Summerbreak '010: Disney FTW!!

With Disney's new nighttime spectacular, World of Color, in it's second week of blowing minds over at Disney (Finally-There's-A-Reason-To-Go-There-Even-If-You-Don't-Have-An-Annual-Pass) California Adventure and this week's release of Pixar's Toy Story 3 capturing hearts with record-breaking box office and critical success, I think it is safe to say that Disney is winning the summer entertainment race. In terms of storytelling, quality, and technical innovation, John Lasseter (with a little bit of Bob Iger) is the second coming of Walt Disney as far as I'm concerned. It's an exciting time to be a Disney fan because those imagineers and storytellers haven't been pushed to their full potential in a while. And they have to be. Competition has never been so fierce. Universal's much anticipated Wizarding World of Harry Potter also opened this month, and to universal (more than just pun intended) acclaim. Those lucky enough to have already experienced it are consistently praising it as the most immersive theme park experience yet. Who will win the epic battle of theme park awesomeness? Well, hopefully no one. It's the competition that is the best news for my fellow leisure-ites and enthusiasts. The fiercer the competition, the more incredible the attractions will be and they'll be unleashed at a faster rate too as both powerhouses continue to one-up each other. It's a great time to be alive! Anyway, I won't be able to make it out to the Wizarding World until November (but you can look for my thoughts on it after Thanksgiving), but below I'll be sharing my thoughts on Disney's new summer offerings.

Toy Story 3
What is there to say about Toy Story 3 that hasn't already been said by every fan and critic across the country? Nothing really. It's a trilogy so finely crafted and superior to most everything else in every possible way that choosing one installment over another is simply impossible. Every second and inch of the frame is utilized to maximum effect, there is never a wasted moment. The Toy Story saga is an unbelievable triumph of storytelling...a true gift from the movie gods that will be timeless and beloved for as long as stories and goodness exist. I must say though that one of my favorite aspects of this film were the new characters, specifically Bonnie's thespian toys, and I feel like we could have been given a little more time with them. Obviously a lot of work went in to making them immediately likable with the likes of Timothy Dalton, Bonnie Hunt, and Jeff Garlin voicing Mr. Pricklepants (the German hedgehog), Dolly (the doll), and Buttercup (the unicorn) respectively. Not to mention the voice-less, yet already lovable, Totoro. And they had to be great characters too, because they weren't given much time to be developed, yet by the end they were fully fledged members of the core Toy Story gang. Oh well, I already have something to look forward to in the inevitable Toy Story 4. Even though TS3 is an ideal conclusion to an exceptional trilogy, I can see Woody and Co. going on plenty more adventures and as long as those adventures are crafted with as much love as the first three, you won't hear any complaints from me.

Jeff Garlin loves Chocolate Rain

World of Color
After years of much anticipation, World of Color does not disappoint! It's a dazzling, epic, technical and artistic spectacle to behold. The color and projection of these high-tech water fountains are so unbelievably vibrant that photos and video could never do it justice. And the water fountain choreography is unlike anything ever seen before. It definitely keeps the audience awestruck for its 25 minute running time as it dances through the various "movements" featuring favorite Disney movie moments, as well as some surprisingly obscure characters and songs. Gotta love that classic Wonderful World of Color theme song remix. It is a truly spectacular show Disney has created, especially considering they pretty much only need one cast member to press a start button 3 times a night for it to entertain thousands. Having said that though, WOC is not perfect. I have minor gripes: The only Mickey Mouse presence in the show is the face on Mickey's Fun Wheel that serves as its backdrop. The much hyped Alice in Wonderland sequence featuring new paper cut-out animation is basically cut from the final show. The viewing area is definitely not adequate for the size of the crowd. You will get wet. As much as I loved World of Color, I still prefer Fantasmic!. Although the plot is very thin, there is still a logical flow and storyline to follow in Fantasmic! and live actors really do add an important component to a show. When it comes to a Disney show finale, you really can't beat a heroic Mickey shooting sparks from his fingers. Plus that finale music is so incredibly magical and triumphant as the Mark Twain filled with dancing characters comes rolling out from behind Tom Sawyer's Island! ...it's the best. But World of Color is pretty damn good too! ...and there is a really cool pre-show that precedes it...but I'll let you experience that delightful bonus for yourself.

Glow Fest
Glow Fest? What the whaaat? What all those World of Color advertisements don't tell you is that you have to get to the park when it opens and stand in a long line to to get a coveted WOC Fastpass just so you can stand in an area where you can actually see the show. For everyone who doesn't get to see WOC (and also everyone who did), Disney invented Glow Fest as a distraction from the disappointment. And it ain't such a bad deal, it's a lot better than nothing. Glow Fest is an all evening dance party that takes place in the Hollywood Backlot area of DCA that includes dancers, lasers, a DJ, remixes to pop and Disney music, video screens featuring Disney video remixes by internet-famous DJ Pogo, and I think it starts off with some sort of show with musicians...I don't know, I wasn't there for that part, waiting and watching WOC and all. Also, there are multiple "bars" set up down the backlot area selling glowing alcoholic (and non-acoholic) beverages to drown those WOC-less blues away. And I must say, it's a pretty freakin' sweet thing they've got going! I have never been on Disney property and watched multiple dance circles form! It was just plain fun, everyone pumped up from the music and booze and bright colors. I wouldn't mind seeing this as a permanent fixture of DCA, but I'm not gonna get my hopes up....it's not particularly small-children friendly either.

