It's About Time!

The previews for next week's episode of Make Me a Supermodel revealed the models will finally being posing nude. Of course, the show waited until there were only three male models left in the competition. I feel cheated! This is why I believe the very first challenge of the season should be posing nude. C'mon producers, think about it. Anyway... in the previews you caught a brief glimpse of Jonathan's backside - thank you Bravo - but the best part was the discussion of Branden's accident with a razor and his testicles. I almost died laughing. Also, thank God Colin's finally gone, though I wouldn't have minded if Amanda had gone instead. Like not like at like all!

Damn Eloise! That's Just COLD.

Last night was the 100th episode of Lost. Overall it was a good episode, if not great, but it would probably come off better on a second viewing. I still wish the series would take a breather - too much plot, too much exposition. It ultimately concluded with the killing of Daniel Faraday at the hands of his own mother, Eloise Hawking - well, his mother thirty years in the past. His death was a punch in the gut, as you realize his mother knows all along that she kills him in the past, but spends her life trying to ensure her son goes back in time. What exactly are her motivations, and does anyone on this show not have serious parental issues? The start of the episode led you to believe Desmond might be the one killed off, but luckily it wasn' the case. Desmond's demise would have irritated me, since he's been out of the picture for a while now. Daniel's on the other hand, I don't mind. I was never a big fan of the character, and he's played out his part in the big scheme of things, so we can move on. Hopefully in the final three episodes of the season, we'll be seeing more of Desmond and Sun, cause I've been seriously missing them.

Screen Goddess Top 5 - Kathleen Turner

1. Peggy Sue Got Married (Francis Ford Coppola, 1986)

2. Body Heat (Lawrence Kasdan, 1981)

3. Romancing the Stone (Robert Zemeckis, 1984)

4. The War of the Roses (Danny DeVito, 1989)

5. The Accidental Tourist (Lawrence Kasdan, 1988)

The Best Series on Television

With Mad Men still on hiatus and Battlestar Galactica over, the best series on television, by far, is AMC's Breaking Bad. The series had a great start last year during its first season, but has really developed into a brilliant series over the course of its second. The writers must have realized they couldn't sustain the series by just focusing on Bryan Cranston's Walter, and instead fully fleshed out the supporting cast, making it one of the best ensembles on television. My hats off to Anna Gunn as Walter's wife Skyler, Aaron Paul as Walt's meth partner Jesse, and Dean Norris as Walter's brother-in-law Hank. What I like best about the series is its refusal to wrap everthing up easily. Every action the characters take have repercusions that can occur through several episodes. Its funny that American Movie Classics is now home to the two best series on television., becoming the new HBO, especially since HBO hasn't been the same since Sex & the City, Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, Deadwood, and The Wire ended. FX tried to be the new HBO, but I don't think it really happened for the network. Hopefully AMC has better luck, I just wish they'd develop a female centric series. It would make a good balance.

Sunday Blessings - The Ultimate Fighter

Two weeks ago I devoted Sunday Blessings to Channing Tatum, star of the feature film Fighting. This week I decided to devote Sunday Blessings to actual fighters, the contestants on Spike's reality series The Ultimate Fighter. For those who don't know the show, contestants in two different weight classes fight it out for a chance to receive a contract from the UFC. Now I have to admit Ultimate Fighting is kind of a guilty pleasure for me. I'm not a big fan of the sport, but I'll watch it now and again, and I can ramble off a number of names who participate in the sport - can't say the same about baseball. I guess the whole homoerotic aspect of two guys in great shape rolling around on the floor together gets me. The Ultimate Fighter makes it a lot more interesting, as you get to witness the clashing personalities of the fighters outside of the cage. I usually route for the most attractive guys, because you have to admit cute guys are the main reason for watching reality shows. This season has contestants from the United States fighting contestants from the United Kingdom. The best looking guys on the US team are welterweights Mark Miller, who was defeated in the season's first fight, and Jason Pierce, and lightweight Santino Defranco. As for the UK, an overall better looking team, they have welterweights Nick Osipczak, David Faulkner, and James Wilks. It's just a pity most will destroy their faces and end up with crushed noses and cauliflower ears.

