Thursday, November 30, 2006

Scrubs Premieres Tonight


Scrubs is finally back and everyone is pregnant! Well, 3 of the ladies are at least, from where we last left off, though with this show, it wouldn't be such a stretch if one of the men were pregnant too!

One of the best comedies PERIOD. Too bad it's up against Grey's Anatomy and CSI, so I hope it'll survive the ratings juggernaut. In Canada, since CTV still owns the rights to it (AND already shows Grey's AND CSI AND The OC back to back on Thursdays... hmm... 4 shows out of the 5 American Networks 9pm Thursday Timeslots? Wow), CTV will bury Scrubs at 5pm on Sundays. (Yes. 5pm)

It Premieres Tonight on NBC at 9pm.


More After the Jump...

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Gilmore Girls - Stars Hollow Welcome

Knit, People, Knit!

I thought I missed something when they opened with Richard and Emily calmly acknowledging Lorelai and Christopher's marriage, but Oh how I doubted you Emily Gilmore with your backhanded sarcastic wit! Emily and Richard buys them a wedding gift of an etching of the most hideous wolf-woman, then replays the answering machine message Lorelai left that revealed her eloped wedding in Paris.

Meanwhile, apparently Paris and Doyle can hip-hop dance with the best of them as we see while Rory moves back in with Paris.

Liz and TJ are having a baby and TJ is going nuts as usual (somehow he could be really annoying but I find him really funny). Ana decides to move to New Mexico taking an unhappy April with her, but causes Luke to really re-evaluate his paternal rights, especially after seeing his new baby niece.

It's Lucy's 21st birthday and Olivia throws her a 2002 birthday (? This is when this new season tries to copy the too-cute old style and I think fails miserably. See also Lorelai's rant on the couch to Christopher that went on WAY too long). It forces Rory to meet up with (Lucy's boyfriend) Marty (MARTY!) again who is still ignoring her, until she forces him to talk. Marty quickly changes his tune (yeah!) but then lets slip of his continuing enamour for Rory (who did truly look glowing this episode) which sort of creeped Rory out again (boo). I'm just so happy when Wayne Wilcox is on the show as Marty! Apparently, according to next week's spoilers/episode description, Logan will be none to pleased with the Marty situation.

Finally, while Emily wants to throw Lorelai and Christopher a big wedding party, Lorelai is reluctant to invite her Stars Hollow friends, fearing rejection since they were all expecting her husband to be Luke. Lorelai tries to introduce Christopher to the town and gets a cordial but hollow welcome that includes a sad Welcome Wagon gift (on an actual) Wagon (cute).

There's a big Knit-a-Thon to benefit some bridge, and the town gathers to knit, knit, complain, and knit, all in the name of fun. Christopher misreads the gripes and donates the remaining amount needed, ending the need for the rest of the Knit-a-Thon, rendering the entire event redundant, and thus leaving the townsfolk of Stars Hollow with no reason to continue the bonding experience. Lorelai also forces Christopher to hang out with Jackson on a man-date to garner a better reputation, while Jackson uses an allegory to instill Christopher that Lorelai had better be treated well.

The big question of the day though is: where the heck did they find those massive balls of yarn and the gigantic knitting needles? The Set Decorating department on this show must have a lot of fun/huge stress finding all the things needed for this show.


More After the Jump...

Veronica Mars - Big Love Ends and the Two Stooges


Spit and Eggs

The mystery is solved and we finally found Mac!!! (Tina Majorino was doing double duty on Big Love) Plus Piz, Parker, Eli, Dick AND Wallace all in one episode! You'd think they were part of the Veronica Mars opening credits cast.

After last weeks realization that the relationship was doomed due to each person's inate nature, Logan dumps Veronica which hurts her more than she lets on.

Dean O'Dell hires Keith to track down Cyrus' wife philandering ways, which at first Keith believes she's innocent, until Veronica informs him of her affair with Prof. Landry. Keith is required to tell Cyrus, who then crashes the party for two at the Grand hotel.

The Dean also reinstates the Greeks after a former alum/mob boss? presures him to do so.

Ah, the Greeks. So Dick, Chip and co. throw another party and Veronica, Mac, Wallace and Piz (how funny was he this week?) go along to try to find the Hearst Rapist. Veronica bumps into Logan and Mercer, while Moe and Nosering girl (what IS her name still? I keep missing it) are there to rescue drunken girls.

Now, the episode started amazingly with a bruised and bloody Veronica running for help in the dorm but when the final reveal of the Hearst Rapist showed already accused-and-acquited Mercer, I was like, huh? Moe was his partner, and it all sort of made sense (although, wasn't Mercer's radio show that cleared his name a live call-in show?) but why did they do it? Did I miss something? Since Logan was friends with Mercer, is there anything in that?

Though when Logan found out, he certainly will be getting some vengeance by getting himself into jail along with Mercer and Moe. Um, so all that time with the rapings and thats it still though? Mercer and Moe? A demented spoiled radio DJ and his bumbling lacky?

What was quite exciting was the set up for the next big mystery as the show closes on Eli discovering a newly shot Dean Cyrus O'Dell. He angered the Lilith House by reinstating the Greeks. He knew of his wife's philandering ways, and with the professor that teaches how to create the perfect crime, no less. Plus I'm sure he has a few more enemies around Neptune. So let's get a move on to the next mystery, especially now that Mac is back!


More After the Jump...

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Friday Night Lights - Shades of Gray


Crossing the Line

Smash needs money to buy the gymbo drug pack. Jason Street confronts Lyla and Tim Riggins. Saracen helps Smash get a job, only to have Smash's dishonesty bite him back. Julie finally accepts an offer for a date with Saracen, much to the chagrin of the Taylor's, and Billy shows his parental colours as he tries to forge a future for an ungrateful Tim.

Except, everything I said above had much more shades of gray than plotlines would sound. Smash needs the money after the previous week's horrible plays, but is struck with a sense of shock, awe and a twinge of greed when his church donates a pool of money to help his career (they all think it's for his SAT tutorials).

Billy and Tim's survival, despite the absent parents (and cheques from dad), is tainted in Tim's misery while Billy forges on with male bravado, all a facade to hide the scars. That finale scene at home by the counter practically got me in tears (which is usually a rare occurrence but already happened a few times from this show).

The Taylor parents were hilarious in their pursuit to get Julie not to date a football player, even if it is Saracen.

Things finally comes to blows when Jason Street confirms Lyla is cheating with Tim (even though they broke it off and Lyla catches Tim with Tyra). Jason punches Tim out after an intense murderball game, where Jason seemed to accept a bit more of his tragic fate.


More After the Jump...

How I Met Your Mother - Fruity Drinks

Single Stamina

Who would have thought they could come close to topping the hilarity of Robin Sparkles (though I doubt anything this year will actually top that video, including Michael's Lazy Scranton video)?

Now Barney's brother James shows up and is a actually a gay black man played by Wayne Brady (usually annoying, on this show, actually funny) with a mother who has a voice of Karen Walker/Megan Mullaly! Not only that, James and Barney are exactly alike (except the gay thing). Or so Barney thinks until the gang figures out that James is in a ... wait for it... monogamous relationship and wants to get married! Then inadvertently out spills the best gay marriage defence out of Barney's mouth as he tries to talk James out of marriage (he's against the marriage part, not the gay part).

We also get the gang going to a gay club and Marshall enjoying his fruity drinks without shame (You go Marshall!)

