11/29/2010
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Oh my gosh! Sorry all~~ I went on a little Thanksgiving holiday trip (and I don't have an Android or Iphone so no mobile internet). It was very sudden...my friends and I decided to go about a week before we left, so between the trip planning and actually going, I had no chance to watch any new shows/movies. So I'll update you on all the sights of Seattle in a little bit - and even though it was drizzly, we saw some great views (some that we just couldn't manage to take pics of >.<)
11/16/2010
Burlesque Burlesque
A whole bunch of girls (plus one guy) went to a pre-screening of Burlesque the other day. We were super excited to watch this movie, mostly because of Cher and Christina Aguilera. How could you possibly go wrong with those two??
The musical was immensely fun and entertaining (and my friend who usually ends up napping during movies stayed awake for the whole thing!) There were some great scenes that naturally led into the singing scenes. However, there were a couple that seemed to have come out of nowhere, like Cher's sad solo song.
I liked seeing the pictures of Dita Von Teese in the Burlesque Lounge when Christina first walked in, as she is the most well-known Burlesque performer in modern times. It made the whole feel of the movie much more authentic. In fact, the art direction was fantastic, from the set to the costumes - it was all magnificent.
There was one scene that definitely had every person talking (or squealing or laughing)...the romantic set-up between Jack and Ali (Cam Gigandet and Christina). Although everyone loved it, the weird part was seeing him put his pants back on...but not the ones he was wearing.
Christina showed great talent in this movie and as it was her film debut, I wouldn't be surprised if she received more offers. The only problem I had with her character, Ali, was how she was this super-perfect wholesome, hard-working girl, and at the same time, pushy enough to get what she wants. In short, she was way to good to be true.
Kristen Bell made a fabulous foil to Christina, as her not-as-talented, bitchy rival Nikki. Although she constantly tried to upstage Christina, I liked that she eventually got over her jealousy, proving that she wasn't such a bad person.
The funniest part of the entire movie was watching Christina get a makeup lesson from Cher. After it was finished, my friends and I laughed about how Christina looked like her normal self afterwards (or at least how she looked in all her recent music videos).
This is definitely a movie to watch, but I advise going with people you know will enjoy this type of movie. The one guy who came with us fell asleep, but I knew he wasn't too into the movie :P
The musical was immensely fun and entertaining (and my friend who usually ends up napping during movies stayed awake for the whole thing!) There were some great scenes that naturally led into the singing scenes. However, there were a couple that seemed to have come out of nowhere, like Cher's sad solo song.
I liked seeing the pictures of Dita Von Teese in the Burlesque Lounge when Christina first walked in, as she is the most well-known Burlesque performer in modern times. It made the whole feel of the movie much more authentic. In fact, the art direction was fantastic, from the set to the costumes - it was all magnificent.
How hot does he look here? XD
© Sony Pictures
There was one scene that definitely had every person talking (or squealing or laughing)...the romantic set-up between Jack and Ali (Cam Gigandet and Christina). Although everyone loved it, the weird part was seeing him put his pants back on...but not the ones he was wearing.
Christina showed great talent in this movie and as it was her film debut, I wouldn't be surprised if she received more offers. The only problem I had with her character, Ali, was how she was this super-perfect wholesome, hard-working girl, and at the same time, pushy enough to get what she wants. In short, she was way to good to be true.
© Sony Pictures
Kristen Bell made a fabulous foil to Christina, as her not-as-talented, bitchy rival Nikki. Although she constantly tried to upstage Christina, I liked that she eventually got over her jealousy, proving that she wasn't such a bad person.
The funniest part of the entire movie was watching Christina get a makeup lesson from Cher. After it was finished, my friends and I laughed about how Christina looked like her normal self afterwards (or at least how she looked in all her recent music videos).
This is definitely a movie to watch, but I advise going with people you know will enjoy this type of movie. The one guy who came with us fell asleep, but I knew he wasn't too into the movie :P
11/13/2010
Sorry for the lack of posts recently...
Sorry, my monitor is broken and I'm doing of lot of stuff in real life, which is why my posting the last several days has been so infrequent. >.< But I managed to convince a friend to lend me their extra monitor until the company has fixed it ^.^ I still won't have too much time to post, but I'll try to watch/do something and blog about it every couple days.
11/09/2010
Pack Structure
Criminal Minds S06E06 Middle Man
I loved that Garcia attempted to update the team by providing them with electronic files (all on tablets/ipads or something of the sort) excepting Reid - because he's very stuck in his routine. I found this episode to be very intriguing because it showed not only the pack structure but also its slow breakdown.
The actor playing the 2nd in command seemed the exact same as his previous gig, except he was the bad version of Wendell on Bones. Unfortunately, the ending was really sad even though I found his loyalty admirable.
I loved that Garcia attempted to update the team by providing them with electronic files (all on tablets/ipads or something of the sort) excepting Reid - because he's very stuck in his routine. I found this episode to be very intriguing because it showed not only the pack structure but also its slow breakdown.
The actor playing the 2nd in command seemed the exact same as his previous gig, except he was the bad version of Wendell on Bones. Unfortunately, the ending was really sad even though I found his loyalty admirable.
11/08/2010
Laser Bones
Bones S06E05 The Bones that Weren't
I found the fact that the case was handed to the "Bone Lady", when there were in fact no bones, very interesting. Surprisingly, Angela always comes up with the solution to their mysterious problems - and like always, it was awesome to watch, very futuristic.
I had heard and seen about this type of technology before, where a 3d model is created digitally and lasers cut out the image from plastic. There are even home-versions of this, but they get pretty pricey, not including the plastic material used each time.
The best part of this episode was seeing Twitch, from So You Think You Can Dance. He had a huge role in the episode, even though his dancing was definitely NOT what I was used to from his style, it seemed a lot more fluid and rubbery.
Sadly, Hannah's injuries from getting shot weren't serious (the writers wouldn't kill off the other girl so fast...especially since they've gotten so much mileage out of using her). Brennan saved her, like I knew she would - she's above such irrational feelings such as jealousy. However, I dislike Hannah's pushy personality, why would she demand a get well gift, when Brennan already gave her the gift of life?
I found the fact that the case was handed to the "Bone Lady", when there were in fact no bones, very interesting. Surprisingly, Angela always comes up with the solution to their mysterious problems - and like always, it was awesome to watch, very futuristic.
I had heard and seen about this type of technology before, where a 3d model is created digitally and lasers cut out the image from plastic. There are even home-versions of this, but they get pretty pricey, not including the plastic material used each time.
The best part of this episode was seeing Twitch, from So You Think You Can Dance. He had a huge role in the episode, even though his dancing was definitely NOT what I was used to from his style, it seemed a lot more fluid and rubbery.
