Monthly Archives: January 2015

Review – Rihanna’s “FourFiveSeconds”

January 28, 2015Music, Pop CultureCommentary, Music, Review, Rihannadignaj55

It’s been a little over two years since Rihanna’s last album, Unapologetic, was released in November, 2012. Her last official single, Right Now, was released in May, 2013. And besides a brief 6-dates tour with Eminem last summer, she hasn’t toured in a while. So not surprisingly, the Navy (for those not in the know, that’s what Rihanna’s fans refer to themselves as) has been a little antsy, anxiously awaiting something new from RiRi.

Well late last week she delivered, posting a tweet linking to her new single, FourFiveSeconds, on her official website. The just over 3 minute track features Kanye West and legend Paul McCartney. I’ve listened to the track a few times and naturally have some thoughts about it 🙂 I’ll start with the pros first.

Pros

It’s different than anything else she’s done. This is the one thing I’ve always loved most about Rihanna – she has always straddled the line between rock, pop, dance, reggae and more, making her surprisingly versatile. It also keeps her from being boring and predictable, which is always a good thing in my book.

Vocally she sounds really good. Rihanna has never been a vocal powerhouse a la Adele but I’ve always liked her tone and thought there was a deep and rich gravely element to it. That tone is very beautifully on display here.

The song is very pleasant musically. I like that it isn’t buried under too many sounds like so many current hits. Instead, the production is fairly minimal and bare bones with Paul McCartney’s guitar playing the most dominant sound.

Cons

There is way too much of Kanye West on this track. No offense to Yeezus, but after more than two years, I imagine most Rihanna fans wanted to hear her. Not 50 percent Rihanna and 50 percent Kanye. Not to mention that his singing is really not much to write home about.

What exactly is the point of having Paul McCartney on a song if he never sings? I mean the guitar playing was great but it is Paul McCartney, you at least expect him to sing a line or two. Not to mention that not for nothing, I’d have taken listening to him instead of Kanye.

The song was good not great and at first, I was certain it was simply a buzz single to announce a new album was coming but not the actual lead single. That was until Rihanna herself tweeted confirming it is her first single. That truly surprises me. Like I said, it’s a good song but sounds more second or even third single, but definitely not the first single for a long awaited new album.

So these are my thoughts. What do you think of FourFiveSeconds?

2015 Screen Actors Guild Awards

January 27, 2015Award Shows, Celebrity, Pop CultureAward Show, Celebrities, Commentary, Movies, Pop Culture, SAG Awards, Televisiondignaj55

The 21^st Annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, the penultimate American award show before the Academy Awards (I noted American because the British Academy of Film Awards are still to come and they have also been a significant indicator of Oscar winners in recent years), were held this past weekend. Like the Critics Choice, the SAG Awards is a more low key affair than the Golden Globes but is significant in that it celebrates actors by other actors. The following are my best and worst from this year’s ceremony.

Best

Eddie Redmayne Upsets Michael Keaton – Redmayne pulled off the upset, winning the award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, which many predicted would go to Michael Keaton. This excited me for three reasons. One, if one read my reviews of both the Globes and the Critics Choice, you would note that I have been saying despite early predictors, I truly believe that Redmayne could pull off the upset and win the Oscar for Best Actor. So his winning Sunday night just added validity to my suspicion and little fact about me, I like being right 🙂 Two, I like when there is a genuine race at the Academy Awards. While it’s nice for the actors who clean up during award season, it does make it a bit boring when by Oscar night, all the wins are pretty much a foregone conclusion. Finally, I am happy for Redmayne’s win because I saw both films and while I thought Keaton was wonderful in Birdman, I felt he was somewhat overshadowed by Edward Norton for the first half of the film, while Redmayne was absolutely brilliant throughout A Theory of Everything.

Modern Family Dethroned – For the first time in years, Modern Family went home completely empty handed, losing Lead Actor and Actress in a Comedy, as well as Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series to Orange is the New Black. And it was well overdue in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, I still like Modern Family and it is a pleasant enough way to spend 30 minutes a week. However, it is by no means the best sitcom on television and hasn’t been for at least the last two seasons.

