| List of movies I've seen |
[Feb. 10th, 2010|12:28 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  sleepy | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | I'm watchin' Population 436. | ] |
So, I keep a list of what books I've read here in my LJ. I've decided that I'm also going to start doing that with movies. As with the book list, one star for really sucky, five for really good. Yeah.
And since this is going to eventually get REALLY long...
( Behold, the list )
MOST RECENT ADDITION: Population 436 *** |
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| Books I've read since December of 2004. |
[Feb. 6th, 2010|11:24 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  happy | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | "The Bird And The Worm" by Owl City | ] |
I'm going to start keeping a list of the books I've read, starting with December of 2004. I'll also be rating them, five stars for great, one star for really sucky, and so on. Here goes...
( Behind the cut, yo )
CURRENTLY READING: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak |
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| Dude. |
[Jan. 20th, 2010|10:01 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  contemplative | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | "Hit The Ground Running" by Keith Urban | ] |
Here's another of the very few actually interesting stories in this book I'm reading:
As you walk the creaking boardwalk through the ghost town of Bannack, you can almost imagine a time when its buildings and streets were bustling with gold miners looking to strike it rich on the gold-laden banks of Grasshopper Creek. You can also understand why this town is still "occupied" by ghostly residents from a time long gone by, when so many died as a result of lawlessness, rampant illness and harsh climate.
One such occupant can be found in the once-stately Hotel Meade, which operated on and off until the 1940s. On the afternoon of August 4, 1915, Dorothy Dunn, Fern Dunn and cousin Ruth Wornick were bathing in an abandoned dredge pond along nearby Grasshopper Creek when the girls stepped off a ledge into deep water. A young boy courageously dove in and was able to pull the three girls out of the water. However, 16-year-old Dorothy had already succumbed by the time she was pulled onto shore.
Possibly due to the dreadful nature of her death, Dorothy has since been haunting the second floor of the Hotel Meade where she spent much of her time while her mother worked in the hotel. There have been numerous accounts of visitors seeing a young girl sitting at the top of the grand staircase and of children visiting with parents who seem to be chatting with no one but insist they are talking to a young girl.
Although state of mind plays a large role in our perceptions, I have been in other purportedly haunted places where I didn't feel the same palpable presence that I felt as I crested the spiral staircase to the second floor. The feeling was quite overwhelming, and I actually needed some coaxing to continue down the hallway, as there were no other visitors in the park and no personnel in the hotel, yet I knew I was not alone. Armed with my digital voice recorder and what little nerve I had left, I proceeded to record silently for a few minutes as I slowly walked down the hallway. I encountered and area roughly the size of a person that was markedly cooler than the rest of the building, and as a wave of chills washed over me, every hair on my body stood on end. Returning to the end of the hallway where I started, I playfully asked if she was a "little chicken" with a purposeful pause, giving her a chance to reply, then prodding a bit more by saying, "I think she's a little chicken." With dozens of photographs in addition to 30 minutes of recordings in the hotel and other buildings in town, I called it a day and headed home. As I played back the recordings, I was literally in tears as I heard a young girl giggle and respond to my taunts by saying, "Little chicken from the farm," in a playful voice. |
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| Friggin' creepy! |
[Jan. 14th, 2010|07:22 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  cold | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | "Hearing Damage" by Thom Yorke | ] |
I'm reading The Encyclopedia of Haunted Places and I just came across this. Friggin' creepy shit!
On the cold evening of January 10, 1887, a passenger express train was traveling west at the rate of 60 miles per hour. It was due to arrive at the Republic train station at 2 AM. On the same tracks, and from the opposite direction, a slower-moving freight train was heading east. The freight train was supposed to arrive and pull off at the Republic station well ahead of the passenger train.
Workers on the freight train grossly miscalculated the time and distance between them and the speeding passenger train.
At just past 2 o'clock that morning, one-half mile west of Republic, the passenger train rounded a bend and violently collided with the freight train. It is said that the force of the head-on collison was so great that both engines rose in the air and crumped into one another. An engineer was impaled by steel beams that lifted him more than 10 feet. He died a slow, painful death three hours later.
The crash site was overcome by a massive fire, which quickly consumed the sleeper cars containing 15 people. Most did not survive and were burned beyond recognition. Among the dead were two young boys and their father, who had just sold the family farm and was carrying the proceeds with him. His wife and daughters, who were in a different sleeper car, survived the accident but were left penniless. It is unknown exactly how many persons died that night. Many human remains that were recovered consisted of nothing more than burnt fragments.
