On this week's show we dissect Nick Cage Week, American Idol's Top-13, and the tables are turned as Mark gets interrogated.
The Rundown:
Intro
Week In Review
American Idol
Nick Cage/Kick Ass
Interrogation
Final Thoughts
Only one apology this week, and that is the ringing phone near the end. We hadn't informed everyone that we were recording, and a family member decided it was a good time to call the landline (yes, Mel still has one) instead of our cell phones. Hope it's not too loud!
We are still trying to work out the logistics for next week, and hope to have a podcast, but if not tune in for our review of "The Hunger Games" when we should have some special guests.
Showing posts with label American Idol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American Idol. Show all posts
Monday, March 12, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
American Iodl Final -- Top 13
This is (an) American Idol...blog!
Welcome to the first Off the Mark Thoughts American Idol Final reaction post. We (Mark and Mel) will be your guides through the 11th (really?) season of FOX's biggest talent show.
This week it's boys vs. girls, with the boys singing Stevie Wonder and the girl cover the topical, Whitney Houston. The eliminations this week will be judges choice (about time!), but it will only be done once.
This is where we disagree with AI, and feel that they should be closer to "So You Think You Can Dance", with the judges eliminating until a certain point. But, alas, Idol won't change.
Once again, our judges are Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez, and the mentor is Mary J. Blige (OK, I guess?). Let's get started:
1. Joshua Ledet -- "Wish"
Mel: "Joshua, of course, was good. His song choice didn't surprise me. Too safe I feel. It will get him through this week."
Rating: 7/10
Mark: "First performance, and I remembered how much the show misses Ricky Minor's orchestration of the background music. Joshua was solid, not overwhelming, but I felt the song would have been better with a stronger arrangement. He could be a dark horse, but he needs to not get over confident with the up-tempo and forget what makes him good."
Rating: 6.5/10
2. Elise Testone -- "I'm Your Baby, Tonight"
Mark: "My ears, my ears. She is nowhere near good enough to pull off Whitney. I hope this isn't predictive of the rest of the night. Last note was pretty bad."
Rating: 4/10
Mel: "My thoughts exactly."
Rating: 5/10
3. Jermaine Jones -- "Knocks Me Off My Feet"
Mel: "Solid performance will get him through again."
Rating: 7/10
Mark: "Very deep and smooth voice. Sometimes relies too much on the low register, but it was the perfect song choice. They seem to be going to a soul vibe this season."
Rating: 7/10
4. Erika Van Pelt -- "I Believe In You and Me"
Mark: "Going for the Adele fans, I see. All kidding aside, it's a shame they made Whitney night the first night. It was really unfair for the contestants. She held her own, but I hope she makes it next week so I can see her with a different song."
Rating: 7/10
Mel: "I love Whitney, but I will cut my ears off if all the girls start thinking they ARE Whitney. She did a good job and restrained herself from over-singing. Much better than the first girl."
Rating: 6/10
5. Colton Dixon-- "Lately"
Mel: "LOVED him."
Rating: 7/10
Mark: "First one to make the song his own, and I absolutely loved it. Definitely would buy the single on iTunes. But I still hate the dead skunk on his head."
Rating: 7.5/10
6. Shannon Magrane -- "I Have Nothing"
Mark: "I hate to sound like a broken record, but these girls keep trying to hit these note that they have no business attempting. This is why Randy says to avoid Whitney, Mariah and Christina songs. She's purdy, though"
Rating: 6/10
Mel: "Her nerves did get the best of her. A for effort."
Rating: 6/10
7. DeAndre Brackensick-- "Master Blaster"
Mel: "No, Mark, he's purdy. Better than his last performance. I think he'll go far in the competition."
Rating: 7/10
Mark: "He'll definitely get the teen girl vote, Mel. His voice is pretty good, but nothing out of the ordinary. He has the stage presence, but I'm curious to hear a more vulnerable song."
Rating: 6/10
8. Skylar Laine -- "Where do Broken Hearts Go"
Mark: "I guess this could be the reverse "I Will Always Love You" with Skylar playing the role of Dolly Parton. Finally, someone does it their way and didn't try to imitate. Head and shoulders above the other girls tonight."
