Jodie Foster in Nim's Island

Found this trailer recently. Jodie Foster in a children's adventure film?. Ok I could definitely see that, but Jodie playing a goofy comedic character?.

Never in a million years LOL. I'm so used to her playing serious dramatic characters that this seems so foreign.

I do have to give her props though she does seem to have great comedic timing. It's actually kind of a nice departure from her last movie (The Brave One).

Young Abigail Breslin must have been thrilled to get this part, not everyone gets to be in movies with Jodie Foster. I can understand why she was chosen, although I have yet to see "Little Miss Sunshine".

And hey, Jodie is finally in a movie she can allow her kids to see lol (I'm sure that was part of the motivation for taking this role). Looks like a fun flick, I'll be keeping my eye out for it.

Thoughts on this year's Aussie Open

So, I checked out the Australian Open Tennis Championships even though I promised myself I wouldn't, since I knew it would only be a sad reminder of Martina Hingis's absence.

Especially with this being her most successful tournament and the start of her 2006 comeback no less.

I also couldn't stop thinking about how much the slower surface of the new courts would have benefited her game. Which made me more depressed.

I guess I like to torture myself lol. Actually I found the men's matches this year too good to resist. Particularly the 5 set 4 hour and 30 minute marathon with Roger Federer and Janko Tipserovic.

That whole thing was so intense I stayed up till 6 am to see the conclusion!. It was worth it though, tennis at it's best.

I also enjoyed a few of James Blake's matches (mostly because I didn't start watching the tournament until it's second week). I've become a fan of his over the last few years though.

And I stayed away from most of the women's matches due to the reasons mentioned above. I did get major satisfaction from Ivanovic's and Jankovic's defeat of the Williams sisters. That was a definite highlight for me (sorry but I cannot stand them).

With all that said this Aussie Open though filled with many surprises was quite disappointing as well. Roger Federer got knocked out by Serbian Novak Djokovic in the semi's for the first time in forever.

Djokovic is fun to watch and listen to actually and I do give the guy full credit it takes some doing to beat Federer even when he's not playing his best. He is definitely becoming Federer's greatest rival aside from Nadal.

Speaking of it will be interesting to see if Roger can take that elusive French Open trophy away from Nadal this year (I'm keeping my fingers crossed).

To make matters worse Sharapova knocked out #1 Justine Henin who to be fair also didn't seem at her best. Sharapova went on to win the title.

Personally I was surprised to hear that it was only the 3rd grand slam of her career, feels like she's been around longer lol. Or maybe I'm just confusing her with the accomplishments of Hingis again.

Despite not having my favourite player there, Aussie Open remains my favourite grand slam, the only downside is the 16 hour time difference.

It makes watching any of the matches live an impossibility. I hope that's something sports t.v. broadcasters work on in the future.

My lovely cockatiel

Haven't had much to write about lately as I've previously mentioned, not a lot going on at the moment.

So instead of me blabbering on about nothing enjoy some new (high quality) pics of my lovable and sometimes irritating lol cockatiel Cuba.

Oh, and small note despite how big he may appear in some of these pics, he's actually much smaller these were shot from very close-up.

In this photo you can see his lovely nails and yes they feel as sharp as they look

Heath Ledger found dead!!

Another celebrity shocker, actor Heath Ledger (10 Things I Hate About You, Brokeback Mountain) was found dead from what his family says was an accidental death (although the actual cause has not been determined yet).

I can honestly say I was absolutely stunned when I read this, I've always been a fan of his work, and I was looking forward to seeing his portrayal of Joker in the new Batman movie. I just didn't think it would be his last:(.

Last week we lost Brad Renfro and this week it's Heath Ledger. I had a conversation with a friend of mine about this very subject and I really hope she is not right on her "these things come in threes" statement.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/080122/entertainment/film_heath_ledger_dead

Creepy Cruise strikes again

If you've read my blog in the past then you will know I cannot stand Tom Cruise and therefore I never pass up a chance to diss him.

