Well the results are in and your American Idol for 2009 is Kris Allen. I have to say that given everything I've heard lately I'm not too surprised. First off you have all the people who figured that Adam was going to win no matter what and just flat out didn't vote. Then you've got all of these conservative Christian groups who said they would vote for Kris because he was better. Then there were a ton of anti-gay groups that were getting people to vote for Kris.
But I think the big nail in the coffin for Adam was the song that they both had to sing. It's almost like they purposefully chose a song that did not fit his voice at all. That song seemed to be tailor made for Kris and only Kris. Then there is the fact that throughout the competition he couldn't sing the kinds of songs that he really wanted to sing. I hear that he had expressed an interest to do things from bands like Nine Inch Nails and Type O Negative but the producers refused to let him do that for whatever reason. I think they had an idea that with Kris they would get someone who was more radio friendly and they backed Adam into a corner. Now I could be wrong and the results are just from the fact that Kris had so many more people on his side.
But here is my prediction. I think that Kris is going to wind up like a few other Idols in the past like Ruben, Taylor and Jordin. While in the meantime Adam goes on to sell a ton of albums like Daughtry or Clay. But I think Adam might wind up with a slight advantage not being the winner. Since he's not the winner he might have more freedom to make the kind of music that he wants to make. He has said that he would love to work with Trent Reznor and Trent has even said that he'd like to work with Adam. So I think that a collaboration between the two of them is inevitable.
I guess I have to say congratulations to Kris but in this instance the better man did not win.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
American Idol Week 14
Adam Lambert (Mad World) - This was really good the first time he did it and it was just as good this time around. I think he chose a really good song. Plus I like the fact that he went with the Gary Jules version rather than the Tears for Fears version.
Kris Allen (Ain't No Sunshine) - A good choice from him. He did a good job with this song the first time he did it on the show. I think it was better this time around. It didn't blow me away or anything but he did a better job with it this time.
Adam Lambert (A Change Is Gonna Come) - Adam is more of a modern rock guy so giving him an older R&B song is an interesting choice. But he made it his own with the style and with the guitar. I wouldn't count this among his best performances and I think something by Nine Inch Nails or a harder rock group would have fit him better. But he did a good job considering he did not get to choose the song.
Kris Allen (What's Going On) - Simon Fuller seems to have a thing for older R&B. First he picks Sam Cooke and then he picks Marvin Gaye. I thought that he did a job with it. It didn't sound too much like an R&B song and having the acoustic guitar was a good idea. You can't do better than Marvin Gaye but he made the song his own and I like this one better than some of his recent performances.
Adam Lambert (No Boundaries) - Now it's time for them to sing the same song. Of course since Kara writes songs they had to do one that she co-wrote. I have to say that I'm not too crazy about the song and I think they should have done the songwriting competition like they did the last two years. I just don't think this song fit his voice at all. I think he did as much as he could with it but it just didn't fit him that well.
Kris Allen (No Boundaries) - Funny thing is while this song didn't fit Adam's voice at all I think it fit Kris's voice pretty well. This is the kind of song that fits his style. Not his best but I think they were both limited by the fact that the song just isn't that good.
Kris Allen (Ain't No Sunshine) - A good choice from him. He did a good job with this song the first time he did it on the show. I think it was better this time around. It didn't blow me away or anything but he did a better job with it this time.
Adam Lambert (A Change Is Gonna Come) - Adam is more of a modern rock guy so giving him an older R&B song is an interesting choice. But he made it his own with the style and with the guitar. I wouldn't count this among his best performances and I think something by Nine Inch Nails or a harder rock group would have fit him better. But he did a good job considering he did not get to choose the song.
Kris Allen (What's Going On) - Simon Fuller seems to have a thing for older R&B. First he picks Sam Cooke and then he picks Marvin Gaye. I thought that he did a job with it. It didn't sound too much like an R&B song and having the acoustic guitar was a good idea. You can't do better than Marvin Gaye but he made the song his own and I like this one better than some of his recent performances.
Adam Lambert (No Boundaries) - Now it's time for them to sing the same song. Of course since Kara writes songs they had to do one that she co-wrote. I have to say that I'm not too crazy about the song and I think they should have done the songwriting competition like they did the last two years. I just don't think this song fit his voice at all. I think he did as much as he could with it but it just didn't fit him that well.
Kris Allen (No Boundaries) - Funny thing is while this song didn't fit Adam's voice at all I think it fit Kris's voice pretty well. This is the kind of song that fits his style. Not his best but I think they were both limited by the fact that the song just isn't that good.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Movie review: Star Trek
One of the longest running movie series to date is the Star Trek movies. It started with Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979. The movie wasn't too well received by critics and fans but they redeemed themselves with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. So now we are on the 11th movie in the series. This one is directed by J.J. Abrams (Mission: Impossible III and Cloverfield). Now I have to say before I start this review that I am somewhat biased. I have been a Star Trek fan for most of my life. I would not really consider myself a Trekkie as I've never been to a convention and I don't own any costumes. And I tend to prefer the Next Generation TV series but I have enjoyed the original cast movies.