To conclude this post, Disney has some pretty sweet stuff going on over at California Adventure this summer, with a lot more awesome new stuff coming in the next couple years. We may not be too far away from DCA growing up into a real Disney theme park someday! So get over there! Glow Fest won't be around forever, although you do have some time with World of Color as I'm sure it will be a permanent fixture of the park for the next 20 years. And go see Toy Story 3 immediately, its a true masterpiece! Great job, Disney.

DJ Pogo's Alice Remix

Leisure on!

Leisure Academy: The Art of Deconstruction

Deconstruction, first introduced by French philosopher Jacques Derrida, is often considered the highest form of mastery of a particular field or art. It has perhaps become popularized in our lexicon thanks to cooking competition shows, like Top Chef, where competitors are often presented with the vague challenge of deconstructing a particular dish. Somehow though, we have reached a point in history where deconstruction of our media has become all the rage in web video comedy. I just want to point out this moment to you all because this fad won't be around for long. Once it's done there is no where for it to go. Now deconstructionists have been at work in the movie world for a while, mostly for parody, for example Mel Brook's films or the Austen Powers movies. Scream immediately comes to mind as my favorite deconstructionist film. However, there is usually more substance in those movies than just straight up deconstruction. This is probably why this latest resurgence of the fad is confined to short online videos, the deconstruction itself is the joke without any meat to sustain a longer form of entertainment. The current fad can probably be attributed to the superb "Trailer for Every Oscar-Winning Movie Ever" that emerged last month.



Yesterday, I stumbled upon The Onion's deconstruction of fluff news pieces:

Breaking News: Some Bullshit Happening Somewhere

And today brought me "Generic Rap Song":


I'm left with a few questions. What will be deconstructed next? And, more importantly, once we've deconstructed all of our societal scripts from contemporary media, where do we go from there? Anyway, it's an interesting moment we have found ourselves in, but the joke is getting old and overdone real quick, so let's get back to creating new and innovative entertainments rather than picking apart the old.

Leisure Review: O Captain! My Captain! EO!

During a recent trip to Disneyland I had the pleasure of experiencing two newly re-opened nostalgia filled attractions: the fifth generation "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" and "Captain EO: Tribute". I thought I would offer my two cents on both...

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (Mach 5)
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln has not been a crowd drawing E-ticket attraction since its debut at the World's Fair in 1964, many see it as a 20 minute air conditioned break, but what it has been for decades is the last sliver of earnest, not entirely Disneyfied, American patriotism that Walt would be proud of. This latest incarnation continues the technologically impressive "edutaining", history lesson's legacy. The presentation begins with a well-made 10ish minute film about the Civil War featuring period music, historical photos, new artwork by Pocahontas animator John Pomeroy, and Paul Frees narration that combines elements from past versions with new material. The screen and curtains pull back to reveal not-quite-perfect robot Lincoln on an elaborate set with dramatic lighting and a classy background that changes from day to colorful sunset to starry night. Robo-Abe delivers the attraction's original speech crafted from segments of actual Lincoln speeches handpicked by Walt Disney himself and recorded by Royal Dano in the 60's. The recording, of course, has been digitally restored and sharpened for an improved presidential experience. There is an epic finale that concludes with a soaring eagle and the unabashedly patriotic ballad "Golden Dream" originally written for the classic Epcot attraction "The American Adventure". As you exit the attraction the hallway is filled with portraits of other important/influential patriots....such as George Lucas...and that is really the only negative thing I have to say about the experience...I have to see 'ole George being revered in the same manner as the Great Emancipator. Overall this is an excellent incarnation of the classic attraction, way better than the 2001 rehab that required you to wear headphones so they could simulate your hair being cut, aurally. More importantly though, Disneyland would be incomplete without this attraction, it will hopefully always be there in one form or another. Walt would want it that way. The park is filled with nostalgia for the past, even nostalgia for an old-fashioned view of the future, but this is the only instance of real historical preservation and true patriotism...which was always part of Walt's vision for the park. Grade: A

Captain EO: Tribute
I must preface this by saying that I have no recollection of seeing this in its original form (although it's quite possible that I did), only downloaded on my computer. While waiting in the queue to enter the theater, the audience is treated to the original pre-show film, a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Captain EO featuring George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, and a bunch of dancers whom it mostly focuses on. Not a particularly interesting video, except in the sense of a historical document. Then you enter the theater and the real fun begins. A cast member gives a tidbit of history and directs the audience to put on their 3D glasses, and then we jump right in to the original 4D theme park movie experience featuring Michael Jackson and Angelica Houston. The plot is thin, the effects are old fashioned, and Michael is a laughable space captain, but all of that is irrelevant, because you are watching an enhanced/extended Michael Jackson music video, and everyone loves a Michael Jackson music video! Most of the original 4D effects are back in action, plus the new added bonus of the hydraulics equipped seating that simulates the ship's movement and (my personal favorite) bounces with the bass heavy pop tunes! The 3D looks great and the puppets and physical effects are much more charming than their lifeless CGI counterparts that would inevitably be in their place if it were remade today. As Captain EO sings, dances, and turns evil cyborgs into rainbow clad dancers via lasers from his hands, you can't help but bob with the music (literally) and have a great time! Despite being the first 4D movie ever produced, it still holds up remarkably well as a Disney theme park attraction, a testament to the dedication of its creators (or maybe MJ is just timeless). In any event, it is a refreshing change from Honey, I Shrunk the Audience which was really showing its age with the early 90's CGI and youthful Rick Moranis (Seriously though, what 8-year-old today has seen a "Honey, I Shrunk..." movie? I hope it doesn't return when Captain EO runs it's course). So in conclusion, despite its corniness, its solid theme park entertainment and definitely worth checking out next time you're there. Grade: B+

Great Job Disney, I can't wait for "World of Color" this summer!
Leisure On, folks!

