When I went through a big movie buying phase in eighth grade, I bought a few movies sight unseen because I wanted to have something new if I was ever in the mood for that kind of thing.  To quote Julia Roberts in “Pretty Woman,” “Big mistake.  BIG.  Huge.”  Why did I spend $10 on “The Longest Yard?”

Sorry we missed the real day but yesterday, November 23rd, was Miley Ray Cyrus’s 17th birthday! She celebrated with a Pretty Woman themed birthday party where she dressed up as Julia Roberts’ character before she found Richard Gere. In other words, the prostitute form of the character played by Julia Roberts. You can see a picture of her outfit and rocker birthday cake. What do you think?

(POR REDAÇÃO) –  Página Inicial

A cantora e atriz Miley Cyrus comemorou o seu aniversário de 17 anos com um vestido igual ao usado pela atriz Julia Roberts no filme Pretty Woman. Julia faz o papel da prostituta Vivian Ward que se apaixona pelo milionário Edward Lewis, interpretado pelo ator Richard Gere…(Veja a matéria completa)

Miley Cyrus dressed as Julia Roberts for her 17th birthday party.

The birthday girl held an 80s-theme celebration at New York’s Canal Room on Wednesday night (11.18). Miley’s themed outfit of choice was Vivian Ward from the movie classic, ‘Pretty Woman.’ 

The singer-and-actress – who celebrates her birthday on Monday (11.23) – was particularly delighted with the evening’s entertainment, a performance from Constantine Maroulis and the cast of Broadway musical ‘Rock of Ages’.

A source told America’s New York Post newspaper: “Miley had seen the show two weeks ago and loved it, so her mom Tish brought the cast in to surprise her. But I’m not sure who was more into Constantine – Miley or her mother.

“Between songs from the musical, Miley grabbed Constantine and danced with him at the front of the stage and then Tish joined in.”

Google.com

My girlfriend was looking at the cover of “Pretty Woman” and said that Julia Roberts had bushy eyebrows in the movie.

My girlfriend’s friend agreed. I couldn’t agree nor disagree.

“You don’t know what ‘bushy’ means, Arthur?” my girlfriend asked me.

Of course I didn’t.

“It’s like your eyebrows,” she continued. “Thick.”

Open Salon recently put out a call for the sexiest man living. That’s patently unfair to heterosexual males like me because we don’t look at other men as sexy. Speaking only for myself, I view men in general as dorks. There’s no hotness, no sexiness to a dork.

Sarah Palin, on the other hand, is no dork. She is sexy as all get out and has more balls than most men I know. She’s strong and independent, with nerve above that of Nancy Pelosi, my runner-up selection in case a sex-tape of Sarah and Levi Johnston pops up.

Sarah epitomizes your American ideal of maleness. She’s an outdoorsman par excellence, a hunter, a fisherman, a camper, ready at a moment’s notice to fight a salmon until it tires and then slap it skin, bones, eyes, and entrails over an open-fire or eat it raw.

She definitely dominates the landscape around her, exuding charisma by the bucketful. Beside her, John McCain is a wizened, shriveled shadow of a real man. If I could bottle and sell her essence, I’d be a millionaire in short order.

And talk about testosterone, it shines from her forehead like a glinting diamond, catching the eye and holding it until she disappears from view.

As far as outward physical attributes go, she has an amazing skull. With her prognathous jaw, heavy brow, deep-set eyes, high cheekbones, and ruby red lips, she signals her genetic superiority to all potential mates.

Put all of the above together with a pair of legs to die for, and you have Sarah Palin as My Sexiest Man Living.

The problem we face:

Every year a growing number of movies are adapted into musicals against their will, and often for little or no profit.  With more and more Broadway producers scouring the pages of IMDB in the hopes of creating something that will stand up to the least common standard of critical and commercial success, one can’t help but wonder if Whoopi Goldberg will reprise her role in the musical version of Jumpin’ Jack Flash.

It is not a new idea, or even a bad one, to assume that a successful film could be turned into a successful musical.  That crafty producer’s trick of avoiding originality until it is absolutely necessary is as old as commerce itself, and even the earliest Hollywood blockbusters were subsequently put up on Broadway and visa versa, but hasn’t the standard fallen too low when theatre goers are being subjected to Xanadu all over again?  It’s true that a few gems have emerged from the reductive formula.  The Billy Elliot musical was good.  Of course, it was adapted from a great movie, and one that was made up largely of dance sequences.  If the stage versions of Saturday Night Fever, Big, and The Toxic Avenger weren’t enough to convince you of the seriousness of the problem, there has been talk of a Pretty Woman musical.

The musical form has a long tradition of adapting from source material, but there was a time, not too long ago, that producers looked to great works of literature and classical drama instead of John Travolta films and children’s cartoons. If nothing is done to stop this trend, we face the possibility of revealing the musical form for the hollow spectacle it has always pretended not to be, while simultaneously ruining all of our favorite B-movies.  Do something before it’s too late.  Incidentally, you’ll know it’s too late when Speed 2: Cruise Control: The Musical hits the stage.  Don’t think it can’t happen.

What you can do to help:

Step 1.  Make your voice heard by signing the comments section of this petition and sharing it with everyone you know.

Step 2.  Avoid all movie-to-musical adaptations in favor of original musicals, and while you’re at it, you may want to avoid any production that requires the additional phrase “:The Musical” be affixed to its title to differentiate it from its original incarnation.  This will prevent the unfortunate viewing of any musical based on a video game, TV series, or comic book.