Uzo Aduba & Viola Davis’ Brilliant Speeches – I was thrilled for both women and thought they both delivered beautiful, humble and powerful speeches about self-acceptance. I was particularly moved by Aduba’s revelation that she got the part in Orange Is the New Black just as she was ready to give up on her dream of being an actress. A nice reminder that sometimes our dreams are just around the corner.

Birdman Upsets Boyhood – This thrilled me for the same reason Eddie Redmayne’s win did. That is, suddenly we have a legitimate Oscar race for Best Picture. Until week or so ago, Boyhood’s winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards seemed all but written in stone but now this seems less of a guarantee. It should be noted that American Hustle won the Ensemble award last year but 12 Years A Slave still went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars. However, what was most significant about Birdman’s win on Sunday, is that it came right on the heels (a day later to be exact) of the movie’s win at the Producers Guild Awards for Best Theatrical Motion Picture. This is important because the last seven Producers Guild Best Picture winners went on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

Jared Leto & Lupita Nyong’o – So I could not possibly be the only who is “shipping” those two. Okay, well not really, but you have to admit they make a very, very pretty picture together. Also, I know am not the only one sensing an odd sexual tension between them. All I’m saying is if it did happen, I would approve.

Worst

William H. Macy’s Speech – Okay, first of all, I adore Macy as an actor. I think he is absolutely brilliant and one of the best actors in Hollywood. I was also thrilled for his Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series win, because I think Shameless is long overdue for some critical and award show love. That said, I really hated his speech. I am certain he was probably just trying to be funny but it veered very quickly from funny to awkward and slightly uncomfortable. Still like him though and still happy he won.

Tribute to Hollywood – As is often the case, the show does a tribute to some special part of the history of films. This year’s tribute focused on Hollywood’s depiction of social issues throughout the decades. While I appreciated the intent and there were a few poignant moments throughout, I felt like this missed the mark a bit. The entire video felt a bit rushed and badly pieced together with the clips not flowing as well as they should have.

Frances McDormand – Like William H. Macy, I love Frances McDormand’s talent and think she’s a brilliant actress. That said, her bored, seemingly annoyed face and disinterested body language is really a turn off. I don’t know if this is some schtick she’s working this year, much like Emma Thompson’s “everyone’s favorite drunk Aunt” act last award season but it’s really very unappealing. I noticed it at the Globes and it was just as bad at the SAG and it makes her seem slightly ungrateful and a little pretentious. I almost want to say “no one’s holding a gun to your head forcing you to attend these shows Frances…”

Debbie Reynold’s Tribute – This wasn’t all bad. I loved the video montage of her career and there were parts of her speech that were funny and adorable. However I found many moments of Carrie Fisher’s a little awkward particularly the snarky comments about her and Debbie’s not so great relationship throughout the years. I guess it’s great that they’re at a place where they can joke about it but it’s still a little uncomfortable and a bit too close to home, in my opinion.

The Fashion – There was no unmitigated disaster but there was no “wow” moment either. In fact, the best way I could sum up the fashion of the night was one big “meh.” It was in all rather boring. There were some beautiful moments, such as Felicity Jones’ gorgeous blush Balenciaga and Camilla Alves’ purple Donna Karen Atelier bombshell gown but all in all, a rather boring night for fashion.

Critics Choice Awards 2015

January 16, 2015Award Shows, Celebrity, Pop CultureAward Show, Critics Choice Awards, Movies, Pop Culturedignaj55

The 20^th annual Critics Choice Awards, presented by the Broadcast Film Critics Association, was held last night and aired on A&E. While certainly a lot more subdued than the Golden Globes, the awards are significant because like the Globes, Screen Actors’ Guild Award (SAG), British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award (BAFTA) and numerous unaired awards (LA Film Critics, New York Film Critics, National Board of Review, etc.), they act as an precursor for what is likely to happen, come Oscar night. So while not the huge party the Globes were, I still had a few observations about last night’s show:

The Host – So who thought it was a good idea to have Michael Strahan host the awards this year? That just seemed a very odd choice and that became even more obvious right from the start of the show. He tried (boy did he try…) but it just did not work – the costumes rather than funny, felt more desperate for laughs and a lot of the interactions with the celebrities felt incredibly awkward. Honestly, the best part of his hosting performance was that he was not on for a lot of the show.