Barney is finally convinced when he learns James and his partner Tom are adopting a baby, and then we finally see a softer side of Barney (which somehow, is even more hilarious). They skip ahead one year to the marriage where we find out Robin is dancing with Ted and Lily and Marshall are already married. Man, this show sure writes itself into a corner a lot and yet still survives twisting the obvious into total hilarity.


More After the Jump...

Shameless Plug - Degrassi TNG Season 6 Premieres in Canada, Finally!


Since barely any of you are watching my favorite new show of this season, Friday Night Lights (I know this because ratings are abysmal and in Canada the viewers are barely existent that Global has pulled it from its schedule. BOO) which is on NBC Tuesday's at 8pm, you might as well flip over to CTV if you're in Canada and watch the Season Premiere of Degrassi: The Next Generation and support some CanCon since no one actually watches the CBC anymore.

So even though The N in the States has been running Degrassi: The Next Generation Season 6 for a couple of months now (and continually being its networks number one show, oh NOW you Canadians might watch now that you know it's a success in the states eh?), we here in Canada finally get it starting TONIGHT, TUESDAY NOVEMBER 28th. 8-9pm (with TWO 30-min. episodes a week) on CTV. (You can also watch it on Broadband at ctv.ca, plus the official Degrassi Website has now been revamped as of today.)


And if you're not going to watch because its "Canadian", well at least tune into Friday Night Lights (although the irony is it was compared to Degrassi in several reviews I read, and even shares the same team name and school colours, The Panthers in Blue and Yellow).


More After the Jump...

Monday, November 27, 2006

Desperate Housewives - Alma Matters


The Miracle Song

Somehow I've fallen even farther behind in TV and right now I'm just tired from coming back from Hong Kong over the weekend so here's just a few notes about last nights Desperate Housewives.

Love that Gabrielle seems to have a purpose with the beauty pageant thing but it seems to be a story that's even farther away from the rest of the Housewives. Plus does it all have to end up dissolving into another attempt for her to land a man?

Mike's story finally seems to get interesting and it is so Edie to just drop him like that as soon as he is arrested but we still need more Edie. Plus, bonus points to Dougray Scott for making Susan somewhat palatable again.

Love the Art (and possible pedophile) storyline, especially when he showed his evilness at the guilt-ridden Lynette at the end, but did he imply he was thankful that Lynette was able to kill his sister off for him? Or that he really did do the stuff she said with the kids? I was a little confused.

Love that Carlos is still bunking with Mike.

How twisted is Orson and Gloria Hodge? And Alma is alive? How fun is it to watch Dixie Carter tear up the lines (and is this some sort of Designing Women renaissance? First the always underrated and amazing Jean Smart on 24, and now Delta Burke on Boston Legal?). How screwed is Bree?

Christmas seemed to come early on Wisteria Lane which I guess means no new episode until 2007? Next Episode first week of January. Let the Christmas specials begin!


More After the Jump...

Fine, Don't Listen To Me

And The Nine is now cancelled. Thanks a lot people for not watching one of the better new shows this year. Now Scott Wolf is unemployed again and that is just WRONG.


More After the Jump...

Thursday, November 23, 2006

The History Boys - Movie Review


The History Boys is not just a film based on the successful British National Theatre stage play that also transferred to Broadway this year (and swept the Tony Awards winning in 6 categories including Best Play), it is essentially the exact same production with the same cast intact and same director at the helm. In fact, they filmed this film version in between the second encore run in London and their World Tour that ended in New York.

Now, first up, I actually did see the Broadway production and enjoyed it immensely even though there were things that went way over my head. However I was excited to see the movie so that I could understand it more (and maybe understand some of the dialogue through some of the thick British accents which I figure is less clear on a live stage). Plus, I wanted to verify that I wasn't being an elitist by liking a "smart" play or if I was just joining the bandwagon and pretending to understand it all (much like Copenhagen which I'm still not sure if I got, really liked or was totally lost).

So yes, Alan Bennett's The History Boys is a theatre play that is essentially filmed in real locations (in that typical realness England they tend to film in that I love so much) and presented as a film. The acting and the dialogue spoken is sometimes too theatre-speak, which might oppose its' realistic setting, however, this didn't bother me much after the first 15 minutes when I got used to it.

The History Boys follows a group of eight boys, after the A-levels, who have the greatest chance of getting into Oxford or Cambridge, and do an extra semester at school to train for the entrance exam/interviews. Leading them off is Hector (a mesmerizing Richard Griffiths (Uncle Dursley in the Harry Potter movies)) who teaches the boys "General Studies", and teaches them through life, living, and the art of words and poetry. Hector is as one might say, teaching without a grande plan about the grande plan of life. He is also somewhat questionable in his after-school activities with the boys on his motorbike where Hector always cops a feel, an issue that is fascinatingly underplayed since the boys sort of do it as an honourable duty for the erotic transfer of knowledge (as Hector says).

The headmaster decides to bring in outside help, to aid in polishing up the boys. They may be whip ass smart but they are crass (and hilariously energetic and frisky bunch to watch), or at least too crass for Oxford and Cambridge as he sees it. In comes Irwin (Stephen Campbell Moore in beautifully nuanced portrait of a careful man) who is the direct opposite of Hector. Irwin teaches the boys information pertinent to helping them get into the schools, and thus starts a slight battle between the theories of teaching, but in a bigger sense, the battle between the theories on how to approach and live life.

The boys are a joyous bunch, with Samuel Barnett as Posner being the heart of the show as the little gay Jew boy from Sheffield whose life is basically fucked (his words, not mine). Dakin (the dashing Dominic Cooper) is the confident and suave dark haired boy that Posner (and Irwin) is in love with. Scripps (Jamie Parker, possibly my fave of the boys) is the piano playing religious boy who uses religion as a crutch to avoid doing anything possibly devious or thrilling, yet doesn't embody the typical religious freak caricature often portrayed in liberal minded movies. There's also Rudge (Russell Tovey), lone long-shot of the bunch who is more attuned to playing football than speaking of Sartre, but is determined (in a way) nonetheless. The other boys just fill out the background and the other pigeonholes (the Black one, the Muslim one, the Fat one, and Lockwood, the remaining White boy), but it's still enjoyable to watch these boys play off one another in their mile-a-minute word plays.

Finally, there is Frances De La Tour (another Harry Potter alum who played Madame Maxine) as the lone female voice in the bunch who commands the screen any time she is on. Her hilarious and impassioned speech about the females role in history should alone nab her an Oscar nomination (if the Academy actually did the right thing, which they don't (see Crash)).

There was a bit more to the ending of the theatrical play, which tied in the similarities between Posner and Irwin characters only at different points of the same life. The film only briefly alluded to it in the epilogue (since much of the 2.5 hour length of the play had to be cut to accommodate film length) and I missed it dearly, but overall, the film flew by without any notable omissions from the stage play leaving much of the wit and humour intact.

Despite all the literature speak that blew right over my head (I got a Masters Degree for essentially drawings lines on paper, not reading and writing), the film still felt joyously funny and had some nice emotional moments that help you invest in some of the characters (if not all). There are plenty of great lines, theories about life, literature and of course, how we read, interpret and remember history, all coming from a standout group of actors. I'd hate to use Dead Poets Society (which I do love) as a reference because they really are not similar, since The History Boys is much more subtle and witty, though a little more calculated as well.

9/10 or A- (I swear to god that I usually give out other grades as well)


More After the Jump...

