SNL Video Recap January 7, 2012 Charles Barkley/Kelly Clarkson
January 10, 2012
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Leave a comment
VH1 Top 20 Countdown – 1/7/12
January 7, 2012
Music, Television, VH1 Top 20 Countdown Leave a comment
VH1 … where is LMFAO?
Original Version
1. Katy Perry – “The One That Got Away”
2. Daughtry – “Crawling Back to You”
3. Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris – “We Found Love”
4. Bruno Mars – “It Will Rain”
5. Adele – “Someone Like You”
6. Coldplay – “Paradise”
7. David Guetta ft. Usher – “Without You”
8. The Fray – “Heartbeat”
9. Jessie J – “Domino”
10. Pitbull ft. Chris Brown – “International Love”
11. Kid Rock ft. Angaleena Presley and T.I. – “Care”
12. Outasight – “Tonight is the Night”
13. Avril Lavigne – “Wish You Were Here”
14. Foster the People – “Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls)”
15. Kelly Clarkson – “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)”
16. Florence + the Machine – “Shake It Out”
17. Mary J. Blige ft. Drake – “Mr. Wrong”
18. The Black Keys – “Lonely Boy”
19. Fitz and the Tantrums – “Don’t Gotta Work It Out”
20. Kina Grannis – “In Your Arms”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Someone Like You
2. Shake It Out
3. Paradise
4. We Found Love
5. Lonely Boy
6. Tonight is the Night
7. The One That Got Away
8. Without You
9. Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls)
10. Don’t Gotta Work It Out
11. It Will Rain
12. What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)
13. Domino
14. In Your Arms
15. Wish You Were Here
16. International Love
17. Heartbeat
18. Care
19. Mr. Wrong
20. Crawling Back to You
2011: A Year at the Movies
January 2, 2012
A Year at the Movies, Cinema Leave a comment
My moviegoing continued smashingly in 2011, as I took in a personal record-75 films at the theatre this past year, besting 2010’s then-record 66. Here is the complete list of all that I saw in ’11, along with the original grades I granted, dates, showtimes, theatre locations, and fellow moviegoers for each movie.
1. How Do You Know? – B (1/2, 4:10 PM – Regal United Artists Oxford Valley, Langhorne, PA; Rob Malone, Kaity Malone, Dan Dickerson)
2. Season of the Witch – B- (1/7, 7:30 PM – Oxford Valley; Walt Wojcik and Dave Coyle)
3. The King’s Speech – A- (1/13, 9:50 PM – Oxford Valley; Walt Wojcik and Dave Coyle)
4. The Green Hornet in 3D – B (1/14, 10:20 PM – Oxford Valley; Walt Wojcik and Dave Coyle)
5. Blue Valentine – A- (1/19, 1:45 PM – AMC Neshaminy, Bensalem, PA; myself)
6. The Way Back – B (1/22, 10:25 PM – Oxford Valley; Jason Tkach)
7. Tangled – B+ (1/24, 1:45 PM – Oxford Valley; myself)
8. The Mechanic – B (1/29, 7:50 PM – Oxford Valley; Walt Wojcik, Jeff Smith, Dave Coyle)
9. The Roommate – D+ (2/13, 8:00 PM – Oxford Valley; Walt Wojcik and Dave Coyle)
10. Unknown – B+ (2/21, 2:20 PM – Oxford Valley; Peg Howe and Claire Dansbury)
11. Drive Angry in 3D – B- (2/25, 8:00 PM – Oxford Valley; Walt Wojcik and Dave Coyle)
12. Cedar Rapids – B (3/4, 8:50 PM – Neshaminy; Walt Wojcik and Dave Coyle)
13. Battle: Los Angeles – C- (3/11, 9:50 PM – Oxford Valley; Walt Wojcik)
14. Take Me Home Tonight – B (3/14, 10:30 PM – Oxford Valley; myself)
15. Paul – B (3/18, 10:10 PM – Oxford Valley; Walt Wojcik)
