Monday Night Madness

Photo: Mike Yarish/Fox

OK, I probably talk about Hugh Laurie a little too much around here but I love how, one night after the television academy denied him an Emmy, he showed them up with a brilliant performance in the season 6 House premiere that’s probably one of his best in the show’s history. In your face, TV Academy! Awesomeness is the best revenge.

This episode, which takes place solely in the Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital, was so good, I didn’t miss House’s team or Cuddy, not even when House got it on with Franka Potente. My favorite things:

• Tony-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda as House’s rapping roommie, Alvie. His energy was so infectious, I could see why he didn’t want to take his meds if they dampened it. Too bad we won’t get to see more of him.
• That rap Alvie did with House!
• House being constantly outwitted by Dr. Nolan (a formidable Andre Braugher). It’s nice to see House humbled and not always getting away with his abusive behavior.
• The quiet grace Franka Potente brought to Lydia. Quite a difference from the kinetic Lola in Tom Tykwer’s film.
• Megan Dodds as the unflappable Dr. Beasley. Fun fact: She and Laurie both recurred on the British series Spooks aka MI-5, he as a blowsy bureaucrat and she as a CIA agent.

After House, I switched over to ABC’s Castle to catch one of my favorite mystery authors, Michael Connelly, in a cameo. Sometimes non-actors can give really stiff line readings but I think Connelly did a nice job, with a touch of his trademark dryness that amuses me. It was fun to hear Harry Bosch getting a shout-out.

I also recorded Heroes but haven’t had time to watch it yet. It’s been infected by major suckage in recent seasons but I don’t know why I haven’t given up on it yet. Watching the premiere ep might decide it for me.

I love this time of year when new network series premiere, old favorites come back and my DVR is full. It’s been woefully empty all summer, when I stop watching TV due to all the reality trash.

What did you think of this mold-breaking House episode? What else are you watching or looking forward to this season? Which mystery author would you like to see on Castle next? Vote below!

Movie Review: Jane Campion’s BRIGHT STAR

Before I get to my review, I want to mention something funny that happened on my way into the Variety screening of Bright Star. There was a red carpet premiere taking place at the same multiplex where the screening was held but I had no intention of stopping to gape. Sometimes I just get annoyed at all the security and photogs who get in my way.

But then I saw Hugh Laurie. I just stumbled upon Dr. House on a random Thursday evening! Most of you probably know I’m a huge fan of his and there he was, a cane’s length away from me. He was sporting a cropped do which he’d said helps him look like a mental patient (I disagree). Turned out the event was for House‘s season 6 premiere (airing next Monday, 9/21) and once I peeled my eyes off Laurie and looked down the line, I saw Lisa Edelstein, Jesse Spencer, Olivia Wilde and Robert Sean Leonard walking the carpet, too. I guess this time, the paps are forgiven.

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OK, on to the review.

Jane Campion has created a gorgeous piece of art. Bright Star (limited U.S. release today) is about the romance between the poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and his muse Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), the spirited girl next door who is good at fashion and sewing. At first, she has no interest in poems and he thinks fashion is frivolous. But once she reads his Endymion, she asks him to teach her how to appreciate poetry. Soon, a passionate love blooms between them, rudely cut short by his death at 25.

In this age of 3D movies with overblown budgets, director/writer Campion has created something almost magical—a full-bodied, 2D movie with a $13-million budget that seems to stimulate all five senses. In a scene where Fanny lies on her bed with the wind blowing seductively through her curtains, you can almost feel the coolness on your skin. You can smell the flowers in her garden, watch the brightly colored butterflies flitting about in her room (as part of her butterfly farm), taste the soup Keats slurps gingerly to soothe a cough and hear the wonderful a capella singing and violin playing which occur often in the Brawne household.

As Fanny, Cornish is definitely the bright star of this movie. Looking like a cross between younger versions of Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron, she shines with intelligence, wit and spunk. In the last five minutes of the film, she’s devastating. She’s been on the cusp of stardom with significant turns in Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Stop-Loss; I hope this role pushes her over the edge.

