Loaded with Over Four Hours of Exclusive, Thrilling Bonus Features

BURBANK, CA (June 17, 2010) – When the unimaginable transpires on screen, you know Fringe creators J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (the team behind Star Trek, Mission: Impossible III and Alias) are behind it. Witness as the impossible becomes possible and worlds literally collide when Warner Home Video releases the hit TV series Fringe: The Complete Second Season on Blu-ray™ and DVD on September 14, 2010 for $59.98/ $69.97.

Return to explore the boundaries of a mysterious mythology that holds millions of viewers in its hypnotic grasp. Season two of Fringe contains worlds (and alternate worlds) of excitement complete with shape shifters, cryonic heads, belly-dwelling beasts and people who turn to ashes before our eyes. But the overarching narrative takes the FBI’s Fringe Division – which includes Special Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv – The Pacific), formerly institutionalized “fringe” scientist Walter Bishop (John Noble – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) and his son, Peter (Joshua Jackson – Dawson’s Creek) – through a mind-bending investigation of a parallel reality that threatens to destroy ours. The impossible is here in a series that The New York Times says offers “the most satisfying, coherent story arc of any science-fiction-flavored primetime drama.”

Fringe is executive produced by J.J. Abrams, Jeff Pinkner (Alias), J.H. Wyman (The Mexican) and Bryan Burk (Star Trek), with Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek, Transformers), Roberto Orci (Star Trek, Transformers) and Akiva Goldsman (The Da Vinci Code) serving as consulting producers. The series stars Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, Lance Reddick (The Wire), Blair Brown (Altered States), Jasika Nicole (Take the Lead) and John Noble. Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek) is a recurring guest star. Fringe is from Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Fringe has been showered with critical accolades, with Rolling Stone praising the show’s “unfailingly amazing cast and dialogue,” while Entertainment Weekly lauded its “wickedly smart and darkly humorous plots.”

“Warner Home Video is excited to release Fringe: The Complete Second Season to its loyal and enthusiastic fans on both DVD and Blu-ray,” said Rosemary Markson, WHV Vice President, TV and Special Interest Marketing. “In its sophomore season, the mythology behind Fringe revealed itself in increasingly more intriguing ways, and this release features all 23 episodes, including The Unearthed Episode starring Kirk Acevedo as Charlie, plus over four hours of dazzling special features.”

DVD & Blu-ray Special Features Include:
The Mythology of Fringe
Fringe: Analyzing the Scene Sidebars on 6 Key Episodes
In the Lab with John Noble and Prop Master Rob Smith
Commentary on 4 Episodes by Series Stars and Creative Team
Unusual Side Effects: Gag Reel
Dissected Files: Unaired Scenes

Photo Copyright: Fox

Technorati Tags: Fringe, The Complete Second Season, Television, Fox, Warner Home Entertainment, Olivia, Walter, Paranormal, Cop Drama

Keep reading after the schedule for new show descriptions.

Sunday
8:00 p.m. The Simpsons
8:30 p.m. The Cleveland Show
9:00 p.m. Family Guy
9:30 p.m. American Dad

Monday
8 p.m. House
9:00 p.m. Lonestar

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. Glee
9:00 p.m. Raising Hope
9:30 p.m. Running Wilde

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. Lie to Me
9:00 p.m. Hell’s Kitchen

Thursday
8:00 p.m. Bones
9:00 p.m. Fringe

Friday
8:00 p.m. Human Target
9:00 p.m. The Good Guys

Saturday
8:00 p.m. Cops
9:00 p.m. America’s Most Wanted

January (Mid-Season) Schedule

Sunday
8:00 p.m. The Simpsons
8:30 p.m. Bob’s Burgers
9:00 p.m. Family Guy
9:30 p.m. The Cleveland Show

Monday
8 p.m. House
9:00 p.m. Ride Along

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. American Idol
9:30 p.m. Running Wilde/Mixed Signals

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. Raising Hope
8:30 p.m. American Idol Results
9:00 p.m. Glee

Thursday
8:00 p.m. Bones
9:00 p.m. Fringe

Friday
8:00 p.m. Human Target
9:00 p.m. Kitchen Nightmares

Saturday
8:00 p.m. Cops
9:00 p.m. America’s Most Wanted

Show Descriptions

Bob’s Burgers: This animated show is all about Bob, his family, and their burger joint. Bob (H. Jon Belcher – Family Guy) runs Bob’s Burgers with his wife and three kids. While Bob has plenty of great ideas for new condiments and various sides, he’s not so good when it comes to little things like customer service. The location might be bad and the place might be dirty, but Bob is sure that his burgers speak for themselves.

Lonestar: Robert “Bob” Allen is a first class schemer. In fact, he’s so good at what he does he has two completely different identities in two different parts of Texas. His perfectly crafted world includes a wife in one city and a girlfriend in the other, not to mention plenty of investors, and a mountain of lies.

Cast: James Wolk as Robert/Bob Allen, Eloise Mumford as Lindsay, David Keith (The Rose, An Officer and a Gentleman) as John Allen, Adrianne Palicki (Legion) as Cat Thatcher, Mark Deklin as Trammell Thatcher, Bryce Johnson as Drew Thatcher, Jon Voight (Pride and Glory, Transformers) as Clint Thatcher

Mixed Signals: Mixed Signals focuses on three friends – Ethan, Adam, and Mike. These guys have been friends for a long time and now they need to try and get past all those things that are hard to get past. The series details how friendships and romance can grow and complicate the person having them and the people around them.

Cast: Alexandra Breckenridge (Dirt) as Callie, David Denman (Shutter, The Nines) as Mike, Nelson Franklin as Adam, Liza Lapira (Cloverfield) as Lisa, Kris Marshall as Ethan

Raising Hope: This is Fox’s newest single-camera family comedy sitcom. Enter the Chance family. Jimmy Chance is going nowhere and doing nothing with his life. That all changes though when he has a fling with a felon and nine months later ends up with a baby that he needs to raise.

Cast: Garret Dillahunt (No Country for Old Men, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) as Burt, Lucas Neff as Jimmy, Martha Plimpton (I Shot Andy Warhol, The Goonies) as Virginia, Skyler Stone as Mike, Shannon Woodward (The Riches) as Sabrina

Ride Along: During a Ride Along, a civilian gets the chance to sit in the passenger seat of a squad car to observe what it is like to be a police officer. In Ride Along, the viewer is that passenger and the location is the city of Chicago.

Cast: Jason Clarke (Brotherhood, Public Enemies) as Jarek Wysocki, Jennifer Beals (The L Word) as Teresa Colvin, Matt Lauria as Caleb Evers, Devin Kelley as Vonda Wysocki, Todd Williams (In Plain Sight) as Isaac Joiner, Billy Lush (Generation Kill) as Liam Hennessey, Delroy Lindo (Domino, Gone in Sixty Seconds) as Alderman Ronin Gibbons

Running Wilde: Steve Wilde is the son of an oil tycoon. He’s not a bad guy, but he is spoiled and has always had everything that he’s ever wanted. The only thing he can’t have is his housekeeper’s daughter Emmy and that’s the one thing that he wants. Their paths cross when the oil business threatens the rainforest where Emmy is living. Will Steve change his ways for Emmy or will big oil remain the priority for the spoiled little rich boy?

Cast: Will Arnett (Ratatouille) as Steve Wilde, Keri Russell (Bedtime Stories) as Emmy Kadubic, Stefania Owen (The Lovely Bones) as Puddle Kadubic, Joe Nunez (Superbad) as Migo Salazar, Jayne Houdyshell as Gertie Stellvertretter

If you’re looking for other lineups here they are:

ABC Lineup
CBS Lineup
NBC Lineup

Technorati Tags: Fox, 2010 Fall Lineup, Primetime, American Idol, Hells Kitchen, Bob’s Burgers, Lie to Me, Glee, Television, The Simpsons, Family Guy

Keep reading after the schedule for new show descriptions.

