Matthew, Really?

Seems like my hometown is coming up in the film world. We've got two movies shooting in Cleveland right now. First is next summer's blockbuster, The Avengers with Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and a bunch of others. Now, I find out that the new Alex Cross movie, I, Alex Cross is shooting there as well. Alex Cross, if you don't remember, is the fictional detective made famous by author James Patterson. He was played by Morgan Freeman in Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. I reported on this film earlier in the year when director Rob Cohen dropped Idris Elba as the lead and replaced him with Tyler Perry. Yes, you read that right. At the time, I thought it was some kind of cruel joke, but, alas, it is true (stupid if you ask me ...but true).

Betcha he ain't smiling so pretty
with that busted lip. Don't
mess with Cleveland!

Also true is the fact that former Lost star, Matthew Fox, who was in Cleveland shooting his role in the Alex Cross film, got into a little melee over the weekend. Seems he had a little too much to drink and tried to board a party bus. The female driver, Heather Bormann, told him he could not board as the bus was reserved for a private party but Fox was not taking no for an answer. He insisted on trying to board the bus.

At this point, according to ABC News, he "punched her in the chest and stomach area" and she responded by punching him in the mouth and cutting his lip. Neither one sought medical treatment at the time, although Bormann now says she thinks she might have broken her hand in the altercation. She told TMZ she is considering pressing charges against the actor.

Cleveland not only rocks, it punches too!

Viv Gets Real about Reality Show Offer

As Vivica Fox prepares to walk down the aisle with club promoter Slimm, she told reporters at Comic Con in San Diego that she was approached about doing a reality show about her new marriage and she politely declined.

She explained, “I try not to live my life in a fishbowl. I have to turn off. If I’m on all of the time, how will my husband ever get to know me as his future wife? I have learned to turn off and to be able to hang out with my family and my friends and not be so on.”

Makes sense to me. It's hard enough keeping a celebrity marriage together and the track record of couples who do reality shows isn't that great either. Yes, I'm talking to you Britney Spears and Kevin Federline, Jon and Kate Gosselin, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, just about all of The Bachelors, and the list goes on.

***********************************
Because I honestly didn't feel this bit of news deserved its own post, I decided to tack it on here. Just as Viv decides not to do a reality show, VH-1 announces a 10-episode show on rapper T.I. after his release from prison after a year on a parole violation. The show will follow him as he readjusts to life on the outside, with his family (wife Tiny from Escape and his kids) and as he goes back into the studio. Just another reason why I rarely watch VH-1

That Krazy Katt

If you haven't seen it yet, check out Katt Williams rant in response to a Mexican heckler at a show in Phoenix. He went on for like 7 minutes. A lot of people say he went too far. What do you think?

Twinkle Toes?

Dancing with the Stars premieres on September 19th. And look who'll be dancing ...

David Arquette (actor)
Ron Artest (basketball player)
Chaz Bono (reality star and former daughter... now son of Cher)
Elisabetta Canalis (George Clooney's ex-girlfriend)
Kristin Cavallari (reality star)
Nancy Grace (TV talk show host/judge)
Robert Kardashian (reality star)
Carson Kressley (TV fashion maven)
Ricki Lake (former talk show host)
J.R. Martinez (actor/motivational speaker)
Chynna Phillips (singer)
Hope Solo (soccer player)

I'm not going to lie. I sometimes take issue with the DWTS definition of 'star' if I have to google you, your stardom is questionable. Never heard of Solo or Martinez. I only know of Canalis through the tabloids. And,  Bono? Controversial, yes. Star, no.

Could the Real Eddie Be Back?

No one can define that from the early 80's to the mid-90's Eddie Murphy was the man. He was classic on  Saturday Night Live. His concert films Delirious and Raw will still make you laugh. And, let's not forget the string of hits that gave us Trading Places, 48 Hours, Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, Harlem Nights, and Boomerang.

And then it happened, Eddie Murphy lost his mojo.

Somewhere after The Nutty Professor, he lost it. It was gone. He went all 'family-friendly', giving us tripe like The Haunted Mansion, Daddy Daycare, Dr. Doolittle and Shrek (which wasn't tripe and was actually pretty good). He sanded down his edginess and what was left, well, what was left wasn't funny.

Can anyone explain or even care to remember the craptastic Pluto Nash or the filmmaking flatulence that was Norbit or Meet Dave? Sure, he emerged for a second with a small dramatic role in Dreamgirls. But still...

So imagine my surprise when I came across this trailer for Tower Heist starring Ben Still, Alan Alda, Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick and, you guessed it ... Eddie Murphy. Basically, Alda plays a Bernie Madoff-like character who scams people out of all of their money, including the staff at the apartment building where he lives. As the manager, Stiller vows that he will get their money back, even if he has to steal it back. So he and a team of employees (including Precious' Gabourey Sidibe) plan a heist, with a little help from you know who.