Step 3.  Let the memories be.  If it’s nostalgia that draws you to the Broadway box office, try to remember that the movie wasn’t nearly as good as you’re remembering it.

Step 4.  If you must reminisce, you can 1) go rent the DVD for roughly 1/30th of what you would pay to see the show, or 2) find a friend who also fondly remembers the film and perform bad reenactments of your favorite scenes.

Step 5.  Finally, for those of you brave enough to subject yourselves to truly original ideas, keep an eye out for a rare breed of music-less theatrical productions, known simply as “plays.”

Everyone loves Amy Adams don’t they. She was great in Drop Dead Gorgeous and funny in Enchanted. Matthew Goode has been in loads of British TV dramas and was Ozymandias in Watchmen.

Now they are in a new movie, which promises to break out from all the romantic movie cliches you usually get in a film like this.

When their four-year anniversary passes without a marriage proposal, Anna (Adams) decides to take matters into her own hands. Investing in an Irish tradition that allows women to propose to men on February 29th, Anna decides to follow her boyfriend Jeremy (Adam Scott) to Dublin and get down on one knee herself.

But airplanes, weather and fate leave Anna stranded on the other side of Ireland, and she must enlist the help of handsome and surly Declan (Matthew Goode) to get her across the country. As Anna and Declan bicker across the Emerald Isle, they discover that the road to love can take you to very unexpected places.

My mistake. It does have all those romantic movie cliches you have come to expect from these kind of movies. Anna meets surly Declan. They argue, get on each others nerves, a bit of slapstick, they’ll probably get all their clothes wet or something and have to spend the night together in an uncomfortable position (like the back of a volkswagon!) They’ll argue some more, he won’t tell her something important, they get closer and fall for each other, then that important thing he didn’t say crops up and she runs away or tells him to get stuffed. She meets her intended but at the last minute Declan will turn up on the back of a tractor or something and reference something from earlier in the movie. The end.

Oh and there will be some crazy stereotypical Irish folk, Guinness, and a scene involving a cow or another animal with hilarious consequences.

I wrote that last two paragraphs without watching the trailer. Then I watched the trailer…sigh!

Off the top of my head I’m getting 27 Dresses, The Proposal, PS I Love You, The Ugly Truth, Pretty Woman, Notting Hill, How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days, Along Came Polly, The Holiday, Wedding Planner, Made of Honour, My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Wedding Date and so on and so forth….note to self: Stop watching so many romantic comedies. Did I miss any?

Source: MSN

Naming a movie is not an easy task, especially when millions of production dollars are involved. Here are what some of your favorite films were almost called, and ask yourself if you would have gone to go see these movies with their alternate titles.

Pretty Woman – “3000”
Pretty Woman was based on a script written by J.F. Lawton called “3000” witch is the amount of money paid for a week’s worth of the hooker’s “company. In the original story, Julia Roberts’ character was not only a prostitute, she was also a drug addict. When Disney bought the script, they hired new writers to lighten it up, so a new title was chosen, one that luckily allowed the producers to use Roy Orbison’s signature tune to “Pretty Woman” in the film.

Back To The Future – “Spaceman from Pluto”
During the filming of Back to the Future, Universal Studios head honcho Sid Sheinberg sent out a memo to everybody involved in the production saying, that no movie with the word “future” in the title had ever been successful at the box office. He suggested that the name of the movie be changed to Spaceman from Pluto. According to writer/producer Bob Gale, Steven Spielberg “earned his executive producer credit” by stepping in and sending back a note that thanked the studio head for his “joke memo.”

Tootsie – “Would I Lie to You?”
Would I Lie to You? Was the title before it went through at least a half-dozen re-writes by as many writers before it finally hit the big screen in 1982 as Tootsie. The new title was suggested by star Dustin Hoffman (it was the name of his mother’s dog).

Boys Don’t Cry – “Take It Like a Man”
Boys Don’t Cry gave Hilary Swank an Academy Award, but the film was originally called Take It Like a Man. The producers decided that The Cure’s song “Boys Don’t Cry”, along with its inclusion on the soundtrack, gave the project more of the “dark” atmosphere they were seeking.

Dish Network offers more HD Premium Movies channels, than any other Satellite TV provider.

10. You can make your soda last longer with a Bottle Top! Six for only $10 plus s&h!

9. The Swivel Sweeper cleans up wet vegetables. Right now, it’s BOGO!

8. The Million Dollar Listing and Tabitha’s Salon Takeover are two amazing shows on Bravo.

7. Keeping hydrated when you can hardly swallow is very difficult.

6. Watching Pretty Woman for the gazillionth time reminded me of when I shopped at Cameron Clothing and asked about a particular dress in the window. The associate’s response to me was, “That wouldn’t fit you.” Maybe she thought I actually was Julia Roberts.

5. It is possible to be so sick that you actually cannot watch a minute more of TV.

4. You never know what the fridge and pantry will be stocked with after you send your husband to the grocery store a few times.

3. Not eating for four days is a great way to shed a few unwanted lbs.

2. Making a casserole just got a lot easier with the Bullet Express – 3 payments of ONLY $33.33. A $480 value, in case you were wondering. It IS the amazing 8 Minute Meal Machine!

1. Listening to my husband and child laugh and play on a gorgeous weekend while I lay in bed is almost as painful as h1n1.