Sadly, Hannah's injuries from getting shot weren't serious (the writers wouldn't kill off the other girl so fast...especially since they've gotten so much mileage out of using her). Brennan saved her, like I knew she would - she's above such irrational feelings such as jealousy. However, I dislike Hannah's pushy personality, why would she demand a get well gift, when Brennan already gave her the gift of life?
11/05/2010
Halloween Horrors
Halloween is such a fun holiday because any crazy outfit/hair is acceptable. This year - like many other years - I had no idea what I wanted to dress up as. However, when friends and I went to look for costume ideas/pieces (and no, I've never actually spent money on a full costume before), I found some crazy green tights. There were also red, blue, yellow, orange (which my friend bought), and purple leopard print. I would have bought them if I had any inkling of a costume I could make out of it...
With those green tights, I decided I could go as Poison Ivy (from the comics, not the plant). When I told my friends that, I didn't realize that what they imagined was something a lot skimpier.
Yea, I would never EVER wear that. Instead, what I was imagining was a lot more covered...more like
Unfortunately, I ran out of time to make the costume, and couldn't find green gloves, so I decided to go as a glam rocker...and I still wore my green tights ^.^ I bought spray-in color for my hair because I didn't want to risk bleaching and dying my hair. I was super surprised that the colors in my hair came out so well! I kind of want purple or red streaks in my hair now, but not on top. I want them underneath my hair so that it only peeks through.
My hair felt crunchy all-night because I stuck in tons of hair gel to try to get a faux-hawk. Good thing I didn't use hair-spray - I could smell the gel the entire time, and I used Garnier Fructis so it actually smelled nice! My hair is just a little too long for it, so I ended up bobby-pinning it sorta-up - the stiffness of my hair definitely helped, but it wasn't the faux-hawk I was imagining of anime proportions. On that note, I wonder what cosplayers use...
Anyway, we went to a Halloween party...on the night before Halloween (good thing it's on a Sunday this year!) Sadly, we missed Journey to the End of the Night, an SF streetrace in Halloween costumes because of circumstances out of our control. Luckily for us, we caught a break because it started raining in SF anyways (and I absolutely HATE being outside when I'm being rained upon.) Surprisingly I managed to get home before I went to sleep, even if it was at 5 am. :P
Sadly my laptop broke so no pictures for awhile >.<
With those green tights, I decided I could go as Poison Ivy (from the comics, not the plant). When I told my friends that, I didn't realize that what they imagined was something a lot skimpier.
Yea, I would never EVER wear that. Instead, what I was imagining was a lot more covered...more like
Unfortunately, I ran out of time to make the costume, and couldn't find green gloves, so I decided to go as a glam rocker...and I still wore my green tights ^.^ I bought spray-in color for my hair because I didn't want to risk bleaching and dying my hair. I was super surprised that the colors in my hair came out so well! I kind of want purple or red streaks in my hair now, but not on top. I want them underneath my hair so that it only peeks through.
My hair felt crunchy all-night because I stuck in tons of hair gel to try to get a faux-hawk. Good thing I didn't use hair-spray - I could smell the gel the entire time, and I used Garnier Fructis so it actually smelled nice! My hair is just a little too long for it, so I ended up bobby-pinning it sorta-up - the stiffness of my hair definitely helped, but it wasn't the faux-hawk I was imagining of anime proportions. On that note, I wonder what cosplayers use...
Anyway, we went to a Halloween party...on the night before Halloween (good thing it's on a Sunday this year!) Sadly, we missed Journey to the End of the Night, an SF streetrace in Halloween costumes because of circumstances out of our control. Luckily for us, we caught a break because it started raining in SF anyways (and I absolutely HATE being outside when I'm being rained upon.) Surprisingly I managed to get home before I went to sleep, even if it was at 5 am. :P
Sadly my laptop broke so no pictures for awhile >.<
11/04/2010
Venician Times
America's Next Top Model S15E09 Margherita Missoni
This week the models get transported to Venice, Italy. I expected this season to be in Italy simply because the prize is a cover on Italian Vogue. Surprisingly they didn't have a challenge, and went straight to the photo shoot. The concept was three girls vying for a Casanova's attention on a gondola. Once again Liz complained through the entire shoot. >.<
The very next day, they went to Milan, Italy where I think they're going to stay for the rest of the time because it's the home of IMG Models and Vogue Italia.
The Final Shoot
Chelsea - amazing, lots of intensity
Ann - looks scared, not working for me
Jane - very in character, but not much interaction
Chris - not in the face
Liz - doesn't seem part of the shoot
Kayla - best in the shot
Kayla got the top photo (finally!) with Jane as runner-up. The bottom two were Chris and Liz (which I totally called because they were so weak, and haven't been super strong throughout the competition.) I really wanted Liz to go home because she complained so long and often - as she did.
This week the models get transported to Venice, Italy. I expected this season to be in Italy simply because the prize is a cover on Italian Vogue. Surprisingly they didn't have a challenge, and went straight to the photo shoot. The concept was three girls vying for a Casanova's attention on a gondola. Once again Liz complained through the entire shoot. >.<
The very next day, they went to Milan, Italy where I think they're going to stay for the rest of the time because it's the home of IMG Models and Vogue Italia.
courtesy of the cw
The Final Shoot
Chelsea - amazing, lots of intensity
Ann - looks scared, not working for me
Jane - very in character, but not much interaction
Chris - not in the face
Liz - doesn't seem part of the shoot
Kayla - best in the shot
courtesy of the cw
Kayla got the top photo (finally!) with Jane as runner-up. The bottom two were Chris and Liz (which I totally called because they were so weak, and haven't been super strong throughout the competition.) I really wanted Liz to go home because she complained so long and often - as she did.
11/02/2010
Stripper Silliness
Castle S03E07 Almost Famous
This week on Castle, a fun party turned ghoulish. Unfortunately too much partying allowed for a rift in memories of the party-goers, so Brennan and Castle needed a bit more help. A lot more investigation led them to a strip joint, which allowed for a ton of jokes and humorous quips.
I love how Detectives Ryan and Esposito completely took the agents remarks to heart, and ribbed each other about their 'types'. The fire extinguisher scene was hilarious, though I'm a bit unsure how safe it was in reality.
This week on Castle, a fun party turned ghoulish. Unfortunately too much partying allowed for a rift in memories of the party-goers, so Brennan and Castle needed a bit more help. A lot more investigation led them to a strip joint, which allowed for a ton of jokes and humorous quips.
I love how Detectives Ryan and Esposito completely took the agents remarks to heart, and ribbed each other about their 'types'. The fire extinguisher scene was hilarious, though I'm a bit unsure how safe it was in reality.
