One of the most beloved Christmas tales is updated so it can become a live-action extravaganza.

Will Hollywood destroy the classic tale or bring new depth and delight to this fairy tale?

Jim Carrey stars as the “Grinch” an angry confused being who perches atop a mountain looking over the small town of Whoville. As the classic story goes the Grinch despises Christmas and one Christmas he decides that he will spoil it for all the people of Whoville by stealing all their Christmas goodies.

As a child, I always enjoyed the classic cartoon telling of the Grinch and I was quite skeptical when I saw this modern adaptation. As far as I can tell this film can be broken down into four sections. The first being the film’s core story, the second and third are the good and bad parts added to that story and finally the overall look of the film itself.

The main problems I had with the film were the “Hollywood additions” to the story so that the film would be extended to a feature running time.

Some of these additions blended perfectly into the Grinch mythos while others left me wondering if they were really necessary. Some of the additions that I liked were baby-Grinch, and some of smaller Jim Carrey jokes. The Baby Grinch is adorable and in some circumstances it was delightful for the film to uncover the origins of the Grinch. I liked that whole idea except for one circumstance involving a female Who which I will get into later.

My favorite part of the film was young actress Taylor Momsen, who plays Little Cindy-Lou Who. She is adorable and precious. It’s through her eyes that we see the Grinch and Whoville. She is the heart of the picture and in some scenes I am not sure the film-makers remembered that. I loved seeing how much depth one so young can give forth and on top of that she can also sing too. She is definitely the hi-light of the movie.

The one of the additions that left me scratching my head were the idea of the Grinch having a love interest. Was it necessary for the film to add a childhood sweetheart to the Grinch? I think this whole idea robs the story of its purity and adds a more realistic side to the idea of Whoville. This is a fairy tale, people!!

It was cool to show why the Grinch hated Christmas but why link it to an old flame. What’s next giving Jolly Saint Nick an ex-wife? Or Rudolph, an illegitimate son? Other addition problems included a lot of the slapstick scenes that didn’t have anything to do with the fairy tale idea. (ala Grinch running from tiny exploding car. Why was that necessary?) Most of those scenes were vintage Jim Carrey but definitely not Dr Seuss.

My final comments surround the whole look of the picture and how it tried so hard to captivate the world of Dr Seuss.

I loved the aspect that they made the people of Whoville a cross between an elf and a rat. They are Whos not people. Also you have to commend Rick Baker for coming up with all the magical characters to fill this fairy tale world.

He definitely nailed the look and brilliance of what Dr Seuss dreamed up. In the cartoon all the Whos are naked fuzzy people but in some ways the special effects team added to those characters by giving them houses and clothes. Wonder what the Doctor would have thought of these Whos?

To wrap up, I have heard from some people they have a problem with Jim Carrey being completely covered in latex but if he wasn’t it probably would have made the whole Who world a little weird. Carrey’s springing, obnoxious and multi voiced ability did allow the actor to rise above all the latex in his performance. Was it just me or did the Grinch’s voice sound something like a bad Jimmy Stewart impression?

3.5 out of 5

So Says the Soothsayer.

Written: November 17, 2000

Lately we have been seeing a lot of guarder belts paired with mini skirts/dresses. Orginally, guarder belts were meant to be worn under dresses and skirts. But now, girls are wearing them so they are visible.

I think this look is cute – but not sure if I like it for every day wear. Perhaps it should stay in the lingerie drawer… It’s like Victoria Secret doesn’t have a secret anymore.

wanna see something *really* scary?

PG

Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Bill Irwin

Cindy Lou Who: Santa, what’s the meaning of Christmas?
The Grinch (dressed as Santa): VENGEANCE!  Er, I mean… presents, I suppose.

The Grinch steals all the Christmas stuff in Whoville.

Actually, they make the plot a lot more complicated than I’ve described so eloquently up above.  That was one of my problems with it.  It’s overlong and over plotted.  In the original story, the Grinch was just an overly grumpy character who didn’t like all the noise in Whoville and wanted to ruin Christmas for them.  In the movie, at first it seems like they want to say he’s been mean since birth, but then we see a whole story about how he was picked on and not accepted by a lot of the Whos.  In fact, the real villain in the movie seems to be the Mayor of Whoville.  He’s all about commercializing Christmas and making sure the Grinch is seen as the monster he’s perceived as.  The mayor is the one who originally picked on the Grinch so much when they were kids that he ran away to his mountain top home.