Haruka Ayase

By Adam Wing – 24FramesperSecond.net

Had someone told me this morning that later today I would be watching a new Japanese movie that sits somewhere between Pretty Woman and Terminator, I’d have politely asked them what it was they were smoking. But here it is folks, a rom-com sci-fi movie from the director of My Sassy Girl and Windstruck. Jae-young Kwak introduces us to a lonely young man who falls in love with an emotionless cyborg, Jiro (Keisuke Koide) is celebrating his birthday alone when he crosses paths with a mysterious young beauty and after spending the evening together the girl vanishes without a trace. Jiro’s life has been pretty dull up to this point, and he knows that whatever happens, he’ll never be able to shake that girl or the night they spent together.

Exactly one year later, he returns to the same restaurant and the girl reappears to celebrate his twenty-first birthday. But something is different this year, as Jiro discovers when an assassin forgets his table manners and starts shooting the place up. Jiro’s life is saved by the woman of his dreams, and it’s here that traumatised boyfriends of the world can unite, because the great thing about Cyborg She is that it takes its sci-fi just as seriously as it’s romance, which means Jae-young Kwak may have inadvertently created the perfect date movie. Action, romance, comedy and sci-fi, what’s not to love?

Amazon Specials!

Ludéal – Allez l’amour

Si vous pouviez m’aider à trouver le reste…

1. ???

2. Lost in translation (2002 Sofia Coppola avec Scarlett Johansson et Bill Murray)

3. Pretty woman (1990 Garry Marshall avec Julia Roberts et Richard Gere)

4. Ghost (1990 Jerry Zucker avec Demi Moore et Patrick Swayze)

5. Le secret de Brokeback Mountain (2006 Ang Lee avec Heath Ledger et Jake Gyllenhaal)

6. ???

7. Match point (2004 Woody Allen avec Scarlett Johansson et Jonathan Rhys-Meyers)

8. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind (2004 Michel Gondry avec Kate Winslet et Jim Carrey)

9. ???

10. Autant en emporte le vent (1950 Victor Fleming avec Leslie Howard et Clark Gable)

Julia Roberts

 

Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an American actress. She became well known during the early 1990s after starring in the romantic comedy Pretty Woman opposite Richard Gere, which grossed $463 million worldwide. After receiving Academy Award nominations for Steel Magnolias in 1990 and Pretty Woman in 1991, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2001 for her performance in Erin Brockovich. Her films, which also include romantic comedies such as My Best Friend’s Wedding, Mystic Pizza, Notting Hill, Runaway Bride, and crime films such as The Pelican Brief and Ocean’s Eleven and Twelve have collectively brought box office receipts of over $2 billion, making her the most successful actress in terms of box office receipts.

Roberts had become one of the highest-paid actresses in the world, topping the Hollywood Reporter’s annual “power list” of top-earning female stars from 2002 to 2005, until 2006, when Nicole Kidman won the top spot. Her fee for 1990’s Pretty Woman was $300,000; in 2003, she was paid an unprecedented $25 million for her role in Mona Lisa Smile. As of 2007, Roberts’s net worth was estimated to be $140 million.

Roberts was the first actress to appear on the cover of Vogue. GQ once erroneously claimed she was the first woman to appear on their cover, but later retracted the statement (Carol Channing appeared on a GQ cover in 1964). She has been named one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” eleven times, tied with Halle Berry. In 2001 Ladies Home Journal ranked her as the 11th most powerful woman in America. Roberts has a production company called Red Om Films, formerly Shoelace Productions (“Moder” spelled backwards, after her husband’s last name).

Trivia:

Lent her celebrity name to help raise money for research to develop a cure for Rett Syndrome (a disease which is potentially fatal and randomly strikes girls between the ages of 2 to 6 years).

Chosen of the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” by People magazine in 2000.

Ranked #66 in Empire (UK) magazine’s “The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time” list (October 1997).

Was engaged to Kiefer Sutherland for a short period.

Sister of Lisa Roberts Gillan and Eric Roberts.

Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World in 1990 and 1991.

Has “movie within a movie” scenes in The Player (1992), Notting Hill (1999), America’s Sweethearts (2001) and Full Frontal (2002).

Was considered for the role of Poison Ivy in Batman & Robin (1997).

She once tried out for a part on “All My Children” (1970), but was turned down.

Born to Walter Grady Roberts, a vacuum cleaner salesman, and his wife Betty Lou Bredemus, a one-time church secretary and real estate agent.

Ranked #1 (in Hollywood Power) and #12 (in $$) on Forbes magazine ‘Power 100′.

Tops the list of the 200 “hottest” actors and actresses in the business in “James Ulmer’s Hollywood Hot List: The Complete Guide to Star Power – 2000″ book which is published in October 2000 (June 2000).

Turned down the Sharon Stone role in Basic Instinct (1992).

Frequently works with Steven Soderbergh

After George Clooney and Brad Pitt found out that she was going to be joining them in Ocean’s Eleven (2001), they sent her a card that read “We heard that you get 20 per film” and in it was a $20 bill; the joke was that she reportedly gets $20 million per film.

Named one of People Magazine’s ‘25 Most Intriguing People of 2001′.

Named one of E!’s “top 20 entertainers of 2001″.

At the 2002 Peoples Choice Awards she admitted to being a huge fan of “Days of Our Lives” (1965) and asked to be seated near the cast.

Splits her down time between her ranch in Taos, New Mexico and a home in New York City.

Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2002.

Was ranked 6th of the 100 Sexiest Women by FHM Taiwan (2001).

Married boyfriend, cameraman Daniel Moder, at their ranch home in Taos, New Mexico in a midnight ceremony. Bruce Willis was the only celebrity that attended her wedding to Daniel Moder. Julia wore a simple pink cotton halter dress by pal Judith Beylerian (4 July 2002).

She never acted in a sequel until Ocean’s Twelve (2004).

She has Irish ancestry.

