by Gina Scarpa

Tonight, on American Idol, the Top 7 contestants will be singing songs from the silver screen in the hopes of winning America over.  Famed film director Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill) was on hand as tonight’s mentor.  While Tarantino may seem like an odd choice, because he’s no musician, he’s still a director and had a lot of insightful tips to give the contestants.  Idol fans may remember that Tarantino sat in as a guest judge during a performance episode of season 3 and man, did he say what was on his mind!  A much more subdued Tarantino is shown in the clips before the performances and tried his best to help the singers look and sound their best.  Here’s how it all went down…

Allison Iraheta - "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith from the movie Armageddon
I’m not even sure I should be allowed to cover Idol because the show makes me so angry sometimes.  The minute I heard Allison’s song choice, I knew that the theme of this night should’ve been renamed “Songs I Never Want To Hear Again Because Radio Stations Overplayed Them”.  Allison sang it well and I agree with the judges: she's gaining more confidence each week and really showing who she would be as an artist.  It's a good performance, for sure.  I could have just done with another song but I'll be saying that a lot tonight.

Anoop Desai - "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" by Bryan Adams from the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

I don't think there's any denying that Anoop can really sing but I think fans of the show fail to see the difference sometimes between a good singer and a good artist.  If I were in the music industry, how would I market Anoop?  Fronting a band?   An R&B singer with backup dancers?  The problem with Anoop is that he doesn't really seem to have a place in the music world.  I love the guy's voice, especially when he chills out and sings a ballad.  However, he's not winning this competition so at this point, I'm sure he's just hoping to get as far as he can.

Adam Lambert - "Born To Be Wild" by Steppenwolf from the movie Easy Rider

I just can't help but be in awe of Adam each week.  I'm not sure I even like him as a person - it's something I ask myself and try to figure out each week.  Adam, though, is a rock star.  Right now.  I can't even imagine this guy losing the competition and somewhere inside, he must know he basically has it in the bag.  A lot of me hopes that he doesn't win because I think he'd have more success the way Jennifer Hudson and Chris Daughtry did.  Most Idol winners fall by the wayside, usually because of a weak debut album following the show.  I believe Adam will need more creative control to succeed once this is over.  Should he win?  Of course.  Do I want him to?  Not necessarily.

Matt Giraud - "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?" by Bryan Adams from the movie Don Juan DeMarco

UGH!  I want to bop Matt on the head with the microphone and say, "What were you thinking?"  Besides the fact that this song is lame, Matt just didn't deliver behind the piano tonight.  With so many choices for songs, I'll never understand why he picked this one.  I have been defending him all season, feeling that the judges have been too harsh on him.  Now, it seems certain he'll land in the bottom three and I would say that he'd be going home but thankfully, there was one performance weaker than his.  We'll get to that in a minute.

Danny Gokey - "Endless Love" by Lionel Richie from the movie Endless Love

These song choices suck.  Not a one of them has been popular in more than a decade and, in this case, more than a few decades.  Tonight's show seems dated... not fresh at all... and I feel like I'm stuck in some weird time warp.  Yes, Danny can sing.  We know.  This song just doesn't do anything, doesn't go anywhere, and doesn't excite me in any way.  It wasn't a good choice but Danny will get by on his talent, most likely, all the way to the finals.

Kris Allen - "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova from the movie Once

Now, even though the judges killed him for this performance tonight, Kris was actually my favorite.  I appreciated him taking a risk with an unknown song and singing something fairly current (the film was released in 2007).  I'm probably a little biased because the song sounded just like something that could show up on my Ipod tomorrow but it made me want to find out more about the soundtrack.  It wasn't just another regurgitated version of a song I've heard way more times than I ever cared to in the first place.  He may land in the bottom this week, but I really hope he sticks around.  I'm still a fan.

Lil Rounds - "The Rose" by Bette Midler from the movie The Rose

Here's my prediction: Lil is gonig home this week.  THE ROSE?!  Lil, I want you to look at past contestants like Jennifer Hudson, LaToya London, Vonzell Solomon, Melinda Doolittle, Mandisa, Jordin Sparks... I could keep going but the point is, you don't stack up to a one of them.  I have to agree with Simon: Lil has been nothing but disappointing since she made the Top 13.  Harsh words, yes, but based on past seasons, I just expect more than what I'm getting from her.  It's her time.

Check out American Idol's results show tomorrow night, Wednesday, at 9pm ET on FOX.

(Image courtesy of FOX)

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