Redemption

God Bless the Internet.

Because my good friend Kerri, then followed by the Today Show, and subsequently by Perez Hilton...I witnessed the now famous "Forever" wedding entrance dance.

Terrible dancing, but damn enjoyable...and NOW, Chris Brown's "Forever" is Number 7 on the Top 100 iTunes downloads--and I knew WHY!!!! Yay!

Chris Brown should send these delightful newlyweds a big friggin' gift, because after his horrific beat down on then-girlfriend Rihanna, his actually decent music had gone into the radio graveyards. I actually feel guilty listening to him--which is why many DJ's stopped playing his music. However, maybe after his "guilty" plea, this enjoyable little video, and some time spent in some serious rehab, maybe he will make a comeback...time will only tell. But for now, I am just happy to feel not so damn out of it.

The Perfect Man

I figured out the "Perfect Man"

Edward Cullen + Chuck Bass + Cappy

Not necessarily looks-wise...personality-wise. So, for all you single men out there wondering what women want. Look no further.

Here, the best of all worlds collide: You have the dreamy, introspective, romantic and sensitive aspect with Edward Cullen. With Chuck Bass, you have raw, BAD BOY hotness with a touch of vulnerability, and with Cappy, well, sense of humor, wit, and devilish charm.

Just sayin.

PS: These are the things that keep me up at night, you know. Don't take them for granted.

A New Normal

Well, as I was doing my bi-weekly browsing of iTunes Top 100 Downloads, I came across what I thought was an anomaly. Number 68 was "Come Home" by OneRepublic. Interesting...why would that be, I wondered. And then it hit me--I wouldn't know...usually I can tell you that "Don't Stop Believin" jumped to Position 3 about 4 years ago after a little shout out on "Laguna Beach", or was it "The Hills?" Same difference. Anyway, I usually know these things. Why? I don't know. I am probably being punished for something I did in a previous life, but I have no proof of this other than my constant deja-vous. I have quasi-photographic memory for completely useless information. "Oh, Erin" you say, "it's not useless!" Try spouting "Chandler was maaaadddd" at your next social function and see how many blank stares you get while you silently cry/laugh at yourself. (The above is a line from Joey on "Friends" referring to when he switched phone carriers without telling him.) You see? I usually know these things. But I have absolutely no idea why OneRepublic's "Come Home" is suddenly popular. The song is amazing. I love it--I listened to it on repeat when Jon was overseas, but that does not explain it's sudden exultation to the Top 100 when the song is over two years old. Is it suddenly being played on Top 40 stations all over the nation? I don't know. Was it a brilliantly choreographed Mia Michaels' number on "So You Think You Dance?" I don't know. I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.

I am sure a Google search would satiate my hunger for this particular bizarre set of knowledge, but that is not good enough for me. I want my old life back. I HATE sitting over here not knowing how good "Half-Blood Prince" was because it's not out here. I HATE getting my Entertainment Weekly's and having to bypass 65% of the information because I don't want any spoiler alerts a year from now when I finally get to see what the EFF they were talking about on "True Blood" or "Weeds." I HATE not knowing. I just hate not knowing.

The worst part is that knowing this "trivial" information may make me whacky, but it makes me me. I am supposed to be the one that people text at random hours of the night asking what else that actor was on 10 years ago. Now, what good am I? I have 10 channels on my satellite television. Ten. That's like living in 1965. OR, I can watch Romanian television which is running "Little People, Big World" so much that in my six weeks here, I have seen it cycle through it's episodes three times.

So, I guess I have to get used to this "New Normal" or at least until my sling box gets set up. I will go kicking and screaming, however, into this pit of pop-culture hell.

Until I actually get to SEE something and talk about it,

Pissed off in Romania

FYI--"A New Normal" is the title of an episode of GREEK when the ZBZ's must get used to not being the best house on campus. It's a curse. It's an effing curse.

Oh, Harry.

harry! harry! harry! harry! harry! harry! harry! harry! harry! harry! harry! harry! harry! harry! harry! Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry!

HARRY! HARRY! HARRY! HARRY! HARRY! HARRY!HARRY!HARRY!HARRY! HARRY! HARRY!

I WANT TO SEE HARRY!

T-Minus 4 Days.

Stupid Romania.

