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My Favourite Things
This web page will provide information mainly on entertainment, which is one of my favourite things, if you know me well. It will include weekly overseas charts like US Billboard Album and Singles charts, US Movie Box Office Charts and US TV Ratings Charts. I will try my best to obtain the most updated information for you on a weekly basis (especially for charts). Other information included will be SeaBuzz on movie reviews (my movie review platform which is almost 4 years old), and interesting entertainment news as well. But of course, a little list of my favourite things will be posted as well ....
New !!! As of 28th August 2000 :
Grace and Grit
My first book review after a long time.
New !!! As of 22nd February 2000 : Oscar 2000 Nominees
New !!! As of 3rd February 2000 : Screen Actors Guild Awards 2000 - Nominations announced
New !!! As of 31st January 2000 :
SeaBuzz
It had been a long time since I last wrote a movie
review but hopefully, my "critical juices" will be back in full swing, with
my first review since "Notting Hill".
New !!! As of 12th January 2000 :
US Box Office Top 25 for 1999
Look at the newest links under the names of the
movie stars to see their photos and a little about them as well!!!
New !!! As of 5th January 2000 :
1999 Grammy Award Nominations
New !!! As of 21st December 1999 :
1999 Golden Globe Nominations
My Faves (Movies, TV)
Fave Stars
US Billboard Top 20 Singles
US Billboard Top 20 Albums
US Box Office Chart
US Television Ratings
Favourite Movies : Intelligent movies and non slapstick comedy. Though of course, I have been known to pay a little attention to sentimental ones as well.
Everyone has their own choice of preference. Some like action packed movies, while some might actually prefer slapstick comedies. We are not here to place any judgments on their personality . I personally dislike slapstick because I feel that it is usually an insult to my intelligence but there are times when we would like to just sit back and laugh without thinking, though those moments for me (with slapstick) are few and very little. Many people also lament about the quality of movies Americans churn out each year and only watch foreign "art house" movies. Art house movies are good because they depict reality which are very close to heart but the reason why most of those movies do not attract many audiences is probably because of the fact that movies are a form of escapism for most people. People don't want to be reminded of what situation they are in. They watch movies because they want to allow themselves to be moulded into the characters and live their lives 'fruitfully' for the next few hours.
Movies give us hope as well. Hoping that one day, our lives can indeed be as challenging or adventurous as those depicted in the movies. I have said it many times before that we can learn from movies as well but of course, we must differentiate between the good and the bad and act accordingly. I had watched countless movies and it is hence very difficult for me to formulate a Top Ten, but I'll try to do that soon or maybe just do a list of recommended movies that you may want to look for in the video store one day.
Favourite TV Programs : Friends, Sex And The City, Six Feet Under, Malcolm in the Middle, Ally McBeal and The Practice
On "Friends" ....
"Friends" has been described as a juggernaut in US television because currently in its 7th season, it's viewership had not withered in a trend that is identified for most of its predecessors. It is still the top comedy in US (E.R. is No.1 most of the time) and considering that it starts screening at 8 pm in the US, which is considered very early, this viewership number is phenomenal. It is also the most watched program in Australia and many other parts of the world.
I think the success lies in the fact that everyone wishes that they had friends like them or a group of friends that they can hang out with all the time. Most importantly, most people tend to be able to identify themselves in one of the six friends as well. The brilliant scripting and the fact that they are friends in real life, also aids in its credibility and popularity.
On "Ally McBeal" ....
The neurotic lawyer and her neurotic friends and colleagues. The 'scariest' bit about Ally is that I can sometimes draw parallels in my life with hers. It's uncanny how you can say "Wow, that's exactly how I am." Though I do not whine (as much), I guess we both hold the same view on one thing .... love and how it and the world should be. Of course, there are issues considering whether we should compromise, because our dream person may never exist in real life. The issue then is when you compromise and then the 'right one' does come along, what do you do? I guess that is why Ally lives in her own "tortured world" and is only comfortable when she's there. I'm just amazed at how David E. Kelley can write such deep characteristics in a human being where both men and women can identify. The unusual tricks and story line he has up his sleeve help make this dramedy a must for my friends and I.
"Ally McBeal" ended "Frasier"s 4 consecutive win run at the Emmys this year when it grasped the Best Comedy/Musical award for the first time. When this dramedy was released in Australia, the critics kept emphasizing on how whiny Ally was, but it found popularity with all almost all demographics, except for women above the age of 40. The most important demographic sector for advertisers are the 18-35 category and this dramedy is considered to the second most popular TV show after "Friends".
On "The Practice" ....