Since the disaster, a "ghost train" has been witnessed in and near Republic. Its lights glow in the night as it races along the tracks and over the trestle, reenacting the events leading up to the accident.
Reports of another haunting came just weeks after the accident. As reported in a Tiffin newspaper article on March 4, 1887, submitted to me by railroad engineer Fritz Keunzel, train workers repeatedly witnessed a ghost at the scene of the disaster: "The engineer saw a red light, the dnager signal ahead, and applying the brakes and reversing the engine, the train came to a standstill on almost the exact spot of the great wreck. Strange to say, when the train came to a stop, the light had disappeared, and could nowhere be seen. Before stopping, both the engineer and fireman noticed that the light appeared to be carried by a woman wearing white. Puzzled by the disappearence of the signal, the conductor walked over the track for some distance ahead, but could discover nothing." Workers witnessed the same ghost on three separate occasions. |
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| So pretty. |
[Jan. 11th, 2010|08:39 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  calm | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | "Blue To A Blind Man" by Ken Block | ] |
I've been a huge fan of Sister Hazel for many years. As in, I don't think I've ever heard a single song by them that I didn't like. Easily one of my all-time favorite bands, and I wish I had known more about them when I saw them in concert many years ago. I would have appreciated them so much more.
But anyway, I downloaded Ken Block's solo album over the summer and finally just got around to listening to it the other day. I've been listening to this song ever since. It's called "Blue To A Blind Man."
You think we're broken
But if we're just a little cracked
I know we're choking on the little things
That seem to come with time
One word and watch our armies brawl
No one will bend until one falls
We used to fight
You for me and me for you
Tied up without the words that might cut through
It's like tryin' to teach blue to a blind man
Rude to a kind man
Or walking on the sun
You try and I do all that I can
But teaching blue to a blind man can't be done
We used our soldiers
And it was us against the world
The toll was taken
Now we're buried under life
It comes with time
One word and watch our egos brawl
No one will bend until one falls
We used to fight
You for me and me for you
It's like tryin' to teach blue to a blind man
Truth to a lie and
Walking on the sun
I try and I do all that I can
But teaching blue to a blind man can't be done
We can go home
You can sleep
I can think for a while
We can't go on and on on empty
On endless oceans dry
It's like tryin' to teach blue to a blind man
Rude to a kind man
And screaming at the sun
You try and I do all that I can
But teaching blue to a blind man can't be done
It can't be done
I'm teaching blue to a blind man |
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| I worship at the altar of Neil. |
[Jan. 5th, 2010|10:52 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  impressed | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | "#1 Crush" by Garbage | ] |
Neil Lambert is amazing. Just sayin'. This is from his most recent blog:
"This is why Americans don’t think we’re on the right track: our moral compass has simply stopped pointing the way and you are part of the problem. Our moral code isn’t being desecrated by people like Adam; it’s being dissolved by people like you focusing attention on things that simply don’t matter. Talk to me about torture, habeus corpus, the wars in Afghanistan and our involvement in Pakistan. Give me a conservative solution to our banking and healthcare problems and shut up about the TV show you watched last night. Or would you rather me conclude that you simply have nothing useful to talk about because your party’s agenda just ruined the last decade?"
Amen. |
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| *sigh* |
[Dec. 15th, 2009|10:59 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  touched | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | "Whataya Want From Me" by Adam Lambert | ] |
Okay, so obviously I freaking adore Adam Lambert. But I'm so excited that "Whataya Want From Me" is his single now. I don't know what it is about that song, and I'm not sure exactly WHAT it makes me feel, but whatever it is, it's a strong feeling. And I love music that can do that. And there's been so little of it in the past couple of years, especially mainstream music. So yay, more lyrics!
