February 2009 Archives

At 8:55 last night, I turned on the television, changed the station to NBC and settled in for a long half hour of "The Office." When what to my anxious eyes should appear? A re-run.

I've been tolerating it the past two weeks. It appears that business is just as slow at Dunder Mifflin as it is elsewhere.

Stir up some fun this weekend

Let you hair down this weekend. Sample some local wine during UnCork York or see if your tastebuds can handle the heat during Hellam's Chili Cookoff.

Get a temporary cure for spring fever at the Garden Show or head to the Valencia Ballroom for some good, clean fun.

Don't forget to send us your St. Patty's Day songs.

Check back Monday for the Weekend Roundup. Ciao for now.

"Gifted" ft. Kanye West, Santogold and Lykke Li

You must listen the out-of-this-world electronic jams N.A.S.A. (North America South America) pumps out. They utilize a peculiar mix of artists. Masterminds Sam Spiegel (Squeak E. Clean) and Ze Gonzales (DJ Zegon) dropped their debut "Spirit of Apollo" Feb. 17. They're set to play Coachella this year, too.

"Watchmen" comes out March 6. Here's a rundown of some of the reviews so far. Variety's was a bit harsh. I must admit that I'm not really looking forward to this movie. The first previews looked sweet, but now I'm sick of hearing about it. After "The Dark Knight," my expectations might be too high. (Is it just me or does Jeffery Dean Morgan, aka The Comedian, look strangely similar to Robert Downey Jr., aka Iron Man?)

We're currently following a handful of Yorkers, news and entertainment outlets and celebs including Coldplay and Kanye West. We should be following you. (Ok. That sounds creepy, but trust us, Twitter's kind of cool.)

O.A.R. performs "Shattered" live

Rockers O.A.R. perform at 8 p.m. April 15 at York College of Pennsylvania's M&T Bank Field House, in Spring Garden Township. Tickets go on sale March 16 and cost $20. Get tickets here. The band's been around for a while. (Their song "Crazy Game of Poker" takes me back to my college days.) They only blew up recently with their first gold-certified single "Shattered."

Workin' it with a Portuguese Water Dog

It's official. Michelle Obama dished the first family's puppy plans to People Magazine. They're looking to rescue a Portuguese Water Dog in April. Bet that breed will blow up.

The first lady's also featured on the March cover of Vogue Magazine and talks fashion, motherhood, politics, music and more during the interview. Hawt.

It wouldn't be Fat Tuesday without beads, masks and '80s tunes. The ladies of The Scoop get into the holiday spirit at FlipSide's Mardi Gras bash at the Harp & Fiddle.

St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner. That means parades, pints and traditional tunes. Get into the holiday spirit and pen your own ode to Guinness or the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Send your lyrics along with your name, age, municipality in which you live and a contact number to entertainment reporter Erin McCracken at emccracken@ydr.com. Attach an audio file of the song in the e-mail if possible so we can post in the FlipSide player.

Where my boots at?

U2's 12th studio album, "No Line On The Horizon," drops next week. To celebrate, Comcast is offering customers free access to band's new HD "Get On Your Boots" music video along with more than 50 other U2 videos. Find them On Demand in "Top Picks."

The album already leaked online. I love me some "Joshua Tree," but does anyone else think the latest CD is overrated? Am I completely wrong?

The only best-picture nominees that came to York were "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Slumdog Millionaire." See the rest of the nominated films at the The Capitol Theatre. Showtimes are 3 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $7.

• "The Reader:" March 8
• "Milk:" March 22
• "Frost/Nixon:" March 29

*Spoiler Alert*
Take a deep breath. Patrick Dempsey is apparently not leaving "Grey's Anatomy" (yet). His character, aka Derek, is leaving his gig as a neurosurgeon:

"After learning at a deposition that more of his patients have died than survived..."

York County-native Joshua Villbrandt performs with the USC band, Hugh Jackman and Beyonce at the 81st Academy Awards ceremony. He chatted up Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens at rehearsal. Read more here.

Best part of the Oscars?