The whole thing felt like a Batman villain origin story actually.  It also kind of looked like it too.  There’s a Tim Burton darkness to the look and feel of the movie that didn’t seem appropriate for the subject matter.  It seems like it should be magical and mystical and Whoville should be beautiful, but it just looks like a bunch of grungy sets.  Plus, the Grinch makeup looks sorta like that thing that Dan Aykroyd turned into at the beginning of Twilight Zone: The Movie.  Scary.

And why are the Whos so into the commercialism of Christmas?  In the original story, they were the true-hearted ones who taught the Grinch what Christmas was all about.  In this movie, the Grinch actually chastises the Whos for being all about gifts, gifts, gifts!  Only Cindy Lou Who wonders if there’s something more to Christmas than the giving and receiving of gifts.

In the end, it’s just too thin of a story to stretch out over a full length movie, so it’s filled in with lame back stories and a boatload of Jim Carrey’s usual overblown antics.  I’d stick with the animated version.  It may be 3 sizes smaller than the movie version, but it’s certainly got more heart.

Christmas is about family, not blah blah blah, etc…

10 - 2 for just not having a very pleasant look overall – 2 for some poor choices in changing up the story – 1 for being overlong and not all that funny = 5.0

Rock chick Gossip Girl Taylor Momsen

The rumour has not yet been confirmed, but as it seems Gossip Girl’s Jenny is the new face for New Look. She has been spotted shooting a high profile campaign last week.

She would follow the footsteps of other emerging stars Pixie Geldof and Alexa Chung, who featured as the faces of the brand before. Picking Taylor would be a logical step. She embodies the cool, rockchick style that’s very popular within the New Look targeted consumers.

We love her look!

We’re stalking our New Look contact at the moment to find out if the rumour is true…Keep you posted!

…Jeffrey gave to you… “Where Are You Christmas” by (gads!) Faith Hill. 

 Now, I realize I just might be losing any musical credibility and trust I’ve gained over the years; I mean, I expect and accept the snickering, but I stand my ground with this one. Who could have imagined that the grimy, dank big-budget Jim Carey version of Dr. Seuss’ eternal HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS would beget a modern Christmas treasure, sung by likes of the bland, Country- politan Faith Hill no less?  

Well, that’s exactly what schlock-meister composer James Horner gave us, because what ordinarily serves as an irritant in a standard epic blockbuster (say, “My Heart Will Go On” nearly sinking the great TITANIC) is the norm in a Christmas song – schmaltzy, tingling feelings, swelled with copious emotion is the benchmark of most holiday tunes, and on that point Horner delivers here tenfold.  Hill’s natural flair for over-emoting to masquerade a competent-yet-flimsy voice (even here she’s wobbly on the lows and strains on the crescendos) was a good 2^nd choice performer (Co-writer Mariah Carey’s version never appeared anywhere, because of some legalities with her ex-husband, and while her 1994 holiday collection is a miraculous anomaly – read about it HERE - I’m not sure the post-divorced Carey, seeped in her Hip Hop harlot insurrection, would have done “Where Are You Christmas” any favors – I can’t imagine it with porn-lite breathiness. So, thanks Tommy Motolla!)

The most magical thing about “Where Are You Christmas” is its universality.  It doesn’t belong to Hill; I can imagine a great vocalist doing wonders with the sentimentality of the lyric, the mush of the arrangement, the overt histrionics of the bridge, just as I can envision a neophyte understanding its poignancy.  It’s what Christmas songs are made for.  And “Where Are You Christmas”  is what Christmas songs are made of.

Here’s a clip of then-7 year-old Taylor Momsen, now of TVs GOSSIP GIRL, as Cindy Lou Who from the Jim Carey film… 

And here’s Faith Hill’s original theme from the film… 

oh, come on, she’s nice. I don’t know why everyone is so critical, she’s just acting out wearing all these silly clothes but she’s actually nice and just your average teenager – a bit shy, a bit rebellious, a bit of a loner and a bit of an antisocial typo.

Hello-Hello, and welcome to a Thursday!

There is so much happening on the Preppy Planet, it is hard to know where to begin. We’ll start today with the tale of a star from faux-prep school show Gossip Girl being excoriated by many of the fashion press and bloggerati.