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

The Amazing Race - All Stars Edition

YES. I knew it! Okay. Survivor: All Star sucked but mainly cause everyone was already friends and didn't want to backstab each other (except Rob who basically manipulated his way to get him and Amber all the way to the end). Big Brothers: All Stars sucked mainly cause the people we love (Janelle, Kaysar, Howie) didn't win (because James stupidly betrayed them) and they were ganged up from the beginning. Plus they let in some losers into the house (Mike Boogie and ... I don't even remember her name right now? the whore girlfriend... whatever... ERIKA... should have never been in the house in the first place, though ditto with Amber on Survivor).

So here comes news that the next The Amazing Race will be an All Star edition. I've been burned before but I'm still excited. Since you really can't form alliances (despite what the Cho brothers think), any outside friendships can only help you so far (though I have to give it to Rob that some of his moves were quite brilliant).

So here's my WISH LIST of who I would want on the race (which apparently has already begun but I don't know who is on it yet). The first list are those that BETTER be on. The second are others I wouldn't mind having on. (I didn't put Rob and Amber on the list since apparently they are on and I figure there's no 15 minutes they can turn down anyways).


Emily and Nancy (Season 1) (though I will also take Emily and Brennan from Season 1's showmance)
Kevin and Drew (Season 1)
Team Cha Cha Cha - Danny and Oswald (Season 2)
Blake and Paige (Season 2)
John Vito and Jill (Season 3)
Jon and Al (Season 4) (Although since Jon is running the commentaries on the CBS Amazing Race website, I guess he's not already racing. Damnit)
Kris and Jon (Season 6)
Lynn and Alex (Season 7)
Ray and Yolanda (Season 9)
David and Mary (Season 10)

Maybe's:
Frank and Margeritte (Season 1)
Tara and Weasel (er. Will) (Season 2)
Mary and Peach (Season 2)
Derek and Drew (Season 3)
Arianne and Aaron (Season 3)
Dennis and Andrew (Season 3)
Linda and Karen (Season 5)
Lori and Bolo (Season 6)
Meredith and Gretchen (Season 7)
David and Lori (Season 9)

NOTE: HERE'S A LINK TO A MORE RECENT POSTING WITH SPOILERS POSTED AFTER THIS POST.


More After the Jump...

Gilmore Girls - Hayden's Girls

Introducing Lorelai Planetarium

It's the aftermath of the quickly-decided Parisian marriage between Lorelai and Christopher as they tell Rory who gets angry at Lorelai after the news.

Logan returns from London and throws a big launch party (with Bobby and the other fake-accented British partners (again, worst. accents. this. side. of. Madonna (special on NBC tonight at 8pm by the way)). Rory writes a piece about the party for a nice guy she meets there (who was adorable if not completely a waif, just when I was thinking, will they cast ANYBODY at the party who isn't larger than a 30" waist size?). Rory's snarky piece ends up making Logan extremely angry and calls her out for being a hypocrite living free under his roof and living the high life while bearing judgement against all the other trust-fund kids.

Christopher is excited to move into Lorelai's, changing up Rory's room for Gigi, and forcing Lorelai to accept that things won't stay the same, and convincing all of us that it may just be a good thing.

April gets an appendicitis and Luke frantically calls Lorelai for help. She shows up at the hospital where Luke finds out she's married after accidentally seeing the wedding ring and was probably the best (and kinda shocking despite the quietness of it all) moment of the entire episode (if not season?).

Lorelai tracks down Rory and they finally make amends once Lorelai realises she's mad at not being invited to the wedding and not the marriage itself, while Rory realises she would have talked Lorelai out of it. Lorelai also keeps her maiden name Gilmore thank god, though it actually never even occurred to me that Rory would have technically been a Hayden if things turned out differently back when Lorelai was 16 years old.

Cute episode but I can't wait until Emily and Richard find out! Will they be overjoyed or pissed off that Emily couldn't plan a huge showy gathering for it? And of course the sparks between Luke and Lorelai are still there so it's countdown to February Sweeps now (though again, I think the sparks between Luke and Lorelai work better in that will-they-won't-they mode rather than actually being together (the Moonlighting or Angela Bower and Tony curse) while Christopher and Lorelai work better actually together).


More After the Jump...

Veronica Mars - Is it Ever Worth It?


Lord of the Pi's

Um, Okay, I really want to champion Veronica Mars and everything because it really does deserve more viewers... but... was that it to the big rape case? After all that, it was just a scam those girls pulled to get the greeks out? Though according to imdb, the rape investigation continues, I guess on the rape of Egg man?

Pouty Logan can be cute but it was getting annoying lately so I'm glad he pulled some emotional wails on Veronica demanding her attention with an "I Love You" only the relationship seems to be falling apart more than ever.

Meanwhile Patty Hearst shows up as Selma Rose, daughter of the founder of Hearst College. She then disappears just before her 10 year anniversary to her husband, played by Charles Shaughnnesy (The Nanny). Basically we find out that Hallie (Keri Lynn Pratt, busy as ever here and on Brothers and Sisters) seduced Selma AND her husband, and was planning to run off with him, but not until the married couple past the 10 year mark (which we had learned from Tom and Nicole, is the point where you owe 50% after that point) blackmailing Selma into hiding to that point. Um. Okay.

At least Wallace is back to help Veronica out but were those scenes a bit too over-explained? Veronica seemed extremely stupid in those scenes. I know the writers are trying to dumb the show down to gain a bigger audience but is it worth it? Is it better to have a dumber Veronica Mars than none at all? If Alias proved anything, it isn't worth it, on the other hand, I'm still missing Arrested Development. Seriously, why are we even trying to appease the same people that make Deal, Or No Deal or NCIS a big hit?


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How I Met Your Mother - Canada Day


Slap Bet

Seriously, I already saw the video online but seeing it within the context of the show was the funniest shit EVER. I even snort laughed cause I was laughing so loud. I'm sure if someone were around at the time they would have thought I was crazy.

So, for those of you who miss the show (and you really shouldn't be at this point as this has become the next best comedy next to The Office), Robin who hails from Canada (on the show and in real life), never talks about her past to the gang and also refuses to go to the mall. Marshall and Barney have a Slap Bet (also the funniest thing EVER) going as to what Robin's secret past is (Marshall thinks she's married, Barney thinks its porn, and winner gets to slap the loser).

They are both wrong as Barney eventually gets a video clip of this:

Let's Go To The Mall!!

Add to My Profile More Videos

Robin... was a Canadian teenage Pop Star... hmm... kinda like Alanis "Too Hot" Morisette.


Seriously, that was the funniest episode of an already great season. TV Gal mentioned though that she felt that the show has funnier parts than the whole, which may be partially true, but when there are so many funny parts that squeeze to fill the whole, does it really matter?


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Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Stranger Than Fiction - Movie Review


Will Farrell is Harold Crick, an IRS agent that hears the voice of a writer Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson) narrating his life and telling the tale about his immenent death. Queen Latifah is Karen's assistance sent by the publishers to speed up her 10 year long writing process, and Dustin Hoffman is a literature professor Harold seeks out to help him figure out why he's hearing this narrator and if she in fact exists for real (which we know, she does), and Maggie Gyllenhaal is Ana Pascal, a baker who Harold must audit (and of course, fall in love together with).

The premise of this movie written by Zach Helm (wonderkid? Or lucky to have rich connected parents?) sounded great, and Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Monster's Ball) directs the A+ cast in this cute movie that almost becomes extremely moving, until it ultimately writes itself into a corner and isn't brave enough to de-Hollywoodize itself out of the corner, and finally deflates at the last moment. Otherwise, it would been brilliant, much like the book Karen writes about Harold Crick called "Death and Taxes". Sadly, like the book within the movie, Stranger Than Fiction happily settles for mediocrity instead of being a masterpiece all in the pursuit of a happy ending. How Meta.

