1. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

2. Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine

3. Led Zeppelin – Whole Lotta Love

4. Deep Purple – Smoke On The Water

5. Derek and the Dominos – Layla

6. AC/DC - Back In Black

7. Metallica – Enter Sandman

8. The Beatles – Day Tripper

9. Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit

10. The Rolling Stones – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

11. Black Sabbath – Paranoid

12. Muse – Plug In Baby

13. Eddie Van Halen – Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love

14. The Kinks - You Really Got Me

15. The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army

16. AC/DC – Highway to Hell

17. Led Zeppelin – Heartbreaker

18. Black Sabbath - Iron Man

19. Led Zeppelin – Black Dog

20. Michael Jackson – Beat It

Source

This week’s Top 20 WiiWare titles are based on the information from the week of November 23rd, 2009 (parentheses indicate the previous week’s rank).

1 Pokemon Rumble Demo (N/A)
2 World of Goo Demo (N/A)
3 FFCC: My Life as a Darklord Demo (N/A)
4 Bit.Trip Beat Demo (N/A)
5 NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits Demo (N/A)
6 Pokemon Rumble (N/A)
7 Excitebike: World Rally (1)
8 Frogger Returns (2)
9 Carnival King (4)
10 Reel Fishing Challenge (3)
11 Tetris Party (5)
12 World of Goo (7)
13 My Aquarium (8)
14 Dr. Mario Online Rx (9)
15 LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias (6)
16 Contra Rebirth (10)
17 My Pokemon Ranch (11)
18 “Aha! I Got It!” Escape Game (15)
19 Final Fantasy IV: The After Years (13)
20 Texas Hold’Em Poker (14)

Well, the list got thrown off quite a lot this week with the addition of demos and I think it will be the only time I have them appear on the list since the five demos took the top five spots that are normally held by games.  I don’t think demos should appear regularly on the list, I just wanted you to see how popular the service was. 

The one thing this list really shows is that Pokemon is very popular.  It was the most downloaded demo of the week, as well as the most popular game of the week.  In all there were three pokemon titles in the top 20.  ExciteBike: World Rally fell from the top of the list being replaced by Pokemon Rumble.

Next week we’ll refresh the list and demos will not be included so you can see what the most popular games of the week are.

We have just compiled our list for the top 20 companies and the top 20 law firms who were issued patents by the USPTO for the third quarter of 2009.  No big surprises out there from the corporate side with IBM, Samsung, and Microsoft clearly leading with IP innovations.  Take interest of Townsend and Townsend with 457, compared to last quarters 376 – it’s great to see some firms getting busy again - Take a look at the charts here – http://legaladvantage.net/TopPatentIssuersQ32009.aspx

This week’s Top 20 WiiWare titles are based on the information from the week of November 9th, 2009 (parentheses indicate the previous week’s rank).

1 Excitebike: World Rally (N/A)
2 Reel Fishing Challenge (2)
3 Carnival King (N/A)
4 LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias (1)
5 Tetris Party (5)
6 World of Goo (3)
7 My Aquarium (4)
8 Frogger Returns (N/A)
9 Dr Mario Online Rx (8)
10 Contra Rebirth (6)
11 Ghost Mansion Party (11)
12 My Pokémon Ranch (9)
13 Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 3 (7)
14 Final Fantasy IV: The After Years (10)
15 Texas Hold’Em Poker (12)
16 Aha! I Got It! Escape Game (N/A)
17 Brain Challenge (16)
18 Defend Your Castle (17)
19 Shootanta: Evolutionary Mayhem (13)
20 Sexy Poker (18)

It was certainly a good week for classics.  Two new looks at old games hit the top 20 in a big way.  Both those titles, ExciteBike: World Rally and Frogger Returns showed up in the Top 10.  Those two combined with the other two new titles, Carnival King and Aha! I Got It! Escape Game, meant it was a week of downfall for nearly every other title on the list. 

The four new games also meant four older games had to go and this week those unfortunate few are DRiiFT Mania, LostWinds, Family Mini Golf, and Word Searcher.  And our Sexy Poker watch may soon come to an end as the title sits precariously at #20. 

We’ll check back on this and all the new developments in next week’s edition of the Top 20 WiiWare titles.

So I was amazed to see that Journey are back in the charts this week. If you happened to know me in person, then you’ll know that I love journey, mainly singing along to it if I’m honest. My favourite songs you ask? Well person who asks really obvious questions, Anyway You Want It and Don’t Stop Believing are. The latter of those two is the song that is currently sitting at number 19 in the charts. So I’m wondering to myself, I know it’s a great song and my friends know it’s a great song. But why did it take the general public so long to figure it out.

I hadn’t been able to work it out all day, then when I brought the topic up with my friend Sophie (fellow Journey lover) she immediately knew why it had entered the charts. The X-Factor. Thanks to Simon Cowell and Joe McElderry’s terrible cover of the classic, it was brought it to the attention of the British public once more. I’m not sure what to think on this. On the one hand the cover was terrible and almost ruined the song. I’ve heard worse yes, but in a national ‘talent’ competition you’d expect them to be able to do it well. On the other hand its nice to hear one of my favourite songs getting air time again.

I guess I’ll have to say thank you Simon Cowell, but screw you Joe ‘I like to ruin Journey songs’ McElderry!

Sexed-up electro pop song "3" by pop princess Britney is #1 on The Dean's List

Dean’s List YouTube playlist

The Dean’s List – Top 20 Pop Songs – 11.07.09

1. 3 - Britney Spears
2. Fireflies – Owl City
3. Replay – I.Y.A.Z.
4. La La La – LMFAO
5. I Gotta Feeling - The Black Eyed Peas
6. She Wolf - Shakira
7. Party in the USA – Miley Cyrus
8. You Belong With Me – Taylor Swift
9. One Time – Justin Bieber
10. Bad Romance - Lady GaGa
11. Whatcha Say - Jason DeRulo
12. Already Gone – Kelly Clarkson
13. Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
14. Down - Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne
15. TiK ToK – Ke$ha
16. Good Girls Go Bad – Cobra Starship ft. Leighton Meester
17. Russian Roulette – Rihanna
18. Face Drop - Sean Kingston
19. Sweet Dreams – Beyonce
20. Battlefield - Jordin Sparks

Creepy new Rihanna song "Russian Roulette" enters The Dean's List chart at #17. Click pic to play "Russian Roulette"

Newcomer artist Ke$ha earned the #15 spot on The Dean’s List with her lovable cheerleader club pop track “TiK ToK”. Diddy lends his voice at the beginning though so if Ke$ha’s signed to Bad Boy I feel sorry for her.

New chart entrants “La La La” by LMFAO and “Replay” by I.Y.A.Z. both claim top 5 spots on The Dean’s List. Lady GaGa enters The Dean’s List top 10 with her latest electro dance pop concoction “Bad Romance.”

The Black Eyed Peas, Miley Cyrus, and Shakira continue to dominate, all holding steady to their top 10 spots.

Britney Spears reigns at the top with her super-catchy menage-a-tois anthem “3″, while Owl City quietly rests at #2 with his sleepy, indie electro pop masterpiece “Fireflies”.

Reader Input

Which songs on The Dean’s List are your favorite? Share what you think in the comments section.

See you soon here on The Hit Music Academy for the next edition of The Dean’s List and some more great music.

Dean’s List YouTube playlist

Related posts:

The Dean’s List: Top Pop Songs 9.2.09
The Dean’s List: Top 10 Dance Songs 9.23.09
The Dean’s List: Top 10 Dance Songs 8.26.09

by:

Dexter Bryant Jr. (d.BRYJ)
DbryJ Music Media Group

A Billboard divulgou em seu site a lista dos 100 maiores artistas de todos os tempos (veja aqui) e advinhem, muitas surpresas…

Vejam abaixo o TOP 20:

• 20º lugar: Marvin Gaye;
• 19º lugar: Aretha Franklin;
• 18º lugar: Olivia Newton-John;
• 17º lugar: Rod Stewart;
• 16º lugar: Prince;
• 15º lugar: Daryl Hall & John Oates;
• 14º lugar: The Supremes;
• 13º lugar: Chicago;
• 12º lugar: Bee Gees;
• 11º lugar: Paul McCartney/Wings;
• 10º lugar: The Rolling Stones;
• 09º lugar: Whitney Houston;
• 08º lugar: Michael Jackson;
• 07º lugar: Janet Jackson;
• 06º lugar: Mariah Carey;
• 05º lugar: Stevie Wonder;
• 04º lugar: Elvis Presley;
• 03º lugar: Elton John;
• 02º lugar: Madonna;
• 01º lugar: Beatles.