I liked the last Weekend Roundup. It was short and sweet. Let's try it again.
The top five:
1. Watched the final episode of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."
2. Blogged the Oscars. (I'm sleep-deprived today. What happened to the "shorter" telecast?)
3. Sang along to Elton John on more than one occasion. (Goodbye Norma Jean, Yellow Brick Road and my dignity.)
4. Hung out at a local barber shop. (Watch for the story and video on FlipSide.)
5. Watched more "Damages." (I'm hooked.)

The claws come out after the awards. Entertainment Weekly, the Washington Post and New York Times discuss Academy Award fashions. Watch "Fashion Police" at 10 p.m. on E!

My best-dressed pick: Natalie Portman (Love the pop of color!)
Honorable mention: Alicia Keys and Penelope Cruz

Follow the rest of the post for my worst dressed.

We get yet another elongated introduction to all the best actress nominees. Sophia Loren takes us back to the '80s with her crazy dress. Loves it.

Kate Winslet finally wins for her role in "The Reader." In her tearful speech, she admits that she used to practice her speech as an 8-year-old in the bathroom with a shampoo bottle. She dedicates her award to Sydney Pollock and Harvey Weinstein.

Where was Daniel Day Lewis (last year's best actor winner) to present this year's award? Sean Penn wins Best Actor. He calls the Academy "sons of guns" and acknowledges that it's hard to appreciate him all the time. Then, he gets political about gay rights and gives Mickey Rourke a shoutout. Nice speech. (I was a little worried.)

Steven Spielberg presents best picture to "Slumdog Millionaire." The cast crowds on the stage to celebrate the "mad love" that the movie created around the world.

Jackman did a respectable job as host, but he wasn't on stage a lot. The show was well-paced, but it was just as long as it was before.

I have to take a moment to comment about this year's ticked-out, twinkling stage. Hawt.
Alicia Keys and Zac Efron (OMG!) present the best original score Oscar to "Slumdog Millionaire." The audience gets a taste of Bollywood with "Slumdog Millionaire" songs "O Saya" and "Jai Ho." John Legend performs "Down to Earth" from "Wall-E" The best song Oscar goes to "Jai Ho."

Bill Maher presents the best documentary feature Oscar to "Man on Wire" and the best documentary short subject Oscar to " Smile Pinki."

There's another Hugh Jackman sighting. (Who's hosting this show, again?)

Will Smith shows the love for action movies and presents the achievement in visual effects Oscar to "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" for making Brad Pitt look like an old dude.

James Franco and Seth Rogen reprise their "Pineapple Express" roles to poke fun at this year's "serious" nominees and highlight this year's comedic movies. I'm laughing so hard right now. Seriusly, I can't catch my breath.

The guys present the best live action short Oscar to "Spielzeugland."

Sarah Jessica Parker and Daniel Craig present the Oscar for art direction to "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," the Oscar for costume design to "The Duchess" and the Oscar for achievement in makeup to "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

Robert Pattison Amanda Seyfried present a montage of 2008's romantic movies, which included everything from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" to "Slumdog Millionaire." I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out why this was necessary. Thoughts?

Tina Fey and Steve Martin take the stage to share some laughs and present the Oscar for best original screenplay to Dustin Lance Black for "Milk." He uses his speech to reach out to other Gay and Lesbian youth and to take a stand for Gay marriage. Harvey Milk would have been proud.

The Oscar for best adapted screenplay goes to Simon Beaufoy for "Slumdog Millionaire." Probably not the last award the movie will win tonight.

Tim Gunn serves as a commentator for ABC's red carpet show. Loves it. (I've been in Gunn withdraw since the last season of "Project Runway.") Apparently, Gunn and all the other Oscar hosts are obsessed with Brangelina. (Gag.)

Hugh Jackman takes the stage for his monologue. Sorry, you didn't get nominated for "Australia" buddy. Get over it. He gives a low-budget musical to the nominated films. He gets in a few digs at the Academy for the snubs ("Iron Man" and "The Dark Knight"). Who knew Anne Hathaway could sing so well? He couldn't keep his straight face during his "Reader" dance number. I have to hand it to him, it was funny and ridiculous. He's really getting in the stars faces, too.

Is Phillip Seymour Hoffman wearing a do-rag? (Bad idea.)