Hey, slow it down
Whataya want from me
Whataya want from me
Yeah, I'm afraid
Whataya want from me
Whataya want from me
There might have been a time when I would give myself away
Oh, once upon a time I didn't give a damn
But now, here we are
So whataya want from me
Whataya want from me
Just don't give up
I'm workin' it out
Please don't give in
I won't let you down
It messed me up
Need a second to breathe
Just keep comin' around
Hey, whataya want from me
Whataya want from me
Whataya want from me
Yeah, it's plain to see
Baby you're beautiful
And there's nothing wrong with you
It's me, I'm a freak
Thanks for lovin' me
Cause you're doin' it perfectly
There might have been a time when I would let you slip away
I wouldn't even try but I think you could save my life
Just don't give up
I'm workin' it out
Please don't give in
I won't let you down
It messed me up
Need a second to breathe
Just keep comin' around
Hey, whataya want from me
Whataya want from me
Whataya want from me
Just don't give up on me
I won't let you down
No, I won't let you down
So
Just don't give up
I'm workin' it out
Please don't give in
I won't let you down
It messed me up
Need a second to breathe
Just keep comin' around
So whataya want from me
Just don't give up
I'm workin' it out
Please don't give in
I won't let you down
It messed me up
Need a second to breathe
Just keep comin' around
Hey, whataya want from me
Whataya want from me
Whataya want from me |
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| So You Think You Can Dance: Top 12 |
[Nov. 24th, 2009|10:18 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | okay | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | I'm watchin' Dancing With The Stars. | ] |
I was all excited that there were only 6 performances tonight because I figured the show would only be an hour long. Silly me, of course they had to give each couple two performances and drag it out to two hours. Gah. Also, I wanted to slit my wrists when they were showing Idol commercials every five minutes. Anyway...
ELLENORE & RYAN
Style: Lindy hop
Choreographer: Missed it
Song: "I've Got To Be a Rug Cutter"
7/10
KATHRYN & LEGACY
Style: Jazz
Choreographer: Sonya Tayeh
Song: "So Deep"
6/10
KAREN & VICTOR
Style: Tango
Choreographer: Tony Meredith & Melanie LaPatin
Song: "Montserrat"
8/10
MOLLEE & NATHAN
Style: Hip hop
Choreographer: Jamal Sims
Song: "Ring-A-Ling"
8/10
NOELLE & RUSSELL
Style: Samba
Choreographer: Tony Meredith & Melanie LaPatin
Song: "Hips Don't Lie"
7/10
ASHLEIGH & JAKOB
Style: Lyrical jazz
Choreographer: Sonya Tayeh
Song: "Time Flies"
10/10
ELLENORE & RYAN
Style: Broadway
Choreographer: Spencer Liff
Song: "Razzle Dazzle"
10/10
KATHRYN & LEGACY
Style: Viennese waltz
Choreographer: Jean Marc Genereux
Song: "Your Guardian Angel"
9/10
KAREN & VICTOR
Style: Jazz
Choreographer: Laurieann Gibson
Song: "Moving Mountains"
6/10
MOLLEE & NATHAN
Style: Cancan
Choreographer: Tyce Diorio
Song: "Cancan Suite"
5/10
NOELLE & RUSSELL
Style: Contemporary
Choreographer: Tyce Diorio
Song: "A Case Of You"
9/10
ASHLEIGH & JAKOB
Style: Cha cha
Choreographer: Jean Marc Genereux
Song: "Cha Cha Heels"
9/10
MY FAVORITES:
Ashleigh & Jakob
WHO I THINK SHOULD BE THE BOTTOM THREE COUPLES:
Kathryn & Legacy
Mollee & Nathan
Karen & Victor
WHO I THINK SHOULD BE ELIMINATED:
Karen
Nathan |
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| So You Think You Can Dance: Top 14 |
[Nov. 17th, 2009|10:34 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  annoyed | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | "Music Again" by Adam Lambert | ] |
I'm just so bored with this show this season. Have I mentioned that? I STILL do not have a strong favorite, as opposed to last season when I had a hard time picking one or two because they were all so good. Ugh.
ASHLEIGH & JAKOB
Style: Hip hop
Choreographer: Tabitha & Napoleon
Song: "Whatcha Say"
8/10
KAREN & KEVIN
Style: Broadway
Choreographer: Spencer Liff
Song: "If My Friends Could See Me Now"
7/10
NOELLE & RUSSELL
Style: Foxtrot
Choreographer: Eddie Simon
Song: "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)"
6/10
CHANNING & VICTOR
Style: Jazz
Choreographer: Tyce Diorio
Song: "Blackbird"
9/10
KATHRYN & LEGACY
Style: Paso doble
Choreographer: Tony Meredith
Song: "Pursuit"
8/10
ELLENORE & RYAN
Style: Contemporary
Choreographer: Travis Wall
Song: "Your Ex-Lover's Dead"
10/10
MOLLEE & NATHAN
Style: Pop jazz
Choreographer: Laurieann Gibson
Song: "Bad Romance"
7/10
MY FAVORITES:
Channing & Victor
Ellenore & Ryan
WHO I THINK SHOULD BE THE BOTTOM THREE COUPLES:
Karen & Kevin
Noelle & Russell
Mollee & Nathan
WHO I THINK SHOULD BE ELIMINATED:
Noelle
Nathan |
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| So You Think You Can Dance: Top 16 Results |
[Nov. 11th, 2009|09:06 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | amused | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | I'm watchin' Glee. | ] |
I really hope this show gets better. And I really hate teenyboppers after watching tonight's results.