Moved from rank # 18 in 2002 to rank #16 in 2003 on Premiere’s Annual Hollywood Power List. Also in 2003 Julia ranked #10 in Star TV’s Top 10 Box Office Stars of the 1990s. In 2005, Premiere Magazine Stars in Our Constellation feature ranked Julia as the #7 Greatest Movie Star of All Time. in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).

Ranked #10 in Star TV’s Top 10 Box Office Stars of the 1990s (2003)

Measurements: 34B-23-34 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)

She is a huge fan of actress Aishwarya Rai, whom she once commented on being “The most beautiful woman in the world, more beautiful than any Hollywood actress.”

Pakistani film director Rauf Khalid wanted her to work in his film, and even invited her to Pakistan to discuss the project, but she refused because of prior commitments.

Observed art history classes at New York University in order to prepare for her role in Mona Lisa Smile (2003).

Her Oscar-winning performance as Erin Brockovich-Ellis was ranked #31 on the American Film Institute’s Heroes list of the 100 years of The Greatest Screen Heroes and Villains.

Announced that she and husband Daniel Moder are expecting twins. Twins run in her family. She is due in early 2005. [June 2004].

Shares a birthday with actor Joaquin Phoenix.

A 9000 year old female skeleton excavated in Bulgaria in November 2004, was called by the archaeologists “Julia Roberts” because of the perfect teeth it had. They said that woman would have had a perfect smile – just like the actress.

Has worked with both Hector Elizondo and Richard Gere in two different movies, first in Pretty Woman (1990), and then again in Runaway Bride (1999).

Because Erin Brockovich-Ellis is right handed and Roberts is not, she had to learn to use her right hand for Erin Brockovich (2000).

Premiere Magazine ranked her as the #7 Greatest Movie Star of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).

Has played an art historian twice, once in Everyone Says I Love You (1996) and also in Mona Lisa Smile (2003).

First actress to reach 20 million dollar mark salary (for Erin Brockovich (2000))

She and her Ocean’s Eleven (2001) / Ocean’s Twelve (2004) co-stars, George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Elliott Gould, all have guest-starred on the TV show “Friends” (1994), though not in the same episodes

Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2005 and appeared on the cover of the May 9, 2005 issue.

“The Alchemist” is one of her favorite books.

Roberts’ production company “Red Om” films is her husband Danny’s second name reversed

As a gesture of thanks for giving her children music lessons, Coretta Scott King paid the hospital bills when the pregnant Mrs. Roberts’ delivered her next child. That child ended up being Julia.

Early in her career, she auditioned unsuccessfully for two soap opera roles. She lost the part of “Linda Warner” to Melissa Leo on “All My Children” (1970); and the part of “Hayley Benson” to Stacy Edwards on “Santa Barbara” (1984).

Was named of the 100 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2006.

Her great-grandmother Elin (Eleanor) was Swedish, born 1884 in Värmland, Sweden. She died in Minneapolis 1960, seven years before Julia was born.

Chosen “Sexiest Bespectacled Star” by the readers of “In Touch” magazine ahead of Felicity Huffman and Alicia Keys (November 2006).

Her Broadway debut in the play “Three Days of Rain” received terrible reviews for her performance and ran only 70 performances.

Cited as America’s Favorite Movie Star in a Harris Poll conducted in 2001.

Ranked #8 in Forbes the 20 Richest Women In Entertainment.

She won an Oscar for playing Erin Brockovich-Ellis in Erin Brockovich (2000), making her one of eleven actors to win the Award for playing a real person who was still alive at the evening of the Award ceremony (as of 2007). The other ten actors and their respective performances are: Spencer Tracy for playing Father Edward Flanagan in Boys Town (1938), Gary Cooper for playing Alvin C. York in Sergeant York (1941), Patty Duke for playing Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker (1962), Jason Robards for playing Benjamin C. Bradlee in All the President’s Men (1976), Robert De Niro for playing Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull (1980), Sissy Spacek for playing Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980), Susan Sarandon for playing Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking (1995), Geoffrey Rush for playing David Helfgott in Shine (1996), Jim Broadbent for playing John Bayley in Iris (2001/I) and, most recently, Helen Mirren for playing Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen (2006).

An accomplished equestrienne, Julia did her own riding in Runaway Bride (1999).

Turned down leading role in Sleepless in Seattle (1993) which went to Meg Ryan.

Received the American Cinematheque Award (10 October 2007).

Is an alumni of the Lee Strasberg Institute such as actors Angelina Jolie, Frank Miranda, Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Rosario Dawson, Dennis Hopper.

Five directors that cast Julia at least twice are: Mike Nichols, Steven Soderbergh, Garry Marshall, Robert Altman and Joel Schumacher.

Good friends with Bruce Willis.

After divorcing Walter Roberts in January 1972, her mother Betty Lou married theater critic Michael Motes (11 September 1972).

Her films have grossed more than $ 2 billion at the US box office, making her the biggest female movie star of all time (February 2007).

Has supported UNICEF enthusiastically.

Buys her own organic greens at the market near her apartment in New York.

In 2006, she earned $5 million for endorsing Gianfranco Ferre. She posed for eight print ads, which was equivalent for one day of work.

Named #57 on Empire Magazine’s 100 Sexiest Movie Stars. (2007).

By 2004, she had a fortune estimated to be worth $212 million.

In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated her earnings for the year at $9 million.

Made just one movie – Blood Red (1989) – with brother Eric Roberts.

Ranked #1 on Forbes magazine ‘Celebrity 100′ (2000).