Idol Follow-Follow-Up: America Jumps the Shark

It's official guys, thanks to your votes, American Idol has officially jumped the shark! Katelyn, Lily, and Alex, worthy competitors and talented musicians, did not make it into the top 12 (and Todrick too). All while Paige, Tim, and Lacey continue on....I guess Votefortheworst.com really does have an influence. Katelyn and Alex really didn't have a chance of winning, but they were good musicians as opposed to half of the contestants moving on. Lily was one of the most creative and original talents Idol had seen, but I guess America doesn't value originality, talent, and musicianship. Or maybe they all thought she was for sure safe and gave their votes to less deserving favorites that looked like they could go. In a final lineup filled with singer/songwriter girls, I guess there just wasn't enough room for all of them, it just should have been Lacey to go, not Lilly. With the votes getting divided up among the singer/songwriter types, the door is left disturbingly wide open for Katie, Paige, Aaron, and Tim to go a long way. I suddenly have a sinking feeling in my stomach that Tim Urban could actually win this thing with his Disney Channel looks. When the only demographic of voters for Idol are girls 9-12 the show is officially over, and if Tim wins that will be the case. I just don't know about this show anymore....at least we still have Crystal and Siobhan making things interesting. Let's try to keep them in the race, please!

Leisure Academy: What I Learned at Joshua Tree

A friend and I recently went camping for two nights out at the beautiful Joshua Tree National Park, and it fully delivered the leisure experience we were looking for. The scenery was incredible, huge rounded rock piles bulging out of the ground to climb on surrounded by the idiosyncratic joshua trees, like a beautifully painted background in a Disney movie or something that was placed 2 hours east of L.A. The park was not crowded at all in the middle of the week and we had a huge campsite area all to ourselves, if only the wind hadn't picked up so much on the second night it would have been perfect. All you need is a loaded Ipod and travel Ipod deck, a campfire, beer, and snacks and you are livin' easy. They have 28 miles of hiking trails there too if you are in to that. We explored a smaller 2-3 hour hike to the top of Mt. Ryan that I would highly recommend, not too strenuous with amazing views. The park is so big though, we only saw a fraction of it. The park rangers were all real friendly and helpful too. Anyway, here is the knowledge I gained on the trip that I would like to bestow upon you now:

Jump Rocks campground is the best, don't waste your time with the Hidden Valley and Ryan campgrounds, just drive on past 'um. (Joshua Tree specific)

Bring a ton of firewood, you need a lot of fuel if you want a warm fire all night. We were lucky to find a place in the Joshua Tree town that sold it when we ran out.

If you are cooking a meal at night, prepare everything during the day, in the light, and have it ready to go. It's much easier.

According to the park ranger, rock climbers are party animals, so if you wanna party, befriend some rock climbers.

Wrap some Pillsbury biscuit dough around some chocolate chips, put a stick in it, and cook it over the fire. In 10 minutes you've got yourself a warm chocolaty biscuit ball. Our own variation of the "Woof-um".

Don't buy generic coals if you plan on cooking things over them.

Don't heat gummi bears over the fire and eat them, they take on the consistency of Gak...and are gross and probably harmful to your insides.

Large fires + strong winds = not safe.

3(ish) words: FLAME HEATED POP-TARTS.

Our Sweet Campsite Nestled Among Jumbo Rocks

...yeah, that's it. Short post today. Go camping. Explore nature. Leisure on.

Idol Follow-Up: America Still Extremely Racist

Just as I predicted in my last post, the first person voted off American Idol this week is John Park, the only Asian on this year's show. But America, not to be outdone, took no shame in booting Jermaine Sellers (African-American), Michelle Delamour (Puerto Rican?), and Haeley Vaughn (African-American) out of their show. Apparently no time this season will be spent appeasing the minorities. Todrick (gross name!), Paige, and Andrew are all that's left, and Andrew is really the only one from that group with a chance to go far, but only if he stops theses lackluster performances that fall so short of his awesome "Straight Up" cover. However, each of these singers did have legitimate reasons to be voted off (anyone that sings a Creed song should automatically be disqualified), but white contestants do too. Of course, Tim Urban, the worst contestant this show has had in a long time, wasn't even in the running to be voted off...but it's ok, he prays before every performance. Now he has the Bible vote in addition to his cute white-boy looks appealing to NASCAR America, Idol's largest voting demographic. Also, last season's Danny Gokey, perhaps the whitest contestant Idol has ever seen, performed his new single.

