You are currently browsing the daily archive for May 5, 2009.
Milo Ventimiglia is an actor most well-known for his television work on both Gilmore Girls and Heroes. He also played Rocky’s son in the most recent installment in the series, Rocky Balboa. A hockey fan, Milo can often be spotted alongside my inaugural Hottie McDottie, John Krasinski, at games. He also has a habit of dating his female co-stars and has been linked to both Alexis Bledel (Rory from Gilmore Girls and Hayden Panettiere from Heroes).
Why He’s More Than Just Eye Candy: On Gilmore Girls, he played “rebel without a cause” Jess, who is widely regarded (at least as far as I know) as the best boyfriend Rory Gilmore ever had. He’s a pretty good actor, and was at one point going to headline a spin-off of Gilmore Girls, called Windward Circle (sounds like a soap opera), but the WB cancelled it when production costs got out of control. According to IMDb, he is friends with many, many people in Hollywood, which leads me to believe that he’s a friendly guy, I suppose. He’s also a vegetarian; having been one myself for two years, I always have respect for them.
Yusef Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) has recently come out saying that Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida” takes some huge musical cues from his “Foreigner Suite.”
See what you think:
I think that it seems more like a coincidence. This Joe Satriani song, “If I Could Fly,” (which he has accused Coldplay of ripping off) does sound a whole lot like “Viva la Vida,” and maybe not just coincidentally so:
A little-known band called Creaky Boards has also accused Coldplay of ripping them off with “Viva la Vida.”
This and the Satriani song are uncanny. So, what’s the deal? I think the deal is that Coldplay (particularly Chris Martin) wrote the song without realizing that he was so heavily influenced by these other songs (which he’d probably heard before). I think that the right thing to do is to give these folks writing credits, and maybe a chunk of cash. But, I’m sure that Coldplay doesn’t read my blog, nor would they care about my opinion. Let’s just say that my opinion of them has gone down quite a bit, though.
Today, May 4th (even though I’m pretty sure my blog thinks it’s May 5th), is Star Wars day. In honor of the day, I am watching my favorite film from the saga, The Empire Strikes Back. In fact, let’s get this out of the way right now. I would order the films like this:
1.) Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
2.) Episode IV: A New Hope
3.) Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
4.) Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
5.) Episode II: Attack of the Clones
6.) Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
In order from my favorite to my least favorite (and, dare I say, everyone’s least favorite?).
I have taken a lot of flak over my love of the saga, so much so that I put the “Star Wars nerd” side of my personality into hiding. No more, I say! I am comfortable enough with myself and my nerdiness that I can come out and say it: I love Star Wars. Man, I even love the new trilogy, in a way, if only because of the nostalgia factor, though most nostalgic feelings I had during those three travesties were due to John Williams’ score, and certainly not because of the wooden acting, cringe-worthy dialogue, and the fact that many of my beloved characters got raped by a computer (no one suffered more than poor Yoda). But, that didn’t stop me from hanging an Attack of the Clones poster on my wall, and having Phantom of the Menace in my VCR almost at all times. I was young and too stupid and naive to realize that George Lucas had slaughtered my beloved saga and left it for dead.
But, I digress. I am now watching Empire and loving the fact that this amazing film exists. These films were a staple of my childhood and adolescence. They are the ultimate in escape films. I pop one in, and I’m simultaneously in the present, in my childhood, and in a galaxy far, far away. So, thank you Star Wars. And, to everyone else, may the force be with you. Unless you don’t like the saga. In that case, I’d tell you that you smell worse than a tauntaun.
In honor of the fact that I’m watching Gossip Girl as I’m typing this, I’ve decided to make Penn Badgley – a.k.a. Dan Humphrey – one of my Hottie McDotties of the Day (I’m a bit behind, so you get more than one today). Penn plays the poor boy from Brooklyn on the CW show, and also dates his co-star Blake Lively. Of the three boys on the show, I think he’s the best-looking; much better than the serpent-like Ed Westwick (Chuck) or pretty boy Chace Crawford (Nate).
Why He’s More Than Just Eye Candy: I don’t like writing these about Hottie McDotties who don’t have extensive resumes. Let’s just say that I probably find Penn’s character, Dan Humphrey, more attractive because he’s a writer, and has good taste in literature. Maybe Penn’s the same, because it says on his IMDb bio that he “enjoys singing, writing, and playing the guitar.” And, he skiis, snowboards, and surfs. Very well-rounded!