Mark Miller

Jason Pierce
Santino Defranco

Nick Osipczak

David Faulkner

James Wilks

RIP Bea Arthur

Actress Bea Arthur passed away over the weekend at the age of 86. The funny lady started her career in theatre, winning a Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway musical Mame, but was immortalized by her starring roles on the television comedies Maude and The Golden Girls. You have to give the woman credit, as few actresses have found success on two hit series, especially so late in life - Bea was already 50 years old when Maude came to air. Growing up, I was a huge fan of The Golden Girls. I think my grandmother got me hooked on it. In retrospect I have to admit it wasn't a great sitcom - the writing was sometimes lazy and repetitive - but it had its funny moments, and a large part of the credit should go to the actresses. While the writing may have wanted them to be caricatures, Bea, Betty White, Estelle Getty and Rue McClanahan did their best to create three-dimensional charaters out of their roles. Bea Arthur will surely missed, but her work will continue to live one, and we should be happy she gifted us with it.

Why Is He Still There?

Honestly now, why is Colin still on Make Me a Supermodel. He's not a great model, and he probably never will be. Yes Colin's a nice guy, and in real life he's someone I'd probably be friends with, but he can't compete with some of the other contestants on the show. He has probably lasted this long because of being a geeky virgin and the possible budding relationship between him and Kerryn, but Kerryn got kicked off last night, as a result of being dragged down by Colin in a photoshoot. There's no longer a reason for the producers to keep him on the show. But whatever, I just keep reminding myself it's only a TV show.

Grey Gardens on HBO

Being a fan of the original documentary on which it was based, over the weekend, I watched the HBO television movie Grey Gardens. The film tells the story of mother and daughter "Big Edie" and "Little Edie" Beale, relatives of Jacqueline Kennedy and former socialites, who came to live in a dilapidated Hamptons mansion, as a result of unfortunate circumstances and poor life decisions. While the film was by no means a great feature - it's hard to make a "great" biopic - it was entertaining and contained winning performances by its two leading ladies, Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange. Lillte Edie Beale is probably Barrymore's best performance to date. I've always been a fan of hers and felt she just needed that one role for others to take her seriously as an actress. This is that role. It can be compared to Halle Berry's performance/role in the television film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, though I believe Barrymore to be a better actress than Berry and Little Edie to be a greater performance than Berry's Dorothy Dandridge. And while Barrymore gave a great performance, the real standout of the film is Jessica Lange as Big Edie. I've generally been luke-warm towards the actress. I thought her great in Tootsie and a total hoot in Titus, but usually I don't feel one way or another about her perfomances, and perhaps this is entirely my fault, as I haven't seen large chunks of her filmography, including Frances, Country, Sweet Dreams, and Blue Sky. Her performance in Grey Gardens, however, has completely won me over. The performace is not just mimicry, though Lange gives a dead-on impersonation of the Big Eddie in her old age. She provides the character with a full arc, from being a joyful but selfish, manipulative and needy mother to the older woman who looks back on her life with regret, realizing how negatively she affected her daughter's life. It's well deserving of an Emmy award, as is the makeup department, which provided some astonishing effects in the aging of the characters, particularly with Big Edie, as well as some old Hollywood glamour.

Screen Goddess Top 5 - Holly Hunter

1. The Piano (Jane Campion, 1993)
2. Broadcast News (James L. Brooks, 1987)
3. Raising Arizona (Coen Brothers, 1987)
4. The Positively True Adventures... (Michael Ritchie, 1993)
5. thirteen (Catherine Hardwicke, 2003)

