Monday, November 22, 2010

Grrr...#NoJossNoBuffy


Buffy Reboot Sans Joss?  Can I get a Hell No?

I have been waiting for a BtVS or Angel movie since the shows ended/were canceled.  Last year, the Crazy Kuzui's were linked up to another Buffy remake movie that, besides having no Whedon input, was rumored to star Megan Fox as Buffy.  Since even remembering that thankfully false rumor makes me throw up a little in my mouth, let's move on.  

I thought at the time that the idiots studio execs, in charge of this fiasco would have realized that the true Whedon fan base would not only refuse to grace this movie with a single peso but would actually rise up and demand that the studio not even bother.  Apparently, they have not learned their lesson.
That's right kids..from the geniuses who canceled Angel comes ANOTHER attempted reboot without Joss.

Warner Bros has announced it is going to have a rebooted version of Buffy with a whole staff of writers, directors & producers that had nothing to do with the much loved series.  You know..the series that everyone still talks about?  The one that people quote, watch repeatedly on DVD & have sing along parties to?  Yeah..that series.  The script writer, Whit Anderson, said that she loves Buffy.  Great.  I love all these people who say "I love your idea!  I'm going to rewrite in the way that I think it should go!"  I love Buffy/Angel too.  Guess what I did?  I wrote a fanfic.  Did I take it to a studio to get a new movie going?  Of course not...I don't have those kind of contacts..

But I digress...

A reboot is not needed.  I loved the classic Joss snarky response to this announcement and I know that Buffy will not be Buffy without his mind, wit and humor.  Of course, the only true way that this can be fixed is for Whedonverse fans to boycott this movie and make it flop.  

So far, two Whedon actresses have spoken out.  Jenny Mollen (Nina the Werewolf in Angel) tweeted today "I will only say this once. Without Joss, there is no Buffy!" In response, Julie Benz (Darla) claimed "Never have truer words ever been tweeted."  Not exactly poetry or a scathing indictment but gets the point across in 140 characters or less.  

Let's see if this project is still in the works six months from now.  I am hoping that the core fan base, who are already loudly screaming their disapproval, are able to quash this stupid idea back into the nothing from whence it came.

Then I can return to the world where I last saw Angel standing in the rain, holding his sword & proclaiming "Personally, I kinda want to slay the dragon."

Let's go to work.





Saturday, September 11, 2010

I'm a Geek Girl & I'm proud of it dammit!

The past couple of days on Twitter there has been a debate over what, or more specifically who, actually qualifies as a Geek Girl or Gamer Girl.  This was brought up when the ladies of Team Unicorn released the following video Geek And Gamer Girls.  Showing four amazingly hot women surrounded (and covered a la American Beauty) by comic books, light sabers and game controllers, they sang about their love of all things gamer & geek related.  One thing that was a little upsetting to some people was that it was a parody of the same Katy Perry song that was used in July by The Screen Team entitled Comic Con Girls.  For the record, several of the people who made or appeared in the Screen Team video have said that there is absolutely no plagiarism and that there is plenty of love to go around.

The real controversy happened when many Geek & Gamer Girls cried foul at the depiction of the women in these videos as hot, claiming they don't represent the average Geek Girl.  That leads to this question:

Who the hell is the average Geek Girl?

My Geek cred?  I grew up watching Star Wars and Star Trek.  I played hours of Atari and Nintendo until I had finally won Pitfall and defeated Bowser (in Mario 1, 2, & 3!).  I didn't play D&D only because my cousins wouldn't let me create a new character.  Planet of the Apes?  Awesome!!  I read Tolkien before the movies came out & thought Gollum was the creepiest creature ever.  However, in junior high and high school, it was very uncool to be a geek.  You didn't want to be known as a Trekkie.  You didn't admit to playing video games.  If you wanted to be accepted, you conformed...so my geeky tendencies were hidden in the back of the closet.  I was finally able to release some pent up geekiness my senior year when I dated a guy as much into Star Trek, Star Wars, comics and movies as I was.  I was finally in a crowd of AV geeks who wanted to be filmmakers.  And I was happy.  Skip ahead a few years and I was back where I was in high school.  Conforming to fit in.  And I hated it.

