Paula Abdul Movies
Not exactly what you'd call a soul or disco diva, former Laker Girl Paula Abdul has nevertheless enjoyed some impressive commercial triumphs. As a teen, she was the major choreographer and a member of the Los Angeles Lakers' cheerleaders. She moved from that role to choreographing videos for Janet Jackson's Control album and The Tracey Ullman Show. Abdul switched to recording in 1988, with the LP Forever Your Girl. It sold more than seven million copies, topped the pop charts for ten weeks, and yielded number one singles in the title track, "Straight Up," "Cold Hearted," and "Opposites Attract." Though ripped by some critics for lacking vocal range, distinction, or edge, Abdul followed that album in 1991 with Spellbound, which also topped the charts for two weeks, and sold over three million copies. Her third album, Head Over Heels, was released in 1995.Although not active on the recording side since that album, Abdul remained in the entertainment limelight. She scored some small acting parts in a few films in the mid-'90s (most notably Touched by Evil in 1996) and was married to actor Emilio Estevez from 1992 to 1994. But perhaps Abdul's biggest claim to fame yet has been her role as judge on the enormously popular American Idol reality series, starring alongside the acerbic Brit Simon Cowell and music-industry vet Randy Jackson on the show that draws millions of viewers each week. In mid-2007, Abdul could be seen in a reality series on Bravo called Hey Paula which followed her as she went about her daily activities. When her run ended with American Idol, Abdul continued to thrive in the reality industry, with the competetive dance series Live to Dance in 2011. ~ Ron Wynn, Rovi
- 2008
The battle of the Davids (hard-rockin' Cook vs. teen heartthrob Archuleta) was the highlight of a scandal-ridden Season 7. The contestants in 2008 spanned the usual array of styles. Among them: sweet, folksy Brooke White, country girl Kristy Lee Cook, tattooed Irish-born rocker Carly Smithson, soulful Australian Michael Johns, and laid-back, dreadlocked Jason Castro. But Cook and Archuleta stole the spotlight early on. In the first year contestants were allowed to play musical instruments, both men showcased their abilities, with Cook on guitar and Archuleta on piano. Cook stood out with his song choices and the renditions he chose on tunes such as "Billie Jean and "Eleanor Rigby". But the boyish grin and consistently strong vocals of 17-year-old Archuleta had his popularity skyrocketing, especially with younger viewers. In fact, neither performer ever landed in the dreaded "bottom three," which made for a nail-biting finale. Archuleta was the media favorite, but Cook garnered 12 million more votes from viewers. The theme weeks in Season 7 challenged the vocalists to perform songs from the 1980s, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Neil Diamond, Dolly Parton, Mariah Carey, and the Lennon-McCartney catalog. But they tackled even bigger obstacles with the PR scandals that erupted: from one contestant's lap-dancer past to inappropriate Internet photos and videos, and a controlling stage dad, the "Idol" spin doctors stayed hard at work. Even the judges weren't safe, as questions swirled around Paula Abdul's scattered behavior and her critique of two songs performed by Castro after he only sang one. ~ Sue Tuttle, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ryan Seacrest, Simon Cowell, (more)
The most popular fashion dolls in America make the leap to the big screen in this live-action adventure that follows four diverse teenage girls who make the jump from middle school to high school, only to find that their four-part friendship doesn't fit into the rigid clique system at their new institution. Fed up with being torn apart, the girls each reject the their respective cliques and reclaim their own group where friendship takes precedence over popularity. Unfortunately, this causes the school's tyrannical student-body president to blow a gasket, and it looks like they'll have to fight hard for their place in the crowd. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nathalia Ramos, Skyler Shaye, (more)
- 2007
Viewers are invited to take a peek into the private life of singer and television star Paula Abdul in this candid reality series that follows the American Idol judge as she prepares for another successful season of the hit FOX series while simultaneously developing the Bratz movie and her very own perfume and cosmetics line. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paula Abdul
- 2005
Once again, the Griffin household is invaded by Peter's crabby father Francis, an old-line Catholic who hates anyone who doesn't adhere to his own peculiar set of religious values. In his efforts to re-convert the family, Francis causes little Stewie to become a "bubble boy." As a result, rebellious Peter attempts to establish his own religion, with "The Fonz" from Happy Days as his new Deity. Without revealing any more, please note that the episode's star-studded voice cast includes Marion Ross and Tom Bosley--and before we forget, Gary Cole is back as obstreperous boss-man Bill Lumbergh, the character he'd played in the movie Office Space (Shucks! There's no space left to mention Jaws: Fire Island). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2005