The new movie just titled Star Trek is a reboot of the series. Like what was done for Batman with Batman Begins. We start at the very beginning and see the back story of some of the major characters and that leads us up to James T. Kirk joining Starfleet and winding up on the Enterprise.
I won't go too much into the plot but all of your classic Star Trek characters are there. Of course you have James T. Kirk played by Chris Pine, Spock played by Zachary Quinto who most would know as Syler on Heroes, Karl Urban and Dr. McCoy, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Simon Pegg from Shaun of the Dead and Run Fatboy Run as Scotty, John Cho from the Harold & Kumar movies as Sulu and Anton Yelchin as Chekov. I have to say that a few of the casting choices had me a little uneasy at first like John Cho playing Sulu. But all in all everyone did a good job.
Now the movie's main villain is Nero who is played by Eric Bana. He is roaming the universe searching for someone, I won't say who. But he is willing to kill anyone who gets in his way. Bana plays the part pretty well and he does a good job of fitting into the mold of most Star Trek villains. While he doesn't rank up with ones like Khan he does a pretty good job of holding his own and being a formidable adversary.
Star Trek has been known for action. This movie has plenty of action to go around and the action scenes are done well. Sometimes they are a little frantic but they are fun and exciting and it's always nice to see Kirk kicking some ass. Another big attraction to this movie are the special effects. They are top-notch but the ships and sets still hold that nostalgic Star Trek feel. The only thing is the lighting is a bit different than what you've seen from the series in the past.
Director J.J. Abrams seems to like rooms that are pretty brightly lit. Most of the scenes it seems like the light is coming from one or two sources and at times there is quite a bit of lens flare. This doesn't distract from what's going on but it gives the movie a much different look. Also Abrams is a fan of low and tilted camera angles. Thankfully he doesn't use these too much and what's going on isn't too hard to follow.
The Enterprise this time around has a bit of a different look than before. Aside from the lighting it also has the look of something not too far into the future. The engineering parts of the ship are covered with pipes and valves and metal walkways. It almost makes it look like some kind of ship that you would see today except this one travels through space. The color white is also everywhere instead of the dull gray from the original show.
I mentioned the acting from Eric Bana but I have to say that everyone else did a good job. I agree with what someone said that I had a worry that when I saw Spock I would just feel like I'm watching Syler playing Spock. But Quinto made the character his own and while he didn't play it quite like Nemoy it was a nice take on the younger version of Spock. I think Quinto's performance is the best of the movie, but again the entire cast did a real good job.
Star Trek has also been known for its sense of humor and this movie delivers some good jokes and sight gags. But they don't overshadow the rest of the movie and remind you of something you might have seen from the original series. Also Dr. McCoy is his usual self and delivers some pretty memorable lines.
The music in the movie was also really good. The score really fits the mood of any given scene and doesn't sound like what you've heard in the previous movies. In fact it's not until the end of the movie when you hear the theme that people are so familiar with.
I have heard a lot of people say that this is the best of all of the Star Trek movies. While this movie is good and is one of the best I don't think it is the best of the series. My pick for the best would be Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan but this one ranks up with the best and it also breaks the pattern that the odd numbered ones are usually not as good.
So if you are a fan of Star Trek I don't think I need to tell you to see this movie. But if you aren't familiar with the series this might be a good place to start. Or if you just like a good action movie or a good sci-fi movie you should check this one out.
My score: 8.5/10
The new movie just titled Star Trek is a reboot of the series. Like what was done for Batman with Batman Begins. We start at the very beginning and see the back story of some of the major characters and that leads us up to James T. Kirk joining Starfleet and winding up on the Enterprise.
I won't go too much into the plot but all of your classic Star Trek characters are there. Of course you have James T. Kirk played by Chris Pine, Spock played by Zachary Quinto who most would know as Syler on Heroes, Karl Urban and Dr. McCoy, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Simon Pegg from Shaun of the Dead and Run Fatboy Run as Scotty, John Cho from the Harold & Kumar movies as Sulu and Anton Yelchin as Chekov. I have to say that a few of the casting choices had me a little uneasy at first like John Cho playing Sulu. But all in all everyone did a good job.
Now the movie's main villain is Nero who is played by Eric Bana. He is roaming the universe searching for someone, I won't say who. But he is willing to kill anyone who gets in his way. Bana plays the part pretty well and he does a good job of fitting into the mold of most Star Trek villains. While he doesn't rank up with ones like Khan he does a pretty good job of holding his own and being a formidable adversary.
