Reviewing while pregnant

It is a well-known fact that when you are pregnant you get tired a lot. You can fall asleep at any time almost. Well, this reviewer is pregnant. You can’t imagine how hard it is to be a TV and movie reviewer when you are falling asleep at 8:00pm and waking up at 10:30pm. You are missing all of the prime shows. I miss all of my favorite shows. I have been sitting there in the midst of a great episode and boom I’m asleep. It’s rough. Thankfully I have been able to get a better grasp on this whole sleeping thing. That means I have been able to catch up on some shows I was missing.

To start, I was sleeping through or just only saw parts of my beloved Vampire Diaries. Since it went on hiatus at a ridiculously early date I have been able to catch up. The love Elena has for Stefan has persisted through some of his darkest moments this season. At the season break it seemed as if we had him back. While he wasn’t staying in Mystic Falls, he was no longer under the control of Klaus, and he had stolen all of his dead relatives that he carts around with him wherever he goes. We also learned a lot about the originals this season. It is all very interesting stuff.

A show that I got to see which I had been missing from either sleep or watching Supernatural was Grimm. I was very hype for this show when the upfronts came out and I got the glimpse of it. I must say that I am very happy with this show. I was hoping that it wouldn’t be hokey and it has delivered. The premise is that this cop is a descendent of the Grimm family. That all of the Grimm’s fairy tales were actually real and not just stories. He has the ability to see things in people. He can see who the “monsters” are. There are a lot more than you would think. Also, not always the people that you would think. The best part is the unlikely friendship between the cop and the “big bad wolf.” Yes, he does exist.

I have even been catching up on Criminal Minds. Last season was somewhat predictable in the way that they had to fake kill off Agent Emily Prentiss because of issues from her past work. I thought we were done with her. Imagine my surprise when she shows back up this season. I wasn’t okay with that. On most shows when they fake your death it takes them a few seasons before they can believably bring you back. It only took them one. It just doesn’t make sense to me. Besides that the show is just as good as ever. I like the psychological aspect of it. I love Joe Montegna. There is also something wonderful about the way that Shemar Moore’s character does stuff. I like to think of it as his justification for everything is that he is Shemar Moore. It makes things more entertaining.

Now I will be watching various and other sundry shows and desperately trying to stay awake. I will also take the advice of my fellow reviewer and watch the first season of American Horror Story. I may even see a movie or two. I have already seen Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol. A little short review on it. It is a must see. I absolutely loved the first in the series. I hated the second one. The third one was just meh. This one definitely revived the franchise and actually has me looking forward to another installment. It is worth the money. Go see it folks.

Until next time kids, this has been Hava.

TV Season Finales.. Part I

American Horror Story



Channel: FX
Time: Wednesdays at 10pm

American Horror Story premiered in October 2011. We are introduced to a family who is moving into a haunted house. The family, consisting of Ben (Dylan McDermott), Vivien (Connie Britton), and their daughter Violet (Taisaa Farmiga), moved there with hopes of renewing their family structure, amidst Vivien's miscarriage and Ben's infidelity.

**SPOILER ALERT**

Moving at an incredible pace, this season was comprised of learning about all the atrocities that have occurred in the "Murder House". From a drugged-up doctor who reassembled his baby, to a gay couple murdered by "Rubber Man", the actual deaths are only a tip of the whole story. It doesn't take long for Vivien in particular, to notice that strange things have been occurring in the house, along with the discovery that the realtor who sold them the house failed to reveal most of the previous monstrosities. Not long into the season, Vivien gets pregnant. Yet, her marriage with Ben continues to be strained by his dishonesty and continued relationship with previous patient, Hayden. Much of Vivien's distress due to the ghosts, are attributed by Ben to be due to Vivien being unstable, potentially from the pregnancy/hormones etc... Along with the broken marriage, a valid question one could ask would be, "If the house is haunted, why not just move out?". My thoughts exactly! Their reasoning is, as Vivien is pregnant and her previous pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, she must stay put as any unnecessary stress could potentially lead to endagering the baby. While initially this is a good point, if some of the events that occured in the house happened to me - you'd see a cloud of dust as I fled down the street - warnings or not. Nonetheless, Violet also desires to stay as she is tired of her parents trying to remedy their failed relationship by moving. More importantly, she desires to stay close to her (future) boyfriend, Tate. Tate is an incredibly troubled young man, who is later revealed to be dead. Ben, a psychiatrist, is hesitantly seeing Tate, upon Tate's insistence, and only gets glimpses of the true extent to which he is disturbed.

This first season has moved along speedily, and has left me perplexed as to how they can continue into season 2 at the current pacing. Episodes 11 and 12, "Birth" and "Afterbirth", combined should be considered the finale. While I have given away some of the season's revelations, I'll leave the results of the last 2 shows secret, in case one should desire to go back and watch the series. What I WILL say, post-finale, is that I continue to believe that the series should end here. Yes, after just one season, and an insane one at that, the creators should wrap it up and keep fans holding close to the thrilling season it was. Why? Ryan Murphy, the creator of the series, who also created Nip Tuck (one can see the relation), JUST made a statement that Season 2 would consists of new characters, with the possibly of particular characters reappearing as new ones.

In my opinion, after the finale, it appeared that either a) they'd have to declare this a miniseries, leave it at one, solid season or b) do just as Murphy proposed (which apparently he mentioned prior to the official statement, was a possibility), that there be all new characters in season 2. While certainly there is potential for great things to come of season 2, firm fans of series are such fans partially due to the connections they have with the existing characters. If, in each season, all the main characters get replaced, where does that leave its' followers? Yet in its' first season, the show was received with rave reviews including a Golden Globe award for Best Drama Series. With this success, naturally, they will continue as long as it is successful. In contrast to my opinion, particular writers have ways of amazingly bringing about a series in a direction one would never have imagined, or continued where it seemed there could only be an end, so, in all, I wholeheartedly suggest that those who have watched, tune into season 2, and those who have not, catch up!

This season's Winning Characters:

Tate - played by Evan Peters. Tate is a truly disturbing individual. The son of nosy neighbor Constance, Tate had an odd upbringing considering his family (all his siblings have had a physical disability and in response, Constance made the household a manipulative and heavy home) and is deemed by Ben, a psychopath. Yet amidst the frightening actions he's taken such as murdering numerous high school kids, of which he does not recall and raping his girlfriend's mother, the viewer has a sense of relation, a bit of pity, as it seems he desired simply to be truly loved and to be considered normal by someone.