11/01/2010
Haunted by the Past
Criminal Minds S06E06 Devil's Night
This was a nice episode of just profiling the unsub, with many mistakes and other guesses being made that didn't quite fit. I don't quite understand the 'remember' technique used by the agents because I've tried remembering things that happened...and I never remember in as much detail as the victims/witnesses do, especially not when the needed details are part of the background, not something that was focused upon.
The story behind this unsub was revenge for all the wrongdoings that were waged upon him by people in his life. I didn't understand why one of the people set on fire was alit in the middle of the road, with cars everywhere, even hitting the poor guy on fire. There was some definite scariness going on with the scenes where the baton was whipped out - and it happened quite a lot.
The cutest part of this episode was seeing the interaction between Hotchner and his son, Jack. The choosing of Jack's costume and the way the tie was tied was perfection. However, it made me sad to see that their Halloween plans were messed with because Hotch needed to fly to Detroit for this Halloween case.
This was a nice episode of just profiling the unsub, with many mistakes and other guesses being made that didn't quite fit. I don't quite understand the 'remember' technique used by the agents because I've tried remembering things that happened...and I never remember in as much detail as the victims/witnesses do, especially not when the needed details are part of the background, not something that was focused upon.
The story behind this unsub was revenge for all the wrongdoings that were waged upon him by people in his life. I didn't understand why one of the people set on fire was alit in the middle of the road, with cars everywhere, even hitting the poor guy on fire. There was some definite scariness going on with the scenes where the baton was whipped out - and it happened quite a lot.
The cutest part of this episode was seeing the interaction between Hotchner and his son, Jack. The choosing of Jack's costume and the way the tie was tied was perfection. However, it made me sad to see that their Halloween plans were messed with because Hotch needed to fly to Detroit for this Halloween case.
10/31/2010
Wearability >.> or not...
Project Runway S08E14 Finale Part II
For Gretchen, I hate the shiny weirdly colored orange to green material, as well as the brown spotted print that's almost, not quite leopard, and the brown stripey print. I like the green pants w/ the sheen in the third look. The green leathery jacket is also very cool. I like the low back and high pants that she keeps throughout her looks.
Andy used good materials and prints. I loved his opening piece. I think the hem on the shirts were weird and led to odd sorts of ruffling. I really liked the bathing suit and cover-up he had that Tim didn't respond to. The top that used a bit of weaving to hold it together was really nice.
Mondo used some crazy prints that I didn't necessarily respond to, but overall he matched them together very well. I absolutely love the plaid dress he came out with paired with the yellow hints. The one piece I really disliked was the pink dress/top thing.
The funniest part of the show was watching the judges fight over the winner. Andy was barely even considered because his designs were so Asian-inspired. However, I liked the hints of Oriental that came through in his collection. The judges were split between Gretchen and Mondo, with Heidi and Jessica Simpson rooting for Mondo.
Oddly, Michael Kors and Nina Garcia were pushing for Gretchen because her designs were very 'in' and 'now', however, I cannot see people really buying her clothes.
For Gretchen, I hate the shiny weirdly colored orange to green material, as well as the brown spotted print that's almost, not quite leopard, and the brown stripey print. I like the green pants w/ the sheen in the third look. The green leathery jacket is also very cool. I like the low back and high pants that she keeps throughout her looks.
courtesy of mylifetime.com
Andy used good materials and prints. I loved his opening piece. I think the hem on the shirts were weird and led to odd sorts of ruffling. I really liked the bathing suit and cover-up he had that Tim didn't respond to. The top that used a bit of weaving to hold it together was really nice.
courtesy of mylifetime.com
Mondo used some crazy prints that I didn't necessarily respond to, but overall he matched them together very well. I absolutely love the plaid dress he came out with paired with the yellow hints. The one piece I really disliked was the pink dress/top thing.
courtesy of mylifetime.com
The funniest part of the show was watching the judges fight over the winner. Andy was barely even considered because his designs were so Asian-inspired. However, I liked the hints of Oriental that came through in his collection. The judges were split between Gretchen and Mondo, with Heidi and Jessica Simpson rooting for Mondo.
Oddly, Michael Kors and Nina Garcia were pushing for Gretchen because her designs were very 'in' and 'now', however, I cannot see people really buying her clothes.
10/30/2010
Mega-Destiny...Hero or Villain?
Megamind is a funny, animated movie of good vs. evil. Or is it? This movie shows that destiny isn't something you're born with or born into, it's what you choose to make of yourself. Anyone can be good or evil, but most everyone is a shade of gray.
I liked the use of 3D during this movie. It was used effectively - not sparingly, but not so much so that it was distracting. This was definitely made with 3D in mind. Unsurprisingly, Dreamworks also 3Ded their opening logo sequence, but it was very cool to watch.
The soundtrack was perfection: the rock hits, the love songs, the boom-box - and all of its problems. It was a fantastic complement and it definitely got the entire theater laughing. Minion was such a fun, like-able character that when he and Megamind got in a fight (or a lover's tiff, if you will ^.~), the movie seemed so much sadder and there were a few little aww's going on.
The one problem with Megamind is that it seemed to hit off-the-mark with its target audience. While the premise was solid, the ideas and jokes were more adult-oriented as opposed to children. In attempting to grab the adult's attention, Dreamworks may have gone a little too far and made the movie less accessible to the kids.
The kids will want to go because it *seems* like a kid-friendly movie (most animations are), the parents will want to take the kids (not only because it'll shut them up, but because there are certain scenes not to be missed), but I believe that it's the 15-30 audience that will enjoy this movie the most. Not only will these adults still have the joy in watching kid movies, they'll also appreciate the more adult humor and the not-so-subtle references to Marlon Brando and Obama.
Overall, I gave this movie a solid A-, but be sure NOT to watch the trailer. I did so only after having watched the movie, and sadly, I think it gave a lot of the really great scenes away.
I liked the use of 3D during this movie. It was used effectively - not sparingly, but not so much so that it was distracting. This was definitely made with 3D in mind. Unsurprisingly, Dreamworks also 3Ded their opening logo sequence, but it was very cool to watch.
The soundtrack was perfection: the rock hits, the love songs, the boom-box - and all of its problems. It was a fantastic complement and it definitely got the entire theater laughing. Minion was such a fun, like-able character that when he and Megamind got in a fight (or a lover's tiff, if you will ^.~), the movie seemed so much sadder and there were a few little aww's going on.
© Dreamworks Animation
The one problem with Megamind is that it seemed to hit off-the-mark with its target audience. While the premise was solid, the ideas and jokes were more adult-oriented as opposed to children. In attempting to grab the adult's attention, Dreamworks may have gone a little too far and made the movie less accessible to the kids.