Kate Winslet's hair reminds me of Grace Kelly. (Good idea.) I'm not sure about her one-shoulder, two-toned grey YSL dress. I liked the gown she wore to the Screen Actor's Guild Awards better. She says her daughter told her to be "really crazy and emotional" if she wins best actress. (She's already done that at other awards shows. Maybe she should switch it up?) Seacrest shows Winslet's Time Magazine cover. Fresh.

What's Sarah Jessica Parker's wearing? Dior Haute Couture, of course. It almost doesn't fit on screen. I like the color, which Parker called "barely mint," but that's a whole lot of couture. She's says she doesn't know anything about "SATC II" yet. Yeah right.

Funnyman Seth Rogen steps up to Seacrest next and cracks a lot of jokes about the "87" movies he's done with Judd Apatow.

OMG! I just saw Zac Efron! OMG? He looks like a greaser. And what's with the fake British accent? Too bad his girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens is "in love" with designer Marchesa. The ever modest, Hudgens calls herself a young Audrey Hepburn. I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry. She can barley walk in her strapless black and white number.

I'm watching E!'s "Live From the Red Carpet" right now. Mr. Hollywood, aka Ryan Seacrest, is holding it down with the stars. Everyone is buzzing about a possible showdown between presenter Jennifer Aniston and Brangelina. (Doubtful.)

It's the most wonderful time of the year

I'm worried about how excited I am for the Oscars. Follow along Sunday during my live blog of the event. Those of you who aren't into awards can brew your own beer, see a play or listen to a new radio show. Hope you have fun whatever you do. Ciao for now.

National Champtionship Wrestlers compare and contrast their in-ring experiences with the Oscar-nominated movie "The Wrestler."

Follow the rest of the post to listen to a podcast about "The Wrestler."

Michelle's blog broke the news that a post-brawl picture of Rihanna surfaced on TMZ, which pretty much makes a business out of stalking celebs.

A bunch of media outlets cried foul, but republished the photo anyway. (*cough* AP *cough*) Media ethics are being discussed. What ethics? News outlets that posted the photo have stooped to TMZ's level. The ethical decision would be to not run the photo, which shows Rihanna as an abuse victim, not as a celebrity. Yes, she's a public figure, but she deserves privacy this time. Would people be so nosy if a similar picture of their sister, wife, mother or daughter was plastered all over the press? OK. I'm getting off my soapbox.

Ice, ice baby. FlipSide editor Laura Burkey and entertainment reporter Erin McCracken talk about Mardi Gras and more at "the coolest place in town."

I can't get this song ("You Found Me" by The Fray) out of me head, and I'm not sure that I want to. It's so dang catchy. Please, someone tell me if it's OK for a self-confessed music snob to like this piano pop tune that's blowing up right now.

Adams: "Summer of '69" was a "sexual reference."

Bryan Adams, king of the '80s power ballad, will perform an acoustic show at 8 p.m. April 2 at the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center, 50 N. George St. in York. Tickets go on sale at 11 a.m. Friday. They're available at the Strand-Capitol Box Office, by phone at 846-1111 and online. Tickets that include a pre-show reception cost $95 and general admission is $45.

FlipSide's throwing a Mardi Gras bash from 9 to 11 p.m. Fat Tuesday (Feb. 24) at Harp & Fiddle, 110 N. George St. in York. Think free beer sampling, 25-cent wings, giveaways and '80s tunes. The Scoop might even be in the house. Throw on some beads, grab your friends and get ready to have a blast.

Not annoying anymore?

Someone must have slipped uber-obnoxious Tatiana Del Toro a few Xanax (Xanaxes?)before last night's performance on "American Idol."

O! say can you sing?

Try out to sing or play the national anthem for The York Revolution home games this season.

Auditions will be held 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. April 25 at Sovereign Bank Stadium, 5 Brooks Robinson Way in York. Call 801-4484 or e-mail jdiaczun@yorkrevolution.com to schedule an audition.

Things I did:

1. Walked on water. (OK. It was a frozen lake.)
2. Laughed until I cried playing this game.
3. Laughed and then cried watching this Oscar-nominated film.
4. Commemorated President's Day by finishing this book.
5. Found a new(ish) TV show to try out. (Season two of "The Wire" is my backup.)