It seems Leighton Meester’s wardrobe selections this past year do not meet with their approval.

Photo: REX Features

Some readers may recognize this as the wretched outfit we shared in a November post, and to be fair, we were not complimentary about the style.  But now Miss Meester has been declared the Worst Dressed of 2009 by our friends across the pond at Marie Claire UK. From the magazine’s website:

“Now this makes us sad. One of our favourite girl crushes, Leighton Meester usually gets it so right in the style stakes, but so didn’t when she threw together this fashion car crash of an ensemble. In her efforts to launch a solo pop career, it looks as though the Gossip Girl decided a complete image overhaul was necessary – perhaps to distance herself from the preppy on-screen style of her GG alter-ego.”

Ouch.

Yesterday Fashionista posted “An Open Letter to Leighton Meester“:

“Dear Leighton,

So maybe we’re used to you oozing Upper East Side debutante in Blair’s Ralph Lauren pea coats and Nanette Lepore frocks, and we are open to change, but we’ve really started to worry about your recent choice of outfits.”

The letter was accompanied by this collage of offending outfits:

Courtesy Fashionista.com

In November the Fashion Police dedicated this post to their concerns over the young star’s sartorial selections.  And that was before this outfit from the KIIS-FM Jingle Ball in Los Angeles earlier this month.

Or this one from Saturday’s Z100 Jingle Ball in the city.

Us magazine places Miss Meester second on their list of 2009’s Worst Dressed Stars.  The outfit they use to make their point is below, worn by the young actress and singer to the Met Costume Gala in May.

Photo: Getty Images

While we may not be fond (ahem) of Ms. Meester’s wardrobe choices, we do applaud the young lady’s spunky approach and her refusal to be chastened by fashion writers and critics.

Ms. Meester is not the only G2 star on the Us Magazine hit parade; Taylor Momsen is also included.

George Napolitano/Getty Images For Giuseppe Zanotti

Indeed.

Speaking of Gossip Girl, WWD (Women’s Wear Daily, subscription req’d.) reports that the next real-life fashionista appearing on the show is Teen Vogue editor Amy Astley. From WWD’s story:

“…. spent Tuesday with Blake Lively and company on location at the IAC building filming a scene for the CW soap that is tentatively slated to air in March.”

Ms. Astley can be seen on the far right in the photo below, taken in September at the Clinique Fresh Faces Tour kickoff, a promotional event put together by Teen Vogue, and featuring Taylor Momsen.

Mark Von Holden/Getty Images

That concludes today’s Gossip Girl fashion-related report. (Heh-heh-heh.)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also fashion-related, the Sex and the City 2 poster has been released, providing a peek into the design aesthetic for the upcoming movie.

“SATC 2: Carrie On” is slated for release May 28, 2010.  Sarah Jessica Parker wears a dress from the spring 2010 Halston Heritage collection, Christian Louboutin Pigalle Gold Sequinned Pumps, and she carries a Chanel clutch.  Here is a closer look at the pumps with black sequins.

Also debuting next spring, Candace Bushnell’s The Carrie Diaries, introducing readers to Carrie in her teen years.

The book is scheduled for release April 27.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We close with our very favorite new item here at the Prepatorium, it just arrived Tuesday and we couldn’t wait to share!

PreppyPrincess.com

The Pink Whales Bag has a drawstring closure in bright pink, making it casual and easy to carry. It is very durable. and perfect for your little one to use as a laundry bag, to tote their toys or goodies to a sleepover, and more.

The closer look also shows the bag’s two other patterns, Pink Funkier Monkey and Blue Funkier Monkey.

With that cheery image we say g’bye until next time, may everyone enjoy a relatively calm Thursday!

I came up with a new cute tradition of putting people in the header of this blog with a line that introduces them and states that they’ve been chosen. as you may know, this blog is inspired by the 2005 Michael Bay movie called ‘The Island‘ (starring Scarlett Johansson & Ewan McGregor). they had a tagline there you have been chosen. that is how the url of this blog was born. consequently, the blog is called The Island for apparent reasons.
btw I had a dream today that I showed up to my English class half semester late. my teacher (who knows me) says that I am not allowed to join the class now, that I failed. but I ask her to be merciful, say I had some real serious problems and as she knows I am real good eventually she agrees to take me back. everyone in my class hate me, thinking that I turned to be a bad class-ditching girl. I particularly remember two people – my former friend and my former dating bud – who totally hated her (the teacher) giving me a chance and they were all like ‘oh, she’s sooo bad, we hate her.’ that was indeed a bad dream… and oddly enough I am almost a year out of university…

so, introducing the first header image of this new series: please welcome – Taylor Momsen

She's badass, ain't she? : )))

A new trailer for the upcoming movie, Valentines Day has made its way online. Bringing February love to December, the film is comedy about 10 people in Los Angeles whose lives intersect on the romantic holiday February 2010.

The movie holds an all-star cast including: Jessica Alba,  Jessica Biel, Patrick Dempsey,Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, George Lopez, Emma Roberts, Julia Roberts, Carter Jenkins with appearances by Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner.

Josh Schwartz spoke with TV Guide recently to discuss what to expect from Gossip Girl after their multi-month hiatus.

What are you gearing towards in the season’s second half?

You’re really going to see a real emotional arc from Chuck [Ed Westwick]. I think Jenny [Taylor Momsen] and Chuck are really going to be driving a lot of story as we move into the back half of the season.
Jenny and Eric  called a truce in the last episode. Will that actually stick?

They’ve called a truce with each other, but Jenny’s troubles are just beginning. She’s still very much a teenage girl, she’s grown up with these kids who are older than her and always wanted to be a part of that, but she’s going to find out that she’s not quite as adult and grown up as she thinks she is.

Do you see any futures episodes of plot lines that will cause this kind of controversy again?
Keep your eye on little Jenny Humphrey.

they wanted her to be this:

but she won’t have it:

oh no, not her.

Thème : Degrassi, Alex Pettyfer, Gossip Girl, Drew Seeley, Shia Labeouf, TLB, Glee, OTH & The Vampire Diaries

Type: Bann’ & Icons

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]]> http://beautifulballad.wordpress.com/2009/12/14/but-at-least-for-now-i-gotta-go-my-own-way/ Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:37:48 +0000 beautifulballad http://beautifulballad.wordpress.com/2009/12/14/but-at-least-for-now-i-gotta-go-my-own-way/

Taylor Momsen was spotted on the streets of New York City headed to work today, December 14. And despite what you may think, she’s headed to the Gossip Girl set and not to her corner.

Yo, Taylor, NYC is cooooold this time of year, you’re going to get sick if you continue to walk around with no clothes on! And I thought that the garter was supposed to go underneath clothes, huh guess I was wrong.

There exists those certain topics or people that I just refuse to write about (for example, you haven’t seen anything about Tiger Woods on this blog, and you won’t).  Taylor Momsen, Gossip Girl star, and her ridiculous out-and-about ‘fits used to be one of those topics. I don’t usually reward people who scream for attention with their actions or career moves or…clothes, but Taylor has pushed me over the edge with this:

Um.

Me no get it.

Taylor, those leg contraptions are something that girls usually try to cover with their skirts, however short that skirt may be. They aren’t for public consumption unless you’re an old-timey stripper or a burlesque dancer in a Christina Aguilera music video or a skanky New Yorker (and I know you fit into one of those personas, but, work with me here).

The over-sized flannel is excusable. Ridiculous, but excusable. And the size L undershirt falls into the leg contraptions category: not for public consumption. OK, I’ll just ask, DID you sleep over at a boy’s house last night? Because you’re wearing SOMEONE else’s clothes.

Your hair looks great though, Taylor. Really. If you DID in fact sleep over with a boy, we’re not expecting pregnancy rumors because your hair looks perfecto.

It’s just the leg suspenders that have me going crazy, and not crazy like I-want-you-bad crazy, more like I-can’t-believe-you-drove-me-to-write-about-you crazy.

Whatever. I’m over it.

Apparently someone else thinks like me. Thank goodness.

Taylor’s been spotted wearing this jacket all around town and I KNOW I’ve seen it before – I was sure it’s Gryphon or 3.1 Phillip Lim but can’t seem to find it. Please help! Her bag is Novella Royale.

We’re really going to leave the final judgment up to you, the readers, but a person who looks an awful lot like Gossip Girl star, Taylor Momsen, was spotted on the streets of New York City with, what looks to us like, a cigarette.

This wouldn’t be the first time the sixteen year old starlet was caught with what looks to be a cigarette; however, Taylor, at 16, is not of age to legally smoke.

But this could easily not be Taylor Momsen, and even if it is, that can easily not be a cigarette in her mouth.

Do you think it’s Taylor? And do you think that it is cigarette? The final call is yours, for once, we’re staying out of it.

Thème : Twilight, Harry Potter & Gossip Girl

Type: Bann’ & Icons

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Thème : Gossip Girl

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تیلور ممسن تصمیم گرفت آلبوم جدیدش را در نیویورک و خاص تر از آلبوم های قبل وارد بازار کند.
فعلا گفت اسم آلبومی که انتخاب کرده “دختر شایعات” هست.

Moças e Moços, antes de mais nada, milhões de desculpas pela falta de posts. Quem me segue no Twitter (é só pedir que eu aceito, ok?) sabe que a minha semana foi uma doidera só e não tive tempo algum de escrever aqui. Se tudo der certo, essa semana as coisas melhoram. De qualquer maneira, vamos adiante com o post!

Essas últimas semanas eu ando muito in love com o meu cabelo. Até porque eu cortei, mudei um pouco, escureci e tô super me sentindo (quem não fica assim depois de uma make over, não?)! Mas ainda assim, fico horas e horas babando nos cabelos da famosas e decidi mostrar aqui alguns que eu mais gosto.

Ashley Greene virou uma das maiores musas deste blog. Confesso que eu amava de paixão o cabelo dela mais curtinho, com um corte mais moderno, mas esse cabelão dela é lindo demais. Ela tem bastante volume (na verdade, bastante cabelo mesmo) e ela consegue brincar bastante com diversos penteados! Fora que esse corte em camadas é lindo e valoriza demais o rosto mais afinado que ela tem. Amo.

Diane Kruger é outra celeb que eu amo de paixão. Primeiro porque ela não tem medo de ousar MESMO, tanto no figurino quanto na maquiagem e nos penteados. Tanto que já comentei aqui, não é? Esse corte modernoso dela dá espaço para ela brincar bastante. Desde um look mais comum, com os cabelos soltos e tal, até coques mais elaborados, brincadeiras com grampos, tranças… O comprimento também ajuda bastante, né?

Katy Perry cortou uma franjinha essa última semana e eu achei que ficou curta demais. No entanto, eu sou completamente maluca com o cabelo dela. Tanto quando era curtinho, quanto agora, piro todas as vezes que a vejo. O cabelo dela tem uma cor incrível, bem escura e uniforme. Esses fios ondulados dela são lindos demais e eu super invejo! Rsrsrs.

Chelsea Staub tinha um cabelo loiro e comprido que era de morrer. Daí essa semana deu a louca nela, e a atriz cortou o cabelo curtíssimo e ficou lindo DEMAIS. Sério, eu fiquei apaixonada com o corte dela. Mais comprido na frente e mais curtinho atrás, com uma risca bacana. Arrasou.

Os cachos de Taylor Swift são minha eterna paixão. Sério eu preciso aprender o segredo dela para ter o cabelo bom assim todos os dias do ano, 24 horas por dia. São muito lindos, bem cuidados, com um comprimento ótimo… E assim como a Diane Kruger, só porque ela tem cabelo cacheado não significa que não pode brincar com penteados diferentes, né? Ela já usou trança, coque e até mesmo fez uma escova e usou o cabelo lisão mesmo. Ficou tão bonito quanto.

Por fim, assim como os cachos de Swift as madeixas longas de Taylor Momsen também são minha paixão! Lindos demais, e agora estão assim, bem compridos, acho que ficou ainda mais a cara dela.

Enfim, o meu favorito é, com certeza, o da Ashley Greene. E o de vocês?

OK, so it’s a bold move to go ahead and admit you watch Gossip Girl, but let’s face it… a lot of us do. To be honest I don’t really watch the show for the story line, but Gossip Girl’s Music Director Alexandra Patsavas was the same person that made music fans swoon for The O.C. I watch to see what the music placement world is doing, trendspotting eavesdropping I guess you could call what I do with the show. That all being said there is some musical talent in the cast as well, everyone knows and has heard Leighton Meester with Cobra Starship though a lot of us wish we hadn’t! Here is Taylor Momsen with her band Pretty Reckless, and though I am not sure just yet, I am pretty sure I like it… a little modern day Joan Jett we may have on our hands.