paula abdul Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Pardon me if I don't shed a tear that Paula Abdul will not be returning as a judge on the next season of American Idol. As a relentless cheerleader for the contestants, she was beloved, as a foil for the evil Simon Cowell, she was feisty, but her time has come and gone. (And I say that lovingly as a former high school classmate. OK, she never knew I existed, but still...) Producers have already lined up Victoria Beckham as a guest judge, but I think they should look to the fabulous film world for future guest judge-ships.

Here are my quick picks.

• Kevin Smith. He'd definitely be funny, could snap back at Simon's ferocity, and could dish out insults as needed.
• Drew Barrymore. She would bring Paula's positive vibe and be very kind when rejecting the talentless.
• Julie Andrews. The great star of The Sound of Music and The Princess Diaries returns in the The Tooth Fairy next January.
• Mel Gibson. Don't you want to see the grizzled, suicidal star of The Road Warrior and Lethal Weapon telling no-talents where they can stick their singing voice? His Australian heritage would also set him up for epic battles with Simon Cowell. And Edge of Darkness is scheduled for next January.
• Jennifer Lopez. The lady has been out of the film spotlight for a while, but will return in The Back-Up Plan. She knows her music, and could rival Randy in telling contestants "yo, dog!"
• Quentin Tarantino. Bring him back as a judge this time, not just a coach or "guest director."

Who do you want to see sitting on that infamous panel of judges?

Our brothers and sisters over at TV Squad have busted through the boob tube and brought with them the following juicy bits of must-see eye candy:

• First sign of Armageddon: Paula Abdul is looking to leave American Idol.
• Desperate Housewives is looking to bring Governor Sarah Palin on in a guest spot. But here's the big question: Is she really that desperate?
• Fan gets turned away for free taping of The Daily Show, and then writes a giant, stalker-ish rant for The Huffington Post.
• Kona Gallagher chips in with her Undercover hotties: ten guys on TV I secretly love. Not sure I get the Vincent D'Onofrio fixation, but I do dig the dude on Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
• MADTV gets canceled ... and we'd point you toward the protests, but it seems the show's four fans didn't put up much of a fight.
• And finally, here's one to brighten the mood: TV 101: How Friends caused the current financial crisis. Damn you Joey!

The poster designers for Bratz: The Movie sure do love white space. The first of the movie's posters, a teaser that focused on the familiar logo and the release season, featured more than 50% blank space. Not even the four stars could compete with the need for so much white, and so they just barely fit, squeezed in at the bottom with only part of their faces exposed. The new official one-sheet for the toy-line-based pic does give the girls more room, but there is still a lot of emptiness. Some of that white space is actually filled up with faint cursive lettering, but at first, perhaps because of the brightness of my computer monitor, I didn't notice. Again, it seems the designers really want us to see the logo more than anything else. After all, this isn't really an ad for a movie; it's an ad for a brand. Whether people are first drawn to the cinema or to the toy store, the awareness of that other product is key.

Anyway, it is nice that the designers have finally showed us the actresses' mouths. I didn't quite get the point of the oral exclusion in both that first teaser and the second. Even the four character posters cut off some of the girls' mouths. I know none of them are familiar faces, but these young ladies needed more respect. Was it because none of them have the signature pucker of the Bratz dolls? Then make them pose with wax lips. At least then it's a little funny. I kept hoping, since first hearing about the movie, that the posters would resemble those Steve Madden ads with the distorted models. With their gigantic heads, the girls in those ads always looked like the Bratz dolls to me. Or vice versa, depending on which came first.

Bratz, which shockingly doesn't look any worse than every other teen movie coming out these days, opens August 3.

So it is not exactly a big shock that I am not the biggest fan of Bratz dolls, but there are plenty of people who are, so that's probably why a live action movie is on the way. The story will follow our four heavily stylized friends through the pitfalls of peer pressure and fitting in, and all while draped in belly chains and eye makeup -- like I said, I'm not a big fan.

Variety announced that Paula Abdul would be joining Bratz – The Movie as a consultant for fashion, dancing, casting and music. Abdul started her career as a dancer and choreographer so I would think she might manage to squeeze in a dance number or two. Abdul will also be getting an executive producer credit on the film and will help in finding "talent" for the production. No casting announcements have been made yet, so I would guess that would be the first order of business. The film's director Sean McNamara, who is known for his work with the "tween set," is set to begin filming later this month and is eyeing an August release. No word on whether her duties as consultant and producer will cut into her busy schedule of giving nonsensical encouragement to American Idol hopefuls, but I'm sure Abdul will find time to fit it in her busy schedule.