Continue reading for things I missed.

The original "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson, as well as returning country star Trace Adkins, will perform at the York Fair this year, York Fair officials announced Tuesday.

Clarkson hit the stage Sept. 11 at the Toyota Arena for the first time, and Adkins stops by Sept. 15, according to York Fair vice president Gene Schenck.

Timed with the release of U2's new album, "No Line on the Horizon" on March 3, the band will spend a five-day residency at "Late Night With David Letterman," playing the show every weeknight from March 2 through 6.

If you haven't caught it, watch the video of the newly released single, "Get On Your Boots." It's the same song the band played at the Grammy's last week.

Read a review of the new album in today's London Observer.

I'm not sure what I expected when I went to see "He's Just Not That Into You" last weekend, but I was pleasantly surprised, for the most part.

It's a fun movie that makes you hate Bradley Cooper (pictured above) for reasons I won't divulge in this entry. If you see the movie, you'll understand why I didn't smile while he hosted SNL last week.

Or maybe I just have a thing for Justin Long (I don't own a Dell, but I loved "Live Free or Die Hard" and "Jeepers Creepers").

With four people in line behind me at the grocery store's Red Box movie rental kiosk this evening, I felt pressured to make my selection quickly.

Problem was, I had no idea what to get. So, I grabbed the first thing that looked good and crossed my fingers.

The color may be cliché, but it sure is classy as celebs took to the runway in red today. Big names included Katie Couric, Patricia Arquette, Hilary Duff, Lynda Carter, Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling. The ladies kicked off Fashion Week in New York City during the Heart Truth fashion show, which raised awareness about heart disease and paid tribute to Valentine's Day.

What else can you expect this week?

Love is in the air. Single and ready to mingle? Click here. Want to ReConnect with your sweetie? Click here. Want to design your own candy heart? Click here. Yours truly is headed out of town for a long weekend, but the blog will be up and running.
Have a great Valentine's Day. XOXO

"Retired" actor Joaquin Phoenix made a disturbing appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman" Wednesday night. He's also been spotted rapping recently. I hope he recovers from his wack attack soon. He is used to be talented.

Fall into step with the ladies of FlipSide at the Valencia Ballroom in York. Find out what's going on Valentine's Day and the rest of the weekend.

Coincidence? You decide.

Angelina Jolie, left, actress and mother of six. Nadya Suleman, right, welfare recipient and mother of 14. Creepy, right? Wait. It gets worse.

Playing the blues on Beale Street

Little Ivory Blues Band headed to Memphis last weekend to play the International Blues Challenge's Youth Showcase. Read an e-mail update from singer Aaron Lewis' father:

Peace out

"Grey's Anatomy" stars Katherine Heigl (Izzie) and T.R. Knight (George) are leaving Seattle Grace.

I'm surprised Heigl stuck around this long. She's been complaining rather loudly about the show's wacky plot twists for months (and with good cause.) It'll be interesting to see if her "movie career" pans out.

The original Guitar Hero: B.B. King talks about the 2009 Grammys

Take part in "Guitar Hero" and "Madden Football" competitions Feb. 21 on Stage Two at the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, 222 Market St. in Harrisburg. Participants aged 12 to 18 and are asked to bring their own controllers. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. The entry fee is $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the event.
Do you think you could beat this kid?

Come back!

Thursday, I headed to the White Rose Bar & Grill with some friends to celebrate an unidentified event that required dinner and drinks.

I was bummed to learn that Tim Warfield will no longer be playing his monthly gigs there. (It was technically my party. I didn't cry, but I wanted to.)

The bartender helped ease the pain by making me a special "experiment." It was fruity, delicious and, therefore, deadly. I only survived a few sips.

By early Friday morning, I was feeling fine. Then, I read this little piece of news about the White Rose. Is nothing sacred?

It'll make you an offer you can't refuse...

This app is taking off on MySpace and Facebook. (I've heard it's the best way to waste time at work since solitaire.) The game lets ordinary Joes become Don Corleones. Have you joined a mob yet? Send a message to emccracken@ydr.com to let us know how often you play.