Another brain child of David E. Kelley, which is also about lawyers, though this drama centers more on serious issues than the former. It is usually shocking and you never know who is going to win at the end because Bobby O'Donnell's firm does lose sometimes. The cases are highly interesting and the acting is immaculate all around with almost everyone in the main cast was nominated for an Emmy this year.
An interesting point to note is that this drama received such low viewership ratings that it was almost canceled, even though the critics raved about it. It was saved eventually by a Best Drama win at last year's Emmy Awards. After repeating its win at this year's Emmys, it is consistently drawing more audiences and is usually featured in the Top 20 nowadays. It is also gaining popular in Australia but part of it is due to the leadup from "Ally McBeal", which precedes this program.
Movies
Fave Movie
Actor (Oldies but Goodies) :
Montgomery Clift
, Spencer Tracy
Fave Movie
Actress (Oldies but Goodies) :
Katharine Hepburn
, Audrey Hepburn
Fave Movie
Actor (Contemporary) : Hugh Jackman, Tom Hanks, Edward Norton, Harrison Ford,
Robin Williams, Brad Pitt
Fave Movie
Actress (Contemporary) : Michelle Pfeiffer, Julia Roberts, Jodie Foster,
Meg Ryan
New Faces
: Drew Barrymore, Timothy Olyphant,
Michael Vartan
, Natalie Portman, Reese Witherspoon
Television
Fave TV
Actor : Matthew Perry, Anthony Edwards, Peter Krause
Fave TV
Actress : Lisa Kudrow, Calista Flockhart, Jennifer Aniston
Fave Music - Pop/Rock, R&B, Hip Hop, Jazz
Some of you might express 'disgust' at my faves (esp. for the singers I like) but that's my choice. In the past, I felt embarrassed to tell my friends whose music I really enjoy because of the fact that I dread seeing their disgusted faces over my choices. Things have changed and I no longer feel shy about letting people know that these are the singers I enjoy listening too. One funny trend that you will notice will be that I do not particularly enjoy music from male singers. I can't explain why .... I just get sick of their albums after some time.
Music (English)
Fave Style:
Pop, Jazz, R&B, Chill out music
Fave Singers/Groups (Oldies but goodies) : Carpenters, Ella Fitzgerald,
Diana Ross (and Supremes), Frank Sinatra, etc
Fave Singers/Groups (Contemporary) : Mariah Carey, Whitney Housten, Madonna,
Janet Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Desinty's Child, Celine Dion, TLC, Robbie Williams,
Diana Krall, Travis
Music (Japanese)
Fave Singers/Groups : Akina Nakamori , Miyuki Nakajima, Mariya Takeuchi, Yumi Matsutoya, Momoe Yamaguchi, Seiko Matsuda, Southern All Stars, Utada Hikaru
Music (Cantonese/Chinese)
Fave Singers/Groups : Faye Wong, Sally Yeh, Sandy Lam, Zhang Hui Mei, Jacky Cheung, Anita Mui, Stephanie Sun
Billboard Singles Top 20
The Billboard Hot 100™ (Issue Date: January
18, 2000)
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What A Girl Wants | Christina Aguilera |
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Smooth % | Santana |
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Back At One | Brian McKnight |
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I Knew I Loved You* | Savage Garden |
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I Want To Love You Forever% | Jessica Simpson |
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My Love Is Your Love% | Whitney Housten |
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Hot Boyz ^ | "Missy Misdemeanor" Elliott Featuring NAS, EVE & Q-Tip |
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Auld Lang Syne | Kenny G |
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I Need To Know^ | Marc Anthony |
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Bring It All To Me | Blaque |
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Blue (Da Ba Dee) | Eiffel 65 |
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Girl On TV | LFO |
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U Know What's Up | Donell Jones |
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That's The Way It Is | Celine Dion |
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Then The Morning Comes | Smash Mouth |
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24/7 | Kevon Edmonds |
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Waiting For Tonight | Jennifer Lopez |
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He Can't Love U | Jagged Edge |
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Get It On Tonite | Montell Jordan |
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Learn To Fly | Foo Fighters |
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Billboard Albums Top 20
The Billboard 200 ™ (Issue Date: January 8,
2000)
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Vol. 3... Life And Times Of S. Carter | Jay-Z |
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And Then There Was X | DMX1 |
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All The Way ... A Decade Of Song (4) | Celine Dion |
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Christina Aguilera (5) | Christina Aguilera |
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Dr Dre -- 2001 | Dr Dre |
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Still I Rise | 2Pac + Outlawz |
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Now 3 | Various Artistes |
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Supernatural (5) | Santana |
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Rainbow (3) | Mariah Carey |
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Issues (3) | Korn |
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Significant Other (5) | Limp Bizkit |
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Enema Of The State (3) | Blink-182 |
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Devil Without A Cause (5) | Kid Rock |
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Millenium (11) | Backstreet Boys |
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Born Again | The Notorious B.I.G. |
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... Baby One More Time (10) | Britney Spears |
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S & M | Metallica |
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Willenium (2) | Will Smith |
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Tha G-Code | Juvenile |
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Fly (3) | Dixie Chicks |
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Billboard Scoop :
The first No.1s of the new century belong to Christina Aguilera and Jay-Z who topped the singles and album charts respectively.
