MOVIE - Footloose

Fun to watch and compare to the 1984 version
Wide release 10-14-11
12-15-11 at Crossroads, alone with about 6 other single women scattered around the theater
PG-13 (1:53)
RT: critics and audience both 71%
cag:  Liked it
Director:  Craig Brewer
Paramount Studios

Dennis Quaid (Preacher), Andie McDowell (wife) Kenny Wormald (Ren) Julianne Hough (Ariel) Miles Teller (Willard)

This movie followed its original, 27 year old version, quite a bit.  (How can the original be 27 years old???) The one big difference, and one that really made sense, was the Ren's single mom had just died of leukemia, and he had been by her side throughout.  He, too, knew firsthand what it was to lose a loved one.  It also gave his character a depth that was missing in Kevin Bacon's role.

Kenny Wormald is adorable.  The guy who played his best friend was just great.  I loved the way the movie was cast, I totally enjoyed the music, and I loved that it began with the night, 3 years before, that had killed Ariel's brother - complete with the Kenny Loggins' version of the song, "Footloose."  I love Blake Shelton, but I wish his version of "Footloose" sounded more Blake Shelton-y.

Blake Shelton - The Guy That Introduced Me to Country Music

Blake Shelton, a native Oklahoman (is that the right word?) is currently working on his sixth studio album, which will be released on March 2, 2010. Included on this will be his already-hit single, "Hillbilly Bone," which includes lots of vocals by the gorgeously deep voice of Trace Adkins, another superlative country performer. The great video has been out for a few weeks. There's a cute four minute "behind-the-scenes"video that shows the two of them preparing for the video and goofing around, here.

I've listened to all five of Blake's albums dozens of times. My favorite is still the first one I bought, the first one I listened to over and over and over: 2007's Pure BS. My favorite of favorites is "The More I Drink." I love the video, too - it's like a comical mini-movie. I'm not much of a drinker, but I love the humor and playfulness of the song - and the way he sings it. Also on this album are three songs he co-wrote, "This Can't Be Good," "I Have Been Lonely," and "The Last Country Song." Three more songs were added later, "Chances" and "I Can't Walk Away," both written by Shelton, and a big hit for him, "Home," which was written and first performed by Michael Buble.

In October of 2008 I wrote about how I first heard of him, you can get to that blog here. I met him for about twelve seconds last April at Country Thunder in Florence, Arizona. Even got my photo taken with him (check it out!).

I love his voice and the way he sings. I love his tall lankiness. I don't love that his favorite things to do are hunt and shoot. Oh well, you can't have it all. I'm getting used to the fact that Miranda Lambert is his girlfriend. Whenever I need to pull myself out of the doldrums I crank up Blake on my iPod and dance around the living room. He gets me going every time. A girl's gotta dream, right?

Country Thunder - and Blake Shelton!

I know every one of the songs on Blake Shelton's five albums by heart. So I've been looking forward to "Country Thunder" in Florence, Arizona, for months. Halfway between Tucson and Phoenix, at the end of a gorgeous ride through the desert
and just behind the prison, is the huge field where Country Thunder "happens." We got there first thing in the morning and staked a claim (or at least put down our chairs) about four or five rows back, a little to the side. The cordonned off area in the front, the "VIP' section cost
$500 per seat! Well, that's for all four days - you can't buy just one day in that section - but still.....
So yes, I saw Blake Shelton perform. But the biggest, most exciting thing to happen in YEARS is that I GOT TO MEET HIM! He's tall, a doll (I knew that) and really, really nice. He called me "sweetie" three times! THREE TIMES! Eye- yi-yi. I'm in heaven.
Shane also got Meet and Greets for Jack Ingram. I've gotten to know him because Shane's interviewed him, had the interview published, and shared the music with me. Another really, really nice guy! It was a swooning kind of day!
THE MUSIC was wonderful. The day ended with Alan Jackson, the big name, but that wasn't the big performance for me. When Blake left for Las Vegas after the show I almost jogged behind....

They were all headed for a big Country Music award show televised from Las Vegas last night. Blake performed. He wasn't supposed to, so everyone that doesn't know him yet had a real treat.
I've got to include the photo of me and Blake again---and I HATE my picture being taken----but this was just way too cool. I'm still way, way up on cloud six or seven, though on my way down. Wow, what an incredible day....and I even got a new straw cowboy hat with some turquoise on the hatband. Yee Haa!

Blake Shelton

What's goin' on?
Sitting on my living room floor wrapping Christmas gifts last December, I nonchalantly flipped on the tv. Another reality show...Clash of the Choirs...was just beginning. It was to last four or five nights, featuring five different singers from five different American music genres who had hand-picked choirs from their hometowns. Okay. Nick Lachey is cool, the rest I could take or leave (Patti LaBelle, Michael Bolton), two I'd never heard of. One was Blake Shelton, whose Oklahoma City choir was diverse and interesting. And boy, they sounded great. I was taken by Blake Shelton's voice, and then his charm, and when I finally actually looked up from my wrapping---his...ahem...appearance...talk about beautiful packages! Yup, that's right. I actually said it. It all started then.

I have NEVER enjoyed country music. It was always twangy and drawl-y and, well, generally yucky. I would turn the channel or station immediately upon hearing that twang. But somewhere, somehow, last March or April I heard "The More I Drink" by Blake Shelton. Catchy, catchy , sing-along song. I looked it up on ITunes. I donwloaded the video, the song. I blasted it through the house and danced to it as I loaded the dishwasher. So I decided to actually try out a country music CD. I purchased Pure BS. I listened to it...over and over. And I couldn't get enough. I love this CD. It's the first time in years I've found a CD I love like this, and listen to it over and over. So I spread my wings and purchased the Blake Shelton CD, then the Blake Shelton' Barn and Grille. I download the videos of Some Beach and Old Red.

I.....WAS.....SOLD.

I love this guy. I love his music. I love his guitar playing. I like the songs he chooses to sing. My favorite is still The More I Drink. But I love Austin, and I Thought There Was Time, I Have Been Lonely and I Don't Care, She Wouldn't Be Gone and She Don't Love Me, She Doesn't Know She's Got It, and on and on. I can't think of one song I don't like. Great beat. Great rhythm. Great voice. I'm in love!

When Dede and I road-tripped across Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas this summer, Blake Shelton screamed from the open windows as we hit that Oh-My-God-Can-You-Believe-the-Speed-Limit-is-EIGHTY highway. What a blast! And the best news of all - he has a new album out on November 18th! It's called Startin' Fires. He sure starts mine.