Star Trek has been known for action. This movie has plenty of action to go around and the action scenes are done well. Sometimes they are a little frantic but they are fun and exciting and it's always nice to see Kirk kicking some ass. Another big attraction to this movie are the special effects. They are top-notch but the ships and sets still hold that nostalgic Star Trek feel. The only thing is the lighting is a bit different than what you've seen from the series in the past.
Director J.J. Abrams seems to like rooms that are pretty brightly lit. Most of the scenes it seems like the light is coming from one or two sources and at times there is quite a bit of lens flare. This doesn't distract from what's going on but it gives the movie a much different look. Also Abrams is a fan of low and tilted camera angles. Thankfully he doesn't use these too much and what's going on isn't too hard to follow.
The Enterprise this time around has a bit of a different look than before. Aside from the lighting it also has the look of something not too far into the future. The engineering parts of the ship are covered with pipes and valves and metal walkways. It almost makes it look like some kind of ship that you would see today except this one travels through space. The color white is also everywhere instead of the dull gray from the original show.
I mentioned the acting from Eric Bana but I have to say that everyone else did a good job. I agree with what someone said that I had a worry that when I saw Spock I would just feel like I'm watching Syler playing Spock. But Quinto made the character his own and while he didn't play it quite like Nemoy it was a nice take on the younger version of Spock. I think Quinto's performance is the best of the movie, but again the entire cast did a real good job.
Star Trek has also been known for its sense of humor and this movie delivers some good jokes and sight gags. But they don't overshadow the rest of the movie and remind you of something you might have seen from the original series. Also Dr. McCoy is his usual self and delivers some pretty memorable lines.
The music in the movie was also really good. The score really fits the mood of any given scene and doesn't sound like what you've heard in the previous movies. In fact it's not until the end of the movie when you hear the theme that people are so familiar with.
I have heard a lot of people say that this is the best of all of the Star Trek movies. While this movie is good and is one of the best I don't think it is the best of the series. My pick for the best would be Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan but this one ranks up with the best and it also breaks the pattern that the odd numbered ones are usually not as good.
So if you are a fan of Star Trek I don't think I need to tell you to see this movie. But if you aren't familiar with the series this might be a good place to start. Or if you just like a good action movie or a good sci-fi movie you should check this one out.
My score: 8.5/10
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
American Idol Week 13 Results
Well the results are in and Danny will not be in the final two. I'm kind of sad to see him go because I think he definitely had top two potential. But since it now comes down to Kris and Adam then Adam is going to win hands down. I think if it came down to Adam and Danny then there is a slight chance that Danny could have won. The finale should be interesting but if Adam doesn't win I will probably fall over from shock.
American Idol Week 13
Danny Gokey (Dance Little Sister) - Can't say I was familiar with this song either. But I think it really fits his voice. I thought he did a real good job with it. I think the song Wishing Well would have fit his voice too but this one is a bit more upbeat.
Kris Allen (Apologize) - I remember a few weeks ago when they said that Kris or Matt should have done this song. It really fit his voice as well. And he did a really good job with it even though the first high note didn't really hit. I do think that playing this at the piano was better than doing it with a guitar.
Adam Lambert (One) - It's interesting that this is another song that it was said to Lil that she should have done it. I like that he did a slow stripped down version of the song. It really showed off his voice when he's not screaming out a song from beginning to end.
Danny Gokey (You Are So Beautiful) - In the past he has been compared to Joe Cocker so it fits that he would pick this song. I think the vocal was good but not as good as his first song. It did get better later in the song but he didn't end the song the way you should. The song should end with the singer sounding like they are on the verge of tears but he didn't do that.
Kris Allen (Heartless) - I think this is one of the weirdest song choices I've seen on this show so far. I think he sang it well but there are a million better songs he could have done. I think it being just him and the guitar was a good choice but overall a bad song choice. I think has cost him a spot in the final two.
Adam Lambert (Cryin') - This is the kind of song that he should be doing. Saying that he did a very good job with it. I'm a bit on the fence as to whether or not it is one of his best performances. Part of me wants to say it was but another part is a little unsure. But it was still very good. But I agree with a friend of mine that he should be doing something like Nine Inch Nails or another similar group. I think if he did Closer or Hurt he would kill it.
Kris Allen (Apologize) - I remember a few weeks ago when they said that Kris or Matt should have done this song. It really fit his voice as well. And he did a really good job with it even though the first high note didn't really hit. I do think that playing this at the piano was better than doing it with a guitar.
Adam Lambert (One) - It's interesting that this is another song that it was said to Lil that she should have done it. I like that he did a slow stripped down version of the song. It really showed off his voice when he's not screaming out a song from beginning to end.