The kids will want to go because it *seems* like a kid-friendly movie (most animations are), the parents will want to take the kids (not only because it'll shut them up, but because there are certain scenes not to be missed), but I believe that it's the 15-30 audience that will enjoy this movie the most. Not only will these adults still have the joy in watching kid movies, they'll also appreciate the more adult humor and the not-so-subtle references to Marlon Brando and Obama.
Overall, I gave this movie a solid A-, but be sure NOT to watch the trailer. I did so only after having watched the movie, and sadly, I think it gave a lot of the really great scenes away.
10/29/2010
Deceiving the Expert
Lie to Me S03E04 Double Blind
This week's episode dealt with a planned museum heist. Torrez was (once again) in trouble for not being Lightman, this time from the museum curator, who was apoplectic that a robbery almost happened. In the process, a night guard (a retired cop) who never before fired his weapon in the line of duty had to break his streak, causing Torrez great guilt.
While Torrez dealt with re-vetting the museum workers, Lightman got a new girlfriend, who used him to run off her ex. *He always manages to pick the absolute worst girlfriends...and what happened to Det. Wallowski? She completely disappeared this episode.* The one thing that was out-of-context was when Lightman received a text from Naomi (the girlfriend) and suddenly appeared where she was...but she hadn't sent him a location.
It was a decent episode, but not one of my favorites. Please pick up the pace and stop having Lightman always doing shady things...PLEASE!
This week's episode dealt with a planned museum heist. Torrez was (once again) in trouble for not being Lightman, this time from the museum curator, who was apoplectic that a robbery almost happened. In the process, a night guard (a retired cop) who never before fired his weapon in the line of duty had to break his streak, causing Torrez great guilt.
While Torrez dealt with re-vetting the museum workers, Lightman got a new girlfriend, who used him to run off her ex. *He always manages to pick the absolute worst girlfriends...and what happened to Det. Wallowski? She completely disappeared this episode.* The one thing that was out-of-context was when Lightman received a text from Naomi (the girlfriend) and suddenly appeared where she was...but she hadn't sent him a location.
It was a decent episode, but not one of my favorites. Please pick up the pace and stop having Lightman always doing shady things...PLEASE!
Commercial Appeal
America's Next Top Model S15E08 Zac Posen
Their challenge this week was to walk in Zac Posen's runway show alongside professional models. Miss J decided to have a quiet word with the professionals to ask them to shake the confidence of the potential models. Some girls messed up, others shone. Chelsea impressed Zac the most and won 5 looks from his line.
Instead of a photo shoot, they needed to shoot a commercial. Kayla had a breakdown and revealed that she was sexually assaulted when young. Surprisingly, though she had never spoken of it to anyone before, she managed to push through her fear and the memories and deliver a surprisingly solid performance.
Jane did well, I liked the ending shot. Liz was really bad and kept laughing. Chris was funny, but it seemed so cheesy and overacted. Chelsea was really flat. Esther was so bad.
Chris got first call-out this week, with Jane as runner-up. Ann and Esther were the bottom two, with Ann staying. That was expected because she had 5 weeks in a row of best photo.
Their challenge this week was to walk in Zac Posen's runway show alongside professional models. Miss J decided to have a quiet word with the professionals to ask them to shake the confidence of the potential models. Some girls messed up, others shone. Chelsea impressed Zac the most and won 5 looks from his line.
Instead of a photo shoot, they needed to shoot a commercial. Kayla had a breakdown and revealed that she was sexually assaulted when young. Surprisingly, though she had never spoken of it to anyone before, she managed to push through her fear and the memories and deliver a surprisingly solid performance.
Jane did well, I liked the ending shot. Liz was really bad and kept laughing. Chris was funny, but it seemed so cheesy and overacted. Chelsea was really flat. Esther was so bad.
Chris got first call-out this week, with Jane as runner-up. Ann and Esther were the bottom two, with Ann staying. That was expected because she had 5 weeks in a row of best photo.
10/28/2010
You Killed? I Tripled it
Castle S03E06 3XK
This week's episode was completely enthralling. It dealt with a serial killer who suddenly returned after several years off. Other than the witty little banter between Castle and Beckett during the profile briefing, the episode seemed much more serious and detective-y than it has been before. It's a good little breather for the show (it can't survive completely on humorous portions).
I absolutely loved the over the shoulder shot near the very beginning - where it wasn't immediately recognizable as a person in the left. It suitably changed the tone of the entire episode to one of utter creepiness. However, the one scene I found odd was immediately after the briefing, when Det. Ryan appeared because all the officers should have been in the briefing. Why did Ryan come up as if he hadn't been in the room (he came from behind the whiteboard)?
Definitely creepy and just in time for Halloween, this episode hits all the right marks and makes me wish it was a two-hour special because I can't take the suspense.
This week's episode was completely enthralling. It dealt with a serial killer who suddenly returned after several years off. Other than the witty little banter between Castle and Beckett during the profile briefing, the episode seemed much more serious and detective-y than it has been before. It's a good little breather for the show (it can't survive completely on humorous portions).
I absolutely loved the over the shoulder shot near the very beginning - where it wasn't immediately recognizable as a person in the left. It suitably changed the tone of the entire episode to one of utter creepiness. However, the one scene I found odd was immediately after the briefing, when Det. Ryan appeared because all the officers should have been in the briefing. Why did Ryan come up as if he hadn't been in the room (he came from behind the whiteboard)?
Definitely creepy and just in time for Halloween, this episode hits all the right marks and makes me wish it was a two-hour special because I can't take the suspense.
10/27/2010
Diplomacy Disaster
Undercovers S01E05 Not Without My Daughter
Last week's episode involved helping a North Korean scientist defect. However, when the United States refused to save his daughter as well, he shopped around and the French took the job as well.
I found the premise completely improbable. The North Koreans rarely allow anyone into their borders in the first place, how in the world did the CIA agents, as well as the French agents make it in. Not only that, it seemed ridiculously easy to lose their guards and book hotel rooms. I felt they should have been easy to find - just ask any citizen where to find the people who didn't look like Koreans! I mean seriously, you have African-Americans and Caucasians just waltz into a country and no one realizes??
Surprisingly, Leo didn't pop up during this episode, as he tends to do - a lot. A side point: the actress who plays Lizzie isn't very good, it sounds as though she doesn't open her mouth when she speaks (the nasally, whiny type of voice) - ughh it's annoying.
This show seems to get more and more ridiculous each week...and I don't know whether I'll keep watching it or not. Despite my wish to know what the little sideplots are like their reasons for leaving the agency, and the reason they were reactivated, at this point it seems safer to just give up on it.
