Ugh

Hell's Kitchen
Channel: FOX
Day/Time: Wednesday at 9pm (Check your local listings)

Ugh. If you watched last night’s Hell’s Kitchen then you know why I said that. In case you didn’t see it I’ll let you know what happened. The season is coming to an end. Just one more episode left now. So you know this means that Gordon Ramsay narrowed the field down to his final two. My exclamation is due to who he chose for the coveted positions. But let me take you through the episode first to get you up to speed.

In the final four we were left with Trev, Jillian, Nona, and Russell. Now, none of these four were someone I originally wanted to win. But since that is all we are left with I’ve decided to pull for Nona. The whole season Trev has been picked on by the other contestants and he just keeps on whining about it. Man I can’t stand that guy. No one can. It is completely understandable. He keeps messing up the food, he can’t cook, and his attitude is grating. He lived up to all of his annoying habits tonight as well by failing at the challenge and then messing up over and over at the dinner service.

Jillian has fared better on this show. While her voice is a little annoying to me, I was never impressed with her. She just always went on in the middle of the pack. Tonight she did pretty well though. She won the challenge despite having no clue of how to fuse cuisine from Thailand and Spain. She impressed the judges quite a bit. At the dinner service she did wonderfully on the meat station but messed up a little while running the pass and got screwed by Trev who couldn’t cook a piece of Halibut to save his life.

Nona has always been good. She has personality and never really bothered me. She can also cook very well. While she has messed up from time to time she has deserved to make it this far. On tonight’s episode Nona didn’t impress during the challenge. At dinner service she was great on garnish, which is good since she has fallen apart on that station before. When running the pass she had just one slip up and everything else was great.

Finally we come to the obnoxious Russell. I can’t stand that guy. Before tonight I just disliked him because he was so cocky and had this attitude that he was better than Ramsay. Tonight my dislike for him turned to hate. Yes guys, I said hate. My hate stems from everything I already said and for the fact that in a flashback clip Russell was wearing an old school “white rapper” visor that was cocked to the side. Really Russell? Really? Well tonight he lived up to his (insert expletive here) behaviors. He failed on the challenge and did all right at dinner service.

Now we have come to the big decision. Easy enough Trev was sent home first. He definitely should have left a LONG time ago. Now my mother and I were both hoping to see both girls in the final. But of course we knew better. Russell was named as the first of the final two. Hence my “ugh.” So we then learned that Nona made it to the final two. Sorry Jillian, it just wasn’t meant to be. But be happy, Gordon let you keep your jacket, and he almost never does that. So next week is the final episode of this season. Clearly I am pulling for Nona to win. Russell cannot win this. Even if he does the best next week and really deserves it, I hope Ramsay gives it to Nona just because no one wants to hear that cocky jerk gloat about winning. Let’s get it right this season Gordon!

I give this episode a solid four frames. If you had chosen Jillian and Nona then you would have gotten five frames Gordon.


Head on over to the forum at www.j1studios.com and talk about how horrible it was that Russell made it to the final two. Or you could tell me I'm wrong for hating him. But that probably won't change my mind.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part I) (2010)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I (2010)
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Running Time: 146 minutes
Director: David Yates

Ahhhh, Harry Potter. Brings back memories of my nephew insisting upon replaying, just the first half and the first half ony (before getting distracted) of both Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone along with the Chamber of Secrets. A child's love for mystery and magic and also that, quite simply, they are watching a story about a child - something in an of itself, relatable! Ogers, ghouls, wizards, wands, all wrapped up in an edge-of-your-seat tale. We are now on the first half of a two-parter based off of the seventh novel in the series (whew!). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part I) is quite dark. As I'm told though, it has stuck closely with what was first written, with minor alterations. (possibly done to prevent the likelihood of confusing things, leaving too many details open-ended or simply for time constraints). The author of the series, J. K. Rowling, intended to have Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) grow up with its readers. As many have, fans would now be a bit older and thus not dissuaded from the intense experiences older Harry Potter goes through - they are gloomy, dark and truly terrifying. At this point in time, Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) is gaining more and more control over all that muggles wizards have come to know. We are introduced to everyone amidst those who comprise the Order of the Phoenix (a society of those whose aim it is to prevent anything Voldemort) and cleverly plan a way to bring Harry to their designated safe spot. This group naturally contained Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint). The goal is, well to live, but to defeat Voldemort, whose minions have taken over The Ministry of Magic and are attempting to rid the world of muggles (those who have neither any magical abilities or born into the magical world). Their only hope is to obtain all of the Horcruxes - magical items used to gain immortality; this is the only way to defeat the immortal Lord Voldemort.

