The day that you can do a good deed by ordering pancakes is right around the corner or, in this case, on the other side of the weekend.
National Pancake Day is this Tuesday -- March 4. From 7 am until 10 pm you can stop in at any IHOP location and get a free stack of buttermilk pancakes. Of course anyone who does this is encouraged to make a donation to the Children's Miracle Network Hospital.
Outside of Miracle Treat Day, this is my favorite fundraising day of the year.
Maple syrup and a stack of pancakes for a good cause. What's better than that?
I'm a writer in Charlotte, NC. On my blog you'll find columns, reviews, and random thoughts that just need to be released from my brain. If you have a blog too, let me know about it! It'll give me some reading material.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Celebs That Could Play Cartoon Characters -- Part 2
Seth Rogen as Cookie Monster
It's been about a year since I posted part one. I figured it was about time for a follow up.
Okay, so technically Cookie Monster isn’t a cartoon character. He’s a puppet – or is it mupppet?
Either way, if Sesame Street was to be brought to life on a Broadway stage with the assitance of blue makeup and fake blue fur, Seth Rogen would get the part. I don’t even know if Seth Rogen can sing, but he’d still get the part.
Rogen is Cookie Monster’s human look-a-like.
There really should be some kind of commercial that pairs the two of them together.
Amy Adams as Teela
If there’s ever a He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (I swear I will write a screenplay if somebody doesn’t finish it soon) Amy Adams would be the perfect candidate to play Teela. Take a look at the cartoon version of Teela and the real life photo of Amy Adams.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with He-Man (and why not?), Teela is a red-haired, strong-willed, combat-trained young woman. She doesn’t have any special powers or super strength, but she can hold her own against most men in a sword fight.
Amy has already been in a super hero movie as Lois Lane in Man of Steel. This time around she’d likely have a more physical role, but I think she could handle it.
Isla Fisher as Ariel
Amy Adams was in Disney’s Enchanted a few years back, but her celebrity doppelganger – Isla Fisher – could star as another Disney character: Ariel from The Little Mermaid.
Disney is going the live action route with Maleficent, which comes out in May. If they wanted to do a live action movie of The Little Mermaid, then they have their lead actress with Fisher.
She has brown eyes instead of blue eyes and somewhat of a chipmunk smile, but give her a dark red dye job and she’d get the job done. She could easily pull off the wide-eyed look of wonderment that Ariel had in the original movie.
Isla Fisher as April O'Neil
Speaking of Fisher, there’s another role I think she could pull off. I know Megan Fox is going to be April O'Neil in the new Michael Bay-directed TMNT movie, but, for some reason, I think Isla Fisher would make a great April Neil.
She seems like she could pull off the nosey, curious and gutsy TV reporter. Fisher has a certain innocence about her -- the same kind that the cartoon character had and the same kind that Megan Fox doesn't have.
It's too bad the role has already been cast. Fisher could've done well with that character.
Joey Lawrence as Raphael
I’m not surprised Joey Lawrence wasn’t cast in the new TMNT movie, but when I was watching some old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cartoons and movies, I realized that Joey Lawrence wouldn’t make a bad turtle.
He could pull off a Michelangelo or a Raphael with his natural ‘What’s up dude?’ attitude.
I don't know that he'd be a good fit for a more serious, action-packed TMNT movie, but if you're looking for comedic (more along the lines of the original Turtles movies and TV series), then Joey Lawrence wouldn't be a bad choice at all.
Eric Dane as Dr. Strange
One character I hope isn't overlooked with the new Marvel movies is Dr. Strange. He's always been a fun character, but is often overlooked. Get the right leading man and I think Marvel could have another successful movie on their hands.
Eric Dane -- perhaps better known as "McSteamy" on Grey's Anatomy -- would be a good choice. He's old enough to have a distinguished look, but not too old to not be a threat. He's a big guy (gotta' be over 6 feet), so he comes off as though he could be an imposing force while fighting villains and saving the galaxy from doom.
Dane is a decent enough actor, from what I've seen, so that always helps too.
Nicki Minaj as Marge Simpson
Last time I said that Nicki Minaj could play Prince Adam from He-Man. This time, it’s Marge Simpson. Given Nicki Minaj’s ever-changing hair and clothing styles, she could likely play a variety of cartoon characters.