Is one of six actresses that have won an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award and SAG Award for the same performance. The others in chronological order are Renée Zellweger for Cold Mountain (2003), Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line (2005), Helen Mirren for The Queen (2006), Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls (2006) and Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008).

Rather than writing one ginormous blog, I’m going to attempt to split up what I have written into smaller posts and develop them because I’m having trouble picking a place to start…if they seem scatter-brained, it because there is just SOOOO much I would like to write…I apologize.

Gee z-o-Petes, so I’ve been trying and trying to write a blog about Rockapella for a while now, but “short and sweet” is

Scott, Kevin, John, George, and Jeff from the Rockapella.com website

something I fail miserably at. Every time I try to focus on one topic, I end up adding paragraph after paragraph to the beginning to explain one thing or another because it all has to be perfect to do my Rockapella justice..and as time goes on, I just think up more to write about.   My “ultimate goal” was to write about the song “People Change” because it helped me get back parts of myself that were hopelessly lost for quite some time as a result of a situation that went unnecessarily volatile (at least I can thank you MR-JH for making my life applicable to the song).  In writing about “People Change,” however, it is necessary to start with Rockapella which quickly splits into discussions on the Pella guys themselves (Scott Leonard, Jeff Thacher, Kevin Wright, George Baldi, and John Brown)…well then I can’t leave out Elliot and Barry so that brings about specific styles, concerts, and a timeline…and maybe even Sean and Steve.  After this however, I try to get myself back to the song, but it quickly morphs into a “Scott Leonard is AMAZING” post which seems to be an unavoidable trend so I apologize in advance because this one will surely become that also.  To discuss “People Change” is to discuss Scott Leonard himself, his lyrics, his voice, his arrangements for Rockapella, his style, his motive, his meaning, his production, and to contrast “Rockapella Scott Leonard” with “solo Scott Leonard” and past Scott with present Scott.  Throw in discussion about the different versions of every song Rockapella sings from the drastically different music video versions (older) to the slightly different concert versions, their performances, their personalities, their approachability, etc. and it becomes an overwhelming novel.

I’ve been listening to Rockapella for quite some time now for their bubble gum sound, their interesting lyrics, their amazing voices, and as a generally uplifting habit when I am down and out.  The songs I listened to were what was widely available to me which meant covers of older songs…and I LOVED them.  I’m actually not sure how they ended up on my computer originally, but the files have been transferred through four different computers since 2001-ish and have lasted.  These songs got me through sports seasons, stressful days, and many hour long 16mph bike rides last year on the trainer in my dorm room in the middle of winter…which thanks to the radiators could easily be mistaken for a sauna or a boiler room.   Then sometime in 2007, I was trying to show Jonathan old theme songs to cartoons I used to watch on youtube which probably led to a Carmen Sandiego search which prompted a “no really, I LOVE the Folgers commercial these guys used to sing (HERE)” which is how I arrived at a concert video of all of the jingles they sang over the years.   That’s when I first got to see Mr. C. Scott Leonard IV perform and was HOOKED…I couldn’t believe that voice was coming out of the little blonde guy in the three-piece suit in the center of the stage and he made it look absolutely effortless.  From there I discovered Rockapella’s ability to sound better live in concert than their recorded music (which is soooo good to begin with) even when they were recorded on random digital (and cell phone) cameras…this is why I love them.

A lot of widely-known to the general population Rockapella songs are covers i.e. “Pretty Woman,” “Dancin’ in the Street,” “Love Potion #9,” and so on which are led by Kevin Wright.  Kevin has such an amazing voice that is so smooth, sweet, and gentle, but after the youtube search, I started to actively look for songs that Scott Leonard sang…this is how I heard a cover of “Keep on Smilin” sung predominately by Scott.  Besides the fact that I think he is absolutely darling, this guy’s voice was something I had never heard before…the BEST voice I have ever heard in my life!  Scott’s a high tenor and his range is just perfect.   Like Rick, “I never stick my neck out for anyone” (when it comes to music), but CSL4 is the exception and I can say with confidence that his voice and style are just something else.  I think “Keep on Smilin” which you can find by clicking HERE is a great illustration of the power of his voice as well as his unbelievable arrangement skills…this electric version is so different from the Wet Willie original that it has a completely different feel to it…and Wet Willie used instruments!  Kevin, El, Jeff, and Barry all do a stupendous job also which is why this is one of my favorite songs to pick apart.  Kevin is a tenor, Elliot is a baritone (now John Brown-tenor), Barry is the bass (now George Baldi-bass) and Jeff is vocal percussion.  They are truly one of a kind and even set themselves far apart in the a cappella world as well.  I love a cappella groups; however, Rockapella has a completely different sound.  The best way I can explain this is by saying that many a cappella groups sound metallic to me; more specifically “Tin-y.”  Tin as in Sn with lots and lots of flat sound and repetition.  I know, strange statement, but that is the only way I can describe it whereas Rockapella sings.  Every part is it’s own song, it’s own special arrangement that is catchy in and of itself and everyone of the guys does a great job actually singing rather than do-wop-ing or “ahhh-ing” through the song’s entirety (not that there is anything wrong with that…it’s just different for these guys).  I’m no music major, musician, aspiring a capella singer, sound tech, etc. who are drawn to these guys so I can’t pick out notes (I can tell you which are pretty and can read music, but can’t identify anything but flats and sharps by ear), pitches, etc., but I can offer my viewpoint from a “years of dance/twirling/cheering, few years of piano, can’t-live-without-music” POV

Okay, okay back on track: one day I stumbled across a song entitled “People Change” and it knocked me over.  Up until this point, I had avoided playing songs I didn’t recognize because I loved the ones I knew so well.  I tried looking up the lyrics, the arranger, and the writer with no luck as search results were just pointing me back to Scott Leonard and Rockapella.  Then I realized something, it was an original song and the arrangement, lyrics, and everything else were all the product of one, Charles Scott Leonard IV, which increased my love for this song exponentially…it truly hit home…this was my first foray into a Scott Leonard/Rockapella original and now they are my absolute favorites.  I want to discuss “People Change” in depth because it is something special, so I will post that discussion after this at some point.  (I pretty much have that post finished already since that is where I started and have been working backwards ever since).