Sunday
8:00 p.m. The Amazing Race
9:00 p.m. Undercover Boss
10:00 p.m. CSI: Miami

Monday
8 p.m. How I Met Your Mother
8:30 p.m. Rules of Engagement
9:00 p.m. Two and a Half Men
9:30 p.m. Mike and Molly
10:00 p.m. Hawaii Five-0

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. NCIS
9:00 p.m. NCIS LA
10:00 p.m. The Good Wife

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. Survivor: Nicaragua
9:00 p.m. Criminal Minds
10:00 p.m. The Defenders

Thursday
8:00 p.m. The Big Bang Theory
8:30 p.m. $#*! My Dad Says
9:00 p.m. CSI
10:00 p.m. The Mentalist

Friday
8:00 p.m. Medium
9:00 p.m. CSI: NY
10:00 p.m. Blue Bloods

Saturday
8:00 p.m. Crimetime Saturday
9:00 p.m. Crimetime Saturday
10:00 p.m. 48 Hours

Show Descriptions
Blue Bloods: The executive producers of The Sopranos offer a gripping multigenerational drama about a family of New York cops. The Reagans take putting criminals behind bars seriously. Sure, they have their differences of opinions and methods used to do their job, but they are still family and they will all stop at nothing to make sure justice is served.

Cast: Tom Selleck (Three Men and a Baby) as Frank Reagan, Donnie Wahlberg (Saw IV) as Danny Reagan, Bridget Moynahan (Coyote Ugly) as Erin Reagan-Boyle, Will Estes as Jamie Reagan, Len Cariou as Henry Reagan

The Defenders: Straight from the executive producer of CSI comes, The Defenders, a new legal drama about a pair of Las Vegas defense attorneys. They follow the law, more or less, but you can bet they have some tricks up their sleeve in case they need them!

Cast: Jim Belushi (According to Jim, Little Shop of Horrors) as Nick Morelli, Jerry O’Connell (Stand by Me, Crossing Jordan) as Pete Kaczmarek, Jurnee Smollett as Lisa Tyler, Tanya Fischer as Sophie

Hawaii Five-O: This is a recharged update of the original, classic cop drama.

Cast: Alex O’Loughlin (Moonlight) as Steve McGarrett, Scott Caan (Gone in Sixty Seconds) as Danny Williams, Daniel Dae Kim (Lost) as Chin Ho Kelly, Grace Park (Romeo Must Die) as Kono Kalakua

Mike and Molly: Mike is a cop that loves donuts. He loves women too, though he has a harder time picking them up. With this in mind, he makes the decision to join Overeaters Anonymous in hopes of losing some weight. He meets Molly at a meeting and falls for her instantly. He’s thrilled that he met her. Now he just has to maintain his goal and leave the junk food behind for good.

Cast: Billy Gardell as Mike, Melissa McCarthy (Samantha Who) as Molly, Katy Mixon as Victoria, Reno Wilson as Carl, Nyambi Nyambi as Samuel, Swoosie Kurtz (Pushing Daisies) as Joyce

S#*! My Dad Says: Ed is a retired military doctor who is cranky and filled with one-liners. He’s 72 and he has a lot to show for his life, including three ex-wives! He spends plenty of time in his garden. When one of Ed’s sons is out of work, he moves back in with dad until he gets back on his feet. Ed might have some other reasons of his own for allowing him to come home though.

Cast: William Shatner as Ed, Will Sasso as Vince, Nicole Sullivan as Kathleen

If you’re looking for other lineups here they are:

ABC Lineup
NBC Lineup

Technorati Tags: Primetime, TV, New Shows, Fall, 2010, Shit My Dad Says, Hawaii Five-O, Mike and Molly, The Defenders, Blue Bloods, CBS

Sunday
8:00 p.m. Sunday Night Football

Monday
8:00 p.m. Chuck
9:00 p.m. The Event
10:00 p.m. Chase

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. The Biggest Loser
10:00 p.m. Parenthood

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. Undercovers
9:00 p.m. Law & Order: SUV
10:00 p.m. Law & Order: Los Angeles

Thursday
8:00 p.m. Community
8:30 p.m. 30 Rock
9:00 p.m. The Office
9:30 p.m. Outsourced
10:00 p.m. Love Bites

Friday
8:00 p.m. School Pride
8:00 p.m. Who Do You Think You Are
9:00 p.m. Dateline NBC
10:00 p.m. Outlaw

Saturday
Re-Runs All Night

Show Descriptions

Chase: You might want to think twice about messing with Texas, especially if you’re a criminal. Annie Frost is a US Marshal that makes a point to always get her bad guy. She’s smart, caring, and full of attitude. Most importantly, she does her job well.

Cast: Kelli Giddish (All My Children) as Annie Frost, Cole Hauser (The Break-Up) as Jimmy Godfrey, Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break) as Marco Martinez, Rose Rollins (The L Word) as Daisy Ogbaa, Jesse Metcalfe (Desperate Housewives) as Luke Watson

The Event: Imagine an event, so big, and so secret that even the President of the United States was on a need to know basis. Now imagine an average guy finding out about it. Now try to guess how long he will manage to survive.

Cast: Jason Ritter (The Education of Charlie Banks) as Sean Walker, Sarah Roemer (Wristcutters, Disturbia) as Leila Buchanan, Scott Patterson (Saw IV) as Mark Buchanan, Blair Underwood (Gattaca, Dirty, Sexy Money) as President Eli Martinez, Zeljko Ivanek (Damages, True Blood) as Blake Sterling, Laura Innes (ER) as Sophia Gavras

Law & Order Los Angeles: (From the NBC Website) There’s a place where crime has reached celebrity status. Welcome to Los Angeles, home of the rich and famous, and the completely unscrupulous. They say this is the place where anyone with the right attorney can get away with murder. We say this is the place that needs some Law & Order.

Love Bites: This hour long show about romance pulls back the curtain and gives you modern love with a true and honest glint. Imagine all those crazy things you would do for love. Chances are, you will find all of those and more here.

Cast: Becki Newton as Annie, Jordana Spiro as Frannie

Outlaw: Chief Justice Garza might be the only man to step down from a Supreme Court appointment, but that’s what he does when he realizes that the system is flawed. Now that he’s quit he’s back to defending people, hoping to make a difference for the little guy. Unfortunately, there are some people in high places that aren’t going to like what he is doing.

Cast: Jimmy Smits as Cyrus Garza, David Ramsey as Al Druzinsky, Ellen Woglom as Mereta S, Carly Pope as Lucinda Pearl, Jesse Bradford as Eddie Franks

Outsourced: Todd doesn’t know what to think when he’s sent overseas to run the call center for Mid America Novelties. Todd has to teach the employees in India how to sell things like bacon wallets and beer helmets when they have no clue what these things even are. He also needs to realize that living in India will be a bit different from life at home.

Cast: Ben Rappaport as Todd Dempsy, Rizwan Manji as Rajiiv Gidwani, Sacha Dhawan as Manmeet, Parvesh Cheena as Gupta, Rebecca Hazlewood as Asha, Anisha Nagarajan as Madhuri, Diedrich Bader (The Drew Carey Show) as Charlie Davies, Jessica Gower as Tonya

School Pride: This new reality show goes into the areas that needs it most and makes an effort to transform a school that needs it. Studies show that the nicer a school is the more pride a child has in their environment and in their work. With a little luck that might be evident as schools are redesigned to better some communities that need help.

Cast: Tom Stroup, Kym Whitley, Jacob Soboroff, Susie Castillo

Undercovers: JJ Abrams is back at it again with a one-hour spy drama about a married couple that rejoin the CIA in order to spice up their marriage. Steven and Samantha now have the chance to learn plenty of exciting things about one another, including how well they work together in hostile situations.