Last week's episode involved helping a North Korean scientist defect. However, when the United States refused to save his daughter as well, he shopped around and the French took the job as well.
I found the premise completely improbable. The North Koreans rarely allow anyone into their borders in the first place, how in the world did the CIA agents, as well as the French agents make it in. Not only that, it seemed ridiculously easy to lose their guards and book hotel rooms. I felt they should have been easy to find - just ask any citizen where to find the people who didn't look like Koreans! I mean seriously, you have African-Americans and Caucasians just waltz into a country and no one realizes??
Surprisingly, Leo didn't pop up during this episode, as he tends to do - a lot. A side point: the actress who plays Lizzie isn't very good, it sounds as though she doesn't open her mouth when she speaks (the nasally, whiny type of voice) - ughh it's annoying.
This show seems to get more and more ridiculous each week...and I don't know whether I'll keep watching it or not. Despite my wish to know what the little sideplots are like their reasons for leaving the agency, and the reason they were reactivated, at this point it seems safer to just give up on it.
10/26/2010
Fighting for Family
Criminal Minds S06E05 Safe Haven
There was a nice little twist that caused me to believe one of the later victims was the murderer, although I'm unsure whether that was deliberate or not. It may have been that I was too used to correctly guessing the murderer, so by the time the BAU team was discussing what type of person it could be, I already had some ideas - and the victim had the exact job description I had in mind for the murderer.
The actor who played the murderer definitely was overacting - that was the worst part of the show. Also I hate his smile - it's very ingratiating and very fake. However, there was a great shot of him looking disturbingly at the knife cutting the chicken.
I felt as though the ending scene with the Spicers was so forced and out of place in this show. First, I absolutely HATE Ellie's hair, it still looks as though it was randomly chopped off with a knife, and it should have been several weeks since then - in the show's timeframe. Also, I don't understand why she would have been stuck in foster care when Garcia could have tracked down her mother in no time at all.
Then, her mother and Morgan talked about personal issues IN FRONT OF THE CHILD!! Get real...he's a profiler and should know better than that. Also, the letters - why did the mother not send them, instead of writing them down in a journal? And why did Ellie trust Morgan so much, that just because he said it was okay, everything was all right and she was immediately liked and trusted her mother. UGHHH
The best part about this episode is that it showed me a new band, Fitz & the Tantrums. I love when shows do this...and the last time was during the first season of Castle for the band Minnutes. However, Criminal Minds didn't just use the music in the episode, it showed clips from a music video, which had me wondering whether it was the actual music video - and it was. Not only that, the introduction of the video was very strategic.
There was a nice little twist that caused me to believe one of the later victims was the murderer, although I'm unsure whether that was deliberate or not. It may have been that I was too used to correctly guessing the murderer, so by the time the BAU team was discussing what type of person it could be, I already had some ideas - and the victim had the exact job description I had in mind for the murderer.
The actor who played the murderer definitely was overacting - that was the worst part of the show. Also I hate his smile - it's very ingratiating and very fake. However, there was a great shot of him looking disturbingly at the knife cutting the chicken.
I felt as though the ending scene with the Spicers was so forced and out of place in this show. First, I absolutely HATE Ellie's hair, it still looks as though it was randomly chopped off with a knife, and it should have been several weeks since then - in the show's timeframe. Also, I don't understand why she would have been stuck in foster care when Garcia could have tracked down her mother in no time at all.
Then, her mother and Morgan talked about personal issues IN FRONT OF THE CHILD!! Get real...he's a profiler and should know better than that. Also, the letters - why did the mother not send them, instead of writing them down in a journal? And why did Ellie trust Morgan so much, that just because he said it was okay, everything was all right and she was immediately liked and trusted her mother. UGHHH
The best part about this episode is that it showed me a new band, Fitz & the Tantrums. I love when shows do this...and the last time was during the first season of Castle for the band Minnutes. However, Criminal Minds didn't just use the music in the episode, it showed clips from a music video, which had me wondering whether it was the actual music video - and it was. Not only that, the introduction of the video was very strategic.
Crimes of True Love
Castle S03E05 Anatomy of a Murder
In last week's episode, an extra dead body was discovered stuffed into a closed casket during a funeral when the pall-bearer accidentally lost his grip (a too-heavy casket will do that). The hunt for the good doctor's killer led them to a flirtatious male nurse (with lots of little plays on the McDreamy name from Grey's Anatomy), a mystery boyfriend, as well as El Diablo - a druglord.
The plot was a well-written tale of intrigue and misdirection. Of course, the side plot of true everlasting love was worthy of a second glance as well - poor Castle got upstaged by his own ex-wife in Alexis' happily ever after. Plus Beckett's ending comment was absolute brilliance, though I'm a bit unsure whether the writers intended for her to know the implications.
10/25/2010
Lacking Conviction
Conviction is a movie based on a true story of a man arrested for murder, sentenced to life in prison, and a sister's life-long struggle to prove his innocence. The pacing of this movie was very slow and the performances were lacking.
The character of Betty Anne Waters was supposed to be compelling in her efforts to free her brother. However, it seemed more as though she was a saint, giving up her own idea of a career, her family, heck - her life (she didn't even want to make any friends). She might well have been in reality, but in a movie context she came off as a complete bore.
I was reminded of another movie about an uneducated woman who rose against the system - Erin Brockovich. Unfortunately, this movie fails miserably in comparison. The rude, loud-mouthed, brashness of Julia Roberts worked towards making the 'saint' not so saintly and gave depth to the character.
Hilary Swank, on the other hand, comes off very flat. The performance during this movie felt as though she overacted the whole time. Her voice was grating, the accent very pronounced and fake. Every time there was a close-up of her face, her lips would be trembling and always tension-filled. It filled me with a sense of constant agitation, although perhaps that was what the director wanted.
© Fox Searchlight Pictures
The director did a fantastic job of portraying the character of Kenny Waters. Sam Rockwell absolutely dominated the screen whenever he appeared, from the fun-loving, violent drunk to the suicidal prisoner. Through his words and his outbursts of temper, there were times where I was wondering whether he was actually innocent or guilty. However, it was very obvious what the outcome would be.
Overall, I give this film a D, because I would never ever watch it again. There's nothing special about this underdog, I was more compelled reading the old news articles about this case and the revelations of it.
Who are You Loyal to?
Lie to Me S03E03 Dirty Loyal
In last week's episode, Internal Affairs hired The Lightman Group to investigate Lightman's cop 'friend' (more girlfriend, now) and her partner in relation to gang-related matters. However, this was a conflict of interest for Lightman - he had loyalty towards Foster and his business, but he also felt loyalty towards Det. Wallowski. In his mind, he believed Dr. Foster should have had enough loyalty and trust in him to not take the case/back him up in the first place.
