wongie's world has moved to http://wongiesworld.tumblr.com/

WE HAVE MOVED

2009-05-31T21:08:00.001-04:00

wongie's world has a new address
http://wongiesworld.tumblr.com/

enjoy the new site!

election 2008: the answer that changed hilary's campaign

2008-01-09T13:37:00.001-05:00

oh go to jail already: lindsay lohan booked for DUI and a bag of cocaine

2007-07-24T16:27:00.000-04:00

tv is good: so you think you can dance

2007-07-24T03:47:00.000-04:00

pasha & sara - jazz

pasha & sara - west coast swing
[these guys are my favorite couple of the moment with two consecutive awesome dance numbers back to back. i hope they make the top 5!]

dominic & sabra - hip hop
[just amazing!]

r.i.p. - tammy faye

2007-07-24T03:25:00.000-04:00

pt 1

pt 2

pt 3
tammy faye's last interview on CNN's larry king live
[recorded two days before her death, this is the last ever interview of tammy faye. rest in peace.]

hot pics: the beckhams in W

2007-07-14T02:57:00.001-04:00

DAYUM!!!! photos taken by steven klein, there's not much more to say about these W magazine pics except, DAYUM!!!!

why we love european films!

2007-07-03T02:19:00.001-04:00

wait! he was straight? - so long to joel siegal

2007-06-30T00:28:00.000-04:00

famed NY based movie reviewer joel siegal passed away to colon cancer on friday afternoon. a constant contributer to good morning america, joel's movie reviews were always devishly opinionated and usually spot on.

it'll be weird not seeing him every friday morning reviewing the best (and worst) of the new releases.

but what's even weirder is that joel left behind a wife and son! i thought he was a massive nelly the whole time! holy gay-straight!

here is the obit on the news today.

you shall be missed, brother girl!

don't believe the hype: paris hilton

2007-06-27T12:41:00.000-04:00

is it just me, or does anyone else find it suspect that mere hours after her release, the positive paris press machine has gone into overdrive with a people magazine cover AND larry king interview?

you gotta cough it up to her press agents cause the toned down makeup and innocent girl stance is a nice change from her usual presentation, but this still reeks of falseness.

my summer obsession: so you think you can dance

2007-06-24T21:30:00.001-04:00

every summer i gear up for my favorite competition in the world called so you think you can dance. a surprisingly intense and tough weekly series in which young dancers work their darndest to try out diverse choreography from loads of amazing choreographers. many have scoffed my love for this show, but personally it's probably the one show out that focuses on true talent and the ability to expand on an artform. yes, i'm a dance geek. deal!

here are some highlights from the past two weeks:

week 1: lacey and kameron - mia michaels piece
[by far the best dance i've seen of the competition. lacey is just amazing!]

week 1: jessi and pasha - smooth waltz
[just beautiful. my other favorite couple from the group!]

week 2: lacey and kameron - broadway
[lacey is the breakout babe of the show. poor hot kameron seems lost in the mix]

week 2: sabra and dominic - contemporary
[beautiful. just beautiful!]

hilarious: david blaine - street magic

2007-06-20T13:37:00.000-04:00

[saw this sketch at the groundlings a few months back and thought it was funny. so i'm really glad it's gotten buzz as a youtube sketch! i really love the line, "if there's a f**king ace of clubs up my ass, i'm going to sue you!"]

[david meets up with the west hollywood boys again and freaks them out... again! what the F!!!]

news flash: kelly clarkson fired manager on the eve of her sucky album release

2007-06-12T16:50:00.000-04:00

[taken from my music blog]

so this is what 'suck' sounds like. the album leaked last friday and all the rumours about it being a hitless collection (that label boss clive davis tried to have re-recorded) is true. it's a real shame since i do count myself as a fan of kelly. but nothing on this album has the immediacy of a 'since you been gone' or the dramatics of 'because of you'.

like i said, a real shame.

UPDATE: turns out kelly clarkson had issues with the release of her album too. she just sacked her manager jeff kwatinetz (who was rumored to be pressuring kelly to release the album as soon as possible in order to coincide with a summer tour). read all about it from US weekly.

news flash: she's back in. are you surprised?

2007-06-08T23:57:00.000-04:00

apparently she left wailing calling out to her mother. if only she spent a full week, the backlash would never have happened. read about it here.

breaking news: she's out! she's back in! oh the humanity!

2007-06-07T09:37:00.000-04:00

this is not going to get her any fans. paris was allowed to leave the century regional detention facility just after 3 days due to an upspecified medical condition.

so money CAN buy you everything.

UPDATE: looks like her freedom is short lived. the judge who put her behind bars is calling her back into the court to decide if she deserves to serve the rest of her sentence under house arrest. read about it here.

it's on!: the sex and the city movie is a go!

2007-06-07T09:24:00.001-04:00

according to wanda over at eonline, it seems that sarah jessica parker announced at the launch of her new clothing line that the 'sex and the city' movie is "finally ready".

just the idea of a return to the lives of these girls is enough to make me go gay! oh wait...

hilarious deleted scene: knocked up

2007-06-06T16:44:00.000-04:00

knocked up - deleted scene
[f**k you ang lee indeed! this is hilarious, no wonder this movie was the #1 comedy of the weekend!]

gone! rosie quits the view!

2007-05-25T17:58:00.000-04:00

after her highly publicised fight on air with hasselbeck on wednesday, rosie o'donnell quits the view. read the whole story here.

btw, these are the last words on her blog:

when painting
there is a point
u must step away from the canvas
as the work
is done

anymore would take away

UPDATE 5/29:

[after a long weekend, barbara walters addresses rosie's departure from the view]

fight! fight! fight!: rosie and elisabeth on the view

2007-05-24T02:22:00.000-04:00

after stating that she won't be fighting with elisabeth hasselbeck (due to her pregnancy), rosie o'donnell drops her verbal embargo on the view and well... it gets darn ugly.

photo op: W presents - the naomi diaries

2007-05-10T11:22:00.000-04:00

though naomi has denied that she planned to transform her week in community service into a photo op, the fact that photographer steven klein was around to document the whole thing makes it kind of suspect. but at least she looks fabulous!

check out her diaries of that particular week.

from the frontlines: men in black (an animated account)

2007-05-09T11:31:00.000-04:00

The War In Iraq: A Soldiers Perspective
"Men In Black"
check out this four-minute animation based on the blog accounts of former Army infantryman Colby Buzzell. His story about an ambush in Mosul has now been animated for the PBS show Operation Homecoming. Pretty harrowing stuff, even as drawings.

awesome article: new york magazine exposes how NY society was held captive by a blog for a year

2007-05-07T23:02:00.000-04:00

this is a total plotline for a movie or tv series (writers get writing!), but in reality, the now defunct blog socialite rank held NY society under complete captivy for a year with their weekly chart of the top 20 socialites in the city.

but what blew the blog over the top was a letter they posted a few months back allegedly written by newbie socialite olivia palermo practically begging to be recognized by the IT girls.

you can't even make this stuff up. check out the whole juicy story at new york magazine's website.

update: with socialite rank down, the blog that has taken over the reigns is the soft peddling park avenue peerage.

end of an era (in 2010): lost announces end date

2007-05-07T22:43:00.000-04:00

abc announced today that there will be a proper end to lost in the year 2010. the plan now is to create three seasons of 16 episodes (the average series runs 22 eps a year) culminating to what they promise to be a 'shocking' finale.

if you've been watching these last few episodes of series 3, lost has rebound extremely nicely with some of the best hours of tv around.

read the full story here.

interviews we love: suchin park meets janice min (US weekly)

2007-05-07T12:00:00.000-04:00

check out this interesting lx.tv interview about janice min, editor in chief of US Weekly. plus suchin park says 'bullshit'!