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

Am I being punished? Did I do something horrifically wrong to deserve the two and half hours of pun-intendeds? I was under the impression that super-high budget movies weren't usually painfully long because it costs too much money to add that extra bomb sequence. Transformers 2 might not be the WORST movie ever made, but it is definitely in the top 10. I actually like Shia LaBoeuf...I think he's a pretty decent actor--and Megan Fox, yes, you are hot, but unfortunately, this does not equal a good movie. It doesn't even equal a movie that makes any sense! I honestly didn't know what robot was bad or good because it was just a solid clash of metal 90% of the time. I cannot even put into words just how bad the script was--can I even call it a script? From what I remember from my screenwriting classes, I am pretty sure every rule of "writing a decent movie" was unsurprisingly broken. I don't know why I care, I wasn't expecting "Casablanca," but a decent action flick isn't that hard to reproduce. I blame you, Michael Bay. You are Satan's gift to filmmaking, but for some reason, the public (including myself) are dumb enough to buy your tickets, so who am I to judge?

Oh, and I DO believe this was the first film that named Barrack Obama as our sitting president. I can see him now in the Oval Office, vomiting at the sound of his name into a 24-carat gold trash can.

-10/10

MIHAIL!

Well, as the whole world now knows, the King of Pop is popping no more. Michael Jackson was one weird dude, but his music was music-world changing. Being eight-hours ahead of the US, I did not find out the horrific information until I woke up and the news was already 9 hours old. To say I was shocked was the understatement of the year. I believe a "you are fucking joking" was muttered out of my still sleeping lips.

Living in "Europe" gives me a different perspective on MJ, since they love the demented cement that he walks on over here. Case in point: My non-English speaking housekeeper who does not even know what the word "yes" in English means, walks into my house today telling me (in Romanian) that she cried over his passing, and kept throwing the holy trinity sign. "Oh, Mihail Jackson, El a morit!" Or something along those lines. All day she kept talking to me about his children and how the police hurt his heart. BUT, the most important thing that she brought up over and over was the fact that he came to Bucharest twice. Thats it. For this, he will always be remembered in a God-like way...even though he was one of only two people that has addressed the public from the House of Parliament and accidentally thanked the "people of Budapest." Hundreds of Romanians also flocked to the "Embasada SUA" (US Embassy), to lay flowers for their fallen pop star on our hallowed ground. And as I was walking to dinner, our neighbor was appropriately blasting "Thriller" through their windows for all to hear their love for their hero.

Not to mention that the internet basically shut down around 4:30pm CST due to surfers innundating google with "Michael Jackson" internet searches. Also, on iTunes, the Top 8 Album Downloads are all Michael Jackson, everything from "Essential Michael Jackson" to "Dangerous." I haven't seen a pop culture event affect the iTunes Top 100 so much, well--ever. Even American Idol does not dominate the Top 10 spots after a show. I mean, "Man in the Mirror" is the Number 2 download!

For all the haters out there who only label MJ a freak and a half--you have your reasons, but remember one thing...he was a legend, and his music, maybe not his behavior, deserves our respect. To this day, "Thriller" is still the number one selling album of all time. So, here's to you Michael, may your silver glove sparkle even more wherever you are.

PS--Zoie did the moon walk today...she rocked it.

Ed Hardy is Gay.

Dear Jon Gosselin,

We all understand that you are going through a mid-life crisis and your life as you know it is crumbling down around you. But this is no excuse for sporting Ed Hardy t-shirts. It makes you look douchey. Everyone looks douchey in Ed Hardy t-shirts--you are no exception.

I also see you got both your ears pierced...interesting.

That is all,

All of America

Jon and Kate Plus The Worst Tension Ever

Since my DVR hates me, I was only just able to witness the season premiere of "Jon and Kate Plus 8" a few hours ago, and not with the other record-breaking 9.8 million viewers on Memorial Day.  I have to admit--I was wholly intrigued and embarrassed by the fact that I cared what was going on in their marriage so much.  I suppose it has been a slow celebrity news cycle these last few weeks, because the Gosselins have graced the cover of every rag tag in the business of late, and I was actually fully confused as to why.  So that made me wonder...why do we care?

Reality television is usually popular due to the fact that we can make fun of people for putting themselves in these asinine positions, but every once in a while, you find a show that is intriguing simply for the normalcy it conveys.  What is so odd is that how is a family who has 2 sets of multiples be so normal?

First of all, the Gosselins live in central Pennsylvania.  I can say with first-hand experience that there is no other place in America that is so wholesome and "American" without shoving fire and brimstone down your throats.  The Gosselins have always been extremely religious, but they have never pushed it on any of their viewers--they just believe what they believe and people respect that.  Same goes for the Roloff family in Oregon--which I believe is TLC's second most popular show behind "Plus 8."  Christianity is laced in the fact that there is no swearing, there are a few Bible quotes on the cabinets, but there is never any judgment passed on to us as viewers.