The relationship between the trio is quite real; a reflection of the history of highs and lows that friends experience and, especially when they all have some sort of chemistry - the drama. There are a couple characters too who don't make it very far and with this you feel that this really could be the end! (I have not read any of the novels and do not know yet what is to happen - I'm an outsider!) I would advise though for parents to be cautioned. While there have been deaths mostly either spoken about, implied, led up to and one somewhat shown in previous Potter movies, the one at the beginning of this film is hard to watch. While it does not resort to being gruesome, the knowledge that this individual was likely roughed up and is then shown as a trophy is a little disturbing. While there are most certainly scenes in the first six films that some could attach the same warning too, this was striking as it could've been taken out of the magical, youth world and plopped righted into another movie. Ok, possibly just a portion of it. My point is more the effect to the viewer! In addition, there is a scene with Ron being injured that, I believe, is not for all eyes.

Indeed though, the heights at which we become immersed in the well being of all those who are attempting to defeat evil. There are resounding themes; good over evil, the pain of discrimination, friendship, resilience; all well-balanced throughout. The graphics too are great, as expected.

The only detrimental factors in my opinion were, the length of down time in the woods (yes we have to understand that time that was spent looking for a Holcrux yet do we really have to see Hermione & Harry dancing?), the length of the movie (although it may be just me bothered by this, I'm old) and some of the dark scenes (simply as a warning to those taking children along; I personally wouldn't advise or younger than 11).

All in all, a solid film. Something about it was quite amazing and yet still something a bit forgettable. A good indicator is if whether or not I can or cannot stop thinking or talking about it. It was right there amidst the in between! It definitely does wins points for heart, love of the characters and detail!

I give this a three and a half out of four frames!



As IF you haven't seen the trailer ;)



Go see it & post your opinions on the forum!

Danae signing off!

sources: traileraddict.com; wikipedia.org

Coco has returned!

Conan
Channel: TBS (check your local listings)
Day/Time: Monday-Thursday at 11pm

CO-NAN! CO-NAN! CO-NAN! CO-NAN! CO-NAN! I guess you can tell I’m excited that Conan O’Brien is back on late night. Millions of people have been anxiously anticipating his return since his untimely demise from the Tonight Show over on NBC. You can now find Conan’s new show, aptly named “Conan,” on TBS. They have been hyping up his return for months now so you know they had to deliver. Deliver they did.

Conan pretty much had to come back just as good, if not ridiculously better than when he was on NBC. He had to make them regret the day that they royally screwed him and all of his staff. Personally, I think that his five minute introduction video of what happened “last season on Conan” did just that. I was laughing from beginning to end. Along with Conan we get his signature self-deprecating monologue. He certainly poked a lot of fun at himself and his prior situation. One of the best jokes was that he named his show “Conan” so that no one else could host it but him. He is now backed up by the Basic Cable Band, who isn’t let by the usual Max Weinberg, but is now being led by Jimmy Vivino. It’s basically the old band minus Max.

The show lined up a pretty decent troop of guests for the first week. The first show featured a performance of Conan and Jack White from the White Stripes. Amazing! The second show had Academy Award winning Tom Hanks showing off his vast knowledge of whales. And they soaked him! Hilarious! Third show brought us Jon Hamm of Mad Men fame. Genius! The fourth show gave us Michael Cera and the comedic styling of Jon Dore. And that’s only one example from each show.

I have to say that I LOVED the first week. If I had any complaints it would be that it isn’t five nights a week. You only get Conan Monday-Thursday. And as my boyfriend pointed out, how is he really supposed to compete with the other late night shows if he is only on four nights a week while everyone else is on five. But his numbers weren’t bad. The first show brought in about 4.2 million viewers. While his numbers did slip as the week progressed (averaging about 2.7 million a night) I don’t think that is any indication that in another nine months he will be on another network. All in all I think Conan on TBS is a success. I look forward to watching him night after night and laughing my butt off.

I give Conan’s new late night show 5 frames out of 5. I love him and I love the new show and I know it can only get better from here.



Here is the clip of what happened "last season on Conan."



For any and all info regarding Conan's new show head on over to www.teamcoco.com

Until next time kids, this has been Hava.

What Is To Come...

I haven't been to the theater in awhile *tear falls down cheek* and that's due to both the fizzunds ($) and that there have been only a few movies I feel are worth those limited funds. I do still hope to soon see SAW 3D - The Final Chapter (because naturally you need to see those graphics in 3D ;)), The Town, Let Me In and The Social Network. Other than those selections, I'm not feeling that excited. I then decided that it's just wrong for me not to be excited about something in the movie realm and upon my quest for that which I hope to enthrall me, the following were chosen:

Tron Legacy (2010)

Maybe I'm wrong by not having seen the original yet (hey, I'm young!) but I am nonetheless looking forward to this. The pure aesthetics look so clean, beautiful and truly like real life meets the computer world. I'm going to Netflix the original film prior to seeing this, to not do so I believe would be wrong! Most of you likely know the premise but in summary, Kevin Flynn, who got caught in a computer program in the original film (Tron - 1982), tries to contact Sam Flynn, his son (who is now an adult). Sam, of course, gets pulled into the same world and will try to escape, maybe even with the hopes of bringing back his father. The film is being released December 17, 2010.



Unknown (2010)

This is the first I heard of this but Liam Neeson rarely disappoints. The premise is that of a man who post-accident, finds that his identity and his life, have been replaced! Someone, or ones, want him out of the picture; he embarks on a search to try to get his life back with the hope that amidst this struggle, he not only can he get back his stolen identity, but that he doesn't lose his life all over again in this endeavor. Set to be released February 18, 2011.



Tangled (2010)

A twist on the story of The Brothers Grimm's fairy tale, Rapunzel. There's not much to say except to watch the trailer; very silly and I'm certain chalk full of life lessons for all ages. Set to be released during the Thanksgiving holiday.



That's all for now, holler at me if there are films I should be on the lookout for in the near future!

Danae signing off!

source:traileraddict.com

I have to miss my shows for this?

World Series anyone? No? Oh, you all must be Philadelphia Phillies fans like I am then. Yeah it’s true the Phillies didn’t make it. Neither did the Yankees. All we are left with are the Texas Rangers and the San Fransico Giants. Now I’m sure they have fans and all who want to watch them play but how many could there possibly be here in Philly? Since I no longer have a stake in the World Series I am lamenting the fact that I can’t watch my usual FOX programming.

If you follow my writings then you are probably saying to yourselves right now, she doesn’t watch that many shows on FOX. This is true. But the shows that I do watch are now falling on the days when games will be played. The first game is being played on a Wednesday, which we all know is Hell’s Kitchen night. I am horribly devoted to Hell’s Kitchen since its inception. Having it put off for something as trivial as a game between the Rangers and Giants, I mean this is people’s lives here. They don’t make millions of dollars already like the ballplayers do. They need to win this show. And I don’t like to be put off while watching something so serious. It’s like being interrupted for a test of the emergency broadcasting system while in the middle of the State of Union address. It just simply shouldn’t be done. What’s worse is that if the World Series should happen to run into game 6 then I will be missing Hell’s Kitchen TWICE! TWICE! That is just unacceptable!

Other shows I am missing are The Simpsons, Family Guy, and American Dad. I know I don’t speak about them on here but they are a few of my tried and true favorites. I have followed The Simpsons and Family Guy for many years now. I have a lot riding on them making my Sunday evenings comedic and hilarious. Many jokes have spawned from this Sunday evening programming. I didn’t appreciate when my Family Guy was taken away from me all those years ago and I won’t stand for it to be taken away again.

My favorite Saturday evening show, Cops, will also be missed. I love Cops. I have always loved Cops. I think it’s hilarious what some of these people think they can get away with. Now, don’t get me wrong, the caliber of crimes and criminals and chases and all that have severely gone down over the years, but it is still fine quality programming. I don’t like to miss my Cops. I will find myself staying up at 3am on weekdays just watch old reruns of it.

Now I know this whole post is somewhat hypocritical since if the Phillies had made it to the World Series to play the Rangers it’s very possible that I wouldn’t care that I’m missing these shows. And since the Phillies didn’t make it I care immensely. I fully admit to my hypocriticalness and I’m okay with it. Standing on this side of the World Series I mourn my regularly scheduled programming. I’m sure you do too.

So head over to j1studios.com in the forum and tell me what shows you are missing on FOX because of the World Series or just tell me to stop whining cause my team did itself in. Either way, I can take it.

Until next time kids, this has been Hava.

Dexter - "don't get caught"!

Dexter

Season 5's premier begins directly after the unbelievable season 4 finale; Rita’s death, no, her murder! Truly, I mean, truly incredible. Everyone I know couldn't comprehend how the series could continue after the Trinity killer took Dexter's wife out, leaving him behind as a single father. In fact, neither could I. This is an apparent oxymoron - a serial killer as a functional & loving single parent to three kids? Aside from that, his guilt from that which could’ve been prevented, (prevented by him), is something quite new to him. Dexter has experienced a hint of this emotion called guilt when he kills his first innocent in Season 4. It happens as he rushes to end the life of a seemingly sick photographer only to discover that the culprit was instead the victim's the assistant. This was a violation of the code his father always drilled in him, to never kill an innocent. Yet what occurred before could easily be dismissed in light of the current truth: he had the opportunity to kill the Trinity killer before his wife fell victim. And he didn't. Now he has to decide what exactly is next. How does he now live his life; as a mourning husband, single parent, miami metro analyst, serial killer?

The pacing of this season started out slowly, and maybe deservedly so, for Dexter was fighting with this new experience. He actually loved her and doesn't know quite how to cope. His eldest two step children move, at least temporarily, and stay with Rita's parents while he remains living in (now) Deb's apartment with her and the baby, Harrison. He wants to believe that he can take it a step at a time, even avoiding his urges, yet we, and he, know better. Dexter's mental debates with the ghost of his father elaborate on the defense of his capability to keep his son out of his "adventures". Yet Harrison, in just the second episode, gets a trip with his father while Dexter tests a spot of blood, hinting at what we're all thinking; is Harrison going to end up just like his dad? And not even from biological tendencies, but from Dexter's direct influence?