She’s had this poofed up hair style before in pink and in blonde/black, but she’s never worn it in blue. That’s probably because Marge Simpson memes would be all over the Internet.
I don't know about Minaj's acting ability, but she sure does have the look down.
Jane Seymour as Queen Marlena
As if there weren’t enough He-Man references in this blog, let’s have one more. Though really can there ever be enough He-Man references in life?
There are probably a few middle-aged actresses who could play the Queen of Eternia and He-Man’s mother, but Jane Seymour would be a great choice in my opinion. She’s got a certain aura of sophistication about her -- kind of a maternal thing.
Yep -- she could definitely play a regal, level-headed queen.
Emma Stone as Daphne
This last one is my favorite. Emma Stone is always fun. If she went back to her red locks, she could easily get the role of "Daphne" in a Scooby Doo remake.
Speaking of the live action Scooby Doo movies, there's a double feature pack on sale for $3.99 at Best Buy right now. I've never seen the live action movies because they looked too ridiculous to be good. I figured I wouldn't enjoy them. Plus I'm not the biggest fan of Sarah Michelle Gellar.
I, truthfully, haven't watched enough material of hers to form an opinion on her acting ability, but I always got a bad vibe from her -- grouchy or snobby or something.
Back to Emma Stone though. She has the perfect attitude to make a Scooby Doo movie work.
Related Content:
• The Top 40 Singles of 2013
• That Girl: Jennifer Nettles - reviewed.
• Celebrity (look-a-like) sightings - part 4
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
That Girl: Jennifer Nettles - reviewed.
It's almost impossible to find Jennifer Nettles without a smile on her face, but on her new album, That Girl, she turns the happiness down a notch.
When I first heard that Nettles was coming out with a solo album, I fully expected to hear a bunch of pop-infused country jams. Well that theory was totally off base.
There aren’t very many pop songs on this album – not in the way “Like Sugar” was.
What That Girl does have is emotion. It’s dripping with emotion. It’s reflective and covers a range of topics, but most songs have roots in love. Songs that may be generic for other singers end up being impressive pieces of work when Nettles gets involved.
The writing on That Girl probably isn’t as amazing as some of Sugarland’s best work, but they’re still better than your typical pop song.
Falling
Jennifer Nettles starts off this album with a light, nice, country sound that features the impressive range of her powerful vocals. Just like some of the greats in the music industry, there’s no doubt when Jennifer Nettles is singing on a track.
While the music may be light, the topic isn't.
The song is about a young girl who, well, loses her virginity to a young man who was her summer love. He’s about to leave town though:
"That summer came and went.
You were working for my family,
one more job and then your classes would begin.
And you promised we'd be quiet,
and we hid behind the garden.
I walked out more than a woman than I walked in."
She has a night with him and, even though they parted ways, she still remembers him.
A song about losing your virginity – beat that Rihanna. In all seriousness, the song has a bit of romanticism to it. It's almost like a Romeo and Juliet song -- young romance that isn't deemed 'wrong,' but 'beautiful' instead.
When I first heard that Nettles was coming out with a solo album, I fully expected to hear a bunch of pop-infused country jams. Well that theory was totally off base.
There aren’t very many pop songs on this album – not in the way “Like Sugar” was.
What That Girl does have is emotion. It’s dripping with emotion. It’s reflective and covers a range of topics, but most songs have roots in love. Songs that may be generic for other singers end up being impressive pieces of work when Nettles gets involved.
The writing on That Girl probably isn’t as amazing as some of Sugarland’s best work, but they’re still better than your typical pop song.
Falling
Jennifer Nettles starts off this album with a light, nice, country sound that features the impressive range of her powerful vocals. Just like some of the greats in the music industry, there’s no doubt when Jennifer Nettles is singing on a track.
While the music may be light, the topic isn't.
The song is about a young girl who, well, loses her virginity to a young man who was her summer love. He’s about to leave town though:
"That summer came and went.
You were working for my family,
one more job and then your classes would begin.
And you promised we'd be quiet,
and we hid behind the garden.
