used to watch it, I always loved listening to his witty remarks to the contestants and even the other judges. It's true, sometimes he was a little (or a lot, actually) harsh, but he knows his stuff. If he didn't think a contestant had what it takes, he told them, and usually he was right. For his new show, which will air this coming fall, all but one of the judges have been revealed. L.A. Reid and Cheryl Cole are set to take the judges seat, but the last chair is still empty as far as America knows. However, the hosts are not longer a secret. It is know known that Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls and Steve Jones, a British TV host. I haven't decided if this is a show I want to watch or not. There is no doubt about the quality of the show-- Cowell does not settle for mediocre work. I do think that the show will go over well, just from looking at the record of shows such as Idol and America's Got Talent. People love competition, that's for sure.

If you want to read more, check out http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b240724_hosts_of_simon_cowells_x-factor_are.html?utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=imdb_tv-movies.

Movies to see...

So, last week, I gave a list of a movie website editor's top picks for the summer. I've come to the conclusion that several of said movies look like good films. I've done a little research and now I want to show you the trailers of some movies that I think will be goodies. The last movie I saw in theaters was Harry Potter 7 part 1, and I'm itching to get back out. It's true, movie tickets are expensive, but I'm willing to dish out a little dough to see these films.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Green Lantern

Larry Crowne

One Day

I've already posted the trailer for HP7 part 2, and a few others I listed looked good, but these are the movies I'll be checking into this summer. Enjoy!

Break out your flip flops...

And your wallets as well, as I have a list of some summer flicks that are looking pretty cool right about now. IMDb CEO Cole Needham has shared the movies he is looking forward to most this summer. If the CEO of a movie website is looking forward to these, you know they have to be good.


1. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2

The end begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione go back to Hogwarts to find and destroy Voldemort's final horcruxes...

"This has been a long time coming. My daughters grew up with the books and I've enjoyed all of the previous movies, with Prisoner of Azkaban being my favourite movie of 2004. I am really looking forward to what could be the best movie of 2011. Remember ... 'I open at the close.'"

2. Cowboys and Aliens

A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys are all that stand in their way.

"Cast, director, crew and story ... this has got must see written all over it."

3. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Jack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too.

"I was initially skeptical but actually ditching most of the cast other than Johnny Depp and effectively rebooting the series is exactly what was needed. The trailer looks superb."

4. Super 8

After witnessing a mysterious train crash, a group of friends in the summer of 1979 begin noticing strange happenings going around in their small town, and begin to investigate into the strange phenomenon.

"I have been intrigued ever since the surprise announcement that J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg would be collaborating on this."

5. Green Lantern

A test pilot is granted a mystical green ring that bestows him with otherworldly powers, as well as membership into an intergalactic squadron tasked with keeping peace within the universe.

"I'm not a big comic book adaptation fan but the casting of Mark Strong as Sinestro has me interested."

6. Larry Crowne

After losing his job, a middle-aged man reinvents himself by going back to college.

"You had me at Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts (plus Tom writes and directs again)."

7. The Tree of Life

The story centers around a family with three boys in the 1950s. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence.

"I am hoping to a return to the form of Days of Heaven from director Terrence Malick."

8. Friends With Benefits

While trying to avoid the clichés of Hollywood romantic comedies, Dylan and Jamie soon discover however that adding the act of sex to their friendship does lead to complications.

"Exactly the sort of comedy for which I am a sucker. I really enjoyed director Will Gluck's Easy A last year."

9. The Hangover Part II

Phil, Stu, and Alan travel to Bangkok for Stu's wedding only to find themselves in another post-blackout misadventure.

"I loved the first one and all the right elements seem to be in place for repeat success!"

10. One Day

After spending the night together on the night of their college graduation Dexter and Em are revisited each year on the same date to see where they are in their lives. They are sometimes together, sometimes not, on that day.

"I loved Lone Scherfig's An Education and I like Anne Hathawayas an actress, plus the Same Time, Next Year plotline make this one to watch."

11. Bad Teacher

A comedy centered around a foul-mouthed, junior high teacher who, after being dumped by her sugar daddy, begins to woo a colleague -- a move that pits her against a well-loved teacher.

"Good to see Jake Kasdan back in the feature film director's chair again (see Zero Effect)."

