"House" Season 7 premieres

Little interview I gave to Brooke Shafranek about House Season 7

Season 7 of FOX's hit drama series House M.D. premiered last night to anxious audiences, as the last season ended with a closing-scene shocker: long-time love interest Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) finally opened up into a relationship with Gregory House (Hugh Laurie).

Audiences have been waiting for the pairing since the end of season 4. However, the belated couple is getting mixed reviews from long-time fans.

Freshman international politics major Amber Jones is rooting for the couple. "It's about time that they got together!" Jones said.

Olga Parera, webmistress of the Hugh Laurie Fan website, has a more complicated analysis of the relationship.

"I believe House is capable of a relationship," Parera said. "I've always thought that House is a big romantic and passionate person under a strong and cold façade."

Parera also offered an explanation as to what makes House tick romantically.

"House is a person who's suffered a big heartbreak," Parera said. "He gave himself to a person and that person betrayed him and left him alone in the worst moment of his life. He has trust issues, that is why we've only seen him involved in one night stands."

"He truly understands the word love and all its consequences," Parera continued, "and because of that he is so diligent in giving a go to a serious relationship. I think his stay at Mayfield made him take a different perspective about this subject and give a second chance to love."

However, Parera understands the trepidation over the relationship. "Well, I can say that there are fans that are on the verge of stop watching the show because they feel that House has turned into a soap opera rather than the show it was presented in season 1."

Sophomore electrical and computer engineering major Olesandr Boyko said that House and Cuddy are "going to break up eventually."

"House will use the relationship for his benefit because Cuddy is higher-up than him [being his boss]," Boyko said.

Season 7 could be a make-it or break-it year for the television show depending on how the relationship progresses and how audiences perceive said relationship. House airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on FOX.

Source: Technician Online

Music Review: Robbie Williams - In And Out Of Consciousness: The Greatest Hits (1990 - 2010)

"Article first published as Music Review: Robbie Williams - In And Out Of Consciousness: The Greatest Hits (1990 - 2010) on Blogcritics.org."

Robbie Williams returns to the spotlight on October 12th with his CD, In And Out Of Consciousness – The Greatest Hits 1990 - 2010, which compiles all the best of his 20 years in the world of music. Though he is versatile, creative, and extravagant, it has always struck me as odd that Williams hasn't been able to fully succeed outside Europe and become a hit in the US.

From present to past, Williams opens this album with two new songs: "Heart and I" and "Shame," a feel good ballad duet with Gary Barlow that is Williams's first collaboration with Barlow after leaving Take That in 1995. From his latest studio album, Reality Killed The Video Star, we can listen to "Morning Sun" and "You Know Me," a classic Robbie Williams ballad with lovely backing vocals that makes us go back in time a little bit, and "Bodies," the lead single of the album which is meant to be Williams' great comeback.

Three songs summarise Rudebox (released in 2006): "She's Madonna," a love song to the pop star that was made in collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys; "Lovelight," a cover from Lewis Taylor's 2003's original song and Williams' approach to dance electro pop, and "Rudebox" where the singer moves away of his style by trying a hip-hop song, taking as basis a sample from "Boops (Here I Go)" by Sly & Robbie.

From Intensive Care (2005), Williams has taken out "Sin, Sin, Sin," "Advertising Space," an elegy to a superstar's tragic fall, "Make Me Pure," and "Tripping," a very catchy song where Williams plays with different changes of voice and some reggae and Arabic sounds.

In 2004, Williams released his first Greatest Hits and the chosen songs are "Misunderstood," featured in the soundtrack of the movie Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and the powerful "Radio." In my opinion, one of Williams's best albums is Escapology (2003), and it's so nice to see that the beautiful "Sexed Up" has been added to this compilation next to the soulful "Something Beautiful," the controversial "Come Undone," and the hit "Feel," another trademark song with beautiful and deep lyrics.

With Swing When You're Winning (2001), an homage to his idol Frank Sinatra, Williams proves that he's also a great crooner: "I Will Talk and Hollywood Will Listen" and his covers of "Mr. Bojangles" and "Something Stupid," where Nicole Kidman puts her delicate voice to Nancy Sinatra's part are examples of the singer's softest side. Sing When You're Winning (2000) offers to this compilation "The Road To Mandalay," a touching song written in France while on holidays; "Eternity," a sequel to the previous song and a tribute to Williams's close friendship with former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell with Queen's Brian May on lead guitar; "Let Love Be Your Energy," "Supreme," which takes Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" melody and gets mixed up with some intelligent lyrics giving as a result a supreme song; the sexy "Kids," where Williams duets with Aussie Kylie Minogue, an indisputably sweet and spicy chemistry that led to one of the best duets ever, and "Rock DJ," another important song for the singer's career featuring a very controversial video where he literally strips off to his bones.