Especially when the opportunity practically presents itself on a platter lol. Throw in Scientology (which I never have nor will ever want to understand) and I just can't stop myself. The following video solidifies my opinion that Cruise is nuts (not that I really needed more proof lol).

http://defamer.com/344987/the-tom-cruise-indoctrination-video-scientologists-dont-want-you-to-see?autoplay=true

Frankly just trying to pay attention to his incoherent babble took some effort, so I won't blame you if you've turned it off half way through.

Just for the hell of it let's examine some of the things he says in this video shall we:

"I won't hesitate to put ethics into someone one 'cause I put it ruthlessly into myself"

Yes, and we all know who he forces all his ethics on don't we?. The freekatie.net site isn't just for kicks.

"We can create new realities...improve conditions".

Search out new frontiers baldly go where no man has gone before, sorry I couldn't resist lol.

"Being a scientologist is not like anyone else, you can't drive past the scene of an accident, 'cause you know you're the only one that can really help".

Yes Mr. superior it's called being human something I am seriously starting to doubt when it comes to you. Oh, and you know what would be even better then a scientologist? an ordinary person with a cell phone or here is a thought a trained paramedic/doctor!.

"I wish the world was a different place, I would like to go on vacation."

Yes poor Tom I'm sure all that Scientology preaching takes it's tall on a person, or well it would on someone average and not someone who probably goes on vacation more times in a span of a week then any regular person does in their entire life lol.

"I'm carrying my load doing as much as I can".

Yeah, I believe him...NOT lol. I would if I ever saw him actually doing something worthwhile for charity. But out of all the celebs in Hollywood he's the one you hear the least about in that respect. So I'm not buying that for a second.

I don't know what's more scary his lack of communication skills and general lack of sentence structure or his maniacal laugh. But if I really had to choose I think the laugh would win. Creepy doesn't begin to cover it.

Why exactly did he take it upon himself to be the spokesperson for Scientology anyway?.
Plenty of other celebrities belong to it, like John Travolta and Lisa Marie for instance but you never hear them. I wish he would follow their example.

R.I.P. Brad Renfro

Before I go any further let me refresh your memory on who Brad Renfro is, 'cause I'm sure you're scratching your head, going huh? (it's ok I'm guilty of that too).

Brad Renfro is the child actor who played the character of Mark Sway in the 1994 Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones flick called "The Client". One of my absolute faves. And pretty much his only hit.

I always find it sad how all the child actors seem to die either from an alcohol or drug overdose (although that has not been determined in this case as of yet).

No matter how many times this happens I'm always shocked at how young they are. This guy was only 25. It's a real shame. I choose to remember him as the spunky 12 year old who mouthed off to Susan Sarandon.

Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles pilot review

What can I say about this new offering from FOX?. Well, the first words that come into my mind are thank you!.

Thank you for giving all t.v. watchers a breath of fresh air, a reprieve from the soon to be constant onslaught of reality programming.

As a long time fan of the Terminator franchise, I was extremely excited about this new series, but I will admit that I also had my doubts. Mainly because there are so many past examples of film turned t.v. shows that failed miserably.

But, Sarah Connor Chronicles is not one of those, it succeeds due to one simple fact. The creator, Josh Friedman stuck to what made the movies so good. Solid characters, a clear complex sci-fi story, and good action.

I was going to re-cap the 2 part pilot but as it turns out EW.com already did a much better job of that than I ever could, so you can head on over there for that. I will concentrate on my impressions of the show and it's actors instead.

Since I already mentioned some the principal reasons for loving this series, I will just gush about the most important part of any new show, the cast. Starting with the main character Sarah Connor played by Lena Heady (Imagine Me and You, 300).

Who in my opinion perfectly embodies the character's mental and physical strength as well as her vulnerability.

Sure, some people may complain and disagree with the physical part, since Lena doesn't have Linda Hamilton's muscular arms, to those people I say get over yourselves. The fact is that no one but Linda will ever have those same arms so you'll just have to learn to live without them;P.

Personally I think Lena is convincing enough, without the beefy arms, it's all in the facial expressions. In fact I want to thank whoever cast her in this role. I think Linda Hamilton would agree.

Next comes the female Terminator, aka Cameron played by Summer Glau (Firefly), who for many people has already proven herself as a favourite. And who interestingly enough unlike all the previous killing machines doesn't have a model number.

