The Justin Files, 2/29/08

They always ruin my fun
It looks like I'll need to find a new target (watch out, Carly), Robbie has left the building. Simon speculated that "the public saw what we saw. . .it just never, ever felt real, Robbie". Taking the walk of shame along with the "long locked" "rocker" were Alaina Whitaker (who?), Alexandréa Lushington (too bad, the second most fun name to say this year, after Chikezie of course...who I totally think should become a Chick-Fil-A spokesperson, but I digress), and Jason Yeager (again, who?). Two of 'em don't surprise me considering I had to go to the Idol website just to be reminded who they even were. Were you surprised by any of the departures?

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Neither "big" nor "giving"? Discuss
"Oprah's Big Give" is getting some not so great advance publicity from USAToday. TV critic Robert Bianco comments that the show will, "strike you as either immensely uplifting or horrifyingly vulgar, or an odd combo of both". In the article, he suggests that charity is something that should be gone about discreetly, not necessarily by calling attention to oneself in a somewhat self-congratulatory way. He says that the show is simply, "publicity masked as charity".

Ouch.

Will you be watching?

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Quick Hits
* Precocious Point star Miley Cyrus admitted to Jay Leno last night that she has a drinking problem. Well, kind of. Apparently she likes to drink ketchup. Umm, eew.

* Halle Berry has teamed up with a perfume company to develop her own scent. Hopefully it won't smell like that leather outfit from Catwoman.

* The reality shows aren't going away any time soon. ABC just renewed a whole bunch for next year, including mainstay America's Funniest Videos. Also on the list were no-brainer ratings winner Dancing With the Stars. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Supernanny, and Wife Swap will all be back as well.

The Justin Files, 2/28/08

Reality TV becomes a little too real
I've always been a fan of Big Brother. It's the best of the reality shows for the voyeurs among us. It's always been the show I figured I could actually go on. You get to live in a house, not slumming it on an island (or worse, in a Trump penthouse...yuck), you don't have to hunt for food. All in all, it doesn't seem so bad.

(Let's ignore for now the fact that this season may be the one they've finally jumped the shark with, with their "Til' Death Do You Part" matchmaking).

But reality got a little too real for Jersey native Adam Jasinski, who talked on the show about working for the United Autism Foundation (the CBS website simply lists him as a "Public Relations Manager"). Last week, Adam was telling fellow housemates about the autistic children he works with and used a despicable word to describe the kids (one I refuse to repeat here). Big Brother's never been known as a ratings juggernaut, but word apparently got back to UNIAF, and it looks like Adam won't have a job to come back to. They announced his firing on their website.

The best part? He doesn't even know. People in the Big Brother house are completely cut off from news from the outside world.

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For every death, there's a birth
NBC has announced the first official casualty of the writer's strike. Las Vegas won't be resuming production. The network decided that the show is just too costly.

With that end, there's a new beginning...

How's this for a strange collaboration, word's out that Ashton Kutcher and Tyra Banks will be co-producing an unscripted series featuring, "beautiful people living together". Cuz that's never been done. Yeah, well ABC has already ordered 8 episodes.

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Speaking of odd teams and death
Here's another interesting team for you...John Mellencamp and Stephen King. The two are working on a musical together, tentatively titled, "Ghost Brothers of Darkland County". The show will hit the stage in April of 2009 in Atlanta. Mellencamp's been working on it on and off for almost a decade. If it does well in Atlanta, it could end up on Broadway. What do you think of this team? Match made in heaven, or gruesome twosome?

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Quick Hits
* I don't know how he managed for so many hours, but marginal star Josh Hartnett had to sit in coach on his post-Oscar flight from LA to NYC. Apparently there were so many celebs on the trip that all the first class seats were taken. Poor fella.

* Arnold wants his tank back. Seriously, the Cali gov had donated an Austrian Army tank to a military museum in Ohio. Now he wants it back so he can give rides to California school kids who get good grades. Taking notes, Corzine?

* So it's not big news that Nicole Richie is dating Point rockers Good Charlotte's Joel Madden, the two just had a daughter together. Well apparently she and Paris can't do anything separately. Word on the street is that Miss Hilton is now seeing Joel's twin brother and bandmate, Benji.

The Justin Files, 2/27/08

A phony amongst us?
More dirt is surfacing about Idol rocker (and former boy-bander) Robbie Carrico. First was yesterday's news that he had dated Britney Spears. And remember last week, when the judges questioned his authenticity as a rocker? (The same clip, by the way, where Seacrest compares his looks to the guy Brit dated after Robbie, Justin Timberlake...open mouth, insert foot!). Apparently he is faking his rock cred, at least a little. According to TMZ, those dreamy blond locks...a dream, indeed. The tabloid is reporting that it's just a wig.