Sunday Blessings - Sean Maguire

This week's edition of Sunday Blessings is devoted to the adorable British actor Sean Maguire, who's currently starring on Comedy Central's comedic-fantasy series Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire. While Maguire is entertaining as the clueless hero, Kröd, the series as a whole is...well,um... by no mean would one ever consider it a great show. Aside from Maguire's willingness to go shirtless, the best part of the series is the hilarious Matt Lucas as the series' villian, Chancellor Dongalor. His scenes alone almost make the show worth watching. The main problem with the series is its reliance upon cliched stereotypes for Kröd's entourage. There's the beautiful, slutty girl, the fat, oaffish guy, with a pig-nose no less, the wise-cracking black guy and the overly flamboyant gay guy. The gay character in particular is really outdated and offensive. It's as if the writers wanted to include a gay character, but didn't want to alienate the young, male audiene they were trying to attract, so they created this cliched character to laugh at. Anyway back to Sean Maguire. The actor doesn't have hang ups about his body, as evidenced by his half-naked appearance throughout Meet the Spartans (of course, I didn't see it), nor does he have hang ups about his sexuality, as he played a gay character in the short-lived CBS sitcom The Class. Maguire also showed great potential as a romantic-comedy star, as well as showcasing a good singing voice, guest-starring on ABC's remade series Cupid, so I have a lot of hopes for the actor. He just needs the right material, but hey, if he's willing to go shirtless on the underwhelming Kröd Mändoon, I can't have too many complaints. Amen.

Shouldn't All Films Feature...

...Jason Statham clamping his nipples?

Cop Shows, Cop Shows Everywhere

There's literally one popping up every minute! Police dramas, along with doctor and lawyer dramas, are the default television programs for networks when they resist taking risks. To a certain extent, I can't entirely blame the networks, as their choices are dictated by ratings, and currently, viewers are choosing procedurals which wrap up storylines by the end of the episode, rather than programs with plots that last several epsiodes or several seasons. CBS has built an entire schedule around the procedural and you can barely distinguish one mediocre program from another, but it's currently the most watched network, which is disheartening. A few years ago, the floundering ABC gained traction by taking risks with two new series Lost and Desperate Housewives. Being new and refreshing for network television, they became instant hits, appointment viewing and something you could talk about with you're friends/coworkers..."Oh my god! Can you believe what happened last night." Who really talks about what happened on NCIS or CSI the next morning? Over time the ratings slid for the programs - I think mainly because of DVR, internet downloads, and DVD sales - and other serials that came in their wake failed. As a result the networks have decided to fill their open slots which continue to hold up well for CBS. Of those new programs, I've watched ABC's Castle, which seems complacent with its mediocrity and The Unusuals, which I don't entirely get but love Jeremy Renner in, as well as NBC's Southland, which I actually have hope for. The series has an almost Altmanesque feel to it, as it follows the lives of several detectives and police officers in L.A., and while it does have criminal cases that get solved by the end of the episode, it also has a genuine heart about it, caring for its characters and their faults. Plus it has two great performances by usually under-used Regina King and Michael Cudlitz. I actually look forward to where this series is heading.

Kathy Griffin: She'll Cut a Bitch

Between her hosting gig on The A-List Awards and her stand-up special She'll Cut a Bitch, it was so nice to have Kathy Griffin back on my television screen this week. Yes, I know it's cliche to be a gay man who loves Kathy Griffin, but I find her hilarious. Her stream-of-consciousness narratives of meetings/run-ins with celebrities can be increadibly funny ("She's f***ing Cher!"), but what I enjoy most about Kathy is her tongue-in-cheek grasp at fame. Portraying the role of a media-whore who will do anything for a buck and a little notoriety, she perfectly lampoons the ridiculousness of celebrity culture. Luckily her series, My Life on the D-list returns to air in June, with a Bette Midler appearance - "gay gasp!" I just wish Hollywood would take notice, and give Kathy some supporting roles in comedic films or guest spots on sitcoms, though the studios and networks are probably too scared of her skewering its stars to risk it. At least she's found her niche and found success with it.

What lies in the shadow of the statue?

...I don't know, but it's freaking me out!