I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's actually funny. It's set to be released on November 4, 2011.

He's Really Out

Chord Overstreet, who played Sam Evans, on Glee sat down with TV Line and explained his departure from the show. First off, he was a recurring character much like Darren Criss (Blaine) and Harry Shum Jr. (Mike Chang). Unlike those two, however, the decision was made not to make him a full-time cast member this season.

He was offered an opportunity to come back on a recurring basis with the possibility of becoming a series regular later in the season but he declined, deciding instead to focus on his music career.

He told TVLine, "I did a lot of thinking and I felt like it was a good time to work on my album and focus on that avenue of my career. They offered me the chance to come back for a few episodes, but there was nothing guaranteed so I decided to dive into the music thing. And that’s been my main priority the past two months."

He will be seen later this season on a few episodes of The Middle.

So as soon as Mercedes gets a man, he drops out of the show. What does a sista have to do to get some love????

Law & Order SVU's New Cast Members

Obviously, Christopher Meloni left some very big shoes to fill when he exited Law & Order: SVU. Shoes so big that they chose two actors to replace him. Danny Pino of Cold Case fame and Kelli Giddish who starred in last season's Chase on NBC.

I guess the duo aren't actually replacing him because from what I can tell, the two will be partners. Giddish will play Det. Amanda Rollins, a former Atlanta detective with a degree in forensic psychology. Meanwhile, Pino will play Nick Amaro, a Jersey boy with a talent for interrogation.

The show debuts on my birthday, ... September 21 at 10:00 PM (NBC)

*Photo courtesy of TV Guide

Even More to Look Forward To

As a gleek, I can't help but get excited over this promo for Glee!



In case you are wondering Harry Shum Jr. (Mike Chang) and Darren Criss (Blaine) have been promoted to series regulars. Chord Overstreet (Sam) was not promoted, but he will still be featured in a few episodes ... especially since he's apparently Mercedes' BF!

I'm also a huge Castle fan. I never watched Firefly so I'm late getting on the Nathan Fillion bandwagon, but I'm on it now. Check out this cast picutre (courtesy of Entertainment Weekly).

Look closely and you'll see the woman who'll replace the recently deceased (he died in the season finale) Captain Montgomery as the new head honcho Captain Victoria Gates. If you were a fan of 24, she might look familiar. Actress Penny Johnson Jerald played the villianous First Lady Sherry Palmer.

Show runner Shonda Rhimes of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice fame has sold a new project to ABC and this time she's venturing far outside of the hospital. In fact, the show, Gilded Lilys is set in a luxury hotel in .... wait for it ... 1895!

She says, it's about the "first true luxury hotel ever built in the city — the family who owns it, the staff who work it, and the people who pass through." Of course, its a long way from sale to season premiere, we'll have to wait and see if this show goes the distance.

Actress/Dancer/Director Debbie Allen is checking into Seattle Grace Hospital but not as a patient. She'll be playing the mother of the delicious Dr. Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) on Grey's Anatomy. She's set to arrive in the fifth episode and reveal a little more about Jackson's past.

Speaking of past, in the past year, Allen has directed three episodes of Grey's.

What I'm Looking Forward To...

The New
Surprisingly of all the new shows, there really aren't that many that have me all excited.

The Playboy Club: Maybe it's because Eddie Cibrian is all kinds of sexy. It could be because I'm a fan of Mad Men and I like that whole 60's vibe but I'm looking forward to this show. It seems like it could have some decent intrigue to it.
Premieres Monday, September 19, 10:00 PM, NBC

The New Girl: I've been inundated with promos of this show for months now - but it looks like of quirky and fun and I like quirky and fun. So I think I'll check it out.
Premieres Tuesday, September 20, 9:00 PM, FOX

The X-Factor: Truth be told, I did not miss Simon Cowell on American Idol last year, but I'm actually sort of looking forward to this, especially since there is no age range. L.A. Reid as a judge should be interesting too.
Premieres Wednesday, September 21, 8:00 PM, FOX

The Old
On the other hand, there are a lot of returning shows that I am looking forward to seeing again.