MY FAVORITES LAST NIGHT:
Karen & Kevin
Noelle & Russell
WHO I THOUGHT SHOULD BE THE BOTTOM THREE COUPLES:
Kathryn & Legacy
Ellenore & Ryan
Mollee & Nathan
SAFE:
Channing & Victor
Kathryn & Legacy
Ashleigh & Jakob
Noelle & Russell
Mollee & Nathan
BOTTOM THREE COUPLES:
Ellenore & Ryan
Pauline & Peter
Karen & Kevin
ELLENORE'S SOLO
"Eleanor"
7/10
RYAN'S SOLO
"Jump With My Baby"
8/10
PAULINE'S SOLO
"Took The Night"
6/10
PETER'S SOLO
No music
9/10
KAREN'S SOLO
"Celia Y Tito"
7/10
KEVIN'S SOLO
"It Was All In Your Mind"
6/10
WHO I THOUGHT SHOULD BE ELIMINATED BASED ON SOLOS:
Pauline
Kevin
ELIMINATED:
Pauline
Peter |
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| So You Think You Can Dance: Top 16 |
[Nov. 11th, 2009|09:40 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | okay | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | I'm watchin' Ellen. | ] |
I am really not liking this show this year. It's so hit or miss. Ugh. I want last season back.
KAREN & KEVIN
Style: Hustle
Choreographer: Maria Torres
Song: "Come To Me"
8/10
ASHLEIGH & JAKOB
Style: Jazz
Choreographer: Mandy Moore
Song: "Relax"
8/10
PAULINE & PETER
Style: Quickstep
Choreographer: JT & Tomas
Song: "Hey Baby (Shake Those Hula Hips)"
8/10
KATHRYN & LEGACY
Style: Broadway
Choreographer: Andy Blankenbeuhler
Song: "I Wanna Be Like You"
7/10
CHANNING & VICTOR
Style: Contemporary
Choreographer: Stacey Tookey
Song: "Be Be Your Love"
8/10
ELLENORE & RYAN
Style: Hip hop
Choreographer: Lil C
Song: "Lost Boiz Anthem"
6/10
MOLLEE & NATHAN
Style: Salsa
Choreographer: Gustavo Vargas
Song: "Quimbara"
5/10
NOELLE & RUSSELL
Style: African jazz
Choreographer: Sean Cheesman
Song: "Frog Dance"
9/10
MY FAVORITES:
Karen & Kevin
Noelle & Russell
WHO I THINK SHOULD BE THE BOTTOM THREE COUPLES:
Kathryn & Legacy
Ellenore & Ryan
Mollee & Nathan
WHO I THINK SHOULD BE ELIMINATED:
Kathryn
Nathan |
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| So You Think You Can Dance: Top 18 |
[Nov. 3rd, 2009|10:13 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  crappy | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | I'm watchin' Law & Order: SVU. | ] |
I was underwhelmed with the show tonight. I just don't think it's going to be a great season, especially in comparison to the last one.