Because of that song, Rockapella started to become more than random music I would put on every  now and then…I started to really learn more about the guys and their music which has gotten me into the predicament I am in today.  At face value, Rockapella is an a cappella group composed of five talented guys.  Four of the guys are singers and one, Jeff Thacher, is a vocal percussionist.  As much as it sounds like there is music or drums in their songs…all of it is a product of the singers plus the “drummer” Jeff who makes all the sounds with his mouth and throat HERE.   It’s so easy to forget there are no instruments there to back them up, to add style, or to cover any parts they struggle through…these guys (and their banter and dancing) ARE the concert.  Funny thing is, you don’t even miss the instruments.   Let me restate that, you don’t miss the instruments AT ALL.  Now I know it’s a different type of music and thus can’t really be compared apples to apples (it’s better regardless), but you honestly start to find yourself, while listening to “regular music,” saying strange things like “wow, RP just has a much fuller sound” or “geez, Jeff kicks this drummer’s bum!”  And nobody can do pure harmonies like Kevin, John, and George (or El and Bear).  And trying to even propose comparing my Scott to anyone else is just futile…don’t even try unless you’re fully prepared for a very, VERY heated “discussion.”

The arrangements Scott develops (the rest of the guys do some too) are mind boggling.  There are so many layers to the songs that you hear something different or notice something special every time you listen to a song.  This is where the songs get overwhelming….there is just soooo much going on it takes a while to fully “digest” the structure and depth of each and every song.  I bought “Smilin” and “Live in Japan” over the summer and it took me a month to even get through enough of “Smilin” to start the next CD.  The same was true for “Christmas” and “Comfort and Joy” which I am still working on and finding more to love every day.  At this time, I’ve got Scott’s “1Man1Mike” and “Fi ling Fader” CDs as well as two books of his sheet music sitting unopened and still in the mailing packages at home in Andover because I am just now becoming “okay” with enough of Rockapella’s songs to move on…by no means am I finished.   I’ve also got the acquisition of two other CD’s that shall not be named in the works…we’ll see if that pans out or not…I’m not getting my hopes up.  Because I’ve heard a couple of Scott’s 1M1M songs in concert or online, I am fully aware that they are going to take an exorbitant amount of time to begin to comprehend.  And as far as the sheet music goes, I am working on teaching myself “People Change” which is my favorite arrangement on the piano right now.  I am, however, using the dad-mom-Jonathan chain of people to get the packages down here because excitement for Scott’s CDs is overshadowing my “take-it-slow” rationale.

Rockapella’s “Christmas” album is one I can listen to on repeat for days in the middle of the year and not think twice about getting burned out…it’s been a real favorite of late.  The songs, the idiosyncrasies, and the meaning forces you to have a smile on your face…trust me, I tried not to on the way back from Washington D.C. because I didn’t want to annoy Jonathan with my love for Rockapella any more than I already had, and it takes SOOOOO much effort it’s impossible.  Funny thing is, Mr. Jonathan, who I had to convince to go to the concert with me in Ada, now loves Pella’s music too…yippee! A new fan! He actually asks to listen to their music now and was the push I needed to buy holiday concert tickets (he sent me a text one day asking if we could go to a holiday concert no matter how far…I was stunned).

Speaking of holiday concerts, when I first heard and read that people go to many, MANY concerts a year and that some of their trips were 6, 7, 10, 15+ hours away or involved flights or hotels, I was dumbfounded.  All that for a 2ish hour concert?  I thought driving to Ada, Ohio (3 and a half) hours away was pretty far, but it was my first concert so I didn’t really care.  I don’t know if I should admit this, but I now hold two tickets to the December 19, 2009 (2pm) Holiday Concert in Fairfax, Virginia at 7+ hours away…and see no problem with it.  I wasn’t planning on going to a holiday concert, but it’s really starting to hit me that Kevin is leaving after 12 years and I will miss him terribly.  I can’t imagine never getting to hear him sing his Christmas songs and no matter how sad of a show it will be for me, I know it will be a memorable one as it is their last holiday show before their home show in Tampa, FL (wish I could get to that one).  Kevin adds infinitely to each show as the stage presence he learned from his years on Broadway shines through.  His humor and personality are one of a kind and he is just a sweetheart.  Who is going to do the former-Pretty Woman/Now-Ain’t Too Proud To Beg sets?  Heck, what’s going to happen to Rockapella?  I mean, I know they’re great at adapting to each new person’s sound that comes into their group, but how do you replace Kevin’s sincerity and sweetness?  A new Rockapella will emerge and hopefully kick butt, but Mr. Kevin Wright, you will forever be our Mr. Curly Q.