12. Something Borrowed

Friendships are tested and secrets come to the surface when terminally single Rachel falls for Dex, her best friend Darcy's fiancé.

"My kind of thing again and Ginnifer Goodwin is always interesting to watch. I liked director Luke Greenfield's The Girl Next Door too."

13. Another Earth

On the night of the discovery of a duplicate planet in the solar system, an ambitious young student and an accomplished composer cross paths in a tragic accident.

"Sounds interesting and wonder what the similarities will be to Journey to the Far Side of the Sun which was a childhood favourite."

14. Crazy, Stupid, Love

A father's life unravels while he deals with a marital crisis and tries to manage his relationship with his children.

"Great cast, especially (Emma) Stone, (Steve) Carrell, Bacon and (Julianne) Moore plus really enjoyed I Love You Phillip Morris from the same writer/director team."

15. 30 Minutes or Less

Two fledgling criminals kidnap a pizza delivery driver and force him to rob a bank within 30 minutes.

"The plot outline looks crazy!"

Not Terribly Successful?

Unless you live under a rock, you are probably aware that the Royal wedding took place this past Friday. Well, the ratings are out-- according to The Wrap, only 22.7 million Americans set their alarm clocks for oh-dark-thirty to watch Price William and Kate tie the knot. The New York Times projected about 2.5 billion viewers around the world would tune in, and if this really were the case, American televisions sets turned to the wedding only account for less than one percent of this estimated amount. After months of hype, this is a little surprising to me, but also understandable. For months, it's been hard to flip the channel without hearing news of the wedding, it's been harder to see a magazine without the face of at least of half of the couple, and it's been harder still to go out and not hear someone discussing the event. Americans are worn out from constantly living through an event that's not even happening in their own country. Eleven different networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, TEL, UNI, BBCA, CNN, E!, FOX News, MSNBC, and TLC) covered the prestigious event, and together they "generated a combined household rating of 16.0," again according to The Wrap. According to CNN, its six hours of coverage (from 4 a.m. for 10 a.m.) took the biggest audience since the morning after the 2008 presidential election. Even though Prince William looked sharp and Kate Middleton looked gorgeous (as always), it just wasn't enough to bring the expected amount of viewer to their television sets.

74 days and counting...

Anyone who knows me knows that I am the world's biggest Harry Potter buff. I've read the books many, many times, I have several copies of each book (including several collector's editions and a set that has never been opened in a chest), I have the movies (several of which I can recite word for word), I've seen several of the movies on opening day at IMAX theaters, I have merchandise (including t-shirts and realistic wands), I've been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, I have plans to see Daniel Radcliff's show How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying on Broadway this summer, I have Harry Potter piano music on my iPod, I hold HP week-long movie marathons in this summer... the list goes on. I think I made my point.

Harry Potter came into my life when I was just seven years old. My father had never wanted me to read the story, even though I had pleaded with him from the time I could pick up a book and fully understand it. However, when I hit second grade, my mother bought me the first book at the school book fair (without the consent of my father) and I did not put it down. We later told my father. At that point in time, he had no choice to agree. With time, he realized it was not the story of witchcraft he believed it to be. He's even watched the movies! I continued to read the series through time, although I had to wait for a bit for some of the books-- when I started reading, only the first four book were actually written. During my wait, I ended up reading the first four books about 20 odd times, and I still continue to reread today.

I credit Harry with my love of reading. I truly believe that if he had not come into my life, I would not be the avid reader I am today. So I owe a great deal to both him and J.K. Rowling. But my story is not the reason for this post! The real reason I'm writing is to share with you the latest trailer for The Deathly Hallows Part 2! It seriously gave me goose bumps. I cannot wait. For the first time, I WILL be attending a midnight showing. At an IMAX theater, no less! Mark your calendars girls and boys, July 15th is 74 days away!

Way to go, Rio!