Rating: 8/10
Mel: "Favorite so far."
Rating:8/10
9. Heejune Han -- "All is Fair in Love"
Mel: "Like Randy said, it wasn't perfect but it was really good."
Rating: 7/10
Mark: "Most controlled singer of the night. First one I felt could sing anything. Despite his talent, I don't know the market for him in top 40 music, so I'll need some time to see where he will be successful"
Rating: 7.5/10
10. Hollie Cavanaugh -- "All the Man I Need"
Mark: "Best voice of the night, but didn't separate herself from Skylar enough. Should have tried to go further. Probably the only one who could have survived in Whitney's range. My pick so far."
Rating: 8/10
Mel: "She was very good, but will be great when she finds her song."
Rating: 7/10
11. Jeremy Rosado -- "Ribbons in the Sky"
Mel: "Meh."
Rating: 6/10
Mark: "He's nothing special, and should not have been saved. I don't get why Jennifer had tears in her eyes. I predict he's in the bottom 2, but will be saved. I feel bad for the girl who finishes last."
Rating: 6/10
12. Jessica Sanchez -- "I Will Always Love You"
Mark: "Songs like this can either be a 4 or a 9. They either kill it or it bombs. Jessica MURDERED it. Best performance in 2 years. Favorite in the clubhouse. Wow, just wow."
Rating: 9.5/10
Mel: "Best of the night."
Rating: 9/10
13. Phillip Phillips -- "Superstition"
Mel: "Very predictable"
Rating: 7/10
Mark: "This song choice was too obvious. Reminds me too much of Casey from last season, but he has a good enough voice to succeed without all of the extracurriculars. He showed that tonight. Solid performance, it's a shame he had to follow Jessica."
Rating: 6.5/10
Going home:
Mark: Elise Testone
Mel: Elise Testone
Welcome to the first Off the Mark Thoughts American Idol Final reaction post. We (Mark and Mel) will be your guides through the 11th (really?) season of FOX's biggest talent show.
This week it's boys vs. girls, with the boys singing Stevie Wonder and the girl cover the topical, Whitney Houston. The eliminations this week will be judges choice (about time!), but it will only be done once.
This is where we disagree with AI, and feel that they should be closer to "So You Think You Can Dance", with the judges eliminating until a certain point. But, alas, Idol won't change.
Once again, our judges are Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez, and the mentor is Mary J. Blige (OK, I guess?). Let's get started:
1. Joshua Ledet -- "Wish"
Mel: "Joshua, of course, was good. His song choice didn't surprise me. Too safe I feel. It will get him through this week."
Rating: 7/10
Mark: "First performance, and I remembered how much the show misses Ricky Minor's orchestration of the background music. Joshua was solid, not overwhelming, but I felt the song would have been better with a stronger arrangement. He could be a dark horse, but he needs to not get over confident with the up-tempo and forget what makes him good."
Rating: 6.5/10
2. Elise Testone -- "I'm Your Baby, Tonight"
Mark: "My ears, my ears. She is nowhere near good enough to pull off Whitney. I hope this isn't predictive of the rest of the night. Last note was pretty bad."
Rating: 4/10
Mel: "My thoughts exactly."
Rating: 5/10
3. Jermaine Jones -- "Knocks Me Off My Feet"
Mel: "Solid performance will get him through again."
Rating: 7/10
Mark: "Very deep and smooth voice. Sometimes relies too much on the low register, but it was the perfect song choice. They seem to be going to a soul vibe this season."
Rating: 7/10
4. Erika Van Pelt -- "I Believe In You and Me"
Mark: "Going for the Adele fans, I see. All kidding aside, it's a shame they made Whitney night the first night. It was really unfair for the contestants. She held her own, but I hope she makes it next week so I can see her with a different song."
Rating: 7/10
Mel: "I love Whitney, but I will cut my ears off if all the girls start thinking they ARE Whitney. She did a good job and restrained herself from over-singing. Much better than the first girl."
Rating: 6/10
5. Colton Dixon-- "Lately"
Mel: "LOVED him."
