Shrink Blog

12 Enduring Classic Movies That Didn't Win Best Picture

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

Some of our favorite movies never won the big prize for Best Picture, but, fortunately, history has been kind to them and they have gone on to be regarded as enduring classics that will be seen for generations to come. Here are 12 enduring classics from the past three decades that didn't win the Oscar for Best Picture, but have stuck with us (and notice the Spielberg influence):

1. Star Wars

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark

3. Pulp Fiction

4. Saving Private Ryan

5. Jaws

6. E.T. The Extraterrestrial

7. Beauty and the Beast

8. Apocalypse Now

9. Goodfellas

10. Raging Bull

11. The Sixth Sense

12. The Big Chill

My guesses for more recent films that will endure: Avatar, Inception, Up, There Will Be Blood, Brokeback Mountain. Time will tell.

And here are five enduring classics that were not even nominated for Best Picture:

* The Empire Strikes Back

* Blade Runner

* 2001: A Space Odyssey

* The Usual Suspects

* Being There

12 Best Movies of the Past 12 Years Not Nominated for Best Picture

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Oscar nominations were announced last week and a few films were conspicuously absent from the list of Best Picture nominees. Most notably, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (too dark?) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (too Harry Potter?). Over the past 12 years (in keeping with our 12 theme for 2012, the presumptive end o' the world), there have been a few real mind-blowing omissions from the roster of Best Picture nominees. Here are 12 of them in order of how much they got robbed:

1. The Dark Knight

2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

3. Pan's Labyrinth

4. Memento

5. Amelie

6. The Matrix

7. Cinderella Man

8. Almost Famous

9. WALL*E

10. Far From Heaven

11. The Wrestler

12. Star Trek

Also on a good list of notable snubs: The Town, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Magnolia, Black Hawk Down

Separated at Birth Cinema: Children of Men & The Road

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

by Ace & J2

The end is near! Well...maybe. Whether or not you believe that 2012 is the beginning of end, we thought it’d be interesting to bring you two apocalyptic flicks that have some striking similarities and contrasts.

The Road is based on a Cormac McCarthy Pulitzer prize winning novel by the same name. A lot can be said about McCarthy and a few of his other novels that have been adapted into films like No Country for Old Men (2007) and All the Pretty Horses (2000). The Road shows a nameless father (played by Viggo Mortensen) and son only referred to as “the Man” and “the Boy.” The details of the recent past are equally non-descriptive. A cataclysmic disaster has turned the world cold, dark, and full of ash to the point that there are no living plants or animals. Most of the few human survivors have resorted to cannibalism as a means to live just a little longer. It is through these ruthless villains and the treacherous terrain that the Man and Boy must travel in the hope that the southern coast might sustain some life. As the odds of survival are stacked so high against them, the Man contemplates the futility of their striving. Their love for each other gives them every reason but they just don’t have the means. So why keep in the face of the inevitable? Because as the Man assures the Boy (and maybe himself), “This is what the good guys do. They keep trying. They don't give up.”

Children of Men is set in the not-too-distant future of 2027 where human beings face global extinction. The pandemic isn’t disease, nuclear war, or a giant meteor, but something much more subtle: infertility. The youngest person is now 18 and the world is falling apart- not because children are needed to maintain order, but because without them, what’s the point? To put it simply, people are angry and anarchy is the dominant political persuasion. We follow our disillusioned hero, Theo (played by Clive Owen), as he tries to help a young woman, Kee, get to the coast in hopes that she holds the key to reversing mankind's extinction.

Both films show the world as we know it dying with a whimper rather than a bang. They also show lone heroes striving to get to the coast as their last desperate attempt at hope. While the Man and Boy in The Road hope for the meager basics of survival in an uninhabitable world, Theo and Kee in Children of Men hope for a reason to survive in a world devoid of a meaningful future.

Which X Factor Contestants Have Been Signed?

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

I'm thoroughly enjoying the new season of American Idol already, but I have one more X Factor post before I leave it alone. Although the first season was admittedly clunky and needs a lot of work, there have been a high number of contestants who have been signed by a major record label. Sure, it's L.A. Reid's label, but being signed by Epic Records and having the support of a kingmaker like this is a major victory for any performer. Here are the four who have already signed, followed by two others who have not yet inked deals, but are sure to do so, probably with other record labels:

1. Melanie Amaro - the deserved winner got a guaranteed recording contract and $5 million.

2. Astro - the brash young rapper earned a spot on Epic's roster this past week.

3. Chris Rene - a true original and sentimental favorite, he also signed with Epic.

4. Marcus Canty - I think this guy will be a much harder sell than the others, but time will tell.

Soon to follow:

5. Josh Krajcik - the runner-up has yet to sign a deal, but all reports indicate he has multiple offers on the table. A record company would be silly to pass him over.

6. Rachel Crow - the conventional wisdom is that she will land with Disney.

So 6 contestants in one season if not too shabby, especially for a first season of a show that hasn't found its sea legs yet.

12 Good Recent Movies Based on Real Life Events

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's DVD release of 50/50 with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen (I recommend it, by the way) and the recent release of Moneyball with Brad Pitt (also recommended) got me thinking about other good recent movies that were based on true stories. In the past two years, there have been some outstanding films based on real events. Here are 12 good ones:

1. The Social Network - about Mark Zuckerberg, the creation of Facebook, and the conflicts that followed it.

2. The King's Speech - about George VI, who struggled with stuttering, yet had to rally the country in the face of war.

3. The Fighter - based on the life of boxer Micky Ward and his half-brother and manager, Dicky.

4. 127 Hours - the story of Aron Ralston who cut off his own arm after a giant boulder fell on it in the middle of nowhere.

5 J. Edgar - based on the life and possible love of Mr. Hoover.

6. The Devil's Double - about Uday Hussein's body double Latif Yahia.

7. I Love You Phillip Morris - a kooky story based on the life of Steven Jay Russell.

8. Margin Call - based on Lehman Brothers during the recent financial crisis.

9. Sanctum - based on Andrew Wright's near-death experience following the collapse of the entrance to the underwater cave system he was exploring.

10. Unstoppable - about a runaway train filled with dangerous materials that put a city in danger.

11. Soul Surfer - about surfer Bethany Hamilton following the aftermath of a shark attack.

12. Kill The Irishman - based on the life of Danny Greene, a union rep who stood up to the mob.

10 Biggest Oscar Nomination Snubs

2012-01-24T11:43:00.000-05:00

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning and there were many surprises, especially with who got overlooked this year. Here are ten big snubs--and two happy surprises:

Biggest Snubs:

Ryan Gosling - not nominated for Drive, Ides of March, or Crazy, Stupid, Love

Leonardo DiCaprio - overlooked for J. Edgar

Michael Fassbender - no love for Shame

Albert Brooks - snubbed for Drive

Tilda Swinton - passed over for We Need to Talk About Kevin

Steven Spielberg - omitted from the director's list for War Horse

The Adventures of Tin Tin - another Spielberg miss

Shailene Woodley - lots of buzz for The Descendants, but no nom

David Fincher - left off the director's list for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - no Best Picture nomination

Okay, one more: No nomination for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 2, despite stellar reviews.

And Two Happy Surprises:

Melissa McCarthy - nominated for Bridesmaids

Jonah Hill - picked up a nomination for Moneyball

And the left-fielder of the year seems to be Nick Nolte nominated for Warrior.

What TV Shows Hit and What Bombed This Season

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Back in the middle of September, I predicted the fate of 20 new shows of this television season. I gave my best guess as to which ones would bomb and which ones would do well. So it's time to face the music, some four months later.

Shows I Predicted Would Bomb:

Playboy Club - Correct

Hart of Dixie - Correct (on the bubble)

Up All Night - Correct (on the bubble)

I Hate My Teenage Daughter - Correct

Suburgatory - Wrong

Revenge - Wrong (very!)

H8R - Correct

Whitney - Correct (on the bubble)

Charlie's Angels - Correct

A Gifted Man - Correct

Grimm - Wrong

Pan Am - Correct

Once Upon a Time - Wrong

Shows I Predicted Would Hit:

Terra Nova* - Correct (on the bubble)

New Girl - Correct

Last Man Standing - Correct

Ringer* - Correct (on the bubble)

American Horror Story - Correct

Person of Interest - Correct

Prime Suspect - Wrong

(I predicted it to be a "modest hit")

So before the season really started, my predictions were 75% on the mark, which ain't bad shootin' when it comes to such things. I was 69% on shows I thought would bomb, but a full 86% on shows I thought would succeed. I'll be honest and say that all five shows where I was wrong are a surprise to me still. I thought Prime Suspect would be a hit and I thought those others shows would crash and burn. Who would have guessed Revenge would have been the breakout hit of the season? But that's what makes this fun, right?

5 Big Actors Who Played Real Life Criminals and Creepsters

2012-01-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

Rob Lowe has gotten lots of praise for his portrayal of Drew Peterson in a Lifetime movie that aired this past weekend. He allowed himself to look like a total creepster and apparently threw himself headlong into the role. It got me thinking about other big name actors who have portrayed real-life bad guys and creepsters. Here are just five of them:

1. Charlize Theron portrayed Aileen Wuornos in Monster and it won her an Oscar.

2. Robert De Niro played Al Capone for The Untouchables and he cracked some heads with a baseball bat.

3. Warren Beatty was Bugsy Siegel in Bugsy and earned an Oscar nomination for it.

4. Al Pacino played Lefty Ruggiero in Donnie Brasco to critical acclaim.

5. Johnny Depp played George Jung, the man who established the American coke market, in Blow.

12 Best Movies of Steven Soderbergh

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Haywire, the latest film from Oscar winning director Steven Soderbergh is due out this weekend, and it doesn't look like anything else he's done before. That's not terribly surprising because nothing looks like what he's done before. If you look at his body of work, the themes sprawl from narco-political thriller to heist film to biography. Each one has its own look and feel; each one reveals itself to be in the hands of a competent director, but he's never flashy or intrusive. He just gets out of the way and tells a good story. To celebrate his work, here are his twelve best films, not counting his latest:

1. Traffic

2. Erin Brockovich

3. Ocean's Eleven

4. Out of Sight

5. Sex, Lies, and Videotape

6. The Limey

7. Che: Part One

8. Contagion

9. The Informant!

10. Che: Part Two

11. Ocean's 13

12. The Good German

3 Ways American Idol Is Better Than X Factor

2012-01-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

As I was watching American Idol last night, I kept asking myself why this show seemed so much better--even right out of the gate--than X Factor. They are both essentially the same show with some shades of difference. But American Idol is clearly the superior show. Why? I think there are at least three big reasons:

1. American Idol has a great sense of fun - Unlike X Factor, which seems to take itself so seriously, Idol really has a great sense of fun and playfulness that makes the show instantly likable and engaging.

2. American Idol has a great sense of humor - Related to its sense of fun is the show's sense of humor. While both shows tried to manage humor among the contestants and judges, only Idol can really pull it off in a way that doesn't seemed forced or contrived.

3. American Idol has Ryan Seacrest - And this may be the most important of all. As I was watching the show, I realized how important he is to the success of the whole affair. He is our connection, our entry point into the whole experience. While folks like to joke him, there is no question that he is masterfully skilled and incredibly good at what he does. He is truly this generation's Dick Clark. Mark my words: the season he leaves will be the season the show starts its descent down the tubes.

American Idol is fun, funny, and its got Seacrest. Great stuff.

Seacrest out.

Shrink Blog: The Video - Coming in February

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

I'm in the studio this morning filming the first episodes of Shrink Blog: The Video, a weekly program where I'll take a look at popular culture from a psychologist's perspective. Always in bite-sized nuggets--just a couple of minutes for each video.

I won't give too much away, but the first month will feature some great stuff on reality shows and even the pending zombie apocalypse. And I don't want to throw anybody under the bus, but I'll just say my sidekick for the show is a little bit...shall we say, grumpy.

Please look for the show starting the first week of February. I think you'll enjoy it.

12 Great Cover Songs

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Recently I stumbled across an acoustic remake of Rihanna's We Found Love during the same week I couldn't get Glen Campbell's cover of U2's All I Want Is You out of my head (for some odd reason). I started thinking about the great cover songs I had heard in recent years and I came up with twelve hot ones to share with you, described in the language (again, for some odd reason) of sports anchors:

1. Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley gives praise to Leonard Cohen.

2. Take On Me - A.C. Newman takes on a-ha.

3. Mad World - Michael Andrews and Gary Jules wrings out Tears for Fears.

4. Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm steals from Michael Jackson.