news flash: paris sentenced to 45 days in jail

2007-05-06T03:15:00.000-04:00

not sure what else to say, paris drove around town with a suspended license and countless violations, then had the gall to say she didn't know and that she's 'sorry'. of course remorse came in the form of shopping with her mother kathy after the sentencing... her date with the orange jumpsuit is scheduled for june 6.

the celebrity blogs like perez hilton and tmz are going to have a field day with this one...

here is the news report.

end of an era: gilmore girls ends on a bittersweet note

2007-05-04T21:21:00.000-04:00

after seven years of witty banter, inter-generational adoration (plus dysfunction) and a wonderfully heartfelt cast of characters, the CW network announced that the much loved gilmore girls is finally calling it quits. entitled 'bon voyage', the series finale will involve a wedding proposal for rory, an answer to the lorelai/luke romance and a guest appearance by CNN's christine amanpour.

it has been an honor for us fans.

read the report here.

the funny's: more red nose day clip (borat meets graham norton)

2007-04-28T15:18:00.000-04:00

graham norton interviews borat
[more funny clips from red nose day 2007]

alec baldwin, the rambler

2007-04-28T14:23:00.000-04:00

alec baldwin went on the view yesterday to apologise publicly about his horrible angry voicemail he left for his 12 year old daughter. as you can see, he went on a completely different direction. what the frick?!

here's the voicemail that started it all. ugh, i need a shower.

and here's an op-ed piece from the NY times saying why alec shouldn't leave 30 rock to pursue his new passion. i agree.

don't go!: rosie is leaving the view

2007-04-26T12:31:00.000-04:00

[whether you love her or not, you have to admit that the addition of rosie to the view has overhauled the show completely. how they're going to replace her is beyond me. check out this breakdown from the la times]

once - rsvp to free screenings now!

2007-04-26T02:22:00.001-04:00

ONCE - falling slowly
[featuring scenes from the film, go to the newly launched ONCE foxsearchlight website to listen to the whole soundtrack streamed for your pleasure!]

QUICK THOUGHTS:
so i got myself into one of the critic screenings today and came out totally blissed out from the film. though simple and sweet (it could be misconstrued as an extended music video, but to think so is kind of unfortunate), the wondrous thing about the film is how natural the two leads managed to make the events seem totally plausible. the idea that two stalled individuals (one a busker, the other a new immigrant) can find their passion for life again through music is not only genuinely sweet, but inspirational (as it obviously has affected many who have already seen it). i'm still on a warm and fuzzy high, which is how many of you should seek out to experience when the movie opens on the 18th of May.

if you live in the following cities, you can go see a sneak preview of the film with performances of glen and marketa after the film!

Sunday, Apr 29 6:00 PM AMC Loews Boston Common, Boston
Wednesday, May 02 7:00 PM The Bridge Cinema, Philadelphia
Thursday, May 03 7:00 PM AMC Georgetown, Washington
Monday, May 07 7:00 PM The Magic Bag, Ferndale
Tuesday, May 08 7:30 PM Landmark Century Centre, Chicago
Thursday, May 10 7:00 PM Malco Paradiso, Memphis
Saturday, May 12 1:00 PM Alamo Drafthouse Downtown, Austin

rsvp as soon as you can

hilarious: ricky gervais - red nose day segment

2007-04-25T16:47:00.000-04:00

ricky gervais in kenya - red nose day 2007
[this is hilarious! ricky visits kenya to show us the conditions of many of the people there...well, maybe not! watch for a few surprising guest appearances.]

hype wongie: ONCE (screenings in the US, soundtrack details AND glen hansard live in NYC!)

2007-04-23T03:10:00.000-04:00

i just took a look at the once myspace page and found out a load of goodies about this movie and it's upcoming preview tour.

first things first, the soundtrack to the film will definitely be released with the following track list (in no particular order).

ONCE soundtrack
falling slowly
when your minds made up
if you want me
lies
trying to pull myself away
once
the hill
fallen from the sky
all the way down
gold
leave
say it to me now

and if you're in the NYC area, you can definitely check out glen for free at the tribeca film festival ASCAP lounge on may 1st and 2nd (guess where i'll be?)

THEN, if you're in any of these cities below, you'll get a chance to see a sneak preview of this movie that i personally can't wait to see myself!

Apr 27 2007 7:00P
Minneapolis/St.Paul Film Festival Minneapolis, Minnesota
Apr 28 2007 7:15A
San Francisco International Film Festival San Francisco, California
Apr 29 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Boston, Massachusetts
May 1 2007 5:00P
Glen's solo gig, Tribeca Film Festival New York, New York
May 2 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 2 2007 5:00P
Glen's solo gig, Tribeca Film Festival New York, New York
May 3 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Washington D.C., Washington DC
May 4 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Toronto, Ontario
May 6 2007 9:30A
San Francisco International Film Festival San Francisco, California
May 7 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Detroit, Illinois
May 8 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Chicago, Illinois
May 9 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As St. Louis, Missouri
May 10 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Memphis, Tennessee
May 11 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Dallas, Texas
May 14 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Phoenix, Arizona
May 16 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As San Diego, California
May 17 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As San Francisco, California
May 18 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Seattle, Washington

now go out and spread the ONCE love will ya?

news: anatomy of a massacre

2007-04-22T22:10:00.000-04:00

i usually don't tell people to read about hard news, but this article from the new york times is a really concise breakdown of the life of cho sueng-hui and the events that led to the horrible events last monday.
[you may need to login to read the whole report.. but it's free to do so]

hype wongie: once

2007-04-19T18:10:00.001-04:00

[as posted on my music blog] i have been reading about the irish film once for ages. a critical and fan favorite ever since it premiered at the sundance film festival in january, the story focuses around an irish busker (played by glen hansard, lead singer of the popular irish band the frames) and a czech pianist (played by his friend and sometime collaborator marketa irglova) who find common ground in music and eventually love.

the movie just opened in ireland this week and will make it's way to our US screens sometime in mid may.

i shared the trailer (see below) yesterday, but i'd love to pass on some more bits and pieces i've found since then (can you tell i'm a tad obsessed?).

once - sundance channel profile
[check out this brief profile that features an interview with director john carney and his two leads. there are also a few clips from the film for you to fall in love with.]

though there isn't an official soundtrack of the album released yet, glen and marketa were actually commissioned to write a few songs last year for a czech film beauty in trouble. the sessions were so successful that they recorded a full album under the guise of the swell season. when filmmaker john carney was looking for music for his film, he not only chose three songs from the album, but asked glen and marketa to star in his film. pretty cool eh?

here are some performances to get you even more excited:

glen hansard & marketa irglova - falling slowly (live performance at sundance)
[for an outdoor performance the sound recording is very good! here they are in january performing like buskers on the slopes of salt lake city, utah. lovely!]

glen hansard - when your mind's made up (from the movie ONCE)

glen hansard - sleeping
[taken from swell season, this song was one of the featured tunes for the czech film beauty in trouble; absolutely gorgoeus.]

Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova aka:the swell season - falling slowly
[if you can't get enough of this gorgeous song, here is an indoor version recorded last year in chicago. btw, the frames have also taken on this song as part of their new release the cost.]

festival watch: cannes film festival announces lineup

2007-04-19T12:14:00.000-04:00

the biggest film festival in the world, cannes film festival, announces it's lineup today with wong kar wai's debut english film my blueberry nights opening the festivities!

some surprises for competition films include david finchers' zodiac and quentin tarentino's death proof (the 2nd half of grindhouse).

i'm attending yet again this year and will be updating you guys on all the great movies i know i'll be seeing. can't wait!

trailer watch: once / across the universe

2007-04-18T18:45:00.000-04:00

once
[who knew that frames lead singer glen hansard could be such a romantic lead? a crowd favorite at sundance and now slowly making it's way across european screens (before hitting US ones mid may), once is about two lonely souls (one a street busker, the other a czech pianist) who find each other through music. as corny as it sounds there is nothing like watching a truly romantic movie every now and then. this should be the little romance that could.]

across the universe
[coming in september, is this 2007's moulin rouge? i really hope so! directed by the amazing julie taymor and starring jim sturgess and evan rachel wood, the cuties play star crossed lovers during the turbulent 70's. totally reminds me of hair, but that's a good thing!]

slang 101 breakdown

2007-04-11T06:01:00.000-04:00

this is nappy

these are NOT ho's (they are however a women's basketball team)

this is an ignorant nasty ass honky

if you have no idea what has been going on here in the states, read this article of what's been over-analyzed on tv these days. god, it's so pathetic...

small screen news: the hills gets a season #3!

2007-04-05T16:22:00.000-04:00

not that i'm surprised, but the mtv hit series the hills got the go ahead for a new series set to air later this year. a total guilty pleasure, this show is the closest thing to a proper series MTV has and i'm not the only one who thinks this (it's also the most popular show on the channel). read here for updates on the show and why heidi wasn't present at the live finale (spoiler: her boobs had something to do with the reason).

trailer watch: alone, daywatch, 28 weeks later

2007-04-03T13:08:00.000-04:00

alone (aka fadd) trailer (thailand)
[currently the #1 movie in thailand, alone is directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun and
Parkpoom Wongpoom, the duo that brought you the cult horror film shutter a few years back. this time, a young newlywed returns back to her childhood home to care for her dying mother. but as she stays in her old home, she comes to realize a hidden memory wants to become more than just an afterthought. too bad the trailer gives everything away.]

daywatch trailer (russia)
[part two of director Timur Bekmambetov's adaptation of Sergei Lukyanenko's sci-fi trilogy (daywatch, nightwatch, duskwatch). it looks like this time the budgets have gone up and the fighting sequences are cooler. already a hit back home, the film is getting a summer release here in the states.]

28 weeks later (uk)
[the zombies are back! with the timeline just 28 weeks after the 1st film, the story focuses around the military bringing a handful of citizens to try to re-inhabit their cities. the problem is, they didn't quarantine everyone from the deadly virus. can't wait to see this!]

hot guy on tv: jonathan tucker

2007-04-01T15:43:00.000-04:00

i've been doing a mini-marathon of the new irish gangster series the black donnellys. though i like the general look and interweaving plotlines of the series, i can't help but feel that most of the donnelly brothers have yet to be fully realized and worth rooting for. honestly, a series about one brother (played by the awesome jonathan tucker) bailing out the major f**k ups of his other siblings is not really a proper show.

but what keeps me watching is jonathan tucker (the deep end, pulse), a somewhat underrated young actor who is really getting the chance to show his chops on this show. what surprised me is that the boy has a crazy body to boot, now i have an even bigger reason to keep watching.

jonathan tucker in his skivves!
[though this sequence is pretty dark (he is getting rid of a body), jonathan's six pack just gets too distracting to watch. then he goes and washes himself down after the deed is done. god, this is like watching 300!]

wongie loves: grindhouse

2007-03-28T13:48:00.000-04:00

yep, i saw grindhouse over the weekend and i am proud to say that it lives up to the hype that i've been blabbing about for the past few months.

clocking at just about three hours (don't drink too much liquid if you want to watch all the fake trailers in between the movies - my favorite being 'don't' by edgar wright director of shaun of the dead), the world of 'planet terror' kicks in almost immediately with ball bustin (literally), zombies and a ripped limb that leads to the cool ass rose mcgowan machine gun leg. the robert rodruiguez film is so OTT that you're not quite sure if you can handle the 2nd movie slated after the intermission.

but you gotta stay on cause quentin tarantino's 'death proof' is definitely worth the wait. starting off pretty slow and lackadaisical, the film goes into overdrive when serial killer stuntman mike (hilariously played by kurt russell) goes on a murder rampage. the true find in 'death proof' is real life stuntwoman zoe bell, who plays one of the films potential victims (her sequence with the car is just plain amazing!). hopefully we'll see more of this cute strong lady in the future.

though the hardcore genres might turn off some viewers, the way to watch and hopefully enjoy the experience is to just leave your inhibitions at the door and go with the insane silliness of it all. that is the true grindhouse spirit!

watch movies this weekend: the lookout, after the wedding

2007-03-28T13:19:00.000-04:00

if you're looking for some movies to watch this weekend that AREN'T your typical hollywood fare, then the lookout and after the wedding are perfect choices.

one is a slow brewing thriller about a young man trying to cope with his mental limitations and then discovers himself in the midst of a bank heist (trust me, the amazing joseph gordon-levitt makes this storyline completely plausible). the other is an amazing family drama that uncovers secrets and missed opportunities in a very simple way.

these films won't change your life, but not only should you help out their opening weekend tally, but they are pretty darn good for this quiet time in cinema (the calm before the crazy summer blockbuster storm).

other great movie choices this weekend:
blades of glory
300
the host
avenue montaigne
the page turner
boy culture

hilarious: adam sandler and don cheadle - endless love

2007-03-23T02:55:00.000-04:00

adam sandler and don cheadle - endless love
[check this hilarious piece out! adam sandler filled in for david letterman the other day and well... this is what happened when his co-star don cheadle popped in for a chat.]

check out these preposterous reviews of shooter

2007-03-22T01:51:00.000-04:00

personally i hate it when a publicist walks up to me for a quote, these days i try my hardest to not lie (i've learned to joke it off).

but whatever i think of the mark wahlberg action film shooter, i probably wouldn't lie when faced with the chance to get quoted by the films press agents.

here is a collection of one line reviews by some of reviewers in hollywood today.

who are these totally outrageous people?

Shawn Adler / MTV / Reporter
“I loved it. It’s so different than any other action hero I’ve seen. It was great. I’ve been talking about it with my friends all weekend.”

Lynn Barker / Teen Hollywood.com / Writer
“’Rambo for the 21st Century’ or ‘The Thinking Man's Rambo’. As a popcorn actioner, I really enjoyed it. I think Americans especially are ready to kick some government butt so we can root for Mark's character to get even for all of us. Acting was very good and it was very well-paced and shot. I think you have a winner here.”

Carrie Bell / People Magazine / Writer
“I really liked it. It was definitely better then I expected. Mark Wahlberg was great. I was very interesting to learn about snipers.”

Steven Chupnik / Movieweb.com / Writer
“I thought it was awesome!! I loved the gun fights and the action! Ok, so this is the kind of movie I love! And not only that, I know my dad would like it too - and he's 60 years old! Knowing Stephen Hunter from working in Baltimore, I couldn't wait to see how one of his books looked on the big screen. I'll tell you, Mark Wahlberg can play any type of character and nail it perfectly; and then you have Antoine Fuqua's vision coming into play!! Two perfectionists who got it right on!!”

Bob Lee Swagger is one of those characters you can relate to - in one way or another; at one point in your life, you've wanted to seek revenge on someone and he gets to live out that fantasy for you. Plus, the action scenes rock! The supporting cast stepped up as well in this; Danny Glover was down right nasty in this, and completely unexpected!! And then you throw in Ned Beatty, classic!! And Kate Mara is sure making a career for herself. Michael Pena, unfortunately, is the one negative about the movie - hell of a nice guy, just didn't support Mark's character enough for me; but still a good acting job. And one last thought - you know Lorenzo di Boneraventura is not going to make a bad film; whatever he attaches his name to seems to be good. Shooter is kick ass! Awesome action!"

Ben Lyons / E! “The Daily 10” / Host
"The hottest Hollywood has to offer, Kate Mara is a star on the rise. She sizzles in 'Shooter'".