Now seen three times per week, Fox's amazingly popular talent contest American Idol launches its fourth big season on January 18, 2005. As in previous seasons, the festivities get under way with several episodes devoted to auditions in such locales as Washington DC, St. Louis, New Orleans and Las Vegas. During this elimination process, regular judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson are joined by a vast array of celebrity judges, including LL Cool J, Gene Simmons, Kenny Loggins and Brandy Norwood Finally the 200 regional winners are boiled down to 24--12 boys, 12 girls--in Hollywood, with a second round of auditions taking place over a span of four episodes. These 24 are whittled down to 20 and finally the Top 12, all of whom are given a chance to perform in an episode originally telecast March 15, 2005. Although it isn't evident on screen, the series' fifth season was briefly tainted by a scandal, when rejected second-season contestant Corey Clark, reportedly angling for a book deal, alleged that he had had an affair with series judge Paul Abdul. Although not backed up with any credible evidence, Clark's allegation very nearly got Abdul bounced from the show; fortunately, she was able to discredit the story and clear her name with the help of an independent counsel hired by Fox. Just before the final episode of the season, the network will offer up a special, American Idol Presents the World's Worst Auditions, featuring the "cream of the crop" from all over the world. Finally, it's down to the two last semifinalists: Bo Bice and Carrie Underwood (and for the benefit of all three of you who don't know who won, we'll keep you in suspense here!) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ryan Seacrest, Kristin Holt, (more)
- 2005
In between seasons two and three of Fox's phenomenally popular talent contest American Idol, first-season winner Kelly Clarkson teamed with that same season's runnerup Justin Guarini to star in the theatrical feature From Justin to Kelly. Unfortunately (or, depending upon one's opinion of From Justin to Kelly, fortunately), second-season winner Ruben Studdard didn't have enough time to exploit his newfound celebrity in a similar manner. Beginning January 19, 2004, the series' third season gets under way with several weeks' worth of auditions held in New York, Atlanta, Houston, LA, San Francisco and Hawaii (this last episode would receive an inordinate amount of press coverage in that state when the Hawaiian semifinalist turned out not to be the favorite among American Idol viewers and voters). Once the wheat is separated from the chaff, the audience is treated to a special episode about the "lost" contestants--with emphasis on the reasons that they were not only lost, but would probably stay lost! There'll be a later special episode in a similar vein, focusing on notorious runner-up William Hung, who would unexpectedly become a recording sensation despite his stunning lack of singing ability (or even a sense of pitch!) Finally the 32 lucky contestants are chosen, from which will be gleaned the 12 semi-finalists. As the contest proceeds, there'll be return visits from such popular American Idol "losers" as Clay Aiken and Tamyra Gray, not as aspirants but as celebrities. Inevitably, the semifinalists are pared down to two: Fantasia Barrino an dDiana DeGarmo, who square off in the season's two-hour finale, which originally aired live. Without giving away the name of the winner, it can be noted that she will ultimately join previous winners Kelly Clarkson and Ruben Stoddard in a tuneful American Idol holiday special, telecast November 24, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ryan Seacrest, Kristin Holt, (more)
- 2005
Capitalizing on their fame as judges on the popular television show American Idol, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson host Ultimate Voice Coach, an instructional video designed to improve a person's singing voice regardless of the performer's musical genre. Professional vocal coaches Gary Catona and Ron Anderson lead the viewer through various exercises designed for people at every skill level. Viewers will be exposed to basic breathing lessons, practice lessons, karaoke programs on which skills can be honed, and more advanced tips to help improve the power and range of your singing voice. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- 2004
This made-for-cable prequel to the popular 1997 comedy film Romy and Michele's High School Reunion was written by the same person who penned the original film, and stars Katherine Heigl and Alex Breckenridge respectively as Romy White and Michele Weinberger, the roles originated by Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino. Set in the decade before High School Reunion, Romy and Michele: In the Beginning finds our fresh-out-of-high-school heroines scrimping and saving to escape their hometown of Tucson, Arizona and land with both feet in Hollywood. It takes several years, but Romy and Michele finally arrive in La-La-Land, where in emulation of their favorite movie Pretty Woman they naively try to secure work as hookers! Fortunately they are rescued before "the worst" can happen by their new friend Donna (Alexandra Billings), who despite "her" name and appearance is actually a man in the process of becoming a woman. About to go on vacation, Donna allows the girls to live in his posh apartment, where they begin formulating their next scheme to get ahead in Tinseltown: namely, to gain access to the Ozone, the coolest nightclub in town. Along the way, the ladies meets their stud-muffin next door neighbor Taylor Bradley (Scott Vickaryous)--who, because of their association with Donna, assumes that Romy and Michele are female impersonators--and must contend with the velvety viciousness of nasty socialite Linda Fashiobella (Kelly Brook). Oh, and Paula Abdul shows up too. Romy and Michele: In the Beginning was first telecast by the ABC Family channel on May 30, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Before she ever fawned over a pop star wannabe on American Idol, Paula Abdul enjoyed her own period of super-stardom in the late '80s and early '90s. This release from Virgin features a collection of six chart-topping music videos from the diva's heyday. The songs included are "Straight Up," "Forever Your Girl," "Cold Hearted," "Opposites Attract," "Rush, Rush," and "The Promise of a New Day." ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- 2003
