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