Carol Mar / Made In Hollywood / Producer
“Lots of seat jarring explosive action. Mark Wahlberg was FANTASTIC!”

Mike Richards / Reelz / Writer
“I think Shooter represents the next generation of action movies. Wahlberg is one of the few actors who is completely believable in a military role. The best part of the movie is that you never knew where it was going and the ending was very satisfying.”

Mario Rivas / Entertainment News Service / Writer
“I haven’t seen a great action movie like this in a long time. I really enjoyed it”

George Roush / LatinoReview.com / Writer
“I love action movies where the hero kills 98% of his supporting cast.
Shooter is that movie!”

viral wongie: daily show - how to cure the gay

2007-03-21T16:55:00.000-04:00

daily show - how to cure the gay
[i love this show! thanks to jeffers.]

wongies list: april 2007

2007-03-20T06:07:00.000-04:00

time for the monthly list of the things i'll be buzzing about in that lil head of mine. perhaps you'll join in on my wavelength.

tv
1. battlestar galactica - with the shocking death of one of it's biggest characters, this intelligent, socially relevant sci fi drama continues to prove that it's one of the most surprising shows around. absolutely brilliant.

2. the riches - taking on the premise that a family of thieves would try to find normalcy moonlighting as a wealthy family, the powerhouse duo of eddie izzard and minnie driver are the surprise trump cards that make grifting look like so much fun.

3. the agency - bitchy bitchy bitchy. who knew modeling agencies could be this cut throat and nasty?

4. pussycat dolls present: the search for the next doll - like next top model meets idol. not only are the girls scorching hot, but they are a catty batch. oh wait, that was a play on words!

5. skins - no way in hell would the US ever commission such a fast paced realistic saucy look at teenage life (which is why it's produced from the UK). with a kicking soundtrack and talented cast, this is the kind of show that makes you excited about the small screen.

6. the hills - with lauryn and heidi's tenuous friendship at an all time low, what will these girls do to survive in the cold hard world of fashionable LA... oh who am i kidding, it's all fake anyway, which is why i love this show so!

7. ugly betty - though the crazy storylines make me think that this show has probably one more season before the backlash starts, i'm more than happy to go along for the ride just to crack up at the one liners (go ahead, call me gay).

8. instant star - though the first two seasons of this pop star odyssey was kind of run of the mill, this year already has introduced a catty nemesis for our heroine jude harrison and a death of a close friend (she was destructive punk rocker literally drove herself to her demise). being a singer these days is sure difficult.

9. greys anatomy - now that the death of grey is far behind us (probably some of the most emotional episodes i've seen in awhile), let the focus go back to multiple love triangles and good ol fashioned sex!

10. heroes / lost - both are impressive in their scope of storytelling and both continue to introduce twists and turns that you would least expect. don't give up on either show because you're missing out on amazing tv on a weekly basis.

runner up tv: the L word, work out, hotel babylon (uk), robin hood (uk), bonkers (uk)

film
1. grindhouse - at this point, i may have overhyped this movie to the point of disappointment. hopefully when i see it this weekend, i'll be able to ease my pain.

2. hot fuzz - from the same team who brought you shaun of the dead, this is their version of the buddy cop flick. hilarious!

3. sunshine - director danny boyle's (trainspotting, 28 days later) take on the sci fi flick. sunshine is not only wonderfully claustrophobic, beautiful, psychological, and nail biting, but watching the diverse international cast makes this one of the more interesting movies of the year.

4. knocked up - based on the trailer alone, this looks like the sleeper raunchy comedy of the summer. i can't wait!

5. the nanny diaries - ok, i'm a girl. but the idea of watching scarlett johansson work for a nasty laura linney is reason enough for me.

6. disturbia - the teen version of 'rear window' is a plotline that will never get old for a closet voyeur like me.

7. vacancy - a couple in peril. nuff said.

three movies you should have seen by now:
the host
after the wedding
the lives of others
300

music
[to discover more about music please go to my music blog]
1. amy winehouse
2. peter bjorn and john
3. feist
4. loney, dear
5. james morrison
6. the fratellis
7. travis
8. groove armada
9. timbaland
10. maroon 5
11. beyonce
12. simian mobile disco
13. elliot yamin
14. josh pyke
15. lcd soundsystem

wongie loves: hot fuzz

2007-03-18T19:20:00.000-04:00

from the team that brought you the hilarious zom-rom-com shaun of the dead and spaced (one of my favorite tv comedies ever) comes their latest genre tweaking masterpiece hot fuzz.

this time the comedic duo of simon pegg and nick frost get paired up in the seemingly quiet town of sandford. sent to the idyllic town because he was showing up his london co-workers in the police force, over achieving cop nicholas angel (pegg) quickly realizes that the inhabitants of his surroundings have a high level of deathly 'accidents'.

what ensues is a wacky who done it filled with bloody murder, bruckheimer gunplay and funny gags galore. who knew that the suburbs could be so deadly?

hot fuzz - trailer

watch this now! spiral magic

2007-03-14T02:00:00.000-04:00

i'm such a dork for this stuff. watch the news piece on abc.com and you'll have a total 'whoa' experience like i did.

news flash: another classy britney spears moment

2007-02-19T02:47:00.000-05:00

i'm still on vacation, so i'll keep this short.

britster walked into a salon in tarzana, california and just shaved off her head. then she went to a tattoo parlour nearby and got two new tats to solidify her trash status. hey, at least she's not flashing her 'naan-ny' any more.

read all about it on eonline here.

happy chinese new year y'all! this pig is on holiday for a week

2007-02-14T15:45:00.000-05:00

for a generalized chinese new year forecast, click here

(please) RIP: anna-nicole smith

2007-02-08T23:41:00.000-05:00

this is just plain weird and sad, the notorious anna nicole smith died thursday night after collapsing in her hotel room (5 months after the mysterious death of her son in the bahamas).
read all about it here and then a brief history of the controversial woman here.
of course perez hilton has alot more gossip regarding the baby, conspiracy theories and more.

a now a mini-break: the dakota fanning show (snl)

2007-02-05T17:44:00.000-05:00

SNL - The Dakota Fanning Show
[amy poehler is spot on with the dakota mannerisms! (though dakota is nowhere as scary in real life)]

FAVE video of the week: when snow patrol met claude lelouch

2007-02-03T15:26:00.000-05:00

taken from my music blog

snow patrol - open your eyes
[oh my god this is just plain brilliant!!! shot in 1976, the images for this video actually come from a short film called "C'était un Rendezvous" by the french filmmaker Claude Lelouch. the director has never allowed the footage to be used for any purposes (making it a cult film in the process) until now. add to the fact that it fits perfectly to snow patrol's single. amazing really!]

claude lelouch - c'etait un rendez vous (1976)
[because i'm such a film nerd, here is the full experience! shot during a 5:30am drive through paris, this is just crazy how fast the driver went that day (this was shot in a single take with NO editing whatsoever). which makes the ending completely dramatic and all the more beautiful.]

red nose day 07: sugababes vs girls aloud, ricky gervais, ali g

2007-02-03T14:58:00.000-05:00

taken from my music blog

sugababes vs girls aloud - walk this way
[as part of the UK comic relief charity red nose day, mega girl bands (all my favorites!) girls aloud and sugababes have collaborated for the 1st time on the classic aerosmith/run dmc track "walk this way". leading up to the march 17th live event will be a bunch of programs on television including a celebrity version of fame academy, the uk apprentice and also an episode of casualty written by my favorite screenwriter richard curtis. thanks to popjustice for the video heads up!]

ricky gervais red nose day 2007 dvd promo

ali g (aka borat aka sasha baron cohen) conducts the funniest interview with posh and david beckham from red nose day (comic relief 2001)

celebrity big brother winner shilpa shetty talks about the alleged racism and bullying to sky news