After my daughter was born, it was just the two of us.  I decided that there was no point trying to please people that I didn't really like in order to have friends.  If they didn't like who I really was, then why the hell was I trying to make them happy at my expense?  Releasing my inner geek came slowly as it had been in hibernation for years and wasn't really fully released until I discovered World of Warcraft...and my love of gaming took over.  Now, I don't care who knows that I love Doctor Who, Buffy and Angel, or that I would love to learn both Klingon and Elvish.  The only reason I haven't been to Comic Con, DragonCon or Pax is because of a serious lack of funds.  I'm not a Rocky Horror virgin and wish we had local midnight showings again.  I will recite the entire Holy Grail script and think that we should definitely get a flash mob together that acts out the whole damn movie.  I am also proud to say that I'm helping pull together the first ever GeekGirlCon which will debut in Seattle next year. 

Am I blond?  Yes, even more so when I can afford the bleach.  Am I skinny?  Not quite but I'm getting there.  Am I pretty?  My man thinks so and apparently there are others in agreement so I'll take their word for it.  Does that mean I'm not qualified to call myself a geek?  Hell no.

Women as a group always put other women down.  There is always an "Us vs Them" the "Ugly Girls" vs "Pretty Girls".  What we need to realize and get over is that by segregating ourselves into specific cliques and shunning those that "don't belong" to a particular group that we are making it damn easy for others to stereotype us.  Can you game if you're pretty? Yes.  Can you dress up as Wonder Woman if you're overweight?  By all means, go for it.  We need to pull together and realize that our differences make us special and we should embrace that.  Otherwise, we're no different than the snotty high school bitches who told us we weren't good enough to sit at their lunch table.  We swore then that we would never be like that and that we'd never tell someone that they weren't good enough.  Then, given the chance, we're the snotty high school bitch, telling other girls that they can't claim the Geek Girl title because they don't meet the criteria that was established.

I hope that by bringing these issues out, people will talk about it and stop the cycle from repeating.  Otherwise, we're doomed to live our lives in little segregated groups when we really all love the same thing.
 

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Big Brother-Another house guest goes buh-bye!

It's Thursday and another Big Brother live show is on...yay...

Monet is just absolutely furious that Matt is being used as a pawn to make sure that Monet is getting out of the house.

Psst...Big Brother producers!  If you could be so kind as to "accidentally" hit the mute button when either Rachel, Britney or Monet speak, that would be great.  Thank you!

Britney is boo-hooing about Monet getting kicked out.  Now, to add to the waterworks, comes Monet.  Cue the world's smallest violin.  They are just whining about how they are the smartest, cutest, coolest people in the house and the rest of the people are just jealous.  Whatever.

Hayden & Kristen are trying to keep their "showmance" under wraps.  They don't want anyone to know that they are together.  Cue the porn music and Andrew is lying five feet away pretending to sleep..he knows what's going on and is almost giddy about it.

Rachel went to Kristen to see how her voting would go.  She made up a little white lie that Britney had told Rachel that Monet had Kristen's vote.  Of course, Kristen denied this and stormed outside to confront Britney.  Britney vehemently denied that she said anything to Rachel.  Kristen said that Matt didn't deserve to go home so Monet could stay.  To add to the drama, Rachel and Brendon head outside to explain why they put up Monet.  Monet walked back inside claiming that she was leaving the backyard to keep from punching Monet.

After all the lies and craziness going on, Rachel called a house meeting.  Rachel laid out the pawn plot between them and Matt.  Matt is scrambling to cover his ass with the rest of the house and denies that he volunteered to be a pawn.  Of course, the Brigade is covering themselves by saying that there are no other alliances in the house aside from Rachel and Brendon.  Monet warned the house about Matt flipping on everyone and left the meeting.

You know, for the Saboteur twist being over with, Julie is sure saying the word Saboteur a lot for no reason whatsoever!  Have no idea why this bugs the holy hell out of me but it does.

Time to vote.