NOELLE & RUSSELL
Style: Hip hop
Choreographer: Jamal Sims
Song: "Move Shake Drop"
6/10
ASHLEIGH & JAKOB
Style: Viennese waltz
Choreographer: Tony Meredith & Melanie LaPatin
Song: "At Last"
7/10
BIANCA & VICTOR
Style: Broadway
Choreographer: Tyce Diorio
Song: "Maybe God Is Tryin' To Tell Me Something"
5/10
MOLLEE & NATHAN
Style: Bollywood
Choreographer: Nakul Dev Mahajan
Song: "Azeen O Shaan"
8/10
CHANNING & PHILLIP
Style: Samba
Choreographer: Tony Meredith & Melanie LaPatin
Song: "Maracatu Funk"
3/10
KAREN & KEVIN
Style: Hip hop
Choreographer: Tabitha & Napoleon
Song: "Ice Cream Paint Job"
6/10
KATHRYN & LEGACY
Style: Contemporary
Choreographer: Stacey Tookey
Song: "2 Steps Away"
10/10
PAULINE & PETER
Style: Jazz
Choreographer: Wade Robson
Song: "Little Green Bag"
8/10
ELLENORE & RYAN
Style: Argentine tango
Choreographer: Miriam & Leonardo
Song: "Violentango"
8/10
MY FAVORITES:
Mollee & Nathan
Kathryn & Legacy
Pauline & Peter
WHO I THOUGHT SHOULD BE THE BOTTOM FOUR:
Bianca
Victor
Channing
Phillip
BOTTOM FOUR:
Noelle
Phillip
Bianca
Victor
SOLOS:
Noelle: 4/10
Victor: 7/10
Bianca: 5/10
Phillip: 6/10
WHO I THOUGHT SHOULD BE ELIMINATED:
Noelle
Phillip
ELIMINATED:
Bianca
Phillip |
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| So You Think You Can Dance: Top 20 |
[Oct. 27th, 2009|10:24 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  sore | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | "You Can't Touch Me Now" by Innosense | ] |
Definitely not going to like this season as much as I did the last one, especially now that my early favorite, Billy Bell, has left the competition. Damn it.
Also, the judges just proved they're no better at sending home the right people than the viewers are.
JUDGES:
Nigel Lythgoe
Mary Murphy
Adam Shankman
CHANNING & PHILLIP
Style: Jive
Choreographer: Jason Gilkison
Song: "Rockin' Robin"
6/10
ASHLEIGH & JAKOB
Style: Broadway
Choreographer: Tyce Diorio
Song: "Hit Me With a Hot Note (And Watch Me Bounce)"
8/10
ARIANA & PETER
Style: Hip hop
Choreographer: Tabitha & Napoleon
Song: "Black & Gold"
6/10
RUSSELL
Style: Foxtrot
Choreographer: Tony Meredith & Melanie LaPatin
Song: "Vagabond Shoes"
7/10
BIANCA & VICTOR
Style: Contemporary
Choreographer: Travis Wall
Song: "Wasted Time"
9/10
KAREN & KEVIN
Style: Cha cha
Choreographer: Tony Meredith & Melanie LaPatin
Song: "Push It"
7/10
ELLENORE & RYAN
Style: Contemporary jazz
Choreographer: Sonya
Song: "Arcadia"
9/10
PAULINE & BRANDON
Style: Smooth waltz
Choreographer: Jason Gilkison
Song: "You Light Up My Life"
7/10
KATHRYN & LEGACY
Style: Hip hop
Choreographer: Dave Scott
Song: "On & On"
9/10
MOLLEE & NATHAN
Style: Disco
Choreographer: Doriana Sanchez
Song: "Turn The Beat Around"
10/10
MY FAVORITES:
Bianca & Victor
Ellenore & Ryan
Kathryn & Legacy
Mollee & Nathan
MY BOTTOM THREE COUPLES:
Channing & Phillip
Ariana & Peter
Pauline & Brandon
IN DANGER OF ELIMINATION:
Ariana
Brandon
Pauline
Russell
SOLOS:
Ariana: 7/10
Russell: 3/10
Pauline: 5/10
Brandon: 8/10
WHO I THOUGHT SHOULD BE ELIMINATED:
Pauline
Russell
ELIMINATED:
Ariana
Brandon |
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| So You Think You Can Dance: Top 20 Revealed |
[Oct. 21st, 2009|09:09 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | annoyed | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | I'm watchin' Glee. | ] |
Not a whole lot to say this week, since it was the traditional "Walk in, get results, walk out and either cry or celebrate" episode that we always dread and always very nearly fall asleep halfway through. But, suffice it to say, we didn't see a whole lot of big surprises. Well, besides Paula's making it to the top 20, but then turning it down because she was offered a movie contract. We feel like that may not have been the most intelligent career move ever, but it's good news for Ashleigh and Ryan anyway, since now they'll be able to be in the top 20 together.
So, here are this season's top 10 girls:
Channing
Kathryn
Ariana
Ellenore
Bianca
Mollee
Noelle
Pauline
Karen
Ashleigh
And the top 10 guys:
Nathan
Russell
Billy
Jakob
Kevin
Phillip
Victor
Peter
Legacy
Ryan |
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| So You Think You Can Dance: Vegas Week Part 2 |
[Oct. 14th, 2009|09:18 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | content | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | I'm watchin' Glee. | ] |
It's time for the second half of Vegas week, and already, more than half of the original 152 dancers to make it this far have been cut. 77 dancers are left to take on Laurieann Gibson's jazz choreography.
