American Idol 2012: The Finale

We have arrived at the finale!! Even though I didn't think this was one of the best years of American Idol, the season went by really fast and I can't believe we're at the end already. While I don't think Jessica should have made it this far, I predicted Phillip would win when the Top 13 were announced, and I truly think he deserves the win. He's come really far and as he is the only artist left in the competition, he will be a good representation of the show. If you follow the link above, you'll see the predictions I made. In terms of winning, I accurately predicted Phillip, and in terms of what I wanted to happen I accurately guessed Hollie's elimination. Just like with every year, the Final Two sang Simon Fuller's Choice, a Previously Sang Song, and their individual Winner's Single.

Jessica Sanchez

Another Whitney song?! This is the third time Jessica's done a Whitney song on the show, and by now it's tired. Just let it go already. Once again, this was an emotionless stand-on-the-stage-and-belt kind of performance that has become common for Jessica. 

Phillip Phillips

'Stand By Me' is NOT what I would have chosen for Phillip to sing. He rearranged the melody as usual, and I think it worked. But in a weird and awkward kind of way. I wasn't raving over it, but it was still very solid.

Jessica Sanchez

Another blah performance. Are ballads the only thing Jessica's going to sing in the future? The finale is supposed to be a representation of who you are, but all we're seeing is a balladeer. I preferred this over her first performance, but it was the same old same old.

Phillip Phillips

YES, Phillip! That was a really great performance that showed off who he is. It's got that grit and angst in it that pulses through your body, and it showed the more upbeat side of him. Phillip blew Jessica out of the water in this second round.

Jessica Sanchez

Another frickin' ballad?! At least last year when Scotty and Lauren picked their Winner's Singles they weren't too sappy, but Jessica picked the biggest pile of mush she could find. If you're going to pick a song that represents who you are then why pick this? She could have redeemed herself and potentially won if she had picked a better song.

Phillip Phillips

Phillip just won the show with that performance right there, ladies and gentlemen!!! THAT'S how you pick a Winner's Single (I'm looking at you Jessica). That song could not have been more suited to Phillip, and I think it is the best Winner's Single ever on this show. It had a great Mumford & Sons vibe that is really popular today. Phillip sealed the deal with that one.

It was blatantly obvious that Phillip won the night overall. The last performance and the well-deserved standing O from the judges closed this chapter in Idol history. I really liked Jessica and was rooting for her in the beginning, but she crashed and burned the past few weeks by not bringing any personality to the stage. This year is now over and I still have no idea who Jessica Sanchez really is. It was a very good night overall.

Last night on the finale legend after legend took the stage to perform. I think this was the best finale in Idol history. This was the first time that it didn't drag on for hours, and I was legitimately entranced through the whole show. The only flaws were Fantasia Burrino's outfit and the return of Chaka Khan and Neil Diamond. Don't get me wrong, that are still great even at their ages, but it's come to the point where I'm tired of seeing them perform on the Idol finale EVERY year. Get some other musicians to come on. And who let Fantasia step onto that stage wearing that one piece. That was probably one of the worst outfits I have ever seen, and with the many pounds Fantasia has gained, it did not look pretty. She needs to fire her stylist immediately. The highlight of the night for me was Jessica performing with Jennifer Holliday, the original Dreamgirl. First, this was the first time that I saw some personality from Jessica. I was actually impressed because she had some attitude that made her more interesting to watch. But more importantly, Jennifer Holliday was a hoot to watch, and she blew the roof of with her incredible vocals. That was hands down THE BEST performance I have EVER seen on the Idol stage (or any other reality competition show for that matter). The performance slayed. WOW! Overall, it was a fantastic night. So we have come to the end of another year of American Idol. I've really enjoyed blogging about the show for the past four months, and I hope you enjoyed it too! Can't wait to do it again next year!

American Idol 2012: Top 3

This week on American Idol, the Top 3 took on three songs each: Judges' Choice, Personal Choice and Jimmy's Choice. It was also the always fun hometown visits. Phillip easily won the night with some incredible performances. After a few so-so weeks, he pulled out all the stops and set the standard for the others to compete against. Joshua was just okay, his final performance being the best. Jessica was absolutely awful. It almost seemed as if the producers manipulated everything to throw her under the bus. Other than Jessica's atrocities and the judges' over-the-top hyperbolic statements, the show was actually very pleasant.

Jessica Sanchez

The judges chose some Mariah for Jessica to sing. This was by far the strongest of her three performances, but the performance just kind of left me hanging. There wasn't anything spectacular about it, but it wasn't terrible either. There was simply no "wow" factor.

Phillip Phillips

This was personally my favorite performance of the night. This is 100% the type of music that I could see Phillip releasing in the future, and he could achieve some really great success with it. His personality really shown through, and I was groovin' in my seat. 

Jessica Sanchez

For her own choice, Jessica chose Aerosmith's legendary 'I Don't Want To Miss a Thing'. It could not have been worse. First, she's not a rocker so it was totally out of character for her which put her at a disadvantage. But what I hated the most was that the song became this odd R&B slow jam that rubbed me the wrong way. The entire thing felt so awkward that it left me uncomfortable.