Second, families can watch with their children and watch Kate punish her children for being naughty, and it reiterates their own child disciplining choices..."see Scooter? Kate puts Alexis in time out too."  Nothing makes a mom feel better than finding out another mom has the same anguish and daily problems such as going to Target as her.  Misery loves company.

Next, in the first few seasons, the Gosselins were not poor by any means, but definitely not wealthy.  Kate was always cutting coupons, cooking or playing with her children sans makeup and in pajamas.  Jon worked all day and came home to open-armed children and (organic) dinner cooking over the stove.  How relatable!

So what happened?

The simple answer is always money--but it actually goes a bit deeper this time and for some reason I want to figure out why.  We always knew Kate was a bitch.  She constantly emasculated her husband, ordering him around like a dog or a child, and admittedly never really liked the cameras in her house nor her fans.  So what happened to where we all went, "wait a second! She was a mom--now she is a MONSTER!"

Oprah et all, is always telling moms that they need to put themselves first every once in a while, and all of a sudden, Kate listens and America revolts--BIG TIME.  She fake tans and gets her nails done--oh big woo.  I am from Texas--that is basically every bitch in a Lexus SUV picking up her kids from school...it's a right of passage.  We also knew that every vacation was paid for and any product mentioned on the show was given to them for free--if you couldn't figure that out, well then sorry, I hate to tell you that there truly is no such thing as pure reality television.  But now all of that is being thrown back into her face.  "She got a free tummy tuck!  She got TWO Whirlpool washers and dryers!!!"  We ALREADY knew this...what changed?

One word that makes every relationship fail: expectations.

As an audience, we expected Kate to stay relatively "momish" with her "Mom to the 8th Power" t-shirts (gag) and boss poor Jon around because he wasn't listening again.  But all of a sudden, Kate figures out that her family is not only a business, but a very profitable business.  But instead of working on her attitude, she worked on her appearance.  She got a personal trainer, a new wardrobe and a tanning membership and middle America doesn't know what hit 'em.  

Also, Jon quit his job 2 years ago to make the show more workable.  Obviously if he was at a job 8 hours a day he is not going to be on camera getting his balls cut off enough.  I do not know the statistics but I can only guess that marriages where a major shift in "homemaking" and "working" happens, a high percentage in in failure.  Jon expected to be the breadwinner of the family for the rest of his life--that was pretty much his only masculine quality left.  But then he quits to make more money with TLC and where does that leave him? I have no doubt he loves being at home with his children, but as someone who has no role other than whipping boy, that doesn't leave him anywhere any of us would want to be.

So our All-American Family is in turmoil and that scares the shit out of half of our population.  So all the things that we saw in the Gosselins that we saw in ourselves has now turned on us, so we have to play the blame game in order to distance ourselves from the problems that they obviously have been having for quite sometime.  Because if we like them for their normalcy--and we are normal--but now they are greedy and sad--then....uh oh...paging Dr. Freud, we need a mirror please...

I am in no way Kate Gosselins biggest fan, but I also feel sorry for her.  One could argue that they put themselves on television and therefore allowed this to happen to them, but I mean, really?  On TLC?  I don't think the paparazzi follow Clinton Kelly anywhere...

So, I will continue to watch as much as my slingbox or American Forces Network will allow me to watch, since this is most likely my last post on American soil, and hope for the best for the Gosselin family.  God speed--and may Kate not lose her hair gel.

And the Next American Idol Is...WHAAA???

27.7 million tuned in Wednesday night to watch the American Idol finale, if not for any other reason than that there was literally nothing else on.  The other networks know what they are competing with, so they prefer to concede rather than run in the race--I mean, "Pirates of the Caribbean?"  Really?  I digress.

For the entire season, Adam Lambert appeared as the heir apparent to the Idol crown, he really could do no wrong--except when he did wrong.  But even when he had us all going, "WTF was that?"  He sang the shit out of it regardless of what it was.  Even on Tuesday night, the judges all but declared the winner as Adam before a single vote was cast...so what happened?

First of all, let me preface this by saying that I am a huge Kris Allen fan, as I even wrote a glowing review of his "Falling Slowly" from the film Once.  I admit, I am an American Idol voter--in the early rounds.  But when it was just Adam, Kris, Danny and Alison, I stopped voting.  Why?  Because they are all amazing in their own right, and it doesn't really matter who wins at that point anyway.  Ahem, Chris Daughtry.

