THE X FACTOR US 2012 Top 12: "Songs from the Movies"

Well... top 13. For some reason, Diamond White was brought back. I don't know why. Whatever.

I was off in my predictions last week... oops. But honestly, the performances didn't really surprise me. So, with that.

Top 12 13: Songs from the Movies!

Arin Ray

Britney's Teens - "American Boy" by... hell if I know. 

MUCH better than last week, but still many of the same issues remain. The vocals were much, much better in places, but the chorus often fell a bit flat, a bit thin. Much better, though.

Paige Thomas

Demi's Young Adults - "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin (from Top Gun)

Yeah, I didn't quite get this performance. Like Arin, the vocals were much better than last week, but overal, many of the same issues from last week remain... but Paige doesn't quite have the charisma for a song performance like Demi seems to want from her. Unfortunately, though, her vocals aren't quite strong enough to overcome that. 

Vino Alan

LA's Over 25s - "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge (from... well I'm sure it's in some movie sometime)

What type of music is Vino trying to do? Because this was a COMPLETELY different type of song than last week... and neither really sit too well for me. Perhaps its the way that Vino barrels through his performances... who knows. Not really a fan.

Emblem3

Simon's Groups - A bizarre mashup of songs including "My Girl", "California Girls" and "What Makes You Beautiful" ("My Girl" is from My Girl, so it totally counts)

Simon has been harping on music production tonight, so I'll say it... what the hell was that? That mashup kind of worked, kind of failed, and came off like they were trying way too hard. Also, hate to harp, but the way these guys come off sometimes... too abrasive.

Beatrice Miller

Team Britney - "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls (from City of Angels)

I know they played vocal issues leading up to this performance, which is too bad... but it's really not a surprise, as Beatrice didn't really sing this song. Perhaps it's because of the issues, or maybe the cause of it, but way too screamy. A lower key would have been a smart choice. 

Jannel Garcia

Team Demi - "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" by Joan Jett (I don't know what this is from... but didn't Britney sing it in Crossroads? Hey, that's more feasible than "California Girls"!)

My first thought was "what a song choice!", but the first verse was mostly a sound-alike, disappointment. I was a bit nervous. Then the second verse came around, and Jannel did her thing, and completely rocked it. Fantastic. I do kind of understand what Simon and LA discussed (this was a clear Joan Jett cover), but for my money, Jannel made it work. Next week may be a good time for something totally original and unexpected... but in the meantime, Jannel rocks.

Tate Stevens

Team LA - "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi (from... Rock of Ages?)

I won't lie, I dug that. I love that song, as cheesy as it is, and I do love it with a little country injected into it. I still don't think he belongs on this particular show, but that was good stuff.

Lyric 145

Team Simon - "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" (...from Mary Poppins. For reals.)

Well. THAT was something. I'm not sure if it was a trainwreck of a something or something completely and utterly awesome, but I was most certainly entertained.

Diamond White

Team Britney - "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston (from The Bodyguard and every season of every singing show ever)

I'm SO glad Diamond was brought back to sing Whitney in front of a screen full of diamonds! Because none of that was expected at all. Unfortunately though, Diamond was almost painfully flat in all the money parts of the song, and it came across very screechy as a result. A 13 year-old girl should not be singing this song, as it's a song most female singers would never dream of attempting. Ugh.

CeCe Frey

#teamdemi - "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor (from Rocky)

After CeCe said in her intro video that she was doing this song, I prepared my thoughts, typing "Apparently Demi didn't learn from last week's drastically different CeCe performances"... but you know what? This was MUCH better than last week's terrible song choice. But it was still pretty bad. The vocals from CeCe were still a bit inconsistent, but were definitely on the mark more often than not, more often than they were last week. So, yay improvement. But where was CeCe standing still, doing Whitney? I love me some Demi, but Simon is right: Demi is pushing her the wrong way.

Carly Rose Sonenclar

#teambritbrit - "It Will Rain" by Bruno Mars (from crappy vampire crap)

I hated the arrangement of this song... but THAT was a performance. I liked her last week, but that was a major bounce-back performance. I think some sort of old school movie musical song would have suited Carly Rose better, but I do understand why something much more modern was chosen. Good stuff either way.

