As I walked out of the cinema after watching this film yesterday, I kept asking myself, "That was it? That was the movie I paid 140 bucks for?". I found this odd because these shouldn't be the questions to have in mind after seeing something like this. It's a Shyamalan film, for Pete's sake. Oh wait, I think I felt the same way once before, after I saw his other film, "The Village".

I respect Shyamalan as a movie maker, I honestly do. I believe his stories are imaginative, emotional and thought-provoking, for they continually challenge the wit and intelligence of the viewer. Also, I still consider "Signs" and "The Sixth Sense" two of the scariest films I've ever seen. But when I realized how disappointed I was with "The Village", I stayed away from his last effort "The Lady In The Water" (I bought a DVD of it which I haven't seen, until now). I thought that after two considerable failures, Shyamalan would learn from his mistakes and cook up something that will make people believe in him again.

And now we have "The Happening", promoted by a trailer so scary and interesting, that I marked the calendar for it's opening day. I was ready to have my faith restored in M. Night's brilliance again. The film is about an occurrence which begins in Central Park, New York then spreads throughout the Northeast region of the US. It starts with speech and physical disorientation, followed by the shocking desire to kill yourself.

The protagonist Elliot is played by Mark Wahlberg (breaking stereotypes as a really buff and hot high school science teacher), who flees Philadelphia in fear of the "attack" with his wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel), best friend Julian (John Leguizamo) and his daughter Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez). From this point on, it becomes a struggle for survival against an unexplainable phenomenon that's bound to exterminate anyone who comes in close contact with it.

(I refuse to divulge any more information other than this to keep the element of puzzlement and surprise for those planning to see the film this weekend.)

I recommend viewers to see this film from the very beginning because the opening sequence will keep you in a state of shock that can hopefully last until the final act (for me, it didn't). Shyamalan sure knows how to involve audiences in that eerie sense of fear throughout the experience, but with the obvious complexity of the "event" and the misplaced marital issues of Elliot and Alma, it left me empty and wanting for more. Wahlberg and Deschanel turned in unremarkable performances given the absurdity of the situation their characters were put in, though I admire the latter for not losing her "quirky" element. Look at her big, blue, round eyes when her face is in full focus and you'll know what I mean.

Another thing I have to comment on is the "happening" itself. The intention was to give a fright, but what I got out of it was scratching my head. There were subtle clues throughout the film on how viewers can interpret the "attack", but it's never really fully explored. On a TV interview shown, a scientist likened it to a "red tide", and then said that the event can never be really be explained. So that's it? Am I really supposed to just accept that? Boy, that's some kind of fun.

But having said all that, I still give this flick a star for the sheer brilliance of the idea that the plant kingdom can have the capability to destroy human life in the most disturbing way you could ever see.

(You seriously didn't think I wouldn't have a say on this, did you?)

After passing up on the candy-colored car chases of "Speed Racer", resisting the charm and fun of "What Happens In Vegas", and ignoring the whip of "Indiana Jones", Saturday night marked the beginning of the US summer movie season for me, and what better way to kick it off than wearing those Manolos and having sex (and a whole lotta love) in the city with Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha in their big reunion after four long years.

Needless to say that this movie is made to cater the huge appetite of fans hungry for more of the girls' life, and love stories. It felt like a five-episode, back-to-back marathon of fun, tears, heartache, joy and audiences will drink it down to the last drop like it's a cosmopolitan drink on a night out. I don't see the need to dish out the plot key points and criticize the execution because I'm sure pretty much all of the people in my network have seen it and they have all made their reactions, so I'll just write about a couple of my own thoughts about it.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a weepie when it comes to watching movies, especially the romantic ones. For me, this one has two highlights that made tears fall from my eyes: the scene outside the library which involved hitting a man with a bouquet of white roses, and the tearful rejoining of two broken hearts in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge. Those two scenes alone is worth the price of the ticket, seriously. But there were also fun moments that made me squeal with delight, like the photo shoot of the wedding gowns and the dress-up montage of bad outfits. I dream of having one of those in the future.

Sarah Jessica Parker owns this movie to a hilt. I think she's never been taken seriously taken as an actor, but with this movie, she gives Carrie the reasonable emotional depth I never saw in the series. Cynthia Nixon is perfect as the tortured Miranda as well, dealing with the infidelity of the man she loves and the secret she tried to keep from her best friend. The characters of Charlotte and Miranda were not explored enough, but Davis and Cattrall showed off comic brilliance in their "Poughkeepsie" and "sushi" moments. Now those were really funny moments. Also, the inclusion of Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson in a supporting role as Carrie's road to recovery is a very nice touch. There is no doubt that Hudson is indeed a real presence on-screen.