16. Limitless – B+ (3/25, 8:00 PM – Oxford Valley; Jason Tkach)
17. Hall Pass – B- (3/27, 7:45 PM – Oxford Valley; Rob Malone)
18. The Adjustment Bureau – B+ (4/6, 7:35 PM – Oxford Valley; Walt Wojcik and Dave Coyle)
19. Your Highness – C (4/9, 10:30 PM – Oxford Valley; Rob Malone)
20. Source Code – B+ (4/10, 2:10 PM – Oxford Valley; Rob Malone)
21. Rango – B (4/12, 1:30 PM – Oxford Valley; myself)
22. Scream 4 – B+ (4/20, 8:10 PM – Oxford Valley; Walt Wojcik and Dave Coyle)
23. Insidious – B (4/20, 10:30 PM – Oxford Valley; Walt Wojcik and Dave Coyle)
24. Hanna – B (4/27, 7:40 PM – Oxford Valley; myself)
25. Fast Five – B- (4/29, 10:30 PM – Oxford Valley; Walt Wojcik and Dave Coyle)
26. Thor – B (5/7, 7:30 PM – Oxford Valley; Bob Malone and Walt Wojcik)
27. Bridesmaids – A (5/14, 7:20 PM – Oxford Valley; Kaity Malone)
28. X-Men: First Class – A- (6/3, 7:30 PM – Oxford Valley; Walt Wojcik)
29. The Hangover Part II – C+ (6/3, 10:30 PM – Oxford Valley; Walt Wojcik)
30. Super 8 – C+ (6/10, 12:01 AM – Oxford Valley; Rob Malone and Dan Dickerson)
31. Midnight in Paris – A- (6/11, 4:30 PM – AMC Hamilton, Hamilton, NJ; Pat Dansbury and Claire Dansbury)
32. Green Lantern – B- (6/20, 7:30 PM – Oxford Valley; Bob Malone and Sue Malone)
33. Bad Teacher – B- (7/6, 8:00 PM – Oxford Valley; Jeff Smith and Greg Smith)
34. Horrible Bosses – B (7/9, 7:50 PM – Oxford Valley; Bob Malone, Sue Malone, Kaity Malone, Larisa Mariani)
35. Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 3D – C- (7/15, 6:40 PM – Oxford Valley; Jeff Smith)
36. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – B+ (7/21, 1:10 PM – Oxford Valley; Kylie Howe, Wesley Woods, Riley Woods)
37. Captain America: The First Avenger – B (7/22, 10:00 PM – Oxford Valley; Walt Wojcik)
38. The Tree of Life – B+ (7/26, 1:15 PM – Neshaminy; Kaity Malone, Beth Woods, Wesley Woods, Riley Woods)
39. Friends with Benefits – C+ (7/27,7:50 PM – Oxford Valley; Jeff Smith)
40. Cowboys and Aliens – C- (7/29, 10:40 PM – Oxford Valley; Rob Malone and Dan Dickerson)
41. The Change-Up – C (8/5, 10:30 PM – Oxford Valley; Jeff Smith)
42. The Help – B+ (8/10, 10:10 PM – Oxford Valley; Kaity Malone)
43. Rifftrax Live: Jack the Giant Killer – no grade (8/17, 8:00 PM – Neshaminy; myself)
44. Final Destination 5 in 3D – B (8/19, 8: 10 PM – Oxford Valley; Jeff Smith)
45. The Debt – B (9/2, 7:10 PM – Oxford Valley; Bob Malone and Sue Malone)
46. Colombiana – C (9/5, 7:50 PM – Oxford Valley; Rob Malone)
47. Warrior – B+ (9/9, 10:20 PM – Oxford Valley; Jason Tkach and Jason’s friend Ali)
48. Crazy, Stupid, Love. – A (9/13, 1:55 PM – Neshaminy; myself)
49. Our Idiot Brother – C+ (9/20, 1:35 PM – Oxford Valley; myself)
50. Rise of the Planet of the Apes – A- (9/26, 2:50 PM – Oxford Valley; myself)
51. Drive – B+ (9/29, 7:25 PM – Oxford Valley; Jason Tkach)
52. Moneyball – A (10/1, 7:00 PM – Oxford Valley; Pat Dansbury)
53. Straw Dogs – C (10/3, 9:40 PM – Oxford Valley; myself)
54. Contagion – B (10/5, 1:35 PM – Oxford Valley; myself)
55. The Ides of March – B+ (10/13, 2:30 PM – Oxford Valley; Peg Howe, Claire Dansbury, and Grace Stanford)
56. 50/50 – B+ (10/18, 2:40 PM – Oxford Valley; myself)
57. Ghostbusters – A- (10/20, 7:00 PM – Oxford Valley; myself)
58. Real Steel – B- (10/22, 9:45 PM – Regal Plymouth Meeting, Conshohocken, PA; Jason Tkach and Jason’s friend Sean [a.k.a Xiang-Yu Fu])
