S.M.F.G.

She’s baaack!  This fall, as I mentioned earlier, Sarah Michelle Gellar will be making her long-awaited return to network television in the new thriller Ringer.  The twist?  The series was not picked up by CBS, the network that had ordered the pilot, but by sister network The CW.  Whether or not this bodes well for Gellar and Co. remains to be seen, but, given the number of pilot hopefuls rejected altogether (ahem, Wonder Woman), I’m just thankul the series will air.  Now it’s up to the viewers to decide Ringer’s fate.  Ringer will begin airing Tuesdays this fall after 90210.  I, for one, will definitely be tuning in! 

Check out the first preview for Ringer!

Chemicals React

Last Tuesday, I went with Adam to see Hanna, the action thriller starring up-and-comer Saoirse Ronan as a 16-year-old natural born killer, and I mean that literally.  Raised in the wilderness by her father, Hanna has been been given all the tools necessary to survive, which come in handy when she’s forced to go head-to-head against Cate Blanchett’s stone-cold, obsessive-compulsive intelligence agent.

Beautifully shot and well-acted, Hanna is a lot of fun, if a little predictable. What I really want to discuss in this post, however, is the film’s soundtrack, which is as integral to the film as the plot, setting, or characters.  Taking a cue from Trent Reznor and Daft Punk, who scored the soundtracks for The Social Network and Tron: Legacy, respectively, director Joe Wright enlisted British electronica duo The Chemical Brothers to score the film.  The result?  An impeccably crafted, cohesive soundtrack that perfectly captures the essence of every scene, whether it be a fleeting moment of calm or a tense stand-off.  You can preview the soundtrack on iTunes, but I would highly suggest seeing Hanna in theaters to get the full effect.

Adeleonfire

For the past couple weeks, I’ve been on a bit of an Adele kick.  Ever since I watched Gwyneth Paltrow deliver a moving rendition of the soulful songstress’s Turning Tables on Glee, I’ve been listening to the British singer non-stop.  It seems I’m not the only one.  Two months after I blogged about her sophomore set 21 debuting atop the Billboard 200 chart, Adele’s reign atop the charts continues.  I, for one, am hardly surprised.  I’ve listened to the whole album, and it’s fantastic.  The Grammy winner’s voice is so powerful, her lyrics so heartwrenching, and her melodies so beautiful, that I can’t get enough of her.  I recently learned that she’ll be performing in Montreal next week, but, alas, the show is already sold out.  Were any of you lucky enough to score tickets to one of her shows?

Watch Adele sing Set Fire to the Rain, one of my favorite tracks off the album, live on a recent episode of Later with Jools Holland, a British music television show. 

Beyond the Edge

 

With only two weeks to go before she releases Born This Way, the hardest-working woman in show business released a new single this afternoon called The Edge of Glory.  When I finally got the chance to listen to it tonight, my initial reaction was, “She’s done it again.”  Called “a massive power ballad with heavy club beats” by Rolling Stone, The Edge of Glory is very different from Born This Way and Judas, but in a good way.  The track has an unmistakable ’80s influence, a distinctive saxophone solo, and a soaring chorus.

While we’re on the subject of Lady GaGa, did anyone happen to catch her Monster Ball concert special that aired on HBO this weekend?  (Funny story: I was at my grandparents yesterday for Mother’s Day, and found out that my 77-year-old grandmother saw it and loved it.  We went on to discuss GaGa’s awesomeness at length.)  If I’m being honest, I was a little disappointed by the special.  Before you judge me, you should know that I’ve seen the Monster Ball twice, and both times had the time of my life.  That said, I was expecting more of a behind-the-scenes look at the tour.  GaGa put on a tremendous show for her Little Monsters, but I thought the special could have been a little more revealing.  What did you think of Lady GaGa’s Monster Ball: Live at Madison Square Garden?

Ghost Stories

Nothing complements glee club like… ghosts?

Glee co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk are currently developing a new show over at FX called American Horror Story, a thriller about a dysfunctional family that moves into a haunted house in San Francisco.  Falchuk and Murphy are, of course, no strangers to the genre, having previously collaborated on FX’s award-winning plastic surgery drama Nip/Tuck.  Murphy will direct the pilot, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

From what I’ve read, it seems like Falchuk and Murphy have another hit on their hands.  If you aren’t already sold on the premise of the show, maybe the cast will do it.  Fresh off her gig on Friday Night Lights, Connie Britton has been tapped to play the family matriarch, Vivien Harmon.  Her on-screen hubby, Ben, will be played by The Practice’s Dylan McDermott.  Filling their daughter Violet’s shoes will be newcomer Taissa Farmiga, little sis of Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga.  True Blood’s Denis O’Hare has signed on to play Larry the Burn Guy, a former resident of the house, and veteran actress Jessica Lange has landed the role of Constance, the Harmons’ new neighbor.  Lange, of course, most recently won an Emmy for her portrayal of Big Edie in the HBO miniseries Grey Gardens.

As a fan of the supernatural genre, I’m eager to see what Falchuk and Murphy come up with.  Being addicted to Glee, and having been obsessed with Nip/Tuck, I’m all the more excited about this project. For these reasons and more, American Horror Story has earned a spot on my list of television pilots to look out for (you can check out the original list here).

One Fine Day

With exams finally behind me, I’m thrilled to be back to blogging full force!  I’ve got some exciting things planned for the blog, so keep checking back for updates!

Today, I’m happy to share with you the first official trailer for One Day, the big screen adaption of David Nicholls’ bestselling novel, courtesy of Yahoo! Movies.  Starring Anne Hathaway and Across the Universe’s Jim Sturgess, the film follows Emma and Dexter, who, after a one-night stand, spend the next 20 years drifting in and out of each other’s lives. The movie checks in on the pair every year on the anniversary of the day they met.

Based on the premise, and by the look of the trailer, I’m guessing this movie will be the next The Notebook.  Not only did An Education’s Lone Scherfig direct the film, but Nicholls himself penned the script.  In addition, Hathaway and Sturgess seem to have great chemistry.

One Day will be released in theaters on August 19.