The Broadcast Critics Clearly Don’t Always See Eye-to-Eye With The Academy – One of the most interesting parts of the show, especially coming on the same day the Academy Award nominations were revealed, was seeing how many movies and/or actors, writers, directors, etc. the Critics loved that the Academy clearly didn’t. The most striking example of this was the Best Director category which included both Angelina Jolie for Unbroken and Ava DuVernay for Selma, as well as David Fincher for Gone Girl. The Academy ignored all three, instead, nominating Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher and Morten Tyldum for The Imitation Game, along with the perennial favorites, Richard Linklater for Boyhood, Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel and Alejandro G. Inarritu for Birdman.

The significant difference between the Critics voting and the Academy’s, was the win last night for The Lego Movie for Best Animated Feature Film. This was particularly bittersweet for the movie’s producers because after losing, in what many considered a huge surprise and upset, to How To Train Your Dragon 2 at the Globes, they were completely snubbed by the Academy. Clearly Academy voters just didn’t see what the Broadcast Critics and many others saw in this film.

The Winners May Be Set – If, as noted above, the Critics Choice is an excellent indicator, like the Globes and other awards, of what’s to come Oscar night, it’s looking pretty likely that the Acting (Michael Keaton for Best Actor, Julianne Moore for Best Actress, J.K. Simmons for Best Supporting Actor and Patricia Arquette for Best Supporting Actress), Director (Richard Linklater for Boyhood) and Best Picture (Boyhood) categories are a done deal. However, call me crazy, but I still think there is a very strong possibility for an “upset” in the Best Actor category on Oscar night and Eddie Redmayne will win. Because the only thing Academy voters love more than a comeback tale is a dramatic transformation like the one Eddie had to undergo to play famed physicist Stephen Hawkings. I am very interested to see what happens at the Screen Actors Guild as I feel fairly certain Eddie will win the BAFTA for Best Actor.

There was really no amazing fashion to speak of but I would like to give an honorary mention to Jennifer Aniston for proving she can do something interesting and step out of her predictable fashion box. This was by no means my favorite look (I think the jacket is a bit too low and make her boobs look a bit saggy) but I’m just happy to see the woman is capable of something beyond basic black. And I say this as someone who loves black but it’s always nice to shake it up once in awhile.

N.B. Image courtesy Google Images

Commentary on the Amal Alamuddin Clooney Media Love

January 13, 2015Celebrity, Pop CultureCelebrities, Commentary, Pop Culture, The Golden Globes, TIMEdignaj55

As is customary, the first few days after a big Hollywood award show like The Golden Globes, is filled with media articles breaking down who won what, who wore what, who showed up with whom, what we didn’t see during the show and more. Hell, I even did a recap (see below).

And this year’s post-Globes post mortem was no different. Among all the talk about winners, snubs, gowns, etc. there was, not surprisingly, a lot of focus on Amal Alamuddin Clooney who made her first Hollywood red carpet appearance with her husband George Clooney.

There was talk about her gown (Dior, in case you were wondering), her gloves and her reaction to George’s speech, particularly when he expressed his love for her. However much of the press focused on the belief that she looked and appeared bored throughout the night.

Now let me just say I don’t agree or disagree that she was bored because I don’t know her. Maybe that was just her normal expression or maybe she was simply overwhelmed by the event. As accomplished as this woman is, she was not a celebrity and having her first major red carpet be for a show as hectic and chaotic as the Globes, had to be a little daunting. That said, however she truly felt or not, many publications decided that she was bored which led to articles like this TIME piece, which is really the inspiration for this blog post.

Let me be very clear that I too respect all that this woman has accomplished in her life and career. That being said, something about this article and many similar comments I read online, throughout the night of the Globes and the next day, bothered me. And I have pinpointed two key reasons why.

First, the whole tone feels somewhat dismissive of the Arts. Yes, I know the article talks about an award show and celebrities patting themselves on the back and certainly, watching rich, very privileged people, many of whom may be complete jerks in real life, get more accolades, can be incredibly annoying.