(I dunno even back then Robbie, the blond guy on the left, does look kinda tough)


Edit (6:40pm): Ok, THAT guy doesn't look so tough.

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What kind of pet deposit would a landlord need for a chimp?
It looks like Michael Jackson's gonna be moving, possibly against his will. He owes so much money on his Neverland Ranch that officials have set a date of March 19th to auction the property off. And when they say "auction the property off", they mean everything. The house, all personal property inside, fixtures, appliances, furniture, and all amusement games and rides on the compound are included. There is still hope for him though, if he can come up with $24.5 million dollars in less than a month.

Anybody wanna take up a collection and see if we can score our own mini amusement park? I got 10 bucks I can throw in.

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Quick Hits
* There's a title and date for Madonna's upcoming CD. "Hard Candy" hits stores on April 29th. On it, she works with Point superstars Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and others.

* Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson continues to showcase his soft side. He just signed on to star in a new project, titled The Tooth Fairy.

* New details are out on J. Lo and Marc Anthony's twins. A British news source is reporting that the kiddies are named Max and Emme...refreshingly normal.

The Justin Files, 2/26/08

The Idol intrigue continues
It's been quite a topic of conversation this year that a number of Idol contestants have previous music industry experience. Some, like Carly Smithson with her former major label release, more than others. Just out today is that fact that no fewer than three Idol wannabes have connections to Britney Spears...well, kind of. Kady Malloy was a Britney impersonator, so I guess that one's a stretch. But Kristy Lee Cook once had a contract with Britney Spears Productions. And the best by far is Robbie Carrico who once...ready for this...dated Brit!

Whatever happened to the corn detassler from Iowa with no training whatsoever, just natural talent, who was trying to crack into the biz?

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Did Paula set the standard?
When Paula Abdul was pulled out of obscurity to become a judge on Idol back in 2002, nobody had given the former Laker Girl a second thought in about a decade. Other reality talent shows have since followed suit by rescuing such quasi-celebs from irrelevance as David Hasselhoff on America's Got Talent, Janice Dickinson on America's Next Top Model, and on and on.

Lifetime TV is going to continue the trend with their upcoming family foxtrotter, Your Mama Don't Dance. The judge lineup will be Ben Vereen (fair enough, he's got stage dancing experience and at least a somewhat recognizable name), J. Lo ex Cris Judd (a pro dancer, but not exactly what I would consider to be a household celeb), and Vitamin C...no, not ascorbic acid, the hi-lighter headed one hit wonder (2000's "Graduation [Friends Forever]").

If this trend continues watch for Fred Schneider from the B-52's, Joe Piscopo, and Nancy Kerrigan to show up on Dancing With America's Next Top American Idol Who's Got Talent and Cooks With the Stars.

Actually, as much as I'm afraid to admit it, that looks like a pretty realistic casting possibility for The Surreal Life.

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Quick Hits
* It looks like Britney will have Preston and Jayden full time after all...sorta. Those are the names of her new pet parakeets. Is it me, or is there something kinda sweet, yet creepy about that?

* A recent poll showed that the best actors to play the presidential candidates would be Tommy Lee Jones as John McCain, Denzel Washington as Barack Obama, and Martha Stewart as Hillary Clinton. Who do you think should do the politician's biopics?

* Another poll asked those responding what they thought the sexiest jobs were. Firefighter topped the list. Also making the cut; nurse, lawyer, and teacher. Sadly, radio DJ failed to make a dent once again.

The Justin Files, 2/25/08

Even Oscar himself kinda looks like he's saying, "meh"
It was an odd year for Oscar movies. There were no huge blockbusters on the ballot, nor any big mass market flicks. Most of them were smaller "artsy" projects. In fact, I saw all of two of the nominated movies this year. One was a cartoon (Ratatouille, probably the only true blockbuster of the bunch), and the other I saw the night before the show (La Vie En Rose - see it if you don't mind subtitles). But there were still some interesting things that came out of the ceremony.

The most interesting fact that may have gone unnoticed by many, there were no American acting winners. Yup, they were all European:

Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) - Spanish
Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton) - English
Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose) - French
Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood) - English

Also, did you notice the two blatant omissions during the montages that Oscar loves oh so much? During the montage of former hosts, no Whoopi Goldberg. During the montage of industry people who have passed in the previous year, no Brad Renfro.

An Oscar rep's reply to Brad's deletion..."it was an editing decision, we can't fit everyone in".

I'm sure his family will understand.