2007-02-02T03:40:00.000-05:00

just a snippet of the exclusive 30 minute interview with shilpa shetty after her controversial win on celebrity big brother (i'll post the full interview soon)

movie hype: angel-A

2007-02-02T02:59:00.000-05:00

[angel-A trailer]

after a directorial hiatus of about seven years, luc besson (professional, the 5th element) finally returns to our screens with a moody b/w love story called angel-A.

actually released last year in a few territories, luc calls this film a return to his low budget roots, shooting the whole thing in sequence and mainly with it's two leads Jamel Debbouze (amelie) and Rie Rasmussen (a victoria's secret model).

i'm a sucker for b/w parisian romances (especially about schlubs who find redemption) so you know where you'll find me opening night!

hot movie buzz: grindhouse

2007-02-02T02:36:00.000-05:00

[grindhouse trailer]

i've been buzzing about this film for the past few months and after reading the NY Times article, i'm going in overdrive!

with a cast that includes rose mcgowan, kurt russell, freddy rodruiguez, rosario dawson and even sidney poitier (??), grindhouse is actaually two separate films (full length y'all!) directed by robert rodruiguez and quentin tarantino. separated by four imaginary trailers (directed by eli roth (hostel), rob zombie, rodruiguez and edgar wright (shaun of the dead)), the two movies cover zombies, serial killers and of course the infamous machine gun for a leg.

i'm already foaming for its april release date!

my eyes! my eyes!: when did harry potter get so hot?

2007-02-01T08:49:00.000-05:00

my inbox has been scorching with emails spreading the promotional photo set of daniel radcliffe's new west end play equus (the scary thing is you can't help but feel a little bit peedo looking at the photos, but then again you can't deny that the boy is looking good).

co-starring richard griffiths (the history boys), this production marks the first major revival of the controversial play in 30 years and features a nude daniel in one dramatic scene. will it be any good? with all this hype around daniel's nudity, what do you think? perhaps they will prove me wrong (post performances comments welcome)

[thanks to mugglenet]

wongie want: i'm not a shelf whore... no really!

2007-01-28T08:57:00.000-05:00

i was surfing the interweb today and came across this really spiffy shelving system called make/shift. made up of triangular wedges, you can buy enough units to make your apartment look cool and functional at the same time. so far, online site movisi is offering it via shipping, but inquire around, i'm sure you'll see this at your neighbourhood hipster store any day now.

wongies list: january 2007

2007-01-27T11:57:00.000-05:00

we all love lists. so i figured that from now on, i'll put out a monthly list of things that i'm buzzing about, and therefore you should too (as you probably have figured by now, modesty is a trait that i kind of lack):

tv
1. greys anatomy - emotional, surprising and just the right dose of humor, it is possible to consistently have the best show on tv.
2. medium - scary as all hell! the most under appreciated drama around.
3. celebrity big brother uk - i got caught up with the shilpa shetty drama and now i'm hooked
4. ugly betty - with the addition of a transsexual to the campy mix, is there any more reason you haven't fallen in love with this cute show yet?
5. the knights of prosperity - between the burly black guy and the columbian waitress, this is probably the funniest show of the new season.
6. the office - still painful to watch, which is why i love it so much!
7. 30 rock - between alec baldwin and the running 'rural juror' joke, '30' finally has it's comedic rhythm down, and i love it!
8. heroes - FINALLY the show is back!
9. brothers & sisters - totally sentimental, but i love this dysfunctional family.
10. battlestar galactica - with the best winter cliffhanger of last year, i'm ready for more.
11. waterloo road (uk series 2) - my guilty pleasure series of last month returns with brand new episodes from the uk. i never knew public schools could be this tumultuous.
12. 24 - oh great, now it's nuclear.
13. dancelife - it's cheesy, but this will bide me until 'so you think you can dance' starts again in the summer.
14. the L word - estrogen girl on girl drama continues to be a blast.
15. dirt - it truly is trashy. which is probably why i'm a guiltily addicted.

music
1. siobhan donaghy
2. tracey thorn
3. chemical brothers
4. lcd soundsystem
5. eddi reader
6. ingrid michaelson
7. just jack
8. metric
9. kaiser chiefs
10. timbaland

movies (on the buzz)
1. 300 - aka buff men fighting in shorts
2. hot fuzz - from the creators of 'shaun of the dead'
3. grindhouse - tarantino and rodruiguez go genre crazy! so do we ;)
4. 1408 - creepy horror with john cusack and samuel l jackson.
5. reno 911: miami - loved the show, will probably like the film
6. protege (hk) - one of my fave hk directors offers his spin on the drug world of asia. strong sexy cast led by andy lau.

award season: 2007 oscar nominations are in!

2007-01-23T12:11:00.000-05:00

The 79th annual oscar awards announced their nominations earlier this morning. Though there were few surprises, all in all, I totally agree with the list. Check out my highlights of the full list below (with the ones that i wish would win in bold - that doesn't necessarily mean my actual predictions of who will win)

Best motion picture of the year
Babel (Paramount and Paramount Vantage)
The Departed (Warner Bros.)
Letters from Iwo Jima (Warner Bros.)
Little Miss Sunshine (Fox Searchlight)
The Queen (Miramax, Pathé and Granada)

Achievement in directing
Babel (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Alejandro González Iñárritu
The Departed (Warner Bros.) Martin Scorsese
Letters from Iwo Jima (Warner Bros.) Clint Eastwood
The Queen (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Stephen Frears
United 93 (Universal and StudioCanal) Paul Greengrass

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond (Warner Bros.)
Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson (THINKFilm)
Peter O'Toole in Venus (Miramax, Filmfour and UK Council)
Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Penélope Cruz in Volver (Sony Pictures Classics)
Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal (Fox Searchlight)
Helen Mirren in The Queen (Miramax, Pathé and Granada)
Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada (20th Century Fox)
Kate Winslet in Little Children (New Line)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Alan Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine (Fox Searchlight)
Jackie Earle Haley in Little Children (New Line)
Djimon Hounsou in Blood Diamond (Warner Bros.)
Eddie Murphy in Dreamgirls (DreamWorks and Paramount)
Mark Wahlberg in The Departed (Warner Bros.)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Adriana Barraza in Babel (Paramount and Paramount Vantage)
Cate Blanchett in Notes on a Scandal (Fox Searchlight)
Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine (Fox Searchlight)
Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls (DreamWorks and Paramount)
Rinko Kikuchi in Babel (Paramount and Paramount Vantage)

Best animated feature film of the year
Cars (Buena Vista) John Lasseter
Happy Feet (Warner Bros.) George Miller
Monster House (Sony Pictures Releasing) Gil Kenan

Best documentary feature
Deliver Us from Evil (Lionsgate)
A Disarming Films Production Amy Berg and Frank Donner
An Inconvenient Truth (Paramount Classics and Participant Productions)
A Lawrence Bender/Laurie David Production Davis Guggenheim
Iraq in Fragments (Typecast Releasing)
A Typecast Pictures/Daylight Factory Production James Longley and John Sinno
Jesus Camp (Magnolia Pictures)
A Loki Films Production Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
My Country, My Country (Zeitgeist Films)
A Praxis Films Production Laura Poitras and Jocelyn Glatzer

Best foreign language film of the year
After the Wedding
A Zentropa Entertainments 16 Production Denmark
Days of Glory (Indigenes)
A Tessalit Production Algeria
The Lives of Others
A Wiedemann & Berg Production Germany
Pan's Labyrinth
A Tequila Gang/Esperanto Filmoj/Estudios Picasso Production Mexico
Water
A Hamilton-Mehta Production Canada