Confesso que tem um ou outro aí que nunca ouvi falar, também fiquei assustado pela Janet Jackson estar na frente do Michael. Mas a GRANDE surpresa e felicidade é ver Madonna, a Rainha do Pop, ficar atrás apenas dos Beatles.

Como disse ontem: “Sorry Bitches!”

De bônus, uma coletânea com vários sucessos de 1980 a 1984 que marcaram história na Billboard (mais de 500 músicas). Clique aqui para ir ao site do download.

Leonardo Portela

]]> http://acousticpie.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/top-20-songs-on-acoustic-pie-october-2009/ Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:44:29 +0000 Kelley Martin http://acousticpie.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/top-20-songs-on-acoustic-pie-october-2009/

That Weepies song in the no. 1 spot is so, so sweet.  And since Deb Talan is singing that track, it means that listeners have singled out five ladies for the top five spots in the Top 20 this month.

Putnam Smith (no. 16)  is a newcomer to my ear and to Acoustic Pie and I’m liking him very much.  Such a charming voice and style.  You’ll find four of his songs from that album in the current rotation on the Pie.

The talented and gorgeous Sara Petite (no. 15) and the fabulous songwriter/guitarist Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek (no. are representing San Diego songwriters this month along with new local resident Lafe (no. 9) and The Flimz (no. 18).   San Diego music lovers have something else to cheer about as well:  Krista Detor (no. 3), a longtime favorite of Acoustic Pie listeners, is coming to San Diego on Nov. 14 opening for another Acoustic Pie artist Peter Mulvey at AMSD.  Um hm ~ I’ll be there!  Hope to see some of you!

Thanks for reading (and listening and voting)!

~Kelley
AcousticPie.com

Top 20 Songs on Acoustic Pie
October 2009

Artist ~ Song ~ Album

1.  The Weepies ~  Gotta Have You ~  Say I Am You
2.  Rosanne Cash ~  Take My Body ~  10 Song Demo
3.  Krista Detor ~  A Red Bowl ~  Mudshow
4.  Kristen Hall ~  Nothing ~  Be Careful What You Wish For
5.  Ingrid Michaelson ~  Lady In Spain ~  Be OK
6.  Tim O’Brien ~  Circles Around You ~  Odd Man In
7.  Still on the Hill ~  Take Me to the Other Side ~  Ozark: A Celebration in Song
8.  Sean Watkins ~  Hello…Goodbye ~  Blinders On
9.  Lafe ~  Praying for Rain ~  Am I Gone
10.  Girlyman ~  St. Peter’s Bones ~  Joyful Sign
11.  Girlyman ~  Carols At Christmas ~  Joyful Sign
12.  Chris Kokesh ~  Real as a Dream ~  I Never Knew
13.  Stephen Kellogg ~  Such a Way ~  Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers
14.  SONiA ~  Gangsters of Love ~  No Bomb is Smart
15.  Sara Petite ~  Gypsy Friend ~  Tiger Mountain
16.  Putnam Smith ~  Coming Out of the Gray ~  Goldrush
17.  Jakob Dylan ~  This End of the Telescope ~  Seeing Things
18.  The Flimz ~  In My Mind ~  The Flimz
19.  Tim O’Brien ~  Like I Used To Do ~  Odd Man In
20.  Syd ~  Back Home ~  Fault Lines 

I’ve decided to compile my favorite films to watch around Halloween into a Top 20 list. This list does not descend in order of quality. For example, Rosemary’s Baby is an excellent and classic horror film but it’s not one my absolute favorites for Halloween. List comes complete with obligatory commentary and traditional bad jokes! Here goes:

20. Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari–Classic 1920 German Expressionist film written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer, and directed by Robert Wiene. Considered one of the earliest horror films, I love this movie for it’s straight up creepiness. Without the aid of sound, Wiene & Co. established an unprecedented tone through set design and unconventional story.

19. Re-Animator–One of the most fun horror movies out there. It’s based on an H.P. Lovecraft story and is my favorite update to the Frankenstein mythos. Not many films this grotesque can match the gore with wit and inventiveness. Gold star for Jeffrey Combs’ awesomely intense and hilarious performance.

18. Ernest Scared Stupid–I love Ernest and this is a Halloween classic, the same as Ernest Saves Christmas is a Christmas classic. Ernest isn’t as hilarious here as in some of his earlier films, but the actually frightening aspects of Scared Stupid make up for it. I’m sorry, but that troll and his little troll spawn are still freaky. Know whattamean?

17. Zombi 2–AKA Zombie in the States. Italian director Lucio Fulci’s film (which is not actually a sequel to anything, just titled so to ride the wave of success from Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, or Zombi in Europe) is an excellent zombie movie for Halloween. The plot is uninspired and, at this point in the zombie game, the irrational actions of the characters just seem like lazy writing, but the realistic makeup effects and gore constitute Fulci’s film as one of the best in the genre. Plus, a zombie fights a tiger shark underwater. The actor playing the zombie was the shark’s trainer. The shark was real! Who does that?

16. The Frighteners–This 1996 Robert Zemeckis-produced Peter Jackson-directed film is an extremely entertaining watch for Halloween time. The movie works as a spoof of the traditional ghost story while remaining a fantasy thriller with a completely unique story, funny jokes, and plenty of clever turns to keep you on your toes. I have yet to see Jackson’s cult classic Braindead, but 1987’s Bad Taste proves that Jackson can make a fun, gory film with an extremely low budget. I’d like to see him return to the genre with his filmmaking status now. King Kong doesn’t count.

15. The Fly–You’ve got David Cronenberg, you’ve got Jeff Goldblum. You’ve got the Kafkaesque story, you’ve got Academy Award-winning makeup. AND Geena Davis? Fahgettaboutit. The Fly boasts some of the most disturbing images and one of the best horror film endings I’ve ever seen.  I first watched it at an impressionable age. Maybe that explains a lot…

14. Beetlejuice–I can’t get enough Geena. Tim Burton’s movie about a perverse ghoul for hire is extremely imaginitive and funny. The cast is stellar, the story is original, and the visual effects and production design are a much better indicator of Burton’s style to me than some of his recent works. Instead of picking an existing story, updating it in an entirely CG world, and sticking Johnny Depp in the middle, maybe Burton should rewatch Beetlejuice and remember why he decided to direct it in the first place.

13. The Lost Boys–This 1987 gem is a good example of brooding teenage vampires done right (and one of the only good things Joel Schumacher has done in his life). 80s culture and vampire hunting are expertly married into a unholy union that always brings me back for more. And despite Corey Haim’s wardrobe (and Rob Lowe half-shirt poster), homoerotic “vamping out,” and a shirtless Timmy Cappello saxophone overload, The Lost Boys still isn’t as gay as Twilight. I don’t think anyone disagrees that it’s a shame Corey Feldman is keeping the series alive (or dead?), though. Next time don’t wait 20 years.

12. Nightmare on Elm Street–When I watch Wes Craven’s surrealistic and shocking first installment of the Nightmare series, I forget that Freddy Kruger has become a joke. As a child, the plot was terrifying. I actually remember a dream I had in which an invisible Kruger chased me and other children around an orphanage. Luckily, I realized it was a dream so I made him visible, became invisible myself, and materialized a chainsaw to get revenge. Melissa Joan Hart was there.

11. An American Werewolf in London–This is simply the most entertaining werewolf movie out there. John Landis injected new comedic life into lupine cinema and made AAWIL stand above other 80s werewolf flicks such as The Howling and Wolfen. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences actually created the Outstanding Achievement in Makeup category just for this movie.

10. Poltergeist–Steven Spielberg and some other dudes penned the most culturally influential ghost movie of all time. The rumored Poltergeist “curse” associated with the series contributes to the creepiness of the flick and the peppered humor and iconic scenes make it exceptionally rewatchable. I’m convinced that the “curse” was a deal Craig T. Nelson made with Satan so that he could eventually land Coach.

9. Eraserhead–If you ever just want to feel dirty and lost, throw in this David Lynch classic. No film gets under my skin quite like Eraserhead. The mystery behind Lynch’s choices still escapes many and my interpretation changes with each viewing. Each scene seems more senseless and disturbing than the last, the product of which will always remain aesthetically compelling. Lynch captures the nature of nightmares superbly. What could be better for Halloween?