Phillip Phillips

This Matchbox 20 song was a great choice. For Phillip it showed off his laid-back and jazzy side which is always fun to see. It really feels like a Phillip concert tonight and I'm really loving it. I disagree with the judges completely because I think he doesn't have to have a "moment" with every song - he's showing who he is as an all-around artist, unlike the other two who rely solely on their big voices.

Jessica Sanchez

Jimmy seriously chose the Jackson 5's 'I'll Be There'? Really?! This was a completely idiotic choice, and did Jessica absolutely no favors. With her distinct voice the song became very karaoke and was laughable at times. By far the worst performance of the night.

Phillip Phillips

He's actually singing something with melody!! While I don't think it was as big of a standout moment as the judges seemed to think, I think it was pretty good. You could tell Phillip was a little uncomfortable with the song, but it was really great to hear him sing like that. He really does have a great voice, and I think this showed off yet another facet of his voice that we've never seen before.

Ranking the night over all it would be Phillip, Joshua and finally Jessica. This was by far Jessica's weakest night of the competition which is made even worse by the fact that she had three opportunities to display her talent. Joshua had a good performance with his last song, but his rendition of 'Imagine' made me want to plug my ears. He completely disgraced one of the best songs ever written. That song is simple and demands a finesse that is hard to achieve. What Joshua did was take a steamroller and repeatedly flattened the song until it crumbled to a pulp. He completely over-sang the song and destroyed the intimacy of it. I HATED it, and I truly mean that. Based on the show Jessica should have gone home, but when she made it through I was flabbergasted. In the finale I believe Phillip will win. While I don't want him to because he is another WGWG (a popular Idol acronym that means White Guy With a Guitar), he is leaps and bounds better than the personality-less Jessica. We'll see what happens!

An Homage to 1970s Melodrama: Tim Burton's 'Dark Shadows'

I finally saw Tim Burton's latest film, Dark Shadows, today starring an incredible ensemble made of Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter. And it was brilliant! While it has not received rave reviews and is mainly hit or miss with viewers, the film is distinctly a Tim Burton work, and this may be one of my favorites of his. The film was an interesting mix of fantasy, the supernatural, comedy and sex, when all combined made an appetizing feature film. The first half of the film was my favorite, and after the first hour it began declining but still stayed afloat. The cinematography was wonderful, and I loved how Tim Burton portrayed the film visually. Tim Burton is a master of cinema, and I hope he continues making films for decades to come. The reason why I decided to do a full post on this movie was not simply because I'm a Tim Burton fanboy. I chose to write this because of the most important feature of the film which seems to go unsaid by critics: the film is an homage to the 1970s melodrama of television, and it is precisely this that made the film a standout in my opinion.

When I heard that Tim Burton was making this film many months ago, I researched it and found out that it was actually an adaption of a television series that aired from 1966-1971. It was originally a gothic soap opera that suffered from low ratings and boring plot lines. Fortunately, the incredible creator of the series, Dan Curtis, began introducing ghosts, then vampires, and following came zombies, werewolves, witches and parallel universes. It wasn't until the introduction of Barnabas Collins, a vampire, that the show gained its immense legion of fans, mainly young school kids who raced home to watch the now supernatural soap opera. It quickly became a show with a cult following, and is the television show with the second most episodes ever with 1,125 (Passions is number one with 2,231).

As with any soap opera, the acting is over-the-top and even laughable at times, but the show is highly addictive and the plot is ever changing and always unexpected. I've been watching the show on Netflix for many months now and it has quickly become one of my favorite shows ever. There are some really great characters, and the plot is entrancing. It's really incredible to watch a black-and-white television tackle such topics such as vampires, zombies and werewolves which seem to be commonplace today but were something brand new when Dan Curtis penned the show in 1966. And now the point I want to get to is the heart of the new Dark Shadows film.

While Tim Burton's adaptation wasn't the most faithful because of its use of comedy and emphasis on sex, it is exactly this stylization that represents Burton's intention for the film. He wanted to play off the melodrama of the show and almost make fun of the original show's sometimes crude acting and cheesy scenes. He also wanted to capture the spirit of the '70s with the film which is something I think he achieved quite well. Dark Shadows is more of a representation of pop culture of a certain time period than an intriguing film about a cursed vampire. And I think it is exactly this idea of capturing pop culture that entices me the most and makes my love affair with this film more pronounced. Tim Burton goes for the unsaid rather than the blatantly obvious, and he captures the spirit of pop culture rather than making a hollow Hollywood film meant to rake in billions of dollars at the box office. It is this passion of his that brought to life these characters and how they were so reminiscent of the originals. Dark Shadows is an homage to 1970's melodrama and popular culture that should be seen by all, whether or not you have seen the original television series.

'Props' by Glee

This week we get a double helping of Glee! It could not have been better because these two episodes quite arguably were the best two of the entire season, and most resembled the first season which is what drew everyone in in the first place. 'Props' was basically the prelude to Nationals, and included a really fun body switching plot line that thrust Tina into the spotlight.

Rachel is still reeling from her failed audition, and so we see her leaving messages for Carmen Tibideaux trying to convene her to come to Nationals to watch Rachel perform. Rachel gives a beautiful and moving performance, and it reminds me so much of the old Rachel that felt out of place and was vying for her place in the spotlight.

Tina SLAYED this song!!! I'm so glad Tina got some recognition for being one of the original members of New Directions and got the chance to prove that she is a talented vocalist. After Tina falls into a water fountain and receives a concussion, she has a dream that everyone has body swapped, and what ensues is hilarious. Puck and Finn as Blaine and Kurt respectively had to be the best part. Tina swapped with Rachel, and through this they laid to rest hard feelings towards each other, and basically set up Tina as the female lead of the New Directions for next year.

I've included this performance simply so you could see the body switch and Tina's killer vocals:

Once again we get a well-deserved focus on Puck and Coach Beiste as they struggle with their own problems. This Taylor Swift (yuck!) song was done beautifully by these two, and they actually made me like the song. This is the type of thing that would have fit right at home in Season 1. It was really great.

After helping Rachel meet Carmen Tibideaux and plead her case, Tina joins Rachel on stage for a duet that she has wanted to do for years. The girls' voices mesh really well, and after having seen this I would have loved to see more duets with these two in the past. The performance was a culmination of the entire episode and could not have been a more poignant moment. I know I keep saying this, but it really felt like Season 1 and I could not have loved it more.

Even though the body switching was a little outlandish, it brought back all those memories of Season 1 and the phenomenon that was Glee. We all know the show has declined over the past two years, but this episode (and the following one) shows that all the elements are there, but they just have to be done properly to bring back that magic. Seeing everyone as each other was a hoot, and watching Finn and Puck be a cute gay couple was one of the highlights of the season. And what about Artie's ponytail? Comedy gold. I really liked that we got to see more depth from Puck. He gets into a fight with the captain of the hockey team because he was gone from being Top Dog to Bottom Loser. He then has an emotional breakdown with Beiste, and that leads her to finally end it with Cooter. Both plot lines were actually well done for once, and they made the episode even more perfect. If you watch any episode this season, it MUST be this one.

American Idol 2012: Top 4

This week on American Idol the contestants did a much better job than they have in quite a few weeks. They took on songs by Californian artists as well as Songs I Wish I Wrote. I have to give it to Joshua because he did a decent job tonight, but Phillip finally got back in the game, and Hollie once again had a really good week. 

Phillip Phillips

This is the Phillip I love. He's got his own unique style, and he has his own little groove that makes you smile. He's the only original artist in the Top 4, and for this reason I want him to win even though he's the typical WGWG Idol winner.

Hollie Cavanagh

This was an interesting night for Hollie because I disagreed with the judges on both of her songs. This Journey song wasn't the best performance she's ever done, but it wasn't bad either. Hollie was lacking a bit of emotion and could have gone further with it. Interestingly, the judges were fawning over her and said it was amazing.

Jessica Sanchez

Another typical Jessica performance: incredible vocals but no personality. She even did a growling thing that annoyed the heck out of me. She's going nowhere in the music business and you can quote me on that because she's just a voice. It's the Top 4 and I have NO idea who she is. Who is Jessica?

Phillip and Joshua

After last week's duet debacle I had very low expectations for this performance, but the boys proved me wrong. Taking on Maroon 5's 'This Love' was a perfect choice, and their vocals flowed seamlessly together. They even had great chemistry.

Hollie and Jessica

This was very interesting. Hollie and Jessica's duet was actually pretty bad towards the end. I liked the swings as we don't get much production value on this show, but once they got off them the whole thing went downhill. Interestingly, it was Jessica who mucked the whole thing up.

The Top 4

When you have to do a whole group performance on a performance night, you know the show is too long. Blah blah blah. This could not have been more boring or worse of a vocal blending. Why waste our time with this?

Phillip Phillips

I LOVE this side of Phillip. The moody, dark and gravelly side of him is captivating, and it makes me want to buy his album. I loved the whole performance, and for me it was one of his best. This was a huge advancement over last week's atrocities.

Hollie Cavanagh

I loved this soooo much more than her first performance. I thought it was oozing emotion, and she really had a moment with it. A very solid performance. However, the judges hated it and thought it didn't go anywhere. What's up with them? I really think they try to sabotage Hollie instead of helping her.

Jessica Sanchez

You can't fault anyone who sings 'And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going' from the musical Dreamgirls. It's one of the most amazing songs ever written, but the problem I had with Jessica was that it was almost a carbon copy of Jennifer Hudson's bone-chilling version. She didn't put her own spin on it which is one of her biggest downfalls on this show.

Phillip was by far the best of the night, and I was so happy to see him bounce back from two weeks of rather lackluster performances. Jessica and Hollie both had a so-so night. I admit that Joshua's rendition of 'It's a Man's Man's Man's World' was quite good, but he still didn't wow me. Based on the performances, I would say that either Jessica or Hollie should go home. Of course Hollie got sent home after many weeks spent in the Bottom Two. It's a shame to see her go because she really grew these past few weeks and deserved it more than Jessica. Overall, though, it was a really good night.