One of the things that set Rockapella apart from pretty much every other musical group or musician I’ve enjoyed in the past is that they are pretty darn down to earth.  Just go to The Lounge sometime and read some stories people have posted about mishaps, things they’ve accidentally said to the guys, or strange situations and you’ll see they barely even flinch…and better than that, utilize humor to its fullest extent.  Jonathan and I noticed this at the Ada concert a couple of times…once when Jeff’s mics were off and again when Scott and George’s mics interfered and began to give feedback during “Paper Doll” I think (darn science just makes me picture sound waves and whatnot…then I shake my head and get back to the concert as quickly as I can).  Jeff made jokes about his mics not working like we all do with technology…we attempt to talk to it and coax it into working.  And as far as Scott and George go, their faces were priceless…both of their eyes got really big and they laughed and blamed each other…adorable.  So many artists would huff and puff and glare at the sound techs like they meant for the mics to do that, but these guys are true professionals…have fun with it.  Whether or not they were secretly angry I don’t know, I’m just glad they didn’t show it.

The guys also do a fine job of getting to know their audience, bringing people on stage, telling stories from their own lives, and simply seeming accessible.  You get the feeling that you could buy some chips and salsa and watch a game with them like they were your old friends.  They hold meet and greets after every one of their shows and are as sweet-as-pie.  They’ll talk to you, inquire about your life, answer questions, sign autographs on anything, and take pictures.  If you know me, you know I’m pretty darned introverted and it takes a lot, A LOT to be the one to begin a conversation with people so the M&G was quite terrifying to me (once I get talking I’m fine and you can’t get me to shut up; it’s just that initial push).  Not only was I still on cloud 9 and in shock from sitting in the front row at the first concert of theirs I ever went to (and Kevin asked me what buckeyes were and danced in front of us, George kept coming over, and all the guys make eye-contact), I was now being thrown in front of them in a one-on-one setting…AHHHHH!  I can always remember what songs were performed at a concert and in what order…I can’t even begin to try with these guys…awww-struck much?  Poor Jonathan    I had a headache the entire way home because it was overwhelming…but I loved every second of it.  As a side note, Rockapella’s character carries over into their fans as I’ve now made some new friends though this group…Kieran, Velvet, and Tim…we’re actually trying to come up with a huge fan-base get-together sometime in the spring.

The sheet music for "People Change"

Anyway, so they had posters there to sign for everyone, but I had just bought the sheet music for “People Change” that I didn’t even know existed until that day.  I asked Jeff to sign it and it got passed down the line with everyone else’s posters as people talked.  I was about four people away from Scott when it got to him and he started asking “who’s is this? Is this yours?  Hey, who’s is this?” to everyone and Kevin.  I was so shocked I could barely talk…luckily I made it through.  When I got to Scott, he put his arm around me and Jonathan took a picture and then asked me what my name was and if I enjoyed the show.  He’s got the absolute sweetest speaking voice, best smile, and is so gentle…it still amazes me that that powerful voice comes out of him.  Instead of signing “Scott” like he was doing on everything else, he wrote “For Laura Love Scott Leonard”…swoon…what a nice guy.  I know it’s just because it’s his sheet music, but I really do appreciate it Mr. CSL4.    And because you wrote that, I am now teaching myself how to play “People Change” on the piano which I have been away from for many, many years.  It’s given me a new outlet…a new way to relax and for that I am always grateful.  Rockapella in general has gotten me back into analyzing music which is something that was desperately needed at this time and I hadn’t even realized it.  They’ve pushed me over the line and into a totally different mindset than I was in for the past couple of years…thank you RP.

Because of how great they’ve made me  feel, I keep “sharing” them with other people so I apologize to my fellow chemistry/biochemistry majors in Bracy who come into the physical chemistry lab in the evening/night when I am doing my research…Rockapella makes hours of biobutanol production from Clostridium Beijerinckii BA 101 using CSW media research much more enjoyable.  I know Brandon and Eric have gotten a good taste of Rockapella when they’ve come into the lab to talk and poor Eric had to listen to them in my car too.  I had to explain to Dan that no, I wasn’t a complete loon for listening to Christmas music in September…I was just really excited because I just bought the CDs at the concert.  I think Dr. Mason may have even had to experience them at one point or another.  Jonathan’s got the bulk of it, but after hours and hours and hours of forced “here listen to this song,” “watch this video,” and “read this article,” he has become a fan too.  He knows all of the guys and a little bit about them…he won’t admit it, but he knows that when Scott is wearing his blue t-shirt he’s watching the Bethlehem, PA videos or that the seemingly off-the-wall factory videos for ”Lift Up” and “Song 9″ are pretty darn catchy.  He thinks Elliot spinning around in “Song 9″ singing “Ain’t squat good on!!!” and Kevin screaming it is just hilarious.  He also does not think I’m quite as insane as he once did when I tell him I had a Rockapella Dance Party at 3am while I was studying to wake myself back up.  Poor Bree made the mistake of looking them up on  youtube  because of my pictures and thought they were very good…so I sent her a bunch of links to videos she HAS to listen to.  Part of my problem is, I know everyone I know will like them if they listen objectively at first because they sing something for everyone and a lot of my friends are music-freaks…I see it as sharing enough music until they find a song they like and explore further on their own.

I will end here for now…lots more to come and I promise it will be more focused…just had to give a quick coverall background before I could even start.

Love and until next time,

~ LLP

(For all you Pretty Woman fans)

After watching “Pretty Woman” earlier I forgot how many of the lines I like, for comedy value, real life value or romantic value. So decided to compose a top 10 list of quotes from the movie. If you are a reader of my blog you should already know that I am a big fan of both Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. This was actually more difficult than I thought it would be, because yes I am that sad and love this movie so much.

10. Edward: “You and I are such similar creatures Vivian. We both screw people for money.”

A funny comparison came from Edward, showing that they are indeed more alike than you first think.