Jason Brock

#teamLA - "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly (from Space Jam, which needs a sequel ASAP)

Without Jason's half-shirtless dancers and glitter all over the place, this performance was like watching paint dry. Which, actually, is what I've come to expect from this song on performance shows like this. Nothing special here, but aside from the crack at the end, I enjoyed Jason's vocals here. More dancers and glitter next week, please and thank you. Also, LA, PLEASE heed Britney's suggestion. Jason Brock needs to do "something urban". MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

Fifth Harmony (formerly 1432) (formerly LYLAS)

#teamsimon - "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri (from crappy vampire crap)

To me, the beauty of this song is it's simplicity. So, in a way, adding all the vocal masturbation to this song completely destroys this song... but damn, those harmonies. Fantastic. Also, line of the night from LA Reid: "I really can't say anything about the name, because America picked the name for you, right? Womp womp."

Predictions

Hit or miss show tonight, really. Not really sure how things are going to go, since it's the first night of voting. Also, I don't know how they are doing eliminations. So, I'll give a winner and a bottom 2, if you will...

Winner of the Night

Honestly, I don't think there is one specific winner from tonight. Nobody really gave a performance that was far and away the best... Jannel, Lyric 145 and Carly Rose were probably the best for me, but since I'm making a point to name just one... I'll again go with my girl Jannel Garcia.

Watch Out

Again, I preface this with the fact that this is the first week of voting, so how backstories come into play isn't really known yet. If I had to nominate a bottom two, though, I'd go with Jason Brock and Diamond White. Brock seems more and more like the joke contestant of the show, and Diamond is way out of her league here. But Diamond has the backstory factor. So we shall certainly see. 

THE X FACTOR US 2012 Goes Live: "Made in America"

Or, perhaps, the premiere of Britney Freakout on Live TV Watch.

But, seriously, I have been more than entertained by The X Factor this season. I have absolutely loved the whole documentary feel to the auditions thus far, the play between the judges, everything. I've also been really intrigued by the talent this season

Now, read here: I didn't say I've been blown away by the talent... because, I haven't, aside from a select few contestants. On another talent search show, I'd find this problematic... but The X Factor doesn't trump itself up to find the best vocalist, the person with the most talent, any of that. To me, the show unabashedly goes after the biggest star it can find. Like the other shows, it doesn't always succeed (quick, name the season 1 winner. I'll wait.), but they don't only put the best singers through. It's more than that. And I've found that incredibly entertaining thus far.

But the show is now live. So all that changes.

Since I haven't been blogging so far about the show, I'm going to set up this post as a 'before and after' type thing.

The Over 25s

Vino Alan

Before: I like his passion and his sound... but I'm not really feeling him for this competition. How is he relevant?

Tonight: Didn't quite work for me. Vino doesn't look like a star. Vino didn't act like a star. Vino didn't sound like a star. Troublesome performance.

Jason Brock

Before: I don't know if it's his look or the way he carries himself, but he strikes me as something of a novelty act. I've liked him so far, but again... how is he relevant?

Tonight: Oh my lord was that fun. Sure, it was stuff trainwrecks are made of, but that was extremely entertaining (though for the record, it wasn't a trainwreck... and was far from the worst of the night).

David Correy

Before: Just going to copy and paste, because it applies to him as well: I like his passion and his sound... but I'm not really feeling him for this competition. How is he relevant?

Tonight: Definitely the best of the three thus far. I do agree with Simon that David came off a bit desperate which was kind of jarring at this point in the competition, but not too too bad. Something to build on.

Tate Stevens

Before: I do enjoy me some country. I do. But not so much Tate Stevens. I don't get a star vibe from him at all, unfortunately. I see him has cannon fodder, to be blunt.

Tonight: Yeah, cannon fodder. That was a good, solid performance... but on this show, that was sleep inducing. 

The Teens

Beatrice Miller

Before: I feel like Beatrice is both too young for this competition, but too old for her category. Her judge's house performance was WELL beyond her years... but her attitude in the holding room hint that she's not quite ready for this show. I dunno, something about it rubbed me the wrong way. It'll be interesting to see how Britney handles her.

Tonight: "I Won't Give Up" - What a strange song choice. In theory, I liked it, but it didn't quite all add up in the end. Maybe it's the punk-rock look. Or the giant video of her in the background. The song also didn't really sit in Beatrice's voice well. Weird stuff.

Arin Ray

Before: Frankly... I'm indifferent. He keeps talking about how he was in a group last year, and how he wants to step out on his own... but really, that's what it seems like. On a much smaller scale, he really does remind me of one of the more backup members of a boyband trying a solo career. 