Cast: Boris Kodjoe (Surrogates) as Steven Bloom, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Samantha Bloom, Ben Schwartz (E verybody’s Fine) as Bill Hoyt, Jessica Parker Kennedy as Lizzie Gilliam, Carter MacIntyre as Leo Nash, Gerald McRaney (Jericho) as Carlton Shaw

If you’re looking for other lineups here they are:

ABC Lineup

Technorati Tags: NBC Fall Schedule, 2010, Primetime, Television Shows, School Pride, Who Do you Think You Are, Chase, Outsourced, Undercovers, 30 Rock, The Event, Outlaw, Love Bites

SUNDAY
8:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00 p.m. Desperate Housewives
10:00 p.m. Brothers & Sisters

MONDAY
8:00 p.m. Dancing with the Stars
10:00 p.m. Castle

TUESDAY
8:00 p.m. No Ordinary Family
9:00 p.m. Dancing with the Stars Results Show
10:00 p.m. Detroit 1-8-7

WEDNESDAY
8:00 p.m. The Middle
8:30 p.m. Better Together
9:00 p.m. Modern Family
9:30 p.m. Cougar Town
10:00 p.m. The Whole Truth

THURSDAY
8:00 p.m. My Generation
9:00 p.m. Grey’s Anatomy
10:00 p.m. Private Practice

FRIDAY
8:00 p.m. Secret Millionaire
9:00 p.m. Body of Proof
10:00 p.m. 20/20

SATURDAY
8:00 p.m. Saturday Night College Football

Midseason replacements include Happy Endings, Mr. Sunshine, The Bachelor, V, and Off the Map.

Descriptions:

No Ordinary Family: The Powell family is an ordinary family. Mom and dad struggle in their marriage, but they love their kids and do what they have to do. A plane crash changes their family dynamic though, when they realize that the whole family is truly, more than meets the eye.

Michael Chiklis (The Shield) stars as Jim Powell, Julie Benz (Dexter) as Stephanie Powell, Romany Malco (The 40-Year-Old Virgin) as George St. Cloud, Tate Donovan (Damages) as Mitch McCutcheon, Autumn Reeser as Katie Andrews, Christina Chang as Yvonne Cho, Kay Panabaker as Daphne Powell and Jimmy Bennett as JJ Powell.

Detroit 187:
Welcome to Detroit’s homicide division. Detective Fitch leads a group of mismatched detectives to care for one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S. All of the unusual suspects are included from a sexy detective to a misunderstood veteran all the way down the line to a struggling, single mom. Detroit 187 is all about life and detective work in Detroit, MI.

Detroit 1-8-7 stars Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) as Detective Louis Fitch, Jon Michael Hill as Detective Damon Washington, James McDaniel (NYPD Blue) as Sergeant Jesse Longford, Aisha Hinds (True Blood) as Lieutenant Maureen Mason, Natalie Martinez as Detective Ariana Sanchez, D.J. Cotrona as Detective John Stone and Shaun Majumder as Detective Aman Mahajan.

Better Together:
This couple’s comedy includes three sets of couples, and centers on Maddie and Ben. Maddie has been with Ben for nine years, but they are not married. Their relationship is about to be out-shadowed by the joyous love of her sister Mia and her boyfriend Casey. Despite the fact that they’ve been together less than two months, wedding bells are ringing and the parents of the bride are thrilled. Chaos is set to ensue between these three couples and their very different ways of thinking.

Better Together stars JoAnna Garcia as Mia, Jennifer Finnigan as Maddie, Josh Cooke as Ben, Jake Lacy as Casey, with Kurt Fuller as Joel and Debra Jo Rupp as Vicky.

The Whole Truth: The newest legal drama on the docket, The Whole Truth, takes a different turn from most by offering details on both sides of the case. The courtroom is divided by friends and law-stars, Kathryn Peale, a Deputy Bureau Chief in the D.A.’s office and Jimmy Brogan, a rising criminal defender. Expect sparks to fly as the legal process gets moving full swing, Wednesday’s at 10PM.

The Whole Truth stars Rob Morrow (Numb3rs) as Jimmy Brogan, Eamonn Walker (Oz) as Sr. ADA Terrence “Edge” Edgecomb, Sean Wing as Chad Griffin, Anthony Ruivivar as Alejo Salazar and Christine Adams as Lena Boudreaux.

My Generation: Ten years doesn’t seem like an incredibly long time, but it can change a life. This series begins by following a group of high school students that are about to head out into the world. Ten years later these adults head home to learn that life doesn’t always offer you what you plan, but that doesn’t mean that they have failed at ending up where they need to be.

My Generation stars Michael Stahl David as Steven, Kelli Garner as Dawn, Jaime King as Jacqueline, Keir O’Donnell as Kenneth, Sebastian Sozzi as Falcon, Mechad Brooks as Rolly, Anne Son as Caroline, Daniella Alonso as Brenda and Julian Morris as Anders.

Secret Millionaire: This reality shows takes millionaires out of their home and sends them to live in some of the most dangerous parts of the country to work and volunteer. With concealed identities, these millionaires need to live on welfare wages, or less, to discover some of the true heroes in this country.

Body of Proof: Dr. Megan Hunt has to put her brilliant career as a neurosurgeon on hold when she gets into a devastating car accident. She resumes work as a medical examiner while she heals, but she is obsessed with solving this one crime. Her all-consuming need to solve this crime takes over her life and could make her forget what’s most important.

Dana Delany stars as Dr. Megan Hunt, Jeri Ryan as Dr. Kate Murphy, Geoffrey Arend as Dr. Elliot Gross, John Carroll Lynch as Detective Bud Morris, Windell Middlebrooks as Dr. Curtis Brumfield, Nic Bishop as Peter Dunlap and Sonja Sohn as Detective Samantha Baker.

Technorati Tags: Dancing with the Stars, Television, TV Shows, Body of Proof, My Generation, The Whole Truth, Better Together, Detroit 187, No Ordinary Family, Trailers, Show Details, Comedy, Drama, Primetime Lineup, ABC

Season Three of Logo’s “The Big Gay Sketch Show” Premieres Tuesday, April 13th at 10/9c

Cameos by Rosie O’Donnell, Sharon Osbourne, Julianna Margulies, Rachel Dratch and More

NEW YORK, NY, March 3, 2010 – With only three sketch comedy troupes currently on television, “The Big Gay Sketch Show” continues to break the rules (and barriers) with laugh-out-loud antics, sassy celebrity impersonations and twisted sketches that will appeal to anyone who’s a little askew. The irreverent sketch comedy series from Executive Producer Rosie O’Donnell is back for a new season with returning cast members Paolo Andino, Colman Domingo, Julie Goldman, Stephen Guarino, Jonny McGovern, Kate McKinnon and Nicol Paone. “The Big Gay Sketch Show” premieres Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at 10/9c.

This season of “The Big Gay Sketch Show” returns with fan favorites “Fitzwilliam,” “Chocolate Puddin’,” and a hilarious spoof of Maya Angelou to name a few. Also joining the cast this season are guest appearances by Rosie O’Donnell, Sharon Osbourne, Isaac Mizrahi, Andy Cohen (“Watch What Happens Live!”), Bethenny Frankel (“The Real Housewives of New York City”), Julianna Margulies (“The Good Wife”), André Leon Talley and Rachel Dratch (“Saturday Night Live”). Season three is comprised of eight, 30 minute episodes.

Technorati Tags: LOGO, Big Gay Sketch Show, Season 3, Fitzwilliam, Rosie O’Donnell, Julianna Margulies, Rachel Dratch, Chocolate Puddin, Maya Angelou, Julie Goldman, Stephen Guarino, Jonny McGovern, Kate McKinnon, Comedy, Sketch Comedy

8:32 PM: Doogie Howser is here!!! He is singing and dancing! We love the sparkling suit!

