Charlie St. Cloud - Movie Review

So, I'm gonna cut straight to the chase...I love Zac Efron. I thought he was a cute kid with gap teeth in the awful but guilty pleasure Summerland. And then like most kids around the globe (admittedly, 5-10 years younger than me), I became entranced by the High School Musical craze. Anyone who knows much about me knows that I love musicals. While I do not claim that HSM has anything on such classics like Meet Me In St. Louis or Singin' in the Rain, it did do something to introduce the wonderful musical genre to a new generation. Although Zac Efron certainly was able to show off his singing and dancing talents in the HSM franchise as well as in Hairspray, these movies did little to display his acting chops. 2009's 17 Again was a step in the right direction for Efron--a storyline that could be appreciated by young and old alike--it had comedy, drama and romance. But let's be honest, even though I love 17 Again, it really did not show a different range of emotion for Efron.

So, after a long absence from the screen, big or small, I was highly anticipating the film that I just saw, Charlie St. Cloud. I had read about it a long time ago on imdb.com and in recent months have seen commercial after commercial. I will be the first to admit that I probably would have seen Charlie St. Cloud regardless of the storyline because I have always found Zac Efron to be an attractive guy and it's nice to stare at his face...and abs. However, I was also intrigued by the premise of Charlie St. Cloud because it is the first lead role for Efron as an adult character. He does not break into song, he is not a basketball star (because being 5'9" in the real world automatically makes you great at basketball...yeeeah), and he does not dance his socks off. Rather than focusing on all the things he can do well that can take away from whatever acting talents he may or may not have, this movie would put his acting abilities front and center. I think having followed Efron's career, a movie like this one was just what he wanted--he wanted to get away from being someone who always broke out into song and dance. Real actors need a challenge. Much like Leonardo DiCaprio in the 1990s, the choice to do Charlie St. Cloud for Efron certainly was one to fight every serious actor's nightmare: typecasting. If you have seen the commercials, you already know in the movie Efron's character sails. WELL, if this movie was a sinker, there is not much doubt that Efron's career would go straight down with it. Looks can only get you so far as I am sure Zac Efron is well aware.

I will not go into a lot of detail about the plot of Charlie St. Cloud--only if you have been living under a rock do you not know that it is a movie about a young man (Zac Efron who plays Charlie St. Cloud) who loses his kid brother (Sam) in a car accident, talks to his brother's "ghost" every day, and falls in love with a girl who changes his life which has otherwise been grim. Even though I pretty much knew the story because of the commercials, it was the interactions Charlie had with his brother and other people, the time he spent alone, and the consequences of what had happened in his life that make this movie interesting. There is also a twist in the story, but I will not give that away. Sure, this movie had a bit of the mystical--after all, Charlie talks to his brother's ghost--but that did not take away from the overall story being believable. When tragedy strikes, people cope in different ways and nothing is ever normal again.

Because the subject matter of the story was so emotionally heavy--death and how one copes with it--Charlie St. Cloud easily could have been overly dramatic, overacted, full of "make me want to vom" moments. It wasn't. Instead, I thought Efron's performance was wonderful. He was intense when he needed to be. A jerky older brother when he needed to be. He was vulnerable when he needed to be. A lot of this movie was just Zac Efron and the camera and his face was able to convey everything he was thinking. I am not saying this movie did not have have its moments of cheesiness because it did, but overall I think it was well done. The supporting cast of characters also were excellent, but let's be honest, this movie was about Zac Efron and Zac Efron alone.

For those who are more critical of Zac Efron than I am, I think they will be pleasantly surprised with his performance. Do not get me wrong, Zac Efron will not be getting an Academy Award anytime soon. However, one of my friends who came to this movie with me told me she had never thought Zac Efron was all that attractive until this movie--perhaps it was his haircut but I would like to think it was because of the character he played. Charlie St. Cloud is a tragic character, and although I cannot really relate to the tragedy of losing someone that close to me in such an unexpected way, I think anyone can understand feeling lost and holding onto something they should have let go of a long time ago. I would recommend Charlie St. Cloud of course to Zac Efron fans, but I would also recommend it to moviegoers who just want to sit back and watch a pretty compelling story.

-Erin

Shameless Plug

Okay Okay I understand that this blog is mostly about television and movies, but I could not help post about my one of my favorite bands, I mean music is a form of entertainment so I guess it works.

Like most girls my age in 1997 I was in the middle of the boy band craze. I loved the Backsteet Boys and only them. Never once did my now favorite bad Hanson come into my sights. It was not until my summer before my junior year of high school that my friend asked me to go to a Hanson concert with her. At first I thought the same thing that most of you are probably thinking now, “Hanson, the ones that sang Mmmbop.” Yep that is what I was thinking. So I went as a sort of joke just to say that I saw them, and the fact that I wanted to go to a concert since at the time I have had never been to one and I never say no to a road trip. I went to the concert and my view on Hanson changed. They were real genuine musicians. They each write and play their own music, unlike most people of the time that would have songs written for them and their concerts were more like dance shows than actual singing performance.

Isaac, 29, Taylor, 27, and Zac, 24, who are now all fathers, just released their fifth studio album Shout it Out. It is just a pretty awesome cd. The cd is a good mix of songs that will get you up and dance and some ballads that showcase their trademark harmony. They have just started a summer tour that will be sure to showcase new songs off the Shout it Out cd as well as fan favorites from their previous albums, Middle of Nowhere, This Time Around, Underneath and The Walk. If you go to a concert you will not regret it. Check out their new single Thinking 'bout Somthin':


Hanson likes to stay connected with their fans. It is one thing to hear from your favorite band when they have a new cd coming out and they do many tv interviews, but from Hanson you hear from them all the time. Recently they have held events on their website called aLive @hnet. These are live streams with the band. In these live streams they answer fan questions from Twitter, play a couple songs, or even take you on a trip to Wal-Mart with them. They have also have had a live stream of entire concert, so people who tuned in got a free concert experience. Most of those steams are found on YouTube. They also because they are on tour they have a aLive stream before every show to answer fan questions or have a conversation with the opening band. It is really just fun because no matter where you are you can feel a part of the concert going experience.

Another thing that Hanson interacts with their fans is to hold a one mile walk before each of the shows. These one mile walks help to fight poverty in Africa. These walks started with a partnership with TOMS shoes. TOMS shoes has the one for one model that with every pair of TOMS shoes that are bought a pair is donated to a child in need in Africa. So Hanson would hold a one mile barefoot walk to see how these children have to deal with everyday. They would sell the TOMS shoes at their concerts. This then moved into helping more people. So now if you go on a walk Hanson will donate a dollar for the cause of your choice that they have listed which good go to buying a child a pair of TOMS, build a fresh water well, medical care for mother who are affected by AIDS, or to build a school. These walks are a good way to interact with fans and at the same time help people in need. To learn more about the walks go to http://www.takethewalk.net/

I prob could go on and on but I will stop now. If you would like to more about Hanson and their summer tour go to Hanson.net, I would also recommend watching their Taking the Walk documentary, documenting the making of their album The Walk.


Basically I think that you all should give Hanson a new look and see what kind of band they are today.

(Picture from Hanson's Facebook page)

Friday Night Lights

For those of you who have patiently anticipated a post on Friday Night Lights, here it be! Friday Night Lights is without a doubt one of the most under publicized shows in TV history! It could be argued that it is also one of the most underrated shows in television history but that would not be true--those who watch the show, critics and fans alike, cannot give it enough praise! From filming that gives it a realistic quality to its acting and superb writing (nothing on this show seems forced or unrealistic), this little show about Texas and high school football is one of the best out there! Perhaps the reason Friday Night Lights is unfortunately under the radar is because NBC does not give it the publicity it deserves and it has always been given a horrible time slot--this season it airs on Friday nights in the summer (the past couple of seasons have aired earlier on for DirecTV. These viewers only hope that it continues to get revived despite the everlooming threats of cancellation.

The most recent episode, which aired on NBC two weeks ago, was entitled "I Can't". Even if you had never watched this show before, this is definitely an episode you do not want to miss. Mika Brzezinski, an MSNBC personality and a self-professed non-television watcher, happened to turn the TV on the night that "I Can't" aired and the following Monday could not stop talking about the episode it was that profound. This episode is the prime example of why FNL is not simply another television drama, but is gritty and real.