5. Umbrella - Marie Digby cover--uver-uvers Rihanna.

6. Burning Down the House - Tom Jones and The Cardigans torches The Talking Heads.

7. Beat It - Fall Out Boy and John Mayer clobbers Michael Jackson.

8. Bohemian Rhapsody - Molotov incinerates Queen.

9. Oops...I Did It Again - Richard Thompson spears Britney.

10. The Man Who Sold the World - Nirvana transcends with Bowie.

11. All I Want Is You - Glen Campbell showers love on U2.

12. We Found Love - Boyce Avenue crushes on Rihanna.

Shrink Blog's 6 Favorite Novels

2012-01-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

From time to time, I get asked to name my favorite books. I keep a running list in my head, divided up into fiction and non-fiction. In order to give you a final twelve for the year (in keeping with my 12 for 12 theme), I thought I would first share my 6 favorite novels, followed later by my 6 favorite non-fiction books.

I am not claiming these are the six best ever novels; they are just my favorites. They are all extremely well-written and have great themes, but most importantly, they have really memorable and compelling characters. There are probably at least two books here you haven't read before, so I really encourage you to check them out:

1. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving - Hands down my favorite book of all time. Irving has a new book out this year and I will check it out. I have loved several of his novels, but this one about skinny little Owen with his nearly translucent ears and shrill voice is the best book I've ever read.

2. Peace Like a River by Leif Enger - A hidden treasure of a book about asthmatic Reuben Land and his miracle-working father, Jeremiah. This is a quietly spectacular book in every way.

3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - The only age-old true classic on my list, this story of the mysterious Jay Gatsby has been the one book I've returned to over and over again.

4. The Road by Cormac McCarthy - Though I've written six published books (and another yet to be published), I know I could never write one page as good as any random page in this novel. It's terrifying and heartbreaking and one of the best things I've ever read.

5. Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon - A brilliant book about identity and reinventing yourself that has the pace and grip of a thriller. I loved every page of it.

6. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot D iaz - Overweight "lovesick ghetto nerd" Oscar and his family are cursed but you'll be blessed to read this funny, sad, epic story.

5 Must-See TV Shows This Week

2012-01-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is a hot week for television shows. I'm canceling my plans and staying inside all week. Here are five shows you need to watch:

Golden Globe Awards - Thin-skinned Hollywoodsters get their feelings hurt by Ricky Gervais for a second year in a row. Tonight on NBC.

Alcatraz - Disappearing criminals reappear decades later in this J.J. Abrams series starring Hurley from Lost and the dude from Jurassic Park. My guess is it's a great premise but will take awhile to get its footing. Monday on FOX.

Justified - If you haven't watched this show yet, I implore you, nay, beg you, to watch it. Honestly, it's one of the top five best shows on all of television. The season premiere is Tuesday night on FX.

Southland - The critically-acclaimed but ratings-impaired show kicks off its season on TNT Tuesday night with Lucy Liu joining the cast.

American Idol - You've probably never heard of it, but this little singing competition airs on Wednesday nights on FOX.

Separated at Birth Cinema: Three Men and a Baby and Mr. Mom

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

by Ace

Separated at Birth Cinema is an every-other-Friday featurehere on Shrink Blog that pairs two similar movies for a compelling doublefeature. I write these blogs with my buddy, J², but he’s on paternity leave this weekend as he welcomes his first child intothe world (Hooray for Dusti, Josh, and Everest!). To mark this specialoccasion, and to forewarn J² what he’s in for (I’ve got three sonsof my own), here is a fatherhood-inspired double feature.

Three Men anda Baby (1987) was directed by Leonard Nimoy and was about three Peter Panswho find a baby at the door of their swank NYC apartment one day. Peter(Tom Selleck) and Michael (Steve Guttenberg) take the lead in caring for thelittle girl because the father, Jack (Ted Danson) is filming on location andout of contact (no cell phones back in the 80’s). Hijinks ensue. Peter is hapless trying to buy baby food at a local grocery store. Michael swaths their pool table in baby powder. And all three (once Jackreturns) learn to put baby to sleep by singing R & B tunes in 3-partharmony.

Mr. Mom(1983) was directed by Stan Dragoti and starred Michael Keaton as Jack, ahot-shot auto company executive in Detroit. When he gets laid off hiswife, Caroline (Teri Garr), returns to the workforce leaving Jack to care fortheir young children. Hijinks ensue. Jack has to duel with thefamily’s ferocious vacuum cleaner, “Jaws.” And he almost has to call in ahazmat team after feeding their baby some chili.

All four of these movie dads overcome early obstacles andultimately get their game on. I’m certain J² will haveeverything under control from the get go.

12 Most Influential American Idol Finalists

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Next week, American Idol gears up for its 11th season and all signs point to it being another successful round. I wanted to get out ahead of the pack a little with this slightly early post of the 12 finalists who have been the most successful and had the biggest impact on the entertainment world. They have affected the recording industry, and they have made their mark in film (an Oscar nomination) and on stage and on other television shows. You will notice that half of the winners of the past ten seasons aren't even on the list and a few who finished as low as 7th place did make the list. Here are the 12 most influential American Idol finalists from a decade of the show:

1. Kelly Clarkson

2. Carrie Underwood

3. Jennifer Hudson

4. Chris Daughtry

5. Jordin Sparks

6. Adam Lambert

7. Fantasia Barrino

8. Clay Aiken

9. David Cook

10. Kellie Pickler

11. David Archuleta

12. Katherine McPhee

12 Great Sports Movies

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Remember the Titans

I asked some fellow psychologists to give me "12 for 12" lists for the year the world ends. These lists could be favorite movies in a particular category, songs, TV episodes, books, games, whatever. Anything that is entertainment related from a psychologist's perspective.

Two of my colleagues, sports psychology gurus, Nyaka Niilampti and Shaun Tyrance, the founders of Mind Over Body, have given me a great list of 12 sports movies. Dr. Niilampti is a former collegiate athlete at Princeton. She has a master's in sports psychology and a Ph.D. in counseling psychology. I have a lot of other nice things I could say about her, but she would just get embarrassed, so I'll stop now. Dr. Tyrance was the starting quarterback at Davidson and has consulted professionally with collegiate teams and professional sports organizations, including some Nascar and MLB teams. These two folks, along with their colleague, Dwight Hollier, are the best sports psychology team in the country. Here's their list, given in no particular order, along with a couple of bonus picks:

1. Bull Durham: The trials and tribulations of a minor league baseball player...and takes place in the great state of North Carolina.

2. Any Given Sunday: Oliver Stone captures a great deal of the real life world of pro-football.

3. Remember the Titans: Sport as the great equalizer.

4. Tin Cup: See the Hollywood version of a psychologist working with an athlete.

5. Jerry McGuire: Based on the story of real life agent Leigh Steinberg. "Show me the money!"

6. Ali: Will Smith shows that Ali had real reason to be cocky.

7. Hoop Dreams: The original 30 for 30.

8. Friday Night Lights: Great book. Good movie. Life IS highschool football in small town West Texas.

9. Million Dollar Baby: It's never too late to realize your dream...anything can be accomplished with desire and hard work.

10. Love and Basketball: Playing like a girl is a good thing....

11. Rocky (the first one ONLY): Sylvester Stallone wrote, directed, and starred himself. Need we say more?

12. Hoosiers: Persistence, consistency, structure, and teamwork...necessary ingredients for any good sports story.

And two others (because we couldn't keep them off the list):

Blue Chips: What people will do to win basketball games...and unfortunately still too relevant.

Miracle: Brings out the patriotism in us all.

Follow them on Twitter @MindOverBodySEP for cool sports psychology info.

X Factor: What Worked, What Needs Fixing

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

At the end of the day, X Factor produced a solid winner who has the potential to be a recording superstar in the tradition of Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood. Melanie Amaro reminds us of a young Mariah Carey and she has a killer recording voice that make us look forward to her album. In addition to Melanie, Chris Rene appears to have landed a deal with Epic Records, while Josh Krajcik and Astro look like they will be signed by Sony, as well. Rachel Crow is inking a Disney deal, too. So, with four potential hit-makers coming out of one season, and another potential TV star, that seems like pretty much a home run.

That being said, there is still a lot of room for improvement with the show itself. I know the show is done and not on people's minds right now, but I wanted to get some thoughts out there before we set sail to American Idol land next week.

What the Show Did Well

They found good talent - Melanie, Josh, Chris, Astro, and Rachel, along with folks like LeRoy Bell and Drew, made for a full roster of top-notch talent. It's no easy task to find talent this good in this quantity.

They had spectacular staging - the staging itself really gave the production a sense of grandeur and importance and made it exciting to watch.

They hired L.A. Reid - easily the most interesting of the judges.

They allowed Steve Jones to gain his footing - at the beginning of the season, I would have voted for firing him. He seemed more like a hallway monitor than a good host. But by the end of the season, he had found his groove and had warmed up considerably. I think he may have worked himself back into a job.

They allowed room for original songs - Astro, Chris Rene, and others were able to show they were true originals.

What the Show Did Poorly

They had fake, catty judges fights - that took the focus off the contestants and their performances and tried to make it into a conflict-driven reality show. It didn't work. At all.

They hired Nicole Scherzinger - she needs to be fired. Pronto.

They had a fatal design flaw in the show - the judges are also mentors, so they champion their own brood, but then have to give feedback about the other contestants. How do we know we can trust that feedback? Are they really displeased with the performance or do they just want their own contestant to get more votes? Are they giving negative feedback because of (fake) animosity toward the other judge? That part of the show is a mess.

They overproduced the dancing - Since SYTYCD, I've become a fan of dancing on these shows, but it was just too much here. Too distracting, too chaotic, too much.

They had a groups category - Everyone knows people connect with individuals and not groups in these shows. To have a groups category is just a set-up to have these folks fail. Mark my words: a group will not win this show in the next five years minimum.

I didn't love the season. I think it lacked the emotional connection that Idol has, but I am back in for next season and I'm rooting for a better show. I'd recommend three judges (no Nicole) and three groups (guys, girls, over 30's) and knock off all the cattiness with the judges.

Later this week, check out 12 American Idol finalists who have made the biggest impact on popular culture.

12 Good Things to Watch on Netflix, Part 1

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Trying to find a good movie on Netflix is a lot like going to a garage sale. There may be some goodies in there, but you have to pick through a lot of crap to find them. So from time to time, I'll give you some solid recommendations for movies and TV shows that you might enjoy. I'll have a range of genres with some old stuff and new stuff. For now, here are some goodies you might want to check out:

Toy Story 3 - I assume you've seen it, but if not, you really need to check it out.

Office Space - a film that failed at the box office, but has become a cult classic--for good reason.

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret - I wanted say it is great, but I would say it's pretty funny.

True Grit - Jeff Bridges is outstanding. Check it out, even if you aren't a fan of Westerns.

Downton Abbey - this seven episode miniseries is outstanding for the Upstairs/Downstairs crowd.

The Fighter - Christian Bale gives an all-timer of a performance. Definitely worth watching.

Sin Nombre - a foreign film about a guy fleeing a street gang by hopping a train out of town.

The Iron Giant - The first film by Brad Bird, director of The Incredibles and Mission: Impossible 4.

Portlandia - SNL's Fred Armisen anchors this comedy series set in the kooky Northwest.

6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park - a funny, fascinating glimpse into how this brilliant show is put together.

Tangled - the recent Disney film will end up being considered a classic.

Waiting for Superman - a documentary about the American public school system sounds boring, but this is captivating stuff.

12 Great Meryl Streep Performances

2012-01-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

With the coming wide release of The Iron Lady, a film that is getting mediocre reviews but high praise for its star, it's a great time to reflect on the career (to date) of Meryl Streep, an actress who elevates everything she touches.

It's no great leap to say that Streep is our greatest living actress, but I know I will also be in the majority when I say she is the greatest film actress of all time. Looking over her body of work, there are no less than 20 film performances that are a cut above the best work of most other film actresses. While it would be a chore to come up with 12 outstanding performances for most others, the hard work here was narrowing it down to only 12 for Meryl Streep. One of the most striking things about my list is there are six performances I didn't even include that were Oscar nominated. How many people can claim that their best 12 performances didn't even include half a dozen Oscar-worthy turns? That's pretty outrageous, right?

These are not necessarily her best films (total package), but her 12 best performances:

1. Sophie - Sophie's Choice

2. Joanna Kramer - Kramer vs. Kramer

3. Karen - Out of Africa

4. Lindy Chamberlain - A Cry in the Dark

5. Miranda Priestly - The Devil Wears Prada

6. Hannah Pitt/Ethel Rosenberg - Angels in America

7. Julia Child - Julie & Julia

8. Karen Silkwood - Silkwood

9. Susan Orlean - Adaptation

10. Sister Aloysius Beauvier - Doubt

11. Francesca Johnson - The Bridges of Madison County

12. Lee - Marvin's Room

Also: Gail Hartman in The River Wild, Sarah in The French Lieutenant's Woman, and Kate Gulden in One True Thing, among several others. When it comes to screen acting by an actress, we are living in a time of greatness.