I've been reading a lot of reviews where people have said Summer Glau is all over the place interms of her acting. And I have to disagree I think she does a fine job with the character.

After all the Terminator is supposed to be half human and half robot, therefore you'd have to play her as such which is exactly what this actress has done. Very convincingly I might add.

Actually I think one of the most unique things about this Terminator is that she's the first model we know of that has most of the human qualities pre-installed.

Since I'm still on the subject of the female characters I feel I should mention how much I love the fact that there are 2 of them. Unless I'm sorely mistaken we haven't seen 2 female heroines since the mid 90's.

Thomas Dekker (Heroes) plays John Connor, the only character who isn't fully fleshed out yet. But the actor fits the character quite well. And I'm particularly interested in seeing how John will evolve should the series survive.

Especially since the creator entirely nixed the events of T3. But not being a big fan of T3 anyway, I was very happy about that fact.

It gives the writers more freedom to develop their version of a female Terminator. And since I really like what I've seen so far I would say they're doing a bang up job.

Aside from what I've already mentioned one of the other things I always loved about the Terminator movies was it's subtle humor. And I guess I wasn't the only one, because the dialogue in this show is filled with it. So a big kudos to Josh Friedman once again for staying true to that.

While it remains to be seen whether the show's writers and creators can maintain the quality and intensity of these first 2 episodes.

One thing is for sure, I finally found a show I can totally get engrossed in. And I want it to stay that way so please executives at the FOX Network I beg you do not terminate it (pun intended;).

Fun with the young...... celebrities that is;)

I'm sure many of you have figured out by now, the writers strike has left me with very little to blog about.

Thus the sporadic updates. As a way of combating complete boredom lol, I've been scowering the net for entertainment.

One of the things I have been checking out are lists made by industry insiders, things like best/hottest celebs, best movies, best music etc.

Usually if I'm looking for amusement I'll look for funny jokes or funny videos. But every once in a while these lists prove just as good. Hollywood's hottest young stars under 25
was one that particularly caught my interest. After viewing the list, I have to say the choices are pretty good.

However, there are a few that I disagree with, I don't really get the big deal about Keira Knightley. I mean she's a good actress, but she hasn't really been in any spectacular movies, at least none that would be of any interest to me.

Yeah, ok I know what you're thinking what about Pirates of the Caribbean, right?. She did alright in that, but truthfully aside from the very first one I had a hard time staying awake through the other 2 flicks lol, even though I am a Johnny Depp fan.

The other young star I'm not really a fan of is Zac Efron. I guess I don't really see what he has to offer aside from his pretty boy looks.

It could just be that I'm over the whole cute boy teenage crush thing, but I think over exposure may also be adding to the dislike factor.

Other then those 2 the list is pretty solid, there are actually many I haven't even heard of but will definitely keep an eye on.

Now on to the good ones. I'm gonna start off with Evan Rachel Wood first (and not just because I have a slight obsession when it comes to this actress lol).

I just think that out of all the people on this list she has the most staying power. Aside from great acting instincts, she has an absolute knack for picking perfect roles for herself.

I think what I like about her the most is that she doesn't go for the Hollywood A list, and blockbuster money factor. She picks roles purely on the basis of challenging herself and furthering her acting talents.

Which is why she does a lot more independent productions. I wish more young stars in Hollywood adapted her way of thinking.

Oh, and I wonder what Evan would think of her ex-boyfriend Jamie Bell being on the list as well.

Anyway moving on lol, Mischa Barton another good pick, (yes I know she was arrested for DUI recently but what young celeb in Hollywood hasn't?. Frankly I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner). But back to the reason I like her, like Evan she's shown great maturity in terms of her acting as well as some unique movie choices. And I think she can only get better.

Emily Blunt I'm gonna have to remember this name I loved her in "The Devil Wears Prada".

Shia LaBeouf loved this guy in "Transformers" can't wait to see his next project.

Micheal Cera this guy has an interesting way of adding charm to the geek look. And he's good at playing lovable geeks so that's a bonus.

Ellen Page, after recently seeing "Juno" I'm intrigued by her acting style and I can't wait to see what she has in store.

Elle Faning no big surprise there really, seeing as her sister Dakota is an acting genius I guess it was a natural thing for her to follow in her older sister's footsteps.