Screen Goddess Top 5 - Cate Blanchett

1. Elizabeth (Shekhar Kapur, 1998)

2. The Talented Mr. Ripley (Anthony Minghella, 1999)

3. The Aviator (Martin Scorsese, 2004)

4. I'm Not There (Todd Haynes, 2007)

5. Oscar & Lucinda (Gillian Armstrong, 1997)

Sunday Blessings - Channing Tatum

Today's edition of Sunday Blessings is devoted to actor Channing Tatum, mainly because anytime I sit down to watch TV, a commercial for his upcoming film Fighting airs. Honestly, in the last two weeks, I've not gone a single day without having to see the ad at least three times. It wore me down. Not really being the target demographic, I'm not going to see the film, but I'll give the producers/casting directors some credit for highering Tatum as the lead in the streetfighting movie. He at least looks like he's taken a punch or two to the face in his lifetime, unlike the pretty boys featured in last year's similary themed Never Back Down. Tatum's still a very attractive man, just not as delicately featured as NBD's star Sean Faris. Before transitioning to acting, Tatum was a dancer and model, as evidenced by the numerous photos of him in skimpy underwear or less. While most models turned actors suck at acting, he's actually a decent actor, giving notable performances in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints and Stop-Loss. I don't exactly know what kind of career path Tatum wants to take. He did the indie films for credibility as an actor and signed onto the upcoming G.I. Joe movie to be a big action star, but I don't know where Fighting fits in. It's a film with a specific targeted demographic, young men, without broader appeal. The film will probably make some decent money, but will anyone remember it two months later. Exchange streetfighting with car-racing and you've got a Paul Walker film, and really who wants to be Paul Walker? Sorry, that was kind of mean. I'm just trying to say if you want to follow a career path, don't follow Paul Walker's, especially if you have actual talent. Praise Jesus!

Amy Poehler in Parks and Recreation

How hilarious was last night's premiere of Parks and Recreation? It's not a perfect show, but there's so much potential for it to grow, especially since it has established an ongoing plotline. Having a talented supporting cast surround Amy Poehler also benefits the series, preventing it from becoming just a showcase for the actress, though an Amy Poehler showcase would still totally be watchable. I was happy to see Paul Schneider, whom I've had a crush on since The Assassination of Jesse James, as a cast member. It's nice to be able to see him on my television screen week after week, though I'd prefer to watch him on the big screen. As for the funniest bit from last night's episode, it has to be a tie between Amy tumbling down the pit and Loudon Wainwright III's cameo - "Now, I've got a few things I want to say about Laura Linney."

Why'd You Have to Kill Him Off?

Last night on Lost the character Caesar, portrayed by the underutilized but always sexy Said Taghmaoui, was killed off by a shotgun blash to the chest fired by Ben. Why did he have to be killed off? Why hire an actor like Taghmaoui to have a recurring role on your show, only to kill off his character before he had a chance to do anything important? Since the beginning of the season, I've been waiting with anticipation for his use on the show, and ultimately their was no purpose for his character. The show has a tendency to kill off characters I'm intrigued by early on - Michelle Rodriguez's Ana Lucia, April Grace's Bea Klugh, Zoe Bell's Regina, Marsha Thomason's Naomi and the one most mad about still, Cynthia Watros's Libby. I'm actually surprised they've kept Juliet going as long has she has. As soon as I got into the character, I thought, great she'll be dead by the end of the season, but here we are two season's later with her still kicking around. Over time, however, Juliet has been wasted as a character, mainly used as part of a love-quadrangle with Jack, Sawyer, and Kate. The writers' lack of creating three dimensional female characters is my main problem with the series, and it's probably why most new characters I become interested in are female. I need my strong female characters, and I keep hoping one is just around the bend, but the series has a tendency to fail me. This isn't a slight against the actresses, as a number of them are quite able, and Yunjin Kim and Elizabeth Mitchell in particular, continue to be two of the best actors on the show. Just please let them have better stuff to do!

Heeellllllloooooooo Nurse!

So last week I complained about the lack of male nudity on this season's Make Me a Supermodel, particularly in regards to contestant Jonathan. Well the gods have been merciful this week, and modeling shots of Jonathan, including a rear shot, have made their way around the web. I would like to say the man possesses a cute, tight little booty. Now if only it could be featured on the show. I mean, a booty's always better in motion.