8. Psycho–You gotta throw some Hitchcock into any horror list and his 1960 Psycho remains one of the most suspenseful psychological thrillers in the genre. There’s a reason why film classes study it’s structure: it’s perfect. As a young lad, I suffered from an annoying lack of deference for films released before Star Wars, that is until I watched Hitchcock’s horror masterpiece on T.V. one day. Anthony Perkin’s performance and the twist ending automatically inducted me into Alfred’s fan club.

7. The Omen–Gregory Peck might be the loving father to rule them all, but when you’re the Antichrist, he will try to stab you. I don’t know where Richard Donner found the boy that played Damian, but that child was a freaky little bastard. The Omen has an Oscar-winning creeptackular soundtrack and THE best decapitation scene in any movie ever. I really hope I don’t end up accidentally raising the spawn of Satan as my own child.

6. The Shining–The Shining reigns supreme as far as psychological horror goes. Jack Nicholson is terrific as the dad gone bad and Shelly Duvall truly places her fear into the viewer. More Kubrick than King, this film really shines in its stunning visuals, pacing, and attention to detail. No other picture takes the audience to dark and unpredictable places in such an authentically haunting way.

5.  The Texas Chainsaw Massacre–Tobe Hoopers 1974 masterpiece is uncompromising in its delivery. Chainsaw is a visual powerhouse; I once read a review that described it perfectly as a sensory overload. You can apply a lot of the social turmoil of the early 70s to the story as many critics have, but strictly as a horror movie, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre set several precedents in the genre. All that AND cannibals? You bet. Who will survive and what will be left of them?

4. It–I very clearly remember watching Stephen King’s It for my first time and how unbelievably frightened I was through the whole thing. I had an unhealthy fear of clowns throughout my early childhood that blossomed into an unhealthy hatred for them today. And Pennywise was the worst. The fact that the home video was a double VHS two-parter was like extended torture. But, of course, I’m a champ. The film seems silly today, but I still get a chill down my spine when I hear “We all float down here.” F you, Pennywise.

3. Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn–Oh, how I love the Evil Dead trilogy. Army of Darkness is probably my favorite of the three films, but Evil Dead II is my favorite to watch around Halloween as it is the perfect mixture of the horror of Evil Dead and the slapstick goofiness of Army. Sam Raimi’s spastic direction and the over the top gore don’t leave a dull moment from start to finish. Groovy.

2. Halloween–The name is in the title. John Carpenter jump started one of the longest living slasher series by skillfully building tension and introducing a silent, uncompromising villain that never seems to die. It was tough to get out there and trick-r-treat after watching this one for the first time. Jamie Lee Curtis is the quintessential scream queen and the theme music is almost scarier than Michael Myers lurking in the shadows. Almost.

1. Night of the Living Dead–Of all the different types of horror movies to watch around Halloween, the zombie movie is my favorite. And this one is the mother. Now, I’m going to cheat here and also include Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead under a single Romero umbrella that equals one giant zombie fest I try to participate in each October 31st. NOTLD wasn’t the first film to feature zombies but it redefined the genre and influenced future undead cinema beyond anything that predates its 1968 release. The combination of atmosphere, gore, and social commentary work together nicely in each film and, though his more recent “…of the Dead” entries are diluting the series more than contributing to it, I will always look to Night and its two subsequent installments to set the perfect mood for each Halloween season.

Honorable mentions: The Exorcist, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Pet Sematary, Friday the 13th, Carrie, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Last House on the Left, Nosferatu, Rosemary’s Baby, Frankenstein, The Amityville Horror, From Hell, Fright Night, House on Haunted Hill, My Boyfriend’s Back, Child’s Play, The Hills Have Eyes.

Probable future addition: Drag Me to Hell

Do you have any favorites I’m forgetting?

“Season Six – Top 20″

October 27th, 2009

The season started out with such promise: the Top 20 was touted as one of their best ever, and the network even gave them an hour of primetime to prove it last night when the dancers got to showcase their own personal styles in a series of group numbers. It made for a really engaging bit of television, a celebration of the individual dancers that Americans would be voting on.

However, as tonight’s performance show demonstrated, this season has very much been taken out of America’s hands, not in any substantial way but through a series of unfortunate circumstances. Just as viewers may have started falling in love with Billy Bell illness pulled him from the competition, and Noelle suffered a knee injury that seems likely to pull her from the competition considering the huge honkin’ brace she was sporting during tonight’s performance show. And to top it all off, with the World Series dominating Fox’s airwaves, America didn’t even get to vote for their favourites, meaning that two dancers were sent home without ever using their fingers to make numbers in front of millions of Americans.

It was an unfortunate turn of events because it takes a show that more than any other democratizes reality competition programming, emphasizing the America and Favourite in “America’s Favourite Dancer” with gusto, and turns it into a charade that this talented group of contestants doesn’t particularly deserve.

There was some enjoyable dancing tonight, but to be honest with you I don’t really remember much of it. I was too busy thinking about the things that had nothing to do with the dancers, the new elements the show had added to this season and the elements that seemed to happen TO the season in these opening episodes. There was no routine that seemed like it was capable of transcending the drama of it all, which is an unfortunate circumstance for all involved: I don’t think any of the choreographers phoned it in, with Travis, Sonja and Dave Scott perhaps putting together the most memorable routines for me overall, but it didn’t seem like any of them could break through amidst the turmoil going on in front of and behind the cameras.

First and foremost, I have to say that the two biggest changes to the show are a split for me. On the one hand, I despite the new studio setup, an awkward structure that features a giant video screen more distracting than atmospheric (except for in one routine tonight, which used it to silhouette a jazz band to great effect) and which has a very strange use of space. The show, before, felt like an almost cavernous environment which implied an open-theatre type setup where fans surrounded the stage. This stage might have a more complex lighting setup, but there is something about it that feels closed in. Not only that, but the way the audience is structured means that there is a gap between the seats (where the judges are situated) and the “crowd” in front of the stage, which created awkward camera angles where you see a large empty space where there should be people or, at the very least, something. I can understand it if the changes really seemed like they were adding to the show, but right now the small size led to awkward moments like Cat standing on the stage in plain sight while one of the final solos was being completed, which to me is something that they could have designed around. I’m not sure if the move is budgetary (perhaps moving into a smaller studio space and using the same equipment they built for the Nokia Theatre finale in the summer) or stylistic, but it’s unpleasant either way.

I have more positive things to say, however, about Adam Shankman’s arrival as a permanent third judge. Again, there’s a few theories about why they made this choice, and until we see how often they fill a fourth chair it’s going to be tough to really know. Whether it was a lack of availability of guest judges (which seems unlikely since all of the choreographers were in attendance) or something else, Shankman is the right choice: he’s capable of hamming it up with Mary, cracking witty one-liners, and perhaps most importantly offering a wide range of constructive criticism. While Lil’ C was too wordy, and Mia picked favourites, and Debbie Allen was fun if a bit too motherly, Shankman is able to offer funny comments that double as critical analysis. His comments to Bianca did nothing to diminish her performance, but simultaneously told her what she could improve and taught us some of the things to look for in a tap dancer trying to take on contemporary. I’ve always thought Shankman was amongst the more enjoyable of the show’s judges, and it makes sense (if they’re going for stability) for someone who doesn’t choreograph for the show to take that spot and provide a third, non-biased perspective on each week’s dances.

But while I was focusing on all of this, there was dancing happening, and unfortunately for the show none of it really matters. Yes, Duncan ended up being sent home, but considering he has only been in the competition for a day and a half it isn’t exactly surprising that they would choose to cut him, especially since they hadn’t wanted him in the competition anyways (to put it bluntly). He appears to have been chosen for his proximity to southern California and his previous relationship with Pauline (who he paired with during Vegas week), but in the end he was a hip hop dancer with a day and a half to learn the smooth waltz. I didn’t think he was quite as bad as the judges made him out to be, but he simply drew the wrong dance for a last-second fill-in. As a result, he heads home hoping that Fox will let him break the rules next year, should he improve enough to make it to the Top 20. It’s hard, though, for the audience to really feel for someone who they had no hand in sending home, and who was there for such a short period of time – the emotion is only pity, not empathy, and that hurts its emotional impact.