8/10 or B


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Shut Up & Sing - Movie Review


Shut Up & Sing is the documentary that follows the Dixie Chicks from the time they made a statement about being ashamed that Bush was from Texas on the eve of the War on Iraq to this past summer as they release their latest album and begin the tour. It gives a nice intimate portrait of the band, as each member struggles to deal with the inadvertent and overblown crisis brewing that began from Natalie Maines mouth, but eventually uniting Natalie, Martie Maguire and Emily Robinson even stronger as a group. Part musical documentary following the making of their latest album as a personal response to it all, part political documentary that basically pits free speech, the rights and obligations of celebrityism, country music fans' response and political views, and the War on Iraq against each other.

The documentary is well made and gets right to the heart of the juicy guts of it all, then flips back and forth between 2003 (when the backlash against the Dixie Chicks begin) and 2005-06 (as the Dixie Chicks makes a new album while still feeling the backlash against them). It includes scenes with the singers' families, and how the whole controversy affected their families lives as well (and I forgot that Natalie Maines is married to Heroes' Adrian Pasdar). The documentary gives the new songs an even deeper meaning as we see the Chicks struggle between writing what they really want to say (and thus continuing to piss off country music fans) and trying to find what their direction is to be now that their core audience is gone, which inadvertently gives them even more freedom to be unique. I enjoy their new album but after seeing the film, it really explains a lot of the songs and the emotions and thoughts behind them (I guess if you listen to the lyrics closely you would already know that but I'm more a melody kinda guy).

There's a great shout-out to Toronto (and Canada) as the Chicks people watch the sales figures on this latest tour (that passed by this summer and fall and still going on), when many of the southern states were still ignoring the Chicks, while Toronto became their hottest seller (who knew Toronto was a country town?). Politics drives much of the sales (or non-sales) on this latest tour, but it's the music that has allowed the Dixie Chicks to grow a fan base beyond their country core so that they can move beyond the people that gave up on them for having a political view (probably didn't help that it was more left leaning).

I'd be interested in seeing what the Rights' response to this film was. Or at least a proper response that wouldn't be so quick to dismiss this film, since it was really a great rah rah film for the liberal left (and managed to still get applause and cheers at my screening in liberal Toronto in it's fourth week out (and still almost sold out audience)). Personally, I found it much more emotional than I would expect from a somewhat political film, and although I really knew what to expect from this pro-liberal campaign of a movie, it was still the sort of movie you want to stand up and cheer for.

9/10 or A-


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Monday, November 20, 2006

Blond, James Bond - Casino Royale - Movie Review

I’m a little shocked that Casino Royale wasn’t the number one movie this past opening weekend. Finally an action blockbuster that I felt completely deserved to be seen, and a bunch of dancing penguins beats out James Bond (though I hear Happy Feet is actually quite good since it’s from the makers of Babe)?

So let me first preface this by saying that I’m not a huge Bond fan but I enjoy them and watch them because… well, basically cause everyone else seems to, so I go along and lose myself in the ridiculousness of it all, and then forget about the movie as soon as I walk back onto the street. I also thought Pierce Brosnan was quite good as Bond, at least until now. Now looking back, and after seeing Casino Royale, Brosnan’s take seems a bit cheesy and shmarmy and almost cartoonish in comparison to Daniel Craig, the newest and 6th Bond on the big screen. Maybe Brosnan should have been Royale with Cheese.

I also understand the respect for Sean Conery’s original James Bond and while I know I saw them as a kid on TV or video, I really don’t remember much of any of them. Again, good popcorn fun but generally forgettable in my mind, but since Sean is the original, it’s hard not to set the bar to him.


Casino Royale, and to its major credit, Daniel Craig, is more than just a worthy successor as it rebuilds the franchise using old and new styles combined. It feels modern yet classic all at the same time. It’s gritty, dark, and emotional (now when have you said that word associated with any recent Bond films?) and by far the best Bond film in my lifetime at least (I was born in the late 70’s if you’re trying to track that down). The action sequences were actually exciting (I usually don’t care about big fierce bombs or shoot outs) and actually seemed grounded and plausible, even though they were still over-the-top and exciting to watch. The film is front-loaded with action that leads us into the $150million high stakes game of poker at the Casino Royale in Montenegro, an attempt to bankrupt terrorist accountant Le Chiffre (played by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, a name itself that could be a Bond baddie).


There’s the requisite Bond girl (this time French actress Eva Green), and of course Dame Judi Dench as M, who is actually given credible lines to say this time around. The Aston Martin is beautiful and Jeffrey Wright’s appearance is a welcome gesture (though they could have given Tsai Chin (the mother in The Joy Luck Club) a few lines).


Casino Royale runs a bit too long and Daniel Craig doesn’t say the famous line “Bond, James Bond” right away, but when he finally does, it is quite warranted (also good was the ordering of his infamous Martini’s). Daniel Craig, who looks rugged sometimes, old and ragedy others, and devilishly boyish handsome the rest of the times (I say it’s cause of his haircut, the few strands sticking up out back throws some youth back into his lived-in face), suits into the tuxes well, and bleeds and dirties up the rest of the time quite sexily too. He’s as real as the fictional James Bond can get, and just the psychotic we need on our side against evils like Le Chiffre (or more).

9/10 or A-


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Sunday, November 19, 2006

Desperate Housewives - Dirty Men and Beautiful Girls

Beautiful Girls

Gabrielle was supercute teaching little regular girls about modelling, and realizing she excels at teaching the girls about confidence and attitude, but slips them so gossip about dieting and Gomorrah which the kids don't understand as a warning but use it as advice.

Carlos tells Mike that they were best friends so that he can move in while he gets booted from Gabrielle's place. Tom joins in on the new boys club so that they can watch football on the big screen, but Mike questions them to what he used to be like. Which was basically dark and mysterious.

Much like the new neighbour Art (Matt Roth who is married in real life to the woman he knocks out at the supermarket, Laurie Metcalf) , or so Lynette thinks. Seems nice on the outside, but Lynette is convinced he's a pedophile but the evidence in the basement is gone, so Lynette uses Mrs. McCluskey to pass on the dirty gossip. I'm actually intrigued at how they are going to explain those questionable boy photos.

Susan finally stays at Ian's mansion and meets Rupert, the condescending butler who does NOT accept Susan and points out that Ian's devotion to his wife still extends to leaving all her stuff exactly as they were, until Susan convinces Ian to slowly move on, and giving her some drawer space.

Finally, Bree tries to help out Orson's mom find a place to live while trying to convince Orson that she should really be staying with them. Finally at one of Bree's famous dinners where everything blows up, Orson's mom reveals that Orson knew dead woman Monique and Bree is shocked at the dark revelation and throws him out. Loved that Andrew extorted Orson's mom with some alcohol for some cash.

Mike tries to burry his toolbox in the forest but get's caught by the cop on his tail (Ernie Hudson straight out from the 70's).

The few floating mysteries, the dark past of Mike's, the dark past of Orson, and the possible dark past of Art, are actually mysterious and intriguing this year and Desperate Housewives finally seems to have shaken off it's sophomore slump aura.


More After the Jump...

The Amazing Race - Book Smarts, Look Smarts

Lookin' like a Blue-Haired Lady on a Sunday Drive

See women? This is what you get when you get men that keep stopping to ask for directions. They get booted from the race for coming in last. Nice (but naive and sillily dumb) guys do finish last. And you wonder why we men don't stop to ask for directions?

