Idol Chatter

Okay, so Internet polls are scientifically suspect–only the Oscars are as susceptible to email campaigns, multiple votes, and people voting blindly for artists they’ve never seen. But the audience for MSN’s Music Artist of the Year is so large and broad, with more than 270,000 people voting, that we’re confident in congratulating Christian praise rocker…

Are the “American Idol” judges mean–and getting meaner by the season–or should contestants’ family and friends be more honest in advising them to stay off national TV? Our bloggers Ellen Leventry and Dena Ross debate this very topic, but what do you think? Watch these videos and use the comments box to let us know.

Given our cultural obsession with the new and the novel, perhaps nothing is as daunting as following initial success. The sophomore slump can hamper creative efforts and lead to artistic blocks or overreaching. In 2005, director Craig Brewer (at right, with me) hit the Sundance jackpot with “Hustle and Flow.” Brewer’s simmering tale of a…

How do you bring a little fun back into fundamentalism? By making a sitcom, as Zarqa Nawaz is fond of saying. Nawaz is the creator of the new Canadian TV series “Little Mosque on the Prairie.” The show debuted Jan. 9 on CBC TV–to unexpectedly strong ratings–and airs Mondays and Wednesdays at 9 p.m. and…

It’s hard to recall the last time the Sundance Film Festival made any real noise–buzz, yes, but nothing like the howl sent up this year about “Hounddog,” an independent film starring Dakota Fanning as an urchin who is raped by an older boy. Fanning, who will turn 13 next month, is also reportedly scantily clad…

This is how they touted “Color of the Cross”: a film that will completely change the way we view Jesus and the crucifixion. But, instead of changing my heart, it hardened it for every second of the movie’s hour-and-29-minute runtime. The filmmakers took one too many liberties with Jesus and his disciples, from allowing Peter…

A couple of years ago, Tyler Perry came out of nowhere–at least for white Americans–with the smashing success of his film “Diary of a Mad Black Woman.” A well-known playwright and actor among African Americans, Perry was suddenly one of the most in-demand filmmakers in Hollywood, and now every film he releases is big news.…

The season premiere of “American Idol’s” sixth season was the show’s most-watched opener ever, with nearly 15 percent of the country watching at one point in the evening. So, is it any coincidence then that the Minnesota auditions featured on the show were some of the most egregious, deafening tryouts of the contest’s history, being…

Edgy, independent, artsy. Over the past 25 years, the Sundance Film Festival has become the place to discover new talent and launch original films. From first-time filmmakers searching for their big break to established stars seeking “indie” credibility, thousands of filmgoers descend upon Park City, Utah, for 10 days of cinematic bliss. Sundance, an invigorating…

As the red carpet season officially started with Monday’s Golden Globe Awards, I have decided it is finally time to announce my personal picks for the best films of 2006. Granted, there are two films I have yet to see that I believe probably would have made my list (“Half Nelson” and “Little Children”), but…

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