This past weeks episode 4, entitled "beauty and the Beast", introduces us to a character who will remain throughout the rest of the season: Lumen, played by Julia Stiles. After the surprise Boyd gives him in trying to capture him, Dexter "secures" the site for his extermination yet finds out that not only was he not alone, there was a witness: Lumen. Lumen is Boyd's planned victim who, naturally, has little family and certainly none looking for her. Dexter in his debonair way ;), convinces her he means her no harm. He certainly doesn't want a liability but also doesn't want to end the life of one who hadn't done a thing. The closing scene reveals that Lumen wasn't victimized by Boyd alone, thus segwaying into what will likely be Dexter and Lumen's avenging adventures. We are also following Deb's investigation of the beheading murderer, Quinn's determination to implicate Dexter as being a killer and LaGuerta & Battista's internal affairs situation, all over a bar fight about LaGuerta's, er, bedroom (or closet) tendencies. I'm anxious to see how this season will play out. I try not to do much predicting as I honestly love the surprises, but I'm sure Deb & Dexter will not live together that much longer; as much as they all love and need one another, Dexter's secretive lifestyle can only stay that way with minimal questions.

Seasons one through four were a blast, between Dexter's discovery of his blood brother to the ego struggle of Miguel vs. Dex; I have no doubt that what is to come will bring more nail-biting and breathe-holding fun!

In addition, here is a link to those desiring some further Dexter indulgence: http://dexterwiki.sho.com/

P.S.: The season's guest appearances are: Jonny Lee Miller, April Lee Hernandez, Shawn Hatosy, Julia Stiles and Katherine Moennig.

So far I give this season a three and a half frames out of five:



Here's a preview of the next episode, entitled "First Blood":



Shoot me an email or post on the forum for more Dexter Discussions!!

Danae signing off!!

source: youtube.com

They're dropping like flies

So already this new season we have lost at least 2 shows that were supposed to be big, My Generation and Lone Star. What is really sad is that these shows were canceled after only two episodes each. Personally I don't think these shows were given a chance. How are you really supposed to know how well a show will perform after only two episodes?



Lone Star was much publicized and hyped up. The critics loved it. I thought it wasn't that bad. It had potential. It was airing on Mondays on FOX. Yes Mondays are packed with shows that are pretty good and now we have Monday night football so that's always tough. It was a hard sell for that night. I think that if they had moved it to a different night, or just started it on a different night all together it could have gone further. The show had a good premise (see an earlier review of mine of the upfronts) and good, strong actors to carry it. I think FOX let this one go too soon.




Unlike Lone Star, My Generation got next to no publicity. And the publicity it did get was all through the internet. They tried to make it some sort of viral text, blog undercover thing. They wanted to market it to the younger crowd so they thought that sort of ad campaign would draw it a following. Unfortunately, they were wrong. Hardly any people heard of it. They only started to show commercial previews and put up billboards and whatnot about a month before preview date. I think by then it was too late. The idea of the show made sense. I could see where the younger set might find it interesting. I just think they went about it the wrong way. Documentary style is interesting, but too many things are being done that way now that it no longer is as interesting as it once was. I think this show may have been canceled in the near future, but not until mid season when they trot out the shows they didn't have too much confidence in.

I'm sure these shows won't be the last in early cancellations. There may be shows out there on better days and times that seem to be drawing attention but in the end will lose out to tried and true shows that everyone is use to. What positive thing can we say for these shows? At least they didn't end up like Blonde Charity Mafia, Day One, or Our Little Genius. What? You haven't heard of these? I'm shocked you never heard of shows that never even made it to air. So at least My Generation and Lone Star got two episodes. There are many other shows that got the axe after one. Talk about no hope or faith in their abilities to produce an audience. Well, I salute you shows. You made a valiant effort. You could have been amazing. You could have been a contender. But your networks failed you in either one way or another. You weren't the first, and you certainly will not be the last.

In your honor, instead of awarding you frames, I will award you a moment of silence consisting of five seconds for each show. You will be missed by some and not by many since they never got the chance to experience you.

Head on over to the forum at www.j1studios.com and discuss what you think about networks canceling shows early, if you thought these shows should have been given a chance, or even what shows you think should get the boot next. Or just put it in the comments here.

Till next time kids, this has been Hava.

Fall TV Premiers!!!