Don't you just love little kid movies? No? It's just me? Don't lie to yourself. No matter how old we get, there is still a part of us deep down that loves to be a little kid again, and what better way to keep in touch with your inner kid than to watch movies meant for a younger generation. If you saw my last post, you would have noticed that Rio is kicking some butt in the box office. Both Happy Family and Water for Elephants have fallen short of the animated film. Now, I have to admit, Water looks like a good film, and, although I've never seen any, I know Madea films always go over well. I'm not going to lie, I love that a kid's movie took the top spot. I honestly can't say why I enjoy this fact so much. I think it stems from the fact that the society we live in now-a-days is so serious; I always hear about the falling economy, and the troops not being paid enough, and the government is screwing up again... Where is all the good news?! People need to laugh and be happy again instead of constantly worrying. I feel as though a light-hearted animated movie taking the top spot means that people are trying to enjoy themselves. Then again, I could be dead wrong-- maybe the movie is just well done and kids are dragging their parents to see it over and over. Either way, this movie has already grossed $286 million, and it has only been out for three weeks. Jesse Eisenburg (who stars in the film) was also in The Social Network, which only grossed $225 million over it's entire run. So, kudos for you, Rio: obviously you're a pretty good movie to gross so much money in so little time.

Need a movie?

Looking for a good movie to see over Easter break? This is IMDb's take on a good list of movies. These are the highest grossing movies for the week of April 22nd. Sadly, I have not seen any of these movies yet. I don't get out much. However, I do have my eye on Rio (love little kid movies, don't judge), Water for Elephants, and African Cats (I love the cute little baby kitties). The numbers you see listed below are the total amounts grossed overall, as opposed to just the weekend. So if you're looking for a movie to see, any of these probably would NOT be a waste of money. 


1 Rio (2011) $81.3M
2 Madea's Big Happy Family (2011) $25.8M
3 Water for Elephants (2011) $17.5M
4 Hop (2011 $100M
5 Scream 4 (2011) $31.2M
6 African Cats (2011) $6.4M
7 Soul Surfer (2011) $28.7M
8 Insidious (2010/I) $44.2M
9 Hanna (2011) $31.7M
10 Source Code (2011) $44.7M

Not as Popular as Christmas

Happy Easter, everyone! I hope I find everyone content today, full of delicious food and in the company of family and friends. Today is an important day for Christians: the day Jesus rose from the dead to save the world from sin. However, I'm not here to get into the religious side of things. I'm here to talk about the entertainment! Sadly, I can't put together a list of good Easter movies to check out, simply because there are none. Trust me, I've looked. Easter just isn't the right kind of holiday to make a movie out of. Christmas, on the other hand, is the holiday that makes the big bucks. Even though Easter is the more important holiday (at least in the lives of Christians), the world has come to love the commercial side of Christmas. There are umpteen ways to make a story about a fictional fat man who falls down chimneys and brings presents, and then there are umpteen ways to make the movie itself: live action (like The Santa Clause trilogy), claymation (if movie makers want to go old-school, like Rudolf, The Year Without a Santa Claus, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town), or even animation (such as Frosty the Snowman or The Grinch Who Stole Christmas). Sometimes Christmas movies are even religious. Take The Little Drummer Boy for example. That particular movie is all about a poor boy and his gift to baby Jesus. Christmas is covered when in comes to entertainment-- TV shows do holiday specials, there are Broadways plays about the holiday season (White Christmas) and I already discussed the movie side. When it comes down to it, Easter is lacking in the movie department. I guess it's not as easy to make a movie about a rabbit and some eggs as it is to make one about Santa. However, this year, someone broke the streak and finally added an Easter movie to the mix. Hop was released on April 1st, and has been doing pretty well. According to IMDb, Hop tells the comic tale of Fred, an out-of-work slacker who accidentally injures the Easter Bunny and must take him in as he recovers. As Fred struggles with the world's worst house guest, both will learn what it takes to finally grow up. I have not yet seen the movie for myself, but I have heard good things about it. So if you're in the Easter mood, you'll have to check it out!

Yeah, we met the actors. No biggie.

I neglected to mention in my last post that after the show, as we were crowded around the stage door, two of the actors (who were super cute and incredibly nice) just happened to walk out. Russell Fischer (Joe Peschi) and Ryan Jesse (Bob Gaudio) walked out and gave us autographs and pictures. It was amazing; they were so friendly and willing to interact with us. Russell even chatted with me and my mom for a bit about the show. I met another actress this way before, but it was much more complicated; we planned to be outside the stage door at a specific time just to meet her there. This time, the stage door just happened to be right beside the main entrance and the actors just happened to walk out. The actor who played Frankie also walked out, but by that time we had to start walking back to the bus. I was highly disappointed. Overall, the day was fantastic. I cannot wait to go back to New York (which I am doing in July!) Here's a look at my day.

This is Russell (:

Autographs!