I could go on and on raving, but there's one thing I have to point out that almost ruined the experience for me: the R-13 rating. It's obvious that the bastards involved in the release of the movie here in the country had to cut some scenes so that it would attract a younger audience and make more money. It ruined the fluidity of the film for me, and this should be considered a crime. There's a reason why the movie is called as such (note: SEX) and why it has an R rating in the US. I demand an uncut version of the film immediately.

By the time the end credits rolled, I suddenly realized that the ending was just the way it should be, sweet and magical. I firmly believe that there should no more sequels or spin-offs made, because it was absolutely perfect, and should be left that way.

Carrie said something like this in one scene: "Some love stories aren't epic novels - some are short stories. But that doesn't make them any less filled with love." Now if six successful seasons on TV and one super-sized movie is what you can consider a short story, then I think we just read the last word. You have to option to start from the very beginning, and read the story again, one more time.

So America has decided, and they did so in huge numbers. 97.5 million votes were cast, and the majority of that went to the completely wrong David. Boo. I've been an Archuleta fan since day 1, and that hasn't changed. I'm completely loyal to my choices and I've never been wrong (Fantasia, Carrie, Taylor, Jordin), until now. But you gotta hand it to Cook's charms, because winning over the younger & better Archuleta by 12 million votes is no small feat (that's 12 million votes. goodness.). It appears that American viewers have learned their lesson (cue: Chris Daughtry) and now they have their first rocker "Idol".

I'm completely devastated by the choice, but whatever, let's move on to the only good thing that deserves my one star rating: the performances! The show opened with the obligatory top 12 finalist performance of "(Get Ready) Here I Come". Next, the two Davids sang "Hero" from Josey Scott & Chad Kroeger, which I found very interesting as it was obvious that they support each other by harmonizing in the refrain. They both also had solo numbers which were cool, Cook rocked out with ZZ Top, and Archuleta crooned with OneRepublic in "Apologize" (which was absolutely perfect).

Exceptional performances were given by the castoffs, notably the one from Carly Smithson & Michael Johns. I've seen them perform together before in "Ellen", and I have to say that after seeing them again in the show, they really make a good duo. Their voices complement each other and they create a spark on the stage. Wonderful. But not to be outdone though is Brooke White, who sang with Graham Nash. The two strumming their guitars and singing the most perfect song, like one of them country show performance, was pure musical joy.

There was shameless plugging heavily involved with the show, which I found amusing and awkward at the same time. Mike Myers came out as Guru Pitka (Marishka Hargitay!) to promote "The Love Guru", Donna Summer and Bryan Adams performed with the girls and boys of the top 12 to support their new albums, and even Mama George Michael sang "Praying For Time" to gain promotion for his upcoming US tour. The trio of Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey, Jr. as the Pips performing with Gladys Knight was funny. They say that the video can be downloaded through iTunes and proceeds will go to charity, but another motive could be the new Ben Stiller-directed film "Tropic Thunder" starring Jack & Iron Man himself. Haha.

One performance I did enjoy was the one from Carrie Underwood. She showed Jordin Sparks how an Idol should behave on stage by singing her latest single "Last Name". Those pipes haven't changed a bit, and that's why she's awarded the best female vocalist for the second time in a row, in the Annual Country Music Association Awards. On the opposite end of the pole is the most (and only) shameful performance in the show (and probably in any AI finale show history), which came from our very own Renaldo, who sang (attempted is more I like it) that ditty his voice can't even reach, with a marching band to boot. The whole thing just made me cringe, thank heavens the producers decided to cut it short.

Despite reports that the AI audience have been steadily declining, it's a good thing they came out with a very good finale show, and yes, that 97.5 million is saying something. And because I'm sad about the results, I just want to say for the last time this season...

I LOVE YOU DAVID ARCHULETA!

(NOTE: After listening to the album a couple more times, which means a lot, I had an impulse to rewrite and add a couple of statements for this review.)

For months now, fans of Mariah Carey and Madonna have been at each other's throats in determining who will come out triumphant this year. Mariah's new record has just been released and went straight to #1 selling enormous numbers, thanks to positive reviews and huge support from the fans. (I personally can't muster the courage to make a review in fear that Mariah purists will lambaste me for what I think about the record.)