Karen and Matthew were the first married couple to make it to Vegas together. Unfortunately, their streak does not continue. Karen makes it to the next round, but Matthew is cut. But thankfully for Matthew, he's not alone- the jazz round is a bit of a mess for the majority of the dancers. Nigel calls people on their sloppiness numerous times.
Mollee and Russell, two dancers we've met before, are in the next group to perform. Everyone makes it through, but Nigel tells Mollee she dances like a little girl and needs to step it up. The judges praise Russell for his technique, considering his lack of training. Unbeknownst to the judges, Mollee injures herself during the performance. She tries to keep it hidden, but the pain gets worse and she's sent to the hospital.
At the end of the jazz round, 69 dancers remain and they're split into groups. They'll be expected to choreograph a piece for a randomly chosen piece of music overnight, and perform it first thing in the morning. Drama ensues, but thankfully we're not forced to sit through the majority of it.
The first group to perform in the morning includes Russell and four contemporary dancers. They're performing a Broadway number, which seems an odd fit- but it works really well. The judges are very impressed and everyone makes it to the next round.
The next group to perform is Mollee's. She returns from the hospital two hours into rehearsal, only to discover that her group has choreographed around her injury and left her sitting in a chair throughout most of the piece. She's not happy about that, so they end up starting over at midnight. The idea is creative, but the whole thing comes across as cheesy. Or, as Mia puts it, "stupid and dumb." Really? Is Mia in second grade? That's the best critique she can come up with? We're annoyed. But anyway, the whole group gets another chance and makes it to the next round.
Next is Mia's contemporary round. Kicking things off is hip hop dancer Kevin, who blows the judges away. He sets the bar high for the other hip hop dancers, but everyone seems to handle it well.
The next group includes Legacy, who's only still here because he danced for his life yesterday and earned another chance from the judges. We don't think he's very believable with Mia's choreography, but the judges enjoy it. Mia calls him "perfectly imperfect."
At this point, over 100 dancers have been sent home. The few who remain are now faced with Tyce Diorio's Broadway choreography. This time, the guys and girls are split into two groups and taught different routines.
One of the dancers in the first group, Pauline, made it to the very last cut last season. She's hoping to make it all the way this season, but she falls and injures herself during the performance. She's off to the hospital.
Next we catch up with Ashley DeLello, a ballroom dancer who auditioned with her husband. He outdid her during their audition, and he's continued to do so all week. Our biggest critique of her is that she should start dancing more with her body and less with her face. The judges think she's vastly improved, though, and she makes it to the next round.
At the end of the girls' choreography round, 17 of them remain. Pauline is back from the hospital. She has a bad sprain and has been told to stay off it for two days, so she'll find out later what the judges want to do with her.
Now it's time for the guys to take on Tyce's choreography. Ashley's husband Ryan is in the first group, and he impresses all of the judges... with his open shirt. This annoys us, because Dmitry Chaplin was given no end of crap for doing the same thing. He makes it to the next round, and we suppose it's got at least something to do with his dance, but we hope he doesn't continue to show off his body in an effort to win votes.
Another former auditioner, Dominic, is in the next group. We really like him and we're rooting for him... until we see him dance. He's way off, and he's over-cheesing everything to try to compensate for his lack of dance quality. The judges tell him he's only gotten two votes, and he has a massive breakdown onstage. Nigel tells him off for it, telling him that if he can't even handle this and realize how proud he should be of himself for making it this far, he'll never make it as a dancer.
Six more guys are cut during Tyce's round, leaving a total of 38 dancers at the end of Vegas week. The dancers perform one final solo. A standout during that round is Billy Bell, who reduces Adam Shankman to tears. At the end of this final round of solos, the dancers have done everything they can to make a good impression on all the judges. Next week, we find out who our top 20 will be this season! |
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| Oh yeah... |
[Oct. 8th, 2009|09:42 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | okay | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | "Masquerade" by the Backstreet Boys | ] |
This is why I love Glee.
That is my favorite musical performance so far on the show. Loved it! |
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| So You Think You Can Dance: Vegas Week Part 1 |
[Oct. 7th, 2009|09:29 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  bored | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | I'm watchin' Glee. | ] |
Auditions are over and we're finally in Vegas. Cat tells us once again that we've got more talent this season than ever before- let's see if the contestants live up to that prediction. There are 6 judges for this round- Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Tyce Diorio, Mia Michaels, Debbie Allen and Adam Shankman. The choreography is tougher, the judges will expect more, and 152 dancers are in for the fight of their lives.