Andrew-Monet
Lane-Monet
Kathy-Matt
Hayden-Monet
Kristen-Monet
Brendon-Monet
Ragan-Monet  
Enzo-Monet
Britney-Matt


So Monet is going home.  Again..don't let the door hit your ass on the way out you conceited wench.

Onwards and upwards...it's time for the HoH competition.  They are riding on surfboards while water is pouring down on them.  The competition goes on after the show and it has already been published on Twitter and various Big Brother spoiler sites that Matt is the winner.

So, with Matt as HoH, who will he put up?  Will it be Rachel and Brendon as the Brigade tries to break up their alliance once again?  Will they try to use one their own as a pawn to throw off the rest of the house to the true nature of their alliance?

This should be another interesting week.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Big Brother 12: Drama in the house, first eviction & the identity of the Saboteur is revealed!

We pick up just after the veto competition.  Annie has barely sat on the couch and the drama has started already.  Just after they get off the couch, Annie starts saying that Britney is going around telling everyone lies about her.  She begins packing her stuff.  Rachel realizes that she just has to lay low and let Annie hang herself.

Annie, by the way, is doing an excellent job of hanging herself.  She gets mad at Brendon for choosing Rachel over her.  She tells Brendon that she didn't mean to lash out and that she's now embarrassed because she knows that there is no way she can get six votes to stay.  She knows she's going home.

Back to the gratuitous PDA by Brendon and Rachel.  Brendon stops the make-out session to say that he's upset about how Annie's reacting.  Rachel is a bit pissed that he is even concerned about Annie.  Brendon says that he just needs Rachel to hold him and tell him it will be okay but she just sits back and rolls her eyes.

Back to the live segment with Julie.  Who is the Saboteur?  Quick! Skip ahead if you don't want to see....

It's ANNIE!!!

No wonder she's pissed that she's on the block!

Cut to Annie showing how she padlocked the pantry during the blackout and how she bumped into Brendon on the way back.  How does he not remember this?  If my alliance member was on the block, I'd be screaming about this little tidbit of info to anyone who would listen...especially since Annie placed herself on the couch when everyone was confirming their whereabouts during the blackout.

On to another saboteur message...who tells Hayden that he didn't pick the correct people to be evicted and that he/she escaped the block this week.  Immediately, everyone looks to Brendon as he did "escape" the block.  Annie hopes that this little diversion will save her.

Andrew and Hayden talk in the HoH room.  They think it would be better, if Brendon is the saboteur, to vote out Rachel.

Annie is sitting out back throwing Rachel under the bus.  She also tells everyone that Brendon isn't who he says he is and that he's not just a swim coach.  Everyone thinks that it would be better to vote Rachel out.  Annie says that she will make a bunch of sweet deals and kiss anybodies ass to stay.

Back to the live show.  Julie does a recap of the competitions and how hard it was for some houseguests to compete, highlighting Brendon losing his shorts during the Have/Have Not caramel popcorn competition.

Annie and Rachel give there final pleas.  Annie throws Brendon and Rachel under the bus by saying if they don't get rid of Rachel now, Brendon will take her through to the end just like Jeff did with Jordan last season.  Rachel basically just says that she loves everyone and knows that they will do the right thing.

Live voting!

Monet-Annie
Andrew-Annie
Lane-Annie
Kathy-Annie
Kristen-Annie
Brendon-Annie
Ragan-Annie  
Enzo-Annie
Matt-Annie
Britney-Annie

Vote of 10-0 and Annie is gone.  Annie gives everyone hugs with the exception of Brendon and Rachel.

So the Saboteur is gone!  Wow!  That twist was short.

Annie feels that she lost because she played too hard so she put a target on her own back.  She thought that Brendon would find a way to pull her off the block.  She thinks that the rest of the house is stupid for keeping Rachel and not her.  She doesn't realize that she was evicted because she was a big mouth, bad tempered drama queen.  Rachel told her in the good-bye message that she was glad that Annie was gone because Annie tried to get in between Rachel and Brendon.  Annie blows this off and explains how Brendon tried to get with her first but she brushed him off so Rachel got her "sloppy seconds".  Whatever Chica.