Now, this blog is not here to talk about politics but unlike other, lesser dramas (yessss, I am referring to The Secret Life of the American Teenager), FNL takes a serious look at teenage pregnancy and all of the decisions and consequences it entails. Madison Burge plays 15-year old Becky Sproles, who finds herself pregnant after a one-night-stand. Not only is Becky young and not in love with the baby-to-be's father, she is also poor and finds herself facing the same future as her unhappy mother. Rather than simply resolve the issue at hand, this decision is a real struggle for Becky and for those wishing to help her: Tim Riggins (played by Taylor Kitsch), Tami Taylor (played by Connie Britton), the boy who got her pregnant-Luke Cafferty (Matt Lauria), and of course her mother. Regardless of your beliefs, pro-life or pro-choice, I think it is difficult to argue that FNL takes the subject of teenage pregnancy lightly.

Another issue which this quintessential episode deals with is that of addiction. Star football player at East Dillon, Vince Howard (played by Michael B. Jordan), is forced to handle his mother's substance abuse--a problem that almost gets her killed. Unfortunately for Vince, his mother is unable to go into state-sponsored rehab because there is no room and of course as is the case in many states (especially in poor areas), not enough funding. Vince, being only 16 or 17 himself, cannot continue to take care of his mother while focusing on school and football. With the help of Coach Taylor, Vince is back on track to doing well and staying out of trouble. His quest to be respectable is compromised when the cost of rehab is $4,000 upfront. Much like Becky's pregnancy, the solution to Vince's problems are not easy.

Needless to say, FNL is pretty heavy stuff. The characters and story are both things viewers can easily relate to. Although life here in Indiana or wherever you are may not be Texas high school football (which to outsiders definitely seems surreal), everyone has family issues and relationship woes. When the story, the cast (both good actors and good looking people), and everything else is in perfect sync, it makes for an awesome viewing experience. To watch "I Can't" click HERE! And be sure to watch tomorrow night's new episode, "Injury List", on NBC at 8/7 Central!

Ohhh, and one final word of warning! For those unaccustomed to Friday Night Lights, beware that it might start out slow--but keep watching! You will find yourself captivated and truly invested in these characters. There is no extra "fluff" and by the time you give it some time, you will find you don't need it anyway!

Channeling out!
Erin and Emily

(photo from Hulu)

We just want to wish our friend/follower Beth a wonderful birthday today!

-Emily and Erin

Reality Dish

So I am not sure about Erin but I am a sucker for some reality shows. I am not sure if it because I just like to give everything a chance that I stop on the reality shows. I think in most cases it is something for me to feel better about my own life. Some reality shows are just ridiculous while others are semi normal. So now when you are sitting in your summertime tv woes waiting for your favorite show to return for another season just sit and get entertained by the following reality shows.

Rob Dyrdek Fantasy Factory- If you want a good laugh you really should tune into Fantasy Factory. The show follows entrepreneur skateboarder Rob Dyrdek while he tries to mix business with pleasure. If he is not trying to set up a new skateboard park in a new area he is inventing new sports, like a skateboarding car. There is never a dull moment in the Fantasy Factory especially with his two cousins who work for him Chris known as “drama” and Scott known as “Big Cat.” The show airs Monday nights at 9:30 on MTV and you will not regret watching it.

Here is a preview of this season:


Teen Mom- If you have ever wasted your time watching an original episode of 16 and Pregnant Teen Mom follows teen mothers Maci, Farrah, Amber, and Catelynn as they try to raise their child still being a kid themselves. This is one of the shows that I am like way to go me I have made good decisions. It goes to show teens that having a child is not easy business. Teen Mom premiers tonight on MTV at 9pm.

This is the preview for the first season that will give you a preview of what to expect in Season 2



Say Yes to the Dress- Going wedding dress shopping is usually a highlight of a females life and that is what Say Yes to the Dress is all about. Kleinfeld’s is a bridal salon located in New York City that basically has every wedding dress known to man. If a woman has the money and can’t find a dress at Kleinfeld’s there is a major problem. This show is very fun and relaxing to watch especially for people who love wedding dresses. Say Yes to the Dress airs Friday nights at 9pm.