Five songs have been extracted from his second album I've Been Expecting You (1998): "It's Only Us," the theme song for the Sony Playstation Fifa 2000 football game; "She's The One," "Strong," "No Regrets," an autobiographical song about his past experiences with the great collaboration in the backing vocals of Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant and The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon. When the new millennium was approaching, Williams honored that event with "Millennium," inspired by John Barry's Bond music.

His first solo album Life Thru a Lens (1999) has also a remarkable spot in this compilation: the anthem "Let Me Entertain You," a clear homage to The Rolling Stones as their movie Rock "n" Roll served as inspiration. This song contains a piano riff similar to the Stones' "Sympathy For The Devil," and it's the perfect reflection of Williams's devotion to entertain all of us. Energetic and powerful, it serves as the opening of most of his concerts. "Angels," a song that saved the singer's solo career and is included in most of his concerts as the grand finale; "South of the Border" and "Lazy Days," which were minor hits outside the UK and "Old Before I Die," the first original solo success of Williams after leaving Take That.

Finally, the album closes with a cover of George Michael's "Freedom" and "Everything Changes," a song from his latest collaboration with Take That before leaving the band.

TIFF 2010: Toronto Taken By The Power of A Spectacular Film Festival

Article first published as "TIFF 2010: Toronto Taken By The Power of A Spectacular Film Festival" on Blogcritics.org."

With the Venice Film Festival still taking place in Europe, the Toronto International Film Festival opens its 35th edition with a broad offering of movies that promise to enlight us this upcoming fall/winter season. This festival is known for its non-competitive nature compared to Cannes, Berlin or Venice but it is considered the launching pad for the studios to start the so-called "Oscar buzz."

This Oscar buzz is clearly seen when you take a look at the lineup and observe that there are many movies which have been going from one festival to another such as Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, François Ozon's Potiche, or Ben Affleck's The Town, all of which were screened in Venice, or Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu's Biutiful which earned the Best Actor Award to Javier Bardem in Cannes.

Of course, there are plenty of other movies which look for the maximum media exposure during these 10 days of cinema in Toronto. Robert Redford gets behind the camera again in The Conspirator, a story of a Union war hero who must defend a mother accused of helping her son in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, starring James McAvoy and Tom Wilkinson. I'm specially intrigued by Rabbit Hole, starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart, based on a play by David Lindsay-Abaire. The French essence comes from Guillaume Canet who directs his partner, Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard, in Little White Lies, and the British one comes thanks to Helen Mirren (The Debt), Rosamund Pike (Barney's Version), and Colin Firth (The King's Speech).

In Special Presentations, we'll be able to check out the new films of Vera Farmiga (Henry's Crime), Keira Knightley (Never Let Me Go), Ewan McGregor (Beginners), Hillary Swank (Conviction), and Robert De Niro (Stone). Clint Eastwood presents Hereafter, a story of three people haunted by mortality in different ways starring Matt Damon and Bryce Dallas Howard, and Danny Boyle, after the success of Slumdog Millionaire, presents 127 Hours, starring James Franco.

In recent years, vampires have been so trendy on TV and in the movies and that couldn't be forgotten in Toronto. Darkness will come with Let Me In, the American remake of the Swedish film Let The Right One In, starring Chloe Moretz and Richard Jenkins. Now, most of us know David Schwimmer for his role of Ross in Friends, but he doesn't travel to Toronto as an actor but as a director with Trust. Seeing Schwimmer outside of his comfort zone is reason enough for me to take a look at this movie starring the always outstanding Catherine Keener and Clive Owen. And how about Ryan Reynolds presenting Buried in his native Canada? It's impossible not to think about Tarantino when we see Reynolds buried alive but the movie hides something else — at least that's what Sundance and the great reviews said.

Finally, Toronto also indulges in some Midnight Madness with Brad Anderson's Vanishing on 7th Street and John Carpenter's The Ward.