8:35 PM: Alec Baldwin introduces Steve Martin with a lots of praise, and Steve replies by saying, “This is Alec Baldwin.” Classic!

Meryl Streep holds the record for most nominations for an actress. Steve Martin jokes she holds the record for the most loses.

Alec Baldwin gives Christopher Plummer honors! We love Christopher Plummer! Damn Helen Mirren…great joke. No, it’s “DAME”!!!

They are doing the rounds of who is around and who is nominated. Ash’s mom is making hilarious comments about everything. George Clooney is not smiling and they are poking fun at him about it.

This is kind of amusing, but it seems to be just sporadic mentioning of people around. That, of course, is funny.

8:44 PM: Penelope Cruz is out to present the first award. Ash’s mom doesn’t like her hair. Best Actor in a Supporting Role is the Award:

The Nominees:
Matt Damon for Invictus
Woody Harrelson for The Messenger
Christopher Plummer for The Last Station
Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds

The Winner: Christoph Waltz

Our Thoughts: We LOVED Inglourious Basterds. He was amazing in this. The movie is amazing. We are so glad he WON! His eyes are lighting up. It is like a little kid on Christmas.

8:50 PM: Ryan Reynods is here to introduce The Blind Side, the first movie nominated for Best Picture. We love the clips provided.

8:55 PM: Cameron Diaz and Steve Carrell are introduced. They show clips of animated characters talking about being nominated. These are cute, but unnecessary. They are presenting the award for Best Animated Film.

The Nominees:
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
UP

The Winner: UP

Our Thoughts: We loved this movie. It was brilliant, poignant, amazing. I hope it continues to get all the accolades it deserves. Oh, and Ed Asner ROCKS!

9:00 PM: Amanda Seyfried and Miley Cyrus are there to offer the nominees for Best Song in a Motion Picture.

The Nominees:
The Princess and the Frog for “Almost There”
Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

The Princess and the Frog for “Down in New Orleans”
Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Paris 36 for “Loin de Paname”
Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas

Nine for “Take It All”
Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston

Crazy Heart for “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)”
Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

The Winners: Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Our Thoughts: We weren’t wowed by these songs. We didn’t care much for any of them, so the winner wasn’t very impressive to us.

9:05 PM: Chris Pine is introducing District 9, another Best Picture nominee. This movie was absolutely amazing. You can check out our review of it on Blu-Ray Authoritay.

9:12 PM: Robert Downey Jr. and Tina Fey are joking around about actors and writers. They are actually pretty funny. They are presenting the award for Best Original Screenplay.

The Nominees:

The Hurt Locker Written by Mark Boal
Inglourious Basterds Written by Quentin Tarantino
The Messenger Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
A Serious Man Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Up Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter. Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

The Winner: The Hurt Locker Written by Mark Boal

Our Thoughts: He wrote this based on a guy’s life. Basically, he ripped off some guy’s life. Wow, looks like that guy is going to be rich. Let’s hope he gets the justs he deserves.

9:17 PM: Molly Ringwald and Matthew Broderick are there to make a special dedication to John Hughes. Both actors worked with him and he helped to make them stars.

This tribute is awesome. We grew up with these movies. We grew up with John Hughes. He deserves all the recognition he gets. These are some of the best movies ever made.

9:22 PM: Jon Cryer, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Matthew Broderick, Anthony Michael Hall, and Macaulay Culkin are here to talk about John. John Hughes’ family

9:24 PM: Samuel L Jackson introduces Up, Best Picture nomination. It won for best animated film.

9:28 PM: Carey Mulligan and Zoe Saldana dressed in horrific outfits (especially Zoe) are presenting the award for best short film. First, there is a look at short films, and how they often are used to expand into full length features.

The Nominees:
French Roast by Fabrice O. Joubert
Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty by Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell by The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)
Javier Recio Gracia by Logorama by Nicolas Schmerkin
A Matter of Loaf and Death by Nick Park

The Winner: Javier Recio Gracia by Logorama by Nicolas Schmerkin

Our Thoughts: This film looks funny. We haven’t seen any of them. Nicolas is hilarious. Best speech yet.

Then they gave the award for Best Documentary Short.

The Nominees:
China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill

The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher

The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert

Music by Prudence
Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett

Rabbit à la Berlin
Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

The Winner: Music by Prudence

Our Thoughts: We haven’t seen any of these, so it is hard to have an opinion!

Finally, Best Live Action Short:

The Nominees:
The Door by Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
Instead of Abracadabra by Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
Kavi by Gregg Helvey
Miracle Fish by Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
The New Tenants by Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusso

The Winner: The New Tenants by Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusso

Our Thoughts: We haven’t seen any of these, so it is hard to have an opinion! DITTO!!

9:30 PM: Ben Stiller, dressed up like one of the characters from Avatar. He is here to present the award for Best Makeup.

The Nominees:
Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano for Il Divo
Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow for Star Trek
Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore for The Young Victoria

The Winner: Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow

Our Thoughts: We understand it takes a LOT of skill to do movie makeup, but its not our field so we can only appreciate from afar. Sci Fi films take even more makeup, so we’re glad they won!

9:43 PM: Jeff Bridges introduces us to the Best Picture nominee, A Serious Man. It is a serious film by the serious Coen brothers.

9:48 PM: Rachel MacAdams and Jake Gyllenhaal are presenting the award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

The Nominees:
Up in the Air
Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher

In the Loop
Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche

An Education
Screenplay by Nick Hornby

District 9
Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell

The Winner: Geoffrey Fletcher

Our Thoughts: We haven’t seen it so we have no idea what all the hype is about. It is nice to see someone so humbled by the award though. He is just really amazed by this.

9:52 PM: Queen Latifah is introduced by Steve Martin. She is offering to look at the Governor’s Awards. They honor people in film like Lauren Bacall, Gordon Willis, John Calley and Roger Corman.

Roger and Lauren are at the Academy Awards. They get the standing O they deserve.

9:55 PM: Robin Williams is presenting an award the award for Best Supporting Actress.

The Nominees:
Penelope Cruz for Nine
Vera Farmiga for Up In the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air
Mo’Nique for Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

The Winner: Mo’Nique for Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

Our Thoughts: We haven’t seen this movie, but the clip we saw of her was amazing. She didn’t look like Mo’Nique. This wasn’t a big surprise. We thought she’d win.

10:01 PM: Colin Firth is here to introduce the Best Picture nomination An Education by Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey. We don’t even remember hearing about this film, but it looks good enough we want to see it.

10:06 PM: Sigourney Weaver discusses working on Alien. She is presenting the award for Outstanding Art Direction.

The Nominees:
Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg (Art Direction); Kim Sinclair (Set Decoration) for Avatar

Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro (Art Direction); Caroline Smith (Set Decoration) for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

John Myhre (Art Direction); Gordon Sim (Set Decoration) for Nine

Sarah Greenwood (Art Direction); Katie Spencer (Set Decoration) for Sherlock Holmes

Patrice Vermette (Art Direction); Maggie Gray (Set Decoration) for The Young Victoria

The Winner: Avatar

Our Thoughts: Nobody can argue with the visually stunning look of the film. It was also nice to see Sigourney. We guessed Avatar would win based on her presence.

10:09 PM: Tom Ford and Sarah Jessica Parker are presenting the award for Best Costume Design.

The Nominees:
Janet Patterson for Bright Star
Catherine Leterrier for Coco Before Chanel
Monique Prudhomme for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Colleen Atwood for Nine
Sandy Powell for The Young Victoria

The Winner: Sandy Powell for The Young Victoria

Our Thoughts: She already has two. We like how she dedicated this to all of the costume designers who deserve an Oscar, but don’t design for period pieces.

10:12 PM: Charlize Theron is introducing the Best Picture Nomination for Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire. This film is about abuse. It is by Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness.

10:17 PM: Steve and Alec give tribute to the music director and composer for the Oscars. They then show a little skit where they have to share a bed, because they weren’t given separate rooms. Their night has them lying all over the bed and all over each other.

10:18 PM: The horrific Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner are discussing horror films. They are paying tribute to horror films (yes, Twilight was a HORROR movie, but not in the horror genre).

Seriously, Little Shop was a MUSICAL. Twilight is not horror. The Sixth Sense was a thriller movie. Who put this montage together?

10:23 PM: Zac Efron and Anna Kendrick are introducing sound editing and Morgan Freeman is discussing the joys of sound editing. After a really interesting explanation on sound editing, they present the award for Sound Editing.

The Nominees:
Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle for Avatar
Paul N.J. Ottosson for The Hurt Locker
Wylie Stateman for Inglourious Basterds
Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin for Star Trek
Michael Silvers and Tom Myers for Up

The Winner: Paul N.J. Ottosson

No big surprise. It is a war movie. Would have been nice to see Up win though.

Then, the award for Sound Mixing:

The Nominees:
Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson for Avatar
Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett for The Hurt Locker
Wylie Stateman for Inglourious Basterds
Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin for Star Trek
Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

The Winner: Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett

Our Thoughts: Again, we aren’t surprised.

10:25 PM: Elizabeth Banks discusses the Sci Tech Awards. This looks at those who won the awards.

10:29 PM: John Travolta introduces the Best Picture nominee for Inglourious Basterds by Quentin Tarantino and Lawrence Bender. This movie was absolutely phenomenal. We loved it.

1o:35 PM: Sandra Bullock looks very classic Hollywood. She has arrived to introduce the nominations for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography.

The Nominees:
Mauro Fiore for Avatar
Bruno Delbonnel for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Barry Ackroyd for The Hurt Locker
Robert Richardson for Inglourious Basterds
Christian Berger for The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band)

The Winner: Mauro Fiore

Our Thoughts: Again, Avatar is a gorgeous film. The problem is in the plot. It is beautiful to watch and Mauro Fiore did an excellent job.

10:37 PM: Demi Moore is presenting a look at all those involved in film who we’ve lost. She introduces James Taylor who sings All My Life by The Beatles. The screen shows people like Jean Simmons. Eric Rohmer, David Carradine, Daniel Melnick, Dom DeLuise, Ron Silver, Brittany Murphy, Betsy Blair, Patrick Swayze, Kathryn Grayson, Arthur Canton, Roy E. Disney, Horton Foote, Budd Schulberg, Michael Jackson, Natasha Richardson, Jennifer Jones, David Brown and Karl Malden.

10:45 PM: Jennifer Lopez and Sam Worthington are presenting the award for Best Original Score. First, the music from these films are played and presented, with choreographed dance routines!!

The Nominees:
James Horner for Avatar
Alexandre Desplat for Fantastic Mr. Fox
Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders for The Hurt Locker
Hans Zimmer for Sherlock Holmes
Michael Giacchino for Up

The Winner: Michael Giacchino for Up

Our Thoughts: YAY! This movie touched us so much and the beautiful score just enhanced the film so much. Congrats to Michael Giacchino.

10:54 PM: Bradley Cooper and Gerard Butler present the award for Outstanding Visual Effects.

The Nominees:
Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones for Avatar

Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken for District 9

Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton for Star Trek

The Winner: Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones

Our Thoughts: Are we going to show our lack of shock here?

10:57 PM: Jason Reitman introduces the Best Picture nominee Up in the Air. He directed the film and George Clooney in it.

11:01 PM: Matt Damon is presenting the award for Best Documentary Feature.

The Nominees:
Burma VJ by Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
The Cove by Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens
Food, Inc. by Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers by Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
Which Way Home by Rebecca Cammisa

The Winner: The Cove by Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens

Our Thoughts: We like finding out about these movies through the Oscars. Otherwise, we’d never know to see them.

11:06 PM: Tyler Perry is talking about Film Editing. He is presenting the nominees for Film Editing.

The Nominees:
Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron for Avatar
Julian Clarke for District 9
Bob Murawski and Chris Innis for The Hurt Locker
Sally Menke for Inglourious Basterds
Joe Klotz for Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

The Winner: Bob Murawski and Chris Innis

Our Thoughts: We just are shocked Avatar didn’t win. Sam Raimi gave these two their first jobs. We think that is awesome.

11:09 PM: Keanu Reeves introduces Best Picture nominee The Hurt Locker. This is based on the writer’s experience in Iraq. It was developed by Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro.

11:14 PM: Pedro Almodovar and Quintin Tarantino are presenting the award for Best Foreign Language Film.

The Nominees:
Ajami from Israel
Directed by Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani

The Milk of Sorrow (La Teta Asustada) from Peru
Directed by Claudia Llosa

A Prophet (Un Prophète) from France
Directed by Jacques Audiard

The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos) from Argentina
Directed by Juan José Campanella

The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band) from Germany
Directed by Michael Haneke

The Winner: The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos) from Argentina
Directed by Juan José Campanella

Our Thoughts: I wish they would say how many nominations the filmmakers have, not the country. We don’t know any of these films, but this is how we find good foreign language films.

11:19 PM: Yay, Kathy Bates is here. She is introducing Best Picture nominee, Avatar. This is by James Cameron. It is the largest grossing movie of all time. It is a beautiful looking film, but some call it Pocahontas in Space based on its plot.

11:25 PM: Julianne Moore, Colin Ferrell, Tim Robbins, Vera Farmiga and Michelle Pfeiffer step up to discuss the nominees for Best Actor in a Leading Role. We think this is a totally cool way to present the award. We get to hear about these guys, which is awesome!

Kate Winslet won Best Actress in a Leading Role last year, so she gets the chance to present the award to one of these amazing actors.

The Nominees:
Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart
George Clooney for Up in the Air
Colin Firth for A Single Man
Morgan Freeman for Invictus
Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker

The Winner: Jeff Bridges

Our Thoughts: We loves Jeff Bridges. He has been in so many great movies. He’s been nominated for almost 40 years. He deserves that standing O. It is so awesome he is giving credit to his amazing parents.

11: PM: Michael Sheen, Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Peter Sarsgaard, and Stanley Tucci are talking about their experiences with the women nominated for the Best Actress in a Leading Role. This is awesome.

The Nominees:
Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side
Helen Mirren for The Last Station
Carey Mulligan for An Education
Gabourey Sidibe for Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia

Sean Penn is presenting the award to one of these excellent actresses. He won last year for Milk.

The Winner: Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side

Our Thoughts: Wow. We are glad Sandra has won. We have loved her since The Net and Speed. Sad she got stuck in a rut doing Rom Coms, she has managed to step out of it, to show us how much acting talent she has!! Woo Hoo Sandra. Well deserved!

11:52 PM: Barbra Streisand is presenting the award for Best Director. This could be the first African American or the first Woman Director. Let’s see the minorities shine tonight!

The Nominees:
James Cameron for Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels for Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Jason Reitman for Up in the Air

The Winner: Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker

Our Thoughts: Dom coined this one because Barbra was presenting. We have heard the film is great. She gets another standing O. This is awesome. A woman winning. It’s about damn time! She is thankful to her fellow directors and is humble. We like her. Way to Go Kathryn Bigelow.

11:58 PM: Tom Hanks is here for the moment of truth. The last time this many films was up, Casablanca won.

The Nominees:
Avatar by James Cameron and Jon Landau
The Blind Side by Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson
District 9 by Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham
An Education by Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey
The Hurt Locker by Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro
Inglourious Basterds by Lawrence Bender (Quentin Tarantino)
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire by Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness
A Serious Man by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Up by Jonas Rivera
Up in the Air by Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman

The Winner: The Hurt Locker

Our Thoughts: At least it wasn’t Avatar. We feel bad for the guy whose life this was based upon. We feel bad Kathryn Bigelow’s shining moment was marred by this. We just hope that if this is based on his life, that he get the credit he deserves.

