Crazytown

THE COMEDY OF THE SUMMER

A review of "Horrible Bosses."
By Alex Nagorski (Freelance Blogger)

 

This is the summer of the R-rated comedy. Films like Bridesmaids and The Hangover: Part II not only raked in pretty sums on their opening weekends but are proving staying power on the box office charts. Bad Teacher opened to a solid $31 million this past weekend, showing that America likes their humor to be raunchy, crude, and boundary-pushing. In a few weeks, the Justin Timberlake/Mila Kunis rom-com Friends With Benefits will be released. This film is surrounded by a lot of positive pre-release buzz as well as an unavoidable ad campaign smeared across every subway stop in Manhattan. Yet out of all of this summer’s R-rated comedies, none will make you laugh harder than Horrible Bosses.

CHILDHOOD REVISITED

By Alex Nagorski (Freelance Blogger)

This year, my two favorite shows as a child, Winnie The Pooh and The Muppets will be hitting the big screen with their own full length feature-film adaptations. Both films are sticking to eponymous titles in hopes of a re-launch of their franchises. Check out the trialers below and share your thoughts on these new visions of childhood classics in the comments section!

Winnie The Pooh hits theaters on July 15th.

 The Muppets hits theaters on Thanksgiving.

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT

A reaction to Meghan Cox Gurdon's ignorant article in the Wall Street Journal about contemporary Young Adult Fiction.
By Alex Nagorski (Freelance Blogger)  

Recently, one of my friends asked me if I had read any good books lately. Immediately, I started gushing about The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.  I picked up the first book out of curiosity based on a co-worker’s recommendation and immediately devoured the entire trilogy.

Set in a dystopian world ridden by poverty and famish, The Hunger Games tells the story of 16-year-old Katniss' struggle to survive during the Hunger Games -- an annual tradition set forth by the Capitol to punish its twelve districts for once attempting a rebellion. In these games, one male and one female are selected from each district to enter an arena where they must battle until there’s only one survivor left. Oh, and the entire thing is broadcast as reality television live to all the districts … who are forced to watch their children fight to the death.

THE FEEL BAD MOVIE OF CHRISTMAS

Why you should be excited for Hollywood's adaptation of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO.
By Alex Nagorski (Freelance Blogger) 

 

This past week, the official trailer for the Hollywood adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s pop culture phenomenon novel The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo hit the interwebs. Directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, The Social Network) and written by Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List, Mission Impossible), this movie has some serious potential.

As someone who enjoyed (but didn’t love) the books, I can safely say that this movie looks like it’s going to easily knock out any other candidate for my top pick film of the year (except for maybe Winnie The Pooh … despite their eerily similar content). Why?

1. Christopher Plummer is still trying REALLY hard to star in a blockbuster that doesn’t involve him making out with nuns.

2. Director David Fincher had Gwyneth Paltrow beheaded in his film Seven so clearly he knows how to trim the fat.

3. The stocks I invested in Hot Topic will skyrocket after the masses try to emulate Rooney Mara’s flawless transition into Lisbeth Salander.

4. No matter where you are in the world, it’s most likely sunnier than Sweden.

5. Motorcycle chases. Guns. Government conspiracies. Lesbian love scenes. Arson. Former Nazis trying to cover up their pasts. What else do you need in a movie?

6. Trent Reznor is the new John Williams.

7. An ingénue that makes Lady GaGa look like a young Shirley Temple.

8. After trying to reclaim some of her Princes Bride glory, Robin Wright jumped to sign the contract of a movie with the word “dragon” in the title. Although she was sadly mistaken about the premise, filming a movie as disturbing as this one still proved to be less stressful than a typical day at home with Sean Penn.

9. Stellan tries to prove that his son Alex is not the only Skarsgard who can play in the big leagues.

10. The anticipation of what Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook status will be in reaction to Rooney Mara’s goth-chick makeover.

11. James Bond is smoking hot.

MY LIFE WOULD SUCK WITHOUT KELLY CLARKSON

A review of Kelly Clarkson's private benefit concert for Tupperware Brands' Confide & Conquer campaign.
By Alex Nagorski (Freelance Blogger)

“Scotty won?” Kelly Clarkson asked the crowd after fans checked their Twitter feeds during her performance last Wednesday night. “Oh. I was rooting for Lauren, but … Scotty’s good too,” she continued in a tone that hardly masked her disappointment.

Clarkson was of course was referring to the American Idol finale that was occurring simultaneously to her benefit concert for Tupperware Brands. The original Idol victor hit the stage for an event sponsoring Tupperware’s Confide & Conquer movement. An initiative designed to honor women around the world for the impact they have on their communities, the always-true-to-herself Clarkson was the perfect choice for an ambassador. 

WHO RUN THE WORLD? HAAAAAM.

By Alex Nagorski (Freelance Blogger)

  
(No descriptive caption necessary due to the brilliant and self-explanatory content)

COMING TO YOUR TV THIS FALL

The top 5 new television shows coming in the 2011-2012 season that you need to watch.
By Alex Nagorski (Freelance Blogger) 

 
1. The X Factor (FOX Wednesdays & Thursdays, 8 pm)

The UK’s ultimate reality singing competition is finally making it stateside. Guaranteeing the winner a $5 million recording contract, this show promises the largest prize ever in the history of reality TV. So how is it different than American Idol or The Voice? The X Factor divides its contestants into 4 groups: males from 12-15, females from 12-25, singers over 25, and vocal groups of any age.

