Editors' Picks
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WATCH "Blades of Glory," yet another ridiculous comedy from the genius that is Will Ferrell. In the film, which comes out in theatres tomorrow, Ferrell, along with "Napoleon Dynamite's" Jon Heder, plays a male figure skater who is stripped of his gold medal at the 2002 Olympics and forever banned from competition. The two rival skaters join forces after they discover a loophole that allows them to compete in pairs figure skating.
Expect no more from "Blades" than you would from any other Ferrell movie, as he basically plays his character from "Talledega Nights," Ricky Bobby, on ice. For fans of Ferrell and Heder, however, this film is worth the price of admission with its SNL-style comedy and slapstick humor. For those naysayers, we have four words: Will Ferrell in spandex.
LISTEN to Joss Stone's latest album "Introducing Joss Stone." This is the third album for Stone, the British soul singer/songwriter powerhouse. In interviews preceding the release of this album, Stone promised to create something she felt best represented her, and this album truly does reveal the spirit and passion of this 19-year-old.
"Introducing" reveals a more funky, fun-loving side of Stone with sassy lyrics and groovy beats. As she wanted to reinvent herself in this album, Stone traveled to Barbados and secluded herself from all contact with the outside world until she was satisfied with her lyrics. She then met up with producer Raphael Saadiq, who has worked on tracks with D'Angelo, The Roots and Macy Gray, to create addictive rhythms for her R&B, disco and soul tracks. The end result? A sensual, passionate, movement-inspiring compilation worthy of a beginning-to-end listen.
Look out for tracks like "Music," a Fugees-inspired collaboration with Lauryn Hill and "Tell Me What We're Gonna Do," which has contributions from the rapper Common. Also, make sure to listen to "Tell Me 'Bout It" and "Put Your Hands On Me Baby," for some 70s inspired beats. The whole album is available on iTunes for $9.99.
RENT "Happy Feet," a mostly light-hearted story about how being unique is truly a good thing. Mumble (Elijah Wood), an Emperor Penguin, cannot sing a heartsong like the rest of his colony. One way he finds to express himself instead is through rather energetic tap-dancing.
His dancing isn't acccepted by everyone, however. And when the leaders of the colony begin to blame his dancing for a fish famine, Mumble sets out on the quest of a lifetime to find the source of the missing fish. He meets many characters along the way that help him discover the benefits of standing out from the crowd.
Look out for the voices of Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman, Brittany Murphy and Nicole Kidman in this toe-tapping adventure.
Be warned - there is a serious political message packed into the film as well.