That said, every time I see all Alamuddin’s accomplishments listed in an article like this, coupled with such comments that there are “more important things going on in the world”, I feel like it’s a bit dismissive of the Arts and is really saying that what these entertainers do is not important and is all so stupid and silly.

And just to be clear, I’m not trying to pretend that being an actor is equivalent to saving lives or is the most amazing career in the world (not to mention so many of the very mediocre “singers”, “actors”, etc. with very successful careers) but I do firmly believe that Art is important and that it does have its place and purpose in the world. Because I don’t know about anyone else, but I cannot imagine living in a world where I did not have art, music, dance, film and literature. I don’t think I would be able to truly function.

So again, while I fully respect and admire the accomplishments Amal Alamuddin has achieved in her life and the work that she’s done, I don’t think it is fair to seemingly dismiss the work of many of these artists because their accomplishments is in film and television.

The second thing that bothers me about articles like these and other publications which said more or less the same thing, is that I find it a tad hypocritical. Without question, the U.S. is a celebrity obsessed culture saturated with tabloids, celebrity news, celebrity pomp and circumstance, etc. Shows like the Golden Globes are what they are particularly because there is an audience for it. Many people LOVE the glitz and the glamor which means there is a huge market for it and precisely because of this, many of these same publications are happy to feed into and be a part of the machine.

So I find it just a little hypocritical, when articles are written almost mocking and dismissing shows like the Golden Globes as frivolous and silly when many of these same publications devote plenty of page space to writing about these same celebrities who attend these award shows and being just as guilty of feeding the celebrity culture machine. And why – because it sells. By the way, for all her accomplishments that are now touted so often, how many times was Alamuddin featured in TIME or any of its publications, before she started dating and eventually married Hollywood actor, George Clooney? Go ahead, check…I can wait for the answer

2015 Golden Globe Awards

January 13, 2015Award ShowsAward Show, Celebrity, Fashion, Movies, Television, The Golden Globesdignaj55

The 72^nd Annual Golden Globe Awards were held last night and it delivered many of the elements that make it “Hollywood’s Biggest Party of the Year” – funny hosts, celebrities enjoying a little too much champagne, awkward acceptance speeches, heartwarming and tear-filled speeches and exciting surprise wins.

I love the Golden Globes. Next to the Grammy Awards, it is my favorite award show and a lot of the love has to do with the aforementioned drunk celebrities, awkward, funny and sometimes beautiful speeches. But more importantly, I really enjoy the Globes because the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) loves rewarding new shows.

No disrespect to the Primetime Emmy Awards and the deserving actors/actresses who are awarded, but let’s be honest, it’s boring watching the same show and/or same actors win year after year (looking at you, Modern Family). It eventually starts to feel like there’s no point even watching when we already know who’s going to win. Not the case with the Globes, and this year was no different. The following are some of my highlights from this year’s show:

One for the Road (Amy & Tina) – Amy Poehler and Tina Fey will not return next year as the show’s hosts (no word yet on who’s replacing them) which sucks, but they certainly went out on a high. While the Bill Cosby jokes felt a little “too much too soon” and clearly had many of the celebrities uncomfortably squirming in their seats, I applaud their having the cojones to go for it. Only complaint, they weren’t on nearly enough. At one point, it almost felt like they’d all but vanished.

Congratulations Freshman Class of 2015 – Sticking with their tradition, the Globes awarded many fresh new faces and shows this year. The television categories were dominated by newcomers, most notably Gina Rodriguez, whose win for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy for her role on Jane The Virgin, gave the CW its first Golden Globe win ever in the network’s history. Other newcomers to the party was Jeffrey Tambor for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy, while his show Transparent won for Best Comedy Series and Matt Bomer, who won Best Supporting Actor for a Mini-series/TV Movie for his revelatory performance in HBO’s A Normal Heart. Showtime’s sexy newcomer The Affair won Best Drama, while its star Ruth Wilson, won Best Lead Actress in a Drama. All were well deserved in my opinion.

Speeches (The Good, the Bad & the Plain Awkward) – To be fair, none of the speeches this year were particularly awful which while great for the winners, was a little boring for me. However there were still a few gems during the night – both good and bad.