For the first round, each dancer performs a solo and will not be critiqued by the judges. First up is Nathan Trasora, who auditioned in season 5 but was too young. Nigel gave him a ticket for this season anyway because he was so impressed with his audition. He has good presence and good technique, but he's not terribly unique.
Ellenore Scott says she feels confident, but not cocky. That confidence works well for her- her solo is amazing. She's so unique and quirky! We can see her going really far in the competition. Apparently the judges agree, because in the first group of ten performers, Ellenore and Nathan are both among the 8 dancers who make it to the next round.
In the next round, we catch up with Allison Becker and Thomas Hamilton, whose first auditions we saw earlier in the season. They've both overcome personal obstacles to be here, but unfortunately the first day of Vegas week turns out to be the end of the road for them. By 4 PM, a total of 41 dancers have already been sent home.
The last two contestants in round one are Willem and Jacob, the same sex ballroom couple we met earlier this season. The judges are impressed with Willem, but Jacob is cut. He storms off, upset, and Willem doesn't get a chance to say goodbye. Doesn't seem terribly professional of Jacob.
The judges bring back the remaining dancers at the end of the day. 25% of them have been cut so far, leaving 111 dancers. The next genre will be hip hop, choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon. Because God forbid there's an episode that doesn't include them.
The first group to tackle hip hop is successful and everyone makes it through. Not the case in the next group, in which breaker Jean is cut. He says he's going to practice and try again next season. He's not the only one- hip hop proves too difficult for 21 dancers.
Ryan Kasprzak has a hard time with hip hop, and gets a 3/3 split from the judges. It's enough to keep him in the running, but the judges tell him to really bring it in the next round or he'll be cut.
At the beginning of day two, 90 dancers remain for the ballroom round. It's choreographed by Louis Van Amstel. Right off the bat, Billy Bell gets accidentally elbowed in the face by his partner and has to miss out on most of rehearsal because he's not allowed back onstage until the bleeding stops.
Russell and Iveta are an unlikely couple, but they tackle the style extremely well and get a standing ovation from Adam Shankman. Everyone in their group makes it to the next round.
Meanwhile, Billy Bell has recovered and is back with his partner to take on the ballroom round. Unfortunately, he hasn't had a chance to rehearse with music. But that doesn't seem to hurt him much, and he makes it to the next round, along with Amber Jackson. Another member of this group, Legacy, is asked to dance for his life later in the day.
Ryan Kasprzak is back for the next round. Sadly, it does not go well and the judges send him home. This hurts, since he was an early favorite and we were really looking forward to seeing him in the top 20.
Finally, a few dancers come back to give their solo one more shot and convince the judges that they belong in the competition. John Litzler does not do enough and is sent home, but the judges enjoy Legacy's performance. He'll be sticking around for another round.
There are 77 dancers left, and next week they'll face more Vegas rounds. |
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| So You Think You Can Dance: Salt Lake City Auditions |
[Oct. 6th, 2009|10:16 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  good | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani | ] |
Finally, this is the last night of auditions. This time around, we're back in Salt Lake City with judges Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Mia Michaels.
Bryan Boyer is up first. Yay, another breaker. But... wait! He's a unique breaker! That doesn't happen often. We have to wonder if he can do anything else, though- and apparently so do the judges. Bryan is sent to the choreography round.
Next is Tristy Mirci, who says she's been in 25 accidents in the last three years. But not to worry, she wasn't driving in any of them! Uhh... wow. That's quite a track record. Turns out it's far more impressive than her dancing. Watching her dance is kind of like seeing a 5-year-old's first recital. It's a no for Tristy.
Hayley Cloud herniated a disc in her back, and managed to recover, and she's still dancing. Dancing very well, we might add! And she's a lot of fun to watch, great personality. We hope she does well in Vegas, where she's headed. And it seems Hayley has started a trend- the next several girls make it to Vegas as well.
Ariana Rowley is next. She's a burlesque performer. Really? We'd be shocked if she's good. And... we're not shocked. She does a pseudo-striptease and Nigel is the only judge impressed. And we're pretty sure that's only because he's a guy. But somehow, Ariana makes it to the choreography round anyway.