Enjoy some bridal experience


Ace of Cakes- Artistry in the forms of cake is what you will find on Ace of Cakes on The Food Network. Chef Duff and his friends (aka the other cake decorators) can create basically any cake that you can think of; if you have idea they will make it come true. They show you the whole process from the idea on a piece of paper, actually creating the cake and the final product. It is really fascinating what they can do with some cake and frosting. Ace of Cakes is on Thursday at 10pm.

Here a video on them making Eagles Stadium in Philly


Well I hope that you enjoy some of these reality shows. I am sure I will have more to talk about later!

Emily

Movie Review: Inception

Sweet dreams, readers! And no, I am not saying goodbye, I am saying hello...or am I?! Okay, well, my mind games are not nearly as captivating or challenging as the ones in the movie I just saw, Inception. Inception is a psychological thriller (my favorite kind of thriller!) about Cobb (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) who is able to enter peoples' dreams and essentially steal information that in a conscious state these people would be unwilling to relay. Without giving away too much, his quest becomes to implant an idea in a corporate heir-to-be's head--inception. Much like Leo's last movie, Shutter Island, what makes this movie a psychological thriller is that the audience is never sure if they can believe what they see.

DiCaprio is supported by an outstanding cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, and Marion Cotillard to name a few. This movie could have easily been overacted, but then that would be underestimating the talents of the aforementioned cast and their notable director, Christopher Nolan. Christopher Nolan is best known for directing movies like The Prestige, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Nolan magnificently guides the twists and turns of this movie so that not one detail is forgotten. Although this viewer is not going to lie and will admit that there were many times when I was left asking "Huh?!", these questions were not due to the plot, directing, etcetera; the story was smart and thus, sometimes, my mental capabilities were not up to the challenge! Additionally, Inception requires your full attention for nearly two and half hours so that is something you should mentally prepare for. With all of that said, this viewer could benefit from multiple viewings of this movie.

Aside from the running time which could throw some people, this is also a film that is more about the action and the mind games rather than the romance. Although portions of this film definitely tug at the heartstrings, this movie tugs much more on those of the mind. As I read in Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum's review of Inception, there was an imbalance between engaging the mind and the heart, but because of how good Inception is at engaging the mind, it's hard to care about the heart!
(NOTE: to read Schwarzbaum's full review, click HERE)

I am a biased audience: I have been a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio ever since I saw re-runs of Growing Pains when I was little. However, I think once again DiCaprio has proved himself as a versatile, complex and top-notch actor. Inception is a movie I would go to multiple times because it was entertaining and because each time would reveal something new! If you are a lover of psychological thrillers,DiCaprio, Nolan or some other person involved in this project, or if you simply love GOOD movies, Inception is a must.

You can wake up now!
Erin

Something for the Witty

As you may or may not know, I, Erin Bantz, tend to be a bit quirky in my tastes a lot of time. So, when I stumbled upon Diablo Cody's YouTube show, Red Band Trailer, I thought it might be interesting...especially since Adam Brody was her guest in this premiere episode! For those of you who don't know, Diablo Cody wrote JUNO, a little film that made big waves and made stars out of Ellen Page and Michael Cera. Adam Brody really has not been all that visible lately but most know him from The O.C. as Seth Cohen, the guy that made being a geek cool! Anyways, I digress. I have included a link to this humorous video under ten minutes in length for those of you who have strange senses of humor like myself! Also, there is a somewhat faux-cameo by one of my favorite television actors, Kyle Chandler--watch out for it!

Stay tuned because Emily and I are going to have our first REAL entertainment post about Friday Night Lights very soon! And I plan to review Leonardo DiCaprio's latest mind-thriller, Inception.

~Erin

Good grief as Charlie Brown would say. I do not think I will be able to outblog my fellow blogger, Emily! I am not that good with the Photo Shop!