The racers continue their walk down the Olympic tower in Helsinki, Finland and then fly off to Kiev, Ukraine, to get to Chernobyl where they will drive tanks around a race coarse. I know it's stupid but I had to laugh when the boys got splashed in mud but the girls somehow kept clean.

So the lookers, or the pretty teams (Druggie Models and Barbies) kept the lead, despite bunching up at the airport as they tried to get to Kiev, while the Backpack basically slowly imploded as the Cho Brothers slowly realised they got sucker punched (and when I mean slowly, I mean, it took a few sledgehammers to the head and a good knockout, 3 full rounds of boxing, and time to make a soufflé) by Lyn and Karlyn who were riding their coatails before leaving them in the dust. As James (or was it Tyler? I still can't really tell them apart) put it, the book smarts weren't really helping the Cho Brothers and they were eventually eliminated (after being stopped by the police for driving in a closed-off street. Which is not surprising for a team that brought waterguns to the airport on the first leg of the race).


More After the Jump...

Brothers & Sisters - Mistakes Were Made and Now We Fix It Fast


Mistakes Were Made, Part 2

Much like the start of this series, mistakes were made and now Greg Berlanti (who co-wrote the episode) is here to fix it, as some seemingly quick changes in this episode seem to push away the pension fund (yawn) story with a quick discovery in a bank vault in a town from nowhere, that Daddy Walker's seemingly useless inland piece of property actually has a deal to sell to the US Army for $30Million upon his death, if the Walkers choose to do so. Got all that in one breathe? Yeah, it seemed a little like that at the end on the show too.

Kevin also finds a quick hookup at the Army Base bar now that Scotty has dumped him (uh, of COURSE he finds someone right away? And at an Army Base no less? What am I doing wrong?) while Kevin, Tommy and Sarah have more time to bond on their expanding road trip (with Kevin trying to counter the gay stereotype by fixing the smoky car, only to make it worse).

Kitty interviews Senator Rob McCalister (Rob Lowe in the role that should have been Michael Vartan's, but he seems to fit in pretty well. Welcome to another grande cast!) but tries to bribe him for help to get Justin out of his call to Iraq, but Amber tattle-tales on her, revealing her compromising journalistic morals for her family (and her relationship with mother Nora's) sake. McCalister (yes, the same name Bobby McCalister from Greg Berlanti's other show Jack & Bobby) turns the offer down but offers Kitty a job as the nanny (the same position whom he had just had an affair with, ending his marriage) as a joke. Sort of.

Carpenter David (Treat Williams, who has a calming effect with that voice that I think helped Zen out Everwood and now Brothers and Sisters) stops by Nora Walkers place but Nora slows down the relationship and holds him off (with a funny nailing bit thrown in for good measure).

Flashbacks detail Justin's decision to enlist, and it was actually Nora's pushiness that finally drove him to go into the Army, and not Kitty as she was lead to believe. Though belief is not something we have about Nora's bob in the flashbacks. Time to get a better hairdresser that knows how to use wigs.

And the in-vitro seemed to work as Tommy's wife is pregnant (um. that was fast. Doesn't this process usually take forever? )

So, there wraps up a lot of the odd strains. So we are now left with the good juicy bits left between the drama of the Walker family, allowing the show to move forward on their continuing upward climb from the disaster of the shows showrunning problems of this summer.


More After the Jump...

The Office - I Forgot There Was An A++


The Merger

Scranton absorbs Stanford and Jim comes back, only along with Karen, Andy and a few others. Michael has a welcoming planned which of course annoys everyone, and Andy and Dwight fight over who the second-in-command position is, but ultimately, Jan assigns it to Jim.

I just loved watching all the other office workers (Angela, Stanley, Ryan, Phyllis, Toby etc.) try to deal with the new people. The little rift between Ryan and Jim over Jim's old deskspace, and the underlying tones was amusing, and Pam noticing Karen and Jim's little gestures at each other, was not (but what makes this show so great). Plus finally Dwight has an equally annoying (but hilarious) nemesis in Andy.

Plus Michael makes a video called Lazy Scranton, a few months too late from the phenomenom of Lazy Sunday, as the introduction video for the newbies. I think the Blair Witch ripoff was even funnier.

The video, and the episode: A++ indeed.


More After the Jump...

Friday, November 17, 2006

The Joys of Food Porn

I don't channel surf usually (and when I do, I usually regret it) but when I'm not watching one of the many series listed on my sidebar, I like to watch my backup channels like MTV/Much Music (I'm a whore for Real World and am kinda mad that my cable company has now taken off MTV Canada from the cable package I get so I'll need to figure another way to watch Denver), TLC (well, basically two shows, While You Were Out (whose host Evan Farmer, is my hero for having the life I wanted/should have lead: Architect Student, Pseudo-Boyband Singer, TLC show Host) and What Not To Wear), Discovery and the Food Network.

So usually my fixin's from Food TV is the usual. Love Nigella Feasts (or any of her shows). Love Jamie Oliver (Jamie's School Dinners and Jamie's Great Italian Escape). Loved Rachel Ray when she did 30 Minute Meals or $40 a Day (though she's really annoying now on her own talkshow). Love Giada De Laurentiis and her show Everyday Italian. I'm totally seduced by Jay Purvis from Kitchen Equiped. Love Michael Chiarello and his Easy Entertaining. I however hate that Italian dude David Roco and his Dolce Vita and sometimes I can take the Barefoot Contessa and other times I just want to slap her to speed it up a bit. Still, LOVE The Food Network.

Not that I cook though (I can, or used to, but haven't really cooked in years now just because I hadn't had to, haven't had the opportunity or time). Still, food porn. Sexy time as Borat would say!


Now I just came across Good Deal with Dave Lieberman. HOW HAVE I NOT DISCOVERED THIS SHOW BEFORE??? Or his Webisodes?


HOW IS THIS GUY SO YOUNG???


Still. HOT KITCHEN!


More After the Jump...

Ugly Betty & Grey's Anatomy - Turkeys

Ugly Betty - Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral
Grey's Anatomy - Staring at the Sun

Okay, last week I thought both shows had tepid episodes. This week our beloved ABC Thursday lineup was back up to snuff.


Hilarity ensued on Ugly Betty as Amanda and Marc have their own Thanksgiving (1) at the office, discovering Wilhelmina's secret contact, Wilhelmina tries to cook a turkey (with Martha Stewart's literally phoned in performance) for a visiting Nico (who was really in NY to see a concert) (Thanksgiving 2). The Meade's have their annual Thanksgiving (3) company party for the editors, where newly sober (maybe, probably, maybe not) Mrs. Meade (Angela Bower... er, I mean Judith Light) makes her first appearance after rehab, and Daniel becomes a little boy wanting his Sofia, who has a boyfriend named Hunter, ending up in a sort of dance-off between the two men after Sofia's heart.


At the Suarez' (Thanksgiving 4), Betty hears of bad rumours from Gina about lawyer Leah (Entourage's Debi Mazar) but Hilda refuses to listen, wanting to save the day. Everyone else takes over the responsibilities of making Thanksgiving dinner as Betty is swamped at work, but Betty is offended, while Hilda thinks no one thinks she can do it. Santos shows up for dinner, but invited guest Leah doesn't, after taking their money, and Hilda realizes that they were conned. Oh yeah, and Justin has Jazz hands!


Finally, Bradford Meade realises his trusty agent is actually working for Fey Summers and has him dealt with (Funeral).

