American Idol 12: Sudden Death Top 40 - Girls Group 2

WOW. This group was incredibly strong that I realized it's the luck of the draw for most of these girls. It's kind of annoying that someone like Tenna Torres from last week got through when some of the girls eliminated tonight were stronger. Sigh. One thing I noticed though, there was just TOO MUCH of the same timbre in the same octave! Haha.

As for the judges, they were mostly decent. Keith Urban was fine and Randy Jackson should just die. Mariah Carey actually looked more engaged and gave some solid critiques, which I enjoyed, but I was quite baffled with Nicki Minaj. Haha. I mean, she gave some great comments, but I wish she was as critical with the guys as she was with these girls. It was obvious that she has this a distinctly much higher level of enthusiasm for the guys than the girls, which I don't like to see.

Anyway, how did the second set of girls do? Let's get on with the rankings!

American Idol 12: Who made the Top 20? (SPOILERS)

Hooray! Semifinals Part 1 will air in the next two weeks and I got some spoilers as to who managed to crack the Top 20 this year. Yes, they changed the format for Season 12. Instead of the usual cut to 24, we get to hear all 40 semifinalists. The catch? The Boys and Girls will remain separated, but will be divided into groups of 10. They will then perform in front of the judges and 5 will be eliminated in every group leaving a Top 20.

And yes, the first batch of 10 girls performed earlier and here's a quick spoiler as to who made it to the second round of semifinals and who got cut.

Again, read at your own risk!! I warned you. If you want to be spoiled.. read on! If not.. go away!

Movie Review: Django Unchained

Django Unchained was a relatively straightforward yet well written and brilliantly directed film. The acting performances were spectacular and the music was awesomely varied - from country to classical to rap - but never seemed out of place. The stylistic flair, which defined virtually every Quentin Tarantino film was present here too, but almost to a fault. Yes, the ludicrously violent style did work in parts, but some of the blood became egregious and without a point. Plus, a couple of parts felt a little overworked. If you don't mind the violence and the language, I would recommend this film in a heartbeat. If not, go and watch an animated film or something. Haha. 8

Movie Review: This is 40

Comedy films are supposed to be one of the luckiest genres in Hollywood. I mean, they can be campy, illogical, totally absurd and crazy, and it won't even matter as long as they make the audience laugh.They can easily get away with almost anything, but alas, not This is 40! This film was just insufferable. The script felt like it was never completed that it had no direction whatsoever and the story dragged especially the nonstop bickering. I also found the characters to be self centered, annoying and depressing. They were not charming or witty or interesting. Not a film that will leave you feeling good, which was unfortunate. 3

American Idol 12: Sudden Death Top 40 - Boys Group 1

Based from tonight's episode, it's pretty apparent that American Idol is seriously looking for it's next female winner as almost everyone royally sucked!

Not that I was expecting anything different and I've also been begging for a girl winner since Season 9, but this may actually backfire on them. I mean, if they cast mediocre male singers and one will eventually find his way to the crown a la Lee DeWyze, American Idol is officially done. Haha.

As for the judges, it's a mixed bag. I've been a fan of Nicki Minaj's judging, but she was all over the place tonight. And as much as I hate to say it, Randy Jackson actually made the most sense in this episode. Maybe with the addition of three good judges, he's forced to raised his game a bit no?

Anyway, let's rank the contestants!

American Idol 12: Sudden Death Top 40 - Girls Group 1

The American Idol newly configured semifinals format has arrived and we finally get to see what these kids can do in a "live" setting. We’ve seen them audition for weeks and weeks and now they get to sit there and compose a performance still for the judges to decide, but for America to witness. I’m fine with that.

But how did the girls do tonight? Actually, I thought this was quite a solid first "live" show. There were some missteps here and there, but we finally had a chance to see which contestants were smart and which ones believed their own hype. Remember: nothing is written in stone. I’m sure many of you went into tonight just KNOWING who was going to make it to the next round of the semifinals, but there were a couple of nice surprises. 

Oh, and let me just say that this is by far the BEST judging panel on American Idol EVER. They're not phoning it in and they gave constructive comments without being overly obnoxious. I didn't agree with everything they said, but it was just refreshing to hear constructive critiques rather than "You're Amazing!" that plagued this show in the last few years. In fact, the way they critiqued the first performer was already a million miles better than in the entirety of the Jennifer Lopez/Steven Tyler era!! 

Without further ado, let’s rank the contestants!

Movie Review: Flight

While I was entirely amused at the absolute high points of Flight - that plane crash sequence, to be specific, was incredibly realistic - I was, for the most part, annoyed with the characters and exasperated with how the story unfolded. The writing was inconsistent, the almost romantic subplot was unnecessary and awkward, and the ending felt painfully forced. The acting performances were on top form though, especially Denzel Washington during the final act. Flight didn't exactly crash and burn, but it also didn't soar to it's potential either. 6.5