59. Paranormal Activity 3 – B+ (10/25, 1:00 PM – Oxford Valley; myself)
60. Tower Heist – B- (11/4, 10:00 PM – Oxford Valley; Jason Tkach)
61. Martha Marcy May Marlene – B+ (11/15, 12:45 PM – Neshaminy; myself)
62. In Time – B (11/16, 1:25 PM – Oxford Valley; myself)
63. Footloose – B (11/17, 1:00 PM – Oxford Valley; Peg Howe and Claire Dansbury)
64. Like Crazy – B+ (11/29, 12:55 PM – Neshaminy; myself)
65. My Week with Marilyn – B- (12/1, 1:20 PM – Oxford Valley; myself)
66. The Muppets – A- (12/4, 2:00 PM – Oxford Valley; Bob Malone)
67. Immortals in 3D – C+ (12/6, 2:40 PM – Oxford Valley; myself)
68. J. Edgar – B- (12/7, 1:00 PM – Oxford Valley; myself)
69. The Descendants – A- (12/9, 2:00 PM – Oxford Valley; Claire Dansbury and Grace Stanford)
70. Hugo in 3D – A- (12/9, 10:05 PM – Oxford Valley; Jason Tkach)
71. Arthur Christmas – B+ (12/13, 1:05 PM – Oxford Valley; myself)
72. Young Adult – A- (12/19, 7:50 PM – Oxford Valley; Kaity Malone and Hannah Plumridge)
73. Melancholia – B- (12/21, 9:30 PM – Princeton Garden Theatre, Princeton, NJ; Kaity Malone)
74. The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn in 3D – B (12/26, 10:20 PM – Oxford Valley; Kaity Malone)
75. War Horse – B+ (12/31, 12:40 PM – Oxford Valley; Peg Howe and Claire Dansbury)
Why My Top 10 Movie List Wasn’t Ready by the End of the Year
January 2, 2012
I flirted with the idea of finalizing by December 31 my top ten movies of the year of the list. It at times seemed like a real possibility. My evermore conscientious moviegoing habit has led to a new personal record for movies seen in the theatre every year, with 2011 no exception. Granted, I never expected to see every film released in 2011, or even 100% of all those that appeared to have top ten potential. Smaller releases always fall by the wayside, only to be discovered later and lead to reevaluations of past lists. I never expected a list ready by the end of the year to be perfect, but I did fantasize that it could be good enough. But the truth is that you can make a good enough top ten list only if you are a critic (and are thus invited to pre-release screenings) or if you live in New York or Los Angeles. Annually, there are too many movies “released” at the end of the year that won’t reach a wide audience until January or February (if at all). So, dear readers, to get the Jmunney Top 10 list that you deserve, you’ll just have to be used to expecting it by the end of January. I must say that I have a year-round appetite for best of the year coverage, and I hope you feel the same way.
Best in Film 2011 Tracker, Part 4
December 22, 2011
Best in Film 2011, Cinema, Oscars Leave a comment
Since the last Tracker (11/1/11), I’ve seen Tower Heist, Martha Marcy May Marlene, In Time, Footloose, Like Crazy, My Week with Marilyn, The Muppets, Immortals, J. Edgar, The Descendants, Hugo, Arthur Christmas, Young Adult, and Melancholia in the theatre and The Lincoln Lawyer, Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop, Attack the Block, Everything Must Go, Life in a Day, and The Beaver on DVD. There has been a lot of moving and shaking – I still haven’t sorted it all out yet. A little over a week in the year left, and still at least 15 movies to go.
