It was a sad week in the City of Angels this week, as it was revealed that Paris Hilton will do 45 days in prison for disregarding some laws that have to do with driving with a suspended license. OK, maybe not quite sad, replace that word with "funny". While I have nothing against Paris Hilton, it's almost a sitcom setup to think of a spoiled rich girl will be spending time in the pokey. Sort of like Private Benjamin (1980), except replace the Army with prison and Goldie Hawn in her prime was cuter. Then again, maybe Paris will be on the survailence cameras long enough to make a sequel to Linda Blair's Chained Heat (1983). Cool! Or, is that hot? The Stars may be Blind, but Lady Justice is not! Ok, I'll stop now. It's not nice to make fun of the mild misfortune of others who are infinitely more wealthy than you.
In other LA news, Chris "nasal is a singing style" Richardson and Phil "Uncle Fester" Stacey were voted off American Idol this week. Finally, some of the deadwood is being cut away leaving the talent that has carried this season. Bon Jovi is a long time favorite of mine and it was great to see him coach the performers with actual constructive criticism. Blake Lewis transformed "You Give Love A Bad Name" into an 80's dance mix while Melinda Doolittle showed her range by performing "Have A Nice Day" with Tina Turnerish conviction. Meanwhile, Jordan Sparks coasted through a ridiculous performance of "Livin' On A Prayer". Sorry Jordan, you're cute but that prayer up and died.
Bon Jovi also gave a performance of his new song "You Want To Make A Memory". The tune is a slow moving ballad meant to fit in multiple radio formats coinciding with his rumored Country tinged album Lost Highway (2007). It's a decent song that grows on you after a few plays but I think the commercial aspects of this is iffy. If you're going to make a slow moving Alison Krauss style ballad...well, it helps if you're Alison Krauss. I do like the song though and if you'd like to check it out, here it is!
(Big thanks to my wife for showing me this trick!)
I saw two movies this weekend that also had to do with Judgement, they were Series 7: The Contenders (2000) and Girl On A Bridge (1999). Series 7 is about a fake reality show where the contestants sign up to literaly kill each other. Shot with unerring precision in the reality television style (shot on video, know it all voice over commentator, dramatic re-enactments, video vigenette profiles of the contestants and their back stories) Series mercilously makes it's point. The show represents the unending bloodlust, voyeurism and thirst for dramatic conflict of the television viewing public. Can we be far off from a show that literaly does this? Well, yeah we are but something close to it will probably pop up eventually.
Girl On A Bridge is a French film shot in glorious black and white about a washed up knife thrower who talks a girl out of commiting suicide on a bridge and becoming his assistant. Both actors (Daniel Auteli and Vannessa Paradis) give empathic performances as two hard luck losers bound by an indominable streak of good luck. Girl is a magnetic, facinating look at two people who need each other to fend off their self destructive patterns. And the sexual metaphor of knife throwing has never been more palpable than it is here.
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