The same goes for Ariana, who we spent more time with but who isn’t likely to actually go home. Noelle’s knee injury is serious enough that an MRI is required to discern its severity, which implies to me that she will not be dancing soon enough for her to continue in the competition. If this is the case, chances are Ariana will be coming back soon thereafter, making her exit a bit tenuous. I thought she acquitted herself fairly well with one of Tabitha and Napolean’s non-lyrical hip-hop routines (one of their better ones out of the boring side of their oeuvre), but the judges singled her out for not quite stepping up to the routine. It all happened so fast, though, and more importantly it could be reversed just as quickly. There is every chance that this week will have eliminated an injured contestant who we’ve only seen dance in a group number and someone who was filling in for an injured contestant, which never got to sink in due to the show’s accelerated schedule. You’ll notice that very little of that sentence had to do with dancing, which is part of where the season is off to a rocky start.

It’s not, of course, off to a bad one: there seems to be some fun personalities in the Top 20, the new judges’ dynamic proved pretty entertaining (with even Mary getting into the concise critical mood a few times, albeit resorting to screaming on a number of occasions), and for all of my concerns about the stage and the drama it’s nice to see the show back in competition mode where it really shines.

Cultural Observations

• Russell showing up in the Bottom Two seemed like a calculated effort to give him more screentime, as the judges praised him profusely despite his disadvantage of not being able to build chemistry with a single partner. They love having a krumper on the show, and they just want him to stick around a bit longer.
• Speaking of Russell, it was interesting to see Melanie take to the stage as his partner, being as elegant and graceful as one would expect. What was interesting is that not all choreographers could do the same, so they would likely have had to bring in someone else (one of the practice dancers, perhaps) to do the job. It’s an interesting scenario, that’s to be sure – boring this season has certainly not been.
• The teaming of Nathan and Mollee had been predicted before the season began, primarily because (as Shankman put it) they are definitively adorable. Whether their disco number had anything going for it beyond enthusiasm and tricks is largely irrelevant given how valuable those two skills are to their future fans, and only time will tell if they’ve got the technical chops to go with their energy.
• Nigel saving a seat for Paula Abdul is going to get very old, very quickly, so I demand that he instead start saving a seat for MC Skat Kat.

Hurray competition. This week there is no results show, the judges will be making cuts at the end of the night. Considering that I’d prefer the judges choosing in general, I’m happy about that. The tap dancing sounded so off with the music when the top 20 are announced. I do like that the dancers actually did some different and big moves.

Cat Deeley looks a little old today with the old fashioned hairdo and the covered up dress. So with Adam Shankman as a permanent judge, does this mean that there won’t be other guest judges? Still an empty chair for Paula but Nigel says Paula told him she’s interested. He announces that Billy Bell is out of the competition and Noelle hurt her knee and can’t dance tonight. Her choreographer will replace Melanie. If Noelle is ready next week she can stay in the competition if not she will go home. I’m excited to see a choreographer doing the dance (though how awesome would it have been if they’d brought back Jeanine?).

First pair of the night: Channing and Phillip. Channing is a tomboy and Phillip is a poet. They will be doing the Jive with Jason Gilkinson. Phillip says his tap experience helps with learning the routine. There are a couple moments where it seems like they’re paused for too long and it seems like they could use a bit more energy (but that could just be that Rockin’ Robin isn’t so fast). Adam says Phillip was great and Channing was elegant and surprised him. Mary says not bad, good but she wants more from them. Lazy legs not enough energy. Channing got it as it went along but Phillip got lazier at it progressed. Nigel agrees that he expected Phillip to do well, Channing needs to adjust because of the heels. They could have been sharper and that maybe they ran out of energy. More chemistry. I’m not a huge fan of this pair, I don’t love Phillip. I don’t know why.

Time for couple number two: Ashleigh and Jakob. Is it problematic that she’s not dancing with her husband? Ashleigh couldn’t dance for six years due to injury and illness. Jakob is less interesting. Dancing sultry Broadway with Tyce. Will Ryan be jealous or excited? Broadway is not my favorite Tyce genre but nice flip Jakob. Jakob seems to get the cooler moves here. Adam says they found chemistry and smart choreography Tyce. God put Jakob on the Earth to spread the gospel of dance. Ashleigh needs to work on finishing her lines but she was amazing too. Mary says phenomenal. Everything Jakob does is perfect. Nigel says Ashleigh was a surprise in the top 20 but for two nights in a row she’s proved why she deserves it. He would have loved to see Jakob vs Billy because they’re two of the most gifted dancers both technically and performance wise.

Ariana and Peter now. Ariana is from the country and lives on a farm. Peter is Italian. They’ll be doing Tabitha and Napoleon’s hip hop routine about emotionless androids that have chemistry when around each other. Awful costume for Ariana. The dance is really cool but they don’t quite capture the roboticness of it. Maybe they’re not sharp enough? Adam says they didn’t dance alike and the choreography was more evocative with them, not enough action and reaction from the dancers. Focus on their musicality (he does a Lil C imitation which earns a buck from Cat). Mary thinks it go sloppy midway through. Nigel didn’t feel like we ever found “it.” Both were out of their element. Peter did a bit better than Ariana, surprisingly. This is the first tiem he’s been disappointed with either one. (Does that mean Channing is safe? I hope so!)

Fourth comes “Noelle” and Russel. Wait, let me guess, Russel is the first Krumper to make the top 20? Noelle is a southern girl. Noelle knew nothing about the foxtrot style which is choreographed by Melanie and Tony Meredith. Melanie does the routine with him. She’s not so fit so despite her being an expert her lines look so off. Russel is so cute in his totally hitting it dancing. It’s so not the sexy dance it might have been. Adam says Russel defies explanation. He’s so gifted, it was an untested partnership and he just did a smooth foxtrot which is so unlike Krump. Mary agrees, he has an it factor. He has some things to work on. Nigel says Russel is living proof of why he wants kids to experience dance. He had things to fix but his lines were good.

Bianca and Victor are partners. Bianca has sacrificed things for her dance–she moved alone. Victor is from Miami. YES, TRAVIS WALL CONTEMPORARY! He has to be indifferent to her in the piece. Now this one is actually very sexy and sultry. And almost graphic. I’m not a huge fan of the music for it but it was pretty cool. Adam is impressed by the choreography. Bianca was at a disadvantage because of her tap style. She needs to drop her shoulders and point her toes. Victor is a revelation. Mary is thrilled with her making the top 20 and her passion really showed through. Their chemistry was great and Victor took it to another level. Nigel says they have the best chemistry of any group yet.

Meet Karen and Kevin. Karen is from Venezuala. Kevin was a model. They are doing a cha cha with Tony and Melanie. There’s something off about her wearing that sequinney dress and dancing to Push It. But it still feels a little tame for me, not enough chemistry, a little too steppy. Adam says to Karen “yikes” it was hard to watch anything but Karen. Kevin did a great job too but the lift series was a little awkward (it was, I don’t know why people are booing, I agree). Mary loves cha cha, Karen was sharp, sexy, rhythmical, and she goes on the hot tamale train. But Kevin was rhythmical and sexy but needs to work on the sharpness. Nigel says Kevin danced very well though he does need some improvement. Good performance. Karen is a vision.

Ellenore and Ryan. Ryan loves working out. Ellenore’s parents were dancers too. CONTEMPORARY JAZZ WITH SONYA! Angelic creatures, one pure one overbearing. Ryan is the evil one. Sonya says she’s never felt so inspired. A lot of hype for this one. Ellenore thinks it will be the best piece of the entire series. Ryan’s costume is great and Ellenore’s kind of looks like a diaper. It really distracts me from the piece. Adam says Sonya rocks his world. Technically, he would never have put them at the top but they just became the most exciting dancers. Beautiful, unique. He wished there was more abandon within the dance (AGREED, I think this dance could have been amazing and maybe a few weeks in would have been better). Mary says she loved the chemistry. They were totally in character all the time. Nigel finds it amazing that Sonya’s style changes with everything she’s doing. This was a new style. So far all the dancers have successfully broken out of their own styles.

Brandon and Pauline are next. Pauline does photography. Brandon is a hip hop dancer. They will be doing a smooth waltz with Jason Gilkinson. Meh. There’s something really off looking about them, he’s kind of stiff her lines are just missing it. I don’t know, something is off. Adam says that given the difficult situation (he joined in a day and a half ago). They did a good job in a difficult task. Mary agrees, but they’re really cute. The chemistry was believable but the dancing was not great. Pauline was elegant. (Well how was Brandon supposed to be good?) Nigel says he loves them both. He has to critique it based on the performance and nothing else. They looked heavy, not strong enough. Pauline expects her to expand more. He doesn’t know if they’re good enough for this year’s competition.