What do you think of the movies that are going to hit the TIFF? Which one are you most interested in?

Ciao, Venezia! La Mostra Film Festival Features Films by Aronofsky, Coppola, and More

"Article first published as "Ciao, Venezia! La Mostra Film Festival Features Films by Aronofsky, Coppola, and More" on Blogcritics.org."

La Mostra Internationale d'Arte Cinematografica di Venezia is one of the most elegant, popular, and interesting film festivals in the world: 11 days of new cinema that will delight movie lovers. The festival has five different sections: Venezia 67, Orizzonti, Controcampo Italiano, Luigi de Laurentiis, and Persol 3-D.

The most important section is Venezia 67, which offers the films competing for the Golden Lion and the actors competing for the Copa Volpi. Now, having Quentin Tarantino as president of the jury is reason enough to draw people's attention. We all know how the director is: he likes different and attractive and that's exactly what we'll be able to see during this festival.

Some examples are Darren Aronofsky's long-awaited (and possible festival winner) Black Swan, which opened the festival yesterday evening; it stars Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, and Vincent Cassel. In the trailer, we can see that Aronofsky returns to his origins — to the style of Pi and Requiem For A Dream that made him one of the directors to watch. Black Swan is a psychological thriller that revolves around the world of ballet and tells the story of Nina (Portman), a perfection-obsessed ballerina who fights against Lily (Kunis) for a spot in a new production. This is not a musical but an exploration of the mind, of how perfection and ambition can obsess and push a person into a deep crisis.

Another attraction in Venice is Sofia Coppola's first film since Marie Antoinette. Somewhere, starring Stephen Dorff, Elle Fanning, and Benicio del Toro, explores the relationship between a father — a hard-living Hollywood actor played by Dorff — and his daughter (Fanning) after the latter visits him by surprise. It's inevitable not to think about the personal connotations of this movie for Coppola (she's daughter of filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola) and the recurring concern of the director about creating stories revolving around fame.

Julian Schnabel presents a dramatic vision of a Palestinian girl growing up in the first Arab-Israeli War in Miral. The director offers the audience a political drama and reinforces it with Freida Pinto, Willem Dafoe, and Vanessa Redgrave. German filmmaker Tom Tykwer wants to repeat the success that the fantastic Run, Lola, Run had in 1998 with Drei. Finally, François Ozon returns to Venice to present Potiche. Once more, Ozon counts on his muse, Catherine Deneuve, in this comedy based on a 1970s hit comic play of the same name. Completing the cast are Gerard Depardieu and Judith Godreche, seen next with Leonardo Di Caprio in The Man In The Iron Mask. Other titles in Venezia 67 are Balada Triste de Trompeta by Spaniard Alex de la Iglesia and Vincent Gallo's Promises Written In Water, and La Solitudine dei Numeri Primi starring Isabella Rossellini.

In the section Orizzonti (chaired by Shirin Neshat) it is important to point out El Pozo by Babel screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga, Stardust by Nicolas Provost, the second part of a trilogy which investigates the limitations between fiction and reality and that includes collaborations with Dennis Hopper, Jon Voight, and Jack Nicholson. The prolific Manoel de Oliveira presents Panéis de Sao Vicente de Fora, Visao Poetica. Controcampo Italiano (chaired by Valerio Mastandrea) is exclusively centered on the new trends in Italian cinema; Luigi de Laurentiis (chaired by Fatih Akin) is centered on the debuting directors, and Persol 3-D (chaired by Shimizi Takashi) is focused on creative 3D films.

These five sections will comprise the official award categories of La Mostra, but it's also nice to mention the section Italian Comedy, a special retrospective on Italian comedy from 1910 through 1988 and all the movies out of competition. And what's interesting to see in this last section?

Well, first off, let's go back in time a little. Do you remember the erratic behaviour of Joaquin Phoenix on David Letterman's show during the promotion of Two Lovers? What was going on? Some said he had lost his mind; others said he was acting. The answer is he was working under the orders of Casey Affleck for the documentary I'm Still Here, a portrait of an artist who decides to reinvent himself and a vision of how public life affects him. Casey's brother Ben also travels to Venice to present The Town, starring Jon Hamm, Affleck himself, and Rebecca Hall. Another pair of brothers, Oxide and Danny Pang, present The Child's Eye 3D. Robert Rodriguez presents Machete, starring Jessica Alba, Martin Scorsese presents A Letter to Elia, a documentary dedicated to the life of Elia Kazan, and on the closing night we'll see Helen Mirren taking the role of Prospera, not Prospero, in Julie Taymor's adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest.