Tonight: "Keep Me Hanging On" - This is almost the same thing as Paige's performance: all the elements are there, but the vocals. I know I talked about how this isn't a show about vocals, but they still have to be up to par, and that just wasn't the case. There also seemed to be sound issues, which didn't do anything to help. Unfortunate.

Carly Rose Sonenclar

Before: Easily the best of the four in this group, due largely to her stage seasoning (which they haven't mentioned on the show, not shockingly). My only concern is that she comes across TOO strong, too old for her age. 

Tonight: Personally... I really, really liked this performance. I loved the vocals, and I loved the song choice... though I can see the criticism that she didn't quite connect with the song. 

Diamond White

Before: It seems to me that if Diamond had a bit more training, she'd be spectacular. Now, though, I'm not quite sure she's ready... 

Tonight: "Hey Soul Sister" - WAY too much going on. It doesn't seem to me that Diamond is too comfortable with the whole thing. Messy.

The Young Adults

CeCe Frey

Before: Really, I admire the way she walks the line between obnoxiously off-putting and fierce (and I hate that description... but it is exactly how I'd describe her). I love her vocals, but how she reacted to criticism at Demi's house was a bit troubling.

Tonight: Again with the too much going on. CeCe has a great voice... so let's have her going all over the stage and dancing and rolling around. Build up to that, don't go to that right off the bat. Kind of a mess, I would say.

Jannel Garcia

Before: I saw sassy Ms Garcia live in the Providence auditions, and it really struck me as a star-making performance. And her performances on the show have definitely lived up to that first impression for me. 

Tonight: "Home Sweet Home" - To start, Jannel seemed a little unsure of the lyrics or something, but quickly settled in. I won't pretend like this was a perfect performance (the vocals wavered a bit towards the end), but easily the most complete performance of the night.

Willie Jones

Before: I really don't get Willie Jones. My reasoning was touched on previously on the show: is he country? Is he R&B? It's fine if he can do both... but he's not really strong enough in either genre, based on what I've seen. Can he form a weird hybrid genre?

Tonight: Yeah, I didn't get it. He's given a country song, and he still can't really settle into the genre. Pick something! 

Paige Thomas

Before: I really enjoyed her first audition... but it's seemed that with each "round" before this, she's cracked more and more each time. Troublesome.

Tonight: "What Is Love?" - RIDICULOUS. But, I have the exact same concern. I'm all for weird performances, and this could certainly be called weird... but the vocals just were not there. Looked like a star performance, but she sounded absolutely terrified. Maybe by the spikes on her head.

The Groups

Emblem3

Before: I'm assuming I feel exactly like everyone else with these three: I'm fine with their talent, but they are completely obnoxious

Tonight: I have the same reaction to this performance that I did for their first one: good stuff, tons to build on... and they didn't come off like obnoxious little punks! Still time, though....

1432 (formerly LYLAS)

Before: I don't really remember these girls when they were solo. That said, their group performance at Simon's house was rather eye-opening... I'm excited to see where they go.

Tonight: "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" - Holy trainwreck. Some of the solo lines sounded really good... but other than that? Nothing else about that was good. Ouch. It all really seemed like 5 soloists trying to be a group. Not so much.

Lyric 145

Before: I saw the two guys audition in Providence, and they were rather obnoxious. But add in that third member, and they absolutely sparkled at Simon's house. As long as they don't revert to obnoxiousness, they could be something special.

Tonight: Alright, so, I don't know if that was super awesome or that was an annoying trainwreck. 50/50, perhaps. Entertaining enough, I do suppose.

Sister C

Before: I don't get the appeal of these three. They kind of seem like clones. I know Simon talked about how their voices fit well together, but I don't feel that in the slightest. I enjoyed their performance at Simon's house more than I did any of their previous ones... but I wasn't crazy about it.

Tonight: "Hell on Wheels" - I really don't feel these three when they sing in harmony. But when they sing their solos, I enjoy them so much more, especially the brunette.

I don't feel like writing up some complicated conclusion, I've written enough. So, I'll just get to my predictions.

Predictions

Winner of the Night

In my (biased) opinion... Jannel Garcia. I could understand the argument for Emblem3, but I'll go with Jannel. But I'm biased.

Watch Out

They didn't really confirm on the show tonight, but I'm pretty sure one act from each category is going home... so I'll give who I believe is safe, and who I believe will go home.

Teens:

Safe: Carly Rose Sonenclar. Based on her body of work, definitely safe.

In trouble: Arin Ray. I don't even remember much about his performance, just an hour or so later.

