One of my favorite movies in 2008 (of the few I watched) was Kung Fu Panda. It is an animated movie about an unbalanced and rather uncoordinated panda, Po, who is the biggest fan of kung fu. The Valley of Peace is protected by the Furious Five: Tigress, Monkey, Viper, Mantis, and Crane. All 5 are up to be the Dragon Warrior and have been trained for ages by the red panda Master Shifu, who is the protégée of the wise and respected tortoise, Master Oogway.
When the Dragon Warrior is about to be picked by Oogway, Po rushes from his father’s noodle shop to go and watch, but arrives too late and is blocked from entering. After attempting every possible way of getting over the wall, Po straps fireworks together and launches himself into the air…only to land in front of the finger that was choosing the Dragon Warrior. Disbelieving that a slightly overweight panda could really be a kung fu master, Master Shifu does everything he can to get Po to quit, which has the opposite effect.
When Master Shifu gets word that snow leopard Tai Lung has escaped from the high-security prison he had been kept in. With the plot set, the story unfolds with Tai Lung as the antagonist and Po needing to shape up and master his king fu skills.
This animated movie incorporates a mix of drama and comedy which comes out especially in the voiceovers of excellent, well-known actors. Jack Black voices Po; Dustin Hoffman is Shifu; and other characters voiced by actors including Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogan, Lucy Liu, and David Cross, among others.
If you’re a fan of Kate Hudson or Luke Wilson, or even both of them, you’ll definitely love Alex & Emma. Released in 2003, this romantic comedy doesn’t seem to have gotten as much attention as I think it deserved. The story unfolds as novelist Alex Sheldon must complete his next novel within 30 days or be killed by loan sharks. They have broken his computer, and he must hire a stenographer to write it up for him. Problem is, he’s got a serious case of writer’s block.
He tricks stenographer Emma Dinsmore to coming to his apartment and convinces her to type his novel for him. As Alex’s writer’s block begins to dissipate, we also see his novel unfold. The movie goes between him and Emma together, and their relationship growing, and then between the relationships of the characters in his novel; 2 of which are played by Hudson and Wilson. It’s an interesting contrast that is built between the two worlds, and a new way to watch a movie.
The comedic aspects of it start from the beginning of the movie until the end, and it just might leave you watching it over and over again like it has for me.
The hit television series Ghost Whisperer has caught my attention recently, and if you haven’t seen it, it’s definitely one to check out. On for five seasons now, it has built up a wide fan base of people at all ages. Jennifer Love Hewitt plays the main character, Melinda Gordon. Melinda has a gift she inherited from her grandmother, who also taught Melinda how to use her gift for good. Both she and her grandmother have the ability to talk and see earthbound spirits, and help them to “crossover” to the other side by going into The Light, a metaphor for Heaven. The ghosts are often earthbound because they have unfinished business- a common stereotype of the characteristics of ghosts- and Melinda helps them out to finish up whatever it is they need to do.
Her husband Jim Clancy is very supportive of her, and helps her out if every way possible. Throughout the seasons, new characters come and go, but even if you don’t watch them in order, it should still make plenty of sense. Along the way, Melinda helps out many different spirits and encourages them to crossover, and she learns more about her family along the way. Her mother appears in a few episodes, and there are many other back stories that develop as the season progresses.
It’s definitely a show to watch, especially if you are interested in things of this nature. It’s usually on every night of the week on the ION channel, and the station number varies where you live. So check it out, or if you already have, then let me know what you think!
Only 3 shows have ever been #1 for five seasons in a row, and one of them is the uber-popular American Idol. Heading into its 9th season on January 12th, some changes have been made to the formatting since its premiere in 2002. It’s first 7 seasons involved 3 judges: Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul; each had their own professional backgrounds in music, and the most recent, eighth, season featured a fourth judge, Kara DioGuardi, who also had a professional background in music. For the ninth season, talk show host Ellen DeGeneres will replace Paula Abdul as a judge. Some fans questioned this replacement decision because of Ellen DeGeneres not having an actual music career following, but anyone who watches her show does know that she definitely has good taste and rhythm. Also, I think that Ellen DeGeneres will bring to the show a view that will be much closer to that of the viewers. The show has been hosted all 8 seasons by Ryan Seacrest, who is also hosting the 9th season. Contestants must be 16-28 years old in order to audition.
The show features contestants from around the country who have auditioned in one of the following locations: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, and Orlando. The judges will each be able to give their insight on the performances of the contest’s singing abilities, but it is ultimately the viewer’s decision. The show airs two nights a week, and each first night the voting opens for viewers to have their say via telephone or text messaging, with the results on the following night.
This will be the first year I am going to be tuning in to watch this much-loved show, mainly because Ellen Degeneres is going to be judging. So if you’re already a fan, leave a comment with your opinion, or let us know if you’re going to be watching this season like me, or why you don’t watch.
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