Finally, John Woo, director of films such as Broken Arrow, Face/Off, and Mission: Impossible II, will be presented the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, a well deserved homage indeed!

Who do you think will be the winners at Venice? Which movies are you most interested in?

What to expect at the 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards?

"Article first published as "What to expect at the 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards?" on Blogcritics.org."

It's that time of the year! It's the last award show of the season until we start again with the Golden Globes in January. The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards! The "Academy Awards" of television that will award the very best of the small screen.

Neil Patrick Harris hands over his hosting duties to Jimmy Fallon, who is hosting the Emmys for the first time but has quite an experience in hosting award shows - he's been the host of the MTV Movie Awards twice and the MTV Video Music Awards. Next to Fallon, a long list of presenters such as Will Arnett, Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, the newlyweds Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, Jon Hamm, Sofia Vergara, Eva Longoria Parker, Betty White and music performances of the Glee cast and Jewel, who will be in charge of the In Memoriam segment.

This year and for the first time ever, winners will have the chance to express their emotions or thank people they have forgotten during their speeches in "Thank You, Camera", a part of a backstage event, which will also show how presenters, nominees and performers get ready to take the stage, that NBC.com and Emmys.com will stream live worldwide. As part of the Emmy experience, viewers will also be able to send red carpet questions which will be asked by Access Hollywood.com’s popular "Dish Of Salt” correspondent Laura Saltman. If you want to submit some questions, you can either do it via the NBC.com Emmy website or via Twitter at #emmys10

Now, we have seen how things headed at the Golden Globes (awards voted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association) and the Screen Actors Guild Awards (awards voted by all the members of the Screen Actors Guild), so, in some way, we have a hint of whom will be awarded or not. I have the feeling that sometimes the Academy rewards what's trendy/popular rather than what's fair related to quality and effort. There are times I feel some fantastic actors are snubbed at the nominations and others aren't rewarded with the precious Emmy after years and years of flawless performances. And what about full year shows versus summer season shows? Should they be considered in the same way when voting or not? Should the Academy split the nominations between full year and summer shows instead of putting them all together? What's your opinion about these points?

One thing we know is one actor is gonna get his award for sure, so no need to feel nervous about winning or about ab-libbing a nice speech, ok, Mr. Clooney? You can relax, enjoy the show and have your speech ready before hitting the red carpet. George Clooney will receive the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his efforts in setting up the TV special Hope For Haiti and raising funds for victims of Hurricane Katrina and awareness about genocide in Darfur, This award was established in 2002 and Clooney will be the 4th person to receive it after Oprah Winfrey (2002), Bill Cosby (2003) and Danny Thomas (2004). Congrats, Mr. Clooney! It's definitely very well deserved!

But what about the nominees? As every year, the newbies mingle with the veterans. Superb performances and shows that give us a hard time when making our bets. Will this be the year that the Academy gives an ex-aequo award? Will overdue nominees get their reward? Which dark horse will surprise us?

Joining me in placing the Emmy predictions in the main categories, the two Blogcritics TV editors, Josh Lasser and Barbara Barnett and two talented and great Blogcritics (fellow TV) writers: Mindy Peterman and Gerry Weaver.

My predictions:

Outstanding Comedy Series: Modern Family. I think it is the big revelation of the season. A very interesting peek to the everyday life of three types of family we can find anywhere these days. The dialogue is fresh, smart and hilarious and its documentary format is really attractive for the viewer.

Outstanding Drama Series: Lost. The Academy tends to be very generous with concluded shows. The last season was very intense, nerve-wracking and featured great performances by all the actors. I think it's fair to reward the show that has caused so much debate and theories in the last six months. Still, Mad Men is there looking menacing. Alternative: Mad Men

Outstanding Actress In A Comedy Series: Edie Falco - Nurse Jackie. Versatile, funny and strong. These are the three adjectives to describe Falco's performance but be careful because Toni Collette could repeat last year's win.

Outstanding Actor In A Comedy Series: Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory. He's the frontrunner in this category. Alec Baldwin is his strong opponent but it seems 30 Rock doesn't generate as much attention as it used to.