Anyway, I don't want to bore you with another recap of continued horrible guy performances, Seacrest Vs. Simon, and Kara hate, though it all was still very much there, all still indicating to Idol's self-destruction. (If you do want to read a good recap check out the blog at VoteFortheWorst.Com, they watch the show with a similar eye as I do, but are better writers.) But I do want to focus on the budding Seacrest/Didi (Dicrest?) relationship taking place. I've never seen Seacrest so sensitive to a contestant's emotions in the real, non-TV-personality way that took place last night. Before introducing Didi's video, Seacrest was all over her, in an obvious flirty way. And then after an emotional judge's comments, Ryan was all holding her and looking into her eyes and reassuring her and holding her...there is clearly something going on between them. Maybe Seacrest isn't gay afterall? Just another subplot on America's favorite reality show.

The good news: Siobhan Magnus delivered another out-of-left-field performance, this time of Aretha Franklin's "Think" and blew the judges away with an amazing note. Man, she is sooo in her own world, but I LOVE IT!!! I really hope she goes a long way in the competition with her vocals because her lovable weirdness has boosted her to my #1 favorite spot. Crystal Bowersox, after being hospitalized the day before, tore up the Idol stage with a truly professional and engaging gospel-y version of CCR's "Long As I Can See The Light" making her the clear front runner for this season, plus everyone loves CCR. In a sea of terrible guys, Alex Lambert redeemed his excruciatingly hard to watch performance last week with a solid John Legend cover, he has a very pure and listenable voice, the best of the guys, if he can keep his nerves down I can see him go far, and I hope he does. He's already got the sympathy vote, so he has a good chance. The night's biggest surprise for me was Katelyn Epperly's back-to-basics cover of Coldplay's "The Scientist." She went from forgettable nobody to top 12 front-runner without changing the song in to some incomprehensible/inferior version. The judges really need to stop encouraging this musically destructive behavior, the songs can be great without changing the melodies and whatnot every single time...I mean, the show has survived for 8 seasons without this excessive nonsense!

Anyway, great job America for your continued racism, and truly great job Katelyn Epperly for stepping up your game and making your place on the grid known. ...and Go Siobhan!

End of an Empire: American Idol is Falling Apart LIVE in Primetime

"The end of an empire is messy at best." - Randy Newman

For everyone who tuned in to the 5 hours of American Idol spread over 3 days this past week, we were treated to the most awkward, uncomfortable, and, frankly, quite sad 5 hours of live reality TV ever produced! The most obvious reason for this train wreck is that this year's finalist just aren't very good, Simon knows it, Randy knows it, and Seacrest knows it, and it shows. Kara is too busy being self-involved and Ellen is too new to know any better. But simply having weak contestants is not justification enough for how incredibly uncomfortable watching America's most popular TV show was this week. Adding to the sucky singers, were weird contestant personalities, production mishaps, the unbearable Seacrest/Simon rivalry (sexual tension?), Kara's continued awfulness, the oblivious producers' desire to send this show way over-the-top into self parody, and blatant American racism created a bizarre week of Idol! All these signs seem to suggest that American Idol is imploding, and we get to watch it all fall apart, live, three days a week, making this perhaps the most interesting season of Idol yet! The fall of the Idol empire is nigh, and it is a spectacular mess to behold.

Tuesday's show, the decidedly least insane, began with some predictably unforgettable performances from mediocre vocalists...though not horrible. Then Lilly Scott came on with a top notch indie cover of The Beatles's "Fixin' a Hole." It was at this point when I thought "hey, this might be a pretty good season," unfortunately, it was by far the high point of the entire week. Haeley Vaughn, the African-American country-singing teen, countered with a groovy, though not quite all together version of The Beatles's "I Want to Hold Your Hand" that the judges for some reason weren't that into, I dug it though. Katelyn Epperly murdered The Beatles's (sensing a theme?) "Oh Darling!" and Kara said something heinous. The show went along with a few more forgettable karaoke performances and wannabe Ingrid Michaelsons (for some reason this season is rigged for an indie female win). The only real weird occurrence was the wonderfully named, glassblower apprentice, Siobhan Magnus's haunting version of "Wicked Game." Her world-of-her-own personality and dark song choice made for a very un-Idol 7 minutes, I hope she stays in the competition for a while, Idol has never seen anything like her. So, for the most part, the signs of destruction weren't glowing too brightly on the first night, other than the fact that the contestants are pretty week and Simon knows it. His harsher-than-usual comments suggest a deeper annoyance with the declined quality of contestants and I think the fact that he has to deal with Kara and Seacrest 3 days a week is really getting to him. But it was the second day that truly showed the rumblings of the Idol empire's foundation.