Glee



This week's premier episode left off with Rachel & Finn as a steady couple, Sue Sylvester & Will Schuster are still rampant rivals yet have seemed to arrived at a grudgingly acknowledged but never spoken, limited level of respect for one another, Quinn has given birth and over the summer has gotten her body back, and thus assumedly regained her popularity, Tina and Mike (the latter more known as the "other Asian", whom the camera consistently focuses on not so much for lines as for a dancing opportunity) hooked up over the summer as tutors at an Asian-student related camp (!), Artie is quite bitter about the break up with the aforementioned Tina and is determined now to get her back and, excitingly, we’re given a glimpse of potential new cast members. Sunshine is a foreign exchange student with a voice like Christina – and naturally, a very threatened Rachel is not having it. Sam is a new student and member of the football team. His audition to the Glee club was received with flying colors yet the negative stigma associated with being a member may prove to dissuade any decision to join. The season two premier was Glee’s highest viewership to date with over 12 million – reflecting the anxiousness of its watchers. The episode in and of itself was good (not bad, not great). The writers are likely attempting to set the pacing for what is to come so possibly they desired not to give us greedy watchers too many incredible acts in one episode? One episode aside; while I certainly may be living vicariously through this show (having not attended a traditional high school), the energy, the variety of song choices, the shrewd and witty Sue and her rivalry, no, make that attempt at annihilation of Will, the chemistry between particular characters etc continue to make this show this an absolute must-see. You are not too late to catch up – this is only the beginning of season two; make with haste!

I give this premier a 3.5 out of 5 frames:



The Undercovers



I only somewhat anticipated J.J. Abrams' (creator of Alias, Lost & Fringe) new spy-drama about former CIA agents, who happen to now be married and are in a family-run catering business. They have both retired from government business yet the disappearance of an old comrade actualizes a part of them that is reminiscent for the old adventures. Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays the wife, Samantha Bloom and Boris Kodjo plays the husband, Steven Bloom. (Side note: Gugu Mbatha-Raw is of English and South African descent with Boris Kodjo is of Ghanian and German descent; two non-white actors were the main stars in a prime time drama - great news!) The plot seemed original enough for tv yet not unique enough to intrigue me on its own. It was my dedication to Abrams that brought me wide-eyed, in front of the flat screen in my dining room at 8pm this past Wednesday. J.J. Abrams has never let me (or anyone I know) down so it was with an earnest attitude I tuned into the season premier. Started out a bit choppy, with Gugu clearly being a new actress. She wasn't bad yet I've watched enough tv/movies to recognize a beginner. I'm all for paving your way so no worries; she has a good partner with the more seasoned Boris. The episode tried its best to fit in appeal/glamour (they traveled all over the world), comedy (their contact in Spain was a purposefully annoying kiss-up; played well by Ben Schwartz), conflict (it's a spy drama, of course there's always an enemy-per-episode!) and cleverness (they call their adventures "sexpionage"). Yet why wasn't I impressed? I was disappointed at the cheesy acting of one of the bad guy's henchmen. This is a late night premier, simply required a bit of editing! May seem picky but when you have the opportunity to gain big audiences - take the time. The end result was a bit sloppy and I hate to say it: uninteresting. I'm going to tune in again this week with an open mind and high hopes for what this season could be. PUH-LEASE J.J., don't fail me now!!!

I give this premier a 2.5 out of 5 frames:



If there were any premiers this past week that you thought were sweeeeet - post them on the forum or email me. If, dare I say, Undercovers fails me this week, I'll require a fill-in.

Danae signing off!

They're baaaccckkkk

So shows have started to come back and you know I'm excited. Some of my favorite crappy shows are back and I was all over them. This is just an overview of what happened in the season openers and where I think they are going.

First up we have one of my favorites, Gossip Girl. Last we left it Blair and Serena were off to Paris to forget about guys, Chuck was shot in the stomach in Prague where he had gone to forget about Blair, Nate was heartbroken by Serena and sought comfort in Chuck's little black book of whores, Dan and Vanessa seem to be on the outs and Vanessa runs off to do some documentary in Haiti, and good old Georgina had surprised Dan with a big "guess what I'm pregnant and its yours."

As the show goes on you pretty much see what the group has been doing over the summer. By the end of the show you are pretty much caught up on everyone. Serena has pretty much been sleeping her way around Paris. If they were a man then it was a safe bet she had sex with them. Oh yeah, and she got into Columbia University somehow, which is the school Blair will be attending. Blair on the otherhand has just been reading in the park and looking at her favorite Manet paintings and hasn't found a man to help her get over Chuck. But don't fret readers, she does meet one, and he is a Prince from Monocco. A double date ensues and you have the old prince pretending to be the driver routine which gets Serena pushed in a fountain because Blair is jealous that she always gets everything great with no effort. Oh yeah, and she is extra upset that Serena is going to Columbia because she knows she will be upstaged by her for the umpteenth time and just wants something of her own damnit. Chuck is not dead surprisingly. He was rescued from near death by some strange French girl who nurses him back to health in her apartment. Chuck finding the oppurtunity to be someone new decides he's going to be called Henry now and when he was better they went off to Paris for him to relax. We all know what that means.