- Add Sesame Street: Zoe's Dance Moves to Queue Add Sesame Street: Zoe's Dance Moves to top of Queue
Paula Abdul guest stars in this Sesame Street special, which revolves around Zoe's first dance lesson. After a taste of traditional ballet, Zoe learns about African and Asian forms of dance, and realizes that it's OK to make up unique dances of her very own. Beloved Sesame Street regular Elmo also makes an appearance for the program's grand finale -- a kid-friendly hip-hop dance party. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- 2003
Having made an overnight star of aspiring pop singer Kelly Clarkson at the end of American Idol's first season, the producers return to perform the same magic on another unlucky unknown as the twice-weekly Fox talent show launches Season Two. And it's going to take quite a bit of doing to select the best of the best: Thanks to the overwhelming popularity of American Idol's maidedn season, no fewer than 50,000 hopefuls have shown up for the audition held all over the country. Ryan Seacrest is back as host, this time flying solo with the departure of cohost Brian Dunkelman. And of course, the contestants are still at the mercy of the three-person panel of judges: Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and the redoubtable Simon Cowell. New to the proceedings is Kristin Holt, a first-season contestant and former member of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, now on hand as a "special correspondent" to offer behind-the-scenes glimpses of this season's aspirants. Other changes include the mode of selection for the final "wildcard" contestants, with each of the three judges choosing his or her favorite, with a fourth hopeful chosen via public call-ins. This means that during the season's final stretch there will be 12 rather than 10 finalists, with one contestant eliminated per week for the next twelve weeks, and with a different "celebrity" judge participating on each show. Also, for the first time Fox will offer a special "best of the worst" episode with highlights (or lowlights) from the most execrable and ear-shattering auditions. Along the way, there'll be a bit of controversy when semifinalist Corey Clark is removed from the running, not because of his singing but due to his off-screen misbehavior (it turns out that he'd once assaulted his own sister). Unfortunately, it will not be the last we'll hear from the contentious Mr. Clark. And in a slightly more amusing development (most of which was edited from the show), curmudgeonly Simon Cowell is senn preparing to lower the boom on a brace of "brothers" auditioning in Austin, Texas, when it is suddenly revealed that these two supposed no-talents are actually British comedians Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, the original hosts of American Idol's British prototype Pop Idol, who are playing a practical joke on Mr. Cowell. The season ends in virtually a dead heat, with contestants Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken tying for the million-dollar grand prize--a tie ultimately broken by a margin of a mere 130,000 of the 24 million votes cast by the viewers. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ryan Seacrest, Kristin Holt, (more)
- 2002
Following the precedent established by the popular network game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, the Fox talent contest American Idol: The Search for a Superstar was afforded multiple weekly showings, telecast on both Tuesday and Wednesdays throughout it first season--and sweeping the ratings on both nights! Ryan Seacrest of course serves as host, sharing these duties during Season One with Brian Dunkelman. But as everyone knows, the real stars of the proceedings can be found on the three-person panel of judges: singer Paul Abdul, music producer Randy Jackson, and "Mr. Nasty" himself, the wickedly sardonic and brutally honest record executive Simon Cowell. The format is set up with admirable rapidity: dozens upon dozens of aspiring young pop singers, age 16 to 24, are audtioned throughout the nation in the opening episodes, with the best 30 aspirants remaining as "regulars" for the next three weeks; ultimately 10 semifinalists remain standing to strut their stuff for the balance of the season, as the viewers vote for their favorites via toll-free calls. The "judging" portion of takes place on the Tuesday telecast, with Wednesday given over to highlights and interviews and chats with the finalists--one of whom is eliminated at the end of each episode. And it isn't only their talent (or lack of same) that brings about the eliminations, as proven in the July 2002 episode wherein one of the semi-finalists is disqualified because he lied about his age (instead of 23, he was an old geezer of 29!) This, in fact, obliged the judges to bring forth a "wildcard" contestant from those who hadn't been selected by the viewers to bring to number up to ten again. From this point on, the contestants are judged according to their skills at interpreting different musical styles, ranging from Motown to middle-of-the-road. All of this is but prelude to the now-legendary Season One finale, originally telecast on September 4, 2002, in which the decision boils down to the two surviving semifinalists: Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ryan Seacrest, Brian Dunkleman, (more)