On the other side of the country at Seattle Grace, George's Dad is admitted and Callie tries to help out, but George pushes her away. George requests Christina and Burke's help but sees something wrong in Christina's eyes and Christina knows he knows Burke's problems.

Derek, still gloating from getting back together with Meredith, unites with Addison to help a depressed Weber, or at least attempts to, while Weber realizes he must stop visiting Meredith's mom if he wants to save his marriage.

Izzie is to shadow Alex, who is still slave to Mark Sloan's demands, but Alex gives Izzie a chance to actually do something again, and kisses her in a mistaken sign of affection.

So the laughter and the tears are back on both shows. Though I was trying to see if I could pinpoint which scene exactly had the huge outburst from Isaiah Washington that essentially outed T.R. Knight (who was excellent again in this episode).


More After the Jump...

Thursday, November 16, 2006

I Want Sparkles to be My BFF!

If you haven't heard already, here's a spoiler for How I Met Your Mother:

Anyways, go here to see Robin's secret past and bring her back (you'll understand it more when you get the full story).

There's a full video floating around but it's already been taken down since this afternoon so I'm sure it'll keep popping up around, you'll just have to search for it.

Update: duckyxdale has a link to a short clip of it. HILARIOUS!


More After the Jump...

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Early Pics

So how many more days? I think Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge is going to be positively patronizing, and thus, positively perfect. OMG I can't wait already!









More After the Jump...

iPod Music Playlist - The British Commonwealth Edition

So I was supposed to see Deja Vu at a screening last night for my second attempt in 2 weeks but alas, I arrived too late after the theatre was full already (damn early birds). Oh well, Denzel is a good actor who tends to pick mediocre movies anyways.

So instead, here is what I've been listening to, all which I noticed were from Canada or the UK (okay, not really the full British Commonwealth but still under The Queen).

From Canada:

Mobile - "See Right Through Me"
K-Os - "Sunday Morning"
City and Colour - "Coming Home" (whose album Sometimes will probably land somewhere in the best of music list for the year).

Oh, and I can't believe I totally forgot:

Nelly Furtado - "Maneater"

From the place with funny accents (and I'm not talking about Quebec):

Lily Allen - Alright, Still Album
Embrace - Out of Nowhere Album, This New Day Album
Take That - "Patience" (YES, they are BACK!!! Still without Robbie Williams but back still nonetheless!!! With the new Album Beautiful World coming November 27th!!!)
Snow Patrol - Eyes Open Album (and of course "Chasing Cars" which I love and seems to be heading for Radio's Most Overplayed Song by the end of the year. Other faves include "Shut Your Eyes" and "Beginning to Get to Me" amongst others).
Imogen Heap - "Hide and Seek" (yes, I'm still obsessesed with this clip).

I've also been told to check out James Morrison but haven't yet.

I also liked The Feeling in concert but haven't had time to get their music yet.


More After the Jump...

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

William Shatner Tops Himself


Who would have thought there could be a show on TV more absurd than Boston Legal?

Of course to be THAT absurd, The Shat had to also take part in the new game show Show Me The Money, which if you tuned into ABC at 10pm last night, you might have mistaken for another episode of Boston Legal.

A mix of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, Dancing with the Stars and Deal, or No Deal, I have to hand it to Shatner who was not even the most insane part of the show. I'm not sure if it was the Shat directing the model girls to start dancing at every commercial break or the scrolls, or the contestants on last night seem to over-exagerate every emotion as if they were trying to pull through the botox lining, but Show Me The Money makes for one weird viewing. I'm guessing it should probably be watched like The Teletubbies; high as a kite. Cool Set though. I like the twinkly lights...


Of course, I did go to McGill University where the student union building was entitled (unofficially) The William Shatner Building (or "Shatner" for short) so I'm not sure who has the last laugh at this point. (William Shatner went to McGill for a while but dropped out before he could finish, apparently). Man, I hope my degree is still valid after this.


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Gilmore Girls – Marty!


French Twist

Lane has TWINS! (Not to worry Zack, not Siamese Twins… haha). Mrs Kim is actually thrilled but takes over their lives and wants them to move in with them. Finally brave enough, they tell Mrs. Kim that they need to live in their own apartment, which Mrs. Kim agrees to, by moving in with THEM, booting Brian to live with the Koreans. Seriously. Pass the Bulgogi please! I love Brian (John Cabrera), he can turn one sentence into hilarity.

Rory’s reign at the Yale Daily News is over (uh, do they normally turn over editor’s in the middle of the semester?) leaving Rory worrying about her future post-Yale. She joins her new friends Lucy and Olivia and embark on a trip back to Stars Hollow.

Lorelai, Chris and Gigi are off to Paris. Chris and Lorelai wax romantic with the Eiffel Tower in the backdrop, and Chris proposes. We next see Lorelai and Chris returned home to Stars Hollow as a married couple.

Okay, but enough with that, we already knew that was coming. What I did NOT expect was Marty to reappear as Lucy’s never-before-seen (by us or Rory) boyfriend, and Marty pretends not to know Rory. MARTY! I LOVE MARTY! The boards were always all over Marty and for his return, but a silly thing called: the actor Wayne Wilcox lives on the other side of the country in New York, somehow prevented Gilmore Girls from bringing back Marty. I told you cheap producers of Gilmore Girls, I would even pay for his ticket to bring Marty back onto the show. Well, better late than never. (For those of you who missed Marty the first time, he was found naked and passed-out outside Rory and Paris’ dorm room during first year at Yale, and basically he loved her, she didn’t, and their friendship could no longer continue, but WE loved Marty, right?)

So as someone who doesn’t despise the Chris Lorelai relationship and who is happy Lane has a few more lines this week, I enjoyed this episode immensely but again, most probably because of Marty’s last minute appearance… now, will there be more? Now that they got Wayne Wilcox back to LA? Can they keep him around for longer? (Though he is apparently to open tonight in Roundabout Theater's Suddenly Last Summer in NY Off-Broadway)


More After the Jump...

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Veronica Mars - Radio Daze

Of Vice and Men

Veronica, more cynical than usual, is angry at dad Keith for having his affair with married Harmony. Veronica is also disappointed by her man Logan, who is witholding his alibi with Mercer during the times of the rapes. Finally, Prof. Landry offers a summer FBI position to her, which she feels is hush money for his extra-marital affairs with the Deans wife.

Meanwhile, Amanda Walsh plays dumb (which I would think is not that hard but was mightily impressed with this former Much Music VJ on her partial improved stint on Sons & Daughters) and is a visitor in search of her boyfriend Sully. After a bit of a search, Veronica assumes Sully was running away, but the search takes them back to the Fitzpatricks bar where Vinnie saves the day. Sully (who was that?) ends up in the slammer from a forgetful drunken night and alas, the reunion is warm and Veronica is momentarily charmed.

We find out Logan was in Mexico with Mercer and keeping it a secret because Mercer caused a fire that they ran away from, without saving anybody's lives.

Wallace and Mac are still missing as is Parker and Eli, but Piz is around to help Veronica figure out that Mercer is innocent based on his radio show schedule.

Keith rejects Harmony once again after being blackmailed by Vinnie, and finally, STOOPID STOOPID Veronica leaves her drink momentarily unguarded at the school food court by the radio station and is drugged, but alas, here comes buff Logan to save the day, and just in the knick of time since a few streaks of Veronica's hair were clipped. Now, do we think Veronica is too smart to leave her drink unattended or do we just overestimate her and forget she's really just an 18 year old girl?


More After the Jump...

