Antonio’s Scent Gets a Sex Change
Antonio Banderas has a nose for what women want.
The actor will be adding Blue Seduction for Women, his first signature fragrance for the fairer sex and fifth overall, to his repertoire in September, according to scent maker Puig Beauty USA.
“It is much more feminine, but still captures the aquatic freshness of the men’s,” Puig VP of marketing Vanita Sabnani told Women’s Wear Daily of the citrus, rose, jasmine and raspberry-accented perfume, which Banderas described in a promo video as the scent in his line that most suits his persona.
As he did for his more manly pursuits, the Mask of Zorro star will also appear in the print and commercial ad campaign for Blue Seduction for Women.
Fear Itself: The Sacrifice (series premiere)
NBC is touting this as a 13-episode series, but you have to figure that if the ratings were miraculously high, it’d get a second nod next summer, or even January if it finds blockbuster status. However, they’re probably being realistic by banking on it as a nice summer distraction. These days, anthology series just don’t get the ratings.
While I talked a little bit about the first three episodes in my early look article, I blasted this episode the most of the three I saw, while my fellow TVder Keith felt that the second episode was weaker than this one. I guess it all comes down to a matter of taste. I still think that plunging neckline right there has a lot to do with why this was chosen as the first episode. The NBC marketing machine can trumpet this installment as one featuring sexy sirens seducing four hapless men. Unfortunately, that description is a little misleading. Sure, Mircea Monroe is voluptuous but I only really counted two seduction scenes, and they both featured Monroe. The rest of the girls were too busy cooking stew and whining about their fate.
As it turned out, the episode really wasn’t about sirens at all, in the classic sense of the idea of a siren as a hot woman who lures men to their doom. Sure, the chicks were hot and the men were more than likely doomed, but that was more a matter of circumstances. The girls didn’t particularly seem to seek out guys, and only used seduction as a part of their lures to keep the men around. But there’s every reason to think they’ve victimized women and families as needed over the years.
For me, the problem was that there wasn’t anything particularly new or compelling in the presentation of the episode, save the first scene in the barn with the “bed” laid out on the barn floor. In the end, though, this was little more than a “monster of the week” episode. And there were a few too many horror movie cliches for me in this one:
- Car breaks down in the middle of nowhere? Check
- Group of “friends” finds a house in the middle of nowhere? Check
- There is no phone available for them to use to call for help? Check
- Gratuitous female nudity, or near nudity and sensuality? Check
- The group of “friends” are split up? Check
- One of the friends is more sensitive, and another friend is mean to him/her? Check
- The friends are killed one by one? Check
- The mean friend/sibling changes his ways, but it’s too late? Check
- Someone sacrifices themselves to save the others? Check
- The monster is trapped and seemingly destroyed (but there’s no body)? Check
All we needed was for a girl to be in her underwear and a men’s dress shirt wandering around the house alone and then going outside dressed like that by herself with only a flashlight for protection.
The effects were generally well done; the wound sewing sequence seemed a bit overdone with the makeup and prosthetic enhancements, but the makeup on the vampire was excellent. In the end, though, I was just glad that I had an opportunity to check out the first three episodes in one run to get a good look at the diversity the show promises to bring us later. The supernatural game is raised next week, as are the effects and the innovation in presentation and storytelling, and it looks to only get better from there.
Maybe the idea was to start things off on more familiar ground for typical horror fans. Or maybe it really was as simple as using Mircea Monroe’s boobs to sell the show. Certainly it’s the most boobage we see in the first three episodes. Regardless, while I won’t rate the first episode as of to an amazing start, by the third one Fear Itself is off and running on all cylinders. The question is if America is ready to embrace a supernatural-horror anthology series again?
So You Think You Can Dance: Salt Lake City and Dallas Auditions
(S04E02) To comment on Kristin’s thoughts on So You Think You Can Dance judge Mary Murphy, I think she brings a much needed level of fun and energy to the show. Promoting her to full time judge was one of the smartest moves the show could have made as she has a level of technical know-how when it comes to the classical styles of dance that the other judges just can’t speak to.
And as silly as her screaming can get at times, she’s still a fair critic. I guess I’ll say she’s grown on me as I didn’t care for her before she went full-time. Maybe she’s just one of those personalities you learn to appreciate more over time. For the Utah auditions, long-time show choreographer Mandy Moore joined the judging panel for the first time. The “table routine” from last season that she choreographed was one of last year’s highlights, so her pedigree comes well appreciated. Hairspray choreographer Adam Shankman was the third judge for the Dallas round.
There were a lot of dancers in these two cities so we’re not going to necessarily touch on all of them or we might be here all day. If I miss someone then you can assume that means they didn’t impress me enough one way or the other. But feel free to chime in with your comments on them or anything else about the new season unfolding before our anxious little eyes. Little Sabra is going down, so to speak. Will we see the new champion tonight?
Highlights & Lowlights of Salt Lake City
Chelsie Hightower opened the show and came packed with a “sob story” about her family’s financial struggles, and the sacrifices they’ve made to help her realize her dreams of dance. She couldn’t even afford a dance partner of her own. But when the music started, she was all seduction on the stage, exuding sensuality just walking across the stage. Her moves were sharp and she hit every movement. Her legwork was stunning, as were her legs themselves.
Ice skater/break-dancer Gev Manoukian didn’t make the show two years ago and spent the intervening time diversifying his abilities with jazz, ballet and contemporary training. What he created then was a strange hybrid of all four styles, with perfect body control throughout. In one routine Gev showed the judges that he is fully capable of virtually anything they could show him; I don’t think anyone has done that yet. He was mesmerizing to watch and one of my early favorites, though the judges needed to see him in choreography before he could go to Vegas.