Hey Annie!  Do you live in your fantasy world full time or is it just your summer home?

Soooo...back to the HoH competition.  Hayden cannot compete, of course, as outgoing HoH.  The game is "Majority Rules" where the answer to the question needs to be what the majority thinks, not a personal opinion.

First round: Brendon, Kathy and Kristen knocked out.
Second round: Enzo, Matt, and Lane kicked out.  (The Brigade is now ineligible for the HoH!  Oh justice is sweet!)
Third round: Tie
Fourth round: Tie
Fifth round: Tie
Sixth round: Andrew knocked out
Seventh round: Ragan is knocked out.

Monet, Rachel and Britney go to the tie breaker round.  The winner is RACHEL!!!!!!!

So...to recap:

Annie was the saboteur....and was tossed out on her ass first by a 10-0 vote.

The Brigade alliance didn't even come close in the HoH competition.

Rachel is now in charge for the week...heads will roll this week my friends...heads will roll....

By my count, Julie Chen said Saboteur 12 times this episode.  What will she do now that it's no longer necessary?

I think that with Rachel as HoH, anything goes.  I'd be surprised to see Hayden not up on the block but she might try to backdoor him this week to ensure he goes.  Although, to make that work, the Brigade alliance will need to be brought to light...and since those guys really aren't all that bright collectively, that should be easy to do.  Sunday should be a very interesting show!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Big Brother: This season's Brigade Alliance & POV Ceremony

Well, well, well...let's catch up...Rachel & Brendon have already started the Showmance of the season..Enzo, Hayden, Matt & Lane have formed a Brigade Alliance and they quickly decided that the Showmance pairing must end. Hayden nominated Rachel & Brendon. We caught up? Great...here goes POV night.

In dealing with the fall out of both Brendon & Rachel ending up on the block, Annie follows them into the bedroom to talk about how shocked she is. Lane follows to listen and make sure that no one realizes about the Brigade. He quickly tells his Alliance that Annie is in an Alliance with Rachel & Brendon and therefore cannot be trusted. All four guys agree that they need to watch what they say around Annie now.

And we break for a quick little make-out session in the hammock between Brendon & Rachel while the rest of the house watches from the kitchen. Of course, remember that the first on-camera sex involved Amanda and David during Season four's "Ex Factor" twist.

Time to pick players for the POV competition. The two nominees & the HoH each draw the other three players. The competitors are HoH Hayden, who draws Enzo, Brendon, who draws Andrew, & Rachel, who draws Monet. Of course, she's not happy at her pick as she wanted Annie & rolls her eyes. This does not go unnoticed by Monet who states she would love to deck her for it.

Before the competition, the Brigade Alliance meets up in the HoH room to discuss the best way to handle things if either Brendon or Rachel win POV. They feel that since Annie is in an alliance with Brendon and Rachel that backdooring Annie will be the best bet. Brendon goes up to the HoH room to make an offer to Hayden to play the game for the long term, not just for the week and to pull Brendon off the block. Brendon tells him that if they strike a deal then Brendon will not put Hayden up when he's HoH. If Hayden won't make the deal, and Brendon pulls himself off the block, then Hayden is the next one up. Hayden doesn't make the deal and Brendon declares that he has made a very dangerous enemy.

During the POV competition, the houseguests walk out to the backyard to find pinatas filled with rotten mayonnaise. The players have to smash the pinatas to find letters to spell a word. Whoever locks in the longest word within 10 minutes will win POV. The six players quickly begin smashing the pinatas splashing rotten mayo all over the place. Of course, Andrew states that mayo is kosher so it's okay if some splashes in his mouth. (Take two shots if you're playing the Big Brother drinking game!)

Hayden spells POSSIBLE (8 letters), Enzo spells FACTORY (7 letters), Rachel spells CHEMISTRY (9 letters), Monet spells CHEATERS (8 letters), Brendon spells UNDERSTANDING (13 letters) and Andrew spells PASTUERIZED but he spells it wrong, leaving Brendon with the longest word and the POV. Of course, he is going to take himself off of the block.

