ABDC Season 6: Nicki Minaj Challenge

As a big fan of Nicki Minaj, I have high hopes for this week! They'll also finally do a group performance. I wish they would do these more often, instead of just the first week and the Top 4.

Group Performance
Nicki Minah Song: Massive Attack
Great group number that let every crew shine! I especially loved that Iconic Boyz were hidden behind the shrubs in the beginning and then when they came out, tried to grab Oliva from IaMmE, but she slipped through their fingers.

The final four crews come from across the country, from LA to New Jersey, and Boston to Houston. I was mistaken last week in saying the West was out of the running; I don't know why I thought Street Kingdom was from either the South or the East? Oh well, just wanted to correct what I said last week. The West could still hold on to their reign, if Street Kingdom hangs on until the end.

TV Upfronts: "The Secret Circle" may bewitch me

Huge surprise this year: The CW may have and the best slate of new shows out of all the networks. While they didn't pick up the most shows (I believe that goes to ABC with 13 new shows) all their scripted drama pick-ups seem right up my alley. I'll be doing a series of TV Uprfronts posts now that they've wrapped up in NYC, so stay tuned for more!

The Secret Circle will air after The Vampire Diaries, and makes for a perfect time slot companion. Both are based on books by young adult novelist L.J. Smith and created by Executive Producer Kevin Williamson (also known for Dawson's Creek and the SCREAM franchise).

Read the full show synopsis and catch a few clips after the break.

Good Deal: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN Trilogy on Blu-Ray/DVD for $13.49 each

Over the weekend, I rewatched all of the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN films to brush up before the fourth film comes out on Friday. While I'm sure you don't need to rewatch them to enjoy or even understand the fourth, I had a fun day marathoning through them.

And now Amazon is having a deal where you can buy the Blu-Ray/DVD combo packs for only $13.99 each!

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL





By far the best film of the bunch! This is my favorite of Disney's live-action films. Swash-buckling adventure, a whole lot of fun, and the iconic performance by Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow - this is a must-buy!






PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST




My main beef with this film is that it's not a complete story. It was fun and had adventure and sword fights and betrayal and love, but it was all so obviously leading to the third that it never feels complete. Sequels are still supposed to be movies in their own right, and that's where this fails.






PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END




This movie is a mess. It's so weird and tonally different from the first two that you'd never guess they were made at the same time and by the same crew as the second film. I'm only including this one here for the sake of those completists who need all or nothing when it comes to franchises. Just so weird.

Music Monday: Hair by Lady Gaga

I was a huge huge HUGE fan of The Fame and The Fame Monster, but I just haven't been hooked on any of Lady Gaga's new songs of her sophomore effort. I keep trying and listening to the tracks over and over again, in hopes something will click and I'll start loving it. Hasn't happened yet. Check out her latest track, Hair, after the break.

SNL Highlight: "The Ambiguously Gay Duo" get fleshy

This week's SNL felt very short to me. There were only about 5 or 6 sketches and some very long musical performances and breaks. Ed Helms hosted, but was hardly in the episode at all!

But even with the apparent abbreviated run, there was one sketch that stood out and is among the funniest from this season: THE AMBIGUOUSLY GAY DUO! I loved the cartoons from the older episodes so it was a surprise to see it make a comeback. And then it did a wholly unexpected turn - it went live-action with appearances from Jon Hamm, Jimmy Fallon, Steve Carell, and Stephen Colbert! Watch the hilarious sketch after the break.