I'D LOVE TO MIX IN CIRCLES, CLIQUES AND SOCIAL COTERIES (THAT'S ME!): Sing ON, ALOTT5MA, and even if you might have ended up looking like Courtney Love if you took a drink every time Nick Lachey reminded us that There Are No Instruments Here, that was some innocent, fun tv. What impressed me most about the show is that they let the judges judge, and Ben Folds had some pretty insightful commentary while still making sure not to let the more devout teams know that his most popular song was a narrative sung in the first person about taking his girlfriend to obtain an abortion. (HT: Wife.)

In terms of fan favorites, I'm going to represent for my NESCAC brethren, who delivered a quintessential self-consciously wacky performance evoking just what I think about when I think about college a capella. They're #1, and BYU Fauxhawk Lady is number two. Back tomorrow with more (y'all already started), and if you're all nice enough by the end of this I'll dig up the YouTube of my a capella debut from 1994.

KIDNEY NOW! The actor who plays Grizz on 30 Rock apparently needs a kidney transplant. Now, everybody sing along.

THERE IS STILL AT LEAST ONE MAN IN HOLLYWOOD WHO KNOWS HOW TO SPEND $250 MILLION, OR WAS IT $300 MILLION, WISELY: Ebert [heart] Avatar: "Avatar is not simply a sensational entertainment, although it is that. It's a technical breakthrough. It has a flat-out Green and anti-war message. It is predestined to launch a cult. It contains such visual detailing that it would reward repeating viewings. It invents a new language, Na'vi, as Lord of the Rings did, although mercifully I doubt this one can be spoken by humans, even teenage humans. It creates new movie stars. It is an Event, one of those films you feel you must see to keep up with the conversation.... It takes a hell of a lot of nerve for a man to stand up at the Oscarcast and proclaim himself King of the World. James Cameron just got re-elected."

WON'T YOU COME ON OVER, STOP MAKIN' A FOOL OUT OF ME: Since I complained about a remake once today, let's take a look at a remake that I think improves on the original. The Zutons' original version of "Valerie" is a slowish song that wouldn't be entirely out place on a Dashboard Confessional album. Hand it to producer Mark Ronson, let him speed it up, emphasize the drums and strings while toning to down the guitar, and let Amy Winehouse sing it--that works.

YOU CAN BLOW IT OFF AND SAY "THERE'S GOOD IN NEARLY EVERYONE -- JUST GIVE THEM ALL A CHANCE." NOW, LET'S GIVE THEM ALL A CHANCE: In case there was any ambiguity about where this blog's sweet spot lay, A Capella Singing Competition + Ben Folds And A Boy II Man Judging + NESCAC Entrants is there. See you tomorrow night, and let's hope NBC's involvement in a reality show doesn't mean it sucks.

added: Via RealityBlurred, here's your all hands on deck opening number to whet the appetite.

CREATIVITY IS DEAD: You know that funny (but little-seen) movie Death At A Funeral, featuring a particularly spectacular performance from Alan Tudyk as a straight-laced guy who accidentally ingests a powerful hallucinogen? It tanked pretty badly in general release, so what's the solution? A remake, but this time, instead of Brits, it's African-Americans. Seriously, aside from a few added "urban" jokes, almost every joke and incident in the trailer is literally word for word and shot for shot from the original, even with Peter Dinklage playing the exact same role he did in the original. To be fair, it looks like they've assembled a fine cast (Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan, Danny Glover, Luke Wilson, and, in Tudyk's role, James Marsden), and somehow gotten Neil LaBute to direct, but really? We needed this?

AYN RAND'S A SELFISH CHRISTMAS: John Scalzi's always awesome "Top Ten Least Successful Holiday Specials."