This episode I got a real sense of the struggle in the partnership between Drs. Lightman and Foster. Also, it dealt with dubious shades of gray in their morals. Foster has a much more straight-laced view of the world, and partnering with Lightman caused great dilemmas in her morality. Although the episode was very interesting, at some points I definitely wanted smack Lightman for being so oblivious or purposefully ignoring the moral dilemma Foster was facing.
10/24/2010
The Home Stretch
Project Runway S08E13 Finale Part 1
Unfortunately, even though they have made it to the 'Final Four', the designers still need to compete in order to actually show at Fashion Week. They each received $9000 and 6 weeks to create a 10-piece collection. The producers were a lot smarter this season; they didn't choose a bottom two to choose between...all the designers could potentially not show their collection.
Andy's checkup wasn't that great, considering he had 2 weeks to go and not one of his looks started. However, what I saw of his headpieces were very cool. Michael went a little crazy and made 18 looks - and was considering making more. Some of his looks were nice, but some were just weird.
Mondo's inspiration was a marriage between the Day of the Dead and clowns. Most of his pieces were awesome, except for a pink shirt thing. Gretchen had a bad time, and with the challenge of creating a collection on top of it...I felt a bit sorry for her. I like what she's created so far, but not all together.
In order to choose the three final collections, the designers are required to present 2 current looks, and a final look that they need to create in 2 days.
Andy's silver pleated outfit is nice up top, but the bottom had weird wrinkles going on. I couldn't see the coherence of the 2nd piece (the flowy gray), but the green look was amazing.
Michael's flowy brown look was really pretty, I liked the movement. The 2nd piece kind of reminded me of Laura Bennet's cocktail dress, but without the nice silhouette and fit. I like the pants and the idea of the fringe top, but hated the weird brown back thing going on. Unfortunately, all his pieces look like a glamour piece in copper.
Gretchen's grey-green dress was nice in front, but I hated the movement of the back. I didn't like the 2nd leopard look because it was so plain. I loved the 3rd green look with the half-open front. Her three looks seem as though they're going on safari vacation.
Mondo's first look seemed a little too many fabrics going on. I love his 2nd look with the turquoise. His dress was very VERY cool and his looks definitely said Mondo to me.
Michael was eliminated, because his body of work wasn't as strong as the other three designers. He broke down after being eliminated, especially since his parents only supported him once he got on the show. His worry that they would expect him to give up his dream, now that they were proven 'right' is a worry that many other gay designers have. Hopefully things won't turn out that way.
Unfortunately, even though they have made it to the 'Final Four', the designers still need to compete in order to actually show at Fashion Week. They each received $9000 and 6 weeks to create a 10-piece collection. The producers were a lot smarter this season; they didn't choose a bottom two to choose between...all the designers could potentially not show their collection.
Andy's checkup wasn't that great, considering he had 2 weeks to go and not one of his looks started. However, what I saw of his headpieces were very cool. Michael went a little crazy and made 18 looks - and was considering making more. Some of his looks were nice, but some were just weird.
pic courtesy of mylifetime.com
Mondo's inspiration was a marriage between the Day of the Dead and clowns. Most of his pieces were awesome, except for a pink shirt thing. Gretchen had a bad time, and with the challenge of creating a collection on top of it...I felt a bit sorry for her. I like what she's created so far, but not all together.
In order to choose the three final collections, the designers are required to present 2 current looks, and a final look that they need to create in 2 days.
Andy's silver pleated outfit is nice up top, but the bottom had weird wrinkles going on. I couldn't see the coherence of the 2nd piece (the flowy gray), but the green look was amazing.
pic courtesy of mylifetime.com
Michael's flowy brown look was really pretty, I liked the movement. The 2nd piece kind of reminded me of Laura Bennet's cocktail dress, but without the nice silhouette and fit. I like the pants and the idea of the fringe top, but hated the weird brown back thing going on. Unfortunately, all his pieces look like a glamour piece in copper.
Gretchen's grey-green dress was nice in front, but I hated the movement of the back. I didn't like the 2nd leopard look because it was so plain. I loved the 3rd green look with the half-open front. Her three looks seem as though they're going on safari vacation.
pic courtesy of mylifetime.com
Mondo's first look seemed a little too many fabrics going on. I love his 2nd look with the turquoise. His dress was very VERY cool and his looks definitely said Mondo to me.
Michael was eliminated, because his body of work wasn't as strong as the other three designers. He broke down after being eliminated, especially since his parents only supported him once he got on the show. His worry that they would expect him to give up his dream, now that they were proven 'right' is a worry that many other gay designers have. Hopefully things won't turn out that way.
pic courtesy of mylifetime.com
10/21/2010
Designers...at the Grammy's
America's Next Top Model S15E07 Francesco Carrozzini
Their challenge this week was to pair up and dress their partner without them knowing what they got in order to possibly get the chance to give out the Grammy's. Kayla and Liz did a great job, even though Kayla completely went off-script from what Liz wanted. Kendal and Chris had their great personalities, but their outfits looked as though they were the ones receiving the awards.
Esther and Jane did fantastic because they completely understood that they were there to do a job, not to be the stars, so their outfits were much more subdued. Ann and Chelsea had some problems. Ann looked great in what Chelsea picked out, but Chelsea looked so drab (Ann didn't do a good job at all). On top of that, Chelsea needed to sell the outfit even though she didn't like it - like Liz did.
Kayla ended up winning the prize (go girl!). However, Liz's jealousy came out once again. In reaction to her runner-up position, she decided to get drunk - never a good idea.
The photo shoot required the models to portray a famous fashion designer, with an established female model wearing the designer's clothes, shot by Francesco Carrozzini. The ones who really struggled were those who had to pose as male designers (except for Liz and Ann because they naturally used to be tom-boyish).
The Final Shoot
Kayla - good, strong, has movement
Liz - awesome, really looked like him
Chelsea - good, but kind of snobby-ish
Esther - not boyish at alllll
Jane - too straight (not slouchy enough)
Kendal - not good, very bored looking
Ann - very boyish
Chris - sooo good, really portrayed her
Someone other than Ann finally got the first call-out. Liz was first, with Kayla as runner-up. The bottom two were Esther and Kendal, with Kendal going home. I totally saw it coming because Kendal's performances and attitudes have been very lackadaisical.
Their challenge this week was to pair up and dress their partner without them knowing what they got in order to possibly get the chance to give out the Grammy's. Kayla and Liz did a great job, even though Kayla completely went off-script from what Liz wanted. Kendal and Chris had their great personalities, but their outfits looked as though they were the ones receiving the awards.
