| Proud Member |
| What the...? |
| Kinda-monthly opinions on the somewhat disturbing news of the entertainment world. |
| So Now You Care |
| By Catherine Krummey - May 9, 2003 Now that Norah Jones has won 8 Grammys (see below) and stayed in the Top 10 Billboard Albums for the past months, everyone is starting to take notice. But is that really right? No. When her album first came out last year, word of mouth started to make Jones' sales climb up, but no one in the *NSYNC/Avril Lavigne/Eminem generation really took notice. Even after the Grammy nominations came out with Jones having 8 nominations (so did teeny-bopper Lavigne and rap star Em), they still didn't. When I conducted a Grammy poll for my school newspaper and they read Norah Jones on the ballot, most of them were like "Who the heck is Norah Jones?" And if it happened to be when I was giving the poll, I told them she was a jazzy, soulful type singer and they just went "Oh." And now, as the most beautiful lists come out, Norah Jones' name seems to be appearing on all of them. I can see People including her in their "50 Most Beautiful People" because they talk about the little stars too, but Teen People's "Hottest 25 Under 25?" Come on. It's not that I don't agree, it's just that at least 95% of the Teen People readers had probably never even heard of Jones until the Grammys or even until the list came out. This is the future of our country, folks, and for the most part it's sad. Not recognizing a great talent until after she gets the fame, the fortune and the awards? That's just plain ignorant, stupid and ridiculous. |
   |
| Email Cat at [email protected] or CCN at [email protected] |
| Why It's Good to Be a Moviefreak |
| By Catherine Krummey - March 4, 2003 Whenever I give someone my web or e-mail address, they're like "Moviefreak??? What's up with that???" It's just who I am. And there's nothing wrong with that. If you ask a kid who plays any sport or instrument or is intensely religious (my best friend's e-mail is "JesusFreak") why they have the word "freak" in their web or e-mail address, they're most likely to give the same response. Freak is defined in many ways, but the synopsis of all the definitions really is "unusual or irregular." The role that movies play in my life I guess could be described as "unusual or irregular," but that's just to the public. My friends might lovingly make fun of me from time to time, too, but they understand for the most part. To me, it's normal. I love movies and I always have, and I find it strangely rewarding when the benefits of being so knowledgeable about movies occur. For example, the other day in one of my classes, some kids in my class were playing "Family Feud" on a computer. When a question about Alfred Hitchcock came up, they were clueless. Me, being the knowledgeable person I am about movies, offered up the list. Then my teacher asked me if I'd heard of the last one, North by Northwest, because I offered up Vertigo instead. I replied with a yes. And she looked at me like "How the hell does she know all this? She's only 17." That is what is rewarding to me. And no one, I think, will ever know just how it feels to be in that positon. You might have your sports or your theater or your whatever, but I have my movies, my writing and my webpage. And I am damn proud of them all. |
| Legendary Loss |
| By Catherine Krummey - June 29, 2003 The loss of two Hollywood icons in 19 days is somewhat frightening, especially in an age which isn't giving birth to great icons like those of the golden days. First, Gregory Peck June 11, and then four-time Oscar-winner Katharine Hepburn. Peck at 87 and Hepburn at 96, both of old age. Peck wasn't without his triumphs either, he won an Oscar for his most memorable role, as To Kill a Mockingbird's Atticus Finch, a role he was most recently given AFI's Top Hero honor for. Anyway, back to my main point. In a generation more known for its comedy and action stars, what will happen when, in addition to these two greats, people like Sidney Poitier, Al Pacino and Susan Sarandon aren't here anymore? Will great drama and passion (without the brainless sex) seize to exist? Who, in this generation of new stars, will we turn to in our hours when we need inspiration? (And by this generation, I do mean anyone under 30, thus eliminating Renee Zellweger, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, etc.) Maybe 26-year-old Adrien Brody, but what's to say his Oscar-winning job in The Pianist wasn't a fluke? All I know is there are too few people to choose from in this current generation that will be the next Gregory Peck or Katharine Hepburn. There is something critically wrong with that, and it needs to be recognized. |
| Buffy and Dawson Say Goodbye |
| By Catherine Krummey - May 25, 2003 Two shows that can honestly be called the basis on what TV network The WB stands on today, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (now on UPN) and Dawson's Creek have decided to call the 2002-2003 season goodbye. Back in February 1997, there was a blonde girl living in California. Little did we know how strong Buffy would turn out to be. That was the first show the WB could claim as good. Then one year later, in January 1998, the WB struck gold again. This time with four teens growing up in the small town of Capeside, North Carolina. This Creek was intriguing to the younger demographic, and, well, it's just sad to see it go. While I just started to watch Buffy around the same time DC premiered (and just about every-other episode once it moved to UPN for the 2001-2002 season), I taped DC's pilot before I even new how good it was. Let's call it destiny. I have seen every single episode of the Creek since. And in the spirit of tradition, I taped the series finale on May 14, and that tape will never be recorded over. Loyal Buffy and DC fans won't have to worry about never seeing their shows again: Buffy is syndicated on FX and Fox, DC is syndicated on WE, Buffy's spin-off series, Angel, will still be on the WB and both series have at least one season on DVD for fans to buy. Goodbyes are never easy. Especially if you've known the characters for 6 (DC) or 7 (Buffy) years. Dawson and Buffy, you saved the WB - a lot. |
 |
 |
| All editorials by Catherine Krummey unless otherwise stated |