12 Earworms of the Past 12 Months - Songs That Stick

2012-01-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

You know earworms, those pesky songs you can't get out of your head? Once you hear them, they lodge themselves in your brain and won't come out, even as you are laying in bed at night. It doesn't matter if the song is good or bad, it just won't get out of your head.

Well the past year was loaded with them. A veritable infestation of earworms. Keeping our lists of 12 going this week (don't worry, it won't be every post this year; it's just a fun way to kick off the year), here are 12 earworms that were released (more or less) during the past 12 months, presented in no particular order:

1. We Found Love - Rihanna

2. Without You - David Guetta with Usher

3. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People

4. Give Me Everything - Pitbull

5. Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO

6. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5 with Christina Aguillera

7. The Edge of Glory - Lady Gaga

8. Good Life - OneRepublic

9. Super Bass - Nicki Minaj

10. Price Tag - Jessie J.

11. Lazy Song - Bruno Mars

12. Raise Your Glass - P!nk

12 Anticipated Albums for 2012

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

This past year saw some good songs but not a lot of truly great albums. 2012 might change that with its strong slate of acts rolling out new stuff throughout the year. When I looked at the roster of albums that are due out in the next 12 months, I counted over 20 that I would consider buying (a far cry from the handful I bought this past year). Here are my top 12 performers or bands that are releasing albums during 2012:

1. The Hunger Games Soundtrack (featuring Arcade Fire, The Decemberists and others; due in March)

2. Pearl Jam (TBA)

3. Andrew Bird (March)

4. Bruce Springsteen (TBA)

5. The Shins (March)

6. Alicia Keys (TBA)

7. Muse (TBA)

8. Adam Lambert (March)

9. Mumford & Sons (TBA)

10. Green Day (October)

11. Linkin Park (TBA)

12. The Killers (TBA)

Also look for new albums from Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Mika, Justin Bieber, Jay-Z and Kanye West, Usher, Phoenix, No Doubt, and many other top acts.

Dr. G's Top 12 Gaming Moments of the Past 12 Years

2012-01-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

For 2012, I've asked several psychologist friends to give me their "12 for 12" lists. These are lists of their top 12 entertainment picks. It could be their 12 favorite movies, 12 best hours of network television, 12 most memorable book characters, or that kind of thing. Eventually this may become a Friday series on the opposite weeks when Separated at Birth Cinema runs, but I wanted to give you a taste of what is to come in 2012.

To kick it off, my colleague Dr. Frank Gaskill shares his top 12 video game moments of the past 12 years. He and I are both gamers and have played video games since we were kids. I vividly remember playing the original Halo with him on the day it came out. We set up a video projector in a conference room and stayed there most of the afternoon. It was like the heavens had parted.

Frank is the author of Max Gamer, a graphic novel about a kid with Asperger's who uses his special abilities to become a superhero. Dr. G, as he is called by his clients, is one of the most-respected psychologists working with Asperger's kids in the country. He's a Star Wars über-geek and a fellow Walking Dead fan. That's him in the picture with his new buddy Dan Aykroyd, by the way. You can check out his professional bio here. Take a look at his list, presented in countdown order:

Gaming has been a fun and important part of my life. Growing up in suburbia, we had ABC, NBC, and CBS with maybe a fuzzy PBS. We had shared stories about the Love Boat, Fantasy Island, or Battlestar Galactica. Now that we have a million channels to watch, video games have become the common thread of discussion and shared experiences. Some of the best story lines are making their way from the gaming world to the big screen. Here are my 12 most important moments from an awesome decade of gaming.

12. Diablo II – my first foray in RPG 3rd person. Theme music the best until Halo.

11. Toy Commander (Dreamcast) – released in 1999 but did not play until Dreamcast was discontinued in 2001. First game that showed me video games could be used in therapy.

10. XBOX – bought the very last console at Eastland Mall in Charlotte, NC. Bought NASCAR as the first game because I thought Halo looked stupid.

9. Soul Caliber – amazing fighting game that I played with Dave Verhaagen nearly every week. New versions continue to be great and include Yoda and Darth Vader.

8. The Original Halo – no need for further comment on this one.

7. Gaming Apps for iPhone

6. XBOX Modern Warfare II – amazing experience and one of the top 2 XBOX Live experiences.

5. Kinnect for XBOX – played this for the first time New Years 2010. First time a video game felt like the movie Minority Report and immediately imagined how Star Wars games could utilize this technology. Imagine really using the Force!!!

4. XBOX 360 – The Best Gaming Platform Ever! (until the next one).

3. Nintendo Wii – Revolutionized game controls and allowed the whole family to get involved in gaming. Bowling started it all. Still play it every week at work.

2. XBOX LIVE – Replaced poker night for a generation and allows all kinds of people of all ages to Play and connect. If forced to choose I would keep xbox live and give up my microwave…

1. Halo 3 – The best way I stayed connected to friends along the east coast and was a staple social experience for years. Not sure this game can ever be topped.

Who knows what the next 12 years will hold? As for me, I’m hoping for a brain implant! Happy Gaming Everyone!

You can follow Dr. G on Twitter @DrFGaskill

12 Anticipated Movies for 2012

2012-01-02T07:59:00.006-05:00

I've seen the future and sometime before the world ends, this will be one hot year at the movies. There are easily 15-20 movies that I would like to see this coming year, but in keeping with our new theme, here are 12 movies I'm looking forward to in 2012:

1. The Dark Knight Rises - hands down, top of the list.

2. The Hobbit - since my all-time favorite movies are the LOTR trilogy, it's a safe bet I'll be checking this one out on opening weekend.

3. The Hunger Games - not just because it was filmed here locally and not just because I really liked the books, but because it looks like it will be a cool movie.

4. The Avengers - the Marvel franchises are all coming together now and I'm hoping for the best.

5. Prometheus - Ridley's Scott's sort-of prequel to Aliens; early word is that it could be amazing.

6. World War Z - it will probably be nothing like the book, but, hey, it's still a zombie apocalypse movie.

7. The Amazing Spider-Man - eager to see what they will do with this rebooted franchise.

8. Skyfall - Daniel Craig's James Bond is hitting the tone just right in the last couple of outings.

9. The Bourne Legacy - Jeremy Renner (who now is part of three major action franchises - Mission: Impossible, The Avengers, and this) takes over for Matt Damon.

10. The Great Gatsby - Baz Luhrmann and Leonardo DiCaprio team up again to take on one of my all-time favorite books. And it's in 3-D? Weird, but I'm intrigued.

11. Total Recall - this remake could be big fun if they get it right.

12. Django Unchained - you'll be hearing a lot about this Quentin Tarantino movie starring Leonardo (again), Jamie Foxx, and Christoph Waltz.

And to top it all off, Pixar has another film coming out called Brave, which features their first female protagonist, a major trend you will notice this year in film. It will be a big year at the movies.

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

2011-12-31T07:39:00.002-05:00

Separated at Birth Cinema: E.T. and How to Train Your Dragon

2011-12-30T07:49:00.007-05:00

by Ace and J2

Some of the best movies tell stories that are very familiar. The revenge tale. The underdog. Boy meets girl. The journey home. Surviving against the elements. Cynics might call formulaic films clichés. But people find comfort in the familiar, and good filmmakers can twist the familiar with interesting results. Here are a couple of movies that tell the boy and his dog story, and tell it extremely well.

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) is one of director Steven Spielberg’s many classics. He tells the story of an alien (dubbed “ET”) who comes to earth to explore (not to conquer or use humans as food!) and accidentally gets marooned near a suburban neighborhood. ET makes his way into the home of Elliot (Henry Thomas), the middle of three children (younger sister Gertie was played by Drew Barrymore, in her first film role) being raised by single mother Mary (Dee Wallace). The relationship between the stressed-out Mary and her children is strained. But Elliot and his mother get closer, in large part because she comes to admire the tenacity with which Elliot protects ET from the horde of scientists who descend on their home to accost the alien.

How to Train Your Dragon (2010) is an animated film co-directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders. It deserves a place in the upper echelon of family films. The story revolves around a Viking boy named Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel), who lives in a village beset by dragons who raid it for food. Hiccup’s father is the head honcho and alpha dragon slayer, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler). Stoick is a single father and he just doesn’t get Hiccup, who is a clumsy warrior better suited for tinkering as a blacksmith. During a dragon raid Hiccup manages to bag one of the most mysterious species of dragons, the “night furies.” Since no one believes in Hiccup, he has to go into the forest the next day for evidence of his trophy. What he finds is a wounded, kind creature that he decides to nurse back to health, rather than slay. The dragon, dubbed “Toothless,” even allows his friend Hiccup to fly him. Of course, things go awry for the Vikings, but Hiccup and Toothless manage to save the day. In the process Stoick lets go of his hatred of dragons and his disappointment in Hiccup, and starts to appreciate the considerable gifts his son has to offer.

Both movies feature thrilling scenes of flight (in E.T. the famous shot of the bicycle soaring across the moon and in Dragon Hiccup’s first sortie atop Toothless). But the key strand of shared DNA across E.T. and Dragon is how a misunderstood, insecure boy grows in confidence through selflessness and the courage required to keep his “dog” hidden from malevolent forces. In both of these films the relationship between boy and “dog” paves the way for a stronger bond between boy and single mother/father (and each boy also starts to connect more with siblings and peers). Be sure to have a box of tissues on hand, because this double-feature will deliver some tearjerker moments.

Chart-Toppers of 2011: Most Popular Movie, TV Show, Book, and More

2011-12-29T07:59:00.002-05:00

Finally, as we wrap up the 2011 year in review, here is the most popular (best-selling, highest-grossing) entertainment in each of the major categories:

Top-Grossing Movie - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 ($383 Million)

Highest-Rated Television Show - American Idol (24 million average viewers)

Top-Selling Videogame - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (over $1 Billion in 3 weeks; it is also the biggest entertainment launch of any entertainment property in history, grossing more than $400 million in a single day of sales).

Best Selling Single - Rolling in the Deep by Adele (based on iTunes sales)

Top-Selling Album - 21 by Adele

Best-Selling Book - Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

It's been a good year. Look out for Separated at Birth Cinema here tomorrow and I will see you back in the new year.

Best Entertainment of 2011 - Adele, Walking Dead, and MW3

2011-12-27T07:56:00.002-05:00

You've already read my picks for best entertainment moments of the year, as well as the best songs of the year, and my choices for entertainers of the year. Now here's the rest: video game, album, TV show, and book.

This is the first year ever when I haven't had a best of list for movies and the reason for that is simple (but a little depressing): I didn't get to see some of the best movies of the year yet. During most years, I will see about 25-30 theatrical releases (some on DVD, but many in the theaters). This year, I only made it to 8 or 9. So I didn't think it was such an awesome idea to write about the best movies if I probably haven't seen them. I did, however, see a lot of television (thanks DVR!), read a lot of books, listen to a lot of good music, and play a decent amount of video games. So here are the best of those:

Best Fiction Book: The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht - A Balkan folk tale come to life. This writer, who is only 26, has a wisdom and a writer's skill that you rarely find in seasoned scribes twice her age. I don't know what to compare this book to, but it was a marvel of writing, for sure.

Best Nonfiction Book: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson - The ever-controlling Jobs gave Isaacson no restrictions and full access. The result is a fascinating portrait of a complex, brilliant, awful genius who really did change our world.

Best Videogame: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 - I have been nearly obsessed with Gears of War 3, heard raves about Skyrim, and watched Batman: Arkham City mop up the awards, but my vote has to go to the best-selling game of the year. Yes, I agree it is not a paradigm shifter or something wholly new, but this installment has thriling gameplay, smart storytelling, and an awesome multiplayer experience. It's just brilliant.

Best Album: 21 by Adele - If the album were only two songs long, it still might be the best album of the year, but there are 13 songs here, most of them pretty awesome. She picked up six Grammy nominations and you can bet she will walk home with a much-deserved Album of the Year.

Best TV Show: The Walking Dead - I loved it. Yes, it lacked the epic scope of season one, but it more than made up for it in the human drama. This is our new Lost: a group of people find themselves in a strange land that they have to figure out while pondering deeper aspects of the human experience. The final episode of the the short season is on my all-timer list.

2011 Entertainers of the Year

2011-12-26T07:54:00.002-05:00

Some very talented people had a spectacular 2011 in films, on TV, in music, and even on stage. Here, in no particular order, are the ones who knocked it out of the park this year:

Adele - She had the best album of the year and on that album, the two best songs of the year, a great DVD, and some fantastic live performances. It was a knockout year for her and she will mop up at the Grammy's, for sure.

George Clooney - He wrote, directed, and starred in the critically-acclaimed The Ides of March and may have done his best work ever in The Descendants. Another Oscar to follow?

Matt Stone and Trey Parker - The South Park guys kept the show hot while writing and producing the hands-down best Broadway play of the year, The Book of Mormon. They are in a category all their own.