But fans of Madonna shouldn't worry because in her new album, the cleverly titled "Hard Candy", she packs a one-two punch that's guaranteed to knock your socks off. With the assistance of the best hip-hop music personalities like Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Nate "Danja" Hills, and The Neptunes, Madonna proves that the fine line between urban and dance music can easily be crossed, and the result is an energetic and pulsating piece of a record tailored for everyone ready to dance.

The set opens with "Candy Shop", a delicious Neptunes confection in which Madge declares that her "sugar is raw, sticky & sweet". The lead single "4 Minutes" proudly brings on that unmistakable Timbo beat, with horns to match, adding on Timberlake's help on the vocals resulting to one of the best dance tunes of the year. The announced second single "Give It 2 Me" boasts of a catchy pop sound interrupted by the addicting "get stupid" dance break that sounds strangely similar to the Teriyaki Boyz ditty, "Tokyo Drift".

The rest of the record rides like a heavenly trip to the club because of the throbbing bass beats and hot dance breaks spread though out every song. And another thing, I think it was Madonna's intention to construct all the songs ready for the tour, and that's a great thing because it gives the listeners more time to dance. I love it.

My other favorites include "Miles Away", which brings back the guitars from the "Music" era, coupled with one of the most honest lyrics I ever heard Madge sing about, but still a dance tune, of course. "Beat Goes On" brings to mind the classic disco sound, with Kanye throwing a couple of rap verses and the cute "beep beep" thing by Pharrell. Meanwhile, "Heartbeat" is an ode to dancing, because according to the Queen, "dancing makes you beautiful", and then asks everyone to "see her booty get down". Take that. But the best track, in my opinion, is the funky, hand-clapper of a tune "Dance 2night", Madonna's take on bringing "SexyBack" that will surely make anyone move. Oddly enough, Justin's vocals pops up in this tune too, which is not a bad thing actually.

Having said all that, it must be noted that this is the first time I heard Madonna sound so familiar. This is due to the fact that sound of the record is something that's been made famous by the likes of Gwen Stefani, Nelly Furtado & even Justin Timberlake himself, as obvious in "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You", a rehash of "Cry Me A River" & "What Goes Around...Comes Around" constructed for Madge's modest vocal capability. The songs sound familiar, and yet they all have Madonna's creative stamp on it. I think that's what they call "being an artist".

The record can't be proclaimed as reinvention of Madonna's music, but an adaptation to the urban & hip-hop sound, with pleasing results. Things might be a little hard to swallow on the first spin, but just like any hard candy, it takes a few more licks to taste the sweetness ready to explode inside.

As for the battle of the divas, I think it's safe to say, I think I prefer me some "Candy".

Though her romantic life has been on the good side these days (she recently got engaged to Fall Out Boy guitarist Pete Wentz), Ashlee Simpson's music career has been sailing rough waters so far. Her new record's release date (which was supposed to be last year) has been pushed back two times, the first single "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)" (Timbaland production, WORD UP!) failed to impress, and the second single "Little Miss Obsessive" featuring Plain White T's singer Tom Higgenson seems to be another dud with listeners as well.

But everyone should give this girl a break because her new album called "Bittersweet World" (which finally drops April 22), is actually a decent addition to your music collection. In the record, she explores a more beat-oriented sound, working with producers like Timbaland & Chad Hugo of The Neptunes, as obvious in songs like the flirty "Boys", in-your-face "Rule Breaker" & the catchy "Ragdoll". But my favorite is the very fun "Hot Stuff", in which she takes on the personality of a girl who can "bring her legs all the way up" (Can she do it?). Haha. This tune will definitely make your head bop and your toe tap.

But this experimentation doesn't mean she totally eschewed the rock sound she became famous for, because the second single is a catchy & emotional pop-rock ditty about having a difficult time letting go. Songs like "What I've Become" & "No Time For Tears" will remind the listener of that gritty edge that made her step out of the shadow of her candy-pop sibling, Jessica.

The album closes with "Never Dream Alone", a piano ballad about reassuring someone that even "in the cold winter", you will never leave his/her side. It's a very quiet song in which Ashlee's raspy vocals take the spotlight, and this left me in a reflective mood.

But that's not Ashlee's intention, because "Bittersweet World" is a fun record to hear, replete with the 80's vibe that's guaranteed to make you groove and that rock sound that will make you move.