Constance - played by Jennifer Lange. She is a complex character played by a quality actress. The card that Constance was dealt was a burdensome one, and it is easy to feel for her. However, she is not helpless nor innocent herself, and the ease at which she makes life-changing/life-ending decisions, along with intricate and potentially self-serving planning is enjoyable.

This season's Losing Characters:

Vivien - played by Connie Britton. Both the character and the actress are irritating. Do moms of teenage daughters really let their kids talk to them the way she lets Violet talk to her and just let Violet's moodiness slide? (Same to Ben, he gets a D for being a father). I don't believe you have to grow up in a restrictive household to feel like these parents are just observing as opposed to parenting. In addition, Connie Britton as an actress is just so-so. Not horrible, yet a few of her reactions were emotionless where they truly required much emotion. 'Tis possible that it is simply next to Dylan McDermott and Jennifer Lange, her acting appears more so as a novice.

Hope for a Great Next Season?:

Yes! Although my recomendation is to end the series here, of course the creators/studios are looking to make money and will continue until they have pulled every interesting ounce out of the writers and characters.

Note: although "horror" is in the title and there are ghosts in very episode, the series is less a horror story and more so a disturbing family story. I can be a big chicken, but if I can watch this at night, alone, anyone can!

The Finale: 3.5 out of 5 frames.



The Series: 4.5 out of 5 frames.



In case you haven't seen it - a trailer for season one:



Danae signing off!

"I gotta pay for this bridge?!"

“Torchwood”
Channel: Starz
Day/Time: Friday 10pm

Let me preface this review by saying I have never seen any of the previous seasons of “Torchwood.” I was so lucky as to have been shown an advanced screening of the first episode. Now I know the first episode aired on 7/8, and the second episode is set to air tonight, but I still feel like I can weigh in on this. For those of you who know nothing about this show I can tell you that it started on the BBC and this is technically the 4th season. One of the main characters, Capt. Jack Harkness, came from the BBC series, “Doctor Who.” Something you should know about him, he’s immortal. Don’t ask me why, because I don’t know and from what I understand the show hasn’t explained it either.

The end of last season pretty much killed off all of the characters except for a few. They are back in season four with a whole host of amazing actors joining the fun that is Torchwood. What is Torchwood you ask? It’s a group that goes around fighting alien related mysteries and whatnot. It is “X-Files”-esque. But this season Torchwood has disbanded considering just about everyone is dead. The word Torchwood starts showing up all over the internet though and then all of a sudden it disappears from every database in the world. Something else happens, but I can’t say what it is. That would just ruin it for everyone who still hasn’t seen the first episode. And it’s kind of a big deal that I’m sure will carry on throughout the season so I won’t give it away.

I feel sorry for another of the returning characters, Gwen Cooper. She has been trying to lay low and live out in the country in Wales with her husband and baby. Any knock at the door or ring of the phone sends her into a tizzy. Gwen is one tough cookie though. The new characters work very well with each other and they seem to fit with the old characters. You have Mekhi Phifer and Alexa Havins as CIA agents. There is one hilarious scene between the two where Phifer really shines. I was cracking up the entire time. You also have Bill Pullman as a convicted child killer who survives his own execution and is let out of jail on a technicality. You have to see it to believe it.

There is a lot going on in the first episode and from the looks of the preview for the season there is a lot going to happen. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to give something away. I know on other sites they already gave away the big thing that happens in the first episode, but I’m not that type of girl. One thing I can leave you with is that I don’t think you will be disappointed. If you are a die-hard “Torchwood” fan I think you can still find this enjoyable and not be let down. There is a good amount of action and mystery and humor to keep everyone entertained. So check it out tonight. Get caught up with the first episode over on www.starz.com and look for the show.

I give this episode four out of five frames. I'm optimistic about the season.


Here is a piece put together by Starz discussing this season. Enjoy.


Until next time kids, this has been Hava.

Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon

Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon (2011)
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Action, Sci Fi, Adventure
Director: Michael Bay
Running Time: 155 minutes

Hesitantly I went to go see the third (and apparently last) installment of the Transformer franchise this past weekend, and in 3D to add that punch. My feelings were due to the second atrocity that Michael Bay titled: Revenge of the Fallen. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh - there were a few "cool" factors in the second film, amidst the Revenge of the Fallen's: ridiculous sex-driven close-ups, racist, offensive and unnecessary characters (whose likely purpose was for comic relief), a completely wrecked Shanghai with a ridiculous government excuse for a cover up, etc.. Nonetheless, giving the next adventure a shot, I would!

At this point, the autobots continue to work with the United States government as self-protection against human threats (still a part of NEST), while keeping an open ear to news of anything Decepticon. A Ukrainian government representative asks that the USA checkout something odd at an infamous location, Chernobyl. Lennox's team arrives only to be attacked by Shockwave after discovering what Optimus Prime tells us is a fuel cell from a ship that left Cybertron decades ago. Optimus is furious that the government hadn't told him about this discovery. The source of the discovery is revealed: the true intent of the United States' desire to be the first to set foot on the moon was to discover what had crashed there, (camouflaged from the American people) and they had brought back some souvenirs. I'll not get into the whole story/summary as it is already written for you! You can either read it on Wikepedia or on IMDB, or simply go see the movie ;) I'm simply going to note a few of the arresting features, and that which may help you determine whether or not to go check this out.

Known to most folks who have seen the first couple movies, Megan Fox, supposedly due to creative differences (and her not knowing when to keep her mouth shut, even if Michael Bay is horrible to work with), does not return. Sam Witickey (Shia LeBeouf) is dating Carly Spencer (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley), a ridiculously pretty girl he met while at the White House awhile back.

The ocular experience was quite pleasant. At a running time of 155 minutes (2.5 hours), I thought I'd get to the point where I would be anxiously waiting for the credits but time flew by. One of the more noticeable (and pleasant) features were the transformations themselves. They were much clearer than the last installment (all I remember from Revenge of the Fallen were clashings of metal on metal that apparently conveyed the metamorphoses of vehicle to walking machine and vice versa). I could make out more of what was going on and as a result, was much more visually stimulating. The transformations were amazing - the computer graphics team who worked on this movie did an impressive job. One item of difficulty with respect to the transformers themselves, is the lack of pigment to any of the Decepticons. With all the layered and twisted metal this army is made up of, it was difficult to differentiate between which bots were which. A knowledged individual informed me that in the original story, the Decepticons too had color, not just the Autobots. While I realize that the design for each are likely unique (the team rendering each Decepticon I'm sure can provide a list of differences), in all the metal, fighting, twisting, transforming, war... I couldn't tell which Decepticon was getting its butt kicked!