Best Film
Bridesmaids
Moneyball
Crazy, Stupid, Love.
The Muppets
The Descendants
Hugo
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Midnight in Paris
Young Adult
Director
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorcese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
Rupert Wyatt, Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Paul Feig, Bridesmaids
Bennett Miller, Moneyball
Glen Ficarra and John Requa, Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Lead Actor
Tom Hardy, Warrior
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
George Clooney, The Descendants
Brad Pitt, The Tree of Life
James McAvoy, X-Men: First Class
Michael Fassbender, X-Men: First Class
Lead Actress
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Viola Davis, The Help
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia
Emma Stone, The Help
Saoirse Ronan, Hanna
Supporting Actor
Corey Stoll, Midnight in Paris
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Ryan Gosling, Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Patton Oswalt, Young Adult
Kevin Bacon, X-Men: First Class
Bruno Ganz, Unknown
Peter Sarsgaard, Green Lantern
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Supporting Actress
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Judy Greer, The Descendants
Analeigh Tipton, Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Bryce Dallas Howard, The Help
Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life
Lin Shaye, Insidious
Adapted Screenplay
Stan Chervin, Aaron Sorkin, and Steven Zaillian, Moneyball
Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, The Muppets
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash, The Descendants
John Logan, Hugo
Original Screenplay
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, Bridesmaids
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Dan Fogelman, Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Diablo Cody, Young Adult
Editing
Christopher Tellefsen, Moneyball
Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki, The Tree of Life
Manuel Alberto Claro, Melancholia
Robert Richardson, Hugo
Brendan Galvin, Immortals
Animated Film
Arthur Christmas
Score
Cliff Martinez, Drive
Michael Andrews, Bad Teacher
The Chemical Brothers, Hanna
Cliff Martinez, Contagion
Original Song
“Man or Muppet,” written by Bret McKenzie, The Muppets
Visual Effects
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Hugo
Remembrance of SNL Cast Members Past
December 20, 2011
Saturday Night Live, Television Leave a comment
The folks at TopOnlineColleges.com are up to it again: posting articles about Saturday Night Live (that have some tangential relation to online colleges?). Their latest list is “10 Saturday Night Live Cast Members You Forgot.” Their choices are a mix of folks that you forgot were ever even on SNL, and those that you may have remembered from their time on the show, but have since not had much of a career.
Here’s who they picked:
1. Colin Quinn
2. Victoria Jackson
3. Charles Rocket
4. Pamela Stephenson
5. Chris Parnell
6. Julia Louis-Dreyfus
7. Tim Kazurinsky
8. Joan Cusack
9. Robert Downey, Jr.
10. Melanie Hutsell
Anybody know what Ellen Cleghorne is up to?
SNL Video Recap December 17, 2011 Jimmy Fallon/Michael Bublé
December 20, 2011
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Leave a comment
SNL Recap December 17, 2011: Jimmy Fallon/Michael Bublé
December 18, 2011
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Jimmy Fallon, Michael Bublé, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 37, SNL, SNL Season 37 Leave a comment
Cold Opening – Sully and Denise
I’ve never been a fan of Sully and Denise, but I’ve never hated them either. It was fun to see them several years graduated from their old stomping grounds. Amy’s character saying that her “case of mono” is now 15 years old was the most clever moment of the sketch. B-
Jimmy Fallon’s Monologue
When Jimmy sang some of his jokes, the volume of the music seemed to throw off the laughter cues, which affected the rhythm of this routine a bit. But his interactions with everybody were fun and gratifying, which was no surprise, as monologues in which the host traipses around backstage doing a musical number almost always work. B
VH1 Top 40 Music Videos of 2011
December 15, 2011
Music, Television, VH1 Top 20 Countdown, VH1 Top 40 Videos of the Year Leave a comment
Quality-wise, 2011 was one of the best years for music this century. I guess what that means is, I was continually satisfied and surprised by the new entries in the musical areas that I listen to (and I listen to a lot of musical areas). Even when you just look at the Top 40, my impression is that the year was better than average. But you wouldn’t know it from this countdown. While I found about 30 songs on the list to be at least bearable (about the same as last year), this year’s bottom feeders are even more plainly awful than last year’s. Nickelback (worse-than-average Nickelback, that is) and Daughtry both had new tunes, so that tells you something right there.