The Good – I was particularly moved by Gina Rodriguez and Matt Bomer, both clearly very appreciative and humbled by their wins, as well as Michael Keaton and Julianne Moore, two stars with long careers but still not too cynical or jaded to truly appreciate the moment.
The Bad – These speeches weren’t so much as they weren’t so great, starting with George Clooney. I like George Clooney and am happy for him for his Cecille B. Demille honor but his speech, while perfectly fine, was almost too perfect and therefore seemed a little too rehearsed. I felt like some real heart and emotion was missing. It was a a bit too polished for my taste. The other bad on my list was Wes Anderson’s speech after his film The Grand Budapest Hotel won Best Picture – Comedy/Musical. I get it, Wes Anderson is a snarky, satirical writer (just watch any one of his many films) and I really enjoyed the first part of his speech and didn’t mind so much the “let me shout out the HFPA members” schtick. It’s just after a second or two, the “let me list as crazy a name as possible” started feeling a bit culturally insensitive. Sort of a “they’re foreign so they must have weird sounding names.” Humor like that is always a very fine line. Finally, Bonnie Arnold, who won for How to Train a Dragon 2 makes my bad list for talking and rambling until he was all but played out, without ever giving his co-producer who was standing right next to him, clearly wanting to say something, a chance to give her thanks. Not gentlemanly at all.
The Awkward – One word, Amy Adams. Bless her heart and I quite like Amy Adams but I guess she really was honest about not believing she would win and not just being self-deprecating. That is, if her acceptance speech is anything to go by. It was a rambly, sometimes incoherent, very repetitive mess. And let’s not even mention her very awkward shout out to her publicist who is pregnant with twins, that many thought was really her revealing that she was expecting twins. Again…weird. I still like you though Amy but maybe lay off the booze at the SAG.

We Didn’t See That Coming (Best Surprise Wins) – For an award show that loves rewarding freshman shows and stars, it’s little wonder that it also often has its share of “surprise” wins and this year was no different. The night’s first big “upset” was HBO’s very acclaimed mystery crime drama True Detective and its lead star Matthew McConaughey, losing Best Mini-series/TV Movie and Best Actor in a Mini-Series/TV Movie to Showtime’s Fargo and Billy Bob Thornton, respectively. On one hand this was actually not that shocking, as Fargo swept these same categories at this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards. However, they didn’t have to compete against True Detective, as HBO took the calculated gamble of submitting the show and its stars in the Drama category (spoiler alert – it didn’t work. They lost). Many believed appropriately submitting it in the Mini-Series category for the Globes would make the show fare better, especially with newly minted Academy Award winner McConaughey in the mix but clearly, voters weren’t as enamored with the show as the critics and audience were. The other big surprises were The Grand Budapest Hotel besting Birdman for Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical and The Lego Movie losing Best Animated Movie to How to Train Your Dragon 2. I have to say I was thrilled about the former result. As brilliant as Birdman is, I don’t believe it is really a Comedy and it is certainly not a Musical. So for the category that it was in, The Grand Budapest Hotel truly was the better film.

Finally…The Fashion of Course – What is an award show without amazing fashions and this year’s Golden Globes was no different. There was no outstanding Lupita N’Yongo moment for me (though she definitely worked it but certainly not as star turning as last year) but still some beautiful gowns. And as always, there was definitely the “what were they thinking” moments (Oh Kiera…why?). The following are my 5 best dressed and the one that made me go “really…really?”

N.B. All images courtesy Google Images

Love this. It’s true to who she is while being sleek, sophisticated and even a little sexy

Yes pants again…but hey, I can’t help it if they both rocked it and rocked it Emma did. Like Lorde’s outfit, this is sleek and sophisticated with a little bad ass element to it.

Wasn’t really in love with the gloves at first but knowing that she wore them in solidarity for the French due to their recent terror attacks, I can live with it. The dress is gorgeous though.

Nothing too out of the ordinary for Amy but hey, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. This is well tailored, well fitted piece and I think the color looks gorgeous on her. She also gets points for being one of the few whose hair was not a mess last night.

Hollywood bombshell…that’s all. This dress is all Hollywood sexy glamour and says “I’m a star that you’re going to pay attention to.” Love it.

And for the worst:

Just…why? I have nothing else but why…

PoPnOgR@PhY

Pop Culture Musings