True Blood... it's truly "fangtastic"

HBO
Sundays at 9pm

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better….

A young man joining a church that promotes the “purging” of the sinfulness and evil that are vampires when just last season he was addicted to “V” – vampire blood.

A strong-willed guy, trapped in a vampire lair for weeks, starved, abused, scared, returns to a “normal” life only to have them return and request of him a big favor.

An innocent and naïve teenage red-head just turned by a vampire, with her bitter at the tight leash her maker is trying to keep on her, falls for a sweet young local.

This is just a smidgen of the drama, the blood lust, the incredibly addictive insanity of what goes on in a small town called Bon Temps, Louisiana. If you haven’t heard of it, a) you should be ashamed (or maybe you’re just afraid) and b) find a way to watch it!! This is only season two of HBO’s newest hit, True Blood and it gets tastier and tastier by the moment!

We met Sookie Stackhouse (a telepath and the main character) in the first season, waitressing at the Merlotte’s, owned by Sam Merlotte. It is the spot where all the locals gather and at which Sookie meets her first vampire, Bill Compton and falls hard. This relationship breeds controversy as vampires are fighting for their rights as a critical part of society. Their argument is backed by the option to not feed on humans any longer but on synthetic blood called True Blood. Followed by their encounter is a fight in which Sookie saves Bill and their lives are now forever intertwined. The episodes are pregnant with new secrets, forbidden love, personality clashes, and blood sucking vampires. I’m so immensely pleased at the aura of the writing and the acting – you are clutching your pillow out of anxiety to discover if Sookie’s brother really did kill those women, or if it will be discovered whether Lafayette is simply missing or dead.

I don’t want to give away ANY spoilers because it
IS
SO
GOOD!!

You must bite, suck and feed on this juiciness. Don’t be afraid…

Don't act like you're surprised:



see below for a preview of season 2.... eeeeeek!!!!



Head on over to www.j1studios.com to chat about your favorite moments.

Danae signing off!




video source:www.youtube.com

"Hell's Kitchen" Premiere: If you can't take the heat...well you know the rest

“Hell’s Kitchen”
Channel: FOX (Check your local listings)
Time/Day: 8pm Tuesdays

If you have never seen FOX’s reality show “Hell’s Kitchen” then you have been missing out. The general premise is this foul-mouthed master chef, Gordon Ramsey, is looking for the best chef to run the kitchen in a big restaurant (this year it is the Araxi restaurant in Wistler, British Columbia, Canada. The site of the 2010 winter Olympics). The chefs have to prove themselves through a series of challenges and dinner services and the whole time Ramsey is yelling at them and calling them some pretty funny names.

This season in the two hour premiere we were introduced to 16 new chefs (find their profiles here http://www.fox.com/hellskitchen) who all think they have what it takes. The 16 are divided in two teams of 8, the men against the women. The chefs have to first make their signature dishes for Ramsey with the hopes of impressing him. Well let’s say that out of the 16 only 5 got favorable reviews. After that it is on the punishments and rewards. Whenever a team wins a challenge they get a reward that usually affords them time with Ramsey. That is valuable. This time the men won dinner and a little celebrating upstairs in the apartments. The women had to clean up the kitchen. Fast forward to dinner service. In a few brief words, it was horrible. One of the male contestants was thrown out and off the show. The women never even served any appetizers. So of course they lost. When you lose you have to put up people for elimination that you think messed up the most and Ramsey then decides who should go home. This time around it was Melinda for being a deer caught in headlights. What was so great about this first half though was that it was the return of Robert, a contestant from last season who had to leave for medical reasons. Ramsey thought he would do better on the women’s team.