Adapted screenplay
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (20th Century Fox) Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Peter Baynham & Dan Mazer
Story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Peter Baynham & Anthony Hines & Todd Phillips
Children of Men (Universal) Screenplay by Alfonso Cuarón & Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby
The Departed (Warner Bros.) Screenplay by William Monahan
Little Children (New Line) Screenplay by Todd Field & Tom Perrotta
Notes on a Scandal (Fox Searchlight) Screenplay by Patrick Marber

Original screenplay
Babel (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Written by Guillermo Arriaga
Letters from Iwo Jima (Warner Bros.) Screenplay by Iris Yamashita
Story by Iris Yamashita & Paul Haggis
Little Miss Sunshine (Fox Searchlight) Written by Michael Arndt
Pan's Labyrinth (Picturehouse) Written by Guillermo del Toro
The Queen (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Written by Peter Morgan

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"I Need to Wake Up" from An Inconvenient Truth (Paramount Classics and Participant Productions)
Music and Lyric by Melissa Etheridge
"Listen" from Dreamgirls (DreamWorks and Paramount)
Music by Henry Krieger and Scott Cutler
Lyric by Anne Preven
"Love You I Do" from Dreamgirls (DreamWorks and Paramount)
Music by Henry Krieger
Lyric by Siedah Garrett
"Our Town" from Cars (Buena Vista)
Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
"Patience" from Dreamgirls (DreamWorks and Paramount)
Music by Henry Krieger
Lyric by Willie Reale

Achievement in costume design
Curse of the Golden Flower (Sony Pictures Classics) Yee Chung Man
The Devil Wears Prada (20th Century Fox) Patricia Field
Dreamgirls (DreamWorks and Paramount) Sharen Davis
Marie Antoinette (Sony Pictures Releasing) Milena Canonero
The Queen (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Consolata Boyle

uk celebrity big brother update: jane goody is truly sorry

2007-01-21T14:36:00.000-05:00

after watching how the whole week went down (yes, i did a marathon last night), i do have to say that the bullying incident on celebrity big brother against bollywood actress shilpa shetty has played itself out to an unfortunate ending.

the leader of the pack, jane goody, has basically killed her career within a week and it's a sad sight to see (especially when the media and politicians have portrayed her out to be public enemy #1).

with shilpa herself forgiving of what's happened in the house, hopefully jane will find a flicker of something at the end of this tunnel.

here is her exclusive interview with the 'legitimate' rag news of the world
part 1
part 2

good news: obama and hilary in the race for 2008!

2007-01-21T03:11:00.000-05:00

it's official! obama and hilary have both formally acknowlegded their presidential nomination for the 2008 elections! wongie is a happy camper!

catfight gone wrong: the uk celebrity big brother drama

2007-01-21T01:44:00.000-05:00

in the past week, the UK exploitative reality experiment celebrity big brother has ignited a now worldwide debate on class, bullying and racism.

the start of all this drama stemmed from a group of friends led by jane goody (who herself gained fame by being in big brother) and danielle lloyd (a d-rate 'model') against bollywood star shilpa shetty. calling her shilpa 'poppadum' and copying her accent behind her back, the girls have consistantly badgered shipla to the point of tears; all this caught live daily.

outside the house, complaints led to politicians and educators discussing the state of racial tension in the uk, with the debate exploding into international territories.

the good news is that the bullying has had serious implications to the girls (various companies have dropped them as spokespeople) and shilpa has quickly become a much buzzed about celebrity beyond her bollywood circles.

channel 4 (the show's broadcaster) is also under some serious scrutiny as it seems like they didn't intervene fast enough and the subsequent live apologies from the girls to shilpa reeked of behind the scenes egging. the drama continues... but here are some highlights.

here's a really good breakdown from the hindu times

here's a bbc world report

here's the beginnings of some backstabbing nastiness in which danielle calls shilpa a 'dog'

one of the first fights where the girls gang up on shilpa

the full infamous comment by danielle
"do they do that in india, eat with their hands... or is that in china?"
(that danielle is a stupid bint!)

shilpa fights back at jane

here's pt 1 and 2 of jane's eviction in which she discovers just how bad things have gotten

the interview: here is the whole TR Knight interview on Ellen

2007-01-18T23:33:00.000-05:00

the whole interview speaks for itself. T.R. is such a cutie! a kooky dorky cutie!

PT2 in which he addresses 'the comment'

and then read isaiah washington's 'please don't fire me' statement [thanks to perez hilton]

naughty naughty: no van damme no!

2007-01-18T23:16:00.000-05:00

this is just so wrong! has been jean claude van damme ends up on live tv and gets a woody in the process! [thanks to popbitch for the, ahem, heads up]

note to actor: isaiah washinton, just shut the f**k up already!

2007-01-17T14:09:00.000-05:00

backstage after their triumphant win at the golden globe awards, it seems like greys anatomy star isaiah washington may have missed the sensitivity training class yet again. when asked about the incident between him and patrick dempsey a few months back, without skipping a beat, he said that he had never called co-star t.r. knight a 'faggot', much to the uncomfortabilty by all onstage.

when asked about it a few hours later, katherine heigl gave a surprisingly candid response to access hollywood.

then TR went on ellen degeneres show today and made the following comments (thanks to perez hilton)

[UPDATE: i just watched the TR interview on ellen and i totally understand why katherine is so angry at the whole incident. seems that isaiah DID call TR a 'faggot' and then later denied it to the press... MANY times over! to make things worse, TR seems just so uncomfortable with all the attention, he literally was shaking when ellen asked him to tell his version of the incident. gosh, it makes me want to kick isaiah's ass now!]

tv guide's insider guru michael ausiello had this to say about being backstage when it happened:

"I certainly was there, and I have the internal scars to prove it. It was by far the ugliest, most uncomfortable press-room moment I have ever experienced. And judging by the shell-shocked faces on the cast — particularly T.R. Knight and Patrick Dempsey, who have been class acts throughout this entire ordeal — it was a new low for them, too. And what's ironic about the whole thing is that in Washington's attempt to clear his name, he came off as an out-of-control homophobe who throws the f-word around like it's candy. (He's also playing fast and loose with the truth. Did he call T.R. a f----t to his face? No. Did he refer to him as one behind his back? Yes. T.R. says so himself on today's Ellen DeGeneres Show.) His continued employment on a show that wears its diversity as a badge of honor is the height of hypocrisy. If ABC wants to be remotely true to the principles Shonda Rhimes so eloquently espouses through the show, it has to do the right thing and fire Washington. Anything else at this point is simply unacceptable."

i couldn't agree more.

must watch tv: dancelife

2007-01-17T04:11:00.000-05:00

i live for this stuff!

the new fly-on-the-wall "reality" series dancelife premiered this week on mtv. following the lives of six struggling dancers in los angeles, executive producer jennifer lopez steps in now and then as a mentor/employer for these talented kids. constantly competiting for the same gigs, the (makeshift) drama runs high and you really get an idea of just how difficult it is to break into this world. i'm addicted! hopefully you will be too!

dancelife trailer

you can call this news: trl rumored to be on the verge of cancellation

2007-01-16T10:28:00.000-05:00

according to new york daily news, the daily music video countdown show (and one of THE stops for publicity tours) ratings are so low that cancellation is imminent. this is a shame because where else can i watch trashy pop videos (and world premieres) in less than 10 minutes (ok, i fast forward)? bummer...

award season: congrats to my gals america ferrera and jennifer hudson at the golden globes!

