Sheryl Crow - I want You Back

I just have to say, wow! I "like" Sheryl Crow. I would not go so far as to say I'm a fan. I had no idea she could kick it like this!

Things Coming Up On the Couch!

I’m working hard on the ProBlogger challenge. Next week I begin the challenge again with movie bloggers. I’ll fill you in on that next week. Right now, I’m loving all the new Blogs I’ve found at SITS. So much so, that it’s even given me an idea for a new feature for the couch! Today’s challenge talks about editorial content and setting up the ideas for your posts in advance.

I’ve tried some regular features here in the past. 365 Seinfeld didn’t go over so well, but every Tuesday I still do Song of the Week. It’s all trial and error right? Well, I’ve been thinking of a couple of new features.

As previously mentioned, I’ve found so many great blogs in the last few weeks that I thought a new feature could be “Sunday Chatting with A Blogger.” My mission with this blog from the beginning has been to turn you on to great things, blogs included. I want to give it a bit more of a personal touch though and instead of links, (which are awesome, don’t get me wrong) an actual conversation with the blog author I’m highlighting. I was thinking this would be a nice laid-back Sunday feature.

I’m also considering a Saturday Skype Roundup. I’m considering coming to you via video each Saturday, directly from my couch! I can talk about recent events in the entertainment world and maybe vent a little! This of course requires me learn how to record, edit and post with Skype. Since my technical abilities sort of suck, this one may take me awhile!

So what do you think? Do these new features sound interesting? Do you think they enhance my niche? I’d love your feedback. Happy Friday by the way!

10 Things Coming Soon to the Couch

I’m still getting through the 31 Days to Build A Better Blog Challenge with the girls over at SITS. Today’s task is to write a list of ten future posts your wish to cover. This list gives you an idea of some of the things coming up on Colleenie’s Couch. Let me know if a particular topic piques your interest.

1. How to Fix American Idol
2. To Kill A Mockingbird (book review)
3. Dinner for Schmucks (movie review)
4. Crush It! (book review)
5. Cyrus (movie review)
6. Intro to Meet A Blogger Sunday (new feature)
7. Volume II – She and Him (music review)
8. One Day (book review)
9. Bad Mother (book review)
10. It Sucked Then I Cried (book review)

This list is comprised of some things I’ve already done and things I hope to do. I’m not the fastest reader in the world so sometimes my reading plate gets too full.

The Carrie Diaries

Book Review

Well, fans of Sex and the City had two options this summer. They could see the theatrical release of Sex and the City 2 or read the YA novel by Candace Bushnell, The Carrie Diaries.

I was pretty pumped to see the new movie because I was more than impressed with the first outing. However, some major scheduling conflicts kept me from opening weekend. Then the reviews and low ticket sales started flowing in. Suddenly, a movie I had been anticipating for months dropped to my “wait for DVD list.”

I heard some months earlier that a Young Adult novel was coming out based on Carrie Bradshaw’s High School years. My interest was piqued, but my book buying budget low. I was surprised at how quickly I got the book from my local library “hold” list.

As a side note, I never grew out of reading Young Adult fiction. There are some phenomenal books out there in this genre. The Twilight and Harry Potter books have managed to cross over, but I’ve always been more of fan of girls making big decisions while on the cusp of womanhood. So, this was basically right up my alley!

I would get to find out about Carrie’s family and how she decided to become a writer. These were juicy secrets we were never told over all 6 seasons of Sex and the City. Carrie never really mentioned her family except for once when I think she said her Dad left them. Hmm, that would certainly conflict, but I’d have to watch every episode to verify that. Does anyone out there remember that? I think it was the one where she went to work for Vogue. I guess if you called Ms. Bushnell out on that, she would simply say she can’t be responsible for whatever storylines were used in the TV show since she wasn’t writing it.

Anyway, I’m getting off track. This book was the perfect summer read. High teen drama, secrets, betrayal, boyfriend-stealing…you name it! I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen to Carrie next. The ending was so much fun I threw up the book, (don’t worry, I was in bed so I didn’t damage a library book) and exclaimed, “That was awesome!”

This book definitely provided some summer reading fun and it wasn’t too saucy if you have an older teen who wants to read it. Be warned though, some of the teen characters are having sex, though nothing is described in detail. There’s also drinking and sneaking out of the house. If your cool with your teen reading that type of subject matter, then pass it along AFTER you read it.

Song of the Week

Daniel – Wilson Phillips
This little ditty is from Two Rooms, the Elton John/Bernie Taupin tribute album. This was always one of my favorite Elton songs. Anyone who quickly wants to write off a puff band like Wilson Phillips needs to take a listen to the harmony they have on this tune. Beautiful!

Digging Through the Archives

The ProBlogger challenge sure has brought a lot of new people over to the couch. I’m going to skooch over so you can all take a seat.

Comfy? Good. Today I’m going to share some off my favorite posts from the past. I think it will help you get a feel for how I do things here at Colleenie’s Couch.

Conan on 60 Minutes
How I Met Your Mother
Away We Go
Candy Girl
Song of the Week Intro

The Kids Are All Right

Movie Review

In one word, this movie was refreshing. In a sea of disappointing summer flicks, what a gem this film was. To see wonderful actors at the top of their game, complex characters, a layered storyline and even an awesome soundtrack was a joy to behold.

The basic premise here is a longtime lesbian couple dealing with the fact that their two children have decided to contact their sperm-donor biological father.

Each actor seems to trump the next. Mark Ruffalo so embodies “the dude,” it seems like the role was tailor made for an upcoming Oscar nomination. Ruffalo makes it all look so easy that I think sometimes he’s overlooked. That’s impossible here as his presence fills up the screen and the characters and us easily fall for his charms. I’m not happy about him replacing Ed Norton as Hulk in the Avengers film, but I’m sure he’ll do a top-notch job as always.

Julianne Moore has such a powerful scene in this film where she explains to her family how difficult relationships can be and it’s believable for anyone gay or straight. I completely believed her as Jules, this creative sexy woman who constantly feels she’s not living up to the silent expectations of her partner Nic. Moore is vulnerable, kooky and sexy all at once, but just when you think she has successfully stolen the film away from Ruffalo, here comes Annette Bening.

Bening’s scene at the dinner with Ruffalo is reminiscent of Diane Lane’s powerful train scene in Unfaithful. Bening never utters a word and we watch as all the emotion pours over her and we’re all left in awe of just how powerful she can be.

Let’s not forget the kids here either. Mia Wasikowka and Josh Hutcherson are so believable and fully fleshed out as the kids. They love their moms, but although they may be considered an unconventional family, they do not escape the same teen angst that plagues every teenager.

I also want to mention how much I loved seeing a movie starring two older women that looked like two older women. Both Moore and Bening look their age and don’t have puffed up lips and tight faces. Now if one of them was overweight too, that would’ve been perfect! Wasikowka also looks too young to be going off to college which is how most eighteen year olds look (yeah I know in real life she’s twenty-one, but look at that girl!).

This film touches on so many subjects about family, marriage, relationships, you’d think it’s taking on too much, but it weaves its quilt so beautifully and believably that you wish you could stay with these characters long after the film ends.

My daughter cried, I cried. It was difficult to have the story line of the daughter leaving for college since mine will be flying the coop this time next year. I felt all those emotions and I’m not a lesbian, I don’t live an upper middle class life, and, hell, I don’t even compost like they do! The beauty of this film is shedding a light on the true things that make a family.

Inception - Counter Point MSN

See it's not just me. The fabulous Mary Pols agrees with me.

Read this!

Inception

Movie Review:

Can I start by saying that the biggest problem I’ve been having with movies lately is that they are too darn long? I have no problem with long movies. I’m a fan of Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter; hey, I saw Gandhi in the theater and it was so long they actually had an intermission!

So I’m in no way against a long film. The problem I’m having is that they’re making them long when there’s not enough good content to carry the film. Case in point: Inception.

This film clocked in at two hours and thirty-eight minutes, and I kid you not when I say you could easily trim forty minutes from this thing!

DiCaprio leads a top notch cast of actors that I love. Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt give good performances, but I’m not sure they’re fit for big-budget special effects movies. They are capable of going deeper than what the characters called for, so I feel like they were wasted.

Also, can I point out for the techies that the trailer gives up the best special effect in the whole movie? I never saw a better visual scene than Ellen Page’s dream of the city folding up on itself.

As far as Christopher Nolan is concerned, I think there’s a problem transitioning to larger films for him. I know I’m alone on an island with this one, but he has failed to blow me anyway as much as he did with Memento. That movie was short, trippy and cool. Now, with The Dark Knight and Inception, I feel like he’s delivering Costco movies. Costco sells the brands you want, but sometimes they are packaged so large you’re tired of the product by the time you reach the end.

Everyone is going on and on about how great this movie is; however, I had to go to the restroom (I never leave a movie by the way) just to try to keep myself awake. When I returned, I still nodded off a couple of times. The main dream sequence was so long and drawn out and when you know it’s a dream, it feels all the more tedious.

I really tried to get into this. My husband and brother-in-law loved it and thought I was too harsh, as usual. What can I say? I call em’ as I see em’!

*Let's take look at what someone else thought!

http://www.northof25a.org/2010/07/inception.html

The Heart of Life – John Mayer
I’m hooked on this song again. I can’t seem to listen to it just once. Sure there’s lots of crap about John Mayer, but this dude really can write a great little song. He has this knack for putting that one little piece that grabs me and doesn’t let go. Don’t tease me, but there’s something in this song that makes me feel like I’m going to start tearing up every time I hear it. There’s an old nostalgic feel about it even though it’s only a few years old. Hold on…I have to hit play again.