Anderson Cooper - He got knocked around in Egypt, had the on-air giggle-fits about Gerard Depardieu, started his own daytime talk show, and gave us some of the most vital interviews in the evening. A pretty wild ride for Gloria Vanderbilt's son.

Melissa McCarthy - Great enough in Mike & Molly to win an Emmy, awesome in Bridesmaids, and near-perfect on SNL. An entertainment trifecta.

Ryan Gosling - Another one with a trifecta: The Ides of March, Drive, and Crazy, Stupid, Love. Three very different movies, three very different characters, one great actor.

Pitbull - The Cuban-born, Miami-based rapper, songwriter, producer, and television host Pitbull (né Armando Perez) didn't just have three hits, he had four in one year, collaborating with Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo, Enrique Inglesias, Chris Brown, and others. With Give Me Everything, On the Floor, I Like How It Feels, and International Love, he gave the club world their best material in years.

The Cast of The Walking Dead - The cast of this awesome show stepped up their game as they had to fend off zombies--and each other--all while pondering the meaning of it all. Great work across the board.

10 Good Christmas Movies

2011-12-23T07:46:00.000-05:00

Once again, as we head into the Christmas weekend, here are a few great Christmas movies to watch during the holidays. Have a great Christmas time!

1.   It's a Wonderful Life - the all-time classic, a must-watch.

2.   A Christmas Story - the funniest ever and one of the best comedies period.

3.   Miracle on 34th Street - another classic if you are in a more nostalgic mood.

4.   The Nightmare Before Christmas - if you are in the mood for something a bit different.

5.   Elf - if you are in the mood to laugh at some silly stuff.

6. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - I have some friends who watch it every year with their family. There are some very funny moments here.

7. Die Hard - Yeah, you heard me. Die Hard.

8. Love Actually - If you are in the mood for a more romantic Christmas film.

9. Scrooged - Bill Murray in the Dickens classic. Not a great movie, but some funny scenes, for sure.

10. Home Alone - Poor Macauley, left all alone during Christmas as his family flies to Paris.

X Factor: Who's Going to Win?

2011-12-21T22:53:00.003-05:00

I have mucho to say about how X Factor can improve, but I'll save that for a later post. For now, I'll give you my straight-up prediction for who I think will win $5 million. I've regained my mojo with reality show predictions this year, accurately predicting the winners of shows like American Idol, Survivor (Boston Rob, but not what's her name from last week), The Voice, Biggest Loser, and others, several weeks ahead of the finale. Coming into the finale tonight, I had a nailed-down prediction, but the actual performance show changed my mind.

I'll say that all three of these contestants deserved to be there. Josh and Melanie because they have killer voices; Chris because he's an original with a great story. I'll be satisfied with any outcome. In terms of sheer vocal performance, Melanie deserves to win. She crushed both songs during the performance finale. She was also my choice before the night started to win the whole thing. If she doesn't win, it won't be her fault. She didn't lose it; someone else swooped in and stole it from her.

Which leads me to who I think will win after what I saw tonight. I think it will be Chris Rene. Three months ago when he auditioned with Young Homie, I said it was a "star-making performance." Vocally, he can't hold a candle to Josh or Melanie (and he surely knows that), so his best bet tonight was to show off his originality again. When he broke out a lyrically updated version of Young Homie, there was such a completely satisfying sense that we had watched and listened to a fully-realized story come full-circle that it seemed to overshadow the vocal prowess and performances of the other two contestants. I might be wrong, but I agree with Simon that this was a $5 million performance.

So I have conflicted thoughts and feelings. I thought Melanie was the best--and the audience favorite--and Josh was my personal favorite, but I think Chris Rene with his original song of redemption will win it all.

Update 12/22/11 at 10pm - My hot pick streak came to end tonight. Melanie definitely deserved to win. I think the voting public got it right. I had picked her to win over a month ago, but I was swayed by Chris' tremendous final performance last night. The lesson here is like what they tell about test-taking: go with your first best guess. Congrats to Melanie. She will have a great career.

The 15 Best Songs of 2011 (#1-5)

2011-12-21T07:53:00.092-05:00

So we come to the top of the list and a weird thing happened this year. I have an informal rule that an artist should only be represented once on the list. For example, if Lady Gaga had three hits in a year (which she did), I would try to pick the best among them. I keep the songs listed in relative order in an iTunes "Best of 2011" folder that I update and re-order regularly. Adele's first hit of the year was the hands down best song of the year...until her next song was released....and it was just as good. Both the story of lovesickness so authentic, they hit you in the gut every time. I caved and not only put both songs on the list, but at the very top of the list. Time will prove me right, I think. These are two enduring classics of the year.

1. Rolling In the Deep by Adele - That voice! Those lyrics! That song! It is the total package of a song in every way starting with production, vocal performance, and killer lyrics. This song would top the list any year for at least the past five years.

Essential lyric: We could have had it all/Rolling in the deep/You had my heart inside your hand/But you played it to the beat.

2. Someone Like You by Adele - I didn't think another song could be on par with the other already-classic Adele song until the next already-classic Adele song was released. It's a simpler song, but probably even more emotionally powerful and deeply moving. When SNL builds an entire skit around how the song drives everyone to tears, you know we're talking about powerful stuff here. This is one for the ages.

Essential lyric: Nevermind, I'll find someone like you/I wish nothing but the best for you, too/Don't forget me, I begged. I remember you said/Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes in hurts instead.

3. Give Me Everything by Pitbull with Ne-Yo, Nayer, and AfroJack - While I thought LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem was slight and ultimately uninteresting, I thought this dance single was just brilliant. With everyone--Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Nayer, and Afrojack--all doing their thing, the song never feels cluttered or forced. It just seems to glide perfectly. While I might not agree completely with the sentiment of the song (have fun tonight with no boundaries because we might not have tomorrow), I have to respect this as one of the best produced tunes in a long time. I thought it was the defining song of the past summer.

Essential lyric: Reach for the stars/And if you don't grab them/At least your on top of the world/Think about it!

4. The Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga - This woman is brilliant in her own twisted way and this song is absolutely among her best. She gives a fantastic, almost over-the-top vocal performance in this pulsating, uplifting power ballad that also has the distinction of being Clarence Clemmons' last hit song. Another enduring classic.

Essential lyric: I'm on the edge of glory/And I'm hanging on a moment of truth/Out on the edge of glory/And I'm hanging on a moment with you.

5. We Sing In Time by The Lonely Forest - The best song no one heard this year. An alt-rock song that flirts with despair but ultimately lands on hopefulness, it's the great undiscovered song of the year. And it boasts the best rocker growl of any radio-ready song of the year (go to 3:32). I heart this song. A lot.

Essential lyric: In time the trees die and light will fade/But I hope for a new breath, a new life to take me away.

The Best 15 Songs of 2011 (#6-10)

2011-12-20T07:56:00.085-05:00

And the list continues with some killer songs of the past year, and I mean that literally, at least with the first on this list:

6. Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People - How did this song about a kid who is going to shoot up the other kids get branded as a fun summer ditty? One local station plays it in high rotation, but edits out the words "gun" and "bullet," which seem, at least to me, to be the point of the song. I read one quote where a woman said it was her favorite song of the past year because it made her feel happy. Really? Is this testimony to mindless consumption? To clever songwriting? Both? Regardless, this is the most subversive, chilling song of the last year and probably an enduring classic for years to come.

Essential lyric: All the other kids with the pumped up kicks, you better run, better run, outrun my gun/All the other kids with the pumped up kicks, you better run, better run, faster than my bullet.

7. Price Tag by Jessie J featuring B.o.B. - In one of the best produced songs of the past year, Jessie J rolls out a tune that serves as a gentle rebuke to consumer culture and materialism. Yet the song doesn't come across as a sermon, but a joyful reclaiming of making music for the sake of music itself.

Essential lyric: It ain't about the money, money, money/We don't need your money, money, money/We just wanna make the world dance/Forget about the price tag.

8. We Found Love by Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris - Repetitive and relatively simple in structure, this song is surprisingly complex in emotional depth. It has a darkness and a desperation wrapped up together in a dance hit that, against all odds, works beautifully.

Essential lyric: We found love in a hopeless place/Shine a light through an open door/Love a life I will divide/Turn away 'cause I need you more/Feel the heartbeat in my mind

9. Without You by David Guetta featuring Usher - The lyrics of this song may be lightweight, but the hook of the soaring chorus and the overall effect of this song is so strong, there is no way it can be overlooked. It's one of those earworm songs that gets in your head and can't possibly get out.

Essential lyric: I can't look, I'm so blind/I lost my heart, I lost my mind/Without you.

10. You Are a Tourist by Death Cab for Cutie - I have to admit I am a sucker for all things Death Cab, but this song is really powerful for nearly everyone. A meditation on yearning, desire, and the need to move along in life, this is pop music as food for the soul.

Essential lyric: When there's a burning in your heart/An endless yearning in your heart/Build it bigger than the sun/Let it grow. let it grow/When there's a burning in your heart/Don't be alarmed.

The 15 Best Songs of 2011 (#11-15)

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Shrink Blog's Best of the Year series continues with the best singles of the year. Some of these were big hits, while others didn't get any airplay. All of them are good, though. And this year, I have done something that I have never done before in Shrink Blog history: I've picked two songs by the same artist for the list. And, even better, this artist has the top two songs of the year. When you see it on Wednesday, it will make perfect sense and I think you will completely agree with me. (You already know who it is, don't you?) For now, enjoy numbers 11-15 on the list:

11. Time Travel by Never Shout Never - this musical prodigy (Christofer Drew) keeps growing as an artist. He has a solid following, though he has yet to break out as a big star. This song, with its musings about God, drugs, and the meaning of life, won't be the one that does it for him, but it is a beautiful thing.

Essential lyric: So I held my breath/Til my soul left my body for dead/I ripped through the clouds/To talk with the man in the sky.

12. One a Day Just Like Today by Gabe Dixon - I got the chance to see Gabe with the Ten Out of Tenn tour when they came to The Neighborhood Theater in Charlotte this past year. Thirty years and over 100 concert experiences and this was in my top ten ever. Gabe was a standout, and this song, one that has gotten network exposure, is among his best. It reminds me a bit of Bruce Hornsby in his heyday (and that's a compliment). By the way, if Andrew Belle's song In My Veins, performed that during that same tour, had been released this year (I missed it last year), it would not only have been on this list, but it would have been near the top of the list.

Essential lyric: On a day just like today maybe we can see change/It doesn't have to be the same as it's always been/Still gotta write the rest of our history/We can't look the other way on a day just like today.

13. Rainbow Connection by Weezer and Hayley Williams - A sentimental favorite for me, of course, but also a great song in its own right. Honoring to the original but reinterpreted beautifully, this was one of my favorite songs of the year.

Essential lyric: What's so amazing that keeps us star-gazing and what do we think we might see?/Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection/The lovers, the dreamers, and me.

14. Brighter Than the Sun by Colbie Caillat - A soul-brightening, pure-in-heart song that deserves its place on any end of the year list. You'd have to be a grinch to leave it off.

Essential lyric: Oh, this is how it starts/Lightning strikes the heart/It goes off like a gun/Brighter than the sun/Oh, we could be the stars/Falling from the sky/Shining how we want/Brighter than the sun.

15. Countdown by Beyoncé - Nobody puts out a better produced song than this woman, and this brash, brassy, energetic tune is no exception. Another beauty from the beauty.

Essential lyric: Oh, killing me softly and I'm still falling/Still the one I need, I will always be with you.

Tomorrow: Five more great songs of the past year.

Separated at Birth Cinema: Lars and the Real Girl & Harvey

2011-12-16T07:57:00.017-05:00

by Ace and J2

We here at SaBC love pairing classic films with newer masterpieces. Through this kind of match we compare and contrast not only artistic approaches, but also cultural perspectives. These two films each tell the story of a socially isolated man with an imaginary friend and how each of their respective communities navigate their “delusions.”

Lars and the Real Girl (2007) begins with a quiet glimpse into the world of a socially phobic man named Lars, played by Ryan Gosling. Now if you hear Ryan Gosling, you might think tailored suits or clever pickup lines, but in this role think fuzzy mustache and knitted sweaters. In addition to his disheveled appearance, Lars is painfully awkward and avoidant of everyone, especially those who show any interest in pulling him out of his shell. That is until he tells his brother and sister in-law that he has a new girlfriend named Bianca. They met over the internet (naturally), she doesn’t speak English, she’s in a wheelchair and ….oh yeah, and she is an “anatomically correct” plastic doll. One more problem- Lars does not seem aware of this last part. He really thinks she is his girlfriend. He treats her as if she was real and, interestingly, he starts to emerge from his shell. Everyone in his small town is horrified and assumes he must be crazy and/or a pervert. But then they realize that maybe Lars’ delusion serves a purpose in giving him the courage to connect with others. Eventually the community decides that if they want to help Lars, they will have to treat Bianca as if she was real. How the characters display affection between each other through Bianca is heartwarming and remarkable.

In Harvey (1950), we meet Elwood P. Dowd (played by James Stewart) who, unlike Lars, is not socially phobic; on the contrary, he is outcast and described as “oh so pleasant.” But in the fashion of Lars, Elwood can’t help but introduce everyone to his best friend, who happens to be an invisible 6’ 3 (& a ∏)” rabbit named Harvey. The comedy and action of the story begin when we meet Elwood’s sister Vetta, who prides herself as a lady of “society.” She states that she is unable to bear the shame of Elwood’s hallucination; therefore, she is determined to commit him to a sanatorium (the loony bin). On arrival, Vetta is exasperated and Elwood is his normal, cheerful self. Initially, the attending doc miscalculates and assumes that Vetta is the crazy one and Elwood is free to go. The mistake is later realized but the rest of the film continually reassesses the question of whether something is indeed wrong with Elwood, or is there more wrong with everyone else? The ending scenes have some profound dialogue from Stewart that is sure inspire.

We encourage you to watch both films together to see how films separated by almost 60 years highlight the difference in American culture towards understanding mental illness and social outcasts.

Top Twenty Television Moments of 2011 (#1-5)

2011-12-15T07:56:00.051-05:00

And for the top five of this year's list, I want to caution you that there are a number of SPOILERS below. If you haven't seen these shows and might want to catch them later, read this list at your own peril. It's a great list, so it might be worth risking it. By the way, you'll notice four of the five best moments of the year were on dramas. The scripted show is definitely not dead.

1. Sophia emerges from the barn as a zombie on The Walking Dead - The single best television moment of the year. The whole sequence was a sad, tragic, horrible event that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck and brought tears to my eyes. This was an all-timer.

2. Walter blows up Gus on Breaking Bad - The season ender was called "Face Off" and it delivered on that promise in more ways that one. A bomb on the wheelchair blows the door off the hospital room. Gus emerges, still looking dapper, but the camera rolls to the other side of him and you see the other side of his face has been blown off. He straightens his tie, then collapses dead on the floor. What a shocker! What a way to go!

3. Mags breaks Coover's fingers with a hammer on Justified - I could have picked five moments from this series this past season, but this one stuck with me the most. This is not a mother you want to cross.

4. Jimmy Kimmel says goodbye to Uncle Frank - The cluelessly daffy Uncle Frank unexpectedly died while the show was on break, so Jimmy gave an hour long tribute to his beloved uncle. He choked up, joked and laughed, and gave his uncle a worthy send-off while giving all of us one of the best hours in late night television in years.

5. Ned Stark killed on Game of Thrones - Who says you can't lop the head off of your main character in the first season? Well, apparently not Game of Thrones. Gutsy move that totally worked.

Top Twenty Television Moments (#6-10)

2011-12-14T07:54:00.060-05:00

This is the third of four installments for this end of the year list:

6. Melissa McCarthy hosts Saturday Night Live - Her performance in Bridesmaids has earned her Oscar nomination talk, then she won an Emmy for her work on Mike & Molly, but perhaps her biggest score of the year was her hosting gig on SNL. She delivered the single best job as host in at least 3-4 years. From the opening, you knew you were watching something incredible. HVR! HVR!

7. Max learns he has Asperger's on Parenthood - Big kudos for this show and its sensitive, spot-on depiction of a kid learning he has Asperger's Syndrome and his family's attempt to level with him. No surprise that producer Jason Katims' own son has Asperger's. Sweet, stirring moment.

8. President Obama announces the death of Osama Bin Laden - The news was already out that evening, but hearing it directly from the President's mouth represented a significant moment in the post-9/11 decade.

9. Anderson Cooper attacked in Egypt - We've seen reporters in danger before, but never with this immediacy and this great a sense that something horribly bad could happen. Punches to the head, a man with a knife in his hand, complete chaos, a very real threat. It was a stunner.

10. Bob Costas interviews Jerry Sandusky - This was a jaw-dropper. He really just said all that? On national television? It was a "I can't believe my ears" moment, for sure.

Top Twenty Television Moments of 2011 (#11-15)

2011-12-13T08:00:00.049-05:00

The list of the best television moments of the past year continues:

11. Rachel Crow and Astro have meltdowns on X Factor - Two extraordinarily talented young kids, two unbelievable meltdowns. First, Astro becomes defiant and indignant at even the thought he could be in the bottom two. He almost refuses to sing, then goes through the motions of the song, then, chastised by judges, cries angry tears. A couple of weeks later, Rachel (a child) has to tell Nicole (supposedly an adult), "Please don't cry. It's okay," in a bizarre moment of role-reversal, but then drops to the floor in a puddle of tears herself when she is eliminated. All this raises a ton of questions about whether it is wise to put extremely talented kids into the spotlight when they are not emotionally mature enough to handle the rigors of it. Also, how does Nicole S have a job as a judge on that show?

12. Regis signs off - Perhaps the most likable personality in the history of television signs off in a way that is honoring and classy. I'm definitely Team Regis.

13. Michael says goodbye to Jim on The Office - The show that somehow manages to make you cringe, laugh, and tear up nailed it again as Steve Carrell signed off from the show.

14. David Letterman takes down Herman Cain - Yes, Letterman still seems to be going through the motions in his monologue ("It was so cold today, I saw a squirrel in Central Park...insert joke here") and in 80% of his interviews with celebrities who bore him, but he is at his rip-roaring best when he is interviewing someone he really likes or someone he can't stand. This was a great example of the latter. Regardless of your politics, there was something undeniably captivating in watching a cranky Letterman rip up a supremely self-confident Herman Cain. He was rude, impatient, and very funny.

15. Oprah ends her run - It had been coming for such a long time that the end felt like an anticlimactic moment. Still, it's worth honoring the woman who revolutionized daytime talk and launched the careers of a thousand experts and authors.

Top Twenty Television Moments of 2011 (#16-20)

2011-12-12T07:56:00.007-05:00

Welcome to mid-December, my favorite time of the year on Shrinkblog, where I get to share some of the best entertainment achievements of the past twelve months. Kicking off, it's the first batch of the top twenty television moments of the year. These are the moments that you realize right then and there that something unique and special is happening. There were some especially good moments this year, so come back all week and check them out.

16. Friday Night Lights comes to a satisfying end - In a time when many great television series seem to lose their footing right at the finale, FNL proved itself to have clear eyes and a full heart. It couldn't lose. Great, bittersweet ending to an all-time great show.

17. Ricky Gervais upsets all of Hollywood - They hire the guy to poke fun at the Hollywood establishment, then get mad at him when he does. You could feel the tension in the room, even as Gervais continued to pile on. Terrific moment.

18. Boston Rob wins Survivor on his fourth try - The king finally triumphed in this season of Survivor that should be used as a lesson in leadership in business schools.

19. Tommy Gavin gives up drinking in the finale of Rescue Me - The show comes full circle and provides another rare, satisfying conclusion to another rare, satisfying television show.

20. Ben Folds leads the audience in three part harmony on The Sing Off - This show was definitely one of the surprises of the past year. It could have been cheesy and terrible. Instead, it was well-produced and fun. This was the best moment of the series. Judge Ben Folds (another North Carolinian) jumps on the judges table and leads the entire audience in three part harmony. A little magic happened there.

Big News Ahead for Shrink Blog

2011-12-08T08:04:00.008-05:00

Thanks to everyone who follows this blog regularly or just check it out from time to time. Our audience continues to build and I'm proud to see several thousand viewers each month. It's also fun to see the viewership build internationally, as well as in entertainment centers like L.A. and NYC.

Since we are on a roll, I am pleased to announce three fun things that are coming up:

* Starting next week, you'll be seeing the first of my best of the year posts. I have some great lists for things like best songs and best television moments. These will run through much of the month and they are always a big draw.

* Starting next year, we will have some new series for you to follow, in addition to our highly-rated Separated at Birth Cinema (Coming to a bookstore near you? We can only hope!). Stay tuned for some good stuff.

* And most importantly, starting by the first of next year, you'll be seeing Shrink Blog: The Video. Yep, you'll be seeing me on video talking about all kinds of pop culture stuff, especially the places where psychology and pop culture collide. I hope you'll enjoy it.

So a big year ahead. I hope you come back for more.

X Factor Top Five Rankings

2011-12-07T08:04:00.047-05:00

Last week, X Factor got rid of two of the most interesting and talented contestants, Astro and Drew. The show is a lot less interesting now. As it stands now, the chances of someone phenomenal winning is pretty low. More likely, it will be a solid, relatively safe (and ultimately kind of forgettable) performer.

With that said, there's not a total clunker in the top five. I would buy an album by only one or two of these artists (Chris Rene, perhaps; maybe Josh Krajcik), but they are all talented folks. I have two lists here. The first list is who is most likely to win:

1. Melanie Armano

2. Josh Krajcik

3. Rachel Crow

4. Chris Rene

5. Marcus Canty

The second list is who should win:

1. Josh Krajcik

2. Chris Rene

3. Melanie Armano

4. Marcus Canty

5. Rachel Crow

One of my family members who is a huge Rachel Crow fan would beg to differ with me, but I just call 'em the way I see 'em. By the way, I would have put Astro at the top of this last list and Drew would have been third. Always hard to predict how it will all shake out. Let's hope for a good show tonight. If you are watching, check out Judge It Live and rate the performances live during the show.

10 Albums Celebrating Their 20th Anniversary

2011-12-06T07:50:00.029-05:00

There are some albums that have come out this year that we'll be listening to twenty years from now, but not many. ADELE's amazing album comes to mind.

Want to feel old? Check out this list of ten albums that came out a full twenty years ago:

1. U2 - Achtung Baby

2. Pearl Jam - Ten

3. Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik

4. Nirvnana - Nevermind

5. Lenny Kravitz - Mama Said

6. Spin Doctor - Pocketful of Kryptonite

7. Marc Cohen - Marc Cohen

8. Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I & II

9. Seal - Seal

10. Natalie Cole - Unforgettable

Top 20 TV Shows: Five Big Take-Aways

2011-12-05T08:00:00.005-05:00

Taking a look at the ratings for the season thus far, there are a couple of insights to be gained. First, let's take a look at the top 20 shows and their ratings (in millions):

1. NCIS (21.7)

2. Two and a Half Men (20.8)

3. Sunday Night Football (20.7)

4. Dancing with the Stars (18.0)

5. NCIS: Los Angeles (17.5)

6. The Big Bang Theory (16.5)

6. Modern Family (16.5)

8. Dancing with the Stars - Results (15.6)

9. The Mentalist (15.3)

10. Criminal Minds (15.2)

11. 60 Minutes (14.2)

12. Person of Interest (14.0)

13. Blue Bloods (13.9)

13. Unforgettable (13.9)

15. 2 Broke Girls (13.8)

16. Castle (13.7)

17. Mike & Molly (13.5)

17. Hawaii Five-O (1.5)

19. CSI (13.2)

20. The X Factor (13.2)

Now, here are a few conclusions you could draw about what shows are doing well this season:

* Scripted shows are definitely not dead. Out of the top 20 shows, a full 15 are scripted dramas and comedies.

* CBS has got it going on. With 14 out of the top 20 shows on one network, they are definitely doing something right. And they are doing it right with sitcoms, dramas, and the perennial 60 Minutes. This network has decided not to invest heavily in cheaply produced reality shows--and it's paid off. (And by the way, one high-quality reality show, Survivor, is just off the list at 23).

* Ensembles are a big draw. Look at NCIS (times 2), Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, Hawaii Five-O, and several others on this list and you'll notice the appeal of well-balanced ensemble shows.

* Established shows trump newcomers. Viewers gravitate toward familiarity rather than innovation. There are only 3 new shows on the list. Two are CBS shows and the third is X Factor.

* Ratings are generally lower than in the past. The top-rated show of the fall is pulling in less than 22 million viewers. That's not a small audience by any means, but the trend is definitely toward fewer people watching network shows.

Separated at Birth Cinema: Waitress and Like Water for Chocolate

2011-12-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

by Ace and J²

Full disclosure- this double feature will get your stomach rumbling with delicious food imagery. But more importantly, these flicks offer plenty of food for thought about feminism, womanhood, and marriage.

Waitress (2007) starred Keri Russell (who needs to make more movies) as Jenna, a waitress with a gift for baking pies. It’s a serious gift (like, she’s the Mozart of pie baking) and she often loses herself in her recipe ideas to escape from her marriage to the appalling Earl (Jeremy Sisto). Jenna gets pregnant and dreads the thought of motherhood (at least with Earl’s child). She starts an affair with her married doctor, Jim (Nathan Fillion). Jenna’s maternal instincts don’t kick in until she gives birth to her daughter; in the delivery room she simultaneously falls in love with her child and kicks Earl to the curb. Bucking Hollywood norms, however, Jenna doesn’t run to Jim (their affair just helped Jenna break from Earl). She opens her own diner, where she can share her pies with the world, and she and her daughter walk off into the sunset. Note- the optimism of Waitress is in stark contrast to the tragic death of director Adrienne Shelly (who also played a supporting role) shortly after the making of this award-winning film.

Like Water for Chocolate (1992) was directed by Alfonso Arau and starred Lumi Cavazos as Tita. She falls in love with Pedro but is forbidden to marry him because her mother insists that the oldest daughter marry first, and that Tita should take care of her mother. Tita’s culinary talents veer into the mystical. For example, when Tita is forced to cook at Pedro’s wedding to her sister, she pours her desire for Pedro into her cooking and the wedding guests are intoxicated with a longing for their true love. By cooking quail with rose petals, she creates a powerful aphrodisiac (so powerful, in fact, that one diner’s body heat sets a building on fire). Despite significant familial and social obstacles, Tita maintains her love for Pedro until their deaths.

Waitress is a relatively grounded film that only gets surreal when Jenna ponders new pie recipes. In contrast, Like Water for Chocolate has so many surreal elements that it’s like a fantasy, an allegory about the struggle to find true love. Both will make your mouth water.

Top 10 Entertainment Events of December

2011-12-01T07:52:00.002-05:00

The end of the year always bring us some good entertainment and this year is definitely no exception. This December is packed with some great things to see, listen to, and read. Here are my top ten entertainment events for the next month--six movies, two DVD releases, one TV show finale, and one book (in order of release):

The Help - out on DVD (12/6)

Sons of Anarchy - season finale (12/6 on FX)

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories - by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (12/6)

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - in the theaters (12/9)

Young Adult - Diablo Cody's latest (12/9)

Contagion - out on DVD (12/16)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - David Fincher's version (12/21)

Mission: Impossible--Ghost Protocol - The Tom Cruise vehicle in theaters (12/21)

We Bought a Zoo - Matt Damon's latest (12/23)

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - Tom Hanks' latest (12/25)

Looks like a solid month. Also, here on Shrinkblog, stay tuned for some even cooler things in the coming year.

My Favorite New iPad Game: Zombie Gunship

2011-11-29T07:50:00.001-05:00

As I've already mentioned a time or two before, I am really into zombie stuff--TV shows, movies, books, and even games. My new favorite iPad game feeds my zombie obsession. It's called Zombie Gunship. You are high up in a plane protecting a bunker from an encroaching horde of zombies. In the midst of the zombie throng are a few scattered humans desperate to get inside. Your mission is to kill the zombies and let the humans get to the bunker gates unscathed. You earn money that let you buy better weapons and a bunch of other goodies. It's the most insanely addicting game since Jetpack Joyride and it joins Angry Birds, World of Goo, and a few others in the iPad Game Hall of Fame. Definitely worth getting.

10 Movies to See in December

2011-11-28T07:55:00.048-05:00

As usual, some really good movies come out at the end of the year. Recently, The Descendants, starring George Clooney, hit the theaters, and The Artist, a black and white silent film with Oscar buzz had a limited release this weekend. Here are ten films that are getting some buzz to check out over the next month (in order of release):

Coriolanus - Ralph Fiennes directs and stars in a modern retelling of a Shakespeare play.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - John Le Carré's blockbuster on the big screen.

We Need to Talk About Kevin - A teenager goes on a killing spree and his parents wrestle with how it could all have happened. Starring Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, and Ezra Miller in a star-making role.

Carnage - Roman Polanski's drama has garnered much critical praise.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - These films run hot and cole, but this one seems promising. Maybe not Oscar-worthy, but fun stuff.

Albert Nobbs - Let's just say that Glenn Close has another Oscar nom locked up here.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - David Fincher's latest based on the bestseller. Looks incredible.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock star in this film based on Jonathan Safran Foer's novel.

War Horse - Spielberg directs this film based on a children's novel. Could be epic.

The Iron Lady - Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher. Perfect again.

10 Celebs to Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T07:45:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! It's always one of my favorite times of the entire year. This year, I wanted to take a moment to express thanks for a few celebrities who have used their currency (fame and influence) for good in a variety of ways. We all know about Bono and Matt Damon and many others who have used their celebrity status for good. You can see my post from this past January here.

Here are ten more celebrities who have been doing good this past year:

1. Michael C. Hall - The Dexter star has been a champ for Stand Up For Cancer

2. Betty White - The beloved actress continues her lifelong crusade to help animals with The Betty White Wildlife Rapid Response Fund and other initiatives.

3. Taylor Swift - The singer did a benefit concert for tornado relief this year.

4. Jane Lynch - The Emmy winner has been part of the Human Rights campaigns and other charitable initiatives for many years.

5. Reese Witherspoon - The Oscar winner has served as the honorary chairperson of the Avon Foundation in their fight against breast cancer.

6. Stephen Colbert - the fake pundit has done a lot of good this year in support of veterans and serving on the board of an educational charity called Donors Choose.

7. Sandra Bullock - The Oscar winning actress funded a charter school in New Orleans that announced a 100% graduation rate.

8. Nicole Kidman - Another Oscar winner who's work to stop violence against women has made a difference.

9. Jack Johnson - the musician has been active in Japan tsunami relief.

10. Keke Palmer - The Nickelodeon star has support anti-obesity efforts with The World Wide Day of Play.

And there are many others, including some bands like Coldplay who work against unfair labor practices and Foster the People who support the Do Good Bus, as well as other athletes, musicians, actors, and others who are doing some good stuff. We are thankful for all of them.

To see more celebrities who are doing awesome things, check out Celebs Gone Good.

Thoughts About X Factor's Astro

2011-11-23T08:03:00.000-05:00

If you watched the X Factor results show last week, you saw one of the presumptive favorites, Astro (né Brian Bradley), land in the bottom two based on the audience vote. What ensued was essentially a mild temper tantrum with the 14-year-old threatening not to sing again, then giving a half-hearted performance. He was rightly lectured by the judges and shed tears for his mistreatment by the voting audience.

To be honest, this kid has been my favorite contestant of the year. (I am alone in this in my household as we have LeRoy Bell, Melanie Amaro, and Rachel Crow fans here, too). I think if anyone has the true "X Factor," it's this guy. He writes his own lyrics and performs with the swagger of a seasoned professional.

He has been a polarizing figure, though, probably for two reasons. One reason is because some people just are not into rap and that's really all he does (but he does it brilliantly). The second is that he has been perceived as arrogant by some. He's a junior Kanye, in other words.

I think he is supremely self-confident (to be generous), but he is also supremely gifted. Popping his bubble of superiority and entitlement this past week may just be the best thing that could ever happen to him professionally and personally. If he remains prideful and arrogant, he is done with the competition (though a future career may still be a possibility). But if he can be humble in the face of a defeat, he can learn a lot about himself, make himself a better person in the long run, and earn much goodwill from the audience in the process.

His little meltdown may have already sunk him, unfortunately. How he handles it moving forward will determine if he has any chance at all of staying on the show. I would be happy if one of four or five contestants won (please no Lakoda Rayne, though), but I am still rooting for Astro. I think he is the real deal. This week, more than ever, all eyes will be on him. Let's hope he steps up, apologies, and shows he can grow through this.

If you are watching the show live, jump on Judge It Live and rate Astro's performance, along with all the others, and compare your ratings to everyone else's.

10 Good Old Songs I Sort of Hate

2011-11-22T08:00:00.024-05:00

In recent weeks, I've been in the car or in restaurants or other places and I've heard old tunes that are pretty good songs that I might have even liked at one point, but for whatever reason, I kind of hate them now. Maybe they've gotten worn out over the years or maybe my tastes have changed, but these are songs that continue to get lots of airplay, but I would rather listen to nothing than listen to them.

I've started compiling a list. Here are ten of them, in no particular order:

1. Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer

2. I Love Rock and Roll - Joan Jett and The Blackhearts

3. Easy - The Commodores

4. Summer Breeze - Seals and Crofts

5. Pour Some Sugar on Me - Def Leppard

6. When Doves Cry - Prince

7. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Eurythmics

8. Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? - Culture Club

9. I Want to Know What Love Is - Foreigner

10. Working for the Weekend - Loverboy

What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Believe me, there's more where this came from.

Predicting the DWTS Winner

2011-11-21T07:56:00.001-05:00

I will be honest: I have never been much of a fan of Dancing With the Stars. I think they do a lot of things well (requiring the judges to give a definite score, for example, and Tom Bergeron is quite good), but I haven't gotten into the show the way I have with American Idol or SYTYCD. But with our Judge It Live venture, I've watched much more of the show this season than ever before. If you've been following my blog, you know I can run hot and cold with predictions, but this year, I've been on a bit of a roll. So emboldened by my recent win streak, I think I am ready to make a prediction.

Looking at the trends, I think it will be close, but my prediction is that J.R. Martinez will win. Ricki Lake will come in second. Rob Kardashian will be third. That's my prediction and I'm sticking to it.

If you jump on Judge It Live tonight during the performance show, there is a pretty good chance you will be able to tell who the winner will be based on the responses to the dance numbers. Check it out and see. If J.R. wins, you can chalk it up to my master prediction skills; if he doesn't, we'll just forget any of this ever happened.

Separated at Birth Cinema: Gattaca and Never Let Me Go

2011-11-18T07:51:00.002-05:00

by Ace & J2

When most people think sci-fi they conjure images of action, aliens, and robotic technology. While these two films can’t offer much in those departments, they are sure to satisfy the cerebral moviegoer. Both films tap the theme of eugenics where technology has allowed society to discriminate against people based on their genetic class.

In Gattaca (1997), genetic engineering has enabled scientists to eradicate human imperfection. The story follows Vincent (played by Ethan Hawke), who is a genetically inferior man or “in-valid” because his parents conceived him naturally (or as he says, “through love”), not medically. In this future society, discrimination has been perfected to a science. Vincent wants nothing more than to explore space but with his genes, the best occupation he is allowed to achieve is a janitor. In his quest to break this glass ceiling Vincent impersonates the genetically superior Jerome (played by Jude Law), who is wheelchair-bound. It’s not enough for everyone to assume he is Jerome, but to avoid being found out, Vincent must achieve the same high levels of physical and intellectual performance that a person of Jerome’s standing possesses.

Never Let Me Go (2010) is based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s book by the same name. The story begins with an explanation that in the 1950’s, technology was developed to increase the average life expectancy to over 100 years. How? By creating clones and then forcing them to “donate” their organs like junk yard cars. If you’ve seen The Island this is going to sound very familiar. But unlike The Island (and more like Gattaca) the characters in Never Let Me Go are aware of their mistreatment but they can’t do anything about it. The story follows three main characters as they fall in love, wrestle with their identity, and await the operations that will lead them to “completion.”

Both of these films offer an intriguing look at societal discrimination. Rather than travelling into deep space, these compelling dramas travel deep into passions, fears, and the search for meaning in trivialized lives.

X Facts About The X Factor Cast - Ten Things You Might Not Know

2011-11-16T08:00:00.049-05:00

X Factor continues to get more interesting as it goes. Before the live show tonight, here are ten facts about the cast--the judges, host, and contestants--that might surprise you.

1. Steve Jones used to date Hayden Panettiere, the cheerleader from Heroes.

2. Melanie Amaro was born in the British Virgin Islands.

3. Simon Cowell was arrested at age 12 for "hijacking a bus" with a toy gun.

4. LeRoy Bell wrote a Grammy-nominated song performed by Elton John ("Mama Can't Buy You Love").

5. L.A. Reid has won 18 BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) Awards and has produced and/or co-written 33 No. 1 singles.

6. Stacy Francis performed at Tom Cruise's 40th birthday party.

7. Paula Abdul was Charlie Sheen's sister-in-law for two years (She was married to Emilio Estevez).

8. You may know Astro's real first name is Brian, but did you know L.A.'s real first name is Antonio?

9. Nicole Scherzinger has been cast in the upcoming Men In Black III film with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.

10. Marcus Canty was diagnosed with laryngitis and tonsillitis just 24 hours before the last live performance show.

And don't forget to jump on Judge It Live during the live show and rate each of the performances in real time. The audience for Judge It Live continues to build, especially for X Factor, so we hope you'll join us!

5 Facts About The Hunger Games Movie

2011-11-15T07:54:00.004-05:00

One of next year's most anticipated films, The Hunger Games, continues to generate a lot of buzz well before its release. Here are just a few facts to whet your apetite:

1. Most of the movie was shot in North Carolina, especially in and around Asheville and in and around Charlotte.

2. Emma Roberts and Abigail Breslin were considered for the role of Katniss.

3. Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth are natural blondes who had to dye their hair brown for the movie. Josh Hutcherson is a brunette who dyed his hair blonde for the film.

4. Lucas Till and Hunter Parrish were considered for the role of Peeta.

5. Suzanne Collins wrote the script herself from her own book.

You can watch the first full trailer here and see what you think of the look and feel of the movie.

SNL Season 37 Thus Far: Rating the Shows, Hosts, and Musical Acts

2011-11-14T08:06:00.001-05:00

We are six live shows into this season of SNL and, as usual, it's been a mixed bag with some inspired moments and lots of not-so-hot moments. Here's my take on where we are at the end of the first quarter:

Episode 1 (703, actually) - Alec Baldwin gets a B for hosting; not his best, but solid; he gets bonus points because he set the hosting record--and still really seems to enjoy doing the show; Radiohead gets a C+ for musical performances. I'm a fan of the band, but this wasn't their best night and they seemed oddly out of step with the audience. The show overall (writing, performing, music, production) gets a B.

Episode 2 - Melissa McCarthy was a revelation; she just went for it and it paid off big; a solid A for her. Lady Antebellum was in good voice, so a B+ for them. McCarthy elevated the whole show, so we give it an A-

Episode 3 - Ben Stiller was a misfire as host; he gets a C; Foster the People was hot and cold and they get a B- for the two performances combined. The show was pretty dull. It gets a C.

Episode 4 -Anna Faris was fine, but a little forgettable; she sets a B- for the night; Drake was solid and entertaining; he's a genuine talent and it shows and he earns an A-; the show was less than memorable but had a few good moments and it earns a B-

Episode 5 - I thought Charlie Day was a great fit for the show; I give him an B+ for the whole night; Maroon 5 was solid in their Maroon 5 kind of way and they get a B. The show as a solid B.

Episode 6 - Emma Stone is really good at slipping into some funny, interesting characters; I will give her a B+ for the night; Coldplay, like Maroon 5, was solid in their Coldplay kind of way, but they get a B+, just a notch higher. The show gets another B; would be higher but a little too much recycling of skits already.

The best host thus far: Melissa McCarthy. The best musical act so far: Drake.

Leonardo DiCaprio's Ten Best Performances

2011-11-11T08:02:00.003-05:00

Clint Eastwood's highly anticipated J. Edgar comes out today starring Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role. The outrageous popularity of Titanic created a predictable groundswell of Leo haters, but the truth is that he is one of our finest living actors. He is a pure shooter, a guy who makes it look easy, despite being asked to do a lot of heavy lifting. He has played a mentally handicapped kid, an eccentric billionaire, cops, Romeos, and much more. He has been nominated for three Oscars, but has never won, but the smart money is that he will win more than one in the course of his career. In my opinion, here are the movies where he gave his ten best performances:

1. The Aviator

2. What's Eating Gilbert Grape

3. The Departed

4. Blood Diamond

5. Revolutionary Road

6. Catch Me If You Can

7. Marvin's Room

8. This Boy's Life

9. Gangs of New York

10. Inception

And Titanic isn't even on the list! Think about how impressive it is to say that his most well-known role isn't even in the top ten of his best performances. Other good performances include The Basketball Diaries and Romeo+Juliet. Even The Beach wasn't bad (at least not his performance). It will be cool to see where J. Edgar fits into this terrific string of performances.

Help Me Win the Twitter War

2011-11-10T08:05:00.001-05:00

As some of you know, I'm in a Twitter war with another psychologist, Dr. Frank Gaskill, the author of Max Gamer. The one of us with the most followers by the end of November wins big money ($5). So far, he's lapping me by well over 200 followers, so I need to kick it into gear.

If you have a Twitter account, please click on my profile and start following me. I'm pretty good about following back, so I hope you will join me. All through the month, I'll be tweeting cool info about movies, music, video games, books, and TV shows, in addition to some psychology-related information.

The Walking Dead Has No Sophomore Slump

2011-11-09T08:00:00.007-05:00

The Walking Dead is one of those rare TV series that has returned for a second year in top form. This is especially surprising, given the departure of the inspiring show-runner, three-time Oscar nominee Frank Darabont, the man who gave us The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile.

Now, read no further if you want to avoid some spoilers from this season...

The show has made a creative decision this year to show that grave danger can come from the least expected place at the least expected time--a careless hunter, a wrong turn in the woods, a cut on your arm, even your own partner--instead of just zombie attacks. And it's a decision that has paid off well. It drives up the tension and raises the stakes. The show has also explored deeper themes this year: God's role in the affairs of men, the reasons to go on living in a ruined world, the consequences of choices, forgiveness, and betrayal. On top of this, the actors--all of whom were good in season one--have ratcheted up their game another notch.

Even early in the season, there have been some memorable scenes: the zombie hanging by a noose in the tree, Shane shaving his own head to cover up the evidence of what might have happened to Otis, disemboweling the zombie to see what he had eaten, zombies sitting in the church, Carl's seizure, Glenn lowered into the well as zombie bait, and many other really awesome moments.

If I have one complaint about the show this year is that for the show to keep progressing, the characters need to keep moving down the road, and so far, they have stalled them out in a traffic jam. Yes, they have ventured out to the woods and the farm and the high school, but they need to have forward motion. If they don't, the show will eventually just feel a haunted house with the characters roaming around in one place waiting for something to pop out at them. Still, it remains one of the most captivating, engrossing human dramas on television.

Top Ten Best Movies of The Avengers Cast

2011-11-08T07:44:00.001-05:00

Lots of people--including me--are really excited about the upcoming The Avengers movie. The cast is great and the set-up has been terrific. The actors in this film have a fantastic body of work. Here, in my judgment, are the best movies (not necessarily the best performances; that's a later post) made by ten members of The Avengers cast:

Robert Downey, Jr. - Zodiac

Mark Ruffalo - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Scarlett Johansson - The Prestige

Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker

Chris Evans - Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Chris Hemsworth - Star Trek

Gwyneth Paltrow - Shakespeare in Love

Paul Bettany - A Beautiful Mind

Samuel L. Jackson - Pulp Fiction

Stellan Skarsgard - Good Will Hunting

Top Ten Most Overpaid Actors

2011-11-07T07:58:00.003-05:00

Each year Forbes comes out with its list of overpaid actors based on a formula of how much they command for a film compared to how much money they movie makes overall. Based on their calculations, here are the top ten most overpaid A-list actors (the number in parenthesis is how much their films make for every dollar they earn):

1. Drew Barrymore (.40)

2. Eddie Murphy ($2.70)

3. Will Ferrell ($3.50)

4. Reese Witherspoon ($3.55)

5. Denzel Washington ($4.25)

6. Nicolas Cage ($4.40)

7. Adam Sandler ($5.20)

7. Vince Vaughn ($5.20) - tie

9. Tom Cruise ($6.35)

10. Nicole Kidman ($6.70)

Even though there are some other actors who may have a better return on investment ratio, some of these stats are still pretty good (Would you invest $1 if it got you $5?) and this doesn't take into account some of the actors who take risks with more adventurous content (like Will Ferrell in recent years, for example). Let's hope the list inspires people to do better work and not safer work.

Separated at Birth Cinema: Clip Show IV

2011-11-04T07:58:00.002-04:00

by Ace and J2

We have now come up with 40 intriguing double features for your viewing enjoyment. Please- hold your applause. Below is a list of the most recent 10 and, in the spirit of Halloween, our stabs at what each of these tandems would wear to a costume party.

Nothing in Common and Big Fish - Since these flicks are about father issues- Daddy Warbucks or Big Daddy Kane

Sideways and Bunny and the Bull - Matador

Outland and Three O’Clock High - An Old West sheriff (High Noon- Gary Cooper style)

Pan’s Labyrinth and The Fall - A freaky creature of any kind, preferably of mythological origin

Lethal Weapon and Die Hard - Cop costume, of course, but you need to sell it with an edgy attitude (Village People officer need not apply).

The Tree of Life and 2001: A Space Odyssey - Astronaut or an ape.

To Sir, With Love and Stand and Deliver - Teacher costume? Other suggestions? Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?

Legends of the Fall and East of Eden - James Dean, baby! Yeah!

The American President and The Contender - Any President would do.

Before Sunrise and Before Sunset - Put on a beret and a cheesy French accent!

Come on back in a couple of weeks as we close in on the big 5-0!

X Factor - 4 Ways to Improve and 4 Front-runners

2011-11-02T08:00:00.003-04:00

Unlike American Idol, which had a ton of buzz by this stage of its run, X Factor really doesn't seem to be getting a lot of buzz. It may be that there is a certain "been there, done that" quality to the show. Even though there are teams with dedicated mentors and a big cash prize, it is essentially the same show we've seen before. As one of my friends said, "If I wanted to watch American Idol year-round, I'd watch X Factor.

That being said, I do like the show and as of last week's live performance show, I think some momentum may be building as people are connecting with some of the talent. So here are a few ways the show can improve, followed by the folks that have the best chance of winning:

Ways to Improve the Show:

* Mix the sound better - some of the acts got drowned out by the instrumentals; others had mics that were too hot; when the judges reacted to some of the acts with much more enthusiasm than everyone else in my room did, I knew they were hearing something in house that we weren't hearing in our living rooms.

* Thin out the dancers - I love the addition to dancing to the show; it definitely adds another element of fun, but my gosh, some of those solo acts got swallowed up by the sheer number of dancers on the stage. It was hard to even keep track of who was the act in some cases. Less is more much of the time.

* Replace the host - I'm sorry to say it, but Steve Jones looks hurried and joyless. He's like a P.E. coach trying to shush people, hurry them along, get to the next activity. Corbin Bleu would probably have been a better choice. Jones would probably be a good fit for another show, but he's not right for this one.

* Stop the judge/mentor bickering - It seems forced and corny and it's kind of insulting to the audience. It's kind of like the Kardashian marriage: everyone acts like it's for real, but we just assume it's not. This element is the one major design flaw of the whole show. If these mentors are in competition with each other, then how can we trust their feedback? Are they praising someone bad to get them through to another week to boost their own odds? Are they criticizing someone good to get them bumped? This whole process of giving feedback needs a lot of work and revisioning.

Top Four Predictions:

First, let me say that I do not think a group will win and I think it is unlikely that a girl (under 30) will win, though I could be wrong in the latter category. After tonight with Judge It Live, I am pretty sure I will be able to tell who will win (or at least the top two). That being said, here are my guesses for the front-runners from each of the groups:

Boys - Astro

Groups - The Stereo Hogzz

Over 30's - LeRoy Bell (though this is a tough category, for sure)

Girls - Melanie Amaro

Right now, if I had to guess, it will come down to an Astro vs. LeRoy Bell battle and either could win. I will make firmer predictions hopefully after tonight.

If you are watching the show in real time (not DVR), jump online to Judge It Live and rate the performances. It should be a really good night to be on---and it will let you see who the early favorites are going to be.

Fans of American Idol and X Factor, Follow Me on Twitter

2011-11-01T07:44:00.019-04:00

Happy November, everyone!

If you're a fan of entertainment and you like any of the topics below, follow me on Twitter @shrinkblog for some cool information over the next few months:

TV - especially shows like American Idol, including info on former contestants like David Archuleta, Jason Castro, and others who have HUGE online followings, as well as X Factor now that Simon Cowell and Paula and the rest of the show is finally catching fire. I'm a sucker for a good reality competition show like Survivor or The Amazing Race.

Video games - Modern Warfare, Gears of War, Halo, and others. I especially like first-person shooters.

Movies - including upcoming biggies like The Hunger Games and The Dark Knight Rises, as well as Oscar nominations. I love movies of all kinds.

Music - especially if you want recommendations for really good new songs and albums or some artists you've never heard of, but will thank me for later. I like alternative music and well-done pop music, like what I'm hearing from ADELE.

Books - book recommendations and notes. I read both fiction and non-fiction. Right now, I'm reading Isaacson's great Steve Jobs biography.

So follow me on Twitter and I'll follow back. @shrinkblog

Best Work of the Ghostbuster's Cast

2011-10-31T07:51:00.035-04:00

Happy Halloween! I hope you're having a fun time today. I'm dressed as a yellow Angry Bird, so it's fairly uncomfortable to sit in a regular chair. Otherwise, it's good times.

This past week, I saw Ghostbusters again. It's definitely one of the 80's films that holds up. It's still funny and enjoyable. The cheesy special effects are kind of charming. As I was watching it, I was thinking of that great cast and some of the later work they've done. Here's my take on the best career work of the Ghostbuster's cast:

Bill Murray - Lost in Translation (Groundhog Day is a close second; I also loved him in Zombieland as Bill Murray)

Dan Aykroyd - Driving Miss Daisy

Harold Ramis - Groundhog Day (co-writer, director)

Sigourney Weaver - Aliens

Rick Moranis - Little Shop of Horrors

Annie Potts - Pretty in Pink

Ernie Hudson - Oz (The HBO series)

According to IMDB, Ghostbusters 3 is in the works. A second draft of the script is reportedly being written, so we can always hope. Also, there are reports that Rick Moranis will return to acting after a long break in my current favorite series, The Walking Dead. That would be a beautiful thing.