I am not sure how VH1 could reasonably manage to ignore LMFAO this year. “Party Rock Anthem” would easily have been the most ubiquitous song of the year if there hadn’t been a song this year that was unfathomably ubiquitous.
Wasn’t there a law enacted in 2007 saying that Rihanna must appear on year-end countdowns like this one each and every year? VH1, you are in violation of the law.
Remember, my revision is not my interpretation of how big these hits were, it is my judgment of the quality of the songs. But I am alo interested in discussing whether or not VH1 accurately represented the bigness of the hits, and thus I point out in the margins what songs were ranked too high or too low.
Original Version
1. Adele – “Rolling in the Deep” (should be higher)
2. Bruno Mars – “Grenade”
3. Katy Perry ft. Kanye West – “E.T.”
4. P!nk – “F****** Perfect”
5. Foo Fighters – “Rope”
6. Mumford & Sons – “The Cave” (should be lower)
7. The Script – “For the First Time” (should be lower)
8. Cee-Lo Green – “F*** You” (should be higher)
9. Foster the People – “Pumped Up Kicks”
10. OneRepublic – “Good Life”
11. Gym Class Heroes ft. Adam Levine – “Stereo Hearts”
12. Adele – “Someone Like You” (could be higher)
13. Bruno Mars – “The Lazy Song”
14. Katy Perry – “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”
15. Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera – “Moves Like Jagger”
16. Britney Spears – “Hold It Against Me”
17. Lady GaGa – “Born This Way”
18. Ke$ha – “Blow”
19. Coldplay – “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall”
20. Kelly Clarkson – “Mr. Know It All”
21. Christina Perri – “Arms” (should be lower)
22. Hot Chelle Rae – “Tonight Tonight” (could be higher)
23. Pitbull ft. Ne-Yo, Afrojack, and Nayer – “Give Me Everything” (should be higher)
24. The Band Perry – “If I Die Young”
25. Gavin DeGraw – “Not Over You” (should be lower)
26. Beyoncé ft. J. Cole – “Party” (has no business being anywhere near this list)
27. Train – “Save Me San Francisco”
28. Jason Derülo – “It Girl”
29. Andy Grammer – “Keep Your Head Up”
30. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie”
31. David Guetta ft. Usher – “Without You”
32. Nicki Minaj – “Super Bass”
33. Colbie Caillat – “Brighter Than the Sun”
34. Nickelback – “When We Stand Together”
35. Britney Spears – “Criminal”
36. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals – “Paris (Ooh La La)”
37. Demi Lovato – “Skyscraper”
38. The Civil Wars – “Barton Hollow”
39. Jessie J – “Domino”
40. Daughtry – “Crawling Back to You”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Rolling in the Deep
2. Pumped Up Kicks
3. Someone Like You
4. Paris (Ooh La La)
5. Rope
6. E.T.
7. Super Bass
8. Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
9. Blow
10. F*** You
11. Every Teardrop is a Waterfall
12. The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie
13. Without You
14. The Cave
15. Barton Hollow
16. Mr. Know It All
17. Domino
18. Good Life
19. Give Me Everything
20. Born This Way
21. Moves Like Jagger
22. Brighter Than the Sun
23. Grenade
24. Hold It Against Me
25. Criminal
26. Tonight Tonight
27. Skyscraper
28. Keep Your Head Up
29. F****** Perfect
30. If I Die Young
31. Save Me San Francisco
32. Stereo Hearts
33. For the First Time
34. Arms
35. Party
36. When We Stand Together
37. The Lazy Song
38. Not Over You
39. Crawling Back to You
40. It Girl
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