Dancing with the Stars - Make sure you get Cheryl

Okay, so it would be really cool to have Emmett Smith win this whole shindig. He's sweet, it would be such an underdog story, and he has improved to become a very good dancer. Still, he's no match for Mario Lopez and those swivelling hips. I've always had a certain attachment to Jessie Spano and Slater for some reason, so I've always been rooting for Mario.

A message to other D-list celebrities. If you intend to do this show, make sure you partner up with Cheryl Burke. This is now her second time to make it to the finals out of 3 seasons. She's gotta be a good teacher...


More After the Jump...

Friday Night Lights - Smash Mouth

Homecoming

Smash learns more about the scouting process and gets his nerves shot from it, despite his big confident mouth. Tyra plans a anti-homecoming party with Tim's loser brother Billy to make some serious cash with the help of her stripper sister and friends. Jason Street makes his triumphant return to the football field as the honorary Panthers leader and Tim stops drinking after Lyla makes a comment about it. Jason is suspicious of Tim and Lyla but the blowout will happen next episode.

The 2000 champ Lucas Mize returns home only to ask Coach Taylor in desperation for a job, since his life took a turn downward after his high school football star years.

Smash fumbles the homecoming game, with Tim saving the day. It leads Smash to seek some help in the form of a needle and vial (I'm guessing steriods?).

So we finally learn more about Smash but in doing so, we get little of Saracen, the heart of this show, and the little of Jason Street isn't enough to compensate. Tyra is still left on the outskirts of all the storylines, while Taylor rants a bit too reverend-like this time.

Oh, but the good news which I forgot to mention, is that NBC (despite the low ratings) has picked up a full season of Friday Night Lights!!! WOOHOO!!!


More After the Jump...

Hereos - Chapter 8


Seven Minutes to Midnight

Okay, I usually don't like watching shows out of order and due to some charity function (damn you needy people!) I fell behind 4 weeks ago and haven't had time to catch up (damn me trying to get a life!) on Heroes.

However, I watched last nights anyways and could pretty much figure what's still going on, and since the new catchphrase of the year is "Save the Cheerleader, Save the World", I was basically all caught up just from buzz alone.

Still enjoy it but doesn't the whole "find the Haitian" thing sound a bit racist somehow? haha.. or is it just complete coincidence?

Hiro's encounter at the diner with the girl who could learn things fast was super cute, and one can only hope he will actually go back in time to save her even though it's going to affect the future.

Love that Chloe Duvall is still around to annoy Matt Parker (Greg Grunberg) and while I'm not an Ali Larter hater, her absence last night was actually a bit refreshing (though so was Milo Ventimiglia and I actually do love him from The Opposite Sex and Gilmore Girls).

I'm a little confused with the whole Mohinder stuff in India (or I'm not really sure I care yet), plus Isaac's drug problem is kinda annoying me to the point where I kinda want to shoot up just to not deal with it, but whatever.

Alright, but seems like I really need to catch up before next week's episode when November Sweeps really seems to take over! Exciting!


More After the Jump...

The Office & How I Met Your Mother - Cutest Couples Competition

The Office - Branch Closing
How I Met Your Mother - Atlantic City

Scranton offices are announced to be closing by Jan, and Michael takes it hard while Ryan, Stanley and Pam are secretly happy about the news, until a reversal of fortune forces Jan to close down Stanford instead, amalgamating the two offices in Scranton. Will Jim get to keep his job and move back, and forced to work alongside Pam again? Will Karen follow? Of course they will, this is TV! Will Jim and Pam end up together? Will Karen get her way and land Jim? Will Roy seduce Pam again? Meanwhile Ryan and Kelly are back together again since the job situation no longer forces them to be apart. Ryan is thrilled. Poor Ryan.

Meanwhile, with Lily and Marshall back together, they decide to skip the fear of facing the relatives Marshall had been forced to tell of their first wedding cancellation. So off the group goes to Atlantic City to elope! Except this isn't Las Vegas and it isn't Nevada, so the happy couple must wait 3 days before they are allowed to marry, forcing Lily to search for a captain to marry off in international waters. After Robin changes into a bikini'd cartoon print T-shirt (seriously, I don't even care about Robin and I kept staring at that shirt), and Swarley/Barney launches back into his old gambling addict ways, and winning the $5k needed to pay the captain they found in a most hilarious game of every possible gambling game combined into one match, they go off the shores of Atlantic City.

Only, Lily and Marshall decide not to go through with it and to face the relatives with a big lavish wedding, only after the captain accidentally pronounces them married for a few seconds.


More After the Jump...

Monday, November 13, 2006

Lost on Lost and some Others

Still behind in TONS of shows (so will need some weekend to catch up on Heroes, Boston Legal, ER, Men In Trees, The OC amongst others), but finally saw Lost Fall Finale, I DO. Don't really have a comment other than... WHAT HAPPENED???

I think I'm going to have to watch it again (and I'll have time since the next freaking episode isn't until February 2007) but why isn't Kate RUNNING like JACK is yelling at her to do???

Okay. So The Others Fionnula Flanagan just signed on. I wonder if shes going to be one of the Others?

In other rants, I'm actually quite sad Justice is kinda gone (the Fox website says it will be back Dec 11 but you never know with these things). I was just about to comment about how great last weeks episode was when Matt Letscher (Burton from The New Adventures of Old Christine) and Mackenzie Aston (Lost, The Facts of Life) had to defend themselves.

Also, is the rumour about Brad and JP from Survivor: Cook Islands true? That's kinda hot. Though I haven't had time to watch or even tape it since The Office and Ugly Betty have had priority but maybe I'll catch up online since they are streaming it on both CBS and Global TV's website.

I think I may be dropping What About Brian since I haven't really watched since this season's premiere (and it wasn't that good) but how in the heck did THAT get picked up for a full season while Veronica Mars is still waiting? Plus, did I hear that Marjorie (Sarah Lancaster) left anyways? Wasn't she the only reason to watch?

Also, Marty is finally back on Gilmore Girls this week! Woo and a hoo!!! I love Marty and I thought the actor Wayne Wilcox basically had the best moments of the Rent movie.


More After the Jump...

Brothers and Sisters - Rebecca

Northern Exposure
Mistakes Were Made, Part 1

Seriously, Brothers and Sisters is quickly becoming one of my favourite shows PERIOD. New or old. Man, has this show changed really quickly over the past few episodes. Now if the rumours are true and they can get Emily Van Camp (Amy from Everwood) as Rebecca, the newly discovered half Walker sister (to the already addition of Treat Williams (Andy from Everwood)) I'm going to give this show my full complete devoted support! (Even if it isn't true, the show is getting awfully close... loving the melodramatics interplayed with some nice humouress moments. Not as layered as Everwood but with Greg Berlanti's help, it sure is getting there as a nice replacement as I mourn Everwood's loss).

I mean, even the obvious set up in Northern Exposure, where each member of the Walker clan ends up secretly going to their cabin in the woods for a romantic evening only to find the entire family there, was still hilarious and genuinely amusing. Love the romantic troubles between Kevin (Matthew Rhys) and Scotty (Luke MacFarlane), love the bubbling romance between matriarch Nora (Sally Field) and contractor David (Treat Williams, though I think I now miss the hideous beard), love Thomas' baby making problem and still enjoying Dave Annable as Justin Walker acting up a storm to keep up with the rest of the cast and fairy quite well.

I feel that Ron Rifkin and Patricia Wettig are still back in different show (Alias?) conspiring against something, but if it brings in Emily Van Camp, I'll let this story go.