Whishaw does solid work as Keats and generates chemistry with Cornish that’s more playful than sizzling. I thought he looked a little too old in the movie to play Keats from 23-25 years old (perhaps because of facial scruff) but when he showed up afterwards to do Q & A, he looked about 12.

Schneider as Brown

Schneider as himself

As Keats’s best friend, Charles Brown, Paul Schneider is practically unrecognizable with facial hair, ample girth and Scottish brogue. Though I’ve seen this character actor (and so have you) in lots of roles like Ryan Gosling’s brother in Lars and the Real Girl and the guy Amy Poehler has a crush on in Parks and Recreation, I didn’t know it was him until he showed up for the Q & A, clean-shaven and speaking in his native American accent. Then my reaction was “Oh, it’s that guy!” His transformation is quite impressive.

There are a few factors which might deter some moviegoers from seeing this movie: lack of big stars, period piece, poetry being a main topic. Let me emphatically say there’s no need to worry. I’m practically illiterate when it comes to poetry, always hitting a mental block whenever I try reading it (Campion said in the Q & A she had the same problem when she was younger). But this movie still made me swoon because the actors are very good at conveying the feeling behind the words. All you have to do is let the beauty wash over you.

Nerd verdict: A Bright Star indeed to start off Oscar season

Chat with Hugh Laurie This Wednesday

I’m not going to name names but there are some regulars here who are crazy about Hugh Laurie. OK, fine, I’m one of them.

This Wednesday, August 26, Laurie is doing a live online chat with the Los Angeles Times, who’s inviting you all to join in with your questions and comments. The chat is happening at 3 p.m. PDT/6 p.m. EDT. For more information, go here.

See you there?  (UPDATE: The chat was fun! For a transcript, click here and hit “replay.”)

The Nerdy Hot 10 List

Maxim released its annual Hot 100 List today, focusing on women with exceptional beauty and bodacious bods. (House‘s Olivia Wilde got the top spot.)

Looking at some of the names, I thought the chosen women are indeed gorgeous but physical perfection is only one way to judge hotness. Year in and year out, the same people seem to end up on these lists.

So I decided to release my own Nerdy Hot 10 List, with male celebs who are sexy not because of their ripped bodies (though some might have them), but because of something a little imperfect, goofy, or nerdy about them. So here’s my list, in no particular order, and the reasons why these guys made the cut.

1. Colin Firth. Firth is the epitome of the awkward man who always gets tongue-tied around a pretty girl. But that awkwardness is what makes him so endearing, as evidenced by the hilarious scene in Love, Actually when he publicly proclaims his love in halting, butchered Portuguese to the woman of his affection. And remember those dreadful reindeer sweaters he sported in the Bridget Jones movies? He’s hot for having the courage and good humor to wear them.

2. Hugh Laurie. He often appears slovenly and unshaven on House and behaves like an ass. But then you hear him play piano, sing a funny ditty on a talk show or give a humorous, humble acceptance speech for an award and all is forgiven.

3. Paul Rudd. He’s most famous for doing bawdy comedies as part of the Judd Apatow gang; his blue eyes and boyish charm allow him to get away with all the mischief. But he can also do Shakespeare (I saw him do Twelfth Night in a Lincoln Center production), write scripts, sing, produce and all these hidden talents add up to one sexy guy.

4. Robert Downey Jr. The first time I saw him was in The Pick-Up Artist, where he played a pretty geeky guy trying to hit on Molly Ringwald . What a difference twenty years make. Despite all his legal troubles and drug abuse, he’s somehow managed to salvage his quick wit, intelligence and ultra-sized talent. You may be well aware of his acting prowess but have you ever heard him sing? Forget about it. He’s got a voice that can melt inhibitions.

5. James McAvoy. He may not be the tallest, most muscular or dashing man but oh, is he romantic. Check out those intense blue eyes. When he looks at his leading actresses in movies like Starter for 10 and Atonement, he really looks at them, as if they’re the most exquisite creatures he’s ever seen. And we the audience can almost feel him gazing right through the screen into our own eyes.