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From the best to the worst
Traditionally, on the day that we celebrate the best in cinema, there's a small ceremony down the street celebrating the worst. The Golden Raspberry Awards, better known as The Razzies, celebrated their 27th year this year. Of note, Lindsay Lohan's stinker I Know Who Killed Me (which I keep wanting to call "I Know Who Killed Me Last Summer") took home 8 statues. And Eddie Murphy set a record as the first person to win 3 acting awards...all for the same movie. Murphy, who traditionally plays multiple characters in his comedies, was honored for his roles in Norbit and took home the guilded fruit for Worst Actor, Worst Supporting Actor, and Worst Supporting Actress.

All that just a year separated from his Oscar nomination for Dreamgirls.

Ouch.

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OCNJ getting some Oscar love
Fellow Point DJ Jill Pantozzi pointed out to me that the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject went to a project right out of our own backyard in Ocean County. Check out the story in the Asbury Park Press for all the details.

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Quick Hits
* The reunion of Point legends The Police was short lived. Sting announced that the June 29th show in Hyde Park, London will be their last. Anybody wanna get me tickets since it's the day before my birthday?

* There's finally good news to report as far as Britney is concerned. She was allowed to visit with her kids for the first time in nearly two months this past weekend.

* In other Britney related news, apparently Kevin Federline is claiming to have "two or three" acting offers on the back burner. Hey Kev, I don't think playing a costumed rat at a local kiddie themed pizza joint counts.

* Finally, the pride of New Jersey gastronomy, The Clinton Station Diner, home of the 50 pound burger is getting a run for it's money. A restaurant in Detroit has put a 134 pound bacon cheeseburger on the menu. It requires 24 hours notice, takes 12 hours to prepare, costs $350, and will most likely cut your life expectancy by about 12 years.

The Justin Files, 2/22/08

The first idol casualties of the season
Two guys and two girls had their dreams crushed on Idol last night. On the fella's side it was Garrett Haley (the one who's only a loin cloth away from a Jungle 2 Jungle sequel) who was the first guy to hit the door. The next dude was Colton Berry (the one who's only an adam's apple removal away from being Ellen). On the girl's side, Amy Davis said her good-byes ("Where the Boys Are"?? Really? That's the best choice for the first time America's going to see you perform live?? Well, obviously not), and Joanne Borgella followed her out the door (I have nothing snarky to say about her, she's a Jersey girl, gotta show some love). By the way, if you like this three days of Idol thing you're in luck, we're getting it for two more weeks until they hit the top dozen (if you don't like it...well, tough cookies I guess).

Edit (2:57pm): Check out the poll on the right. In light of recent news that, in addition to Carly Smithson, at least two other Idol contestants have had professional recording experience previously, is the show moving away from the original intention of finding America's best undiscovered talent? Feel free to weigh in on the poll and/or the comments section.

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The Lopez/Anthony kiddies have arrived
After denying the rumors for months and months before quietly acknowledging her pregnancy, new Point mommy Jennifer Lopez has given birth. The twins (one girl one boy) arrived early this morning. As of press time (I've always wanted to say that), no word on the names yet. Let the pools begin now as to whether they'll be animal, vegetable, or mineral.

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Universal rolls the dice, redux
We're getting more details of the Universal Studios/Hasbro, Inc marriage courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes. Apparently there was some truth to my jesting the other day. Rumors are that at least two of the movies to be based on classic board games will be Monopoly and Battleship (anybody else smell a tagline of, "from the director of Pearl Harbor and Transformers, Michael Bay..."). But here's the real news...apparently there are already rumblings of a Clue remake...come on folks, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

P.S. If Wilford Brimley does, in fact, end up in the Monopoly movie I want all of you to remember who first said it way back when!

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Quick hits
* So not only has Hollywood run out of ideas, apparently Broadway has as well. Shrek: The Musical arrives December 14th.

* Pax Jolie-Pitt is now officially one of the luckiest kids in the world. His legal adoption was approved yesterday.

* Speaking of the Jolie-Pitts, Brad's apparently a decent tipper. The couple were out for dinner with Clint Eastwood and his wife last night in LA. Brad left a $100 tip on a $468 bill. A cool 21.4% (yes, I did the math...but I'm guessing he just used one of those laminated wallet tip cards).


Have a great weekend everyone!

The Justin Files, 2/21/08

Idol Follow-up
Ok, I take it back. I mentioned yesterday the curious absence of Carly Smithson in the Idol girl's top 12 peanut gallery on Tuesday's guys show. Rumors started flying of her previous professional music experience and bloggers, myself included, speculated that it might have had something to do with her absence. Well, on last night's show, Seacrest pointed out that a number of contestants were suffering from the flu and, sure enough, Carly was there last night.

But...that doesn't change the facts, Carly did have a record deal with MCA Records and released an album in 2001.

Ok so the disc only sold a handful of units, but still, she was once a paid professional recording artist who was signed to a major label. Should she be allowed to compete on Idol?

Discuss.

