This year’s Grammy Awards promise the usual schlock ‘n’ roll with a number of highly anticipated performances mixed with potentially disastrous pairings.
I’m guessing Beyonce, Carrie Underwood and Mary J. Blige/Aretha Franklin will bring the crowd to its feet.
But what’s this about a Beatles medley performed by cast members from the film “Across the Universe” and the Cirque du Soleil show “Love”? At least the Cirque acrobats will be fun to watch.
The Foo Fighters apparently will be backed by an orchestra of “gifted young musicians” conducted by John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. Say what? Is Josh Groban jumping on stage too?
As for the awards themselves, Chicagoans should be happy by the end of the broadcast. Homeboy Kanye West leads with eight nominations, including nods for album of the year and best rap song.
The Plain White T’s, also from the Chicago area, are up for song of the year and best pop performance by a duo or group. T’s singer Tom Higgenson reportedly is bringing Delilah DiCrescenzo — yes, that Delilah — to the ceremony.
Even if the T’s don’t win, Tom finally gets his date. Hey there!
Grammys all day
– 2 p.m.: Grammy Awards Preview, TV Guide
– 3 p.m.: Countdown to the Grammy Awards, TV Guide
– 4 p.m.: Countdown to the Red Carpet, E!
– 5 p.m.: Live at the Grammy Awards, TV Guide; Live from the Red Carpet, E!
– 7 p.m.: 50th Annual Grammy Awards, CBS
Love it DVD
The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford
$27.95, rated R
Brad Pitt stars as the notorious 19th Century outlaw Jesse James, and Casey Affleck (an Oscar nominee for best supporting actor) plays James’ friend and rival Robert Ford in director Andrew Dominik’s film. The DVD’s special feature is a 30-minute documentary, “The Assassination of Jesse James: Death of an Outlaw.” – BRUCE DANCIS, THE SACRAMENTO BEE
VIDEO GAME
Turok
Multiple consoles, $59.99
The “Turok” series from next-gen gaming’s infancy is back, but it’s been completely revamped. It is gritty, graphic, gory action that keeps you in high tension, wary of the raptor that’s waiting to tear you to shreds around the next corner. The game offers three levels of difficulty, so even those who think they’ve mastered it can get put in their place fairly easily. There’s also an expansive amount of online multiplayer content, from four-player co-op missions to 16-player free-for-alls. – Chip and Jonathan Carter, Tribune Media Services
Like it
ALBUM
Ledisi
“Lost & Found”
When the Grammys go down on Sunday, this New Orleans-born singer will battle boozy Brit Amy Winehouse and country sunshine Taylor Swift for the coveted best new artist award. Will she win? Probably not. But the old-school R&B talent certainly deserves a rooting section. Ledisi’s elastic vocals shine through on these safe but rich songs that also touch on jazz, hip-hop and funk. – Sean Daly, St. Petersburg Times
ALBUM
k.d. lang
“Watershed”
For the first time in her career, k.d. lang has written and produced the new album “Watershed” herself. The challenge definitely sparked something in her as a performer. The sleek jazz of “Sunday” and “Thread,” with its mix of folk and Brazilian elements, makes lang’s lush vocals sound great, even as some of her introspective lyrics reveal some self-doubt. On previous albums, lang always has looked for a lyrical theme or signature sound to tie her album together. On “Watershed” she finds the most compelling unifier of all — her own excellence. – Glenn Gamboa, Newsday
TV
Six Degrees Could Change The World
7 p.m. Sunday, National Geographic Channel
The makers of this alarming look at the devastating effects of global warming must need a hug. The two-hour special speculating on the degree-by-degree impact of temperature change is relentlessly grim. A 1-degree Celsius increase could create new deserts in the western U.S. Skip this show if you had a bad day. But if you’re interested in how humans are destroying Earth, and how you can help change curb impending disaster, tune in. – Curt Wagner
Loathe it
DVD
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
$19.99, rated PG-13
Director Shekhar Kapur seems to have indulged his worst tendencies in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age.” The intrigues of the court that made the first “Elizabeth” movie so interesting have been replaced with a plodding, unfocused script. Only Cate Blanchett, in her Oscar-nominated performance, and the costume and set designers manage to survive. But Clive Owen, despite his charms as Sir Walter Raleigh, is wasted. The DVD includes an audio commentary by Kapur, deleted scenes and four short documentaries on the making of the film. – Rob Lowman, L.A. Daily News