Wednesday's guys' performances were unbelievably terrible! Either the producers are stacking the deck so an indie girl wins this year, or America's talent has taken a significant downhill turn, and Simon is pissed and done with it. Last season's contestants, which were easily the best of the show's run, just make this year's shitty-ness all the more apparent. Starting the show was Todrick Hall's unrecognizable hip hop rendition of Kelly Clarkson's "Since You've Been Gone," an omen that foreshadowed the out-of-control spiral that followed. Things really started going sour after Jermaine Sellers's amateurish version of the Idol standard "Get Here," led to a weird interaction where Sellers fakes making up with Michael ("Who's Michael?"), the reheasal leader, which then led to true animosity between Seacrest and Simon. Seacrest then forgot to announces the number for which to vote for Sellers; Sellers was mad. Of course, we returned from the commercial break with Seacrest awkwardly righting his wrongdoing. "Cute," yet last minute contestant, Tim Urban, singing the wrong notes to "Apologize" was the most unbelievably horrid performance of the night, all the judges seemed truly embarrassed that someone so untalented made it this far (and didn't get voted off during the results). No confidence, Alex Lambert, gave perhaps the most uncomfortable performance to watch Idol has ever offered. After 70's left-over Tyler Grady's outrageous "American Woman," the only two performances that even reached typical Idol quality were from Casey Jones and Andrew Garcia. Casey Jones's performance was, unfortunately, over-shadowed by Kara's uncomfortably obvious sexual attraction to him and Andrew Garcia, I'm afraid, will never live up to his ballin' cover of "Straight Up" during Hollywood week. Simon's obvious annoyance with the whole show was an underlying theme as well as his mutual hate for Seacrest which is clearly coming to a boiling part...and it's all live!

Thursday's results show offered even more signs of a crumbling giant. Firstly, the group number was terrible. Then there was the uncomfortable cut to Kara's husband...who was apparently there to stop his horny/crazy wife from jumping Casey Jones on the spot. The most disturbing, yet predictable, occurrences of the entire week, however, were the eliminations of Ashley Rodriguez and Joe Munoz. Although they both gave forgettable performances, their vocal abilities were definitely in the top half of this rag-tag group of contestants and really the only explanation for their departure is that America does not want a Hispanic Idol. There are people on this show that are far worse (but far white-er) then them, and it is truly a shame to see them go on while Ashley and Joe get sent home. As Ashley got pulled on to the stage as one of the last two girls with the obviously safe Didi Benami, her anger was fuming. It was much more than the usual disappointment you see as the hopefuls normally get sent home, Ashley was clearly doing all she could to quell her rage and not punch Seacrest in his much-deserving face. As Joe took the bad news with dignity, his parents' disappointment flooded into thousands of homes across America. But not disappointment for their son, disappoint for the fact that the Idol voters would rather vote for some cute white boy who can't sing, than their clearly more talented, Latino son. It was a sad week for American Idol and a sad week for America. I won't be surprised to see the semi-talented John Park (this year's only Asian) get booted next week.

As crazy as all this was, my biggest issue with Idol this year, is that they are encouraging the contestants to really make songs "their own," but it's not turning out well. Unlike fan favorites David Cook, Chris Allen, and Adam Lambert, this year's contestants just don't have the musical talent to make good versions of the songs we all know. Too many of the week's arrangements were over-the-top and unrecognizable. It really is ok to sing a song the way it was written, especially if you lack the ability to change it in a good way. Although, I wonder how much of the arrangement is dependent on the contestant or if the producers have something to do with it. The fact is that this year's batch of Idol hopefuls are barely passable contestants who mostly lack the musical training and talent to create their own arrangements, so lets stop this silliness right now! Actually let's just jump ahead to the top 5, because Lilly, Crystal, Didi, Casey, and Andrew are the only contestants who actually have a realistic chance of winning this thing...and Didi and Casey are pushing it.

I have to hand it to Ellen though, she is the only one holding this burning wreckage of a once great show together. Despite her lack of musical training, her comments are loaded with intelligence and humor that bring an interesting and entertaining element to the show, someone who truly stands their own against Simon. After the incredible mistake of allowing Kara to be a judge last season, bringing Ellen on to the show is the best decision the producers have made yet. She's certainly an upgrade from Paula. If this show continues on to a 10th season, it will be carried entirely on Ellen's back, and it has already got to be buckling with the weight of Randy and Kara already riding it. However, with Simon's announcement of this being his last season, I can't imagine this show returning next year and if it does it will be a seriously inferior reincarnation. As the great Randy Newman once sang, "The end of an empire is messy at best," and lucky for us, we get to see that mess televised three nights a week. (Speaking of Randy Newman, when are they going to have Randy Newman week on Idol?)

On November 22, 1963 John F. Kennedy was assassinated. A month later the Beatles's "I Want to Hold Your Hand" was released in America and after a few Ed Sullivan appearances the four lovable mop-tops pulled our grieving country out of a national depression. Eight years later, The Beatles had completely imploded, crumbled from the inside out, leaving behind a rich musical legacy that impacted our culture in a huge way. On September 11, 2001 terrorist forces destroyed the World Trade Center, perhaps the greatest tragedy in our nation's history. The following summer American Idol: The Search for a Superstar hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman premiered on Fox and pulled our grieving country out of another national depression. It is now eight years later. Now I'm not saying American Idol reaches anywhere near the greatness that is The Beatles, but history does repeat itself and Idol has made a huge impact on our culture, for better or worse. Now we just have to ride out its slow, inevitable decline. This season of Idol won't be good, but it will certainly be interesting. All things must come to an end, and although we had some fun moments with Ryan, Randy, and Simon, it's time to say goodbye.