Hayden knows he has to put up a replacement and he's also worried that Brendon is going to be gunning for him.

Matt and Enzo are up in the HoH room discussing who would be better to take out: Rachel or Annie? They decide now is the time to backdoor Annie and pass on the information to Hayden.

Enzo, Hayden & Matt bring Britney upstairs to ask what will happen if Annie goes up. She quickly agrees that Annie needs to go.

Britney and Annie talk up in the HoH room. Britney tells Annie that Hayden asked about Annie's alliance with Rachel and Brendon. Annie immediately went downstairs to talk to Hayden. Is the drama starting? Why I believe so!!

Annie tells Hayden that Britney told her that the boys thought that Annie was in an alliance. She tells Hayden that it's not true and that Britney is just stirring up trouble.

Lane and Hayden are talking in the pantry. Lane thinks that they could control Annie a bit more for future votes and that they should put up Kathy instead to keep drama to a minimum.

The Saboteur pops back up on the tv screen. He/she tells the group that two people are actually life long friends and that if they really think about it, it's really easy to figure out who it is. Brendon says it might be a trick but Britney says there's no way that it's a lie. Immediately, the houseguests begin throwing out suspicions about who the real friends are. Andrew swears that no one in the house could be his friend because nobody knows anything about Judaism. (Take another shot people!)

The POV meeting...Brendon takes himself off the block and Hayden nominates Annie. Annie immediately gets pissed and blames Britney. Tomorrow is the live eviction ceremony!!

I thought Annie would have been smarter than this. I thought she understood how to play the game. Instead, she is drawing attention to herself and showing herself to be a drama queen. I'll be very surprised if she does not go home.

Also...who is the Saboteur? Do you think that they are just trying to stir up drama with the whole "two of you already are friends" announcement? We shall see!!!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Big Brother 12: The new season has begun!

Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday at 8:00PM on CBS

It's summer...and that means that the House Guests are once again taking up residence in the colorful Big Brother House. This season we are treated again to the usual cast of characters. There's the jock, the small town girl, the college student, the tough girl, the southern boy, the brain, the bitch, the chick with the boobs and, last but not least, the gay guy. This year, just to change it up, they've added an orthodox Jew, a bisexual woman, a Jersey boy, and a cop. Throw in the Big Brother summer twist of the "Saboteur" and it's possible we could have 90 days of "what the hell just happened" on our hands.

This years twist of having a House Guest in the game not to win but to sabotage everyone else is definitely new. We've had identical twins who switched places, siblings who knew nothing about each other, the Ex Factor, America's Player, and other "twists" that either ended up being the great story or fizzled before they could really get going. Having a player deliberately trying to wreck the other player's chances sounds interesting enough to keep watching and cheering that person on. Stealing a line from the America's Player theme, apparently we will have the opportunity to help them out with ideas. Will this help keep America watching? Or will the predictability of this cast of characters lead to another summer of "Eh..."

Meet the House Guests








Andrew Gordon
Miami Beach, FL

Podiatrist

Andrew is definitely a first for the BB house. He is an Orthodox Jew. In fact, he has packed his own cook pots in an effort to keep kosher. Right off the bat, he has drawn suspicion on him by quickly volunteering to sit out of the first HoH competition and deciding to mess with the house guests during the Saboteur's black out. That and he is now safe from eviction. Either a conniving plan or a very stupid move. I think that Enzo will lead the charge to get Andrew out quickly. I don't believe he's the Saboteur but I think that suspicion will stay on him for a while. He could go further in the game but I really don't see him lasting beyond the midpoint. It's possible he could be this season's Ronnie.









Monet Stunson
Glen Carbon, IL
Model


I do not like Monet. I've never been a fan of women who think that because they are pretty and can dress that they are somehow superior to the rest of us commoners. Of course, it could just be my jealousy of her suspected shoe collection that is bringing these feelings out in me. She went straight for the $10,000 in the HoH competition before thinking about how this would put her in an awkward spot with the rest of the house guests. I think that if her pre-house interview attitude comes out too strong, she will get voted out quickly. Of course, the build up to this could equal some very cool drama.