Technorati Tags: Oscars, Academy Awards, show, talent, Awards, ceremony, Movies, Hollywood, spectacle

That being said, on to the show:

Crystal Bowersox “As Long As I Can See the Light”
Dominick: “24 hours ago she was in the hospital, and like the consummate professional, Crystal Bowersox returns to make all the other girls look like high school talent show performers. Brilliant.”
Ashtyn: “Crystal gives me hope for a more entertaining idol. That was one hell of a performance.”

Judges Thoughts: Randy loves she is not trying to be anyone but herself. He loves the girl she is. That girl is hot. Ellen believes she has pure, raw, natural talent. Ellen is so glad she is here today. Kara believes she recovered from last week. She is Americana Rock. She is centered, focused, and it comes from the heart. Simon didn’t know if she’d be back. He is glad she didn’t play the sympathy thing. He completely underestimated her. Her vocals were incredible. He believes she is a serious artist like Kelly Clarkson.

Haeley Vaughn “The Climb”
Dominick: “Forget Idol Haeley. You should go try out for your local pageant. When I think Miley Cyrus does it better you know you’re in trouble.”
Ashtyn: “Its like going from American Idol to the Backroad sanging competition. I like the cow print skirt, if I stare at it I can zone out and ignore her screaming.”

Judges Thoughts: It didn’t work for Randy. It was excruciating to listen to. She was not connected to the song and was pitchy. Ellen wants her to keep smiling and she is adorable. Ellen feels she did not connect and had no feeling for the song. Kara feels she has the Alex Lambert factor. People are rooting for her. She is real and open, but she needs a year of voice strengthening. It is inconsistent. Simon does not want to make it worse, because it was a complete and utter mess. In theory it should have worked, but she fell off instead of climbing.

Lacey Brown “Kiss Me”
Dominick: “Wow, she actually listened to Kara, and still managed to suck. Unoriginal, not inventive, and just plain boring. Don’t quit your day job Kara. Oh wait, maybe you should.”
Ashtyn: “Look at that, now we know why Karas musical career as a singing didnt work out. I love watching singers that have more fun on stage than the audience listening. She sounds like a freakin’ phone…bringbringbring. It’s three words, not one.”

Judges Thoughts: Randy think it is a good choice and would have worked, but he felt it was too karaoke. She did nothing special with it. Ellen thought it was adorable, and it was a good song. Kara felt they lost what was special with her voice. This song brought back the tone, but she has to step it up. She did not push it like she should. Simon felt it was marginally better next week, but she is not showcasing herself as an artist. She is very different than Crystal who is an artist. Simon felt she was not memorable.

Katie Stevens “Put Your Records On”
Dominick: “This was the best she could do to sound modern? She still sounded old fashioned and there were too many pitch problems for me to give a damn.”
Ashtyn: “Singing a current song and still trying to sound like you’re a 40 year old pretending to be 14 isn’t a good idea. That was incredibly awful in every way. Best part was when she shut the hell up. Hopefully next week she can tackle a bigger song from her shower. I won’t be able to hear her from Connecticut.”

Judges Thoughts: There were some bright moments according to Randy. It reminded him of the girl they found in the auditions. Believe in yourself. Ellen thinks she has a great voice, but it still feels old fashioned. She doesn’t want to hear something she’d hear in her dentist’s office. Kara agrees with Ellen. She is frustrated because she has so much potential. She was almost in the wrong key. This song didn’t have enough she could showcase. Simon feels frustrated. Simon would tell her to get experience. She needs to tell them what kind of artist she will be. It wasn’t a winning performance.

DiDi Benami “Lean on Me”
Dominick: “I don’t think this was the best song choice for her. She has bad pitch problems. I like her unique tone, but this just sounded awful.”
Ashtyn: “I like Didi and I like the fact she has a different sound, but I think she’s having a hard time defining herself. She was the second best of the night behind Crystal, but that isn’t saying much given the talent.”

Judges Thoughts: Randy didn’t feel the song was right for her. It highlighted her imperfections. Ellen loves her, and she has a great voice. She wishes Didi did another song. Kara thought it was not good. It was not consistent. She felt it was karaoke and she lost her uniqueness. It was all over the place. It was not good. Simon felt it was all over the place, screechy and Simon feels she’s cool as an artist, but she’s performing generically. It is a wasted opportunity.

Michelle Delamor “With Arms Wide Open”
Dominick: “I’m confused. She’s singing a rock song like a ballad, wearing a Michael Jackson glove and dancing like a robot. There is taking chances and leaping so far you fall 20 stories off the building. YEOWCH.”
Ashtyn: “Three notes in and Im already writing a suicide letter. She was good last week. Always interesting to see someone go backward. What an incredibly stupid and poorly executed choice. “

Judges Thoughts: Randy likes her outfit. He is frustrated because it was too flat and not good. Ellen thinks she looks good and did do a lot with the song. She forgot it was a rock song. Kara felt it was her favorite performance of her ever. It may not be technically perfect. She was believable and bought it. Simon is with Kara. He liked the first half better. She struggled to hit some notes, but she was hot.

Lily Scott “A Change is Gonna Come”
Dominick: “Her outfit is as much of a train wreck as her song choice.”
Ashtyn: “She took everything good out of that song and changed it from a classic and made it Miley Cyrus meets Hillary Duff + crack pipe.”

Judges Thoughts: Randy says this was his favorite performance tonight. Ellen believes that Lily Scott says she has “it” and felt that she was a fan watching a performance. She just had her first moment. Kara was riveted. She is gonna change the game. She is glad she tried out for the competition. Simon felt she became more relevant than last week. He thought it was good, but she over sang. He felt Crystal was better than Lily.

Katelyn Epperly “The Scientist”
Dominick: “This is the slowest song ever and each note is enunciated to the point where I feel like she’s trying to drum it into my head. That last note was atrocious, but the rest of the song put me to sleep.”
Ashtyn: “Way slow…..Way pitchy….Way Screechy. She brought tears to my eyes. Poor Coldplay.”

Judges Thoughts: Randy really liked it. He liked hearing her play the piano. The last note fell off pitch, but he liked it. Ellen liked she was playing piano (er guitar), but she fell asleep. It was so slow. Kara loves her, because she has an incredible instrument. She is all over the place, but she is really good. When she gets to the sweet spot, it’s hot. She needs to figure out her style. Simon thought it was a smart choice and made her contemporary. It was much better than last week, but she is corny.

Paige Miles “Walk Away”
Dominick: “Kelly Clarkson called…She wants her song back. That screeching at the end was horrid. Just sayin’…”
Ashtyn: “Wow, this was not even karaoke worthy. What a mistake. Paige isn’t half the singer Kelly is. It’s amusing she wasn’t smart enough to change the song, especially since shes singing it wrong.”

Judges Thoughts: Randy liked it, but it was just okay. It worked for Kelly, but he didn’t hear her (Paige). Ellen disagrees with Randy. It was hot. Kara wrote the song to be angry and her performance was too happy. She appreciated what she did with the song and she liked it. Simon felt she failed to choose the right song. She is getting lost, and it is frustrating because she has such a great voice. It is forgetable.

Siobhan Magnus “Think”
Dominick: “Siobhan is an underdog, and I want to root for her, but doing Aretha and then claiming she belts and knows how to (when it is obviously not the case) makes me dislike her. She’s so odd, and I think that will be her downfall.”
Ashtyn: “Skipper called she wants her outfit back. Woah is right…That’s screaming not singing.. Im thinking people need to not vote for you”

Judges Thoughts: Randy feels she is bold and fearless. She is dope. Ellen loved it, too. Ellen thought it was good. Kara can’t get over that note. She does not know how she hits those notes. Simon feels she is such a strange person, but that is a compliment. He felt parts of the songs were terrible and then she hit that incredible note. She is unique and very talented.