So, over 100 million votes were cast--breaking a world record.  I can only imagine all the tweens texting "Vote" incessantly while their parents thought they were sleeping or God forbid, doing homework.  I am sure AT&T made a friggin' fortune.  And the winner was not the Glam Rocker whom everyone had won about 8 weeks ago, it was the cute-as-a-button (but married) college student/Church Director from small-town Arkansas.  Even Kris couldn't believe it...he actually felt bad that he had won saying "Adam deserves this..." with a look of shock and embarrassment that made me want to give him a little hug.  Why?  I think the answer is actually a bit sad, really.  As much as we want to believe the world is changing and getting more progressive, there is still too much resistance to change the status-quo than we originally thought.

Adam Lambert was on the cover of "Entertainment Weekly" this week, emblazoned on Katy Perry's Elvis Cape on her performance of "Waking Up in Vegas," on last week's result's show, and had the most Google searches and iTunes downloads than any other contestant.  But, at the end of the day, American Idol is a family show.  It dominates the ratings because anyone from 8 to 80 can find something appealing about it...like Steve Martin, playing the banjo...And we all know that Adam Lambert was a bit, hmm, flashy.  He wore eyeliner, black nail polish, eccentric clothes and spent more time on his hair than the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. 

Anyone that would likely vote for Adam consider themselves too cool to vote for American Idol, even though they watch every week, so who ends up voting?  Teens (who lllooovvee Kris's ability to sing like he is singing to them,) middle America, because, let's face it, they don't understand Lambert's high notes nor his shoes, and moms.  Don't lie, you know you watch with your kids and you couldn't help but swoon over Kris's smile and puppy-dog eyes...I know I did.  So why all of Hollywood and the media worshipped the ground Lambert walked on, they were all too busy working out, drinking mojitos and eating sushi to actually make the text.

Not that any of this matters, we all know that they will both get record deals, and then we will see who actually makes it past their first album (insert Ruben Studdard/Clay Aiken/Taylor Hicks.)  

And to the douche-bags who tried to post around the email of Adam Lambert dressed in drag and making out with a dude and asking "Seriously, Is THIS Who You Want as Your Next American Idol?" The answer was a yes, and you can rot in hell.  You are just a self-loathing closet case that needs to accept this is who you are, and then get over yourself.

So another season is in the can, and we can all move our focus to the American Idol's more interesting younger sister, So You Think You Can Dance--God bless Cat Dealy--and then move on.  This year was probably one of the best I have seen, and congrats to both Adam and Kris, you did amazing jobs in your own right.

Drucker, Out.

PS:  Kara schooled the shit out of Bikini Girl.  "I would ask what's new with you, but I think I already know."  Priceless.

GLEE!!!

Well, I am seriously hoping that the lead-in "American Idol" audience helps this little engine that could-be.  "Glee" was everything I hoped it would be--funny, awkward, imperfect and inspiring.  The high school caste system that puts the Glee Club "sub basement" is cringingly accurate.  I definitely knew a cheerleader who was a Crusader for Christ and I also remember some 15-year old boys doing some pretty awful things to people they did not think should be allowed to walk the same hallowed ground that they skulked on.

The actors are relatively unknown, which adds to the innocent allure.  Not to mention the story of doing what you most passionate about (singing) is enough to clear away a bad work-day's haze.  It raises the ultimate familial question: Is it better to make more money to provide for your family, or provide them with the knowledge that they, like you, could be truly happy. Easier said than done, I suppose.

However, the best thing by far about the show is the music.  I mean, who doesn't want Journey to be broken down by fresh-faced adolescents?  And "Rehab?"  Yes. Yes. Yes.

But now we have to wait--who knows if America will fall into line.  America tends to be, well, dumb, when it comes to quality television.  Tammy and Eric Taylor are all too-aware.

But all in all, Yippee for Glee!  Oh God...

Americal Idol Goes to the Movies...and I want my money back

So, tonight was the not-so-infamous movie theme night on American Idol.  I think you can hear my yawn as I talk.  In what SHOULD be the most interesting evening out of the various themes, what actually happened was a night of triteness.