Back in NYC, Nate has been diligently going through the black book but mysteriously feels no better after his breakup. He runs into a somewhat older woman in a restaurant while out with one of the bimbos and proceeds to pour his heart out to her about what he has been doing all summer and gives a little game. Of course the woman takes the bait. But as we see towards the end of the show that this woman isn't who she is claiming to be and seems to be stalking Nate. For what reason? We have to wait and see. Vanessa comes back to find that Georgina had the baby and has been shacking up with Dan the entire summer. And surprise surprise Dan hasn't told anyone about the new addition. Vanessa is understandably upset but oddly still tries to stand beside her friend/man. She is very skeptical of Georgina, and with reason. It finally comes out to Dan's dad, Rufus, and his wife, Lily, during some party at their place because Georgina crashes. They are skeptical and demand a paternity test. Georgina is ready for that one and shows some paper, which we can only assume is doctored up, saying Dan is the dad. And guess what, everyone believes it. The fools. So the show seems to be promising. They delivered in the first episode and I'm eagerly anticipating more.

Here is a clip of what is happening next episode.


Vampire Diaries is also back! Thank goodness because I have been wondering all summer what has been going on. Last we left it Katherine was back and posing as Elena who is her doppleganger. Caroline and Matt were in a car accident and Caroline was given some of Damon's blood. Since he is a vampire it will bring her back to life with it's healing powers. We also see that Damon has feelings for Elena, which isn't good because she is with his also vampire brother, Stefan. And we have all seen how nasty it can get between those two over a girl.

So when it came back it picked right back up. Katherine was in full b**ch mode and trying stir things up. It finally comes out that she came back to profess her eternal love for Stefan. He turns her down because, unlike Damon, he hasn't been pining away for her all these decades and loves Elena. Damon is heartbroken when he finds this out. Katherine goes off, heartbroken as well, and smothers Caroline in the hospital as a warning that she is gone for good. Damon on the other hand gets drunk and goes to Elena to profess his feelings and in a rage snaps the neck of Elena's brother Jeremy. Thankfully Jeremy is now wearing a ring that has a spell on it to keep him alive so he isn't completely dead.

Caroline, since she still had the vampire blood in her system, is brought back to life. As per the rules and regulations of becomming a vampire she must now feed on blood to completely become one. Well, being locked in a hospital didn't help her fight that urge and she is now a vampire. Saddly Matt has no idea. The rest try to carry on as normal teenagers and plan the carnival for school. They just can't get away from their problems though. Caroline gets out of jail and starts feeding on people. Her friends then find out. Damon is now catching on to something else supernatural in the town in the form of a returned uncle to one of the kids' classmates. Some investigating is done and seems that they are trying to paint him as a werewolf (which if true I will be sorely upset that they feel they have to go the Twilight route) and it being possibly that his nephew could be one too. This season seems to be going in a direction I wasn't expecting. I'm curious to see how this whole Caroline thing will pan out. I'm also praying that we won't see the emergence of werewolfs. If it happens, I hope it happens in the great Seth Green as Oz on Buffy the Vampire Slayer way, and not in the Twilight way.

Here is a clip of the upcoming episode.


Well guys, this is it for now. Next week is premier week so I will be coming back with opinion of new shows this season. Head over to the forum at www.j1studios.com and discuss these shows. Or any returning shows for that matter. Or you could just have at it right here in the comments.

Till next time kids, this has been Hava.

Miniviews!

As I am an individual of fleeting attention span, I've concluded that this day I will bless you with miniviews = multiple, (hopefully) meritable miniature reviews (hush, I know its cheesy but that's who I am) . This is also quite convenient for those on the go who can only read a paragraph before they focus on something.... hey look, Jimmy Fallon is on, I haven't gotten to watch him recently, speaking of which, SNL either.... oops, apologies. Have to keep it focused and concise - this 'ol brain doesn't work like it used to.

PLEASE email me to advise of approval or disappointment on this option...

The Expendables (2010)



Directed by Sylvester Stallone, starring (himself as Barney Ross), Jason Statham as Lee Christmas, Jet Li as Yin Yang, Mickey Rourke as Tool, Dolph Lundgren as Gunner Jensen, and others. Genre: action/adventure. Rated: R. Running time: 103 minutes. This unforgettable team of mercenaries for hire are commissioned to travel to South America on a highly hazardous job. They determine the situation formidable enough to turn the job down, yet in true tough-guy-with-a-heart-of-gold spiritedness, Barney can't return home knowing their contact Sandra (Giselle Itie) may not survive in this country ruled by a dictator. For anyone that grew up on Rocky, Terminator, Commando, Indiana Jones, Kickboxer, Lethal Weapon, Robocop etc... this film was tremendously anticipated. Body slamming, flesh piercing, spine shattering heaven: a face-off between Stallone and Steve Austin made me teary-eyed as I didn't dare blink. The exchange between Lee and Lundgren is not to be skipped and, preferably rewinded. The heart of the movie (true 80's action flick) is great with all the people we love to see kick butt. A couple peeves were both that I didn't get to see certain characters more, and that the dialogue leaves a bit to be desired. I am an advocate for understanding a movie as it is; you don't expect incredible revelations in a film like Bloodsport. Yet we do need a bit of balance - some character development, toss in a bit of humor, hopefully a fairly well-written story. All of these are here with the exception of the dialogue - you can't help but notice that the script wasn't written by a writer - a few of the exchanges between Stallone & Rourke, or Li & Stallone were a bit, um, coarse. Nonetheless, for all you action buffs - a thumbs up. This film receives a 3 and a half out of 5 frames!