So all that being said, there were only a couple worth listening to, which is pretty sad when you think about it. We wouldn’t mind half of the people going home, but they can’t all go home, at least not yet. With that in mind, we’re both pulling for Haeley and Katie to go home. There were others that we hated, but Idol would be a lot brighter with them gone.

Technorati Tags: American Idol, Ellen, Randy Jackson, Top 10, Girls, Season 9, Simon Cowell, Katie, Haeley, Crystal Bowersox, Singing, Reality TV, Lily Scott

We sincerely wish Crystal a speedy recovery. She is one of our favorites. Dom has more than one friend who knows Crystal personally (he grew up outside Toledo, Ohio), and there is a lot of people in his hometown rooting for her. Diabetes can create so many different complications, we are glad that AI has done the responsible thing and is giving Crystal a chance to continue to perform.

That being said, tonight the Top Ten Guys are performing. The guys were given a chance to perform and practice today, since Crystal’s doctor advised her not to perform. Ryan gave a nice shout out to her, and her fellow competitors cheered her on.

The judges have been announced, and the only ones booing Simon were the other judges. I guess it just goes to show that America loves a mean yet honest guy. Kara looks like she has the hairdo she wore to her high school prom. After Ellen made some funny jokes, the first guy is getting to share more about him.

So, on to the performances!

Michael Lynche “This is a Man’s World”

Dominick: “Brother got soul. He needs to stick with these kinds of songs because they show he can sing.”
Ashtyn: “Better than last week, but I don’t know if this song is overly exciting. It’s like a whole new performer.”

Judges Thoughts: Randy feels the season is getting rolling. He believes that Mike deserves a standing ovation and could be an R&B star. Ellen has liked his song choices from the get go. He is the one to beat tonight. Kara thinks he owned it. For the first time she gets why he is here and he became an artist in her eyes. Simon thinks he went from being a pussycat to a lion. It was the best performance he has given in the competition.

John Park “Gravity”
Dominick: “Why does he pick songs that suck when he sings them? Oh yeah, because he CAN’T sing!”
Ashtyn: “Honest is working for me Park. I’m not tone deaf.”

Judges Thoughts: Randy thinks the John Mayer is his vibe, but he didn’t bring anything new or special to it. Ellen felt it was a better song choice, but he could have brought more soul to it. Kara thought it was way better than last week, but she doesn’t believe in what he’s singing. It is too safe. Simon thinks Purple Haze may get his new singer back. It was a “so what” performance. It had no believability and was forgettable.

Casey James “I Don’t Wanna Be”
Dominick: “The electric guitar doesn’t make you a rocker. If your vocals suck, no guitar or other instrument is gonna save you.”
Ashtyn: “You are what you are…and a guitar riff ain’t gonna change it – no matter how long it is. Using an electric guitar and the psychedelic rockstar strobe lights to be cool isn’t going to work when your vocals are substandard. “

Judges Thoughts: Randy claims he is channeling Jimi Hendrix. This is the kind of music he could make. The vocals were not that great, but man he can play a guitar. Ellen likes his look and sound, but he is so stiff. He wants him to perform more. Kara thought he took two steps back. He is a great lead guitar, but this is a singing competition. The vocals aren’t good. Simon felt he was trying to be rock star. He doesn’t have the grit. He sounded like he was a guy singing in a bar.

Alex Lambert “Everybody Knows”
Dominick: “I am not one that is rooting for him. He has no confidence and he needs a better look. He’s 19. What does he know about dreams?”
Ashtyn: “He has Carol Brady’s hair cut. The good news is that he is still young enough to get a job on Barney.”

Judges Thoughts: Randy felt it was an improvement after the last year. He loves him with the guitar, and he really enjoyed it. He was way legit. Ellen believes someone ripened him, like a banana, from last week. She finds him unique. Kara says people are rooting for him. He has a recordable voice and he’s going to learn how to use it. It’s a great improvement from last week. Simon feels it was much better than last week. Simon feels he is not in it to win.

Todrick Hall “What’s Love Got to Do With It”
Dominick: “It was indulgent, boring, and the song was completely wrong for his voice. Stop doing female songs and see if you can nail it with a song by someone better in your range.”
Ashtyn: “Todrick, todrick, todrick – How could you rock it last week and put a fucking senior citizens home to sleep this week? “

Judges Thoughts: Randy liked the falsetto run at the end. He feels that a great song does not need a different arrangement. He wants him just to sing a nice song and sing it, because he can sing. Ellen thinks he should sing and move, because he has strength as a dancer. He didn’t think it was the right song and it is not current. She wants him to have another chance. Kara likes him and he needs to dance. She does not know where the original Todrick went. Simon thinks he should move, but not sing. It is not working out for him. He was like a theme park performer.

Jermaine Sellers “What’s Goin On?”
Dominick: “I don’t know if its the messed up hair do, the molester half ‘stache, or the massively overdone singing, but this ain’t workin’ for me.”
Ashtyn: “He looks like a cross between Pee-Wee Herman and Urkle tonight, and he sounds like Ellen singing under water.”

Judges Thoughts: Randy thinks it is better than last week, but there were only a few good moments. It’s a tough song to sing, but it wasn’t that good. He needed to pull it back. Ellen says she likes his style and she’d like to see him do better. It didn’t work for her. Kara thinks he is impressive but always doing too much. He needs to look at the lyrics. It feels forced. Simon feels he waters down the songs. He makes it lose its importance and he sounds cabaret. He does too much and it is old fashioned. Simon isn’t sure he will be here next week.

Andrew Garcia “You Give Me Something”
Dominick: “I was bored. I’m not finding any wow factor with Andrew. Everyone seems to like him, but I’m not getting the appeal.”
Ashtyn: “The big glasses, break dancing, and boring rendition aren’t working for me. Where’s the fun, slick?”

Judges Thoughts: Randy didn’t get it. He felt it was pitchy. He likes him with the guitar. He feels he is more the Jason Mraz type. Ellen disagrees. He felt there were a few pitch problems, but he likes it a lot. He set the bar high with his Paula song during Hollywood week. He felt he was good, but has to top that “Straight Up” performance. Kara feels he is a rhythmic singer. He needs to surprise them. Simon feels he hasn’t chosen the right song, and he feels something is wrong with this. He is better than okay, but is still just giving okay performances.

Aaron Kelly “My Girl”
Dominick: “I feel like I’m watching a high school singing competition. How karaoke Aaron. How karaoke.”
Ashtyn: “It’s like Justin Beaver singing about the chicks…..Dude, go home….on your tricycle….please.”

Judges Thoughts: Randy thought it was much better than last week. Ellen agreed with Randy. Kara likes him. He’s consistent. He has control. He is great. Simon feels he went backwards. The song was all over the place. Like Justin Beaver he needs to work out what kind of artist he is. He is too old fashioned.

Tim Urban “Come On Get High”
Dominick: “I don’t know why he’s still here. I’m so bored with his substandard vocals and feel like he’s trying to use his eyes to hypnotize the audience into voting for him.”
Ashtyn: “Is it almost over? If not could someone spork me in the ears? I promise I will thank you when you’re done.”

Judges Thoughts: Randy thought it was karaoke. He didn’t get it. It had pitch problems. Ellen feels he should act. He should be on Glee, but he is not a singer. He isn’t strong enough as a singer. He is adorable though. Kara likes the song choice. He didn’t make it his own. He looks the part, but isn’t there yet. Simon thought it was a marked improvement on last week.

