Editor's note: There's so much that's beautiful, funny, smart and informative on the Internet. Problem is, there's also a bunch of garbage. Here's the best of the web right now:
1. The world's best job is hiring: panda nanny. If you've been feeling like it's time to make a career change, then this new posting will likely push you right into the job-seeker pool. China's Giant Panda Protection Center needs nannies willing to spend a year with pandas "sharing in their joys and sorrows."
2. Father-daughter lip-dub to Iggy Azalea is totally adorable. Cool dad Jesse Lozano doesn't just sing along to songs in the car; he does full-scale lip-dub YouTube productions, complete with props. It probably doesn't hurt that he's also a popular radio morning-show host in California.
3. Time-lapse supercell video will strike the fear of Mother Nature into you. When you aren't caught in the middle of them, thunderstorms and natural disasters are frighteningly beautiful. Storm chaser/photographer Stephen Locke has created a jaw-dropping, three-minute time-lapse video of a May supercell in Kansas that will blow your mind.
4. Take a look inside a tricked-out tree house in Texas. When you think tree house, you probably don't picture running water and a wine cooler. But Bobby Page turned his tree house into a man cave, complete with alcohol storage and a smoker.
Neil Diamond - a member of both the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame with 10 No. 1 songs and over 56 million albums sold - is such a music legend that it would be easy to do a straight-up biopic of him. Instead, the new Song Sung Blue - named after Diamond’s 1972 hit song - serves as a shadow Diamond biopic, with his songs showcased through a real-life husband-and-wife tribute act known as Lightning & Thunder.
Based on the 2008 documentary of the same name, the film focuses on Mike Sardina (Hugh Jackman), who comes up with the idea for a Diamond-centric act when he meets Claire (Kate Hudson). The duo soon grows in popularity locally in Milwaukee, headlining not just restaurants and bars but also some larger venues. As their legend spreads, they even start to get the attention of the media and bigger names outside of Wisconsin.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a good biopic without a little turbulence, and — without spoiling things — Mike and Claire learn that good times never seemed so good when they face more than their fair share of troubles. The couple endures their ups and downs with the help of their combined family, including children Rachel (Ella Anderson) Angelina (King Princess), and Dana (Hudson Henley), as well as a community of fellow tribute acts.
Written and directed by Craig Brewer (Dolemite is My Name), the film’s appeal lies mainly in the irrepressible enthusiasm of Mike, a man born to entertain if ever there was one. Neither his long-dormant alcoholism nor health problems nor location in the Upper Midwest can stop Mike from demonstrating his showmanship skills. Of course, it helps that he’s portrayed by Jackman, who - despite getting a little long in the tooth - gives every performance his all.
What the story can never quite answer, though, is why this particular couple is worth an entire feature film. Sure, they have a somewhat interesting arc, especially when it coincides with a certain early ‘90s grunge band, but otherwise there’s little that separates them from other tribute acts toiling around the country. Brewer struggles to define them outside of their singing lives, and when things get really bad for them, the emotional connection is at a minimum.
Then there’s the aspect of incorporating Diamond’s music, some of which has endured across the decades more than others. Naturally, “Sweet Caroline” gets a notable showcase, but whither “America” or “Heartlight?” The title song is featured the most often, as Mike uses it to celebrate his yearly “sober birthday,” but it’s not a barnburner. Mike also has an obsession with the relatively obscure "Soolaimón," an odd choice both for him and for the movie to include so much.
Jackman and Hudson have good chemistry together, and when the film puts them together in singing scenes, their bond becomes infectious. Each of them has naturally melodic voices as well, lending an extra boost to that part of the film. Supporting actors like Anderson, King Princess, Michael Imperioli, and Fisher Stevens complement them well, but Jim Belushi, playing their promoter, gives a hammy performance that seems to be in a completely different movie.
While it’s unclear who the audience for Song Sung Blue might be other than hardcore Diamond fans, it has just enough crowd-pleasing moments to make for a solid watch. The entertainment factor of the film comes and goes, but Jackman using every ounce of his abilities mostly makes up for any deficiencies.