Enzo Palumbo
Bayonne, NJ
Insurance Adjuster


Enzo, Enzo, Enzo....you are just adding to the Jersey stereotype aren't you? He will be loud, obnoxious, and be oh so obvious in his ploy to rule the house. He is extremely paranoid about who is the Saboteur and is ready to throw Andrew under the bus. Could it be he doth protest much and it is Enzo who is out to wreck this house? That might explain the over playing of the Jersey boy...or he is a representation of what The Situation will be in a few years. Enzo could go to the final four if he doesn't rub everyone the wrong way. More than likely, his mouth and actions will get him in trouble and he ends up experiencing the same fate as Russell from season 11.

P.S. If you don't know who The Situation is, please tell me what rock you have been living under so I can join you there.









Kathy Hillis

Texarkana, AR
Deputy Sheriff

Kathy strikes me as an honest person. She is a survivor of ovarian cancer and didn't appear to try to use it right off the bat. You have to respect that, as opposed to Andrew who came up with a fake story to gain sympathy. Really too soon to tell how far she will go. If she stays honest and continues to fly under the radar, she could be a surprise winner.










Ragan Fox
West Hollywood, CA
College Professor


I know that Matt Smith can pull off the "bow ties are cool" look on Doctor Who but I just want to say to Ragan "sir, you are no Matt Smith". Another character hiding his true profession in the house. He says that his strategy is to not rock the boat until he has to but he is also looking to form a secret alliance two weeks into the game. As we know from past seasons, secret alliances almost always rock the boat. Hard to say about his prospects in the game. He won't be the first evicted but I'll be surprised if he makes it to the midway point.








Annie Whittington
Tampa, FL
Bartender

Annie seems to be a player who has really watched Big Brother and knows how the game is played. She is bi-sexual but doesn't want to make a big deal out of it until she finds out the mood of the other players towards the subject. She is another likely candidate for the Saboteur role, in my opinion anyway. Annie could be in the final four. If she is a true BB fan, she will know the best ways to work the system, lie low & play her hand when it's time.











Hayden Moss
Tempe, AZ
College Student


Meet the first HoH! Hayden appears to be very laid back and also very willing to form alliances to pull his way through the game. By winning the first HoH competition, he has both secured his place for the week and painted a large target on his back. I don't know if he will be able to pull through without a strong alliance as he doesn't seem to have a solid game plan in mind so we'll see if he chooses wisely. We've seen many "pretty boy" house guests voted off quickly because they expected to be able to stay in based on looks alone. We'll see if Hayden can break that tradition.










Britney Haynes
Huntington, AR

Hotel Sales Manager

Britney seems to be trying to play the "I'm a small town girl trying to get myself to the big city" role and that role can get old quickly. She did fall and hurt her knee during the HoH competition but that could have been a well played ruse as the Saboteur. She would be a likely candidate but then again, that might make her the all to obvious choice. I think that there are a number of people who feel that she was probably faking. If it comes out that she was, she might be out on her ear.










Matt Hoffman
Elgin, IL
Web Designer


Matt could possibly be the smartest player in BB history, at least on paper. I've checked and I couldn't find anyone else who boasted of being a member of Mensa. For the time being, he's keeping that tidbit of info from the other house guests. He reminded me a bit of Dan from season 10. I think he may play the nice guy, try to come across as the reasonable one during confrontations and could very well slide his way into the winning seat.









Kristen Bitting
Philadelphia, PA
Boutique Manager

Kristen appears to be different. She really didn't say much during the first episode so she could be playing it smart and just sitting back, taking it all in and waiting to make her move. She claims to have been on her own since she was 18 which could give her a bit of insight into humanity...or give her a touch of arrogance that could be her undoing. Don't assume that this blond will go quietly.









Lane Elenburg
Decatur, TX
Oil Rig Salesman


Lane's another one who was hard to read. He seems to be fitting the BB role of the Good Ol' Southern Boy. Other than that, most of what the public knows of Lane comes from his BB profile. What I found most odd is that his fear is electric fences. I can only imagine where that fear originated. I'm thinking a dark country road and a lot of liquid were involved.