Esther and Jane did fantastic because they completely understood that they were there to do a job, not to be the stars, so their outfits were much more subdued. Ann and Chelsea had some problems. Ann looked great in what Chelsea picked out, but Chelsea looked so drab (Ann didn't do a good job at all). On top of that, Chelsea needed to sell the outfit even though she didn't like it - like Liz did.
Kayla ended up winning the prize (go girl!). However, Liz's jealousy came out once again. In reaction to her runner-up position, she decided to get drunk - never a good idea.
The photo shoot required the models to portray a famous fashion designer, with an established female model wearing the designer's clothes, shot by Francesco Carrozzini. The ones who really struggled were those who had to pose as male designers (except for Liz and Ann because they naturally used to be tom-boyish).
pic courtesy of the cw
The Final Shoot
Kayla - good, strong, has movement
Liz - awesome, really looked like him
Chelsea - good, but kind of snobby-ish
Esther - not boyish at alllll
Jane - too straight (not slouchy enough)
Kendal - not good, very bored looking
Ann - very boyish
Chris - sooo good, really portrayed her
pic courtesy of the cw
Someone other than Ann finally got the first call-out. Liz was first, with Kayla as runner-up. The bottom two were Esther and Kendal, with Kendal going home. I totally saw it coming because Kendal's performances and attitudes have been very lackadaisical.
10/20/2010
Connecting to the Hereafter
The public must really enjoy watching about mediums. In the past several years, there have been many shows about mediums, about both legitimate (Ghost Whisperer, Medium) and pretend (Psych, The Mentalist). Movies about the paranormal also abound, and I went to see one such one the other night.
Hereafter tells the parallel stories of three people affected by death: a French journalist who almost drowns, a young British kid who lost his twin, and an American medium who just wants to live a normal life.
Marie's (Cecile de France) near-death starts her on a journey to understand her experience. A successful journalist before the tragedy, the shock of the experience causes her to lose her concentration at work and she is persuaded to take a forced vacation to recuperate.
A heartbreakingly, vivid picture is painted of the twins, Marcus and Lucas (George and Frankie McLaren), helping their mother cover-up her drug habits to Social Services, an accurate portrayal of a reality that unfortunately happens all too often. However, after Jason's death, Marcus struggles to cope and contacts a number of phony mediums before chancing upon George.
Meanwhile, George (Matt Damon) sees his abilities as a curse and tries live a mundane lifestyle - blue collar work and a cooking class. At the class, he meets a young woman, but his abilities ruin any chance of a relationship between them. Fed up with his brother's constant urging to restart his business as a medium and with the remnants of another could-have-been relationship, he decides to take a vacation.
Of course, with a set-up like this, there had to be some way for the characters to connect, and it was done masterfully. Sprinkled throughout the plot were little hints, but it remained a mystery until just a couple minutes before it occurred.
While the brushes with death were very powerful, there were some glaring errors that completely threw me out of the movie, like the initial tsunami scene. It seemed a bit strange that people would just stand around for a couple minutes before attempting to run away from the water. Then since I was not invested in the scene any longer, I noticed an error with the special effects where I saw people dropping (and rolling) to the ground before the water hit them. Also, in the reunion between Marie and her lover, he was completely unhurt, squeaky clean, as though he had been safe from the disaster despite their hotel room overlooking the ocean.
Another scene that was uncomfortable was the budding 'relationship' between George and Melanie. Despite her recent break-up, Melanie seemed as though she really wanted to kiss George, even though he ignored her outstretched hand when they first met. Also, George invited her to his place to make an intimate dinner and start a relationship, but I didn't get any portrayal of desire on his part, only hers - and she seemed really pushy. It was a romantic development that was too-fast, too-soon, not helped at all by George spilling his secret to her. If he really wanted to live a normal life, why would he have told her so soon?
The one thing I didn't understand was the 'connection' George had with the afterlife. The first few times it seemed as though he got an image of the person as he could describe the person down to the color of their hair. However, when he does the reading of Marcus, he couldn't immediately tell that it was a young boy who looked very similar to the boy in front of him. The idea was incongruous and I was left confused as to whether he was just getting impressions or actual visions.
Out of the three stories, I really connected to the twins. It was a fully-fleshed out story without the problems the other two had. Unfortunately, the boys can't read lines with any emotion. The best scenes were those without any speaking. One such was the scene where Marcus followed George around. I also loved the hat scene with Marcus in the subway. However, when it was later explained in the movie as a selfish 'it's mine, not yours' idea sprinkled liberally with doses of 'you've got to stand up for yourself', I felt really let-down.
There were some great ideas in the movie. The foreshadowing by the posters was fantastic, because I immediately knew what it signified. The trick shot of the mirrors in the stairs without seeing the camera blew my mind. The tiny bit of humor in poking fun at the common perceptions of mediums was marvelously done, although there was an editing error I caught when Marcus was on the you-tube page. After clicking the 'related videos' link, the new video had the exact same description and 'related videos' as the first video.
Overall, I felt as though the movie had some really fantastic moments, but I couldn't really get invested in the entire story. There were just too many errors. I'd give this movie a C-, and that's bumped up because I really enjoyed most of the scenes of the twins.
P.S. This should have been posted yesterday, but I had a really difficult time breaking down the parts I liked and didn't liked into coherent ideas.
Hereafter tells the parallel stories of three people affected by death: a French journalist who almost drowns, a young British kid who lost his twin, and an American medium who just wants to live a normal life.
Marie's (Cecile de France) near-death starts her on a journey to understand her experience. A successful journalist before the tragedy, the shock of the experience causes her to lose her concentration at work and she is persuaded to take a forced vacation to recuperate.
A heartbreakingly, vivid picture is painted of the twins, Marcus and Lucas (George and Frankie McLaren), helping their mother cover-up her drug habits to Social Services, an accurate portrayal of a reality that unfortunately happens all too often. However, after Jason's death, Marcus struggles to cope and contacts a number of phony mediums before chancing upon George.
Meanwhile, George (Matt Damon) sees his abilities as a curse and tries live a mundane lifestyle - blue collar work and a cooking class. At the class, he meets a young woman, but his abilities ruin any chance of a relationship between them. Fed up with his brother's constant urging to restart his business as a medium and with the remnants of another could-have-been relationship, he decides to take a vacation.
©Warner Brothers
Of course, with a set-up like this, there had to be some way for the characters to connect, and it was done masterfully. Sprinkled throughout the plot were little hints, but it remained a mystery until just a couple minutes before it occurred.