9. [At the beginning of the evening]
Vivian: “In case I forget to tell you later, I had a really good time tonight.”

 I really thought this was so sweet, innocent but also rather amusing at the same time. As her feminine charm got her through, also showing that she was not used to actually going on proper dates.

8. Old Lady at Opera: “Did you like the opera, dear?”
Vivian: “It was so good, I almost peed my pants!”
Edward: “She said she liked it better than Pirates of Penzance.”

 A totally hilarious moment of Edward managing to cover up what Vivian said.

7.Vivian: “I’m gonna treat you so nice, you’re never gonna let me go.”

Ooo how true this line proved to be!!!

6.Vivian: [after Edward catches her singing along to Kiss] “Don’t you just love Prince?”
Edward : “More than life itself.”

 This whole scene is just fantastic, in the bath tub singing along to Kiss by Prince unaware that Edward is watching her.

5.Edward: “I never treated you like a prostitute.”
[Walks away]
Vivian: “You just did.”

 This line is really sad as it was when she decided to leave early after he offered to “put her up” somewhere and pretty much pay for her.

4. Vivian: “When I was a little girl, my mama used to lock me in the attic when I was bad, which was pretty often. And I would- I would pretend I was a princess… trapped in a tower by a wicked queen. And then suddenly this knight… on a white horse with these colors flying would come charging up and draw his sword. And I would wave. And he would climb up the tower and rescue me. But never in all the time… that I had this dream did the knight say to me, “Come on, baby, I’ll put you up in a great condo.”

 Just shows all little girls hope and want the same thing really.

3. [Kit is trying to cheer up Vivian]
Vivian: “Tell me one person who it’s worked out for.”
Kit: “What, you want me to name someone? You want like a name? Oh, God, the pressure of a name… I got it. Cindafuckin’rella”

 This is just a brilliant moment between the two friends.

2. Vivian: I want the fairy tale.

 Doesnt everyone deep down really want the fairy tale ending? and hope it actually happens . . .

1. Shop assistant: “Hello, can I help you?”
Vivian: “I was in here yesterday, you wouldn’t wait on me.”
Shop assistant: “Oh.”
Vivian: “You people work on commission, right?”
Shop assistant: “Yeah.”
Vivian: “Big mistake. Big. Huge. I have to go shopping now.”

Best lines and best moment in the movie really as Vivian gets her own back on the rude shop assistant. With Pretty Woman playing in the background. Brilliant.

Put your best foot forward this year and embrace this season’s footwear trends. Whether it’s a practical pair of winter boots or a killer pair of heels that takes your fancy, you’re guaranteed to find that perfect pair…

Trends to look out for:

Thigh-high boots

It’s all about the over-the-knee boot this season. These boots are super sexy and carry bags of attitude, but need to be worn with caution. Avoid the ‘Julia Roberts’ look in Pretty Woman and instead of teaming with a body con dress, wear over leggings, skinny jeans or opaque tights and a long jumper dress. Heeled and flat versions are abundant on the high street, but again, if you’re not blessed with Gisele style stature (and let’s face it, not many of us are) then opt for a pair with a slight heel to elongate your legs.

Thigh-high Boots

Pencil heels

The sexiest heel by far is the pencil heel, which promises to draw admiring glances from both sexes. These gravity-defying heels will elongate your legs, lift your bottom and give you a sexy walk. They will also no doubt give you painful feet so invest in a pair of Scholl Party Feet to ease the inevitable pressure on the balls of your feet and toes. Look out for pencil heels with a raised platform at the front or gladiator-style strappy versions to be ahead of the fashion game.

Pencil Heels

Booties

Not quite boots and not quite heels, booties are a girl’s best friend this season as they’re sturdy, fashionable and above all…sexy. There’s more good news too, booties are available in every imaginable colour and style. If you want to add a bit of oomph to an outfit, why not wear a pair of classic black patent booties?

Lace Booties - Topshop

Animal prints

We’ve talked about animal prints for quite some time on this blog, as it was and still is the print of choice for handbags and clothing. Now we’re seeing animal prints on shoes and boots too – perfect for adding an ‘accent’ of trend to an existing outfit.

Animal Print Gladiator Shoes

]]> http://glamaddicts.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/over-the-knee-boots/ Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:55:34 +0000 harlemworldblog http://glamaddicts.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/over-the-knee-boots/

Thigh high boots / over the knee boots is this winter trend 2010
Remember the movie Pretty Woman, where Julia Roberts wore sexy black thigh high boots.  That began my fascination with over-the- knee boots but they’ve always looked a bit, well, slutty. In 2010 it depends if you wear them right so it doesn’t have the slutty appeal.  You can be cutting edge wearing large sweater and leggings or skinny jeans. It is the new trend that can looks fabulous going out in the evening.  These Fendi boots are great when worn with some skinny jeans or leggings and a cute sweater. Your boots do not have to be Fendi to be a fashionista, but if you can afford it Brandy’s boots will run you www.bebe.com for $159.00 and www.victoriassecret.com $99 and up.

Colin Stuart Over-the-knee stretch boot $169 buy at Victoria Secret

Suede over the knee boots Victoria Secret $225

Part 1 KNOXX Video with Meredith D- Anthony “Rumble” Johnson talk about his upcoming fight against Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 104 in Los Angeles. He also talks about his own BJJ and grappling skills, the recent Gracie Open and his first acting role in an upcoming movie.

Part 2 KNOXX Video with Meredith D- Anthony “Rumble” Johnson talks about Cung Le’s decision to stop fighting to pursue his acting career, his feeling the first time being on a main UFC card, and his prediction between the Machida and Rua fight.