Outstanding Actress In A Drama Series: Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife. Just like the category of outstanding actor in a drama series, this category is full of talented and strong performances. Margulies has some very important awards behind thanks to her solid portrayal of Alicia Florrick and that is reason enough to say that she's the favourite.

Outstanding Actor In A Drama Series: Hugh Laurie - House. Six seasons, two Golden Globes, two Screen Actor Guild Awards and two Television Critics Awards later, Hugh Laurie, the eternal nominee, has zero Emmys. How is that possible?! I really hope this year justice is done for him. His submission for the award "Broken" shows us Gregory House in all his best. A two-hour episode in which we see a sweet, hurt, broken, tender, funny, playful, suffering House, a flawless performance by Laurie, period!

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series: Jane Lynch - Glee. She definitely steals the scene every time she appears on screen and in her submitting episode, her revival of Madonna's Vogue is precious and memorable.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series: Eric Stonestreet - Modern Family. His portrayal of friendly and devoted dad Cameron is fresh, hilarious and full of emotions. His Meryl Streep reference in one of the episodes is reason enough to reward this wonderful actor.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series: Elisabeth Moss - Mad Men. This one is going to be a mano-a-mano between Moss and Christina Hendricks but I bet on Moss because her character has grown up and along with her performance.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series: Terry O'Quinn - Lost. This category is about two Losties: O'Quinn and Michael Emerson. I won't mind that Emerson wins instead because Ben Linus has always been one of my favourite characters of the show but I think O'Quinn is going to get this one because John Locke has been crucial this final season and his intense performance has been really enjoyable to watch.

Josh Lasser's predictions:

Comedy Series: Modern Family. I should be going with Glee here and will go with Glee a lot on the Emmys this year but Modern Family is just excellent.

Drama Series: Mad Men. It's just so good. Lost could be a sentimental favorite due to it finishing its final season, but I think there were too many missteps in that season – really, did we need all those episodes in the temple?

Outstanding Actress In A Comedy Series: Lea Michele - Glee. It's a tough category with a lot of deserving people, but people love their Glee.

Outstanding Actor In A Comedy Series: Matthew Morrison - Glee. Because, hey, Glee could win just about everything, right?

Outstanding Actress In A Drama Series: Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife. Margulies in her return to television after ER in another show which both critics and fans like seems like a good choice.

Outstanding Actor In A Drama Series: Jon Hamm - Mad Men. I may like Kyle Chandler better right now, but I think that Mad Men has more momentum.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series: Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother. He is so deserving in his role as Barney Stinson and has earned this award for several years even if he hasn't gotten it. Modern Family may be a favorite but with three nominees I think they'll split the vote.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series: Jane Lynch - Glee. Say it with me now in that high-pitched, stick your finger and your thumb up way – Glee! Lynch as Sue Sylvester is such a great villain and completely deserving of the award.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series: Christina Hendricks - Mad Men. I think Mad Men is going to do very well tonight and I'm not sure whether this award should go to Hendricks or Moss, but Hendricks just strikes me more as the potential winner.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series: Terry O'Quinn - Lost. O'Quinn was forced to do a lot of heavy-lifting in the final season of Lost and did a great job. Someone else may get the award, but I think it should go to O'Quinn.

Mindy Peterman's predictions:

Outstanding Comedy Series: Modern Family. A show that succeeds in covering all the bases: showing a gay, bi-racial, and "normal" family living in "harmony" under the same matriarch, and doing it with masterful ease. The show is often hilarious and occasionally heartbreaking. The documentary style has never been used to been put to better use.

Outstanding Drama Series: Lost. The last chance the show has to take the award and it certainly is deserving. The scope and magnitude of this project is in itself worthy of accolades. Its heartbreaking yet uplifting conclusion will be discussed and argued about for years to come.

Outstanding Actress In A Comedy Series: Edie Falco - Nurse Jackie. No actress up for the award this year exhibits Falco's range. Getting us to sympathize with the drug addicted, philandering Jackie Peyton is a challenge but Falco wins us over every time.

Outstanding Actor In A Comedy Series: Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory. The only show I've watched more than once in this batch is "Monk". And I wouldn't vote for Shaloub. He's won every year and enough is enough. The little I've seen of Parsons tells me he does a bang-up job with what could be an unlikable character (such a geek!). Not a truly educated pick but it is one from the gut and the heart.