Even though they are taught not to, filmmakers do indeed use music in their films as a crutch.  Something to aid in the viewers emotions of what they are seeing.  So, forever when you hear "Secret Garden" by Springsteen you can't help but think about the then-adorable Renee Zellweger and Tom Cruise on their first date.  It's even harder to escape since I will always hear KISS-FM's version with the famous dialogue laid on top of the track.  "You complete me."  So even if a song, well, sucks, you have the images of America's most famous staring back at you to make you like the song.  This should create the perfect cocktail of entertainment for American Idol, but instead it was a big sad factor of sappiness...with one exception.

The evening started with Alison Iraheta's take on "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing." Has no one learned ANYTHING from the last 7 years?  I do have to admit that her vocals were by far the best I have ever heard of that song on AI, but it's still an overused, sappy song if not sung by Stephen Tyler, and even then we got sick of it by 1999.

Anoop was okay...I DO love Bryan Adams, who doesn't?  But it wasn't strong enough to make me emote.  I mean I just remembered what that song was from...Kevin Costner doesn't help anything or anyone at anytime.

Adam was back to his fun-self, which is always good, so I can't really say anything about him...but I agree with Simon...not as good as last week.  We all love a man on a stool in the middle of the stage with nothing but a mic and his heart hangin' out.  But again, MOVIE WEEK!!! Soooo many other choices!

I love Danny Gokey (sp?), yes I am lazy, I know I could just open a new browser window and google his name, but, meh.  I digress.  I love Danny, and I love that he loves his deceased wife...and I am sure that "Endless Love" is quite special to his heart...but for anyone under the age of 35...ummm, no.  I don't see tweens flocking to their cellphones to text it in for a song they have no idea exists.  That being said, their moms will more than make up for their votes.  It was song very well, amazing even, but if you don't care about the song, then what does it really matter?

Matt:  I LOVE that song...I could hear the theme from Don Juan DeMarco a million times and never get over it...but, sigh.  I honestly do not remember that movie...I know it has Johnny Depp, but that's all I got.  With YOUR vocals and piano talent, I dunno.  I am by no means a music critic or even expert, but I know what people like.  People like to be moved.  That one didn't even move me and I am a hopeless romantic.

This brings me to my one exception: Kris Allen.  He chose a relevant, relatively new (in compared with the mid-90's SAD-FM choices of other contestants) from the much lauded film, "Once."  He actually didn't even get into the groove of the song until the chorus, but who gives a shit when that face mixed with that arrangement and those lyrics comes into play?  That song has everything a movie theme should have: originality, strength, relevance to the film's plot and good ol' fashion likability.  I am obviously contradicting myself in that I know the tweens will not have any idea what this song is, however, they cannot help but feel those violins, hear the pure female backup and see Kris' emotions seep through.  I didn't even miss his guitar.  I agree with Kara, that THIS was truly a defining moment for him...memorable.  I quote Simon Cowell if he had gotten a chance to voice his opinion on Kris tonight "A star was just born on that stage."

I know there was more to the show, but the fact that I am not mentioning it should be a metaphor for the entire evening.

So, in short, Kris was by far and wide the biggest winner here...by a mile.  I will probably wake up to my foot inserted into my mouth and he will be in the bottom three...that seems to be how things happen with  my luck, but I don't care.  He moved me, and that means he probably moved America. I judge how good someone is on American Idol by if they make me look up from the work I am doing...Kris made me look.

Congrats Kris, THIS was your David Cook's "Always Be My Baby."  Trust me--that's good.

Seriously?

Dear Summit Entertainment:

Please hire a new Hair/Makeup team for "New Moon." I don't think I can take it anymore.

You already received my letter regarding the Visual FX, so I do not feel that we need to address this issue again.

Best,

Erin

I Love You, Man

If Paul Rudd isn't the cutest thing I ever did see, I don't know who is.

His cringeworthy, yet adorable portrayal of a dude who needs more dudes in his life is awesome.  There isn't much more I can say about this one, you know I am a sucker for Apatow-esque buddy films, even if Judd had no touch on this one. 

Oh, and I want that wedding.   

8/10

Duplicity

I am not the biggest Julia Roberts fan...but I actually really enjoyed her in this Tony Gilroy flick.  Clive Owen was doubly delicious, and it was nice to see him playing something a bit--lighter--than usual. 

I don't think I knew corporate espionage existed, but it seems pretty brutal.  I was actually stressed out wondering if Julia and Clive were going to score their, well, whatever it would be called.  Heist? No, that's not right....hmm, anyway...