Rachel Reilly
Las Vegas, NV
Chemistry Grad Student/VIP Cocktail Waitress


Finally, we come to Rachel. Yes folks, this is the chick with the boobs. That she is Chemistry Grad Student proves that she does have brains...but I'm afraid she's going to resort to using her massive chest size to get her through the game. I suspect that she might be the saboteur. She is just too much of a contradiction to be real. I think that she may be seen as a threat by the women in the game and taken out early so if she is the saboteur, that will make for a short twist.









Brendon Villegas
Riverside, CA
High School Swim Coach


Three words come to mind: Big Dumb Jock. I don't think he would disagree with this assessment as one of the adjectives he uses to describe himself is unintelligible. He seems the most likely to try to hook up with Rachel. I don't see him going far on his own. To make it to the half way point, he's going to have to hook up with a strong alliance and hope they don't turn on him.

So, that is it my friends. The new season of Big Brother.

Oh, if you want to play a fun drinking game, try this:

1 shot every time Julie Chen says the word "Saboteur".
2 shots every time Andrew asks if something is kosher.
3 shots when Rachel shoves her boobs into the center of attention.

I'd have more but by the time you go through these shots, you'll be passed out on the floor.

And that may be the best way to watch Big Brother 12.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Iron Man 2 Mostly Lives Up to the Hype

Iron Man 2


Starring: Robert Downey Jr; Gwyneth Paltrow; Mickey Rourke; Don Cheadle; Scarlett Johansson; Sam Rockwell; Samuel L. Jackson


Director: Jon Favreau



Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) is back and once again proves that bad ass boys have bad ass toys. Picking up where Iron Man left off, Tony Stark has confirmed publicly that he is Iron Man. This does not sit well with Senator Stern (Garry Shandling) who demands that Stark turn over the suit to the US Government. Stark refuses and the Senator turns to Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) to duplicate the suit as a weapon.

Meanwhile, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) is in Russia plotting his revenge against Tony Stark for wrongs Ivan perceives were committed against his father by the senior Stark years before.

Unfortunately, Tony Stark is dying. Ironically, the palladium in his arc reactor that was designed to save his life is poisoning him and his continued use of the Iron Man suit is only making the problem worse. Determined to make the most of his remaining days, he becomes reckless and begins taking chances both in business and his personal life. During the Monaco Grand Prix, Stark is attacked by Vanko. Though Stark survives the attack and Vanko is captured, Vanko has attracted the attention of Hammer, who realizes that he needs serious help to recreate any of the Stark technology.


The remainder of the movie is filled with spectacular special effects, an amazing fight scene between Tony Stark and his friend, Lt. Colonel James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury who is once again trying to recruit Stark for S.H.I.E.L.D. Paltrow is excellent as Pepper Potts, playing straight man for Downey Jr’s Stark. They have an excellent chemistry and it’s actually a shame that they don’t get more time together on screen.


Rourke’s portrayal of Vanko aka Whiplash is authentic and played with the same intensity he throws into any role. Cheadle’s Rhodes is much looser played than Terrence Howard’s version in the first Iron Man but the role was not a stand out role as was Rourke’s. While I understand that Justin Hammer is supposed to be an obnoxious, egocentric ass, Rockwell took his portrayal over the top and down into a pit. He was the single most obnoxious character on the screen. I did find the character familiar before realizing that Rockwell must have watched Tropic Thunder prior to the start of filming and was channeling Tom Cruise’s Les Grossman.