Second to last comes Katherine and Legacy. Kahterine loves being outdoors. Legacy used to be a street performer. Hop hop routine with Dave Scott about cavemen. Good for Legacy. This might be my favorite routine of the night. It’s really clever and comedic. Despite Legacy being the only hip hopper of the group, Katherine does well (also, this isn’t quite Legacy’s style either as he’s a B-boy) Adam says it’s hot. Chemistry was fantastic. They have a great opportunity to learn from each other. Mary says Yabba Dabba Doo. Pebbles and Bam Bam were bustin’ a move in the cave tonight. She says to Legacy that he did a great job. It was everything. And Katherine’s popping was right on. Nigel says it was the hip hop version of the search for fire. Legacy brought it to life. Katherine had a couple things to improve on but her musicality is excellent.

The last couple of night is Mollee and Nathan. The young ones. Nathan plays piano and trumpet. Mollee is a goofball. They will be doing a disco with Dorianna Sanchez, inspired by Mexican wrestling. In the practice Mollee hits Nathan between the legs…Well, I think they had a few off moments but Molly certainly can’t be told she danced too young. Adam says they’re so adorable. (Nathan looks ridiculous in his costume.) They’re energy is great (agreed) but they did some very sexy lifts that didn’t seem dirty. Despite not being a fan of disco Adam was a fan. Mary says the routine was hard and they pulled it off with charisma. (Dubbed the dream team.) She predicts they’ll be around for a while. Nigel says their energy brought it to life. Disco celebrated the 70s and is uplifting. They bring the fun to the competition.

Two guys and two girls will dance solos and one guy and girl will be cut. In danger tonight are…(judging is based on everything not just the solo)…Ariana, Brandon, Pauline, and Russel. Surprise after Pauline, boos after Russel. I’m surprised about Russel (what about Peter?) but the rest I expected. I don’t think Russel will be going, (Considering that they will be judging on everything they know, they know that Brandon wasn’t supposed to make the show and despite not having enough time to really perfect the routine, he didn’t do so well. Billy couldn’t rest for a week and come back next week like Noelle? (I wonder what’s wrong with him.)

Read about the Top 18’s Performances.

As Nigel promised (and as I’ve always said the show should have) we get an introduction to the top 20 before voting begins, allowing us to know all the contestants more or less equally so that they start off on equal footing (not that that stopped Jeanine last season).

Cat Deeley shows off the new stage which doesn’t look all that different to me. Welcome to permanent judging spot, Adam Shankman, along with Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe of course. There’s a fourth chair next to Simon for Paula Abdul, on the off chance that she decides to show up at some point.

The dancers will perform their own personal styles but first, a group dance choreographed by Wade Robson and his wife. (One of the contestants is wearing awful boxer shorts during rehearsal, one of the girls, just felt the need to point that out.)

One of the girls looks a lot like Melissa in this routine, it’s weird. Also, this is super weird. It’s such a strange dance almost like a Zombie-fied version of an old school Hollywood routine. Or something. I don’t even know how else to describe it. But it does get a standing ovation with Mary and Adam standing up as well.

Hop Hop dancers first: 3 hop hop styles included this season: Russel (krumper), Kevin Hunte (pop and locker), and Legacy (b-boy). They will be performing to a routine choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon. Tabitha said she doesn’t think the show ever had so much talent in a single room but it was difficult for them to adjust to each other’s styles. “Prepare yourselves for greatness.” It’s a stunt filled craziness (with terrible costumes) but Nigel says bring it on and he’d willingly go deaf from Mary if that’s an indication of the season to come. (A couple of the stunts looked effort heavy, but still awesome.) Russel in particular gets a shout out of skill. Legacy’s grown a lot, Kevin’s going to bring it (he’s been trying out for SYTYCD for years).

Now up are group 1 of the Contemporary dancers doing a Tyce Diorrio–Ariana, Channing, Jacob, and Nathan. I don’t know about Ariana and Jacob, but I really like Nathan and Channing. Tyce says he has so much talent to pull from the dancers. (Channing, blue sweats and purple tank!) They talk about how difficult it is to show sorrow.  The costumes are half odd and slightly unflattering but the dance is quite awesome. I love Tyce, he always delivers. Mary says she’s dizzy. (The simultaneous synchronized spins were amazing.) Mary says Channing she found her femininity and softness. Mary sounds like she might hyperventilate. (Speaking of choreographers, who else is sad that Mia Michaels isn’t doing the show anymore?! I don’t think the show will drop in quality, they’ve got tons of great choreographers and are always adding more, but it’s still sad.)

Tapper time. Three have made the top 20, Bianca, Phillip and Peter. Tappers have never been in the top 20 so this is exciting. I wonder if we’ll see a tap routine during the season’s competition. Derrik K. Grant is brought in as choreographer. Bianca looks slightly crazy as she tells us that it’s fast. Apparently people think tap is easy. I don’t know what people they are talking but I don’t think it’s easy. Though seeing them actually perform, it’s not as exciting  and difficult looking at times. The fast parts look really hard but a lot of the filler looks relatively easy. (I say relatively because I could not do it.) The tap with no music was kind of cooler. Nigel says tap is difficult because no one can be taught it in the show so they’ll be dancing everyone else’s style and no one will be doing theirs, plus their personalities don’t pull in the votes the same way. (Personalities is the wrong word, their smooth calmness…)

Next up are the Jazz girls–Ellenore, Pauline, and Molly. Yes!!! Sonya is the choreography. She wants it sexy. Confidence is sexy. But sexy is not slow. (Wow, Molly looks much older with straight hair, something for her to consider.) Again unflattering outfits. Well, I don’t think any of them can be accused of dancing like teens. Adam Shankman thinks it’s amazing. Tutus, sexy? Jazz hands, sexy? Sonya was awesome as always. Molly just graduated from High School Musical.

Billy, Victor, Noelle, and Katherine are the second group of contemporary dancers dancing with Mandy Moore. (Though I hear Billy is replaced by Brandon due to illness.) I think this routine came out a little less impressive but only because I think that the more emotionally stuff tends to be more overwhelming. Shankman says it was a work of out. He doesn’t know how they can improve. “What do you become?”

Latin dancers last. More ballroom than ever before were on the show. Karen (who tried out with her husband), and married couple Ryan and Ashleigh. Choreographer Jason Gilkinson. Ashleigh needs to work on her facial expressions but I still like her. Ashleigh got all the cool lifts in this routine but I was surprised to find myself enjoying considering this is a style I don’t like very much. Mary gives them all a HOT and asks for mercy.

I love that they did this episode. I have an idea of who everyone is now and what their style is plus it’s always awesome to see more cool dances and how often does the entire group specialize in the routine they’re doing.

Read about the Top 20’s performances. </a.

Who Won SYTYCD Canada Season 2?

October 25th, 2009

Since I’ve been home this year, and since it has as a result been on every Tuesday evening, I’ve been following So You Think You Can Dance Canada where I didn’t last year. What I’ve discovered is that this is a show that can be really engaging for the reasons that any dancing competition show is, but that it constantly claims to be something “different.” It’s a weird cultural superiority scenario, wherein the mosaic we like to consider ourselves part of is somehow reflected by the decision to classify genres of dance more distinctly or how what the American show is claiming as progress (Tap Dancers! Krumpers!) was already achieved this season in Canada. The judges, as I ranted about early on during the competitive rounds, are also far too nice, often failing to critique routines that deserve some sort of constructive feedback.

It’s all part of the reason why I found tonight’s finale anti-climactic, as its celebratory tone was not that different from the self-congratulation that defines the show. I don’t think the show is misplaced in thinking itself to be entertaining or valuable to the development of Canadian dance, but there’s a point where that becomes the “point” of the show. And the result is that I actually don’t think we’ve spent enough time with these contestants for me to really suggest I am invested in them, or for that matter that the show is invested in them. The finale only further cements this fact, with some strange (if not entirely unjustified) approaches that indicate once and for all that this is not a show about dance so much as it is about how Canada is so uniquely situated to host a show about dance.

And tonight, Canada picked their ambassador.

[SPOILER ALERT: If you've not yet watched the finale, I'm about to ruin the ending, so tread carefully!]

And Canada’s ambassador of dance (this year), and the winner of $100,000 and a new Mazda 3, is Tara-Jean Popwich. It’s not the most surprising event of all time, for everyone but Tara-Jean who was overwhelmed with emotion, as she was never in the bottom and was beyond charming pretty much the entire season. She was the one person whose personality really seemed to capture the hearts of audience, and her victory felt like the right kind of celebration. Everett and Jayme Rae, as I had expected, were eliminated immediately, leaving Vincent and Tara-Jean to take home a brand new car and build some legitimate suspense as to whether a male dancer would take home the crown. It felt like a fitting ending to the season’s dance narrative, although the finale itself may not have reflected this as clearly.

While the episode started with an enjoyable Sean Cheesman theatre number, and then the Top 20 coming out in segments to the crowd’s excited response, after that point something very weird happened. As the judges went through their choices for “encores” (which is now a franchise/reality show tradition), they very intriguingly introduced them almost exclusively by genre rather than the people who danced them. Blake asked for “something” from Luther, as opposed to any particular routine, and most everyone else asked for something specific but only through its connection to a particular style (like House) or through the work of an individual choreographer (like Blake, or Stacey). It’s a fascinating distinction, because it implies that what really made each number special was inherent in the choreography and not in who danced the piece.

I don’t question the role that choreographers play in this show, but for me this finale should have been a celebration of the dancers as opposed to the choreographers. When Melanie and Vincent finish performing their great Paso Doble, they’re asked about how hard the choreography was. When Kym and Emmanuel finish their encore of Blake’s trippy magician piece, they’re asked about working with Blake (the same about others in terms of working with Luther). There are only a few instances where I felt that the encores are a chance to actually see more of these contestants rather than letting the show boast about the variety of its choreographers and the diversity of its styles. And in fact, I actually wonder whether this hasn’t been a problem all season, because I don’t know if I really connected with any of these dancers. I don’t dislike them, or anything, but the show has never seemed to be “theirs” in the way I think I want it to be.

Eventually, the Top Four came to the forefront, but only in the final half hour of the show – sitting ninety minutes without getting a chance to focus on each contestant, and problematically repetitive ones that already aired (mostly) during the finale and where the judges each got to say something while the dancers got out a mere few words, just didn’t feel “right” to me. It was one big emotional mess, and while Jean-Marc’s cryfests are part of the show’s identity (if not a part I find particularly fun to watch, even if I appreciate his emotion) to have them infest the moments where I feel we should be getting to know them better as opposed to hearing their resume on the show being listed off by the judges (who, as the piece above indicates, are not my favourite people in the world).

The two-hour finale was a bit unbalanced, with the entire first hour consisting of encores with no sign of the results. I get the impulse for this decision, trying to avoid the bad news in order to be able to continue celebrating the season that was. However, it made me actually forget who the Top 4 were, and I think the show could have done really well copying the American edition (scandalous, considering how much the show prides itself on its singularity amongst editions of the show) and giving us interviews with each of the contestants that tell us about their background in dance and how they’ve enjoyed this experience. That we never got this kind of information seems very strange to me: while one could argue that the eTalk Daily special last week with the entire top four would be considered a substitute for those types of moments, that (from the bit I saw) turned into a fan-driven affair that didn’t actually treat the contestants with the same type of respect that the choreographers seem to get (screaming fans can do that to you). It made for a finale where the people in the audience actually looked bored at a few points, and I can imagine the audience at home would similarly tire as every commercial break teased results that never seemed to come.

The constant stream of encores confirmed what we knew before: Canadians can dance, and they did it well this season. Stacey Tookey makes her presence felt as expected, with three separate routines given encores, and as expected the various “unique” genres make their presence felt with Dance Hall, House, Jazz Fusion and all of the other variations on other genres that the show enjoys singling out. The original pieces (the Top 20 with Cheesman, the Top 10 with the injured Mia Michaels) were new and as a result the more interesting numbers of the evening, but they made up so little of it that it couldn’t help but feel a bit redundant in the internet age when all of the routines can be relived 24/7 on YouTube.

Cultural Observations

• Interesting to see Mia choreographing a piece about her recent decision to “resign” (her words) from the American version of the show, as everyone is transfixed by a huge chandelier and unable to look away. It’s a really evocative piece, and it shows that she really did have a tough time making that decision (one that could have, perhaps, been made for her with the back injury she suffered during rehearsal. The piece was marred, though, with some post-production slow-motion that kills any sense of the show seeming live (which is already impossible since there’s so much costume work to be done, but still).
• If Mia Michaels was really watching this live as suggested, she must have gotten a chuckle (or thrown something at the TV) when the oft-appearing Tylenol Back Pain commercials popped up.
• Didn’t realize that Kenny Ortega was on the show last year, and that he probably would have appeared this year (being Canada’s equivalent to Adam Shankman) if it were not for Michael Jackson’s untimely death and the need for him to be hands on directing “Is This It” (which was likely his justification for doing the show, as it does count as promotion).
• The one montage that did focus more on the dancers? The piece on how often they injured themselves is the closest the show came to showing us some behind the scenes footage, and it was actually really interesting to see just how varied the injuries were (and even some rehearsal footage where it went down). Really cool stuff (except for, you know, the injuries).

1. the 7 habits of highly effective teens by stephen covey
2. the lottery and other stories by shirley jackson
3. the curious incident of the dog in the nightime by mark haddon
4. 1984 by george orwell
5. breaking dawn by stephanie meyer
6. the host by stephanie meyer
7. the absolute true diary of  a part time indian by sheman alexie
8. maximum ride:the angel experiment by james patterson
9. the friday night knitting club by kate jacobs
10. evermore:the immortals by alyson noel
11. wicked lovely by melissa marr
12. vampire academy by richelle mead
13. the sight by david clement davies
14. the thirteenth tale by diane setterfield
15. graceling by kristin cashore
16. a certain slant of light by laura whitcomb
17. harry potter and the goblet of fire by jk rowling
18. the chocolate war by robert cormier
19. the giver by louis lowry
20. love, stargirl by jerry spinelli

any book suggestions??…comment!

20. J.E. Skeets: @jeskeets

- Skeets runs the Yahoo Sports NBA blog Ball Don’t Lie, a great source of NBA stories and articles. Some hip-hop stuff on his Twitter too.

19. Stephon Marbury: @StarburyMarbury

- I know he doesn’t play in the League anymore, but this is worth it for the unintentional comedy alone. Seems like it is mostly responses to Starbury haters, but he drops some definite pearls of wisdom too.

18. Rick Kamla: @NBATVRick

- From NBA TV, Kamla delivers the passion for hoops, both real-life and fantasy. I rank him as the #1 source for fantasy basketball analysis.

17. Dwyane Wade: @dwadeofficial

- “Flash” is a perennial MVP candidate and a potential FA after the season. He updates regularly and it should be an interesting read as the the season progresses.

16. Henry Abbott: @TrueHoop

- Henry runs ESPN’s TrueHoop Blog and he is on top of everything related to the NBA. He is a Kobe hater and a Blazers homer, so be wary, but his daily NBA links are can’t miss.

15. Blake Griffin: @blakegriffin

- The consensus lock for ROY, the #1 pick will have a huge impact on the Clips. Follow Blake for the rookie perspective.

14. Kenny Smith: @TheJetOnTNT

- Would love to be able to say Charles Barkley was representing the TNT family on Twitter, but the Jet will have to do. Should be some good comedy on here during TNT broadcasts, and would love to hear him Tweet on Sir Charles wanting to be a GM.

13. Dwight Howard: @DwightHoward

- Superman 2.0 has over 1 million followers and has sent almost 7,000 tweets, showing that blocked shots and rebounds aren’t the only categories where he puts up huge numbers.

12. Marc Stein: @STEIN_LINE_HQ

Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash’s favourite reporter, Steiny-Mo offers insider info on the Mavs and all things NBA, as well as a little Manchester City soccer for those interested.

11. Chris Paul: @Oneandonlycp3

- The league’s best point guard and a Jordan Brand athlete. Two good reasons to follow him right there. Does some contests and updates regularly.

10. Baron Davis: @Baron_Davis

- B-Dizzle was looking good when I saw him in Vancouver for Nash’s charity soccer game, and all indications are that he is going to have a rebound year for the much-improved Clippers. He is also quite the character, so check his feed for random B Davis productions and general tomfoolery.

9. Chad Ford: @chadfordinsider

- ESPN NBA Mock Draft master dishes some good insider knowledge.

8. Lamar Odom: @RealLamarOdom

- Lamar might not have made this list a month ago, but with his new found popularity amongst the TMZ crowd, his feed should be a good source of gossip. He also has a bird’s eye view into the Lake Show and it will be interesting to see his tweets about old friend and new Laker Ron Artest.

7. Kevin Durant: @KevinDurant35

2009-10 has been anointed as the year of KD, so follow him now so you can see the rise of an NBA superstar through the prism that is Twitter. Too bad he plays for the Zombie Sonics. And if you haven’t watched “Sonicsgate”, please do yourself a favour and watch it for free here.

6. Daryl Morey: @dmorey

- Morey, or “Dork Elvis”, is the only NBA GM who has a Twitter account, and he is quite active on it. Worth following for the insider access to a team from an executive POV, and that doesn’t even consider the fact that DM is a stats guru who loves himself some bball metrics. For basketball nerds only.

5. Mark Cuban: @mcuban

- Pro sports most out-spoken owner is a Twitter fanatic, posting his thoughts on the Mavs, the NBA, HDNet, UFC and his blog. You never know what he is going to say next, and most of the time it is really thought-provoking stuff. Like him or not, his Twitter feed is one of the best out there.

4. Steve Nash: @the_real_nash

Captain Canada and 2-time MVP Steve Nash has quite a web presence, from his vids with Baron Davis and Vitamin Water, his movie production (ESPN 30 for 30) and his various philanthropic endeavors, he is everywhere. Well, you can get a concentrated dose of all things Nasty Nash from his Twitter feed.

3. Shaquille O’Neal: @THE_REAL_SHAQ

- The man who put Twitter on the map. Enough said.

2. Ron Artest: @96TruwarierQB

- The craziest man in the NBA also has one of the craziest Twitter feeds (go figure). He is on Twitter a lot, doing everything from sharing hip-hop tracks to announcing milkshake giveaways. I think he is on his 3rd Twitter profile by now, so make sure you keep up-to-date on the account he is currently using. But much like Ocho Cinco in the NFL, this is one athlete who everyone on Twitter should follow.

1. Bill Simmons: @sportsguy33

- Say what you want about his Boston bias but the Sports Guy is THE source for all things basketball. He drops knowledge like a broken bookshelf at the Library of Congress and his articles are always good for some laugh-out-loud moments. He’s been all over Twitter lately, so expect lots of couch-side and court-side tweets throughout the season. And go buy his new book.

UPDATE: For more insight into NBA players and Twitter, check out this amazingly detailed article on the most popular players/teams on Twitter. Stats a plenty.

Recently, I had an assignment in my Marketing Research class where we had to compile a list of 10-20 of our favorite songs.

This got me to thinking. Is it difficult for anyone else out there to pinpoing your 20 favorite songs? There are just so many out there! It took me a full week to finish the assignment; I think this is because I spend an unnecessary amount of time contemplating which songs are speaking to me at that exact moment.

But, I did finish, and here’s my list. I want to see your list, too! Leave a comment with your favorite top 20… let’s compare!

20. Winter – Tori Amos

19. Hey, Hey, What Can I Do – Led Zeppelin

18. Lake Michigan – Rogue Wave

17. Mykonos – Fleet Foxes

16. Knee 2 – Philip Glass (Einstein on the Beach)

15. Trading Places – Powderfinger

14. Like O, Like H – Tegan and Sara

13. Hide and Seek – Imogen Heap

12. Chemo Limo – Regina Spektor

11. Jesusland – Ben Folds

10. Fake Plastic Trees – Radiohead

9. Rainy Monday – Shiny Toy Guns

8. Blinded – Third Eye Blind

7. I’ll Back You Up – Dave Matthews Band

6. What Sarah Said – Death Cab for Cutie

5. Straight Lines – Silverchair

4. Lost – Coldplay

3. Not Fire, Not Ice – Ben Harper

2. Crash Into Me – Dave Matthews Band

1. The Luckiest – Ben Folds

What do you guys think?

Ok, people we have a top 20, so let the betting commence!

Below is your top 20. Click on the first image and scroll through for their names, dance styles and interesting tidbits about each dancer. Pick three for your team then notify me via email, phone or by leaving a comment here on this site. Submit your team no later than next Tuesday by 6PM.

If you’re interested in learning more about the top 20 there will be a special show on Monday introducing all the dancers. This season offers us 3 jazz dancers, 3 ballroom dancers, 3 hip-hoppers, 8 contemporary dancers (big surprise) and 3 tappers!

Your top 20 are:

Isto é uma famitsu ^^

Bem para quem não sabe a Famitsu é quem dita que um jogo é bom ou não no Japão e ela estipula as notas de zero a quarenta e só existem 12 jogos que levaram este mérito. É mais ou menos como a EGM fez durante muito tempo pelo ocidente, a diferença (além da língua, é claro), é que a maioria dos games avaliados na Famitsu são provenientes do Japão.

Confiram agora os 12 melhores games escolhidos ao longo de muitos anos pela Famitsu:

12º – Soul Calibur (DreamCast, 1999)

Soul Calibur

O primeiro jogo da série mostrou que jogos de luta 3D era um futuro promissor para os jogos de combate mano-a-mano, pois através deste título começaram a vir outros que a cada dia que passam ficam ainda melhores.

A mecânica do jogo é simples, derivado do antecessor Soul Edge  no qual você seleciona um lutador e o mesmo possui alguma arma branca, todos os personagens possuem uma e cada um tem seus combos e golpes especiais.

Com gráficos ótimos e jogabilidade incrível o jogo levou a nota quarenta da Famitsu pelo visual épico e cinematográfico.

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11º  – Nintendogs (Nintendo DS, 2005)

Nintendogs

Ter um cachorro na sua casa é bom mais caso você não possa ter um então compre  um DS e jogue Nintendogs  um jogo de simulação de cachorro no qual é possivel fazer de tudo que um cachorro decente (digamos manso) faz .

Com diferentes raças de cachorros como chihauhua , chow chow, pastor alemão etc.. o jogo possibilita muitas horas de dirversão podendo interagir com seu cãozinho solitário ou brincar com diversõs amiguinhos caninos em uma partida multiplayer.

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10º – 428 (Wii, 2008)

428

Uma graphic novel  de terror e romance no seu Wii  e um suspense digno de Hollywood  criado pela Chunsoft.

No game  você  interage com o policial Shynia Kano no qual irá resolver um mistério que cerca o bairro (odiado por otakus, amados pelos resto) Shibuya no qual o mesmo é a capital da moda no Japão.

O game levou a nota 40 da famitsu pelo fato de ter um grande enredo, personagens cativantes e cenas de ação cinematográficas.

Recomendado para aqueles que querem algo novo e diferente no console da Big N.

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9º – Monster Hunter 3 (Wii, 2009)

Monster Hunter 3

A Nintendo  está de parabens, pois possui 6 jogos nos seus consoles que levaram nota 40 pela Famitsu, Monster Hunter 3 é um deles.

O jogo fugiu do console da Sony e migrou para o Wii por motivos desconheçidos, pois o mesmo já foi anunciado para PS3 e mais tarde foi cancelado e passado ao console Wii.

No jogo é quase a mesma coisa do anterior só que melhor…muito melhor agora é possivel se interagir na água, alem de gráficos melhores e cenários grandiosos.

O número de Quests aumentou e a quantidade de itens para custumizar seu avatar é supreedente, contudo o game não tinha por que não levar a nota máxima da Famitsu, pois a Capcom junto com a Nintendo mostraram o que que é um jogo de verdade.

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8º – Vagrant Story (PSX, 2000)

Vagrant Story

Depois de dizer isto vai ter nego querendo me matar… este é o melhor jogo de play 1 depois de Metal Gear Solid!!!

Nunca houve um jogo tão bonito como este, com um sistema de batalha criativo, gráficos e estrutura cinematográfica e um com enredo  enigmático e envolvente o jogo conseguiu a nota 40 da Famitsu e por  min leva até Oscar , Palma de Ouro e até o Cannes.

O sistema de batalha não é por turno porém não é um action, é uma mistura dos dois fazendo com que o jogador use a cabeça e nunca utilize a mesma arma já que cada uma tem seus atributos, vantagens e desvatagens nas lutas contra os inimigos.

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7º – The Legend of Zelda : Wind Walker (GameCube, 2003)

Wind Waker

A Nintendo estreiou Zelda no GC com chave de ouro logo no primeiro jogo da série para o console  o mesmo leva nota 40 com  orgulho.

Motivo da nota quarenta: muitos! Pois, o jogo inova no visual Cel Shadding ( aquele que mescla 2D com 3D dando a impressão que é um anime) com um visual caricato, jogabilidade e com um enredo para todas  idades este jogo é uma obra prima feita por Shigeru Miyamoto que concerteza é um dos melhores criadores de jogos da história.