Rating: 7/10
Mark: "First one to make the song his own, and I absolutely loved it. Definitely would buy the single on iTunes. But I still hate the dead skunk on his head."
Rating: 7.5/10
6. Shannon Magrane -- "I Have Nothing"
Mark: "I hate to sound like a broken record, but these girls keep trying to hit these note that they have no business attempting. This is why Randy says to avoid Whitney, Mariah and Christina songs. She's purdy, though"
Rating: 6/10
Mel: "Her nerves did get the best of her. A for effort."
Rating: 6/10
7. DeAndre Brackensick-- "Master Blaster"
Mel: "No, Mark, he's purdy. Better than his last performance. I think he'll go far in the competition."
Rating: 7/10
Mark: "He'll definitely get the teen girl vote, Mel. His voice is pretty good, but nothing out of the ordinary. He has the stage presence, but I'm curious to hear a more vulnerable song."
Rating: 6/10
8. Skylar Laine -- "Where do Broken Hearts Go"
Mark: "I guess this could be the reverse "I Will Always Love You" with Skylar playing the role of Dolly Parton. Finally, someone does it their way and didn't try to imitate. Head and shoulders above the other girls tonight."
Rating: 8/10
Mel: "Favorite so far."
Rating:8/10
9. Heejune Han -- "All is Fair in Love"
Mel: "Like Randy said, it wasn't perfect but it was really good."
Rating: 7/10
Mark: "Most controlled singer of the night. First one I felt could sing anything. Despite his talent, I don't know the market for him in top 40 music, so I'll need some time to see where he will be successful"
Rating: 7.5/10
10. Hollie Cavanaugh -- "All the Man I Need"
Mark: "Best voice of the night, but didn't separate herself from Skylar enough. Should have tried to go further. Probably the only one who could have survived in Whitney's range. My pick so far."
Rating: 8/10
Mel: "She was very good, but will be great when she finds her song."
Rating: 7/10
11. Jeremy Rosado -- "Ribbons in the Sky"
Mel: "Meh."
Rating: 6/10
Mark: "He's nothing special, and should not have been saved. I don't get why Jennifer had tears in her eyes. I predict he's in the bottom 2, but will be saved. I feel bad for the girl who finishes last."
Rating: 6/10
12. Jessica Sanchez -- "I Will Always Love You"
Mark: "Songs like this can either be a 4 or a 9. They either kill it or it bombs. Jessica MURDERED it. Best performance in 2 years. Favorite in the clubhouse. Wow, just wow."
Rating: 9.5/10
Mel: "Best of the night."
Rating: 9/10
13. Phillip Phillips -- "Superstition"
Mel: "Very predictable"
Rating: 7/10
Mark: "This song choice was too obvious. Reminds me too much of Casey from last season, but he has a good enough voice to succeed without all of the extracurriculars. He showed that tonight. Solid performance, it's a shame he had to follow Jessica."
Rating: 6.5/10
Going home:
Mark: Elise Testone
Mel: Elise Testone
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Unneccessarily Disecting a Disney Movie
Welcome to our new podcast! We will (hopefully) be uploading a new one every week; most likely on Saturday or Sunday.
This week we introduce my older sister, Melanie, who has officially become part of the blog. She will be joining me on our American Idol performance reaction post, and hopefully in many ways as we move forward here. We discuss last week's reviews, Disney's Prom, American Idol, and Mel goes through the first interrogation. Here a rundown of the show:
Intro
Week-in-review
American Idol
Prom
Interrogation
Final thoughts
I apologize for the ums and uhs. This was the first one and I hope to improve that as time goes on. I hope you all enjoy it, and we look forward to bringing you more guest and content in the future. Thanks for listening!
This week we introduce my older sister, Melanie, who has officially become part of the blog. She will be joining me on our American Idol performance reaction post, and hopefully in many ways as we move forward here. We discuss last week's reviews, Disney's Prom, American Idol, and Mel goes through the first interrogation. Here a rundown of the show:
Intro
Week-in-review
American Idol
Prom
Interrogation
Final thoughts
I apologize for the ums and uhs. This was the first one and I hope to improve that as time goes on. I hope you all enjoy it, and we look forward to bringing you more guest and content in the future. Thanks for listening!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
TV Thursday: Idol Finale vs. SYTYCD Finale
Tonight was the finale for my favorite talent competition show, So You Think You Can Dance. SYTYCD, for short, has done a wonderful job of introducing the world of dance to those, like myself, that would have never bothered to search it out. I believe the show is the anti-American Idol.