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| 1 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace | Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman |
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| 2. The Sixth Sense | Bruce Willis, Haley-Joel Osment |
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| 3. Toy Story 2 | Voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen |
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| 4. Austin Powers 2 - The Spy Who Shagged Me | Mike Myers, Heather Graham |
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| 5. Matrix | Keanu Reeves |
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| 6. Tarzan | Animation (Disney) |
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| 7. Big Daddy | Adam Sandler |
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| 8. The Mummy | Brendan Fraser |
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| 9. Runaway Bride | Julia Roberts, Richard Gere |
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| 10. The Blair Witch Project |
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| 11. The World Is Not Enough | Pierce Brosnan, Denise Richards |
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| 12. Notting Hill | Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant |
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| 13. Double Jeopardy | Ashley Judd, Tommy Lee Jones |
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| 14. Wild Wild West | Will Smith, Kevin Kline, Salma Hayek |
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| 15. Analyze This | Robert DeNiro, Billy Crystal, Lisa Kudrow |
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| 16. The General's Daughter | John Travolta, Madeline Stoewe |
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| 17. American Pie |
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| 18. Inspector Gadget | Rupert Everett, Matthew Broderick |
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| 19. Sleepy Hollow | Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci |
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| 20. The Haunting | Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones |
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| 21. Shakespeare In Love | Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Dame Judi Dench, Geoffrey Rush |
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| 22. Enrtapment | Sean Connery, Catherine Zeta-Jones |
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| 23. Pokémon: The First Movie | Animation |
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| 24. Payback | Mel Gibson, Lucy Liu |
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| 25. Stuart Little | Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie |
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US Box Office Top 10 (last updated : 12th January
2000)
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US Box Office Scoop :
No new entry in the Top 10 Box Office this week. The movie about a mouse raised in a human household (voices of Michael J. Fox and Nathan Lane) topped the charts for the third consecutive week. The much touted movie "The Talented Mr. Ripley" jumped one spot up from No.3 to No.2 this week, with good reviews and a well known cast. It's Golden Globe nominations should prompt more viewers to it. "Toy Story 2" carried on its very strong run, overcoming the US$200 million mark, and should exceed its predecessor by next week or so. The other Tom Hanks vehicle "The Green Mile", whcih many call the new "Shawshank Redemption" also had a relatively strong run and should gross over the US$100 million mark eventually, making Tom the most bankable and probably most likeable movie star in Hollywood at the moment. "Any Given Sunday" dropped from the No.2 spot to No. 5 this week, but still managed to draw in a considerable gross.
For movie reviews on all these new movies, one can actually access the Entertainment Weekly website, which is where I obtain most of my information from at www.ew.com
US Television Viewership (Dec.
20-26) - Updated on 5th Jan 2000
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US Television Scoop :
The runaway success of the game show "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" has left many baffled. For the first time in many years, ABC is finally able to loosen the stranglehold NBC has on the US television viewers. It has even eaten its way into the viewerhip of the hit comedy "Friends", and though the comedy still tops the timeslot, its viewership ratings has been affected in many ways more than one. Ironically, this show has the same effect when it was screened in Australia. For the first time, a game show manages to top the weekly ratings. I have personally watched this game show and I think it hinges on the materialistic side of human beings. The questions are tough and I think the excitement comes purely from watching people walk away with thousands of dollars, with many daydreamers thinking "One day, it will be me". Well, Good Luck, I say."
NBC is also apparently axing some shows, like Jesse and Providence, although they haven't been losers in the ratings. There was a comment made by the reporter that said, "Now, you can watch the reruns of Friends and Frasier till your eye bleeds." Very funny!!!
As TV moves into their Winter Break, most of the
popular shows like "Friends", "Frasier" and "ER" are showing repeat telecasts
from this new season, denoted by an (R) next to it. Seems like it i s exactly
similar to the television programs in Australia right now. Repeats and more
repeats. If the TV station dares to show one more repeat of the movie "Death
Becomes Her", I will seriously consider writing in to complain. Not that
it's a good movie to start with or anywhere near a classic. During the Christmas
season, if you're looking for a special movie that says "The Spirit Of Christmas",
my recommendation is the James Stewart and Donna Reed classic "It's a Wonderful
Life". It's really good and the moral behind the story is "One is not poor,
with friends."
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