5 Things Not To Miss This Summer (So Far!)

1. Toy Story 3 (film)
Seriously, forget a best picture nomination. If Woody doesn’t get a nod for Best Actor, it would be a travesty! So far, this is the only summer film that has lived up and exceeded my expectations. Run don’t walk to this one. Wait, you saw this already, right?
2. Louie on FX (TV)
Why Louis C.K. is not the most popular stand-up comedian right now is beyond me. His stand-up is so top-notch he’s like a great jazz musician. I think other comedians appreciate him a lot more than the general public.
3. The Carrie Diaries (book)
Sex and the City 2 fell flat, but if you’re looking for a great Carrie Bradshaw dose, pick up this great YA novel by Candace Bushnell. Review coming soon!
4. Misery – Maroon 5 (video and song)
It’s great to have a new Maroon 5 song for summer. It’s catchy and fun, just what you can count on from this solid pop band. And can I say that Adam Levine is HOT in this video!
5. Secret Life of the American Teenager (TV)
The Fall installment of this series left me feeling like it might be past its prime already, but the summer installment has certainly picked up. What’s in the water in this town? Everyone gets knocked up!

Colleenie's Taking The Challenge!

31 Days To Build A Better Blog

Well we’ve been sitting here on the couch for awhile now. Sometimes we have to get up and stretch!

I’ve decided to take the ProBlogger 31 Days to Build A Better Blog Challenge. Of course this benefits all of us. Hopefully, after 31 days, Colleenie’s Couch will be a even cozier place to visit than it was before. Don’t worry; the reviews will keep coming, (just wait till I post what I thought about Inception!) we’ll keep talking and please leave any comments and suggestions you may have to make Colleenie’s Couch a better place to visit!

*So today’s challenge was to write a short and long elevator pitch.

Short Pitch:

Where sitting on the couch is not a waste of time!

Long Pitch:

A community to discuss a mutual love for movies, TV, books and music. No celebrity sightings, no gossip. Reviews you can trust from a real person with good taste. Pour a cup o’ joe, and have a seat on my couch.

What do you think?

Song of the Week

Shark In The Water - VV Brown
I love this song! And no, I did not hear it on the preview for Degrassi TNG. I'm 42 years old, I don't watch Degrassi! Actually, I heard it in an episode of Ugly Betty. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Final bet: Oracle Paul the Octopus picks Spain over Netherlands to win W...

Well if Paul says it, it must be true! My Spanish household will be LOUD on Sunday. Viva Espana!

Primetime Emmy Nominations

Well I'm pretty excited about some of these nominations. I really believe Matt Fox should be acknowledge for his fine work on Lost. In addition, Terry O'Quinn pulled off quite a feat playing John Locke and fake John Locke. I think he should get a second Emmy. Conan O' Brien will totally walk away with one for The Tonight Show With Conan O' Brien. I would love to see Amy Poehler to pick up her first for Parks and Recreation. Then maybe NBC will regret shelving it from the Fall lineup. Glee is basically allowed to win anything it wants.Which ones have you excited?

'The Kids Are All Right' Trailer HD

I just saw this trailer at the movies tonight. It looks great, can't wait!

Song of the Week

The Dog Song – Nellie McKay

I LOVE Nellie McKay. She’s a sweet-voiced gal with a total potty mouth. I stumbled upon her music quite by accident. I sampled some tracks of her first CD Get Away From Me at the listening station at Barnes & Noble. That was way back in 2004. Since then she’s put out a couple more CD’s and done some tracks for film. I have to say though her debut was perfect. Every track was great. I’m sucker for a song about dogs and I think this is the only song on the CD without expletives.

Louie on FX

I'm glad Loius C.K. is getting another shot at television. His previous HBO outing "Lucky Louie" failed to connect. I watched the first two episodes last week and I feel this is a show that can grow on you. Right now, the biggest problem is Louie's standup that is interspersed within the show. It's too damm funny! You feel reluctant to get back to the story because you're laughing so hard at his jokes! For a comedian, I guess it's a nice problem to have, however, the characters will need to be more endearing to make a go if this show. I'm pulling for it though!

Happy 4th of July from Colleenie's Couch

I see you smiling! Sit back and enjoy the holiday.

I Love You Prince!

BET Videos

My children do not understand my undying love for Prince. I’m flabbergasted! The man is a musical genius! His songs play on the radio everyday. I hear him on the R&B station, Rock, Top 40, everywhere. For someone who appears to be so odd, Prince has coined a sound that fits into most musical genres.

It’s no surprise that BET would want to give him a Lifetime Achievement Award. For us fans it seems too soon – we can’t be that old- but I’m sorry to say, we’re at that time. The 80’s were a long time ago my friend. But I’m here to tell ya, Prince is still awesome.

I’m not familiar with the first artist taking the stage and her robotic gestures were quiet distracting. After that, the rest of this tribute is top-notch. Plus, Prince is wearing an outfit with a picture of Prince on it! This is what confuses my kids. Look, I’m the first to admit this is a strange little dude, but I’ve embraced his purple freakiness for three decades and I’m not about to stop now.

Stewie Falls Down the Stairs!

I'm a bad, bad person. I don't even watch Family Guy! Last week the teenager had it on and I was reading a book. I innocently looked up and then laughed the hardest I did all week. Why would I laugh at this? What is wrong with me? And why, oh why do I want to keep watching it?

Harry Potter Trailer

Let's start July with a fireworks bang! I never tire of Harry Potter. Let's face it, I'd much rather watch the movies than read those monster size books. There's only two left to go' I'll be there!