2007-01-16T00:37:00.000-05:00

congrats to my hype wongie gals america ferrera (ugly betty) and jennifer hudson (dreamgirls) for their golden globe wins! though well deserved kudos were also given out to sasha baron cohen (borat), meryl streep (devil wears prada) and the film babel, the awards itself was a pretty subdued experience (ok, it was boring).

while i'm in a congratulatory mood, my friend and celebrated designer brian reyes, also got a serious boost today as he worked very closely with america on her beautiful award winning dress! totally awesome!

buy buy buy: nyc shopping has officially moved to the mall

2007-01-15T00:14:00.000-05:00

what a wacky concept, the online site refinery29 breaks down city shopping like it's a floorplan. separated into different areas, the lists give you a pretty good idea of what's hip and sexy in shopping in your neighbourhood (though the new site is now limited to downtown areas but will definitely expand)

check it out, you might discover someplace new in the process, i know i did!
[thanks to coolhunting for the tip]

hype wongie: be ugly in 07

2007-01-12T09:51:00.000-05:00

[taken from wongie's music world]
as part of an 07 campaign for the hit tv series ugly betty, jason mraz has penned the theme song for the be ugly project that promotes positive female identity amoung young girls.

rewriting his song 'plain jane' as 'the beauty in ugly', the cute track is also the official ugly betty promo song of the season:

check out the extended promo clip here

obligatory cute pic of jason:

jason mraz - the beauty in ugly

hype wongie: let the jennifer hudson hype train continue

2007-01-11T14:15:00.001-05:00

if there's one thing that about dreamgirls that i still get goosebumps about, it's the fact that jennifer hudson is truly one of the most amazing discoveries in awhile. with her golden globe nomination and imminent oscar nod in a few weeks, i still go a little loopy when i hear this young lady sing. here are some interviews she's been doing of late:

but not before you watch this girl sing.

jennifer hudson - i am changing (live on david letterman)

jennifer hudson on david letterman

jennifer hudson on the view

must watch tv: the view

2007-01-11T08:08:00.000-05:00

daytime tv is so much fun these days!

if you haven't heard about the current fued between donald trump and rosie o'donnell (in which donald called rosie a fat loser and that he'll send guys over to steal her wife kelly), things have escalated to the point that barbara walters is now making comments. check out some current highlights and read about it here from the ny times:

rosie's 1st response after his initial comments:

rosie after his continued tirade over the new year break:

rosie and barbera (after an arguement the morning of their return to air) and after he exposed to the nypost that barbara regrets hiring rosie... oh this is mud slinging at it's best!:

UPDATE (1/16):

check out this spoof on this weeks SNL

hot tv show: 24 (season 6) leaked!

2007-01-08T05:43:00.000-05:00

for those of you who weren't updated on my whereabouts, i've taken my annual trip back to asia for a good month+ to spend quality time with family and friends. in the process, i've had ALOT of time to catch up on movies and tv that i might have missed while on the road (for those of you who don't know about asian viewing habits, lets just say that EVERYTHING is accessible here. as for the copyrighting legalities of these items, well...)

so imagine my utter surprise last night when i came across an advance screener of the 1st four episodes of 24 season 6 (a good week in advance of it's worldwide broadcast date)! my interest in the show kind of waned during years 2 through 4, but last years season was one of the most consistantly nail biting series in awhile. needless to say, i was impressed.

the good news is that the new season ups the ante with an interesting underlying plot of america on the verge of a racial war. tension is high because this time, random attacks on US soil are being claimed by islamic terrorists. once again, jack bauer is brought in to save the day (duh!).

without giving away too much plot, i can tell you that 4 hours in and i'm totally hooked. can't wait to see what the rest of the season has to offer!

[check your local listings for showtimes, if you can't wait, well... you should know where to find these advance gems]

love connection: the subconscious rules of mating

2007-01-06T04:57:00.000-05:00

want to know the difference between wanting to shag a guy or actually date/marry him? turns out it's all in the physical traits of a man.
according to some new studies explained on yahoo, men with more angular masculine traits are considered (by those looking) as really great candidates for short term flings. but subconsciously, they think that these men will also turn out to be bad fathers, most likely to cheat and combatitive in the workplace. those who have more feminine and rounder features are deemed to be keepers for the long haul.

whether that's true or not, the ironic thing is that i'd totally shag angular clooney, but wouldn't mind dating the rounder version of him. ah heck, it's george clooney, who am i kidding? i'll take whatever of his i can get!

bye bye now: the OC

2007-01-04T14:02:00.000-05:00

it's finally happened, the teen show that overstayed it's welcome (by about two years) finally announced that it got the boot today.

though i stopped watching the OC after season 1, the only thing i will miss are the wonderful soundtracks that the show has spawned over the years. shame really...

[UPDATE]
looks like OC creator Josh Schwartz bounced back pretty quickly. zap2it reports that his production company just signed a deal to produce the pilot 'Gossip Girls' for the CW network. based on the popular book under the same name, the gossip girls talks about a blogger who exposed the crazy world of rich and spoiled teenagers on the upper west side of NYC. sounds tasty!

catfight: watch donald trump get aggro with meredith viera on the today show

2007-01-04T13:38:00.000-05:00

while surfing the net today, the gossip site tmz tipped me on the continuing war of words between rosie o'donnell and donald trump.

it all started with her making fun of the trumpster on live tv two weeks ago, and well... the man hasn't let up since.

check out what went down when he tried to do a promotional interview on the today show with meredith viera (who coincidentally was the ex-host of 'the view', the show that rosie mouthed out on.)

wongie's top 10 movies of the year

2006-12-27T10:37:00.000-05:00

yes like the rest of the world, i've decided to compile a top 10 movie list!
babel - with three seemingly separate stories told at the same time, this beautiful film works on the premise that all actions, no matter how small, have consequences that ripple through those around them. in this case, one shot is literally heard around the world.

the host - under the guise of a korean monster film, the final result is a movie that mixes so many genres that you're never quite sure what you're getting next. with moments of pure terror, broad comedy, family drama and even a political twist in the end, the host manages to combine all these extreme elements into one of the most entertaining movies of the year. amazing really.

pan's labyrinth - a young girl uses the fantasy world as an escape from the terror of the spanish civil war around her. but when the girl is asked to fulfill a fantastical prophecy, reality and fantasy blur into horrifying consequences. guillermo del toro goes against the hollywood grain and creates a perfect and beautiful dark fairy tale just the way they used to write them.

volver - the bonds of women, the strength of motherhood and a bit of singing thrown in. this is the kind of celebratory movie that only almodovar can make. heck, he even made me love penelope cruz again!

curse of the golden flower - if you ask a purist about how they feel about this film, you'll inevitably get a negative response. but for me, the high level explosion of camp, backstabbing royals and enough gold to make your eyes go blind, made 'curse of the golden flower' the kind of gleeful costume drama that wears it's 'drama' with a capital 'D'. was it meant to be this campy? do i care? i simply loved it!

the queen - helen mirren gives a pitch perfect portrayal as queen elizabeth during the week of princess diana's death. with a performance this mesmerizing, that's all the reason to watch this film really.

united 93 - the most tense movie of the year. even though i knew the ending, i was still rooting for the passengers to get to the cockpit in time. devastating

the history boys - based on alan bennet's tony award winning play, a hyper intelligent history class prepare to get into cambridge/oxford during the 80's. sassy, twisted and passionate, education never inspired so much admiration.

little miss sunshine - if you still haven't seen this crowd-pleasing dysfunctional family roadtrip, then lemme just tip that there's a dance sequence at the end that's worth the ticket alone.

borat - i like... it nice!

and a three way tie for #11
notes on a scandal - oh to watch judi dench go fatal attraction on cate blanchett! joy!

half nelson - two words, ryan gosling. a-fucking-mazing as an inspirational junior high teacher with a dark personal life!

paris je t'aime - 19 international directors (walter salles, the coen brothers, gus van sant, alexander payne, wes craven) tackle 19 short films about paris' different neighbourhoods. when the shorts work, they are a testiment to cinema and it's multitudes of talent.

plus two movies that i never got to see, but i have a feeling i'll really like them

seen these movies? neither did anyone else

2006-12-25T20:44:00.000-05:00

good ol' variety published their list of the biggest bombs of 2006. included are films starring russell crowe, nicholas cage, sean penn and of course sharon stone.

the glass half full version is that at least they're on some kind of list this year!