Love that Keri Lynn Pratt's Amber has become more than just a one-note character and soon we will get a showdown between Rob Lowe and Josh Hopkins for Kitty's affections. I'm enjoying watching Sarah (Rachel Griffiths) being all motherly with her surly step-teenage son (played by the adorable little boy Tyler Posey that played Jennifer Lopez's son in Maid in Manhattan, now partially grown up).

So people, after Friday Night Lights, this is the next new show I am recommending!


More After the Jump...

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Desperate Housewives - Back with a Bang


Bang
Children and Art

Okay, Bang, the much ballyhoo'd episode with the supermarket shootout was absolutely fantastic and was not a letdown (unlike Borat the Movie). The episode was filled with laughs within a tense and heartfelt (hmm... I'm using that word a lot nowadays aren't I?) episode that gave every actor time to shine within their characters, including Nora, who was so shockingly quickly shot by Carolyn Bigsby (Laurie Metcalf in one of the many Emmy-worthy roles within this episode).

The war of the Solis' raged on in hilarity until the hostage taking happened. So great to see Bree perfectly host a hostage-watch that included hors-d'heuvres, until she realises that it was her gossip that sent Carolyn Bigsby into her murderous rage at the grocery store. The incident sends Julie and badboy Austin together, and the Lynette and Nora argue until Lynette reveals Nora's relationship to Tom when Carolyn shoots Nora point blank. Lynette goes into a rage, but the new neighbour saves the day (the new neighbour that bought the Young's residence).

In Children and Art, Gabrielle tries to go back to modelling only to learn she no longer is the Diva on set, while Bree learns of Orson's mother (the always welcomed Dixie Carter) who seems to hold a secret upon Orson. Susan is upset that her daughter Julie is with Austin as well as Mike being with Edie. The police continue their case on Mike, while Lynette discovers a creepy basement that seemingly points the new neighbour as a pedophile.

Still, let's get back to Bang, which was probably the best episode since the Pilot, and one of the best episode's of television period in Desperate Housewives climb back to its first season's quality (still not there but getting very close).


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The Amazing Race - Pretty Boys and Cheery Girls


Being Polite Sucks Sometimes

From Maritius to Madagascar, teams are forced to team up and the Barbies still beat the fast forward teams, Pretty Boy Druggie Models and Disfuctional Rob and Kimberly, to Phil. Sadly, we lose the lovable Bumpkins Mary and David since they arrived second-last but incurred their 30 minute penalty from the previous leg. This leg ends with basically a "to be continued" with Druggie Pretty Boy Models in the lead after rapelling off the Olympic tower in Finland, going down a mineshaft and getting stuck in some mud.

So now, who are we left with? Lyn and Karlyn are still too bitchy and just got lucky being caught up in the backpack thus grouped together with the lovable underdogs. Cho brothers were dimwits to start but at least seem really nice, too nice and too polite (which apparently sucks sometimes) thus dimwits as I had originally thought (and still stuck in their "alliance"). Druggie Models should not win just based on principles that I've had enough of good-looking guy-only teams winning (Rob and Brennan, Boston Boys, Chip and Reichen) and that these ex-druggies don't deserve it considering they pulled out of "the life" by being pretty. I would love an only-girls team to win and the Barbies are usually cheery but sometimes they are just a little bit to evil for my taste (leaving their smashed green car for another team by taking someone else's? That's just rude and wrong). Rob and Kimberly are just plain disfunctional so please no.

Usually the best parts of the race are when the teams go to asian countries where the culture and languages are so different it throws all the teams off. Usually the best part of the show are when we are down to the finaly 5 or 6 teams, and it used to culminate with them being in Asia, but since this race finally reversed it, we already got the best part of the race. Sigh, and this season was going so well, but now who am I going to root for?

I think I'm down between Cho's and Barbies but both are still "On Notice".


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Borat - Movie Review

Officially called Borat: Cultural Learnings of America to Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.

Officially, Overated.

Maybe I was needing a really good laugh, and expecting Sacha Baron Cohen to be able to provide me with that, but alas, there was constant chuckling and some grinning in a somewhat amusing if not idiotic hilarity, but it was never quite as clever as one would expect considering the premise allows for some much decent skewering of the American culture. I've had bigger and more clever laughs out of Avenue Q, The Daily Show and The Amazing Race. Borat isn't a complete washout but it doesn't really required running to the theatres to see it as the press has made it out to be.

None of our sold out audience laughed loud enough to deafen the movie once, and I never got to the point of crying laughing or making my gut hurt, in fact, I barely laughed out loud like I do consistently from The Office or Ugly Betty (which again, is more fodder for my theory that TV is just plain better than movies these days).

C+ or 6/10.


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Friday, November 10, 2006

Ugly Betty & Grey's Anatomy - Meh

Ugly Betty - After Hours
Grey's Anatomy - Where the Boys Are


It's November Sweeps, shouldn't they be pulling out all the stops?

Oh yeah, Salma Hayek is back on Ugly Betty but this time, it separates our favorite characters, Betty, Daniel, Wilhelmina with Marc and Hilda off to different storylines, leaving behind a tepid episode with barely any quotable one liners (I think the funniest thing I laughed at was something Christina said and I don't even remember what it was).

Betty reviewing the posh pretentious hotel should have been classic but ended up being generic. I like Walter. I really do. I think his facial expressions are hilarious. I do NOT think though that Betty and Walter should be together (and this quickly after he dumped her for trampy Gina?). I'm not buying it, cause Betty knows better so I don't think I really bought any of that dinner scene, which should have been a freebie comedic bit.

Wilhelmina sucking it up and becoming Dallas circa 1980 to court a rich Texan for ad dollars seemed like another lost opportunity, probably because she was still trying to win Nico's heart back (though I did like the final scene where she puts together a care package that Nico would actually like). Still, bring on the conniving Wilhelmina back.

Meanwhile, Sofia Reyes plays Daniel like the one-night stands Daniel usually leaves in the dust, and while I'm glad to see Salma donning herself onscreen for this TV show, I'm still not sure how much I bought Sofia sleeping with Daniel, even if she wanted it and had all the empowerment in the relationship.

Hilda seeks out Justin's dad for help with the $5000 needed to pay the lawyer to save Ignacio, and showcases how great Ana Ortiz can move between camp comedy to heartfelt emotions at a switch of a flick.


On Grey's Anatomy, the boys go on a camping trip ending in a hilarious open fisted slap fight between George and Alex Karev that knocks over Joe's boyfriend onto a rock. Burke tries to stitch him up but George notes the trembling in his hand that will seem to be noted next week when George's dad is in the hospital and in need of Burke's help.

Meanwhile, a case about a man getting a sex-change operation from Sloan, but whose hormone pills end up feeding his/her breast cancer, and a young pregnant woman slips and falls breaking her arm, but also killing the baby leads Addison and Callie to bond despite both having slept with Sloan.

Kali Rocha (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Teachers.) was back as the overly ethused doctor, this time to watch over Izzie, while Christina is relegated to poop duty by Bailey after she caught Christina taking Bailey off the Humpty-Dumpty surgery from the previous week basically to cover up Burke inadequacies as a surgeon.

Oh, and McDreamy and Meredith get back together again. Yawn...

Okay. So not a completely terrible episode but my heart just didn't get sucked into it as usual. Maybe I was just having an off-night or something, but while there were some great emotional and dramatic moments, most of them fell to the guest patients while the little (and usually most interesting) moments landed on our favorite doctors except it only furthered the plot slightly.


More After the Jump...