Not keeping the peace

I read this sad news last night after watching the Grammys. I remember thinking that Chris Brown was supposed to perform, but since 22 other top acts took the stage, I lost track.

I am shocked, appalled and heartbroken. I thought the world of Mr. Brown but not anymore. I hope he gets some help and that the assault victim is OK. (If it was Rihanna, I hope she's smart enough to move on and find someone who will never disrespect her like that.)

Josh Grobin introduces Neil Diamond, who performs "Sweet Caroline." (Loves it. The crowd yells along, making the auditorium sound like a bar at last call or something. Hova even got on his feet to applaud.)

After a montage of stars that passed away this year, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, John Mayer and Keith Urban play a guitar tribute to Bo Diddley. This awards show has definitely been all about four larger-than-life performers taking the stage together.

Hank Jones receives the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award and John Mayer wins Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Say." I must say Mr. Mayer is looking dapper these days. Adele and Sugarland take the stage. Those ladies have some powerful pipes.

Gwyneth Paltrow (who just happens to be at the same awards show as her husband Chris Martin) introduces Brit alt rockers Radiohead. The USC band backs up the band during a stirring rendition of their tune "15 Step." A college band hasn't gotten this much love since the Penn State Blue Band played the 2005 Marc Jacobs fashion show.

Morgan Freeman reveals that Kenny Chesney's his homeboy. (Who knew?) Chesney breaks out into a heartfelt ballad. Confession: I don't know a lot about country music. I realize that I should get on that, especially after listening to Alison Krauss and Robert Plant's tunes.

Diddy, Natalie Cole and Herbie Hancock present the award for Record of the Year to Alison Krauss and Robert Plant for "Please Read the Letter." (BTW Diddy appears on "CSI: Miami" Monday night.)

Stevie Wonder joins the Jonas Brothers on stage for a funky version of "Burnin' Up." I didn't know that the J. Bros were on a first-name with the magnificent Mr. Wonder. Does the sound seem off to anyone else? I almost started shrieking like every other girl in the crowd when they played "Very Superstitious." I do believe in things that I don't understand like the J. Bros being nominated for best new artist.

Duffy and Al Green take the stage together to present Song of the Year. Green breaks into a few lines of one of my favorite songs from past Grammy great Henry Mancini - "Moon River." The two also sing a few lines of "Bridge Over Troubled Water."

Coldplay picks up their first Grammy. Will Champion apologizes to Sir Paul McCartney for ripping off the Sgt. Pepper costumes. McCartney seemed amused.

The spotlight centers on Chris Martin, who plays a quietly powerful version of "Lost." Holy Hova! Jay-Z emerges from the shadows to freestyle over the piano solo.

When the first chords of "Viva La Vida" sounded, the crowd went nuts. The band was wearing their signature military-inspired jackets, of course. The performance was good, but it needed little shards of confetti to fall from the sky to make it great.

U2 kicked off the show with a sing along version of their new single "Get Your Boots On." I don't think it's the best song to start the show. Something is up with the sound. We now what Bono is concealing under those sunglasses he always wears - eyeliner. A slightly tipsy (?) Whitney Houston makes a dramatic entrance and introduces the nominees for best R&B album. She seems to be having trouble reading the teleprompter as she recognizes Clive Davis. Jennifer Hudson accepts the award wearing and makes an emotional speech, where she thanks her family on Earth and in heaven. Too bad it looked like she sewed that dress herself.

Did anyone catch the Coldplay segment on "60 Minutes" that aired before the Grammy awards kicked off? Parts were interesting, but most if it was annoying. I sometimes hate seeing rock stars interviewed because they almost always sound like idiots and/or narcissists. Does anyone else think its weird that Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow never appear together in public? Does anyone else think it's cool that the band watches "The Wire?" OK. Enough with the questions. Let's see if they win some awards.

They've got the blues

The Little Ivory Blues Band performs tonight at the International Blues Challenge's Youth Showcase in Memphis. Meet the band in the video above.
Check back Sunday for live Grammy blogging and check in Monday for the Weekend Roundup. Ciao for now.

Make the most of February, aka National Flirting Month. Click here to find out how. (Hint: Stop staring at your cell phone screen. Eye contact is a flirting must.)