Trailer:



Here's one on DVD:

Splice (2009)



Directed by Vincenzo Natali. Starring Adrien Brody as Clive Nicoli, Sarah Polley as Else Kast & Delphine Chaneac as Dren. Genre: Sci-fi & Drama. Rated: R. Running Time: 104 minutes. Clive & Else are two scientists working on animal genes via splicing - the unity of more than two genes. They don't have the authority yet commit to something that both hadn't been done before and wasn't, quite, ethical. Amidst pressure from Else, the pair splice a human gene into the code and before they know it, Dren is created. In time they learn just how amazing she is as she has adopted the best of each creature that forms who she is. The observation of her growth is thrilling yet they have no idea how in over their heads they truly are. The topic of human gene testing/therapy is a testy one, understandably, and while they talked a bit about the integrity of it, more reflective of the complexities were the interactions between Dren & Else and the exchange of whether or not to keep going or end the experiment, between Else and Clive. Should a being such as this be treated as human or as animal? Who decides? Is there a punishment for giving in to animalistic tendencies when formed of multiple species? The idea is gnarly, if indeed it could/would ever occur, with these questions not being answered but certainly, at least from my perspective, cautioned against! Please be prepared to be uncomfortable. I've viewed some movies that others wouldn't dare yet my jaw dropped (and a little screech uttered) at some of the places they took this story. A definite dvd recommend, and not for those easily disturbed. This movie too gets a three and a half out of five frames.



Trailer:



To reiterate - shoot me a quick email or post on the forum your thoughts on my movie ratings and anything else that comes to mind!

Danae signing off!

source: imdb.com, traileraddict.com

The Last Exorcism

The Last Exorcism (2010)

Rated: PG13

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Run Time: 100 minutes

Director: Daniel Stamm

Hopefully this is the last exorcism. I don’t think I can sit through another young girl throwing up on herself and talking in a possessed voice that clearly isn’t her own. Now I must preface this review with the explanation that I don’t get scared at scary movies anymore. I haven’t for a long time now. So each time I go in with the hopes that I will be scared or creeped out. Unfortunately this time I was not. However, there were many people in the theater who were scared and screaming. I can see where most people would be scared. So for the general movie public, I think you’ll be afraid, if not jump a few times.

So the movie, it’s interesting. The approach was different. It is documentary style where they are following a preacher, Cotton Marcus, who once did exorcisms all the time but has lost his faith and is now set to show exorcisms for the hoaxes that they are. This is supposed to be the last exorcism that he ever does. So he heads out to the backwoods in Louisiana and meets a father who is concerned that his daughter is possessed. So you see the preacher, played brilliantly I must admit by Patrick Fabian, go about his routine for rigging up a great exorcism. He assures the family the demon is gone and he and his film crew leave. But they have clearly gotten more than they have bargained for with this family.

Now I warn you that there will be spoilers after this point so if you don’t want to know what happens you should stop reading now. The weird starts with the girl, Nell, showing up in the preacher’s hotel room in the middle of the night. They take her to the hospital where she checks out fine. Once back at her house the crew gets the feeling that something isn’t right with the family and that maybe the girl needs some psychiatric help. They come back from seeing the local minister and find that the girl has cut her brother’s face wide open. They offer to stay with the girl while the dad takes him to the hospital. At this point this is where you start to see that the girl really is possessed by something. The film crew and Cotton though still want to hold on to the belief that the girl just needs a therapist. They learn that the girl is pregnant and right away think there is some creepy incest action going on. Nell starts acting strange and throwing up and disturbing pictures of how the film crew is going to die. Nell starts attacking the crew and trashes her room and it gets weird. The group is starting to think maybe she is possessed. When the dad gets back they confront him about the pregnancy and of course he insists his daughter is a virgin. They make another attempt at a real exorcism. Here comes out the “possessed voice” and weird body contortions and back bends. The actress, who played Nell, Ashley Bell, was very convincing. This exorcism ends very abruptly and they think they have gotten the demon out. It then comes out that she had sex with a boy in town and never told anyone. So the film crew has the local minister come out and they pray with the girl thinking that will help. Then the film crew packs up and leaves.