Idol has all but killed the singing competition show, only a unique show like The Sing Off (despite being hosted by Nick Lachey) has been able to breathe fresh air into the genre. As the years have gone on, Idol has become a show that appears to be really scripted, only moments when Ryan Seacrest appears bored and ad-libs is the show fun. The opposite is true of SYTYCD, the panel's reactions and the banter with Emmy snub Cat Deeley, all seem natural and unscripted.
While this leads to awkward transitions, which Deeley (again, how hasn't she won the hosting Emmy) handles effortlessly, it also allows the show to connect with the audience in a real way. This really comes through with the feedback from the judges, minus Mary Murphy's predictable scream, SYTYCD blows Idol out of the water. For some reason Idol went very soft this year, and disrespected its audience. But executive producer, Nigel Lythgoe's, along with those of the choreographer guest judges, consistent criticisms when something isn't danced well, has helped to expand the audience because they are not underestimating its knowledge of the material.
The Finale of both shows really expose the glaring differences between the two. While Idol tries to make a spectacle out it, SYTYCD allows its contestants to shine. Instead of inviting lots of professional acts to the show, they make the show a celebration of the season, and awards the audience for watching all season by showing the best dances of the season.
What is truly weird is that Lythgoe is a exec on both shows, and you never see him attempt to bring what works on SYTYCD to Idol. From the finale, to the guest judges not only being celebrities but choreographers who actually know what to look for (the addition of Jimmy Ivoine was a start), to the inclusion of past winners helping specific contestant not the whole group, Lythgoe has so many ways to improve the highest rated show on TV. Yet, he doesn't.
In conclusion (I know, I know...this is a cop out, but it's getting close to midnight and I need to feed Gizmo), if Idol wants me to not fast-forward through most of its results show, and the judges' "critiques" as well, they need to take a cue from SYTYCD and make the show fun to watch, and less like funeral procession.
Idol has all but killed the singing competition show, only a unique show like The Sing Off (despite being hosted by Nick Lachey) has been able to breathe fresh air into the genre. As the years have gone on, Idol has become a show that appears to be really scripted, only moments when Ryan Seacrest appears bored and ad-libs is the show fun. The opposite is true of SYTYCD, the panel's reactions and the banter with Emmy snub Cat Deeley, all seem natural and unscripted.
While this leads to awkward transitions, which Deeley (again, how hasn't she won the hosting Emmy) handles effortlessly, it also allows the show to connect with the audience in a real way. This really comes through with the feedback from the judges, minus Mary Murphy's predictable scream, SYTYCD blows Idol out of the water. For some reason Idol went very soft this year, and disrespected its audience. But executive producer, Nigel Lythgoe's, along with those of the choreographer guest judges, consistent criticisms when something isn't danced well, has helped to expand the audience because they are not underestimating its knowledge of the material.
The Finale of both shows really expose the glaring differences between the two. While Idol tries to make a spectacle out it, SYTYCD allows its contestants to shine. Instead of inviting lots of professional acts to the show, they make the show a celebration of the season, and awards the audience for watching all season by showing the best dances of the season.
What is truly weird is that Lythgoe is a exec on both shows, and you never see him attempt to bring what works on SYTYCD to Idol. From the finale, to the guest judges not only being celebrities but choreographers who actually know what to look for (the addition of Jimmy Ivoine was a start), to the inclusion of past winners helping specific contestant not the whole group, Lythgoe has so many ways to improve the highest rated show on TV. Yet, he doesn't.
In conclusion (I know, I know...this is a cop out, but it's getting close to midnight and I need to feed Gizmo), if Idol wants me to not fast-forward through most of its results show, and the judges' "critiques" as well, they need to take a cue from SYTYCD and make the show fun to watch, and less like funeral procession.
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