Lee Dewyze “Lips of an Angel”
Dominick: “There were some pitch problems definitely, but he has way more going for him than any other guy.”
Ashtyn: “I like Lee but these idol stories are so pointless. Better than a one-sie, but who cares. We just want the music. There are some supreme fucking issues with this song but I think he has it in him…Somewhere. You just gotta find it man.”

Judges Thoughts: Randy likes he is trying to take chances. He likes Lee, but there were pitch problems. Ellen likes him even though there were pitch problems. He has an intensity and he was in that song and that made it great. Kara felt it was a big improvement from last week. There are some pitch problems, but she could hear him on the radio. He looks commercial. Simon feels he need confidence. Vocally, he is the best of the boys. He needs self-confidence. He looks frightened. He is waiting for him to lose his nerve, find the right song and he will be the one to beat.

Overall Thoughts: Again, we weren’t that thrilled with the overall performances. They were better than last week in some cases, but there is still a long way to go. No one really impressed us. There was no excitement and the whole thing just seemed to lack star quality. We hope the girls give a better performance because there are so few in this bunch that we can be excited about. It’s a real let down.

Who Needs to Go: Dom wants Jermaine and Tim Urban to go home though due to the suckiness of the majority of contestants he did give it plenty of thought. Ashtyn is also hoping for Jermaine and while she wouldn’t mind seeing Tim go home she’s really hoping that John and Jermaine are the two that are tossed on Thursday.

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– Paige Miles – Singing “It’s All Right Now”

Dom: “Get on pitch, you ain’t Mariah Carey (and I ain’t no Mariah fan).”
Ashtyn: “This is a rock song, not a playground for Skipper Barbie.”

Simon doesn’t feel this was the right song for her, because she can really sing. Kara thinks the song was brilliant. She slayed the verses. Randy thinks she has a big voice, but wrong song. Ellen feels she was there and loved it.

Paige Overshare: she’s been sewn in her outfit and has to pee (for the past 5 hrs)

–Ashley Rodriguez – “Happy”

Dom: “If you didn’t pick songs too low for your voice, you might actually sound okay.”
Ashtyn: “I can’t stand how you hold your mic too close to your mouth.”

Kara said this is a big song, and she had good moments but bad moments. She needs to take on songs they won’t expect her to sing. Randy felt she did okay, but it really wasn’t her. Ellen wants her to sing something with a different vibe. Simon says the version was clumsy and she is going backwards. No originality.

–Janell Wheeler– “What About Love”

Dom: “The song ate her up. Way too big for a mediocre voice.”
Ashtyn: “If Taylor Swift had a baby with Hillary Duff and they tried to do Heart, this would be Janell.”

Randy felt the song choice didn’t work for her. Her voice is unique though. Ellen loves this song and she sang it well but a few notes were off. Simon said it started out okay, but she got excited. There were moments where he did like her voice. Kara likes her, but the song was way too big for her.

–Lilly Scott– “Fixing a Hole”

Dom: “My poor Beatles…”
Ashtyn: “What the f— was that? Did she try to add a British accent to her song?”

Ellen thinks this is such a random song choice. She has a great presence and distinctive voice. Simon says definitely the best thus far, though he isn’t feeling much star power from her. Kara believes she comes from her heart. She became a good performer by playing on the street. Randy loves that she’s a real indie artist and doesn’t care about what is popular.

–Katelyn Epperly– “Oh Darlin”

Dom: “She needs to use her diaphragm, so she doesn’t have to force those notes.”
Ashtyn: “She is dressed like a tranny hooker and looks like she is in pain when singing.”

Simon likes her, but she screamed some of the notes. She is going to need a lot of work. Kara said she knows her voice very well. She switched it up and improved the song. The makeover isn’t working for her. Randy think she looks fine and he thinks she pays attention to the tone and melody. She has a big voice. Ellen thinks she was forcing it. It was interesting to her. She felt it was forced.

–Haeley Vaughn– “I Want to Hold Your Hand”

Dom: “My ears are bleeding. SCREECHY. John just rolled over.”
Ashtyn: “She isn’t singing to deaf people, so she does not need to scream. Further, I feel like I’m at a hotel lounge and she’s my lounge singer.”

Kara thinks there were technical issues and didn’t always hit the notes, but she has fun and people feel that. Randy agrees with Kara and she is unpredictable. He loves her boldness, but her vocals aren’t as pleasing when she sings the high notes. Ellen likes her presence for a 16 year old and she enjoyed it. Simon thought it was verging on terrible and it was a mess.

–Lacey Brown– “Landslide”

Dom: “I can see why she got cut last year.”
Ashtyn: “The first problem is she is singing Fleetwood Mac. She ain’t no Stevie Nicks, and that is the second problem.”

Randy likes the song, but it wasn’t the right one for her. It was terrible and pitchy. Ellen thinks she is better than this performance. Simon found the song to be depressing and indulgent. It was boring. Kara felt she was forcing it and should have sung something else. Simon likes her eyes.

–Michelle Delamor– “Fallin’”

Dom: “Best person of the night so far, and she kept the runs simple, which was effective.”
Ashtyn: “The first person that does not make me want to compare her to the artist who originally sang it.”

Ellen it was fantastic, but it seemed safe and easy. She has more in her, but she is amazing. Simon says she is a professional singer. It was not as good as the original, and she needs to find something different. She looks fantastic. Kara says she looks professional, but she wasn’t technically good enough. She needs believability. Randy thought she did a good job. She has a great voice and needs to take risks.

–Didi Benami– “The Way I Am”

Dom: “She has an original sound, but tried to force a few of the notes.”
Ashtyn: “I really like her voice, but it is too unique to be pop.”

Simon finds the song dreary and her sound indulgent. He is missing a spark in her. He does like her though and thinks she has a good voice. Kara likes the song. She made changes to the original recording and she can take risks. Randy does not see the star factor. It’s a nice song and she sounded good singing it. Ellen didn’t feel this was the right song, but she has a great voice. It was too low key.

–Siobhan Magnus– “Wicked Game”

Dom: “She started too low (it affected the notes), but the girl has a voice.”
Ashtyn: “Doing a slow song the first night of competition is death, because it is boring.”

Kara kind of liked her on it. She is quirky, in the moment and real. It did get nasal. Randy felt the second verse was better, but the song was not good enough for her voice. Ellen loved it and felt entertained. Simon did not think the song was good enough. The song is very dark, and maybe she is dark, too.

–Crystal Bowersox– “Hand in My Pocket”

Dom: “Hometown loyalty. I have friends who know this girl and am told she is the real deal.”
Ashtyn: “I think she will be safe, because she is not the typical idol popstar in the making.”

Randy says she is one of his favorites. He loves her. He loves the honesty. He is not sure if it was the right song, but he likes her so much it does not matter. Ellen is a fan of hers and she adds something fresh to the show. She’d be voting for her. Simon thought there were thousands of her doing this outside the subway station. She needs to do something that nobody else has done before. Simon really likes her and she is refreshing. Kara thinks she has greatness in her. She was good tonight, not great.

–Katie Stevens– “Feelin Good”

Dom: “If you don’t have the pipes to back it up, you don’t sing Michael Buble.”
Ashtyn: “Cheerleader sass and Michael Buble do not go together.”

Ellen feels it was good, and she has a powerful voice, but it was very conservative. She is not sounding 17. She is not being current. It was too old for her. Simon agrees with Ellen. It’s like her parents dressed her and picked her song and it became annoying. It was pageant-y. Kara found her to be pitchy. She has a natural gift. She hopes America gives her another shot. Randy feels it was pushed and going sharp. Be young.

Overall Thought: The girls weren’t as good as we thought they’d be, and wonder if this foreshadows our experience tomorrow with the guys.

Who is going? Anyone is fair game but Crystal, Michelle and Didi.

The two girls we think should leave?: Haeley Vaughn and Paige Miles

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