Outstanding Actress In A Drama Series: Not familiar enough with the nominees to cast a vote.

Outstanding Actor In A Drama Series: Hugh Laurie - House. An award that is long overdue for this actor who has proven himself time and time again. Submitting the magnificent two-hour episode "Broken" was a smart move, giving him an excellent chance to finally win. Hopefully this will be Laurie's year to take Emmy home.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series: Kristin Wiig - Saturday Night Live. I would love to see Wiig take this. Not since the early days of Saturday Night Live has a cast member created so many memorable and hilarious characters.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series: Eric Stonestreet - Modern Family. Stonestreet's portrayal of Cameron on Modern Family is frequently hilarious, sometimes poignant and always masterful.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series: Elisabeth Moss - Mad Men. As Mad Men's Peggy Olsen, Moss gives a stellar performance as the first woman to be respected for her smarts in a male dominated 1960's advertising agency.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series: Terry O'Quinn - Lost O'Quinn's bowled us over with his extraordinary portrayal of John Locke, the crippled hero who eventually becomes the embodiment of evil on the island.

Gerry Weaver's predictions:

Outstanding Comedy Series: Modern Family. Last year, Glee had all the buzz, but I think there's some perception this year it was over-hyped. I think new comedy Modern Family will win this year.

Outstanding Drama Series: Mad Men. My personal favourite out of the nominees is True Blood, but I don't think it will take home the prize. Despite being hip, popular and run by Alan Ball, the genre works against it and it's had some uneven storylines. But look for Denis O'Hare for best guest actor in a drama next year! This year, Mad Men still seems to have the buzz, so I think it will be a repeat winner. Alternate: Lost

Outstanding Actress In A Comedy Series: Edie Falco - Nurse Jackie. She's the favourite and I think she's going to win.

Outstanding Actor In A Comedy Series: Steve Carell - The Office. Though Alec Baldwin and Jim Parsons are strong contenders, I'm going with Steve Carell, as he's never won for The Office and this is his last year.

Outstanding Actress In A Drama Series: Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife. The series is a critical darling and Margulies already has a Golden Globe, a SAG and a TCA award this season.

Outstanding Actor In A Drama Series: Hugh Laurie - House. I hope Hugh Laurie finally gets his Emmy; it's long past due and with his powerhouse submission, "Broken," he has an excellent chance. However, he will have to fight it out with Michael C. Hall, who is on a roll with a Golden Globe and the SAG award. The actor is not only excellent on his series, he's just a won a battle with cancer—the combination has made him a favourite this year among a lot of voters. And really, in this category, every nominee deserves to win. But I'm sticking with my favourite, Hugh Laurie.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series: Jane Lynch - Glee. Here's where I think Glee will be recognized. Jane Lynch steals all her scenes as Sue Sylvester and is the front runner in this race.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series: Eric Stonestreet - Modern Family. Neil Patrick Harris on How I Met Your Mother is an audience favourite who is also well-liked by his peers. However, Stonestreet on Modern Family has the advantage of being on the new buzzed about comedy.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series: Christina Hendricks - Mad Men. Just going on the fact that I like her, I’m picking Hendricks. It never hurts to generate sparks with Jon Hamm.

 

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series: Michael Emerson - Lost. I think Lost is going to get some love as it goes out with style.

Barbara Barnett's predictions:

Outstanding Comedy Series: Glee. It's sharp, sassy, and has captured the imagination of many television viewers.

Outstanding Drama Series: Mad Men. Ah, to relive the '60s of my parents. Excellent acting and writing will make this the favorite.

Outstanding Actress In A Comedy Series: Edie Falco - Nurse Jackie. Just a feeling.

Outstanding Actor In A Comedy Series: Steve Carell - The Office.

Outstanding Actress In A Drama Series: Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife. Margulies should add another major award to her collection for this season.

Outstanding Actor In A Drama Series: Hugh Laurie - House. It's so long overdue, and he is amazing in the submitted episode "Broken"

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series: Jane Lynch - Glee. She is just great and everyone loves Glee.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series: Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series: Sharon Gless - Burn Notice.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series: Andre Braugher - Man Of A Certain Age. Braugher is always great. I think the Academy will celebrate his return to series TV.

What do you think of our predictions? Are yours the same?

Red Carpet Arrivals to be streamed live on NBC.com, Access Hollywood.com, Ustream.com and Emmys.com at 4 pm PT, 7 pm ET.