Next is Iveta Lukosiute from Lithuania. She's very graceful and has a commanding stage presence. She'd have to screw up pretty badly to not do well in Vegas. We look forward to seeing more from her.
During the choreography round at the end of day one, Bryan quits the competition. Apparently we were right- he can't do anything besides breaking. Well, maybe next year. Not surprisingly, Ariana is also cut.
Day two starts with Pascal, who tells us he dances according to what the song tells him to do. Oh, great. This ought to be a nice train wreck. Nigel sums it up well: "First it was a bad case of food poisoning, then you were bitten by a tsetse fly, then you were just shaking all over the place." Yeah, pretty much. It's a no for Pascal, who nonetheless proclaims his immense talent as he leaves.
After another montage of couples dancing together, we meet married couple Ashleigh and Ryan Di Lello, who competed against each other when they first met and dance together now. They're both good, but Ashleigh comes across as quite contrived in her performance. They're fun to watch as a couple, though, and they both make it to the choreography round.
Leigh Asay and Josh Murillo also audition together. Bad news for Josh, because Leigh far outshines him. She also manages to rip off her toenail during her audition, but despite that she makes it to Vegas. Josh is asked to come back for the choreography round.
During the choreography round, Josh is cut. But it's good news for Ashleigh and Ryan- they're both going to Vegas!
Tomorrow night, 152 dancers take on the Vegas round. Cat says it's the best year yet- we'll see. |
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| Yay! |
[Oct. 1st, 2009|08:58 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | cold | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | "Do You Know (What It Takes)" by Robyn | ] |
Last night on Twitter, Cheeks posted that he didn't do a podcast this week because he was working on a project, and said he'd retweet the first person to guess what the project was. I threw a few guesses out there, and...
Yay!
Okay, so it's not really a big deal, but it was fun anyway. |
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| So You Think You Can Dance: New Orleans Auditions |
[Sep. 30th, 2009|09:24 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  blah | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | I'm watchin' Glee. | ] |
The fifth stop on this year's audition tour is in New Orleans. Nigel Lythgoe was not able to join us this time around because he was in England accepting an honorary doctorate, so tonight's judges are Mary Murphy, Adam Shankman and... Lil C again. Ack.
Shelby Skipper has been dancing since he was 7 or 8, and for today's audition he'll be dancing a style invented by his best friend- New Orleans bounce. It's unique, but it gets old fast and we're not terribly impressed. For some reason, though, the judges send him straight to Vegas.
Jonathan Litzler has great strength and shows his emotion well. This is what a good, strong performance is about- good balance between technique and the ability to capture an audience. The judges are really impressed, and he goes straight to Vegas. It's also good news for Alison Nance, Calvin Turner Jr., and Edward Spots, who are all also on the way to Vegas.
Next is Eric La Blanc, who tells us he drinks six energy drinks a day. It shows. He's really freakin' annoying. Also, he's just another hip hop dancer doing the same stuff we've seen a million times before. The judges put him through to the choreography round.
After a montage of more good dancers (we could get used to seeing this many), it's time to meet Justin Kenney. He was in a car accident, flipped four or five times and suffered head trauma. And yet, he's still dancing. Once again, it's nothing we haven't seen before, but he's likeable and we're glad the judges decide to give him a second chance during the choreography round. He makes it to Vegas during that round, but Eric does not. Can't say we're disappointed.
Kimalee Piedad auditions with her partner, though he is not here to try to make it on the show. Their lifts are amazing and they're a lot of fun to watch. The judges put Kimalee through to the choreography round.
Next up is Micah Mixon, another hip hop dancer. Well, sort of. He kind of looks like he's having a seizure. Once he gets into it he's not too bad, but can he do anything else? The judges apparently wonder the same thing, and they send him to choreography.
Lloyd Ballard, Tierney St. John and Casey Crisosto are all terrible, which inspires Adam and Mary to lay down some rules. Which, of course, no one follows. But Adam's demonstations of what NOT to do are hilarious, anyway.
Jakob Karr has a very commanding presence and great talent. We can see him going far. And we hope he does, because we love watching him. He makes it straight to Vegas, not surprisingly.
The final auditioner of the night is Diana Drexler. Her grandfather passed away the day before her audition, and she's been keeping in touch with her family since then. She gets through the audition very well, and she's very engaging. The judges send her to the choreography round, and then on to Vegas. The same does not go for Micah, who's cut during the last round.
Next week, the final audition stop in Salt Lake City! |
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