RIP: james brown

2006-12-25T20:36:00.000-05:00

read the article here

happy holidays from wongie's world (c/o wongie's music world)

2006-12-25T12:01:00.000-05:00

it's been an amazing year and i just wanted to wish all of you a wonderful holiday season over the next week.
since i'm away myself, here are some holiday musical gems (thanks to wongies music world) that i thought i'd leave for you.

the pogues feat kirsty maccoll - fairytale of new york [link 1/2]
[definitely one of my favorite songs of ALL time. in the process, might have possibly made me less sappy in life as i was growing up!]

declan o'rourke feat nina kinert - christmas wine (acoustic version) [link 1/2]
[a new discovery from ireland which i keep on going back to these days. really beautiful and wistful in the best way.]

abba - happy new year [link 1/2]
[um... need i say more?]

snl viral video: d*** in a box

2006-12-20T09:29:00.000-05:00

SNL viral video (featuring justin timberlake) - d*** in a box
[kinda funny, but not hilarious]

golden globe nominations announced this morning

2006-12-14T10:33:00.000-05:00

golden globes nominations were announced this morning with the usual buzzed about actors/actresses getting the kudos they deserve (hoorah to jennifer hudson, helen mirren, penelope cruz, judi dench, america ferrera, leonardo dicaprio and films like babel, little miss sunshine & dreamgirls).

some surprises include beyonce knowles for best actress in a musical/drama and masi oka from heroes getting a supporting actor nod! awesome!

if you missed the victoria's secret show, here it is in all it's campiness!

2006-12-08T04:08:00.000-05:00

this will probably not be on for too long, but if you have a good while, check out the recent broadcast of the victoria's secret fashion show (and watch how the producers try to make backstage a total drama fest! between the great soundtrack and the most preposterous outfits, check out justin timberlake performing twice in part 1 and 4)
part 1
part 2
part 3
part 4
part 5

yet another catherine tate gem

2006-12-04T10:57:00.001-05:00

catherine tate show - translator
[taken from wongie's tv blog, this is so wrong!]

madonna - live to tell (confessions tour version)

2006-11-30T00:17:00.000-05:00

it's a slow week in news (unless i decide to talk about britney's constant punani exposure, which i won't) instead, i've taken this 9 minute interlude from my music blog wongie's music world enjoy!:

madonna - live to tell (confessions tour)
[this is the performance that didn't make the NBC special last week. definitely one of my all time favorite madonna songs ever and the dancing intros are awesome!]

NY Times lists the 100 most notable books of the year

2006-11-23T05:36:00.000-05:00

just in case you were looking for some good reads over the winter season, NY Times offered their list of the 100 notable books of the year.

i embarrasingly have only read one from the list... like me, it's time to get to reading kids

watch this show: no angels (bbc america / channel 4)

2006-11-23T04:59:00.000-05:00

(from left: kaye wragg, louise delamare, sunetra sarker, jo joyner)

i've heard good things about the british comedy/drama no angels for a good year now. already three seasons in the uk, i'm super happy that bbc america picked up the saucy series and is broadcasting it from the start.

focusing on four vivacious young nurses, these ladies not only juggle life in an understaffed government hospital, but are also trying to find love as a single gal in the city. but what really makes this show a joy is watching the four leads who deftly switch from comedy to drama in an instant. calling this 'sex in the city' meets 'greys anatomy' is too easy, this show is definitely more realistic than that.

seek it out folks, you'll be happily rewarded!

good films alert: the history boys, notes on a scandal, curse of the golden flower

2006-11-22T19:13:00.000-05:00

here are three films that i've seen that i've enjoyed recently. don't know if they have the potential to ride the award wave, but that doesn't mean that you should miss these movies either.

the history boys (trailer)

notes on a scandal (trailer)

curse of the golden flower (trailer)

hilarious tv viral video: cobie smulders (aka robin from 'how i met your mother') music video - lets go to the mall

2006-11-22T17:47:00.000-05:00

if you've ever watched the endearingly funny cbs sitcom how i met your mother, you'd know how the group love nothing more than to take a loving jab at each other.

well, last weeks episode offered an amazing gem when the group discovered a music video from the past of 'serious' news reporter robin sparkles (played by cobie smulders)...seems like robin was a teen pop star back home in canada.

i've been cracking up to this for the past hour, and hopefully you will too!
here's how it all went down:

robin sparkles - lets go to the mall

RIP: robert altman

2006-11-22T03:15:00.000-05:00

one of best american directors of our time, robert altman, passed away to cancer on monday.

with 30 films under his belt, mr altman left behind an amazing legacy of work that will influence, entertain and move viewers forever.

his talents will be very missed.

watch what happened on daytime tv this morning! clay aiken vs kelly ripa vs rosie o'donnell

2006-11-21T15:14:00.000-05:00

this is what happened last friday when clay co-hosted with kelly, then it's her response on monday when regis came back

so rosie reacts to friday's incident and well... kelly called the view.
for once i don't agree with rosie, that clay aiken is lame.

nbc brings two amazing shows on air: tony bennett & madonna

2006-11-20T19:17:00.000-05:00

tony bennett: an american classic
[directed by rob marshall, the special features duets with barbara streisand, juanes, stevie wonder, diana krall, kd lang, elton john and a performance with christina aguilera that's not on his current album. here's a taster from SNL two weekends ago]

madonna - confessions tour [filmed at wembley arena earlier this year, this 2 hour special does not have the controversial performance of 'live to tell' on the cross... deal, it's free!]

the catherine tate show returns to the BBC

2006-11-20T17:25:00.000-05:00

my favorite UK stroppy teen lauren that propelled comedienne catherine tate into a worldwide sensation is back on british screens again and she's is as hilarious as ever. of course lauren is just one of the many characters catherine plays on her show. why we don't have an equivalent of that for the US is beyond me, but thank goodness i can find my jollys elsewhere.

i've been cracking up to this sketch for a good week and hopefully you will too. if you don't like it, well.. am i bovverd?

oh to watch a perfectly mediocre career go further down the tube: michael richards (aka kramer) is toast

2006-11-20T17:14:00.000-05:00

wow! how quickly a career can fall. michael richards (aka kramer) did a rare comedy performance at the comedy club over the weekend and well... went into the crazy zone when someone heckled him. of course tmz found footage of the whole thing.

it's sad really.

[update: here is michael apologising on letterman... not that convincing really]

f**k you OJ. you can now rot in hell

2006-11-20T17:04:00.000-05:00

for once uncle rupert made a good decision about his fox news network. the OJ interview has been nixed. nuff said.

i honestly don't care, but if people wanna know about tomkat's wedding...

2006-11-19T19:30:00.000-05:00

here's the official photo and news item of the tom cruise/katie holmes 'wedding'.

oh and here's another of the preposterous hat that wore posh spice.

george clooney is voted the sexiest man alive

2006-11-15T14:59:00.000-05:00

after years of campaigning, george clooney finally got his wish and nabbed his second sexiest man alive title with people magazine.
i won't contest... meow!

you have to see this! borat meets martha stewart

2006-11-12T21:15:00.000-05:00

watch it while you can, borat met martha stewart on jay leno last week. the making of the bed sequence is worth watching alone! i'm still laughing!

faith hill freaks when carrie underwood wins the CMA award for best female

2006-11-08T03:37:00.000-05:00

well... i'm not sure if it's true, but like the kerry incident, the joke is now quickly becoming an 'issue'. watch for yourself