10 Record-Breaking Movies - Avatar, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and More

2011-10-28T07:54:00.049-04:00

Someone asked me recently why I was at interested in what movies grossed at the box office. I had no good answer, except that much of the movie experience is highly subjective, but box office is very objective. So if a movie grosses a lot, it doesn't necessarily mean it is better than another movie, but it does mean that something went right. Enough people were convinced to shell out money to see it to set it apart from the others. That, at least to me, is sort of fascinating.

Here are ten record-breaking movies in key categories:

Highest Grossing Movie of All Time - Avatar ($760+ Million; also Highest Grossing PG-13-Rated Movie)

Highest Grossing G-Rated Movie - The Lion King ($421+ Million)

Highest Grossing PG-Rated Movie - Star Wars ($461 Million)

Highest Grossing R-Rated Movie - The Passion of the Christ ($371 Million)

Biggest Opening Weekend - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

Most Consecutive Weeks at Number One - E.T. (16 weeks)

Fastest to $450 Million - The Dark Knight

Highest Grossing Horror Film - Signs ($60+ Million)

Highest Grossing Action Film - Rush Hour 2 ($67+ Million)

Highest Grossing Movie That Never Hit Number One - My Big Fat Greek Wedding ($241+ Million)

Top Ten Songs Since the Invention of the iPod - Part 2

2011-10-26T07:59:00.023-04:00

So I couldn't just stop at ten. Here are ten more great songs that have been released since the launch of the iPod ten years ago this week:

11. Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day (2004)

12. Fix You - Coldplay (2005)

13. Paparazzi - Lady Gaga (2009)

14. Love the Way You Lie - Eminem with Rihanna (2010)

15. Scythian Empires - Andrew Bird (2007)

16. Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons (2010)

17. Where is the Love? - The Black Eyed Peas with Justin Timberlake (2003)

18. Postcards from Italy - Beirut (2006)

19. The One You Love - Rufus Wainwright (2004)

20. Light and Day/Reach for the Sun - The Polyphonic Spree (2003)

Also wish I could have fit on a song by MGMT, Bruno Mars, R.E.M., The Avett Brothers, Beyoncé, and a few others.

Top Ten Songs Since the Invention of the iPod

2011-10-25T07:55:00.033-04:00

Yesterday, I looked at how today's music compares to the music of a decade ago when the iPod was first launched. In a nutshell, we're doing pretty good.

Today, I'm taking my shot at the top ten best songs that have been released since the iPod has been around. These are not re-issues or songs from more than a decade ago that have more recently been released digitally. These are only songs recorded since Oct. 23rd, 2001. When I was generating this list, I had over 30 songs that all deserved a spot, but I had to make some tough cuts and this could easily have been a top 20 list. These songs were not all necessarily hits or chart toppers, but they are the best songs (in a wide range of genres) from the first iPod decade. I'm sure all of this will be up for serious debate, but here's my stab at it:

1. Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z with Alicia Keys (2009)

2. Wake Up - Arcade Fire (2004)

3. Hey Ya! - OutKast (2003)

4. Soul Meets Body - Death Cab for Cutie (2005)

5. Handlebars - Flobots (2008)

6. Romulus - Sufjan Stevens (2003)

7. Nothing Man - Bruce Springsteen (2002)

8. Saint Simon - The Shins (2003)

9. Forget You - Cee Lo Green (2010)

10. Rolling in the Deep - Adele (2011)

So...I can't take it. I'm going to have to do another post of ten more great songs of the past ten years. Come back tomorrow for more.

The iPod's 10th Anniversary: Is Our Music Better Now?

2011-10-24T07:54:00.001-04:00

Yesterday marked the launch of the very first iPod on Oct. 23, 2001. It was a mind-blowing, paradigm-shifting revolution that very well could have been what saved the music industry. So, it's worth asking whether our music was better then or now. I found Billboard's top five songs for the week of Oct. 23rd, 2001 and compared them to the top five songs of this week, just to use as a basic core sample. Here's what I found:

Top Five Songs for the Week of Oct. 23, 2001:

1. I'm Real by Jennifer Lopez - This is a dreadful, unmemorable, and pointless song (C-)

2. Fallin' by Alicia Keys - Now this song is the real deal. Very memorable. A classic. (A)

3. Family Affair by Mary J. Blige - Another forgettable snoozer. (C-)

4. Where the Party At by Jagged Edge - Terrible stuff. The opposite of good (C-)

5. It's Been Awhile by Staind - Solid song with some staying power (B+)

Average: C+

Top Five Songs for the Week of Oct. 23, 2011:

1. Someone Like You by Adele - Brilliant and beautiful. Already a classic. (A)

2. Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5 with Christina Aguilera - A decent song. I doubt it will be that memorable in, say, ten years, though. (B)

3. Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People - Lyrically subversive but with a catchy pop hook. One of the most interesting songs of the year. (B+)

4. Sexy and I Know It by LMFAO - This is the Where the Party At for 2011. (C-)

5. Stereo Hearts by Gym Class Heroes with Adam Levine - Actually a pretty good song. Mr. Levine tops the chart twice on this short list. (B+)

Average: B

Yes, it's a small sample, but you can definitely see the trend. There are still some clunkers on the top of the charts, but music today seems to beat the music of a decade ago. The trend still holds if you look at the top ten and the top twenty, as well.

By the way, I also went back to 1991 to see how today's music compares with the top of the charts from two decades ago. The short answer is that it is fairly comparable, but music then was much more derivative. Nearly all the acts had to sound like another, bigger act (Natural Selection sounded like Prince; Karyn White sounded like Janet Jackson; Extreme sounded like Bon Jovi, and so on). So I think I'd give the nod to our more contemporary music at least for originality.

Tomorrow, come back for the top ten best songs since the invention of the iPod.

Separated at Birth Cinema: Before Sunrise and Before Sunset

2011-10-21T07:39:00.006-04:00

by Ace and J2

Here at Separated at Birth Cinema we usually enjoy more of a challenge than just pairing a film and its sequel and elocuting something like, “Guys, you really have to watch Rambo I and then Rambo II right after each other! They are so alike and yet so different!”

While these two films could be considered sequels, hopefully this parting offers a bit more than that. Both Before Sunrise (1995) and Before Sunset (2004) were directed by Richard Linklater and starred Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as Jessie and Celine.

In Before Sunrise they are a couple of twenty-somethings who have a chance encounter while riding a train through Europe. Over the course of just a few hours, they both become aware of a chemistry between them as their conversation becomes more and more captivating. Jessie convinces Celine to delay her return home to Paris and instead get off the train with him in Vienna as he kills time before his flight back to the US. The film takes place over the course of one night as their deep and personal conversation jumps from topic to topic. Not long after the audience realizes that the two are falling in love, the characters express this reality and contemplate the impossibility of being together and yet the impossibility of letting go of something so special. At the last moment of their being together, they decide to meet again at the same train station 6 months later. As the credits role the audience debates whether each will follow through.

Before Sunset takes place 9 years later, when Jessie is on the last stop of a book tour in Paris and who does he see? You guessed it! The two talk again about their love for each other back then, and (as they become more vulnerable) as it still exists. Now the impossibility of their being together doesn’t just lie in geographic distance, but because Jessie has a wife and a child back home.

There are many things that make these two films so interesting, but not the least of which is the fact that, just like the storyline, they were filmed 9 years apart and show the actors and characters with maturing temperaments and ideas. For those who watch both films closely, you’ll realize they ask each other similar questions in each film and arrive at different answers. Jessie, once so cynical, has become more optimistic while the opposite has occurred to Celine. Will they finally hold on to their extraordinary connection? To tell you would “take all the piss out of the story.”

Top Ten Most Stolen Films of All Time

2011-10-20T07:44:00.031-04:00

According to an article in The Hollywood Reporter, pirated movies cost the film industry millions of dollars a year with some films being stolen millions of times each. Not to get up on my soapbox, but as with any good product or service, the people who produce them deserve to be paid for them. My hope is that these numbers will drop not from industry crackdowns, but from people having a change of heart about the justice of fairly compensating people for the work they do. It's just the right thing to do to pay your fair share to own a movie or have a song on your iPod. Here's the full list of the top 10 most all-time pirated movies, along with the number of times they have been downloaded online:

Avatar (21 million downloads)
The Dark Knight (19 million)
Transformers (19 million)
Inception (18 million)
The Hangover (17 million)
Star Trek (16 million)
Kick-A@@ (15 million)
The Departed (14 million)
The Incredible Hulk (14 million)
Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End (14 million)

Ranking the Netflix Top Ten

2011-10-19T08:30:00.007-04:00

Netflix recently posted their top ten most frequently rented videos. It’s a surprisingly strong list. If you asked ten people to put them in order, my guess I you would have ten different lists. Here’s my own take on the top ten, listed from best movie on down:

1. No Country for Old Men – thrilling, sad, scary, thought-provoking, genius. A great one.

2. Inception – the twisty mind-bender is already a classic.

3. The Departed – violent and raw, but undeniably a great movie.

4. The Hurt Locker – tense, gripping, and totally captivating.

5. The Blind Side – a well-told story with a lot of heart.

6. Iron Man – one of the best of the more recent superhero films.

7. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – failed at being the next Forrest Gump, but had an intriguing premise.

8. Crash – a good movie, but perhaps a bit overrated; certainly not the best picture in its year; worth seeing, though.

9. Sherlock Holmes – fun but not much more

10. The Bucket List – one of them has to come in last.

Celebrities With Milestone Birthdays in 2011

2011-10-17T07:58:00.018-04:00

A few weeks ago, we posted that Jonathan Taylor Thomas turned 30 this year (shocking!) and last week, we noted that Scotty McCreery hit his 18^th birthday (not so shocking), so someone prompted us to start finding out about what other celebrities will hit milestone birthdays this year. Here’s just a sample of some folks hitting key birthdays in 2011:

18 – Angus T. Jones

21 – Jennifer Lawrence

25 – Robert Pattinson

30 – Joseph Gordon-Levitt

40 – Mark Wahlberg

50 – George Clooney

65 – Alan Alda

75 – Cloris Leachman

There were plenty of celebrities to choose from, so we may do this again in the coming weeks.

An Uneven Start to Saturday Night Live This Season

2011-10-14T08:00:00.012-04:00

This season of Saturday Night Live has been a study in contrasts so far. Alec Baldwin set the hosting record (besting Steve Martin by one...thus far) in his kickoff episode, which was a solid outing for him and the crew. But the next week was when it really took off. Melissa McCarthy hosted for the first time and elevated everything she touched. She was fearless and went all out in a way we haven’t see a host do in a long long time. She absolutely needs to be invited back for many years to come.

Things dropped off again this past week, though. Ben Stiller took up the hosting duties in a show where everything was safe, predictable, paint-by-numbers. Whereas McCarthy seemed positively inspired as she humped her office-mates and splattered Hidden Valley Ranch (HVR!) dressing all over her face, Stiller played it completely safe. The writers seemed asleep at the wheel, recycling some tired old skits with nothing new to add to them. Adding Derek Zoolander to a Stefan bit was the opposite of inspired; it was just lazy, especially when nothing funny happened.

So after a solid start to the season, we had a spectacular go-for-broke host and a forgettable play-it-safe host. A month from now, I’ll remember several of McCarthy’s skits and not a single one of Stiller’s. Let’s hope for more of the former in the episodes to come.

If you plan to watch the show this weekend, I hope you will jump on Judge It Live during the live broadcast and rate the skits and musical performances in real time. It has been a blast so far. If you enjoy it, make sure you tell your friends on Facebook and Twitter...and in real life, for that matter! We hope you join us.

Five Celebrities Who Were Born in Africa

2011-10-13T08:05:00.001-04:00

You may have heard that three African women, including the President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, won the Nobel Peace Prize this year. In honor of these women, here are five well-known people, including two actors, an athletes, and two musicians, who were born somewhere on the great continent of Africa and have made it big in the U.S. and around the world:

1. Djimon Hounsou

2. Akon

3. Charlize Theron

4. Dikembe Mutombo

5. Dave Matthews

Top Ten Musicians From North Carolina

2011-10-12T08:00:00.001-04:00

American Idol winner Scotty McCreery celebrated his 18^th birthday this week and his album, which has gotten mostly good reviews, is in stores and available for digital download now. It’s been a big week for him. So in honor of Scotty, here are ten well-known musical artists (not counting other American Idol finalists like Daughtry or Fantasia or Clay Aiken) from North Carolina:

1. James Taylor

2. Ben E. King

3. Randy Travis

4. George Clinton

5. Charlie Daniels

6. Ben Folds

7. Ryan Adams

8. Tori Amos

9. Luther Vandross

10. Roberta Flack

And that's not even counting some of the other great guys ranging from Thelonious Monk to Fred Durst to Doc Watson.