Don't Forget The Lyrics

When this show first premiered on television here, my expectations were a little mixed. While I absolutely love Wayne Brady from watching way too much from Whose Line Is It Anyway?on the Comedy Channel, I thought the premise of the show sounded pretty tacky and lame. Especially given that there were similar shows coming out at the same time in both Australian and US versions.

But after seeing the second episode I fell in love with it a little. So of course I was slightly upset when it got axed. Now its back for the summer/no ratings season (which is incidentally almost over) and its happy days.

The thing I love about this show is that the contestants are just the craziest bunch of fruit loops you will ever see! I mean the idea is pretty simple. It like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? but with music. You have to sing your way to the million dollars so if you are a music buff then it would basically be really simple and fun. Kinda like SingStar crossed with fill in the blanks but for money. In keeping with the music theme you get "back ups" instead of "life lines".

I saw an episode about a week ago, just after Christmas I think, and the woman was such a kack! She was absolutely nuts! Poor Wayne. I hope they pay him well to put up with these weirdos. Well, this woman was actually a really good singer and she seemed to know her stuff but it was just when she was not singing the songs, and confiming her answers, she was acting like a crazy person. You have to tell Wayne to "lock in those lyrics" and every time she said that she kept going on about her mother and how her mother was going to kill her for gambling when she wasn't sure and stuff.

And she was so boisterous with the actual phrase: "O Wanye, my momma's gonna kill me but I just have to LOCK IN THOSE LYRICS!" Then she would look nervously at her two friends (or back up singers), one of which was holding her little white fluffball of a dog that she seemed to have brought along for support. Her dog?! What the hell?! Who brings a dog to a game show for moral support?! They even pulled the dog up on stage with her so she could serenade it when she sang Hound Dog. Oh, and they called her mother on the phone at one point to tell her how much money her daughter was risking.

In the end it all worked out okay. The woman walked away with like $375 000 or something similar so she did pretty good and was only like 2 songs away from the million or whatever. In a nutshell the reason to watch this show is that it is so bad that its good. It is light entertainment in every way and will leave you happily amused and shaking your head at the strange strange people who are selected as contestants. Sorry to any sane people from the country, but Don't Forget The Lyrics will definitely make you say, only in America.

Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

As a preteen, Lois and Clark was a much beloved show of mine. Coming back to it years later thru the wonders of DVD, I have to say that this firmly remains the same. Baffled though I am that this remarkable series only lasted four seasons, a great amount of stuff has gone on throughout its canon. Watching it again I remember the frustration on the part of its original viewers that it took absolutely forever (a whole season) for Lois to reaslise that Clark was Superman and then yet another eternity (approx two more seasons) for them to finally marry and be together without other suitors and outside influences getting in the way. For indeed that was what the show was really all about, Lois and Clark, the people, the lovers and the constant struggles of making a relationship work not only when the bloke has superpowers that are literally out of this world, but also making it work in the 1990s. Lois Lane in this Superman spinoff is no longer the meek and mild reporter but a ruthless, in-your-face, no-holds-barred, snippy, annoying and ambitious investigative journalist who likes to wear the pants and lead the show (no pun intended). Fortunatley for Clark Kent he is happy to oblige her most of the time, except when she inevitably lands herself in so much trouble she needs his help, but even then it almost makes him love her more. Okay, a lot of the storylines are bad and lame, especially where some of the show's criminals/villains are concerned, and the fashion and hair styles often leave a lot to be desired. But there is something inevitably endearing about this show. Maybe it's because it's another part of a much loved superhero franchise that continues to facinate its plethora of fans. Maybe it's because of the performances of the show's two stars Terri Hatcher and Dean Cain (man watching this show reminded me of how much of a crush I used to have on that guy!) and the wonderful chemistry they have together. Or maybe it's because of the human imagination that wishes a man could fly, get the girl and always save the day no matter what the circumstances. I think maybe it's a mixture of all these things.

Prom Night

Well, after more than a few months off the reviewing business, I have many a movie to catch up on dishing out my opinions. The first of which is Prom Night. Fortunately for this new slasher flick it bears very little, if any, similarity to its predecessor of the same name. No, this Prom Night is one that viewers are definitely sure of not forgetting in a hurry. Not least of which among reasons is Britney Snow's powerful performance as the victim/almost-heroine of the piece. From the opening sequence we like her right away. I mean you have to have sympathy for a girl whose mother has just died sacrificially for her right before her eyes, and who only moments before discovered the dead bodies of her father and brother. Not to mention that she is gorgeous as well as convincing. The premise is reasonably unoriginal for a slasher. Her teacher has fallen for her in a totally postal way and decides to express his ahem "love" by hacking up anyone who stands in the way of his prize. He was caught and sent to prison and the girl off to live with her loving and childless aunt and uncle. Now two years later she's a senior and prom is coming up and Britney (sorry, I can't remember the character's name) is set to be the bell of the ball. Naturally it is on this night that the evil teacher decides to escape from prison and come after her. As an Australian I have to admit that our Formals for school-leavers hardly compare to the Prom experience set before those who graduate in the US. That is, if movie such as this are anything to be believed. A stylish hotel is the main set for this film and with its mixture of modern suits and ballrooms as well as the hectic, dismal and shonky "under renovation" areas, Prom Night is fraught with optimal sites from a slasher such as this deranged teacher to practice his handywork. Like any slasher flick worth its weight in kitchen knives (drawing your attention to the likes of Halloween, Scream, Friday the 13th etc.), Prom Night gives its killer, and particularly the killing scenes a fingerprint all their own. They are truly a great mixture of sound effects and visual techniques that extend the genre into this new century, as well as belying a deep understanding on the part of those involved about what is actually frightening. Basically if you don't like being scared, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this movie to you. Let's just say there's lots of loud noises and bright flashing and such that will make you squeal your lungs out all the way thru. If you're like me and love the challenge of trying not to get scared in a movie then this one's for you! It's an interesting and satisfying twist on an old record.