Leisure Academy: No Day But Felicia Day

Thinking back to last week’s “controversial” Vanity Fair cover featuring the magazine’s picks for Hollywood’s next-gen starlets, it dawned on me that there was one glaring omission, and no it has nothing to do with color, in fact, the exact opposite, the fairest, most pale-skinned actress I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting, Miss Felicia Day. Now Felicia Day is certainly not a household name or even a face that you may be familiar with unless you are a Whedon-loving nerd like myself, but rest assured, if the hypothesis that I will shortly pose is correct, and Miss Day wishes it so, you will. First let’s get you caught up on your Felicia History. Felicia Day is the award winning actress/writer/musician/comedian/mathematician whose first notable recurring role was as a potential slayer in the 7^th season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Having earned degrees in music and math (!), Felicia writes and stars in her popular web series The Guild as well as appearing in numerous other shows on TV and the web. She is perhaps most famous for co-starring as Penny alongside Neil Patrick Harris in the revolutionary web musical Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog. Felicia, a professional-level violinist, has recently made the transition into the world of comics writing with an adaptation of The Guild and performs monthly with her improv group Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em, all while maintaining an entertaining and interesting twitter stream.

**WE NOW INTERRUPT YOUR REGULARLY SECHEDULED BLOGPOST so I can pimp the folks of Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em. Now I have never been a fan of improv, I believe that watching bad improv is one of the most terrible situations you can ever have the great misfortune of finding yourself in, but on a recent outing to see Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em, my perception has completely changed. These people are f**king funny! And now I can respect the medium as a viable form of entertainment worth my time. The group is comprised of crazy talented people whose names you definitely won’t know if you don’t know Felicia Day, but who I sincerely hope to see succeed in a big way. They include the incomparable Jeff Lewis (The Guild), the soon-to-be-comedy-juggernaught Sandeep Parikh ( The Guild, The Legend of Neil), and the gorgeous/hilarious Tara Perry (aka The Movie Maven)*. Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em are awesome, and I highly recommend you check them out every month at the Knightsbridge Theater if you are in the Los Angeles area. Plus they are just good people who seem more than happy to chat with you after the show. WE NOW RETURN TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED BLOGPOST**

Where was I…oh yes…Felicia Day. It is no secret that her popularity among the geek community can be attributed to her memorable appearances in the Joss Whedon canon (Buffy, Dr. Horrible, Dollhouse) and her vocal love of video games. Girls admire her as a positive female/nerd/gamer role model and guys love her because she’s attractive and plays World of Warcraft (and a bunch of other reasons too, I’m sure). Given this information, and my broad (possibly untrue) generalization that geeks are the primary consumers of entertainment on screens (they certainly control the internet/blogosphere, and there must be a reason movies based on comic books are so popular), my theory should seem natural. And that theory is that Felicia Day has the power to be the biggest star in Hollywood and a major player in the entertainment industry, if she wants it. Simply by securing this niche of geek dream gamer girl/BFF, Felicia has the nerd community in the palm of her hand…and next the world. She’s not the best actor around (but she’s good, and hasn’t really been given the Emmy-winning opportunity yet) and she’s not the best writer (although her talent is definitely growing), but this is irrelevant because of her pop culture standing alone. Already having a huge, fervent fanbase of dedicated followers who vigorously consume her every tweet and even dress like her at conventions, she’s on her way to Grauman’s hand-print status, and she hasn’t even starred in a movie yet.

Now maybe this is all just wishful thinking on my part since it’s no secret by now that I am a member of the Felicia-infatuated army, but hopefully there’s a little bit of truth to it. Having had the pleasure of talking with Felicia, I can say that she is truly a kind, grateful, and hardworking person fully deserving of her many accolades and (hopefully) numerous future successes. The thing is though that Miss Day’s rise to power needs to happen soon, because she is not getting any younger (please take no offense Felicia if you’re reading this! I love you!) and it’s only going to get more difficult to compete with the Amanda Seyfrieds and Emma Stones of the Hollywood world. Currently the ball is in Felicia’s court and I hope she takes advantage of it. It’s going to be very interesting to see what she does off the success of The Guild. As much as I would love to see her on the big screen, all she has to do is keep doing what she’s doing and I’ll be happy. You are awesome Felicia Day, keep on using your lovable persona and multi-talents for quality entertainment and you will go far. We love you!

*The laughs of Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em are also provided by Alex Albrecht, Tony Janning, Eddie Repanich, and Brooke Seguin

Leisure Academy: Board Game Round-Up Part 2

Holding the title Leisure King, it is a necessity that I love games. Video games, sports games, word games, mind games, card games, travel games, party games, and particularly board games. Games are an extremely popular leisure activity. In the last few years I have taken a special interest in strategy board games, or "gamer" games, German-made games that you won't find at Target. To read up on the characteristics of these award-winning German-style games check out my previous post. But today I would like to continue my discussion and promotion of strategy games with a look at some new ones I have tried out over the last few months.

Agricola:
Agricola, Latin for farmer, is a complex game in which you must grow and maintain a balanced farm, harvesting different crops, raising a diverse collection of animals, expanding and improving your house, and growing and providing for your family. Released in 2008, it won top awards at Germany's Spiel des Jahres and Deutscher Spiele Preis, kind of like the Oscars and Golden Globes for boardgames (minus politics, corporate backing, obscenely expensive clothing, and bullshit). Most impressively, Agricola took the crown for highest-rated board game on BoardGameGeek.com away from Puerto Rico*, which unwaveringly held that spot for the previous 5 years. This is actually quite understandable considering that it is extremely similar to Puerto Rico in goals and game play, but perhaps even more complex (who knew that was even possible?), with more game elements/variables, a more aesthetically pleasing design, and with new strategies to explore. The game is restricted to 14 turns only, which adds a dimension of anxiety, but also makes you focus and stops the game from going on too long. After the few times I have played it I must say that it is quite fun and challenging, but definitely not for the beginner strategy board game enthusiast. It took my friend and I a good 6 hours to read through the rules and understand the game, and we're pretty smart guys. I think the burden of having to explain the game to new players has prevented us from gaining new competition, but I am really looking forward to playing it with more than one opponent. Highly recommended, highly complex.