I walked out more than a woman than I walked in."
She has a night with him and, even though they parted ways, she still remembers him.
A song about losing your virginity – beat that Rihanna. In all seriousness, the song has a bit of romanticism to it. It's almost like a Romeo and Juliet song -- young romance that isn't deemed 'wrong,' but 'beautiful' instead.
Labels:
album reviews,
Batson's Blog,
Falling,
Jealousy,
Jennifer Nettles,
Jesse Batson,
JesseBatson.com,
Me Without You,
Moneyball,
music reviews,
Sugarland,
That Girl,
That Girl - reviewed.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Celebrity (look-a-like) sightings - part 4
Another exciting edition of celebrity look-a-likes -- part 4 to be exact.
On the left: Wes Scantlin
On the right: Edge
Edge was in the first two blogs about celebrity look-a-likes, so why not another time? Evidently I think this guy looks like just about everyone on Earth.
I previously compared him to Jamie Campbell Bower and Wilson Bethel, but this time I think I got it right: he's the spitting image of Puddle of Mudd member Wes Scantlin!
These days Edge doesn't have the shaggy hair, but when he was in his "Rated R Superstar" run in the WWE in 2006, he definitely could've passed for Scantlin. The big, square jaw and toothy grin? Yep -- they must be some kind of family.
On the left: Kelly Kelly
On the right: Amber Heard
From a former WWE superstar to a former WWE Diva. When I heard that Johnny Depp got engaged to Amber Heard, I typed my way over to Google and found a photo. I was looking at Amber Heard, but could've sworn it was Kelly Kelly.
After examining a few more photos, I can see that they don't look entirely like twins. However, in these photos, the hairstyles, the squinty eyes and the super-white smile sure make them look like the same person.
To think: had Kelly Kelly been quicker, she could've pulled a Stacy Keibler and landed herself a leading man. Those wrestler/Hollywood A-lister relationships rarely work out though, right?
On the left: Kurt Angle
On the right: Matt Damon
The wrestler/celebrity comparisons don't end with Kelly Kelly. Take a look at that side-by-side comparison of TNA wrestler (and one-time Olympic Gold Medalist) Kurt Angle and Matt Damon. Now just try to convince me they don't look exactly alike.
Granted, Kurt does have more weight on his frame (and therefore in his neck and face), but the eyes, facial expression and big, bald heads certainly match up.
If there were ever a biopic on Kurt Angle, it'd be a shame if Damon didn't get the role.
On the left: Wes Scantlin
On the right: Edge
Edge was in the first two blogs about celebrity look-a-likes, so why not another time? Evidently I think this guy looks like just about everyone on Earth.
I previously compared him to Jamie Campbell Bower and Wilson Bethel, but this time I think I got it right: he's the spitting image of Puddle of Mudd member Wes Scantlin!
These days Edge doesn't have the shaggy hair, but when he was in his "Rated R Superstar" run in the WWE in 2006, he definitely could've passed for Scantlin. The big, square jaw and toothy grin? Yep -- they must be some kind of family.
On the left: Kelly Kelly
On the right: Amber Heard
From a former WWE superstar to a former WWE Diva. When I heard that Johnny Depp got engaged to Amber Heard, I typed my way over to Google and found a photo. I was looking at Amber Heard, but could've sworn it was Kelly Kelly.
After examining a few more photos, I can see that they don't look entirely like twins. However, in these photos, the hairstyles, the squinty eyes and the super-white smile sure make them look like the same person.
To think: had Kelly Kelly been quicker, she could've pulled a Stacy Keibler and landed herself a leading man. Those wrestler/Hollywood A-lister relationships rarely work out though, right?
On the left: Kurt Angle
On the right: Matt Damon
The wrestler/celebrity comparisons don't end with Kelly Kelly. Take a look at that side-by-side comparison of TNA wrestler (and one-time Olympic Gold Medalist) Kurt Angle and Matt Damon. Now just try to convince me they don't look exactly alike.
Granted, Kurt does have more weight on his frame (and therefore in his neck and face), but the eyes, facial expression and big, bald heads certainly match up.
If there were ever a biopic on Kurt Angle, it'd be a shame if Damon didn't get the role.
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