I definitely recommend this film to anyone who wants to have a good time at the movies and kind of forget about your life for 2 hours.   Which, I know everyone needs to do right now anyway.  Oh, and the international sets adds to the awesomeness.  Dubai? Rome? Yes and Yes.

7.5/10

Kyle XY

The Ausiello Files have broken my heart yet again...Kyle XY is getting the axe from ABC Family after the current season ends. Sigh....

Knowing this, watching this week's episode made me feel even more sad. This heart-warming show may have it's cheesy teen-soap moments, but for the most part it is a truly well-written, thoughtful, and refreshingly-moral-but-not-square in a world permeated by trash. I am not saying that I particularly care about morality on television, but some might.

Kyle came into this world via a glorified science experiment, no belly button in sight. Instead of being "born" like a normal child would be, a think-tank decided to try a test-tube baby in an overly-gestated pod. Apparently, Einstein was in utero for 3 weeks longer than the normal baby would be, so this was an experiment to see what might kind of brain power might be created if one was nurtured in a "womb" for a bit longer than 9 months. In steps Kyle...the superkid.

My favorite part of the show since Day One are Kyle's voiceovers. Having a genius who just stepped into the world without being taught social norms is quite interesting, like what an infant might be thinking when they experience new sights and sounds. Matt Dallas plays Kyle with such a zest for learning and wanting to help all those all around him that it almost breaks your heart. His blue eyes pulse with torment at decisions that have no easy answer, and his innocence at the world is played by his tell-tale hard line lip press and downward look to avoid embarrassment.

Kyle's adopted family, the Tragers, are quite the family you always wanted but who really do not exist. Nicole Trager, the mom, is a psychiatrist who listens to her children's problems without judgement or bossiness, and the father, Stephen is calm and cool, who tries to be moral but has a hard time telling his teens to "do as I say, not as I do..." To finish off this perfect Pacific Northwest family are daughter Lori and son Josh...who of course add humor with their plethora of angst and issues.

Even writing this, I am getting more and more sad at the show's demise. I will even miss the Trager's picture-perfect Craftsman home. I hate it when no one watches great television, ahem, Friday Night Lights. I hope Matt Dallas finds work quickly, I will miss those confused eyes. In fact, it will be nice for him to play his own age--his kisses with his pre-pubescent girlfriend was starting to get Nate Archibald/Jenny Humphrey creepy.

ABC Family, do you think you are going to do better? Seriously.

To the cast of Kyle XY, thanks for the awesome story line, great writing, heart-touching acting and for working the Shazam on my iPhone into a tizzy. You will be missed.

Slumdog Millionaire

I had been wanting to see this film for a few months, but only just got around to going--of course after the Oscars were announced and it was packed as hell. Oh well. The cell phone of the chick sitting next to me only rang once, so I guess I shouldn't be too offended.

This is by far the front-runner to win the big "O" at next month's ceremony. I have only seen one other film that was nominated ("Frost/Nixon") so I cannot say for sure that it should DEFINITELY win, however I can say with a certain gusto that I loved it. For the same reason Slumdog is a front-runner is the same reason that I have only seen one other of the nominated films.

We can ALL agree 2008 was a terrible year in our country's history, and it deserves to be forgotten or at least be written about in infamy to at least learn from our mistakes. Because of the circumstances surrounding us, the environment always reflects on our choices in pop culture pleasures. With it being such a shit year, NO ONE wants to see a depressing flick--I mean that is seriously the last thing I want to think about. The proof is in the pudding--the fact that "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" has been number one at the box office for two weeks straight...I mean I love Kevin James just as much as the next person, but seriously...? I had heard that Slumdog was rather uplifting, and that is exactly what I needed. Same with "Frost/Nixon"--entertaining, well-made, good acting--and I didn't leave wanting to kill myself.

Danny Boyle paints a rather bleak yet hopeful picture of Bombay/Mumbai in this film...I wonder if India will get a bump in tourism this year...just as I wondered if there will be a surge in blonde labs named Marley. This dichotomy of third world poverty with bustling economic and Western growth is exactly what creates the frame of this delightful story. What do you do when you have been beat down your whole life and the only way you think you are going to make something of yourself is to win 20 million rupees in the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." This is the sort of screwed up values that infest the uneducated all around the globe, but in this instance, it makes for some pretty amazing storytelling. You can't help but root for Jamal and Latika with curry-infused bated breath.

Would this Mumbai love-story be so popular in another year, another time? I do not know, but today, this is an amazing film and it definitely deserves 2 hours of your time, and your last $10.