This would have been a disappointing ending so they didn’t end it there. While leaving they stop and talk to the boy who supposedly got Nell pregnant. He says it never happened and he’s gay so it would never happen. Now normal people would just keep going home but not these people. They head back thinking the girl lied to cover up for the dad and incest. When they get to the house no one is there and the house is covered in satanic cult signs and has been trashed. They hear a commotion and chanting from out in the woods and go and check it out. In a surprise twist, which honestly I didn’t see coming, the father is tied to a post blindfolded and the local minister, his wife, and the congregation are chanting and in robes and seem to be helping Nell with going through labor. When she gives birth the baby doesn’t seem to look human and then the minister throws the baby into the large bonfire they have going. The crew is saying they have to get out of there but Cotton stupidly goes out towards the crowd and tries to fight them with Jesus. That’s the only way I can explain it. The crew starts to run and unfortunately don’t make it and actually end up dying the way Nell’s pictures foretold. The movie ends with the POV of the camera guy looking at Nell’s brother who then cuts his head off with a scythe and the body falls to the ground.

From my point of view, it wasn’t great. It had promise, like most scary movies do. The acting was pretty good. I was impressed by that. And I was pleased that there was a twist I didn’t see coming. That hardly ever happens. Overall though, I was disappointed. I wasn’t scared and they cut the movie off when it was getting interesting. The general public however will be scared. So if you like to be scared go see it. There are many weird details I didn’t include in here. Overall I give this movie 3 1/2 frames. But that's just based on my personal tastes.

Feel free to discuss this movie here or over at the j1studios forum under Picture On A Wall.

Until next time kids, this has been Hava.

Batman: City of Scars... Watch it here!

Batman: City of Scars

Enjoy this 30 minute short film made by Aaron Schoenke with a budget of $27,000, which is nothing in the movie industry! Not only was this a low budget fan film, but this was also filmed within a month!!!

Story:

When the Joker escapes from Arkham and murders the parents of a young boy, Batman recalls the pain of losing his own parents as a child. He is pushed past his limits to the point where his focus becomes revenge on all who stand in his way, including many of Gotham’s underworld. Finally, Batman is forced to look at the psychological profile of his own mind and accept the consequences of his life to find resolve.

Characters to look out for:

Joker

Harley Quinn

Mr. Zsasz

Scarface and his Ventriloquist Wesker

WATCH IT BELOW!

What did you think? Let us know through here, or through the J1 Studios forum under "Picture On aWall".

My apologies

Hey faithful readers. Blogger has been giving me some problems with uploading pictures and videos. When it cooperates I will post up some videos from "Flipping Out." Thank you very much for your understanding.

Hava

When I flip, you flip, we flip!

"Flipping Out"

Channel- Bravo

Day & Time- Tuesdays @ 9pm est

So have you ever had a boss who was very demanding and likes everything “just so” and is anal about everything? Well if you have, times that by a million and you will have Jeff Lewis from the Bravo show “Flipping Out.” The show is centered on Jeff and the employees at his company. What they do is “flip” houses; which is buying houses, fixing them up, and then selling them for a profit. Jeff has lately been doing a lot of remodeling and design work since the housing market tanked. But they went through all that turmoil in the last season. The new season, which started last week, is all about getting back into business and getting more jobs and making some more money. Also, the season is apparently about grooming some of his assistants to take on my responsibilities in the company.

These first two episodes threw you back into Jeff’s world and all the new work and projects he is working on. He has a couple clients from the previous season but he has some pretty interesting new clients. Some have big personalities, as Jeff puts it. He has big projects, such as remodeling a well-known restaurant that has a lot of history out in Los Angeles. He is also helping to design and model a house in northern CA that is being built.

While the whole show is about the flipping and remodeling of these houses and the work that they do the most compelling stuff is how Jeff behaves. He is extremely sarcastic, has OCD tendencies, and expects you to know what he wants before he wants it. He isn’t the most orthodox of bosses. He will ask you to do things you wouldn’t expect from your employer (i.e. ask for your urine to keep coyotes away from the property). His punishments for messing up on the job are different (i.e. having to wear a smock/jumpsuit all day no matter where you have to go). He has no problem yelling at you when he thinks that you’ve messed up in someone. One of the reasons why the show is called “Flipping Out.”

I personally don’t mind Jeff’s mood swings. But I deal with crazy people for a living so this is nothing new to me. Other people may not take so kindly to his attitudes and way of doing business and all of his personal proclivities. There is no other company I would rather watch to do these jobs though. His employees are amazing. Some hilarious and some still trying to figure Jeff out. I can try to explain Jeff and his employees but it’s really something that has to be watch. So I will provide a couple clips for you to enjoy.

I give this show 5 frames. It may be biased since I love the man to death but if you watch the show you will see how fair that rating is.

Well, until next time kids, this has been Hava!