The Sing-Off: I have loved this show since the beginning. The a Capella singers (16 groups will compete instead of 10). The judges - Ben Folds, Shawn Stockman and .... oh wait, Nicole Scherzinger is on The X-Factor now. The new judge is singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles. I hope she has the same kind of chemistry with the guys as Scherzinger had.
Premieres Monday, September 19, 8:00 PM, NBC

Castle: When we last saw our favorite will-they-or-won't they Detective/Writer duo, Captain Montgomery was dead and Kate had been shot. I've been waiting since May to see this first episode. Now, that's how you do a cliff hanger!
Premieres Monday, September 19, 10:00 PM, ABC

Glee: It's the last season for Rachel, Quinn and Finn. Plus, we have the winners of The Glee Project. I really enjoy this show and I can't wait until it comes back. The Glee Project did a good job of tiding me over until the fall, but now I'm ready for the real deal (but not the two-episodes featuring the horror that is Alex from The Glee Project).
Premieres Tuesday, September 20, 8:00 PM, FOX

Raising Hope: By far, the funniest new show of last season. Between Matha Plimpton and Cloris Leachman this show was laugh out loud funny. And, it takes a lot to make me laugh out loud (I live alone and laughing out loud just seems weird).
Premieres Tuesday, September 20, 9:30 PM, FOX

Harry's Law: This show got some really mixed reviews last year, largely because of the David E. Kelley tendency for way larger than life plot devices and his penchant for preaching his point of view in the courtroom scenes. Yet, largely because of Kathy Bates and Christopher McDonald, I enjoyed the show and look forward to seeing it again.
Premieres Wednesday, September 21, 10:00 PM, NBC

Law & Order: SVU: This show is starting to wear on me. It's storylines are so depressing that it's exhausting to watch at times. However, I am interested to see how this season will unfold without Christopher Meloni.
Premieres Wednesday, September 21, 10:00 PM, NBC

Kitchen Nightmares: My love affair with Gordon Ramsey continues. I watch all three of his shows, Hell's Kitchen, Master Chef, and Kitchen Nightmares. I've gotten my hearty helpings of HK and MC this summer, so I'm ready for another course of KitchenNightmares.
Premieres Friday, September 23, 8:00 PM, FOX


Fringe: This show gets better every season and now that we are into Season 4 my hopes are high. In the last episode we didn't just jump into an alternate universe but we jumped into the future too. John Noble as Dr. Walter Bishop consistently delivers Emmy-worthy performances definitely worth watching.
Premieres Friday, September 23, 9:00 PM, FOX

Meh
These are shows both new and returning that I am just not that excited about.

Charlie's Angels: Yes, I liked the movies. Yes, I should be excited because there is a black angel. Yes, I really enjoyed Minka Kelly on Friday Night Lights. Yet, nothing about this show interest me. Like the section says, "Meh."
Premieres Thursday, September 22, 8:00 PM, ABC

Grey's Anatomy: I'll watch it because Eric Dane is ridiculously hot, but I'm tired of Meredith and Christina's acting. High school ended for them like 15 years ago, so it's about time they grew the hell up and started acting like real women.
Premieres Thursday, September 22, 9:00 PM, ABC


Whitney: I've seen promos for this show for months now, and it just doesn't seem funny. In fact, every time I see 'Whitney' all I can thing of is how much I want her to get some rest or do something about the bags under her eyes!
Premieres Thursday, September 22, 9:30 PM, NBC

Prime Suspect: It was successful for years on the other side of the pond, but I'm not so sure about this version featuring Maria Bello. There is just something about the way this character comes across in the promos that makes me not want to watch it.
Premieres Thursday, September 22, 10:00 PM, NBC

Desperate Housewives: It's the last season and frankly, it's about time. I'll probably watch it because it's the last season but it's definitely not must see TV in my house.
Premieres Sunday, September 25, 9:00 PM, ABC

Get Your Facts Straight!

I've heard it reported throughout the day that Will Smith and Jada Pinkett were separating. The story struck me as odd, so I started doing a little investigation. And all I had to do was a little.

What did I find?

I found that In Touch Weekly had an 'inside' source who talked about the separation. However, I didn't find an official announcement from a publicist, which is routine in these situations.

What's disturbing is that so many people initially reported this nonsense. My degree is in journalism, but my, how things have changed since I graduated (you should know better than to ask me when that was)! It's scary to think how quickly these media outlets will abandon little things like corroboration and fact-checking in their race to be the first to report the news ... even if it isn't news.

Here is the statement that Will and Jada issued to E! News.

"Although we are reluctant to respond to these types of press reports, the rumors circulating about our relationship are completely false. We are still together, and our marriage is intact."

In fact, as soon as the story broke family members and friends began tweeting that the story wasn't true.

The Moral of The Story: Wait for the facts before you believe the first thing you hear ... or visit me because I don't deal in rumors and I will dig until I find the truth!

Ummm... Thanks but No Thanks

The other day, I was talking to my friend Tanya. She was all excited about the Basketball Wives reunion show. She asked me if I planned to watch and I told her no. Actually, I think I told her "Hell no!"

You see, as much as I love Hell's Kitchen, Master Chef and American Idol, I don't get into reality shows about fake celebrities and women who are on TV solely because they are huge-egoed, histrionic, bitchy drama queens.