Danny Gokey (You Are So Beautiful) - In the past he has been compared to Joe Cocker so it fits that he would pick this song. I think the vocal was good but not as good as his first song. It did get better later in the song but he didn't end the song the way you should. The song should end with the singer sounding like they are on the verge of tears but he didn't do that.
Kris Allen (Heartless) - I think this is one of the weirdest song choices I've seen on this show so far. I think he sang it well but there are a million better songs he could have done. I think it being just him and the guitar was a good choice but overall a bad song choice. I think has cost him a spot in the final two.
Adam Lambert (Cryin') - This is the kind of song that he should be doing. Saying that he did a very good job with it. I'm a bit on the fence as to whether or not it is one of his best performances. Part of me wants to say it was but another part is a little unsure. But it was still very good. But I agree with a friend of mine that he should be doing something like Nine Inch Nails or another similar group. I think if he did Closer or Hurt he would kill it.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
American Idol Week 12 Results
Well the results are in and Allison is going home. I think this unfortunate because I think she was really top 3 material. Plus she was much better in both her performance and duet than both Kris and Danny. My choice for who should have gone home this week is Kris. I don't think he has what it takes to win and I guarantee he will be the next to go and the final two will be Adam and Danny.
American Idol Week 12
Adam Lambert (Whole Lotta Love) - This song is a pretty tall order. Led Zeppelin are rock God's and to do them justice is a feat in and of itself. I think he did a good job with it but it wasn't his strongest vocal. At times it sounded a bit like a Robert Plant sound alike. And when he did the chorus it sounded a bit rough. But I will say that part at the end where he went a capella was really good.
Allison Iraheta (Cry Baby) - I think she made a good choice picking a song by Janis. Saying that I think she did a good job with it. She made it her own without sounding too much like Janis. I think she probably would have done a good job with the Jefferson Airplane song but for rock week she had to pick Janis and thankfully she didn't go Piece of My Heart, which everyone seems to do at one point.
Kris Allen & Danny Gokey (Renegade) - I think it's interesting that they decided to put in some duets. Most likely they are doing this to help fill the full hour but overall it's a good idea. I think they both did a real good job. During the beginning Kris sounded the best but when the song picked up tempo Danny was the better one. Now when they harmonized together it sounded really good and their voices mixed together real well.
Kris Allen (Come Together) - This is one the top of my favorite Beatles songs of all time. I actually think that Revolution would have been a better choice for him to sing. But of all the rock songs in the world this one was not the one that best fit his voice. The vocal was good but the song didn't show it off at all.
Danny Gokey (Dream On) - It seems like tonight that everyone is taking on something tough. When you sing an Aerosmith song it's going to be almost impossible to be compared to the original. Saying that I think he did a good job without trying to copy Steven Tyler too much. The vocal was good but the scream at the end just did not work for him as he doesn't have the voice to pull something like that off.
Adam Lambert & Allison Iraheta (Slow Ride) - Time for the second duet of the night. And of course they pair up the two with the voices suited for this genre. I think they picked the right song and the both sang it really well. I don't think their harmonies were as good as the previous duet but given the nature of the song it's not really suited for the long sustained harmony sections. I also thought that Adam would overshadow Allison a bit in a duet but thankfully he didn't.
Allison Iraheta (Cry Baby) - I think she made a good choice picking a song by Janis. Saying that I think she did a good job with it. She made it her own without sounding too much like Janis. I think she probably would have done a good job with the Jefferson Airplane song but for rock week she had to pick Janis and thankfully she didn't go Piece of My Heart, which everyone seems to do at one point.
Kris Allen & Danny Gokey (Renegade) - I think it's interesting that they decided to put in some duets. Most likely they are doing this to help fill the full hour but overall it's a good idea. I think they both did a real good job. During the beginning Kris sounded the best but when the song picked up tempo Danny was the better one. Now when they harmonized together it sounded really good and their voices mixed together real well.
Kris Allen (Come Together) - This is one the top of my favorite Beatles songs of all time. I actually think that Revolution would have been a better choice for him to sing. But of all the rock songs in the world this one was not the one that best fit his voice. The vocal was good but the song didn't show it off at all.
Danny Gokey (Dream On) - It seems like tonight that everyone is taking on something tough. When you sing an Aerosmith song it's going to be almost impossible to be compared to the original. Saying that I think he did a good job without trying to copy Steven Tyler too much. The vocal was good but the scream at the end just did not work for him as he doesn't have the voice to pull something like that off.
Adam Lambert & Allison Iraheta (Slow Ride) - Time for the second duet of the night. And of course they pair up the two with the voices suited for this genre. I think they picked the right song and the both sang it really well. I don't think their harmonies were as good as the previous duet but given the nature of the song it's not really suited for the long sustained harmony sections. I also thought that Adam would overshadow Allison a bit in a duet but thankfully he didn't.
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