Overall, Iron Man 2 delivers as a great action flick and super live action depiction of the Marvel Comic. Nothing really new under the sun but it is worth it to watch on the big screen to fully appreciate the effects and sound. This is one movie that should be seen at least once on the big screen. Oh, and be sure to stick around for a preview after the credits. That little teaser was enough to make me jump for joy.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

The New Nightmare on Elm St does the original justice...and then some

A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

I can remember when the original "A Nightmare on Elm Street" came out. I wasn't allowed to see it when it came out because it wasn't a movie you would usually allow a seven year old to see. However, it was only a few years later that I got to watch it at a slumber party. It scared me pretty bad but, again I was only 9 or 10. However, thanks to my brother, I was already a bit of a horror movie aficionado so I watched the other movies as they came out. I've actually grown to love Freddy as the villain, mostly because of the amazing way Robert Englund portrayed him. Having said that, when I heard there would be a remake, my first thought was "Why mess up a good thing?" I had very low expectations, especially after seeing the preview ("been there, watched that, got the t-shirt" was my thought) but I was curious when I saw there would be a little Freddy backstory. That aside, I was not expecting much out of this movie other than to be bored stiff.

I was wrong....


***Caution: Spoiler Alerts!***


One, two, Freddy's coming for you...

First off, we are transported into Freddy's world. The first intended victim is Dean, played by Kellan Lutz. Sitting in a diner, he struggles to stay awake to keep from dreaming. He tries to explain his fears to his friend, Kris (Katie Cassidy), but is unable to fully explain before Freddy quickly takes him out. (Sorry Twilighters...maybe Emmet Cullen could have killed Freddy but then it would have been a five minute movie...ten if the fight scene had gone on long enough.)

Three, four, better lock your door...

One by one, the Elm Street teens begin to realize that they are dreaming about the same man. They realize that they knew each other as very young children and that their parents are covering something up. Been done before? Yes. But then there is Freddy and he is proof that everything old is new again.

Five, six, grab your crucifix...

Jackie Earle Haley leaves the pop culture humor out of Kruger and leaves him with the sick and perverted comments of a true serial killer and child molester. As we learn more about his story, we find that the children were all students at a pre-school where Kruger was a gardener. The kids told their parents that Freddy molested them, the parents hunted him down and burned him alive as he screamed out, proclaiming his innocence. This leads to the big question: did the parents murder an innocent man on the basis of the confused imaginations of small children and he is now seeking revenge on the children for said lies? Or is this a killer and child rapist looking to finish tormenting his now grown victims with no limitations?

Seven, eight better stay up late...

"Nightmare" has many jump out of your skin moments. You will find yourself looking over your shoulder as you leave the theater. You will find yourself looking at your bed with apprehension, wondering if this new, creepier & not-so-funny Freddy will pay a visit to your dream land. You may even wonder if your mind is playing tricks on you as you daydream...

Nine, ten never sleep again...

This is a Nightmare for the next generation. If there are to be sequels, I truly hope that they spawn from this new storyline as opposed to dredging up and rewriting the past. The writers of this movie pay homage to Wes Craven by taking an idea and making it their own without trashing the concept. Of course, not being a big fan of sequels, my hope is that this franchise is now over and Freddy in the new incarnation is dead...

...or is he?

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

American Idol: The march of the serial killers & hopeless nuts

Last night was the first night of American Idol. Coming to us from the city of Boston...and confirming why I am perfectly happy on the west coast.



First up was Miss Muffin Top...a woman who was convinced that because she could win the AI video game that it meant she was to be the next American Idol.



There was the typical blond hippie guy who couldn't sing but would keep "singing as his passion" despite getting told by the judges to stop.



The animai girl...whose own mother rolled her eyes at the thought of her daughter doing well on the show...(then why encourage her you stupid woman)



But the stand out bad performance has to be the guy in the thick glasses and the brown shirt...police should search his apartment for bodies immediately. That guy has "serial killer" written all over his body. He sang "House of the Rising Sun" and even that song came out sounding like a threat. I could picture him drilling the knees of someone strapped to a table while singing it while his previous victims dissolved in vats of acid in his basement.



Were there good singers? Yes. The Jim Morrison guy who broke both his wrists falling out of a tree had a good voice. Also a 16 year old girl who had soulful voice I didn't think it was possible to belong to a white girl. All in all...a very mixed bunch. Tonight they are heading south. Let's see how things go downhill...ahem...I mean improve...from Boston.



Oh Victoria Beckham? Make-up covered stick insect. 'Nuff said.