- 2002
- Add American Idol: The Search for a Superstar to Queue Add American Idol: The Search for a Superstar to top of Queue
The Fox talent search American Idol became the highest-rated new series of the year during the summer of 2002. Based on Britain's Pop Idol TV series, the program promised a recording contract for the one winner out of 10,000 contestants under the age of 24. Although the audience called in and voted for the final winner, the judges eliminated performers in each episode. While the talent of the young singers was often questionable, some of the show's entertainment value concerned judge and co-creator Simon Cowell assaulting the contestants with insults, while also engaging in fights with the other judges, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ryan Seacrest, Brian Dunkleman, (more)
- 2000
This made-for-cable documentary traces the intimate relationship between professional athletics and sexuality over the past century. From the use of sex appeal in the marketing of sports to the private lives of athletes both straight (legendary womanizer Wilt Chamberlain) and gay (Billie Jean King, whose career was derailed by a lesbian palimony suit), the film looks at sexuality as both a commercial aspect of sports in general and a personal issue for the athletes themselves. Former Laker Girl and pop star Paula Abdul discusses the ascension of cheerleading to a national passion after the advent of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, while tennis legend Martina Navratilova gives a feminist perspective on the success of young sexpot Anna Kournikova. Archival footage and new interviews with everyone from boxer Sugar Ray Leonard to Sports magazine editor Dick Schaap are interspersed with commentary and actor Liev Schreiber's narration. Playing the Field: Sports and Sex in America premiered December 20, 2000, on HBO as part of the network's "Sports of the 20th Century" series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
The Waiting Game represents one of Canadian production house Alliance Atlantis' 1998 entries in the Harlequin series of telemovies. This romantic thriller stars the Grammy award-winning pop diva Paula Abdul as Amy and Chandra West as Sarah -- two best friends with common interests who move together to a small New England town to set up and run an art show. Sarah is engaged to be married to her dream guy, and Amy professes no interest in dating anyone, but the pair start to reconsider when they encounter a couple of alluring strangers at different times -- two men with a shadowy connection to one another, each of whom warns the women against the other. The men, as it turns out, are knee-deep in espionage, and involved with the CIA and the international drug trade -- and will carry Amy and Sarah into an exotic, enticing adventure. The Waiting Game co-stars Art Hindle and Jonathan Crombie. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Chandra West, Paula Abdul, (more)
Paula Abdul is known for her funky dance moves that took her all the way from her debut as a Laker Girl to a pop singing sensation with some of the most innovative dance videos on MTV at the time. Paula Abdul: Cardio Dance is an exercise tape designed for fun and burning calories while learning some of Abdul's favorite funky dance steps. This is a fast-paced cardio workout that is taught by Paula slowly and clearly. She is quite adept at demonstrating dance steps in a manner that is easy for beginners to learn.
~ Laura Mahnken, Rovi
~ Laura Mahnken, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paula Abdul
Singer Paula Abdul makes her acting debut in this tense ABC TV movie. Recovering from a vicious attack by a serial rapist, businesswoman Ellen Collier (Paula Abdul) finds comfort and security in her relationship with her loving and supporting new boyfriend, car salesman Jerry Braskin (Adrian Pasdar). But as Ellen slowly comes out of her self-imposed shell, events conspire to persuade her that Jerry is harboring an unsavory secret. By the time Ellen has been confronted with rock-solid evidence that Jerry is the very man who sexually assaulted her, it may be too late to save herself. Based on a true story, Touched by Evil was originally telecast on January 12, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paula Abdul, Adrian Pasdar, (more)
- 1995
- Add Paula Abdul's Get Up and Dance! to Queue Add Paula Abdul's Get Up and Dance! to top of Queue
Singer, performer, and choreographer Paula Abdul has assembled a 45-minute high-energy dance workout tape. The video has two dance routines for viewers to follow along as Abdul walks through each one step-by-step, including the warmup. She introduces a 16-pattern routine that begins slowly, then picks up the rhythm while adding onto each step until the viewer/exerciser at home has the pattern down and is in-sync with her. Abdul is assisted by two dancers from her tour and a room filled with other people who are following along with the routine. The video is a simple watch-and-do exercise with high-energy dance and jazz music, all designed to pump your blood and burn fat. ~ Forrest Spencer, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paula Abdul
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