Anywho, pretty much like Emily, I love GOOD television and am a huge movie buff! Although I am a fan of current movies, I adore classic movies! Sure, classic movies might portray a more idealized and unrealistic world, but there is something nice about that. In the 1930s and 1940s during the Depression and then World War II, movies provided an escape from a rather cruel world. Plus, it's hard to resist Cary Grant's charm, Bogie's suave, Jimmy Stewart's everymanness, Gene Kelly's masculinity, Grace Kelly's beauty, Judy Garland's voice, Audrey Hepburn's grace, and Katherine Hepburn's strength. I could go on, but that would be another blog entirely!

I also am a huge sports fan (probably not as big as Emily, though!). I do not know why I am a Notre Dame fan...I have been since 4th grade! I am not Catholic; I do not have friends or relatives that went to Notre Dame; No one in my family was even a fan of Notre Dame until I started following the team! I was fortunate enough to watch my favorite team AT Notre Dame Stadium for three years during my collegiate career at Saint Mary's. I live for college football! I also am a huge tennis fan and I will always be an Andy Roddick fan despite what everyone else has against him! Gosh, that Chris Fowler has it made: grand slam tennis tourneys and college football Saturdays! With all of that said, I also follow other sports and ESPN keeps me updated on what I need to know!

So, now that I have rambled a little bit, I will give you a list of my favorites:

Favorite Current Shows: Glee, Friday Night Lights, The Office, True Blood, Entourage

Favorite Classic Shows (or retired): Even Stevens, Growing Pains, Home Improvement, Boy Meets World, Arrested Development, The Tudors (just had its last season)

Favorite Reality Show: So You Think You Can Dance

Favorite Guilty Pleasure: 90210

Top 10 Movies: When Harry Met Sally, Singin' in the Rain, It's a Wonderful Life, Roman Holiday, The Departed, The Godfather, Steel Magnolias, Aladdin, Toy Story 1 and 3

Sports favorites: Andy Roddick, Llyeton Hewitt, Notre Dame, Indianapolis Colts, Duke basketball


And there you have it!
Erin

On the Previous Episode...

"And now the story of a wealthy family who lost everything, and the one granddaughter who had no choice but to keep them all together... It's Arrested Development."



Well… not exactly. As much as I wish I was a part of the Bluth family I am not. I would love one uncle that was a magician, another who has a hook as a hand, a mother who just runs around looking for money, a father is painted blue waiting for the Blue Man Group to call but that is not my life.

Like Maeby, I have a love of the entertainment world. She goes and tries to make movies, where I just sit and watch them. It could be that I just really don't like to read that always had me interested in watching excessive amounts of television and movies. I just like to sit down and get sucked into a show wondering what is going to happen next or laugh uncontrollably, or just get entertained. It has always intrigued me.

I am also a huge sports fan. Growing up in a family of diehard Notre Dame fans it was hard to escape their influences. If we were not at the games we were watching them on tv. This sparked my interest in sports. Now if I am not watching tv I am watching ESPN or some type of sporting event.

Well that is pretty much about me. I am looking forward to this blog sharing my entertainment thoughts with you.

~Emily

So here are some of my favorites:

Favorite Current Shows: Glee, Chuck, Grey’s Anatomy, Friday Night Lights, and of course Sports Center

Favorite Ended Show: ER (I mean I currently own Season 1-10 of it just need the last 5) Arrested Development and Boy Meets World

Favorite Reality Show: Keeping up with the Kardashians, Kendra, and Little People Big World

Guilty Pleasure Show: Young and the Restless

All time Favorite Movie: Wizard of Oz

Favorite Sports teams: Notre Dame, Colts, Florida Marlins, and New York Yankees

Hello World!

Hello world! The two of us, Erin and Emily, have decided to do what many of our friends have done, which is blog, but do it with a twist! The twist obviously being that there are two of us!

Both of us wanted to blog about something and the most obvious thing was the entertainment world! And no, we do not mean gossip about the entertainment world--Perez is great for something like that but that isn't really our passion! What we want to blog about is our favorite TV shows, movies and sports! We thought it would be great to have a forum where we can talk about our favorite things and hear what others think, too!

Hope you enjoy what we have to say! We definitely welcome suggestions on shows, movies, or sports we should talk about! After all, if you're reading this blog, you probably like TV, movies or sports to some degree!

STAY TUNED!
Emily and Erin