Shadows Over Camelot:
Serge Laget and Bruno Cathala's Shadows Over Camelot is a very unique game in which all the players are on the same team playing against the game itself, unless one of the players happens to have been secretly assigned the role of traitor and is allied with the game. Players take on the role of one of King Arthur's famed knights of the round table and each turn must introduce a new evil element into the game as well as attempting to combat it (unless, of course, you are the traitor, in which case your are being evil all the time, secretly). A cool aspect of the game is that there are a lot of things going on at once and you must use teamwork to beat the board, at any given point you might be questing for the Holy Grail, while another teammate is vanquishing invading monsters, while another player is fighting a dragon, and someone else is searching for Excalibur. That said, the game can get repetitive and putting everyone on the same team takes a slight bit of competitive fun out of it. I think the game is designed to be best played with a larger group of 6-7 players, and I have only played with at most 4, so that might also be contributing to my opinion. ...but try convincing 6 of your friends to commit a few hours to something so geekily titled as Shadows Over Camelot, not an easy task. It is definitely a unique, interesting, and new gaming experience, and for that I must recommend it.

Ticket to Ride Europe:
This is the same game as Alan R. Moon's original Ticket to Ride*, but with a new board and a few new game elements. On first play through, the Europe board seems much less balanced than the original America board, there are only two 6-train connector routes and one 8-train route that will earn you a whopping 21 points if you secure it. I then realized that the new element of the Station, which allows players to use opponents' connections, adds an entirely new dimension and strategy to the game allowing you to reach many more destinations than typically possible in the original game. I really enjoy this new element and will definitely be testing its limits in the future. The other new elements (tunnels and water routes) do not really change the game. I recommend this for veteran Ticket to Riders interested in new ways to play, but might suggest playing the American version first for the n00bs.

Chez Geek:
Unlike the other games featured, Chez Geek, is a simple, fast-paced, American made, card game, but has just as much "gamer" cred. It was created by Jon Darbro and Alain H. Dawson with help from gaming powerhouse Steve Jackson (famous for creating the game series Munchkin). Bursting with humor, the award-winning Chez Geek is a race to attain "slack" (aka leisure time) by doing various activities such as watching TV, playing RPGs, and getting nookie while your roommates (aka the other players) try to thwart you to reach their own "slack goal" first. You can also gain slack by calling fun people to come to your "room", getting a Live in S.O. (significant other), or purchasing booze, weed, and shrooms, but watch out for unwanted house guests. With cards delightfully illustrated by John Kovalic, it is quite fun and on-the-nose relevant to this blog and the post-grad slacker lifestyle (which I am currently enjoying). Highly recommended for people who like having fun, could possibly be a great drinking game, but not for younger audiences...I suppose it would probably have a PG-13 rating for drug references and sexual references.

Alright, I hope this gets you interested in checking out some fun and challenging alternatives to your Monopolys and Apples to Apples.

Leisure on! Play Games!

*Read my thoughts on Puerto Rico and Ticket to Ride here.

Leisure Decree: Conan Forever!

Since late night TV is a pretty big aspect of the leisure life style, I guess I should write a blog about all this late night hullabaloo. Being a 23-year-old male it should come as no surprise that I'm on Team Conan. I've been a fan of the man since about 6th grade when I could only watch on Friday nights, so he's been part of my life for quite a while. So I'm not just jumping on the bandwagon here, I have some emotional attachment to the silly red head. I was there for Andy's (1st) last show, I was there for the first "Year 2000", I was there when Triumph visited the Star Wars lines, I was there for every "Arnold" appearance, and I was there every time Joel brought Asian hookers into the announcer booth. So hopefully some corporate TV market researcher will find this blog post and I'll be added to the growing "Conan is freakin' awesome" data, and that will be how I support Coco. Now I don't really want to talk about how retarded, underhanded, and disrespectful the NBC execs are being towards Conan and the legacy of The Tonight Show, or what an unfunny asshole Jay Leno is. I just wanna take time to reflect on some of my favorite Conan moments, a man who has brought much laughter to my life, because in the end Conan is going to be just fine and the end result of this whole debacle is that we will be watching him on another network and the integrity of late night's most respected show will be forever tarnished. So without further ado here's some funny videos...for reflection...

Speaking of Triumph at Star Wars...remember his first visit to The Clone Wars line, that was one of the funniest things I've ever seen...on Late Night or anywhere...



Here's some classic year 2000 with Duchovny...



And a message from Max Weinberg...



Remember when Conan hosted the Emmys...that was pretty cool...



I love Andy, but Joel was a great announcer...too bad this is the only Joel video I could find...just look at that excited face!



A classic Conan monologue:



...and remember when Andy had an awesome sitcom that Conan took his shirt off on and then some stupid execs canceled it...