So I don't watch: Basketball Wives, or any of The Real (NOT) Housewives shows. These women are in a word, ridiculous. Who ever heard of grown women fighting? You mean to tell me that you are in your 30's, married (or divorced or in the case of half the Basketball Wives a baby momma), have kids, and are living some allegedly lavish life, and you can't find a better way to solve a problem?

I'm sorry but I just can't watch those women. I couldn't stand to be in a room with any of them for 5 minutes. And no, I'm not hating. These women have nothing to hate. In fact, they are living proof that money (and fame) are not everything. I'd rather have sense and class any day. Most of the women I've seen on these shows have neither.

I think I watched two episodes of Real Housewives of Atlanta. When I'm on my deathbed, I'll want that hour back.

In fact, I take a pass on the celebrity reality shows too. I don't care that Ice Loves Coco. I say "Oh no!" to the T.O. Show. Gene Simmons can keep his Family Jewels. I could care less about Kesha Cole or DMX's Soul.

The idea that these people are supposed to be interesting because they are famous is laughable. I guess we're suppose to think ... "Oh look, they have trifling relatives just like me, I feel so much better!" Or, are we supposed to look at everything there money can buy and be impressed? Maybe we are supposed to look at their difficulties and think "Wow! They have problemss too. They really are human!" Sorry, that isn't working for me. If anything these shows prove that athletic, musical or acting talent is no substitute for substance.

I think I saw 10 minutes of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. I could actually feel the brain cells dying. In fact, they weren't just dying, they were committing suicide!

Guess Who's Back??? It's Me!

I’m back! And, I’m definitely looking forward to the Fall Season. My birthday is September 21 and it falls smack dab in the middle of Premiere Week. In fact, The X Factor premieres on my birthday. So as I get back into the swing of things, let me share some of my thoughts on what I’ve been watching over the summer.


Favorite Networks

As fans of this blog (both of you) know, I’m a FOX girl. I watch a lot of FOX, some NBC, a little ABC and no CBS. I’ve given some thought about why CBS isn’t on my radar and I can’t figure it out. Suffice to say if you are looking for NCIS, or CSI or The Good Wife, you’ll want to look elsewhere.


Lately, my new obsession – and it is an obsession is ID TV – Identification Discovery. It is what CourtTV used to be before it morphed into the unwatchable TruTV. It’s all crime all of the time. Seriously, I have spent almost entire days watching episodes of Wicked Attraction, Deadly Women, The Nightmare Next Door and most recently Unusual Suspects. I cannot explain my fascination with true crime … suffice to say that I share a birthday with Stephen King.


The Glee Project

I watched this show religiously every week. In fact, my last few blogs before my hiatus were about The Glee Project which ended last night. I was ultimately happy. The last four standing were Lindsay (I started off liking her but she turned out to be a major b***h); Alex (who I abhorred from Day One and my animosity toward him grew with each passing week); Samuel (white boys with dreds are kinda creepy but outside of that he was okay); and, Damian (my favorite, the cutie with the Irish brogue).


Last week, all four moved into the finals and I spent a solid week and one hour dreading that Alex would win and my favorite show would be tainted with that shrill non-acting drag/drama queen for seven excruciating episodes.


Thankfully, I’m only stuck with him for two! Samuel and Damian were the last two standing and Sam ended up winning (and I didn’t mind that). Yet, before I could even fully formulate my disappointment, Ryan announced that Damian would also receive a 7-episode arc on the show. I was so happy!


Yet, Lindsay and Alex weren’t total losers (even though I would not have had a problem with that). Both will receive two-episode arcs. The only lingering disappointment I had was that Cameron had bowed out. I think he could have won it all. Both he and Damian with 7-episode arcs would have been amazing!


Rise of the Planet of the Apes

A lot of people have issues with evil clowns or just clowns, in genearal. I’m not Coulrophobic (that’s fear of clowns … don’t say you never learned anything from reading this blog!) – However, I do have a fear of evil
monkeys. Now, don't get me wrong, I love monkeys. In fact, according to Chinese astrology, I am a monkey (it sounds vaguely racist for a black girl to be a monkey. Anyway…). So monkeys, good. Evil monkeys, bad.


A co-worker asked if I’d be seeing Rise of Planet of the Apes and I explained that I would not be seeing it on the count that the monkey in the commercial looked evil. Then my dad came for a visit and surprise! He wanted to see Rise of the Planet of the Apes.


I was surprised at how good the movie was. It was a thoroughly unexpected surprise.


First off, the monkey, Caesar, wasn’t evil. He was just mad, sad and upset and for good reason. Once I knew he wasn’t evil, I was fine. Yet, the movie was just overall really good. I loved the way they explained the rise of the apes as well as the demise of the humans.


The actor that played Caesar was incredible. Apparently, they did some CGI effects to get his expressions to register on Caesar’s face and it was incredible. The nuances and subtleties that came across were amazing.


This proves that once again, Father really does know best!