Others who were good enough to earn their tickets to Vegas:
- Kelli Baker is the daughter of one of the High School Musical choreographers, so expectations were high. She had absolutely beautiful line work in her body; a perfect mix of grace and strength and owned every inch of the stage as she flowed across it.
- Ryann Race was tall and lean, and performed in a style somewhat similar to Cedric Gardner from last season. This strip club DJ was using his dance to work out his feelings for his girlfriend. There was a lot of potential in his movement, but it was more messy in execution than I would have liked. He made it through to the choreography round and then to Vegas.
And the not-so-best of the rest:
- Native American Michael Moore had a background video spotlighting the heritage that his family honors, but he himself rejects. In fact, he went more for street dancing, which he apparently performed entirely flat on his back. He had some legwork but it was sloppy and didn’t work at all. I love his sense of humor and how he made fun of those terrible dancers who say they teach dance.
- Queen of Charisma, Naomie Christensen thought it would be kind of interesting to be on the show. And she was on the show, just not for the reasons she may have thought. I’ll dub her “dancing” style, jogging … with style. We spent way too much time on her.
- Utah’s streets must be too cold and snow-covered for their street dancers to get enough practice in. Richard Castaneda had a slow seizure on the stage, Robert Taylo face planted on the stage, Nicole Downer looked and danced like a mother of four letting off steam in a club, and we saw a whole slew of other horrible dancers, more than we got last night. I appreciated the opportunity to see more dances, but would have liked more of the good ones as well.
Inspiring Story of the Night
Down’s Syndrome was the spotlight handicap of the night. I’m not trying to make light of the condition, but rather the fact that it’s become almost trite for SYTYCD to give air time to varying disabilities to show that you can do anything no matter what cards life has dealt you. I don’t even know if I can criticize them for doing this as it is inspirational to see these performers, but at the same time is it necessary to give us a blind dancer last week and Down’s Syndrome this week? Especially since none of these dancers are good enough to move on. Or maybe I’m just a cold-hearted bastard.
Highlights & Lowlights of Dallas
The music dictated the movements of Brian Davidson. There’s no room for choreography or fear in his world, so he fearlessly made an ass of himself not only on the Dallas stage but in front of all of America. He had way too much attitude and way too much camera time.
Popper Joshua Allen had some of the hardest hits I’ve ever seen on the SYTYCD stage. And his movements were so fast. When he went down and started doing some of his hand and aerial tricks he had me won over. This guy is in complete and total control of his body, owned his music and was amazing to watch. I was pleased to see him survive choreography and go to Vegas.
John Dix and Arielle Coker performed together and John did a good job of making Arielle look good. In fact, she was so beautiful in her partnering that other than being where she needed him to be, he all but disappeared from the stage. When they separated I saw him and wanted him to disappear again as he was awkward and stilted in his movements, but Arielle was magical. Arielle went to Vegas while John went to choreography and then back home, where he seemed perfectly happy.
In Dallas we got a montage of the amazing dancers, and there were some amazing moves on display. But why did we only get a few seconds of who Nigel considered the “best female hip-hop dancer we’ve ever seen on the show.” I could have taken a lot less of Steven Arner to make more room for her and a lot of these amazing dancers.
Others who were good enough to go home and stay there:
- Booty-shaking isn’t dancing. Cassidy Corder thinks it is. It isn’t. But it’s okay because neither was anything else she did. But she wasn’t alone. Brianna Gardner sat on the stage for awhile, Kayleigh Darling almost jumped off of it and if I had to sit and watch some of these auditions, I think I’d have to throw ballet shoes at them. Or maybe tap shoes; contact there would get them to stop.
- Steven Arner did a stupid hip-hop dance with a chair and his hair styled like Mickey Mouse. The judges explained to him how terrible he was and he got belligerent. But it wasn’t all it was hyped up to be.
Snuggle Fabric Softeners had to bring us the “happy dances” of the thirty-eight Dallas contestants who made it through because American Idol is already completely sold out so it’s time to move onto So You Think You Can Dance? Really? Can’t they just dance without somebody getting paid? Did they hire Ryann Race to DJ that bit? Tomorrow we go to Washington, DC and Charleston, SC.
One Life to Live goes to the Dogg
Things will never be the same in Llanview. Rapper Snoop Dogg will be guesting on One Life to Live. Following in the footsteps of other big name music stars Mary J. Blige, Nelly Furtado, Chris Botti, Erykah Badu, Timbaland and Keri Hilson, Snoop is going to sing at the Ultra Violet dance club in episodes airing on ABC (and SoapNet) May 8 and May 9.
It may seem like a strange marriage, rap and soap, but according to the Dogg, he’s been a long-time soap watcher. Believe it or not (not), but Snoop said, “I’ve been a fan of One Life to Live since I was a baby.” That would add up, by the way. He’s 36 years old and One Life to Live has been broadcast on ABC for forty years — four decades — since 1968. “My momma always had it on the tube in tha crib growing up,” he says.
Snoop will be playing himself on the soap, performing two songs from his new album, Ego Trippin’ — “Sensual Seduction” and “Life of Da Party.” He’s also going to do a Snoop remix of the OLTL theme. “The opportunity to change up the theme song and give it some of my flavor will make the show the Life of The Party,” he observes. The music will be cool, but what I really want to see is Snoop, who has acting experience including playing a rapper (a stretch) on Monk last year among other credits, going nose to nose with Viki or Bo. More likely it’ll be Antonio or Rex or Adriana. Maybe Dorian?