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6º – Super Smash Brawl (Wii, 2008)

Super Smash Bros: Brawl

O jogar crossover é sinonimo de jogar algo divertido com clima de festa e esse jogo não foge a regra e traz as grandes estrelas da Nintendo em um combate épico.

A cada versão do game se traz um personagem novo, mas nesta versão tem até personagem  que teoricamente está de intruso tendo se infiltrado no jogo … SIM estou falando de Solid Snake o maior espião dos games que resolveu apareçer no game para compartilhar a nota 40 da Famitsu.

Com uma jogabilidade fácil de aprender e difícil de largar, graficos e estruturas cativantes o game é motivo de jogatina multiplayer em qualquer evento de anime e em diversos lugares.

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5º – Final Fantasy XII (PS2, 2006)

Final Fantasy XII

É ironico dizer isto mais este FF  por muitos é o ovelha negra da família ,mas é o unico que recebeu nota 40 até hoje, nem o glorioso FF VII recebeu.

O game conta com um visual melhorado dando-se impressão de estar jogando um MMORPG (massive multiplayer online role-playing game) com um sistema de batalha inovador (que foi o motivo de todos os fãs de FF acostumados as batalhas por turno largarem este e irem jogar os clássicos) porém o jogo não tem nenhum defeito ao meu ver e ao ver da Famitsu, pelo  contrário o jogo possui um visual mais realista, cenários grandiosos e um sistema de exploração incrível.

O jogo para mim é um dos melhores FF já feito e espero que a série continue assim, mostrando que a fantasia sempre pode ser melhor a cada dia e inacabável…

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4º – Bayonetta (PS3 e Xbox 360, 2009)

Bayonetta

E este saiu do forno agorinha, agorinha ….

Com pegadas de Devil May Cry, o jogo é daqueles que você pega seu herói ( no caso heroina) resolve puzzles, faz o corre,  mas no final tudo acaba na porrada !!

Este tipo de jogo começou a surgir na época do play 2 com Onnimusha e DMC, mas com os criadores banidos da empresa e vindo para a Sega a pegada de andar e bater vem com tudo na nova geração e chega levando nota 40 por seu ótimo enredo, trilha sonora e visual exagerado.

Detalhe somente a versão de X-Box 360 levou a nota 40… Bem , é que inventaram que a versão do play 3 é mais pesada, mas a verdade é nua e crua… a Microsoft não tinha nenhum jogo nota 40 até hoje  o resto da conclusão você pode raciocinar por si mesmo.

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3º – Dragon Quest IX (Nintendo DS, 2009)

Dragon Quest IX

Nintendo chama a atenção dos criticos da Famitsu a cada jogo lançado, pois no minimo leva a nota 25 a 30 o resto é o que você esta vendo aqui: 40!!!

O novo jogo da série surpreende mesmo deixando qualquer outro portátil de queixo caindo não pelos gráficos mais sim pela diversão que este jogo traz.

No game você irá se surpreender com as inovaçoes que vão desde um visual 3D em cell shadding até a possibilidade de realizar Quests principais ou spin offs do jogo com ate 4 jogadores nos quais possibilitam a opção de se custumizarem do jeito que você desejar.

O jogo fornece inúmeras horas de jogo, mas o grande lado ruim do game é que por enquanto ele ainda está no Japão… trágico, recomendado para aqueles que gostam de um bom RPG.

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2º – The Legend of Zelda : Ocarina of Time (N64, 1998)

Ocarina of Time

Este é o melhor jogo da série sem dúvida alguma e a maior aventura da série se encontra neste jogo e ponto final.

Bem, este foi o primeiro jogo da Nintendo a receber nota 40 e foi o primeiro no qual a mesma deu a nota 40 ou seja desde o princípio a Big N chamou a atenção dos críticos da Famitsu.

Com um visual inovador trocando o 2D de A Link to The Past para um 3D digno de choro aos fan boy da série este game fica na história por trazer personagens inesquecíveis, músicas que são motivos de festa em qualquer evento de anime e também uma óbvia inspiração para aqueles que um dia querem fazer algo digno de superar este épico….

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1º – Metal Gear Solid 4 : Guns of Patriots (PS3, 2008)

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Bem, se nenhum game da série levou até agora então que o último leve.

Estou cansado de dizer o que é MGS para mim, então vou dizer o seguinte “este é o melhor jogo do mundo e ninguém jamais irá superá-lo” podem falar o que quiserem mais o povo da Famitsu concorda comigo e deram a nota 40 com orgulho e com razão, pois este game fica na história desta geração de games, na qual irá ser difícil ver um game ser tão bonito como este.

Com um visual digno de 11 oscars o game é merecedor de esta rem um museu de arte, pois definir o que é arte só é necessária uma palavra: Metal Gear !!! nos dias de hoje claro.

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THE END

Bem assim encerra o top 12 Famitsu com games inesquecíveis e uns bem undergrounds como o 428, mas valeu apenas fazer esta matéria e sei que com a nova geração de jogo será difícil manter esses doze, pois a cada dia que passa games mais bonitos dignos de nota 40 nascem. Mas uma vez nascidos jamais serão esqueçidos….

]]> http://nintendo-okie.com/2009/10/22/top-20-wiiware-titles-week-of-october-19th/ Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:49:00 +0000 Tony Miller http://nintendo-okie.com/2009/10/22/top-20-wiiware-titles-week-of-october-19th/

This week’s Top 20 WiiWare titles are based on the information from the week of October 19th, 2009 (parentheses indicate the previous week’s rank).

1 Contra Rebirth (1)
2 Reel Fishing Challenge (2)
3 My Aquarium (3)
4 World of Goo (4)
5 Tetris Party (5)
6 Word Searcher (9)
7 LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias (N/A)
8 Dr Mario Online Rx (7)
9 Texas Hold’Em Poker (6)
10 My Pokémon Ranch (11)
11 Final Fantasy IV: The After Years (10)
12 Driift Mania (8)
13 Arkanoid Plus! (12)
14 Sexy Poker (14)
15 Family Mini Golf (16)
16 Defend Your Castle (15)
17 Brain Challenge (17)
18 BUST-A-MOVE Plus! (19)
19 Water Warfare (18)
20 You, Me, and the Cubes (13)

No change whatsoever in the top 5 titles this week.  There is one new addition with LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias.  That title knocked Tales of Monkey Island off the list altogether. 

The biggest mover of the week was You, Me and the Cubes falling six spaces and now in danger of falling of the chart next week.  Sexy Poker held still and just won’t go away.  If there is any title that has a chance to knock Contra ReBirth off the top spot it’s going to be LostWinds so let’s keep an eye on that next week and see what happens.

Amigos, andei um pouco ausente aqui do blog, pois estive envolvido em algumas coisas, e uma delas foi a soma das notas de uma enquete que fizemos entre os usuários do fórum Cinema em Cena. Tal votação teve o intuito de eleger os melhores filmes da década que vivemos. Bom, completado o trabalho duro, compartilho com vocês o resultado:

1. Onde os Fracos Não Têm Vez (Irmãos Coen)
2. Kill Bill (Quentin Tarantino)
3. Cidade dos Sonhos (David Lynch)
4. Marcas da Violência (David Cronenberg)
5. Antes do Pôr-do-Sol (Richard Linklater)
6. Encontros e Desencontros (Sofia Coppola)
7. Dogville (Lars Von Trier)
8. Brilho Eterno de uma Mente sem Lembranças (Michel Gondry)
9. Sangue Negro (Paul Thomas Anderson)
10. Ratatouille (Brad Bird)
11. Wall-E (Andrew Stanton)
12. O Senhor dos Anéis (Peter Jackson)
13. Oldboy (Chan-wook Park)
14. O Pianista (Roman Polanski)
15. Amor à Flor da Pele (Wong kar-wai)
16. Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood)
17. Bastardos Inglórios (Quentin Tarantino)
18. O Novo Mundo (Terrence Malick)
19. Femme Fatale (Brian De Palma)
20. Amnésia (Christopher Nolan)
Match Point (Woody Allen)
Cidade de Deus (Fernando Meireles)

Os últimos três empataram em pontos. Trinta e uma pessoas participaram da elaboração dessa lista. Desses 22 filmes, só não vi Amor à Flor da Pele. Tem coisas que eu mudaria, claro, não colocaria Sangue Negro de forma alguma, também não colocaria Wall-E, entre outras mudanças, mas em geral acho que ficou uma lista bem forte. Vocês concordam?