The storyline was straight forward, yet with a few historical twists and plots (the coverup/truth about man landing on the moon, appearances by JFK & Richard Nixon) and the visit to Chernobyl. We also get a deep conflict; Sentinel Prime, the original leader of the Autobots, gets revived by Optimus however he does not share the same commitment to the sanctity of all life. This exchange between Optimus's honorable desire for the good of all, vs. Sentinal's intent to utilize Earth's resources as their new home, while "employing" humans as their servants, is memorable. To imagine that one you've admired your entire existence and whom you've not seen for many years, is not who you knew him to be, and possibly to the demise of all you've come to care for.

There was, of course, plenty of fan-service; naturally Sam Witwickey's gal worked at a job in which minidresses was welcomed & apparently proper attire. She didn't fail to impress while amidst the battle scenes, could still run in stilettos and not have a scratch or smudge of dirt on her at the cessation of the movie.

While I'm sure you've heard about this scene (whether you've yet to see the movie yet or not), I would be crazy not to mention the incredible car chase involving Sam & Bumblebee in which Bumblebee transforms with Sam in the car, he gets catapulted through the air, Bumblebee catches him and transforms back into the car with Sam in the driver's seat. I must say - kudos Bumblebee; I'd like to also be your friend. If you can look out for someone in such a way that you can disassemble and reassemble yourself while not accidentally taking off a foot or finger all while racing down a highway - I trust you completely. Tremendous action scene.

We had comic relief via two miniature autobots; a bit obnoxious but much, much, MUCH better than the ones featured last time. No illiterate, gold-teeth wearing, ghetto-type bots for us this time around, thank goodness.

There's much more to share but I believe that it is time to bid adieu and conclude that I think it was worth the time & money. The 3D experience was fun. :)

I give this three out of five frames.



A trailer (for your eyes only!):



Head on over to the forum or shoot me an email at pictureonawall@gmail.com with all opinions!

Danae signing off!

Source: wikepedia,com, imdb.com, traileraddict.com

X-Men: First Class

X-Men: First Class (2011)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hrs 12 mins


Let me just start this out by saying that I use to have a very extensive knowledge of X-Men based off of watching the cartoon back in the 90’s. That knowledge is no longer quite as extensive unfortunately. While I know that there were three movies since the cartoon ended I couldn’t have been bothered with any of them. So I went into this movie excited to see it and refresh all of my memory. I must admit all of my memory wasn’t refreshed but I did have some flashbacks. I will warn you now that there will be some spoilers after this point. If you still haven’t seen it then you should probably stop reading now and just go watch the movie and come back to me later.

From what I was told by my fiancé, who saw this with me, the beginning of the movie was a shot for shot remake of the first movie. Apparently a very well done remake. He was impressed. This is saying a lot for those of you who do not know him. I was impressed. This taught me something about Magneto and how he came to be. This was something I had missed in the cartoon. From then on we are shown Professor X and the soon to be called Mystique and how they meet. We go back and forth between their lives as they are older and how they use their abilities. It was quite refreshing to see Prof. X walking around. I almost forgot for a minute that he wasn’t always paralyzed.

Now I won’t bore you with a scene by scene blow by blow. That isn’t what this review will be, even though it’s what I’m known for around here. To sum up the movie neatly you watch as Sebastian Shaw, played very well by Kevin Bacon, tries to take over the world, so to speak. The U.S. government tries to stop what he has put into place (they are claiming that he set up the Bay of Pigs incident between USA & Russia) first with a recruitment of other people who have “abilities.” They scrap that idea and go about it militarily but those abilitied people just won’t quit, and go against Shaw ultimately defeating him. There were also some fun cameos from Hugh Jackman, as Wolverine who turns down Magneto and Prof. X to join the group with a subtle expletive, and Rebecca Romijn, as Mystique for a few brief seconds.

“X-Men: First Class” was entertaining and thrilling. It had amazing effects. The writing wasn’t even that bad, which is tough to find in comic book based movies. It is either hokey and dumb or too dry for the audience to appreciate. The acting in this movie was fantastic. All of these guys were perfect for their roles. I fell in love with Michael Fassbender all over again. I loved him in “Inglourious Basterds,” and he was brilliant in this. The story hit all the right points for a reboot of this franchise. While I am told that some of things in the movie do differ from the way it was in the comic book, we will all just have to get over that. There is a thing called creative license and unfortunately all of us puritans out there will just have to live with it. All of the racial undertones were still there. The point that Stan Lee & Jack Kirby made when they wrote the X-Men comic back in the sixties came through brilliantly. Now I have read some reviews that think the point was completely missed. They argue over who in the sixties we should be comparing Magneto and Prof. X to. I won’t do that. I will just give a nod to Stan & Jack and how they wrote a great story about racial and societal tensions that is still apt today.

I have heard some people saying that “X-Men: First Class” wasn’t good. To each their own. For what it is worth I really enjoyed it. I was never big into comic books. I was never that big into comic book related cartoons and movies, except for Batman. This however brought me back around to the side of the comic book. It took me back to when I was a kid and watching the X-Men cartoon and being fully enthralled in it. I look forward to the next installment of this reboot. It has also made me interested in such movies as “The Green Lantern,” which comes out June 17th.

I highly endorse this movie and give it 4.5 frames. (There is always room for improvement.)


Here is the trailer for you to enjoy:


Until next time kids, this has been Hava.

THOR

Thor (2011)
Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 115 minutes

Based on ancient Germanic/Norse theology of Thor (a powerful god, with the well-known attributes of wielding a powerful hammer and the ability to control thunder), we now meet Marvel's version of Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth. Thor's father, King Odin (Anthony Hopkins), has, after defeating the Frost Giants, set a precedence of peace throughout the Nine Realms (earth comprises one of these realms). He keeps protected, the one thing the Frost Giants need in order to regain their power, The Casket of Ancient Winters. His two sons, Thor & Loki (Tom Hiddleston), both have a chance to become the next King of Asgard. After deliberately disobeying King Odin, and putting the whole kingdom at risk, Thor is stripped of his powers and cast out of Asgard. His hammer is to follow with the hexing that the hammer can only be wielded by one worthy. Upon Thor's arrival to earth, he runs into ;) a young scientist named Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and you can only imagine the spectacle that then ensues.

Attempting not to give much away about the rest of the story, I will say that the director chose well in his casting of Thor. Chris Hemsworth is a fairly new actor, with no major movie roles (except a minor appearance in the newest Star Trek movie). He did a great job played a young Thor, and that which you would imagine him to be - a warrior, charming, immense, heroic, and even cocky. Also, Tom Hiddleston as Loki brought just the right amount of mischief and looked around with eyes full of need for attention - yet you couldn't help but feel for him. I won't give everything away but for those that know about the comic, you know that there is more than just a little sibling rivalry between the two brothers. Natalie Portman did an alright job. I love her as an actress but this role didn't seem quite the right fit. There was a moment in the film in which you could tell the director put in as he likely hoped it was be a memorable catch-phrase moment involving Jane - it ended up being cheesy and quite misplaced in the atmosphere of the movie. Anthony Hopkins as King Odin kills it (why should we be surprised?!).

In other news, while I don't have crushes often, seeing Thor toss around quite a few federal agents and not bat an eye when threatened by massive opponents was thrilling; I may have to move on from my previous infatuation, Wolverine, 'cuz Thor is no joke!

This is the fourth installation in the Marvel movie series for the Avengers (consisting of The Hulk, Ironman, and Ironman 2). Three more are planned: Captain America, Ironman 3 and, to star all the heroes listed so far; The Avengers (set to be released in 2012).

Overall, solid, solid action movie. If I had to compare to the other Marvel films leading up to this, I'd rate them in this order, with all being at least three out of five frames and in decreasing order: The Hulk, Ironman, Thor then Ironman 2. Now I'm indeed looking forward to the team when they form their alliance and we get to be a part of it!

I give this a 3.5 out of 5 frames!



Here's a trailer:



Head on over to the forum or shoot me an email at pictureonawall@gmail.com with all opinions!

Danae signing off!

traileraddict.com
wikepedia.com

We've come to an end already?

It's all coming to an end folks. It is mid May so that means that many of our favorite shows are ending for the season. Even some series are ending for good. It's all very bittersweet. While we will be mourning our shows all summer, we do always get a new batch of shows to distract us.

One of my faves, "Vampire Diaries." ended this past Thursday. I was glued to the screen. I was surprised to see that they gave Damon, a vampire, the cure to his werewolf bite, which is deadly to vampires. I really thought that would be a cliffhanger. Instead they threw us a curve and gave him the cure, but took lovable, sweet Stefan away from us. Who knows how they will play out with his relationship with mortal, Elena, and if that will leave her open to Damon, who has been harboring feelings for her since Season One.

Another of my absolute favorites, "Gossip Girl," is ending tonight. I don't know how I feel about what they have set up. Blair is engaged to a prince but clearly still in love with Chuck. While that isn't so bad, you must know that Blair will be held hostage on the roof of a building that Chuck's nemesis is planning to set on fire. Blair included. I know it is supposed to be compelling, but it just seems that it is getting further and further into bad soap opera territory. These plots could have all been found on Dynasty I'm afraid. I'm just not sure what they are trying to do. But I will be glued to the screen tonight to see how they are going to leave us hanging for the rest of the summer.

The finale of "The Office" is also coming up this week. We have had a couple episodes without Michael Scott now and it hasn't been bad. Yes, it is really sad to see Steve Carrell go, but I think this cast can pull it off. In the finale we are going to be seeing a whole cast of characters vying for Michael's old job. Such people as Jim Carey, Ray Romano, Ricky Gervais, and many more will be there to apply. Somehow I think they aren't going to hire an outsider. I think the promotion will come from within. We must wait and see however.

A series that we are all sad to see go is "Smallville." After ten seasons it is finally over. Mild mannered Clark Kent has officially become Superman. In a two hour finale that, at times, confused me a little since I have been slacking in the later seasons, saw Clark's destiny come to fruition. As I was advised by my fiance, this is just one version of his destiny. Apparently in different universes he has different destinies. Even ones where he doesn't become a super hero. Imagine that. Overall I think they ended it well. While at times it did seem to lag, especially through that five minute long feeling clip flashback for Clark, it did move a pretty good clip and ended us with a conclusion we can all be happy with. Well, at least I was happy with it.

Hopefully this summer won't let us down with good offerings to watch. I'm looking forward to the return of "So You Think You Can Dance." Hopefully they return to the old format since I just can't get behind what they did this past couple seasons. Made me not want to watch it. I also hope to see another "Hell's Kitchen" because who can get enough Gordon Ramsey? I know I can't. Let's all cross our fingers folks and hope that we are blessed with good programming this summer and that fall hurries up and gets here so I can see what is going to happen on all of my favorite shows.

Head on over to www.j1studios.com and discuss in the forum what you think of the finales for this season. Also let us know what shows you are looking forward to in the summer.

Until next time kids, this has been Hava!

RIO!!!

Rio (2011)
Director: Carlos Saldanha
Genre: Animated, Family, Adventure
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Rated: PG

As the story goes, a baby Macaw named Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), native to Rio de Janeiro, is stripped from his beautiful homeland by those from the black market hoping to profit from the selling of exotic birds. Blu is lucky enough to have fallen from the smuggler's truck amidst travel and be found by a little girl named Linda (Leslie Mann). They become the best of friends, in every sense of the word, and via a little montage, we come to present day - Linda as an adult store owner, with Blu helping out in her day to day tasks and him reaping every benefit of her adoration of him. Their life is quiet until a gentleman named Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro) arrives and offers a one-of-a-kind chance; Blu is only living male Macaw left and they have a female they want him to mate with. In Rio de Janeiro! Aside from having to leave all that he knows, Blu has a big problem; he never learned to fly!

This adventure takes place in the heart of this beautiful city. The energetic and native music is an integral part of the experience - so many fun songs! Being that it's 2011 and an American-made film, the featured artists are T-Pain and Jamie Foxx; they do a solid job voicing two supplemental characters and lending a hand to quite a few songs. There is no denying when this film was created and that the marketing is precise; there are quite a few current-day references and body mannerisms placed throughout that are particular to our new generation. There is not too much that is incredibly original yet it doesn't matter - everything was enjoyable: the music, the humor, the love story(s). And thus...

I give this a four out of five frames!!!



Now go fly away and see this movie, you won't regret it!

Post a thought on the forum (www.j1studios.com/forum/) or shoot me an email (bibliophagedanae@hotmail.com) with your response/thoughts!!

Danae signing off!

Oh no! We'll all be killed!

I cried when I heard you might get your own daytime show too Katie.



It’s no secret that I don’t like Katie Couric. Well if you know me and have heard me talk about the Today show then you would know that. When Katie left five years ago to do the evening news over on CBS I was not heart broken. You could hear me telling anyone that asked, and even if they didn’t, that I could not wait for her to go. I thought her interview skills weren’t that great. When she was interviewing families about their recently murdered child she would step all over them talking and interrupt them to ask nonsense questions. Now I understand that they only have a short period time in the segment and they have to get all the questions in, but she was just terrible at it. The parents would be crying and talking about how much they miss their daughter and she would interrupt with the tragic details of their death. Katie was lacking in the tact department. She also seemed to be stuck on herself. Trust me Katie, NO ONE CARED THAT MUCH ABOUT YOUR LEGS! It seemed towards the end that Katie cared more about her clothes than anything else.

Katie then went on to be the first female to anchor the nightly news solo. That is a big deal. Barbara Walters didn’t even do that, and she’s Barbara Walters. Unfortunately for Katie she didn’t fare too well over there on CBS all by her lonesome. After initial big ratings she abruptly fell to number three and couldn’t claw her way out of there. She just couldn’t get past Brian Williams on NBC or Charles Gibson, who anchored for the first half of Katie’s run, and Diane Sawyer, who anchored since 2009, on ABC. It was big news when Diane Sawyer was to be anchoring on her own. It would be the first time that two females would go up against each other in the ratings for nightly news. Sadly, Katie just couldn’t cut it. Diane Sawyer proved to be a better anchor.

I can’t deny that there was some choice moments that Katie did shine. Who could forget her interview with Sarah Palin where she made her look like the fool that she is? She has been able to go to different countries and cover big stories that she wasn’t allowed to while she was on the Today show. Ann Curry always got those jobs. It was rightfully so since she was the news person on the Today show. I do think that Katie was a little bitter about it. But really, how can you take someone that got a colonoscopy on national television seriously?

You may be wondering why I’m bringing up my disdain for Katie Couric. Well, her contract with CBS’s nightly news is up in a matter of weeks and people are speculating as to what she will be doing. Will she be renewing her contract with CBS? Does CBS even want to renew her contract? Will she go on to host her own syndicated daytime show? The last question is what everyone seems to think she will be doing. They also think that she will be corrupting her old co-host from the Today show, Matt Lauer, and have him on the show with her. I sincerely hope that Matt doesn’t go to her show if that is the route Katie chooses to go. What would the Today show be without Matt? We already know that Meredith Vieira won’t be renewing her contract when it is up in September. We would be left with Al Roker, who can just be too much at times, and the lovely Ann Curry, who will become too much after a while.

My plea to all networks out there is that they don’t give Katie Couric her own syndicated daytime program. I like her sitting quietly over there at 6:30pm at CBS. I don’t have to deal with her there. Apparently no one has to deal with her there. Unfortunately for the viewing public though, she doesn’t like to go away. She is like that fly that you thought went out the door with you in the morning but it turns out that it never really left and keeps buzzing around your head all night. I’ll be on the lookout for what happens. I need to know where to stay away from, just in case.

Until next time kids, this has been Hava.

Insidious

Insidious (2011)
Director: James Wan
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Running Time: 102 minutes
Rated: PG-13

As a family attempts to get settled amidst a move, frightening things start occurring. The mother, Renai (Rose Byrne), seems to be the only one noticing anything as odd noises and bizarre experiences have her scared. After an accident in the attic, their son, Dalton (Ty Simpkins), falls into a coma. Months pass, with his brother giving a forewarning of what is to come by expressing his discomfort with the coma-ridden Dalton as he is cared for at home. More and more alarming scares occur and Renai insists to her husband Josh (Patrick Wilson), that something is wrong with the house and for their safety, they need to leave.

Once in their second new home, Renai hopes they left behind the eeriness yet not long passes before she realizes that it wasn't the home that was haunted, whatever abnormal, other-worldly being(s) that had been harassing them are still with the family. Josh's mother quickly believes her, stating she had a vision about Dalton - that the source of this nightmare was centered around him. Josh's continuous dubiousness frustrates everyone as he is the only one not having experienced the craziness. After an overtly terrifying event, Renai convinces everyone that a supernatural medium is needed to assess what was going on - what happens then can simply be described as a disconcerting, life-altering sequence of events.

Reminiscent of older, horror films that perpetuate fear via build up of titillating oldies music, letting the imagination scare yourself, and simple startling frights, this film is successful in keeping it simple and eerie. We all know by being along at home late at night, those odd noises are enough to get your imagination running, now imagine you slowly realized there was a true supernatural source behind those sounds and it wasn't going anywhere. Josh Wann plays on these fears and gives you more to be terrified of over and over again. I don't want to give too much away so I will stay vague, but this is a film in which I had difficulty determining the single most frightening moment - there were too many! The story is nothing new, as there are many ghost/spirit-based movies out there but we don't need an out-of-place plot. What we fear is not only what is unknown, but something that is close to home and that which is inescapable. For the same reasons I thought 2010's Drag Me To Hell was amazing (though this doesn't contain the icky, body-liquid grossness Drag Me did); classic jumpy frights, no over the top Hollywood graphic makeup - Insidious does it right.

I give this film 4 out of 5 frames!!



View the trailer here:



Danae signing off!

source: traileraddict.com

Paul Review - Sneak Preview, Not Yet Released!

Paul (2011)



Rated: R
Running Time: 104 minutes
Genre: Sci-Fi, Comedy, Adventure
Director: Greg Mottola

To summarize the premise, two besties (& a couple of sure-fire nerds), Graeme (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost) are embarking on a cross country adventure hoping to catch a glimpse of anything supernatural and to obtain numerous photo opts at some of the most popular alien-sighting attractions. Amid their travels, they encounter quite an oddity to say the least - something they yap about constantly but truthfully did not desire a chance meeting with - an alien! Not just any alien, Paul to be specific. This creature, while the stereotypical big-headed green man, is not quite what they expected. A smart-alec who speaks English, makes pop-culture references and appears to be a genius who has the humor of a 14 year old boy. He needs the pair of fanatics to help him dodge a top-secret government agency who'd been housing him as a consultant of sorts for decades yet they had determined he'd served his needs and was to be disposed of.

Unfortunately I have to admit, I wasn't looking forward to it - from the trailer alone, it didn't have me sold. I went because I'm not one to turn down a free screener's pass! I will say I enjoyed it more than I thought I would yet it was not consistently interesting or comical. A few of the human/alien exchanges were dry and empty. I missed some references although I did get a few of them but not enough to crack more than a grin. Some of the crude jokes/gestures were brainless and unamusing yet I suppose for this movie's target group (boys/men teens to mid thirties who have grown up going to comic cons etc..), it's quite fitting! Jason Bateman never fails to play his role perfectly and a well-placed slap had to be the best scene (aside from the ending) in the film. We all certainly know Simon Pegg, and his bff in real life, Nick Frost, is familiar too. Yet the pair didn't wow me in any way. I will say it was better than I gauged yet nothing to be too excited over. I would love the opinion of an individual who got ALL the references and is a man in the age group I mentioned above. While I do not believe girls should watch "girl" movies only and vice versa, in this case, the target group will likely be the only group able to enjoy this oddball. In addition, the references to Christians were insulting. Although I understand that as in lots of cases within film, especially a comedy, what's written about is an extreme but to make fun of a belief and attributing those who believe in it to be naive, brain-washed individuals is irritating and false.

This movie gets an overall, 1.5 out of 5 frames!



While there certainly existed hilarities (did I just make up a word?!), overall it was slowly paced with not enough laughs to have me watch again. I'm certain though for geeks (not hatin', just statin') they'll catch more of the relations and it may appeal to them more than the average viewer. FYI - NOT for kids!!

Watch the trailer if you haven't already:



Will you go see this movie, wait for netflix or nix it? Let me know - post to the forum!

Danae signing off!

source: traileraddict.com, imdb.com

Trump wants you to care about these celebrities

"Celebrity Apprentice"
Channel: NBC (check your local listings)
Day & Time: Sunday @ 9pm EST


Who doesn’t like watching Donald Trump tell has beens and people you forgot existed to do some ridiculous tasks at least once a week? Anyone? Anyone? You in the back? No? Oh, okay. I didn’t think so. Somehow it’s just more interesting watching Trump boss these “celebrities” around than regular Joe shmoes who really need the job and the money. It just seems to be easier to watch sixteen “celebrities” duke it out for money to give to charities.

This new season has brought out a higher quotient of recognizable stars than usual. The line-up this season is as follows: Gary Busey, Jose Canseco, David Cassidy, Richard Hatch, Lil Jon, Mark McGrath, Meat Loaf, John Rich, Hope Dworaczyk, La Toya Jackson, Star Jones, NeNe Leakes, Marlee Matlin, Lisa Rinna, Niki Taylor, and Dionne Warwick. If you don’t recognize any of these names you can go on over to NBC’s website and go to the show’s page and read a short bio about them. The one person on here that I can’t believe is in this group of people trying to be relevant again is Marlee Matlin. She is an Oscar winner for crying out loud! She must be doing this as a favor to Trump to make this season a little more legitimate. Or he is catering to the deaf community.

The season premier was hectic as usual. They broke off into the boys against the girls and came up with team names. The boys chose “Backbone” and the girls chose “A.S.A.P. (Actors, Singers, Authors and Professionals with a Purpose).” Hatch and Jones become the project managers for the task. The task is to run a NY pizzeria. Once at their respective shops they start calling all of their famous and/or rich friends to drum up business. Richard is controlling and obnoxious, just like when he was on Survivor. Thankfully in this reality show he is wearing clothes. He seems to enjoy picking on little David Cassidy by physically pushing him around. The guys prep for sale and somewhere along the way Busey is dubbed the “Pepperoni Profit” and he will be out on the street preaching about the pizza. The ladies take to prepping as well and Star pretty much stays as far away from things that will make her dirty as possible. She works on a way too busy poster instead.

As things start rolling Hatch insists that they only deliver pizzas to large donors. He also pushes Cassidy just one too many times and he tells him so. Hatch doesn’t really seem to care at all. The ladies find that Niki Taylor was a pizza chef in her former life. It seems the only hitch is that Warwick isn’t too quick with the register and the credit card machine. Back at the guys site they are getting big spenders in there which makes Cassidy feel a little inferior. The girls bring in the big bucks too. They also win a taste test challenge and win the right to deliver pizzas to a fire house to pick up a $35,000 donation for their team. When one of Star’s friends order 40 pies at $1000 a piece Star decides to close the shop so they can focus on the large order. She rushes the delivery ladies (Marlee & Lisa) back and gets on them for being in traffic. They are able to make it to Star’s friend, who has changed the order to just one pie for $40,000. They don’t get to the fire house though. Tsk, tsk.

In the boardroom the girls are calmly going at each other and Busey’s cell phone goes off. He is pretty much the best part of this show. So all totaled the girls kicked the guy’s butts at $115,368 to $54,104. While the ladies celebrate the guys go at each other. Or, more specifically, they guys go on about how Hatch picked on everyone especially Cassidy. Canseco wants to beat up Hatch and Busey acts like a loon. When asked who should be fired everyone agrees it should be Hatch. It comes down to Hatch, Cassidy, and Canseco in the end and Trump thinks that Cassidy just doesn’t stick up for himself enough and he ends up getting fired. Ridiculous, right?

It seems to me that they only kept Hatch around for ratings because you know he will fight with people when Cassidy most likely wouldn’t. He just doesn’t seem like that sort of guy. Personally, I think this season should be pretty good. They have some egos on there and anything with Gary Busey is always a winner. I want him to win. If not Busey then definitely Marlee Matlin.

I give this opening show 3 1/2 frames. As things go, it could have been better. I'm grading on a curve.


Until next time kids, this has been Hava.

Has it really taken Tyra 16 seasons to be taken seriously?

America’s Next Top Model
Day/Time: Wednesdays @ 9pm EST
Channel: CW (Check your local listings)

Guess whose favorite crazy ex super model is back. Yep, it’s Tyra Banks and she is back for the sixteenth cycle of America’s Next Top Model. Yes, you heard me correctly. This show has really been on for sixteen seasons. It’s amazing isn’t it? Who would have ever thought that her crazy and kooky self would have been allowed to continue this nonsense for this long? Lucky for me she has. Even luckier for everyone she is still on this kick of “high fashion.” Last season was her first venture into the “high fashion” realm. She is trying to be more serious and actually taken seriously. That is why I’m sure this season will be just as interesting to watch.

Tyra and the CW network have taken all of the guess work out of who will make it into the house and onto the show by posting the short bios and pictures of the models for this cycle. I’m pretty disappointed about it. They use to not post this stuff until maybe the day before but this time they posted it the beginning of February. That is pretty foolish if you ask me. It takes all of the fun out of the first episode wondering who is going to make it onto the show. Apparently that is neither here nor there at this point since the network is set on just letting everyone know everything ahead of time. Looking through the girls’ bios they are all pretty much 23 and under except for one glaring stand out of a girl who is 26. Cue small violins playing as she recounts over and over about how this is her last chance to break into the modeling business. I also noticed that around 95% of the girls are in college or graduated college. That’s a nice step up from some of the other seasons. Is that your way of making this show more “high fashion” Tyra?

There really isn’t much else out there to know about this cycle. The only things that we can glean from the short preview clips is that they are still going with the “high fashion” theme, Miss J Alexander is not allowed to sit on the judges’ panel anymore, Andre Leon Talley is still there trying to make the show legitimate with his connection to Vogue magazine, and the girls will be doing a runway challenge while walking on water in a giant bubble. I hope that John Travolta is the guest judge for that challenge so he can comment on the girls’ ability to control the bubble. He does have the most experience of anyone I know since he was the boy in the bubble.

The only bit of insider info I can give you is that the trip this season is to Morocco. We know that since Jay Manuel, the photo shoot creative director, tweeted about it while he was there and posted a picture of him in the desert. That should be fun. I’m anticipating all of the flashbacks I will be having to the horrendous ”Sex and the City” movie sequel. You think that’s where Tyra got the idea to go there from?

I’m not sure how I feel about this new cycle yet. True I can’t have a completely formed opinion until I see it but I just don’t know about this “high fashion” angle they are working towards now. I’m happy for Tyra and her effort to make this show mean something and her desire to be taken seriously but she’s losing her kooky, fun, and sometimes questionable sanity side of herself that we have all come to know and love. She sometimes irked the devil out of me while all of the unnecessary weirdness but without it the show just doesn’t seem the same. We can only wait and see how this season pans out. I’m going to make an early prediction based off of what I have read about the contestants. I’m going to guess that it is the girl Nicole. I’m only guessing this based on her picture. They haven’t had a blond win a while so they are due. So if it’s not Nicole then it’s one of the other blonds.

Obviously since I haven't seen any of the season yet I can't give out any frames. But I'm sure this season will be worth many a frame to come. I have included a very funny clip of Tyra mocking the stereotypes of contestants that we see on the show. Enjoy!



Until next time kids, this has been Hava!

Wompers

I am ash-a-med! I had been planning on seeing The Fighter, Black Swan, The King's Speech & Tangled for the past few weeks. Has this busy gal made time in her "sh"edule to do so? Nada! Do not fear, while I have not been able to view and thus REview any new releases, I have intermittently been watching a miniseries. One that is unexpected as it's been out for quite some time AND it's not even American! You all know of my love of Netflix and in looking for some positively commented-on movies/shows, I came across a British series called Prime Suspect. This series came out in the 1990's and ran until the early part of 2000s. The show featured Helen Mirren as British Detective Chief Inspector (DCI), Jane Tennison. She is one of a handful of women in a male dominated field. Set in London, DCI Tennison takes on every case with her whole being. She is a no-nonsense, hard-working and quite honestly, unsympathetic boss. Throughout the series, she continues to have a painstaking struggle for any and all respect. Yet nothing stops her - she demands to be heard as she truly is a good detective. Not afraid to take on cases that may end badly, aren't pretty, nor will necessarily be the best for her future - she invests all she is into each and every case. BTW, the series has won Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards and more...

Here's a clip from the first episode of season 1 (unfortunately she's not in much of this clip in particular but figured it best to show you the beginning):



There are 7 seasons in all - I'm just finished Season 3 and will onto Season 4 this weekend. No worries about needing an excess amount of time to get the whole series in; each season is comprised of just four, one-hour episodes. I'm doing a little at a time.

I rate this series (so far!) a four and a half frames out of five:



Next series in my queue: Dollhouse!

YOUR homework for today - provide recommendations of what I should add to my Netflix queue based on some of YOUR favorite series!

Danae signing off!

What is that? The Alabama of Europe?

“Archer”
Day/Time: Thursdays @ 10pm EST
Channel: FX
Rating: MA (NOT for children)

Finally “Archer” has returned! After having to wait so long for the second season of this critically hailed animated spy comedy, we were not let down. The show delivered in its usual way. There were plenty of jokes and one liners and just the right amount of suspected “unsuspected” happenings. So assuming that you read my last review of the first season and the show thus far I will continue to write this review as if you know who everybody is. If you haven’t read the aforementioned review then please do so and come back to this one so that you won’t be lost.

The second season brings us back to ISIS and we learn that Cyril and Lana have broken up and apparently Cyril has gone Tiger Woods on us went upstate to a rehab facility for a sex addiction. ISIS is still going down the tubes financially so they are trying to find an investor. That leads the whole crew to Switzerland to help guard a billionaire’s 17 year old daughter and try to sucker him into investing in ISIS. So of course hijinks ensue and, ever the ladies’ man, Sterling Archer has attracted the eye of the daughter, Anka, and is repeatedly molested by her. Of course no one believes that she is coming on to him. All this is happening while trying to fend off the bad guys who are trying to kidnap Anka. This is really hard for Archer. He is use to molesting the women but never being the victim. The more disturbing action takes place in the billionaire father’s suite with Archer’s mother, Malory, who is the head of ISIS and HR manager Pam. Pam actually has a lot in common with the man and they get involved in some hot tubbing and drinking of “green Russians.” Malory gets in the mix trying to get the financial backing and ends up in a most disgusting situation that I can’t detail here in this review.

This show had it all. There were inappropriate jokes, awkward threesomes, shooting, beating the bad guys, and a little underage coming of age realizations. Archer beats the bad guys once again and helps Anka realize why she acts out so much. There was many a good line. I’ll probably be asking if I have to supply my own lids for a little while. Well, at least until next week when another episode comes on.

If you didn’t catch this episode I’m sure you will be able to catch it on HULU in a day or two. If you weren’t watching it purposely because you still haven’t seen the first season yet then stop being stupid and watch the new season. True you will have to catch up so you can understand the dynamic between Lana and Cyril and some of the other characters, but why miss out on a sure to be great second season and put yourself further behind? That’s just nonsensical.

I definitely give this episode 4 1/2 frames. I'm taking off half just to leave room for growth. Kind of like how they do in figure skating competitions. Can't give out the 10's to the first skater.


P.S. If you like Archer you would probably like “Bob’s Burgers” on FOX. Now, it doesn’t have the cursing and kind of nudity but it is still an animated wonder. H. John Benjamin does the voice of the lead character Bob and he is just as great as he is on Archer. The comedy delivers and it is a perfect interlude between “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy.” Just a fun suggestion from me to you.

I'd add a clip of "Archer" but since it isn't for younger readers or viewers I supply you with a clip of "Bob's Burgers" just you can enjoy in the greatness of it.


Go on over to www.j1studios.com in the forum and join the discussion about "Archer." Or start a new one about "Bob's Burgers." Either way, go on over.

Until next time kids, this has been Hava.

Tron Legacy (2010)

Tron Legacy (2010)
Rated: PG
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action
Running Time: 127 Minutes
Director: Joseph Kosinski

A highly anticipated sequel to the original Tron (which was released in 1982), takes us to the digital world where its inhabitants battle for survival.

Some background of the original movie: Jeff Bridges plays and engineer/hacker, Kevin Flynn who aims to expose Ed Dillinger (David Warner) as the thief he is. Dillinger has stolen Flynn's program(s) thus advancing within his company, ENCOM, on the coattails of someone else's work. Flynn hacks into ENCOM's system and is assisted by friends (and ENCOM employees) Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) & Dr. Lora Baines (Cindy Morgan). Amidst the execution, Flynn gets transported into the digital world. In this realm, all programs take on the appearance of their user & The Master Control Program, which had previously prevented Flynn from accessing ENCOM's system, is controlled in the digital world by Sark. Sark manipulates programs who don't strictly abide by the mindset that you are to have no faith in their respective users. There is a struggle to defeat Sark & expose Dillinger, to which they are successful and, in conclusion, Flynn wins out and becomes CEO of ENCOM.

Tron Legacy continues this saga 20 years later with Flynn's son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund) who is doesn't take his inheritance (ownership of ENCOM) seriously and aims simply to periodically make fools of the board of directors. He is visited by Bradley, his fathers cohort 20 years ago, who pushes him to check out the former arcade, run by Flynn. Bradley received a page from Flynn's office at the arcade. Sam discovers a secret work area and accidentally gets transported into a digital world. There he discovers Clu; a program Flynn made to create a perfect world who has turned on Flynn. Sam also meets Quorra (Olivia Wilde) who is his path to finding his father and getting them out of there.

The visuals are absolutely stunning. If computer graphics continue down this path, there will be no need for human actors/actresses (although there still may be a desire for them)! Jeff Bridges' CGI equivalent is almost flawless. Aside from the somewhat awkward speeches which emphasize the imperfection, (and difficulty) of creating the perfect replica of human oral movement - the facial structure, the eyes, the small strand of hair that falls into his forehead - truly amazing. The neon-themed, contrasted world makes it hard to forget. Add in, as in the original, tons of spandex and you have a ocular winner!

Critics state that the movie lacks character development/connection. To some extent I agree - you desire to see Sam succeed but not enough to keep watching. What does keep your eyes glued to the screen are the vibrant, contrast-bearing, digital scenery AND (at least for me), the heartfelt desire to see Kevin Flynn through to the end (whatever that may be). Jeff Bridges has continued to impress me and even this somewhat unemotional world, has portrayed his earnestness, desire and amazement at all that has happened. Aside from the visual aspect, he makes this film. Kudos too to Olivia Wilde.

As in the original and now upgraded, you too cannot miss the Light Cycle races on a multi-layered board nor the disc battles.

It does seem though as though that the first Tron was smarter. While the original did focus on creating "digital" graphics, (likely considered current at the time) it more so was attentive to the framework and workings that make up Tron, ENCOM, The Grid etc... the world they are entrapped in and the programs that comprise the majority of said world. This is lacking in the sequel - while I was interested in the visuals, the "cool" factor of some of the situations Sam & Quorra fell into, I didn't feel the significance of what was said/done with the intention of having us distraught/disturbed.

A plus: Daft Punk completed the soundtrack. How can you beat this?! If you don't know of them btw, this French, electronica/house duo have done some amazing work and you NEED to find out more. The tracks need to grow on you a bit as they largely impress upon viewership of the film.

I give this a three out of five frames!



I battled with myself as I was tempted to give this a 2.5 rating; don't be dissuaded by this! It's not the top movie of 2010 nor a movie some will choose to purchase but CERTAINLY worth renting, watching, maybe watching twice AND if you can get on dvd inexpensively, I believe worth adding to your collection!

Trailer:



As The Fighter seems to be your next movie review choice - that shall be the next to follow!

Email me at pictureonawall@gmail.com, visit & chat on the forum at www.j1studios.com or go to J1 Studios Facebook page!

Danae signing off!

Archer: Codename Duchess

"Archer"
Day/Time: Thursdays @ 10pm est
Channel: FX
Rating: NR (Not for children)

If you haven’t seen the animated show “Archer” on FX then you are seriously missing out. But don’t worry, the full first season is now FINALLY out on DVD and just in time for the second season to start on 1/27/11 (Check your local listings for times). If you’re wondering why you should bother catching up on this cartoon then I will gladly tell you all about the first season. This is more than just a cartoon. It’s geared specifically for adults and the humor ranges from the ridiculous to the sublime. I haven’t met a person yet that has seen this show that hasn’t absolutely loved it.

While the first season was only a mere ten episodes long it set up plenty of back story and a plot that left you hanging and upset that you had to wait practically an entire year for the next season. As the season opens you are introduced to super spy Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin) and his cohorts at ISIS. Lead by his mother Malory, who is brilliantly voiced by Jessica Walter, Archer is made to work with his ex-girlfriend Lana (Aisha Tyler), her new boyfriend and ISIS comptroller Cyril (Chris Parnell), a sexual fetishist receptionist Cheryl or Carol or whatever (Judy Greer), and the office whipping girl, HR leader Pam (Amber Nash). Together this crazy crew finds themselves in personal tangles and always seems to interfere with their espionage work.

As the season wore on you found that the work for ISIS (International Secret Intelligence Service) was only just a mild distraction for these trained spies. It was their personal lives and dramas that were the real story. “Archer” keeps the story lines new and constant running jokes. You find yourself thinking that they won’t go there, but oh yes they do and much further.

This group of hilarious cohorts find themselves searching for moles inside of ISIS, dealing with a new spy in the group that seems too good to be true (and not just because he’s black and Jewish), going up against rival assassins, protecting a “luxury airship” from bomb threats, and trying to obtain new and lucrative contracts to keep ISIS afloat. All this happens while Malory is trying to keep the identity of Archer’s real father under wraps.

I strongly suggest that you go out and buy the first season or get it on Netflix or download it free somewhere on the internet. “Archer” isn’t just some half hour long cartoon. It is a hilarious comedy full of animated action. The critics love this show, it has a huge fan base, and the voice of Archer, H. Jon Benjamin, even won an Emmy for his voice work on the show. You really can’t get much better than this. So everyone lotion up your man hands, grab your ping pong paddles, and remember, it’s just the tip. Oh, and whatever you do, DON’T LIGHT THAT MATCH! THIS PLACE WILL BLOW AT ANY SECOND! (You have to watch the first season to understand any of that. So get to it.)

I would include a video but none of them are appropriate for all reading and viewing audiences as this show is not for children. But you can go to the official website where they have full episodes and clips up and just about anything else you would want to know about the show and it's cast.

I do give this show five full frames so you know I mean business.


Head on over to www.j1studios.com and discuss "Archer" in the forum. Tell me how much you love it and then how much you love me for getting you turned on to the show.

Until next time kids, this has been Hava.