one soap opera night at the concerts: jay z and r.kelly's 'best of both worlds' goes for DRAMA

and you thought desperate housewives was full of drama, one of the biggest concerts of the year came to a screeching halt last night (oct 29) when r. kelly walked off the stage claiming that there were guys with guns in the audience of madison sq garden.

jay z then went on, called r. a few names and then pulled off an incredible impromptu performance that included guest spots by mary j blige, ja rule and usher.

read all about it here from mtv.com:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1493311/20041030/jay_z.jhtml?headlines=true

listen AND NOW WATCH destiny's child's 2nd single 'soldier'

check out the confirmed second single off of destinys child's new album 'fulfilled' called "soldier".
http://destinyschild.com/email/
buy it here from itunes

listen to kylie's new single 'i believe in you' now

i'm obsessed with the new kylie single 'i believe in you' . written with the scissor sisters, this dreamy electro pop track is not only one of the most boppy unabashed flowery singles out at the moment, but it's also an amazing addition to her upcoming 'ultimatekylie' greatest hits album.

to write her off as a gay icon is just silly and facile. this is a woman who not only manages to ride the fickle wave of pop with ease, but does it with surprising integrity and tongue firmly in cheek. i just love her!

to listen to this amazing song, try this - real player
http://209.245.59.171/Gimme/44893666/222805213/44072442/24FBBEB1-4CD3-493E-B49F-0268F77FAD90/0.204748/1/01_kylie_minogue_-_i_believe_in_you.mp3

as for more info on the upcoming greatest hits and other news, read all about it at:
http://www.kylie.com

eminem blasts bush via his latest video 'mosh'

with the album 'encore' due for release in two weeks, word on the streets is that eminem's silly first single 'just lose it' was just a decoy to the real bulk of the album.

thank goodness the buzz is correct because his new release 'mosh' is an angry political stab at president bush and will probably reach more ambivalent kids than any message other adults can give out (though i truly believe stars should keep their mouths shut when it comes to politics, these days any help for the kerry camp is a good thing... cause it's not like the republicans are playing fair!).

as for the rest of the album, let's hope that em once again proves that he truly is one of the best rappers around.

to watch the video 'mosh' here are a few sites to choose from:
nme.com 'mosh' video page - real/windows
http://www.nme.com/features/story.htm?ID=110350#
launch eminem video page - windows
http://launch.yahoo.com/artist/default.asp?artistID=1037847
mtv eminem video page - real player
http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/eminem/artist.jhtml

quick review on finding neverland

finding neverland - with a chockful of buzz from this years venice and toronto film festival, 'finding neverland' is based on the true story of how playwright JM Barrie came to write his classic play, 'peter pan'.
played with a tenderness that we haven't seen before, johnny depp leads the cast that also includes a heartbreaking kate winslet, the regal julie christie and a group of amazing child actors who provide the true heart and soul of this film. 'finding neverland' is a perfectly nice 10-hanky drama that deserves its' crowd-pleasing status, but the film doesn't quite go beyond what is expected from it, which is a shame. GRADE: B http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/finding_neverland/

jon stewart vs crossfire PLUS ashley simpson

hey guys, i don't know if you've seen this already (since the ashley simpson fiasco on snl turned out to be a bigger news piece... which you can see also), but our favorite funny man jon stewart went on cnn's crossfire last weekend and it turned out to be a... well... let's just say that the cnn dudes are complete assholes.
jon on crossfire
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2652831

jon back on the daily show - the next day
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2653047

the ashley simpson fiasco on snl
http://media.ebaumsworld.com/ashlee-snl.wmv (windows player only)
enjoy!

the lowdown on tarnation, flying daggers, bridget jones 2 and polar express

some quick notes on the following movies

tarnation - this film has one of the best soundtracks that i've heard in awhile (cocteau twins, joy division and every goth/indie/new wave band that i grew up listening to). add to the fact that the doc itself is an amazing harrowing intense look at the directors dysfunctional life and you pretty much have one of the best films of the fall season. GRADE: A
http://www.i-saw-tarnation.com/

house of flying daggers - after watching this film again on dvd, i have to say that this flimsy film totally saves itself with jaw dropping visuals and some really fantastical fighting sequences. zhang zi yi is the true star of the film, as she kicks, seduces and fights her way through the simple storyline. don't get me wrong, i loved every shallow minute of it!
GRADE: B+
http://www.sonyclassics.com/houseofflyingdaggers/trailer-open.html

bridget jones: the edge of reason - can't say i really liked this sequel (that's because i'm a HUGE fan of the 1st film). truth of the matter is, the love i have for these characters still couldn't pull me through the incessant fat jokes and bridgets complete idiocy. whereas the 1st film had remnants of reality and some nice insights about being single, BJ2 is pure fantasy.
GRADE: C+
http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/theedgeofreason/

polar express - i am SO not the demographic for this film. but i just couldn't get that nagging voice out of my head that other animation films that have been released of late, have elements that appeal to parents/adults. it was only when i saw a 3D presentation when i understood just how this film should be viewed. so if you have to watch this drole, skip the 2D and run to the IMAX version with your kids. at least you'll have just as much fun as they are.
GRADE: C (2D version)
GRADE: B (IMAX 3D version)
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/the_polar_express/trailer/

album in stores 11/16/2004
to listen to clips, go here:
http://www.sonymusicstore.com/store/catalog/MerchandiseDetails.jsp?merchId=77730&mname=CD

destinys child's lose my breath day

not only have the girls world premiered their new video on MTV/BET, but they also performed their single live on the radio music awards.

regarding the new video, i have to say that bar a few shots where the girls look like they're green screened onto the alley background, the majority of the video is pretty phat (especially keep an eye out for kelly cause her performance is hilarious!) for those who haven't even heard the track yet, here's a little refresher (PC only):

http://mp.netscape.com/audio.index.adp?mxid=1192386&refID=007190&partner=&_AOLFORM=w597.h395.p7

watch the video here (windows player version)
http://search.launch.yahoo.com/search/lsearch/all?p=destinys+child

(real player version)
http://mp.netscape.com/video.index.adp?mxid=1207014&refID=007190&partner=&_AOLFORM=w597.h395.p7

mtv
http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/destinys_child/audvid.jhtml

welcome

the beginning of what i hope will be a lovely online relationship.