In the second half of the show we get another challenge where the teams have to clean whole shrimp perfectly. Again the men win by just one prawn. They were rewarded with a lunch with Ramsey where we find that ex-marine Joseph has no desire to pal around with Gordon. He just wants to cook and win. The women had to clean all of the shrimp that would be used for the next dinner service. The personalities really start to come out amongst the women and you can see that some people aren’t as great as they think they are. At dinner service people are butting heads all over the place. The maitre ‘d, Jean-Philippe (JP), got into with Van, the country Texas boy. Tennille (No, the captain isn’t there) almost served raw shrimp to a pregnant woman. People were all over the place and couldn’t cook right. The kitchen was shut down prematurely again. This time both teams lost and had to pick two people each to be put up for elimination. The best part of this show was the very end. The women put up their people without a problem but when Joseph was asked to say who the first person up was and why he just couldn’t get it together. It evolved into him saying he “ain’t no bitch” and going to get up in Ramsey’s face. Then of course the screen goes black and we have to wait till next week to see what happens.

I must say that I am biased towards loving this show because I love cooking and cursing and I get all of that and then some with “Hell’s Kitchen” and Gordon Ramsey. This season however looks very promising. The personalities are getting stronger and you never know what’s going to happen. Hell, next week there may even be punches thrown. Although I have to say, Joseph, I think you have some anger issues you need to resolve. Can we say PTSD people? Cause I think his therapist can.

I give this episode, and probably the whole season, 5 frames out of 5. I just prefer my food with a side of bitchiness and excessive cursing.




Head on over to J1studios to discuss reality, cursing, and the genius that is Gordon Ramsey.

Until next time kids, this has been Hava.

“Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen” (2009)
Rated PG-13
Adventure/Action
Running Time: 150 minutes


In the mood for a serious dedication to the Transformer’s fan base, nonstop heroism and laud worthy movie making? Run, run as fast as you can, don’t look back, stop for no one and be thankful you survived because you are not going to find it here.

This movie is not worth the time to summarize the ridiculousness-masked-by-crazy-cg-effects-and-pretty-neat-fighting-scenes so please read the following from www.imdb.com: “The battle for Earth has ended but the battle for the universe has just begun. After returning to Cybertron, Starscream assumes command of the Decepticons, and has decided to return to Earth with force. The Autobots believing that peace was possible finds out that Megatron's dead body has been stolen from the US Military by Skorpinox and revives him using his own spark. Now Megatron is back seeking revenge and with Starscream and more Decepticon reinforcements on the way, the Autobots with reinforcements of their own, may have more to deal with then meets the eye.”

Blah blah blah - the second installation of the Transformers epic was a much-awaited experience. 2007’s “Transformers” while slightly irking some of the die-hard fans due to technicalities, was overall, an exciting experience. The storyline was simple yet for a first movie needed not to be overwhelming. You truly saw who the Autobots were and pledged allegiance! Yet director Michael Bay had to ruin a good thing figuring all that us easily deceivable viewers needed was awesome computer effects and a hot girl and we would be set. Ugh! (Yes, another sound effect because this movie required such). Here were some of the thoughts running through my head while hanging my head in disappointment upon exiting the theatre:

Did we have to see Sam and Mikaela making out while his parents watched? Why did Sam’s mom have to be awkward and “accidentally” ingest a few weed brownies (and this film is marketed to children?)? Why does the one Middle Eastern’s man appearance involve buckteeth and bumbling half sentences? How about the uneducated, reckless unnecessariousness (new word) that are the two Autobots, Skids and Mudflap, that reflect a very racist stereotype? Do we need to see that much of Sam’s transition to college, the simplicity that is him and Mikaela’s romance and cliché dialogue?

Spare me the “greatness” that is Revenge of the Fallen and bring me back to the valiant Optimus Prime’s and the adventures him and his Autobots encounter. I do not need the high school/collage drama – give me a real TRANSFORMERS MOVIE!!!

I just watched the trailer which made me angry as there was an overflow of potential and yet... :(

I give this movie a two out of five frames.





Go to www.j1studios.com to voice your highly valued opinion!

Danae signing off


video source: www.traileraddict.com