The Primetime Emmy Awards airs coast-to-coast on NBC (5-8 pm PT, 8-11pm ET)

Music Review: Eli "Paperboy" Reed - Come and Get It

"Article first published as "Music Review: Eli "Paperboy" Reed - Come and Get It" on Blogcritics.org."

Perseverance, thrill and talent are the three words I'd use to describe Eli "Paperboy" Reed. His name is becoming more and more popular with each passing day, but it must be said that Reed is definitely not a newcomer.

His involvement in the music world started as a member of his Boston high school band, then he moved to Mississippi where he was mentored by music veterans such as Terry "Big T" Williams, Sam Carr and Wesley "Junebug" Jefferson. Reed took part in the Sunday morning gigs at a tiny South Side Chicago church and played in the coolest clubs in Brooklyn with his band True Loves.

Now, at 26, Reed has the nickname "Paperboy" attached to his name - the singer used to wear his grandfather's paperboy hat and took the name after it - just like all the other musicians in Clarksdale.

With Reed's two independently released albums (Sings Walkin' and Talkin' and Other Smash Hits and Roll With You) having been very well received in Boston, along with Rolling Stone magazine naming him a "Breaking Artist" and a nomination to the 2009 MOJO Awards for Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Reed presents his major label debut, Come and Get It for Capitol Records. The album was produced by Mike Elizondo - whose credits include Eminem, Gwen Stefani and Fiona Apple.

With the purpose of singing phrases that people would respond to, Reed presents us twelve songs that he wrote at home when he was messing around on the acoustic guitar. The singer exposes all the music influences (early rock & roll, country, blues) that he's absorbed since his early childhood and brings them to our present time.

Reed does not want to imitate soul artists like Sam Cooke or Otis Redding, although he's clearly influenced by them. He's a young 21st Century singer who shows great respect and fascination for soul and adds his own unique style to that sound. Very elegant background singers and the True Loves band match up well with Reed's passion, fervor and energy.

The rhythm doesn't decline in any of the songs. Highlights from the album include "Come and Get It", a vibrant dance song, followed by "Young Girl" which offers a tribute to Bostonian soul singer Frank Lynch. Reed's spectacular falsettos are on display with the tracks "Tell Me What I Wanna Hear" and the beautiful ballad "Pick Your Battles." The album ends on a high note with "Explosion," bringing a great close to an album that makes me look forward to hearing more from Reed really soon.

Book Review: Blind Landing by Tony Blackman

"Article first published as "Book Review: Blind Landing by Tony Blackman on Blogcritics.org."

Blind Landing, written by Tony Blackman, is an aviation mystery thriller that focuses on the investigation of an Al-Qaeda hijacked super jumbo aircraft that crashes at Heathrow Airport after a non-stop flight from Sydney to London.

Peter Talbert, a freelance airline safety expert working for insurance and airline companies, is in charge of investigating this intriguing accident where hijacking, pilot error, bad weather, or anomalies in the aircraft system could be the main cause of the fatal outcome.

The book gives us the chance to be the perfect travel companion for Talbert during his constant trips around the world, during his questionings of experts, pilots, and crash survivors, and allows us to participate in Talbert’s inner thoughts in order to discover the right pieces of the puzzle. The tension of the whole investigation is in a way relieved with more domestic episodes related to Talbert's personal life - his relationship with his girlfriend Mandy, the fear of taking a step further in his love story with Mandy because there is a person from the past who keeps haunting him, the influence of a girl, Liz, that he meets in one of his trips to Sydney...

This is fiction, of course, but at the end of the book, Blackman adds a brief epilogue entitled "Analysis: Could It Ever Happen?" where the author discusses if a crash like the one in the novel can actually take place in real life and what could be done to avoid it. Once again, Blackman shows his expertise on aviation electronics.

At first, it could seem that the book is for aviation connoisseurs only, due to the enormous amount of technical and aviation terminology, but Blackman is able not to scare his readers away with a nice and fluent storytelling pace. Although the investigation's goal is finding out what caused the aircraft crash, the reader does not need a complete understanding of the terms for enjoying the story.

If you enjoy this book, the first of the series featuring Peter Talbert, you can check out the rest of the titles of the franchise: The Final Flight, The Right Choice, Flight to St. Antony, and Now You See it.