6. Jon Hamm. I tried watching one episode of Mad Men and Hamm did nothing for me as Don Draper, though he was certainly groomed and dressed well. Then I saw him on 30 Rock as Tina Fey’s hapless boyfriend and developed a crush immediately. Hamm was ridiculously funny as the guy who was so beautiful, no one would tell him the truth about anything. He played tennis atrociously but thought he was awesome, rode a motorcycle like a drunk but thought he was cool and was clueless about the correct usage of the word “ironic.” I think Fey is a comedy genius and for Hamm to keep pace with her is sizzling hot.

7. James Franco. He’s not that interesting as Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man movies but when he’s goofy, like in Pineapple Express and funnyordie.com videos, he gets my sexy stamp. Plus, he gets extra points for being a nerdy academic, with an English degree from UCLA and working towards graduate degrees in creative writing and film at Columbia and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, respectively.

8. Bret McKenzie. As half of Flight of the Conchords, he doesn’t have much luck in his career or with the ladies on the show. But he, along with Jemaine Clement, makes me laugh hard with brilliant, kooky songs and their hilarious, clever lyrics. I don’t get starstruck much but if I ever meet him, I’d be completely tongue-tied and that’s a true sign of hotness in my book.

9. Daniel Craig. Yeah, he beefed up for Bond and looks great in a tux but before that, he played a scrappy drug dealer in Layer Cake, a murderer in Infamous and an unsympathetic Ted Hughes in Sylvia. His face isn’t conventionally pretty, with rough features that look like he’s been in a few brawls, but I’ll take him over the typical Calvin Klein model any day.

10. Brad Pitt. I swear he’s not on this list for the obvious reasons because, frankly, I find him rather bland when he plays heroes and pretty boys on screen. But he rocks my socks when he plays crazy like in Twelve Monkeys or a doofus like in Burn After Reading. A funny man who also happens to look like Pitt? Smokin’.

What do you think? Who else should be on this list? Wanna see who’s on my Nerdy Hot 10 List—Female Edition? Click here.

HOUSE Finale–Major Spoilers!

If you haven’t seen it, do NOT read any further! Skip down to the next article!

No, no, no, I can’t believe what happened. I feel manipulated and not in a good way. I can’t believe that in 2009, the producers would drag out the old Dallas stunt and foist it on us. OK, technically, House had a hallucination instead of a dream and he didn’t imagine an entire season, just one episode. Still.

The irony is, I didn’t really care if Cuddy and House got together or not. I like their banter and their strength as individuals and feared their coming together would destroy them. But, hey, the producers hyped their hook-up for months and when it finally happened, it was pretty hot.

And now, we find out House hallucinated the whole business because he’s so high on Vicodin, which is maddening because it’s unimaginative, not because the sex didn’t happen. I would’ve been fine if producers never went down that road. Now, I just feel scammed by a cheap bait and switch.

The ending also didn’t make sense to me. If it’s the drugs that are causing the hallucinations, why did House check into a psychiatric hospital? Don’t they give patients more drugs in such places? Wouldn’t rehab be better since it seems he just needs to clean up to stop seeing dead people?

Speaking of which, it was nice to see Kal Penn again, albeit briefly. I really liked Kutner and when I saw him, I realized how much his death still affected me.

And poor Carl Reiner. Looks like House will soon be able to hallucinate his character, Eugene, too. I thought he was only supposed to be an annoying patient so when the reveal of pancreatic cancer happened, it landed a small punch in my gut (luckily, not a pot belly) and Reiner’s reaction to the news was heart-tugging.

In happier news, Chase and Cameron finally got married after a lot of back and forth about her dead husband’s sperm. And she looked gorgeous. The dress, hair, makeup, jewelry—perfection.

Oh, don’t ask me about the case of the week. Compared to everything else that happened, it really was the least important thing.

How do you feel about this episode? Shocked? Wowed? Confused? Relieved?

SAG Awards — Funniest & Lamest Moments, Plus Fashion!