All of these names definitely have a promising future ahead, like the article says it'll be interesting to see who will last.

I could go on and on with this list, but it's making me feel old lol, so I better stop. I'll just end with this, anyone else think Freddie Highmore is a younger clone of Haley Joel Osment?. Freaky. Hopefully puberty will be a little kinder to him lol.

"Dead Like Me" movie trailer

I haven't heard anything about the "Dead Like Me" DVD movie since last year so I decided to do some digging and low and behold I found a Youtube trailer:



Key things to note, no Mandy Patinkin as Rube (he was busy with Criminal Minds) and no Laura Harris as Daisy Adair. Too bad those two were my favourite characters (aside from George of course;).

Couple of other things in regards to the trailer, Ellen Muth's voice sounds a little different, but perhaps it's just the audio.

The other major change?, the actress who plays Reggie looks completely different. Amazing what a growth spurt will do to you.

Aside from all that, it looks like the movie stays true to the show's sarcastic humor. I'm really looking forward to it.

I just wish the trailer included a release date. If anyone out there has the inside scoop on that please let me know so I can start counting down :D.

Interviews how I loathe thee

So, I had a job interview today. As I'm sure you may have guessed I find the whole thing really stressful (but than who doesn't right?).

Sometimes I feel like the whole process is more stressful than actually working.

I find that even when I'm prepared for it as well as I can be (with all the best tips and common questions).

It doesn't really help to lessen the stress issue, because there are still doubts that creep into the back of your mind, before and after the interview.

Getting ready for it, is so tedious, because you're just repeating the same answers to the same questions in every one of them.

Or at least that's what it always feels like to me. Like you're basically putting a different spin on the same things.

It's so hard to sell yourself when you only have limited experience. The experience bit is thing that always frustrates me too.

Since in order to get the experience in the first place you have to be given a chance.

Which really doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it's the strange reality of the working world. Thus endeth the mini-rant lol.

People's Choice 2008 entertainment or sleep aid?

What do you get when you take away the red carpet arrives and live celebrity speeches from the Peoples Choice Awards?. Taped and old archived speeches from past winners, in other words a whole lot of nothing!.

Well, unless you're in a really nostalgic mood, and feel the need to see all of your favourite celebs with hair circa 1980's LOL.

The only reason I tuned in is because I voted. But now that I think about it I could have just as easily checked out the results on the website. Damn! lol.

I'm surprised CBS decided to go ahead and run the PCA's in the first place. They must be desperate lol. I think the host Queen Latifah was about the only highlight.

If the big wigs at the t.v. networks need anymore proof that we need the writers back stat, all they need to do is watch this year's PCA telecast.

Hopefully that will either wake them up and make them realize that without writers even the award shows are a total wash out, or it'll put them to sleep lol.

Seriously it's so sad that the People's Choice became the first casualty of the strike. Especially since it's the only award show worth watching.

All I have to say is it's a good thing The Golden Globes were scrapped and I'm gonna go out on a limb and say unless some miracle negotiations happen the Oscars are next.

Martina Hingis found guilty receives 2-year ban

Well, I was hoping to start the year with something positive, especially since it's my first post.

But, as I'm sure many of you are aware in life things don't always work out the way you expect. Such is the case for tennis star Martina Hingis.

Who received some bad news regarding her drug accusations from last year.

It was announced today that she has been found guilty by an independent Anti-Doping Tribunal and as a result has received a 2-year ban from the sport by the International Tennis Federation.

Which really makes no difference seeing as she retired at the end of last year. She's also being asked to return all the prize money earned at Wimbledon.

To make matters worse the tribunal rejected both of Hingis's pleas in regards to the drug sample.

I don't know much about court proceeding when it comes to sports but I find the independent Anti-Doping Tribunal a little weird. I'm inclined to think they're not as independent as they claim.

And I don't know about the rest of you but the conspiracy theorist in me refuses to believe that drug sample was hers. I still think there was some sort of set up going on to ruin her reputation and her unblemished record, so to speak which is exactly what this whole fiasco achieved.

Despite all this to me she will always be one of the greatest players of the sport, someone who's irreplaceable and always worthy of my respect.

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