(Fun fact, the album was co-produced by Gregg Alexander, the guy behind late 90's one hit wonders The New Radicals ["You Get What You Give"])

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Maybe that actually is just Coke in her cup
In other Idol related news, Paula Abdul is apparently happy to be back in the music game. With the release of the single and video for her new song Dance Like There's No Tomorrow, Paula told USAToday that performing is her, "happy place" (for the record, my happy place usually involves ice cream and fuzzy slippers). The story notes that Simon, Randy, and Ryan Seacrest all have cameos in the video. A classy move by Paula to acknowledge those who have helped make her relevant again. The best part of the article though, is where The Nation's Newspaper feels it necessary to point out that Paula was, "sounding very coherent and calm". Nice.

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Parents, beware May 1st, 2009!
Let me get you prepared:

"MOMMY!! DADDY!! I WANNA GO SEE THE HANNAH MONTANA MOVIE!!!"

Yup, with the end of the writer's strike not only is TV back, but movie production is back on track as well. Disney has staked its claim on 5/1/09 as the opening weekend of Point preteen idol Miley Cyrus' big screen adaptation.

Here's the funny part, it's apparently part of a counter-programming strategy to go against X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Now I don't claim to be an entertainment industry expert, but is there really going to be much of a crossover audience??

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Wolfie goes green
One of the biggest banquets on Oscar night has always been the Governor's Ball where celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck has been preparing the fancy food for a number of years. So what happens with all the leftover haute cuisine? Well this year, in honor of the current buzz words du jour, the Governor's Ball is "going green". That's right, all the uneaten food will be composted and taken to Sun Valley, CA for "treatment" (whatever that means).

What, the local soup kitchens wouldn't appreciate a little foie gras and escargot?

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Quick Hits
* Why all the sudden library traffic in Toms River last night? No, a new Harry Potter book wasn't discovered, it seems we had a celebrity in our midst. Alec Baldwin was at the OC Library to take part in a discussion on Oyster Creek's looming license expiration.

* The annual Barbara Walters Oscar special on Sunday will include interviews with Juno's young star Ellen Page (21 today, in fact), Ugly Betty villain Vanessa Williams, the adventurer who can't stop...erm...adventuring, Indiana Jones himself Harrison Ford, and a musician you may or may not have heard of, Miley Cyrus. Fun for the whole family.

* Finally, TVGuide.com's Michael Ausiello is reporting that NBC has canceled the much-hyped retread of The Bionic Woman. If my brother stumbles across this blog, I'm just sayin...I called it back in September :).

The Justin Files, 2/20/08

Time to start warming the couches again
The writer's strike has ended, so we can finally stop all this pesky socializing with friends and return to our comfortable couch grooves. The networks aren't wasting any time announcing returns, with ABC chiming in today. According to the alphabet network, you can expect Desperate Housewives to return on April 13th with 5 new episodes. Thursday, April 24th will be a big day with the returns of Ugly Betty (5 eps) at 8 and Grey's Anatomy (also 5) at 9.

"But wait!" you may say, "isn't Lost on at 9?" Well, not anymore. To make room for Grey's, the island adventure will slide over an hour to 10. Guess you're either gonna get an hour's less sleep or set the TiVo and try to avoid the water cooler on Friday.

If you were a fan of Pushing Daisies or Private Practice, by the way, not to worry, they'll be back with full seasons in the fall.

In other end of strike news, Saturday Night Live is back on NBC this weekend in style with the return of prodigal daughter Tina Fey hosting and Point princess Carrie Underwood as the musical guest.

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A season without scandal? As if!
A new season, another Idolgate. Did you notice during the guys show last night that the math was a little off when they showed the "Top 12" girls? I may have just ten fingers, but I counted only 11 girls on the sidelines. Well apparently there's the small issue of Carly Smithson, who was once signed to a major record label, a no-no if you're claiming to be America's best "undiscovered talent"...she just happened to be the missing girl. Coincidence? I expect that we'll find out tonight.

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Sears Portrait Studio it ain't!
So you know when us normal people have kids and we want to send pictures to our friends we actually have to, like, go out and pay to have someone take the pix? Well, not if you're Point diva Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony. No siree, not only will magazines trip over each other to pay you, but they'll pay you more money than most of us will ever see in our lifetimes. OK! Magazine is apparently paying the couple...wait for it...six million dollars for the privilege of being the first to feature pictures of their twins.

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Universal rolls the dice
Need more proof that Hollywood has run out of ideas? This just in...Universal Studios has signed a six year deal with Hasbro, Inc to make at least four movies based on board games. The first of the flicks should be hitting theaters in 2010 or 2011.

Hey it worked for Clue... might not be that bad.

I'd like to officially go on record suggesting Wilford Brimley for Monopoly's Mr. Moneybags.