Click here and here to find out what not to do. (Hint: Save your sanity and the $10 you might have spent on the movie.)

Sunday is music's biggest night. The 51st Grammy Awards kick off at 8 p.m. on CBS. Listen to the ladies of FlipSide talk about who will win the top categories. Check back Sunday for a live Grammys blog.

Holy fast hands!

Danny Johnson, 14, of Grapevine, Tex., set a new world record in "Guitar Hero III" Wednesday. He earned 973,954 points playing DragonForce's "Through the Fire and Flames." Send your own sweet "Guitar Hero" video to emccracken@ydr.com.

FlipSide editor Laura Burkey and entertainment reporter Erin McCracken find about the York JCC's Battle of the Bands this weekend and get a free tap dancing demonstration.
Check out a video from the 2008 Battle of the bands here.

When guitars become props...

There's been more fallout from the Super Bowl performances. Brace yourself.
According to a Chicago Tribune article, The E Street Band played a pre-recorded track during the halftime show. This super shady detail takes away from the great performance. Bruce's vocals were the only "live" parts of the show. I have a feeling this crazy entertainment control is a result of the infamous 2004 wardrobe malfunction.

Who will snag a statue Feb. 22?

Click here to make your predictions. Three readers who guess correctly will receive $25 gift certificates to Regal Cinemas. Deadline for entries is 5 p.m. Feb. 20.

Click here to sound off about Oscar nominees when you're done. Good luck!

Great story. Compelling and rich.

Watch the rest of the interview at 9 p.m. Wednesday night on CBS during "Katie Couric's All Access Grammy Special." She bowls with Weezy and golfs with J.T.
Check out another great CBS clip: David Letterman's Tuesday interview with attention-hungry ex-Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, who isn't cowering in the fetal position.

Dumb and dumber

Olympic champ Michael Phelps took a bong hit. Major movie star Christian Bale chewed out a "Terminator: Salvation" crew member. (*Listener discretion is strongly advised.*) Read the rest of this post for an open letter to Mr. Phelps and Mr. Bale.

Not too far away...

Not to be outdone by Coachella, the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival just booked a handful of huge acts. Super Bowl halftime act Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Phish, Beastie Boys and Nine Inch Nails are the headliners. The Del McCoury Band, led by York native Del McCoury, will also take the stage. I'm stoked to see Animal Collective, Andrew Bird and MGMT will play. Check out the lineup here. The event runs June 11 to 14 in Manchester, Tenn., which is only about 720 miles away. Road trip!

Diamond Comic Distributors announced the winners of the 2008 Diamond Gem Awards, which honors comic book artists, writers, publishers, etc.

For the first time since 2002, Marvel Comics won Comic Book Publisher of the Year, breaking DC Comics' five year reign at the top. The winners are judged by industry professionals on quality, creativity, and their overall sales impact. It's pretty much the Academy Awards to the comic world.

For a complete list of 2008 Diamond Gem Award winners click here.

Friday, I took off for my old haunts and arrived at my destination bleary-eyed and feverish. Homemade fajitas and a little movie/musical helped me recover the remnants of my health. I finally saw "Mama Mia!" It was cute, I guess, if you can handle frisky older women and having disco tunes stuck in your head for about three days.

I'm really rooting for Mickey Rourke to win the Best Actor Oscar. After his performance in "The Wrestler," he definitely deserves it.

It's been a while since I've seen a really heart-wrenching movie like this one. One that makes you cringe and cry in a span of two hours.

Director Darren Aronofsky grabbed my attention with "Requiem for a Dream," but quickly lost it with "The Fountain." (I liked the concept of the movie, but I just couldn't get into it.)

And, even though I hate pro-wrestling, I was intrigued by the film's storyline. Washed-up wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson is alone, broke and becoming more aware of his body's limits and age. He tries to make amends with his estranged and very angry daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) and has a kind of sweet crush on a stripper (Marisa Tomei).

Some of the wrestling scenes are really gruesome, which took me (and my weak stomach) by surprise. Go in knowing you're gonna see some very realistic-looking gore. Despite its graphic nature, the movie is worth-seeing, with bits of charm, humor, tenderness and despair, all rolled into one.

