My brother shared this video (actually, Audi commercial “Zachary Quinto vs. Leonard Nimoy: “The Challenge” that was posted May 6 on YouTube) with me on Facebook and I just had to share it with you. It made this sci-fi girl happy. Plus, it gives me an excuse to tell everyone how much I loved “Star Trek Into Darkness.” It’s AWESOME! Beehiver Rick Bentley shares that enthusiasm, read his “A” review here. You can also watch video interviews with cast members Simon Pegg, John Cho and Alice Evehere. Enjoy.
This video of Fresno’s favorite Broadway superstar Audra McDonald singing “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with Stephen Colbert on “The Colbert Report“ is just the thing we need to get into the holiday spirit.
There are several good entertainment choices for the weekend.
TELEVISION “Ask Obama Live: An MTV Interview with the President,” 5 p.m. MTV: As part of MTV’s “Power of 12” election campaign, President Barack Obama will address the concerns of young voters in this cable special. It should be interesting. Former President Bill Clinton was asked about his underwear during a similar event on the cable channel. Little did we know then the importance of that question. Please note that the “live” part of this program is only on the East Coast.
MOVIES “Cloud Atlas”:Not since “2001: A Space Odyssey” has a film come along that’s such a marvel of moviemaking and a frustrating test of comprehension as “Cloud Atlas.” The latest work by Andy and Lana Wachowski, the minds behind “The Matrix,” re-imagines the art of moviemaking by creating a product that finds cohesion in confusion, distinction in disorder and symmetry in asymmetry.
DVD “Alcatraz: The Complete Series”: The short-lived FOX series from J.J. Abrams looks at what happens when all of the guards and prisoners at the prison vanish, then begin reappearing years later. It’s “Lost” meets “Prison Break.” The series was canceled despite strong writing and acting after only 13 episodes. Sarah Jones portrays a strong hero, while Jorge Garcia offers just the right amount of humor to keep this show from being too dark. It also features the always reliable Sam Neill.
Fierce Creatures’ “Satan is a Vampire” is one of my favorite songs to come out of Fresno in the past few years. So I was happy to get a different take on the song from this animated video. It was made by The General Populus, a rapper and artist in town (also a good friend of mine).
He wasn’t commissioned by the band, Populus says, he just saw a story in the song and animated it. Pretty fresh, if you ask me.
With one second remaining in the first half, watch as Stephanie Quattrociochi of the University of Cumberlands basketball team sinks a shot from 86 feet away:
Hey, y’all, Screamup Tweetup at Fright Night Scream Park is less than a week away. Are you scared already? It’s next Thursday, Oct. 21, featuring good peeps, spooky attractions and nice discounts to said attractions. There’s also a pre-party at Rio Grill with cheap drinks and free food. What’s not to like?
Did you ever notice that the name is a bit of a tongue-twister? Screamup Tweetup. Go ahead try to say it a few times fast. That’s what we asked people to do. Enjoy the results.
I was lucky enough to see “Inception” on Monday night at Manchester Center. And I really mean lucky. This is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. It has everything a sci-fi geek could want – amazing drama, building tension (so much so at one point I realized I was clutching my fist so tight my arm ached), cool special effects and a captivating love story. I’m not alone in my enthusiasm for this ingenious Chirstopher Nolan tale. I haven’t see a bad review yet. The Dumb Drum guys loved it. So have countless newspaper and magazine critics, including the Bee’s Rick Bentley who gave it an A. Here’s his one-minute video review:
All I can say, is you have to see this movie. It will blow your mind. I haven’t stopped thinking about it.
The original “Clash” was one of my favorite movies growing up. I don’t know if it was my childhood love affair with unicorns and flying horses, the mythology, the great campy fun or that the movie was on cable all the time, but I must have watched it more than a dozen times. I loved the Medusa part, in particular. And it’s the new Medusa, who looks WICKED!, that’s piqued my interest.
Though its getting panned by some critics, our own film critic Rick Bentley appreciates the new movie’s fun, escapist tone (and he really digs the original):
I’m still not sure about all these remakes, especially “Karate Kid” and “Red Dawn.” I mean, really, do we need to mess with these 80s jems? But I will at least keep an open mind (even if it means going against Mike Oz).
When I saw this remix of NFL coaches, an image of Mike shaking his head flashed in my mind. This technology really can make anyone sound good. At least this remix is intended to be funny.
Cage the Elephant packed ‘em into Audie’s Olympic on Sunday night. It was a sold-out crowd, all rockin’ out to the Kentucky-bred band’s rock-meets-funk sound.
It was actually a lot more rambunctious than I expected. Some guy even walked past me throwing up the devil horns and yelling “Hardcore!” While, I wouldn’t go that far, there was some moshing and stage diving from audience members.
But Cage the Elephant were the stars of the show, playing a tight 50-minute set of songs off their self-titled debut album. That included their hit, “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked.” Here are some videos, including one from opening act Morning Teleportation.
The quote of the night came from Rick Roddam, of 105.1 The Blaze, who said: “This is one of those shows that five years from now, 1,500 people will say they were at.”
About 250 people filled Visalia’s Cellar Door on Wednesday night to see Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan play an intimate show.
Corgan’s set was broken up into three parts: A folksy opening with Spirits in the Sky, the band he assembled for this six-city tour. An acoustic middle where most of the band left the stage. And an electric ending, where he was joined on guitar by Dave Navarro (Jane’s Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers).
There are several good entertainment choices for the weekend.