Screen Goddess Top 5 - Audrey Hepburn

1. Breakfast at Tiffany's (Blake Edwards, 1961)
2. Two for the Road (Stanley Donen, 1967)
3. Roman Holiday (William Wyler, 1953)
4. Sabrina (Billy Wilder, 1954)
5. The Children's Hour (William Wyler, 1961)

Sunday Blessings - Vin Diesel

In honor of the new release Fast & Furious, today's edition of Sunday Blessings is devoted to Vin Diesel. Now I could have gone with his co-star Paul Walker, but Vin Diesel is a much more interesting topic. His sexual appeal is almost a joke. He's an over-the-top, caricature of masculinity, with the inflated muscles and deep, gravelly voice. You hate to admit you're actually attracted to him without pretending you're being ironic about it. But then he'll take off his shirt and open his mouth, and you'll think to yourself, "Yeah, I'd get up on that." For me it's all about XXX. Covered in tattoos and wearing a fur coat and long-johns, he is increadibly hot. The movie is total crap, but I've still seen it on multiple occasions. I suppose you could say most of Vin Diesel's filmography is crap, which is unfortunate because the man has charisma and movie-star appeal. He just has bad taste in scripts. With regards to Fast & Furious opening, it's nice to see him have another hit, aafter a series of bombs. If I could give him him a little career advice, I'd tell him to be part of an ensemble in his next film, rather than lead. It did him well in Saving Private Ryan, and I think he could benefit the same way Mark Wahlberg and Jason Statham do.

Damages Season 2 Finale

I've now watched it twice, and I'm still trying to digest the season finale of Damages. I'm still unclear as to whether it makes sense (with Damages making sense isn't always a priority). At what point did Tom and Patty get involved with his sister's investigation into Pell, Kendrick, and Agent Werner? If Tom knew why did he give Ellen a gun for her meeting with Patty, and why did he go storming into the law firm yelling, angry at Patty? I'm guessing their cooperation only began once patty recorded her conversation with Pell. Anyway, I found the finale interesting as it seemed Frobisher's and Daniel Purcell's storylines for the season had already been over with. We only witnessed Frobisher overseeing the construction of his well-being/rehab center, and Purcell having a conversation with Patty about their son. I'm sure they'll both be back for season three. Purcell still must have his trial and discover The Deacon killed his wife, not him. Frobisher will probably be involved in a plotline surrounding the death of Detective Messer. His death at the hands of Wes actually shocked me. I thought the show would have taken him and Wes in a completely different direction. I am disappointed that Anastasia Griffith was wasted this season as Katie Connor. She was upgraded to a series regular, but was less involved than last season. I suppose she'll be used in season three, as the private detective Ellen and Katie hired will most likely be looking into Messer's death and discover his connection with Wes. Although, you never know with this show, which is what I love best about it. This season started with the murder of Purcell's wife, but then spread into a plotline involving corporate and governmental corruption. With the finale I was also disappointed Marcia Gay Harden's Claire Maddox was nowhere to be seem. She was best in show this season, and SHOULD win the Emmy this year for Best Supporting Actress. Hopefully Marcia will be back next season. The show needs her, and not just because of he boobies. She brings a sex appeal, that is lacking from the other characters.

Heath Ledger's Birthday

Today would have been Heath Ledger's 30th birthday. It's still such a shame he left this world so early. There was so much potential for his future career. At least we have his performances in Brokeback Mountain, The Dark Knight, Monster's Ball, Casanova and Brothers Grimm to remember him by.

WTF?

Seriously what was up with the Life on Mars series finale? It made me chuckle at least. I wonder if it would have turned out better had the series gone on for three or four years, instead of slapping everything together in one episode. Oh well. Even if the series was overall uneven, I'm still going to miss Jason O'Mara nd Gretchen Mol. Goodbye, you Mars explorers!

Hey MMAS, Where's the Nudity?

Make Me a Supermodel aired its fifth episode last night, but so far the only male nudity featured this season was Branden's rear shot from last week. C'mon guys, you know why the majority of people (i.e. women and gay men) watch this show... to see some man ass. Jonathan and Sandhurst better be naked at some point, and if you're going to keep Gabriel around, at least make it worth my while. Last night we did get to see Jonathan in 2(x)ist bikini briefs at a go-see. Sigh. My reactions were very similar to the casting director - he got nervous and his palms were sweaty. I'm starting to think I'm in love with this Jonathan. At this point I actually find him more attractive than last season's Ronnie. Never thought I'd say that about a contestant. He better win! Anyway to close out this post, here's a shot of Branden's cute butt from last week's episode.