Who do you think will win the Best Actor Oscar? Enter your predictions here in our Oscar Predictions Contest.

So far away...

The lineup for the 2009 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was released Saturday. Paul McCartney, the Killers and the Cure headline the festival's 10th anniversary, which is scheduled for April 17 to 19 in Indio, Calif. Other bands I would want to see include: The Knux, TV on the Radio, My Bloody Valentine, Girl Talk, Fleet Foxes, Public Enemy, etc. Too bad all that great music will be about 2,500 miles away from York.

It looks legit...but it's not.

I was upset to hear that both Jennifer Hudson and Faith Hill lip-synced their Super Bowl performances. (Thanks Nicki D. for pointing this out !) I was really rooting for Hudson, who lost family in violent murders last October. This was supposed to be her big comeback, and I thought she nailed it. Unfortunately, she nailed it on tape earlier. Should she get a free pass on this one? Why were the producers so gun-shy about the live singing? Springsteen blew the crowd away. Thoughts???

If there were a competition between job-finder Web sites' ads, I think Monster's moose butt has the upperhand over CareerBuilder's signs you need to find a new job (although, somedays I am the lady in the car).

You can decide for yourself.

So, NBC set a record selling $206 million worth of advertising during the game.
Thirty-second spots were going for upwards of $3 million.

My guess is that the Miller High Life people didn't have a whole lot left in their ad budget for this fiscal year to buy a whole 30 seconds worth of air space. Which is why they bought one second of advertising.

So what does $100,000 in Super Bowl advertising sound like?

Baby, you were born to run rock

Enough with the NBC house ads, it's time to rock! They're booty-shaking, love-making, history-making (and several other adjectives I missed). They're the E Street Band, with their courageous leader Bruce Springsteen. (I did put down the chips and dip like I was told. Plus, I didn't want to get slasa on my keypad.) The Boss still looks good in tight jeans and kept smiling even after an unfortunate run-in with a camera during the first song "Devil With A Blue Dress."

After watching a slew of bad movie promos and hearing John Madden drone on, I was falling asleep during a somewhat sloppy game, but when the Steelers ripped Arizona's chances of a first half lead away, I woke up and basked in the dramz. Now, everyone at our little Super Bowl gathering is asking: WWBP? (What Will Bruce Play?)

The e*trade talking baby hasn't gotten old for me yet. And the addition of a friend who sings Mr. Mister only helps:

This Pepsi Max ad was solid. Like the Bud Light ad, there's pain. Unlike the Bud Light ad, it's funny.

On a side note, I'm not trying to show undue favor to Pepsi (even though I do enjoy a can every once and while) they're just smart enough to put their ads on YouTube before the start of the game.

So, my husband was just grousing that every year at least one of the commercials features a monkey. We just had the first one featuring a primate (well, several primates) Castrol Oil's Grease Monkey spot. Which was cute, but not laugh-out-loud hilarious.

Admittedly, I have a soft spot for both Bob Dylan and Pepsi (my mom drank it... so it's like family). I thought the addition of Will.i.am on "Forever Young" was pretty sweet.

So, I rushed through chili making in order to get back to the couch in time for the first commercial break. Was it worth it? Not really.

Here's the rundown:

The Bud Light people threw a guy out a window as their punchline (eh, Bud Light isn't really worth such extreme measures).

We got a preview of "The Da Vinci Code" followup, "Angels & Demons."

And then there was an Audi commercial ... which started off with promise (the stereotypical car chase as seen in different eras), but ended with a crash.

A strong start

Faith Hill sang an "America the Beautiful" with a choir backup.

Then, the crew of Flight 1549, which crash-landed in the Hudson River, was honored and then an emotinal Jennifer Hudson (crazy name coincidence, right?) performed a rousing version of "The National Anthem."

She looked good and you could feel that the crowd was behind her. A friend pointed out that she finished with 17 minutes and 17 seconds before kickoff. Interesting...

Also, in the commercial block before the kickoff, the Smashing Pumpkins debuted their new song "FOL" during a Hyundai commercial.

Wolf Furniture, which promised customers free furniture if the kickoff was returned for a touchdown, is officially safe.