Young Adults:

Safe: Jannel Garcia. Are you surprised?

In trouble: Willie Jones. I would say Paige, but she was at least strong to start...

Over 25s:

Safe: David Correy. Came out the best tonight... but a pretty close category, if you ask me.
In trouble: Tate Stevens. So wrong for this competition.

Groups: 

Safe: Emblem3. No contest, really.

In trouble: Sister C. I would say the unfortunately re-named 1432, but then Simon would admit he was wrong so soon...

ROCK OF AGES: Nothin' But A Good Time, Indeed

Image from Wikipedia

I was lucky enough to catch an early screening of Rock of Ages, the big-screen adaptation of the incredibly fun stage musical. I saw the national tour of the musical several months ago in Boston, and had an absolute blast... and the movie more than lives up to the stage version.

I had planned on using the format I used for my last review again, but to be honest, I'd have nothing to say. This movie would be all good. All of it. Now, it's not good in the vein of The Kings Speech or anything like that, absolutely not (in the theater world, you'd say "it's no Shakespeare, but..."), but it is one hell of a good time. It's a perfect summer escape movie filled with hilarious turns and music everyone knows.

Go in expecting to laugh. Maybe even have a drink first (the stage version is well known for having waitress service... during the show). Don't take it too seriously. You'll have a blast.

And good luck restraining yourself from singing along.

Timm sees SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN

Image from Wikipedia

The Good
First off, the visuals in this flick are nothing short of wonderful. Some of the things depicted may be overly weird from time to time (the mirror man, the fairies emerging from birds, queen goo, etc), but it was all solid by my book. I also really enjoyed the overall plot of the movie, which took a pretty creative approach to the same old story we all know.

Performance-wise, the cast is decently strong. Chris Hemsworth basically plays a more naturalistic Thor here, which is more than fine by me. Charlize Theron is absolutely spectacular as the Evil Queen, to the point where you wish there was more Queen, less Snow White. Which brings me to the bad...

The Bad
If Kristen Stewart wasn't the chick from Twilight, she would not be in this movie, and the movie would be far, far better off. I do wonder what this could have been like if Snow White had any personality at all, or possessed any of the charisma the characters keep saying she does. Just a hunch, but I'd bet it'd make for a better film.

Another problem is the length of the movie. The movie is listed as running 2 hours and 7 minutes... and it felt every bit as long, if not longer. The pacing of the film is a bit plodding in spots, but if the Snow White scenes weren't so boring, I don't know if I'd feel the same way.

Verdict
This is a fine movie, except for the presence of Kristen Stewart (I hesitate to call it a performance). All the ingredients are here for a strong summer flick, but when the leading lady is as milquetoast as it comes, it's a tough hurdle to overcome. Still though, the movie isn't a waste of time, if only for Charlize Theron's masterful turn.

My much belated review of THE AVENGERS

Image from Wikipedia

I initially planned on writing this review immediately after I saw The Avengers, but I couldn't quite put my thoughts into words. I decided to give it a few days. I ended up seeing the movie again... and wound up with the same reaction. Now a number of days removed again, I'm forcing the words.

The Avengers is the finest movie yet from Marvel Studios, the best superhero movie since The Dark Knight (at least) and the best of all possible kickoffs to the summer 2012 movie season (The Hunger Games was too early, regardless of what I might have said previously).

Now I won't pretend that the film is perfect, because it's not. There were a few continuity things (why doesn't Thor want to go make sure Jane is safe for himself?  For a movie like this, the lows could be cellar-floor low, the highs could be astronomically high. Neither were. The team getting torn apart was nice, but never quite seemed as dire as it should have been. The final battle (while extremely entertaining) never really felt out of hand for the team of superheroes, making the outcome not as grand as it could have. But so what? I never felt cheated from these shortfalls. In fact, I was thrilled.

The strength of the movie are the characters. And to me, the strength of the Marvel movies leading up to this was that they were largely character driven; I was delighted to find The Avengers to be the same thing. The egos of the characters, the new relationships being formed, this is what drove the film. To a certain extent, this is also what stood between the final product and absolute greatness, but I'm willing to sacrifice a bit. 

To sum it all up, this was exactly the movie I was hoping for when I really started getting into this whole genre. It had all the moments I was looking for, and some that surprised me. The plot felt familiar, but the film felt fresh. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but it was pretty damn close. 

Good luck with The Avengers 2, Marvel/Disney. It's going to be tough to top this one.