Though I got to vote for these awards, the show kinda bored me. Out of the 15 categories, I’d voted for 9 of the winners. If you just want a list, click here. If you want to hear about the funny and weird moments, read on.

I’m handing out my Nerdies for the following categories (I know it’s a nerdy name for an “award” but that’s the point):

Best Oh-No-She-Didn’t Moment: Tina Fey’s acceptance speech for female actor in a comedy series. She said someday her daughter Alice will be old enough to watch 30 Rock on the Internet and ask, “What do you mean you don’t get residuals for this?” Fey then said, “Take care of me when I’m old and broke!” She’s referring, of course, to the current bitter discourse between actors and producers who don’t want to pay residuals for Internet usage. She was able to land a punch while still being funny and that’s why she’s cleaning up on the awards circuit.

Most Likely to Owe Tina Fey a Residual Check: When accepting the TV drama ensemble award for Mad Men, Jon Hamm thanked their “dozens of viewers” and got a laugh. Fey said the exact same thing when her series won the best comedy Emmy in 2007. Even recycled, Fey’s lines are funny.

Most Likely to Make You Feel Like a Slacker: 7-year-old Aaron Hart, who won an Actor as part of Mad Men‘s cast. At seven years old, I think I was still putting my clothes on backwards.

Funniest Unintentional Transition: John Krasinski and Amy Poehler doing an amusing melodramatic bit (Krasinski: “I swear to God, if you keep pushing me away, next time I will not come back!” Poehler: “Fine, leave and take your broken dreams with you!”) before reading the nominees for Outstanding Female Actor in a Drama Series. Cut to a clip of Sally Field from Brothers & Sisters, doing the exact same kind of over-the-top acting they were parodying! Plus, she won!

Hottest Male I Saw All Night: Was it wrong of me to think, “Yowza!” when I saw a clip of a young, shirtless Paul Newman in the In Memorium montage? I knew I was supposed to be all sad and reverential (and I was) but dang, he was smokin’! 

Most Unsung Heroes: Brian and Susan, crafts services people thanked by Hugh Laurie for making “the finest cheesy eggs this side of the Rio Grande.” Forget agents and publicists—I second Laurie’s notion that without cheesy eggs in the morning, an actor cannot do his job! By the way, I love, love, love that Laurie won. My friends were saying, “Jon Hamm” and I was all, “Uh-uh, Hugh rules.” 

Best Person to Teach Speech-Giving Classes: Meryl Streep, who was exuberant, funny, classy, heartfelt, and eloquent without having to resort to lists and sheets of paper. Plus, though she didn’t expect to win (saying she didn’t even buy a dress and showing her pants as proof), there was no hyperventilating involved. Are you taking notes, Kate? 

Most in Need of Streep’s Speech-Giving Classes: Jane Krakowski, who accepted the outstanding comedy ensemble award on behalf of the 30 Rock cast and should never be allowed to again. She said though she’d previously won as part of the Ally McBeal cast, this cast was “a thousand times heavier.” I’m assuming she was referring to the skinny women in the McBeal cast and their rumored weight issues but the remark was lame and absolutely unnecessary. Her “joke” was the “heaviest” dud of the evening. 

Most Unfortunate Name Confusion: America Ferrera, in her dull-colored Vera Wang with an inexplicable black tulle sash across her bodice that made her look like she was trying to be Miss America. The tulle also snaked around her back to give her a huge goiter there. As usual, her hair and make-up were flawless but she definitely needs a different stylist.

Most Improved from the Golden Globes: Freida Pinto. In her flowing lavender gown and upswept hair, she looks like a beautiful princess who’s never been anywhere near a slum. This is a much better look than the weirdly bunched chartreuse bag she wore to the Globes.

Best Dressed (Male): Dev Patel, in his cool and sharp retro tux that made me think of Sammy Davis Jr.

Best Dressed (Female): Christina Applegate. I loved how bold she was with this look—the color, the jewelry, the hair and make-up, it’s all good. She looked like no one else there.

What were the best and weirdest moments for you? Who did you think looked great and who was in need of a makeover? Post in the comments!