Conan has been a supporter of my favorite band since the beginning! Their first U.S. TV appearance was on his show.



and finally here are some classic Conan clips for your pleasure. Thank you so much Conan for being awesome! Keep doing a great job, I know I will be watching you for years and years to come!

Leisure Decree: 2009 in Review

Now that 2010 is in full swing it is time for the Leisure King to tell you what pleased him most last year. Keep in mind this isn't a "Best of" list, picks were chosen simply by my level of enjoyment and that's all.

Top 10 Favorite Movies

10) Jennifer's Body
Universally panned by critics, inappropriately marketed, and mostly unseen by all audiences, Diablo Cody's sophomore writing effort delivers a satirical, hilarious, and sometimes scary teen horror dramedy that totally should be given a chance by fans of the genre. Cody's signature dialogue fits better in the mouths of Amanda Seyfried, Meagan Fox, and Adam Brody than Ellen Page and Michael Cera. Competently directed by Karyn Kusama...whoever that is.

9) Coraline
A beautifully animated and designed "Through the Looking Glass" type movie that just makes a perfect 90 minute family movie going experience. I didn't see it in 3D though, but I'm sure that makes it even cooler.

8) Up in the Air
Everything about this movie is quality. Jason Reitman is one of the most reliable figures in Hollywood, I look forward to his future projects with much anticipation.

7) Zombieland
A very funny and original movie featuring perhaps the greatest cameo of all time. Woody Harrelson and Emma Stone are pretty great too, Eisenberg though...meh.

6) Inglorious Basterds
Every scene builds in relentless suspense that hurts sooo good! I hope this ushers in an era of alternative history films.

5) Adventureland
I love theme parks and the 80's and just graduated college, so it's only natural that I would love this coming-of-age tale about post-college life. Ryan Reynolds is the stand-out actor for sure.

4) The Princess and the Frog
The best Disney musical since The Lion King. A 2D Disney experience that captures the essence of Walt's greatest cinematic achievements...but there's also a lesson of hard work and perseverance that accompanies the magic in the best way possible. Randy Newman's soundtrack is the true star of the film and now I have a whole new Disney album to sing along to.

3) Drag Me to Hell
The greatest horror movie I've ever seen in a theater. Sam Raimi's return to his roots delivers the scares and laughs as only he can, and it's non-stop horror magic from the classic Universal opening to the retro Universal Studios commercial end tag.

2) The Brothers Bloom
A fantasy caper full of fun and movie magic. This is why the movies exist, to take us to places we cannot go in reality. I was not a fan of Brick, but Rian Johnson's sophomore writing/directing effort is sooo immensely enjoyable. Four excellent performances by the leads Mark Ruffalo, Adrien Brody, Rinko Kikuchi, and Rachel Weisz (perhaps my favorite performance of the year)!

1) Watchmen
Having just watched the uncut complete story version of this movie, I can say that this is the greatest Watchman film that could have or ever will be made. The film is almost as dense as Alan Moore's revolutionary graphic novel and everything Zach Snyder put in to it was fully intentional. A masterpiece of costume/set design and an almost perfect ensemble cast. Every detail! Perfection!



Favorite TV Shows

1) Dollhouse
What started out slow became classic Joss Whedon awesomeness! The unaired season 1 finale and the Sierra-centric episode are modern classics!

2) How I Met Your Mother
Comedy writing at its finest, and performances to match.

3) Party Down
I know barely anyone has watched this Starz program, but it is truly hilarious with a great ensemble cast...not to mention a host of great guest stars.

4) Dexter
Man, John Lithgow was freakin' awesome!

5) Parks and Recreation
Season 2 of Parks and Rec has probably been the thing I look forward to watching most each week. I love Nick Offerman!

Best New Show
Modern Family
It's just so well made and has so much heart, like what Scrubs was in its first few seasons.

Runner Up: Community
This show started out real weak, but it hit its stride in the most recent episodes delivering some incredibly hilarious moments.



Best Reality Show
Normally I would say Tool Academy, but this years Survivor was so incredible! Russell is the sole-Survivor, there will never be a better player than him. Period.

Favorite Performances
1) Rachel Weisz - "The Brothers Bloom"
Pure delight.
2) Danny DeVito - "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"
Everything he does is comic gold.
3) Paul Rudd - "I Love You, Man"
What a great man.
4) Ken Marino - "Party Down"
This man should be a star!
5) Rinko Kikuchi - "The Brothers Bloom"
She's like modern day Azn Charlie Chaplin!



Most Worthless Cinematic Experience This Year
Tie: Terminator Salvation & Extract

Favorite New Songs
1) "Boombox" - The Lonely Island
2-9) All of Randy Newman's work on The Princess and the Frog soundtrack
10) "I Wish Christmas Was Here Today" - Julian Casablancas
Also of note are the Beatles Remastered albums, which sound incredible!

Best of Youtube
1) Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Review
This epic 70 minute analysis of the biggest disappointment in cinematic history is more compelling and entertaining than any of the prequel films and fills every OT fan's dreams of making manifest all the terrible things about Phantom Menace. Really great job!


2) Mr. Chi-City
Just watch this and you will know why..
...and he also gives back a lot to the community!

3) Kittens Inspired by Kittens


4) Saturday Morning Watchmen


Best Video Game
Beatles Rock Band! Yes!


Alright, I guess that's it for now....maybe I'll add to this if I think of some other awesome things from '09.