Hosting the show will be Eden’s Crush/Pussycat Dolls front woman and failed solo artist Nicole Scherzinger (did you even know she officially released her umpteenth attempt at a lead single last week?)  and model-turned-British TV personality Steve Jones. On the judges’ panel will be hit making songwriter and producer L.A. Reid, the man responsible for launching the careers of such musicians as Mariah Carey, Kanye West, Pink, Rihanna, and Justin Bieber. Joining him will be Cheryl Cole, otherwise thought of as the pop star known everywhere in the world except for America (but it looks like that’s about to change!). And last but not least, The X Factor reunites original Idol judges Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul.

  

EXCLUSIVE CRAZYTOWN CONTEST AND TICKET OFFER FOR "LUCKY GUY”

An exclusive contest and discount offer for Off-Broadway's new smash musical, "Lucky Guy."
By Alex Nagorski (Freelance Blogger)

A couple of weeks ago, we held an exclusive contest to win tickets to see Broadway’s The Normal Heart. Today, we’re having another contest to win tickets for the Off-Broadway musical smash, Lucky Guy! 

The Nashville-set Lucky Guy is a hysterical story of a group of All-Americans striving for the same goal: a gold hit record. An outrageous show full of lavish costumes and extravagant musical numbers that pay ode to countless genres, Lucky Guy is like Xanandu meets 9 To 5 … remixed and doused in glitter and whiskey by Ke$ha. 

For me, watching Lucky Guy kind of felt like alternating Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift wigs, followed by lubing up a rainbow and sliding down it into a pile of rhinestone-dusted hay.  Starring Emmy Award-winning Will & Grace alumn Leslie Jordan and Next To Normal star Kyle Dean Massey, Lucky Guy doesn’t ask and it doesn’t tell … but instead yee-haws through the loudest and sparkliest megaphone out there. 

To win tickets, all you have to do is answer the following question in the comments section of this post:

If you were to release a hit album, what would be the name of your debut single? 

The winning answer will be selected this Thursday (05/19/11) and the winner will be given a pair of tickets to see Lucky Guy at The Little Shubert Theatre. 

And if you don’t win, you can purchase tickets with the below special discounted offer! But act quickly, this coupon expires this Thursday as well! So how much will tickets be? 

Tuesday-Thursday & Sunday

$49.50

(regularly $81.50-$86.50) 

Friday-Saturday

$52.50

(regularly $86.50)

To redeem this offer, simply use code LGGNA303 when purchasing tickets either:

1. At BroadwayOffers.com
2. By calling the box office at 212-947-8844
3. By visiting the box office at 422 West 42^nd Street

UPDATE: CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CONTEST WINNER, DAN! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED AND GOOD LUCK TO DAN WITH THE RELEASE OF HIS CHART-TOPPING DEBUT SINGLE, "SMACK THAT BOOTY."

FIERCE AND FEELING MIGHTY

A review of Kylie Minogue's "Aphrodite" tour.
By Alex Nagorski (Freelance Blogger)

Remember that level of Mario Kart called Rainbow Road? You know, the one where the track is just a massive rainbow with giant glittery obstacles for you to bypass? Well, imagine the player you’ve selected to use on this level is Princess Peach and the car you’ve chosen is a pink Barbie-esque Corvette to match your pretty princess dress and compliment your golden tiara. Every time the car turns, fairy dust comes out the end as you catch a star and sparkle harder than Edward Cullen on a Santa Barbara beach day. Now imagine that the game music is down and you’re playing while blasting the Burlesque soundtrack and are getting a pedicure from a naked Zac Efron and back rub from a nude Channing Tatum. Still following?

Well if you’re able to visualize all of this then it’s pretty safe assumption to think that what you’re imagining sounds like the gayest thing imaginable. Well guess again. Because compared to Kylie Minogue’s “Aphrodite” tour, that scenario is the motherfucking Superbowl and you’re scratching your balls with hands drenched in Dorito dust and Budweiser.

THE GREATEST MUSICAL EVER WRITTEN

Finally a piece of musical theater that will blow your mind.
By Alex Nagorski (Freelance Blogger)

I went to a small liberal arts school in Pennsylvania called Muhlenberg College. Ranked one of the top (non-conservatory) theater schools in the country (esscuuuse me as I pat my weave), it was full of more theater queens than your Grindr app on a Saturday night at The Ritz.

What this experience taught me is that 1) gays will harmonize to anything -- including spoken word tracks (like slam poetry ... or Ke$ha) and 2) more often that not, I loathe musical theater. Bat Boy this. Fiddler on the Roof that. Urinetown? Fucking shoot me. And don't even get me started on Oklahama.

However, Muhlenberg did also teach me that there is one musical that I absolutely adore (well maybe not so much Muhlenberg so much as my lovely stoner 'Berg friends). I'd describe it for you, but the entire thing is under 20 minutes and available on YouTube (thanks to the incarnation of the Messiah who recorded/posted it), so I think it's best if you experience it on your own. Therefore, without further ado, prepare to have your mind completely blown by the genius, madness, and brilliance of 1,000 Cats. And just think of the versatility you'll show the next time you audition if you prepare 32 bars of a robot cat solo. Just sayin' ...

Part One:

 

Part Two: