We are not going away, but becoming the more unified J1 Studios that were supposed to be. In the next coming weeks this blog will be moving over to the new home for all J1 Studios sections. There's good news and there's bad news. The bad news is that we won't have our specific section names. The good news is that what we post will stay the same quality if not better, and we will be able to post more often than specific times a week, so that way you can come back at any time and find more and more news and reviews. We will also truly be under one roof. If you are looking for a specific subject when you get there, you can use our new search bar, or our Categories section on the right. Thank you for your cooperation. Come see us at www.j1studios.com

Avengers Review

The Avengers

From X-Men in 1999 to Iron Man in 2007, comic book adapted movies have come back into the limelight, long after Christopher Reeve first took to the skies as Superman back in the 70’s.  Most of the recently released movies have gone on to smash the box office and set records.  Spiderman 2 set the bar high for the highest grossing comic book movie ever. Just last year, the last Harry Potter film took the highest grossing movie of all time title. This year, a new “highest grossing movie” may be crowned.

The Avengers brings together four Marvel franchises on the big screen - Iron Man, Thor, Hulk and Captain America.  Each of the aforementioned characters’ individual movies hinted at the possible team-up, teasing fan-boys about the alliance like waving a steak in front of a hungry dog. I have to say, Marvel and Disney truly delivered. The Avengers starts out slow, as all origin movies do, despite the movie’s explosive opening sequence. Nick Fury, who has shown up at the end of the previous franchises respectively, seeks out people with unique abilities to become members of a special team whose goal is to recover a mystic artifact known as the Tesseract.  He contacts Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, to locate and gather Bruce Banner. An early fight scene where she takes out bad guys while strapped to a chair showcases Black Widow’s agility and combat expertise, just as she is depicted in the comics.

 

As mentioned, Avengers starts out a bit slow, but I prefer call this the “developmental” stage in the movie.  Some people in the theater were getting a bit anxious; they wanted to see all the good stuff hard and fast - fight scenes, explosions, etc. However, a film that takes time to build up the plot, without running out of time, and truly forming into an effective climax makes for a better experience. In one scene, Marvel used just the right amount of time when everyone is on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Helicarrier to develop interaction between the four main characters and give a better sense of what’s going on. Nick Fury disclosing so much yet revealing so little is well played out, as Tony Stark and Bruce Banner discover the espionage group’s true intentions.  A real scenario that also plays out is distrust, especially amongst a team of strangers. Thor, Tony, Bruce, and Steve—these guys know so little about each other that it drives a nail between them before they even try to fully come together.  This leads to conflict and banter amongst them that is oftentimes noteworthy of an evening sitcom.

Speaking of which, comedic moments are blended well here and fit the personalities of the characters, especially Tony Stark, who is as eccentric as always. There’s even a bit of banter between Thor and Black Widow regarding Loki. Widow bad-mouthed Loki, and Thor came to his defense stating that the Mischief God is still his brother.  But when he is told that Loki killed eighty people in two days, Thor withdraws his objection and states that his brother is adopted.  Just this small comedic moment, small as it is, will stay with fans for some time. Full of action, very comedic and very much talked about on Facebook.

The action in this film is over the top.  Loki has the Tesseract and he has opened a portal to another world.  An army of beings called Chitauri begin pouring through the portal, ready to conquer Earth.  There’s panic in the streets and mayhem everywhere. The Avengers finally get their act together, come together and clean house.  As much as I like the Transformers movies, Michael Bay’s got some competition in the large-scale action department. The special effects and action scenes were great!  Marvel and Disney really upped their game for this. Guess making all those “Pirate” movies helped. Thor’s got his hammer, zapping invaders out of the sky. Hawkeye is on the roof plucking them off like flies with assistance from Iron Man. The Hulk is doing his thing, bashing anything and everything non-human.  He took down a giant creature easily larger than a nuclear sub with one punch. And Captain America, he handled everything like a soldier does, getting people to safety and taking out a few Chitauri while doing so.  I don’t read Marvel comics much but the last half of the movie definitely appeared like it was pulled straight from the pages.

The acting was excellent. All the actors pulled off their roles without a hitch.  Since Marvel Ultimate Universe’s Nick Fury is based off of Samuel L. Jackson, it was likely for him to be the right man for the character. He didn’t get much air time before so it was nice to see him get more fleshed out for this. Though I have yet to see “Thor” or “Captain America”, I’ve enjoyed Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth in these roles. Mark Ruffalo takes over as Bruce Banner and all I have to say is: why didn’t Marvel acquire this guy for the previous “Hulk” films? But not to worry, word is that the Hulk series is getting rebooted, likely with Mark at the helm.  Scarlet Johansson and Jeremy Renner were great as Black Widow and Hawkeye.  Maybe we’ll see them in their own movies. Who knows?  Tom Hiddleston makes evil look good as Loki.  And Robert Downey Jr. is dead on as Tony Stark/Iron Man.  He is just as entertaining here as he is in Iron Man 1 & 2.  I can’t wait for part three.

Again, kudos to Marvel for bringing us this awesome movie; it was a real delight.  Hopefully we receive the same experience for the sequel where they take on…whoa, that was close. Wanna know? Then go see this movie to find out the next baddie for the next movie.

Definitely seeing this one again,

Brian M.

The River

The River
Channel: ABC
Date/Time: Tuesdays @ 9pm, Eastern Time
Creator: Oren Peli & Michael R. Perry

We are introduced to a family whose father, renowned explorer Dr. Emmet Cole, played by Bruce Greenwood, has gone missing in the Amazon. His son Lincoln, played be Joe Anderson, meets up with his mother six months after his father went missing, who proposes that they return to the Amazon, where Lincoln spent much of his childhood, to continue the search for his father. His mother Tess, played by Leslie Hope, despite the length of time since their last communication with his father, and despite having just gone through the memorial service in his honor, suggests that Emmet must still be alive since his emergency beacon just went off.

Dr. Cole was renowned for his television series about the adventures he'd go on in the great outdoors, the Amazon in particular. Lincoln and Tess experienced the intense nature of the business and Lincoln mentions that although he knew his father loved him, at a certain point in his life, he felt his father loved what he was working on more, and seemed to pull away from Lincoln when he needed him. Despite the resentment, Tess and Lincoln had great love for Emmet, and we will discover how far they will go to find him.

Emmet's former producer, Clark, played by Paul Blackthorne, agrees to pay for any expenses on this expedition, as long as he can film the adventure in a documentary-type filming style. The newly developed team consists of Lincoln, Tess, Clarke, Lena (Lincoln's childhood friend), played Eloise Mumford, the captain and mechanic Emilio, played by Daniel Zacapa (along with his teenage daughter), and bodyguard Captain Kurt Brynildson, played by Thomas Kretschmann.

What was Emmet looking for? In videos the group discovers, Emmet was in search of some source of magic, and they glimpse the other-worldly matters he was in his continued search for. In one film bit, he's in front of a fire, amidst the jungle, with natives surrounding him, cross-legged, and is holding fire - physically holding fire in his palms. He looks to the camera in awe - you could see both the amazement, reverence, and desire for more in his eyes.

Strange things start occurring when the crew discovers Emmet's boat, and they unintentionally unleash something into the surrounding jungle. So much happens in this first episode: violence, lies, discovery, magic, spirits etc... I'd rather not give much of it away and suggest you check it out for yourself.

Now why though, with all this, would you stay in the Amazon with all the craziness that's going on? While some may say that they'd find a way out, it's not so simple. If someone you loved dearly were missing, in an unknown condition, and there was a chance you could find them, rescue them, would you give it a shot, as dangerous or eerie the circumstance? With some of the freaky circumstances they encounter, one could also ask how the crew stays on board with the idea. While there's always a skeptic, there's less a sense of disbelief in the crew, and more a desire to capture phenomenon on film that will bring them success.

I WILL tell you that someone dies in the first episode... you have to watch to find out who!

Two fun facts:

1) This show is by the creator and director of the Paranormal Activity series, Oren Peli, along with the co-writer of Paranormal Activity 2, Michael R. Perry.

2) According to an interview on WMMR, a local radio station here in Philadelphia, the idea for a Paranormal-type TV show was brought up by Stephen Spielberg (who is a producer for the show) in a meeting with Oren! It was Oren's first experience meeting the great film maker, with Stephen mentioning that he enjoying the movie and asked if Oren had ever thought about turning the idea into a television series.

There were so many progressions in the first episode, I was uncertain as to how the series could continue, however, there are 6 more episodes left for now, and the preview of the upcoming season seen last week was amazazazazing (Yes, just made up a word).

I give the season premiere four and a half of five frames!



Here's a promo and what had me spellbound:



Did you check out the premiere? Will you check it out? Email me or post on our facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/j1studios AND go to the site to browse more reviews.

Danae signing off!

source: imdb.com; youtube.com, wikepedia.com

2012 ComiCinema

Hey there readers! Guess what! We have ourselves a guest writer this week. He is a very knowledgeable young man by the name of Doug Beaver. He is more up to date on movies that are based on comic books than either Danae or I would ever hope to be. I trust his opinion on these things. So read on to see what he has to say about the upcoming comic book centered movies.


2012 ComiCinema
By Doug Beaver

There are a ton of movies that are going to make 2012 a much better movie year than 2011 turned out to be: this year, we can look forward to The Hobbit, The Woman In Black, Casa de mi Padre, The Hunger Games, Expendables 2, MIB: III, Prometheus, Brave, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, among others.

And then there are this year’s comic book movies, or “ComiCinema”. There are really only five that stick out this calendar year; one immediate-looking bomb, one that may not qualify for the category and three others that will compete for this year’s top spot. Here they are in order of anticipated box office:

5. Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance
Some questions come to mind: Why was this made? What is Nick Cage even doing in the Marvel Universe when he was formerly auditioning to be the man of steel in a failed Superman movie? Why not go balls-to-the-walls with the “Marvel Knights” brand films?
All the PG-13 Rating does for Ghost Rider is water down the potential for great content, and guarantees an “Unrated Blu-Ray Edition” when it arrives in stores. The Punisher movies have also been a disappointment (though they carried the R-Rating) because the grittiness and darkness they were trying for just felt forced. Marvel Knights could learn a lot from the only great Punisher film, 1989’s “The Punisher” starring Dolph Lundgren; that is a classic that can really be credited as a forefather of the style that Christopher Nolan has now with the latest incarnation of Batman films.
Marvel Knights has not yet produced a real hit, and it doesn’t look like this sequel to the 2007 disappointment will change that trend. The original Ghost Rider is a decent enough movie, but it did not gain a large enough fanboy following or word-of-mouth appreciation to garner this follow-up.
This movie will not make much of a splash at the box office, and unless you are a diehard Ghost Rider fan, the first time you will see this is when you switch your PS3 over to stream Netflix and see it come up under “New Releases.”

4. G.I. Joe: Retaliation
Whether to include this as a ComiCinema movie is debatable , because G.I. Joe is a trademark of Hasbro, and yet the product’s love affair with the comic book medium runs deep. Not many other franchises can claim to have been represented by DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Devil’s Due, and IDW. Therefore, it’s been included.
Though it’s technically a toy movie like Transformers, it’s not as bad as making a movie about a board game (Battleship – Really?? Don’t aliens know Liam Neeson can’t be defeated? Didn’t they see “Taken”?).
After viewing the trailer, this appears to be the opposite of what happened with the Transformers first two movies. Where the first Transformers film was really good, the second one was just shy of franchise suicide. Transformers 2 was the most incoherent piece of film garbage that made its money based on the goodwill that audiences gave it based on the original. The second G.I. Joe installment looks like it will earn its wings DESPITE the negative perception garnered after G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra, which received poor critical and audience reviews.
This movie will be a hit as long as Paramount continues a strong marketing push with The Rock, Bruce Willis, and shots of the Cobra banners flapping from the roof of the White House.

3. The Amazing Spider-Man
While many people not familiar with comics think that this is too soon, most fans of Spider-Man are optimistic about a reboot. Spider-Man is rebooted in the comics fairly often, also with multiple series happening simultaneously (There has been “Spider-Man”, “The Spectacular Spider-Man”, “The Amazing Spider-Man”, “Web Of Spider-Man”, etc.). So this is actually a good thing for Spider-Fans out there, and a good thing for a new generation of moviegoers that can relate a lot more to Emma Stone being more desirable than Kirsten Dunst.

There is no question that all comic fans will see this movie. The only thing that remains a mystery is if Andrew Garfield will be able to pull off being Peter Parker. He did an excellent job in The Social Network, but this is a different genre with the most critical fanbase, and there is A LOT of pressure to restart the franchise, as Spider-Man is easily Marvel’s most recognizable hero. If this is a “one and done” for Marvel, it could depress the whole company.

2. The Avengers
It’s time to “Make Mine Marvel” with the culmination of a set up that has been building audience’s anticipation for years. This could either be the best thing a production company has ever done, or the biggest letdown in film history (Star Wars Episode I and II included).
Pairing Joss Whedon with the characters of Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Nick Fury, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Loki, and Captain America (aka the same guy that played The Human Torch in two other Marvel films) seems like a match made in fanboy heaven. Whedon has proven he is trustworthy with characters – but in the past those have been mostly characters he has created himself. Firefly and Buffy were both series that depended on interactions between personalities that were strong and often butted heads, so this seems like a natural fit. The only caveat that remains a question is whether Black Widow could play a bigger role due to Whedon’s historical love for strong female characters. It’s not a problem, but more of a point of intrigue.
The audience for this is also widened by the incorporation of all the characters. People that didn’t like Captain America but enjoyed Iron Man will go to see their favorite character, and vice-versa. It’s almost like all of the individual heroes’ movies get a sequel all at once. So this will definitely be the second highest grossing ComiCinema movie of the year, if not the top spot.

1. The Dark Knight Rises
For people who like their ComiCinema with a bit of social relevance, this movie hits the mark. The trailer has Anne Hathaway espousing rhetoric reserved for the self-proclaimed “99% percent.” And coincidentally enough, the Occupy Wall Street crowd was very close to the filming of one of the film’s final scenes.
Would this final act of the Dark Knight trilogy have had a different crescendo if Heath Ledger had lived? Regardless of the answer to that, Bane makes an interesting villain to close this series on. Christopher Nolan could have gone with the Riddler as an obvious choice, but Bane was selected to challenge Batman “both mentally and physically.”
The main draw to this whole series has been that it looks cool, and treats beloved characters seriously as its fans do. This great series has raised the bar for all ComiCinema, but for Batman fans this could also be a double-edged sword. What directors or actors could touch the franchise again without appearing to be meddling, or failing to live up to this new standard?
This movie will be watched and enjoyed by all audiences – including people who never see movies based on comic books. This series transcends particular audience groupings, and will probably be considered for the next Academy Awards if it even approaches the previous two films’ level of excellence.


I hope you all enjoyed our guest reviewer this week. I know I did.
Until next kids, this has been Hava (and Doug)!

Give it a Chance!

Going through withdrawal! We won't hear from True Blood, Season 5 until June of 2012, the second season of American Horror Story doesn't premier until.... we don't know, they haven't started filming yet, The Walking Dead doesn't return for its 3rd season until February 12th 2012 (I believe), and Dexter just ended its sixth season (which was "meh" however the finale was AWESOME). Still have Modern Family, Community plus a few others yet I felt something was missing due to my series-watching reduction. If you initially offered me another comedy, I wouldn't necessarily be that excited as I'm watching a few already however, never judge until you at least check it out and I'm glad I did...

You NEED to be introduced to this new series, Happy Endings, which airs on ABC Wednesdays at 9:30. Currently in its second season, it is a comedy about six friends... wait wait! I know, your initial comparison, naturally, will be to the hugely popular series Friends, however, simply because there are six friends who have/had some sort of relationship between them and remain friends does not then entail that it's a duplicate. Don't numerous sets of friends maintain (or evolve) a friendship that involves a derivation of a relationship between varying parties? That certainly does not mean that each set of friends is like the other! Before we find out what's unique about this series, check out the first season's promo:



We are introduced to the set of friends by discovering that Dave Rose (played by Zachary Knighton) is left at the alter abruptly by his bride, Alex Kerkovish (played by Elisha Cuthbert). He is completely torn and his set of friends, also friends to Alex, assume that all six of them will no longer be able to hang out. Dave & Alex insist this is not the case... and so we have just one piece of the fun drama all will encounter along the way. Alex is a fun loving, sometimes very simple girl who, although flighty, maintains a business of her own. Her sister, Jane Kerkovich-Williams, (played by Eliza Coupe), is quite the opposite as an OCD-type, super achiever and is married to Brad Williams (played be Damon Wayans Jr. Yes, Damon Wayans' son, there's no denying the stark resemblance), a whipped hubby however, also a pun-throwing businessman. Their exchanges tend to be quite sweet but as Brad is married to a control freak, the need for him to exert his independence arises. Typical to this type of series, we have to have the friends who either date like there's no tomorrow and/or have to be single struggling through the fun and not-so-fun aspects of not having a companion and so we have Max Blum (played by Adam Pally), the non stereotypical gay guy as he likes sports, is a bit chunky, doesn't care much for responsibility as he simply wants to have fun. Lastly there's Penny Hartz (played by Casey Wilson), an eager to please gal who must always be at the center of attention.

Here's a pic of Damon Wayan's Jr by the way, yeah.....



The premise given could certainly fail (good plots can be bombed by bad writing or a poorly chosen cast) yet this set of "friends" cannot! The hilarious competitions, exchanges, quips and goofiness given by the whole cast is, even if cliche, laugh out loud. Ugh, I said it but it's true. In particular, Eliza Coupe, Damon Wayans Jr., Adam Pally and Casey Wilson win every time they appear. Timing is perfect, depiction of the character is more than believable, and the quick witted back an forth is on point. Example: I intended only to watch one or two episodes to give it a shot. I ended up watching seven, and the only reason I couldn't continue was because I'm old and needed to sleep.



I screeched a few times out of glee and pure entertainment - this show is brilliant. I am still catching up on all the episodes - out of the 11 or 12 that I've seen, I give this fun series a 4.5 out of 5 frames!



Go watch some episodes online and then tune in. Everyone needs to have a great laugh and this series will do it!!

Danae signing off... ;)

sources: youtube.com, wikepedia,com, imdb.com, abc.com

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.