While the brushes with death were very powerful, there were some glaring errors that completely threw me out of the movie, like the initial tsunami scene. It seemed a bit strange that people would just stand around for a couple minutes before attempting to run away from the water. Then since I was not invested in the scene any longer, I noticed an error with the special effects where I saw people dropping (and rolling) to the ground before the water hit them. Also, in the reunion between Marie and her lover, he was completely unhurt, squeaky clean, as though he had been safe from the disaster despite their hotel room overlooking the ocean.
©Warner Brothers
Another scene that was uncomfortable was the budding 'relationship' between George and Melanie. Despite her recent break-up, Melanie seemed as though she really wanted to kiss George, even though he ignored her outstretched hand when they first met. Also, George invited her to his place to make an intimate dinner and start a relationship, but I didn't get any portrayal of desire on his part, only hers - and she seemed really pushy. It was a romantic development that was too-fast, too-soon, not helped at all by George spilling his secret to her. If he really wanted to live a normal life, why would he have told her so soon?
The one thing I didn't understand was the 'connection' George had with the afterlife. The first few times it seemed as though he got an image of the person as he could describe the person down to the color of their hair. However, when he does the reading of Marcus, he couldn't immediately tell that it was a young boy who looked very similar to the boy in front of him. The idea was incongruous and I was left confused as to whether he was just getting impressions or actual visions.
Out of the three stories, I really connected to the twins. It was a fully-fleshed out story without the problems the other two had. Unfortunately, the boys can't read lines with any emotion. The best scenes were those without any speaking. One such was the scene where Marcus followed George around. I also loved the hat scene with Marcus in the subway. However, when it was later explained in the movie as a selfish 'it's mine, not yours' idea sprinkled liberally with doses of 'you've got to stand up for yourself', I felt really let-down.
©Warner Brothers
There were some great ideas in the movie. The foreshadowing by the posters was fantastic, because I immediately knew what it signified. The trick shot of the mirrors in the stairs without seeing the camera blew my mind. The tiny bit of humor in poking fun at the common perceptions of mediums was marvelously done, although there was an editing error I caught when Marcus was on the you-tube page. After clicking the 'related videos' link, the new video had the exact same description and 'related videos' as the first video.
Overall, I felt as though the movie had some really fantastic moments, but I couldn't really get invested in the entire story. There were just too many errors. I'd give this movie a C-, and that's bumped up because I really enjoyed most of the scenes of the twins.
P.S. This should have been posted yesterday, but I had a really difficult time breaking down the parts I liked and didn't liked into coherent ideas.
10/18/2010
Sleeping with a Swinger
Criminal Minds S06E04 Compromising Positions
This week's episode prominently displayed Penelope Garcia as she attempted to cover not only her own role in the FBI but also JJ's. Although she clearly was in over her head, seeing her step up to the plate showed a new aspect of her personality. It was refreshing to see her version of 'toning down' and dressing as a normal agent presents themselves to the public, but masking that aspect of herself also dulled her sparkly personality.
I enjoyed the subtle buildup to the idea of swinging. Although I had never heard the term before (and ended up looking it up afterwards even though they had an adequate explanation in the episode itself), it was a completely new story arc, which was good because it's very difficult to find new material after so many seasons.
Only one shot completely stood out - the scene where they captured the unsub. It was unexpected, even though there were some clues...and I love twist scenarios. I'm not going to give it away, so I'll just say this episode isn't one to miss.
This week's episode prominently displayed Penelope Garcia as she attempted to cover not only her own role in the FBI but also JJ's. Although she clearly was in over her head, seeing her step up to the plate showed a new aspect of her personality. It was refreshing to see her version of 'toning down' and dressing as a normal agent presents themselves to the public, but masking that aspect of herself also dulled her sparkly personality.
I enjoyed the subtle buildup to the idea of swinging. Although I had never heard the term before (and ended up looking it up afterwards even though they had an adequate explanation in the episode itself), it was a completely new story arc, which was good because it's very difficult to find new material after so many seasons.
Only one shot completely stood out - the scene where they captured the unsub. It was unexpected, even though there were some clues...and I love twist scenarios. I'm not going to give it away, so I'll just say this episode isn't one to miss.
10/17/2010
The Dude Knows Science
Bones S06E04 The Body and the Bounty
This episode was AMAAAZING...as Bunsen Jude the Science Dude would say ^.~ It was very clever to give him a name that's related to something sciency (bunsen burners). In any case, he was a kid's science show host (think Bill Nye the Science Guy integrated with Mythbusters) who wanted to have Brennan guest star on an episode of his tv show. Initially she refused, but she changed her mind after adding a condition - that he help her as a 'squintern'.
The case this time was to capture the murderer of a body that only had the head and hands, although later the rest was found. They needed to discover the cause of death, and although the science dude did a fantastic job, it seemed a bit unrealistic that 1. what needed to be discovered was so simplistic and 2. the science dude knew how to identify what he saw. However, it was nice to see Hodgins revert back to his kiddie days of experimenting, like he used to do with Zack, only this time with the science dude.
The murder weapon made sense in context, however, I was completely mystified as to the reason why it would be used instead of normal weaponry to catch people. Normally it wouldn't do any damage at all. Besides that tiny little detail, the episode was very entertaining, even if the the science dude's AMAZZZINGS actually started to drive me up the wall. Also, Brennan's ending scene was simply hilarious and very fun.
This episode was AMAAAZING...as Bunsen Jude the Science Dude would say ^.~ It was very clever to give him a name that's related to something sciency (bunsen burners). In any case, he was a kid's science show host (think Bill Nye the Science Guy integrated with Mythbusters) who wanted to have Brennan guest star on an episode of his tv show. Initially she refused, but she changed her mind after adding a condition - that he help her as a 'squintern'.
The case this time was to capture the murderer of a body that only had the head and hands, although later the rest was found. They needed to discover the cause of death, and although the science dude did a fantastic job, it seemed a bit unrealistic that 1. what needed to be discovered was so simplistic and 2. the science dude knew how to identify what he saw. However, it was nice to see Hodgins revert back to his kiddie days of experimenting, like he used to do with Zack, only this time with the science dude.
The murder weapon made sense in context, however, I was completely mystified as to the reason why it would be used instead of normal weaponry to catch people. Normally it wouldn't do any damage at all. Besides that tiny little detail, the episode was very entertaining, even if the the science dude's AMAZZZINGS actually started to drive me up the wall. Also, Brennan's ending scene was simply hilarious and very fun.
10/16/2010
New York, New York
Project Runway S08E12 We're in a New York State of Mind
The designers got a little chance to rest, relax, talk to each other, and drink champagne. The next day they receive their challenge - to use any New York landmark as inspiration. Michael C. immediately headed for the Statue of Liberty, which was...really a normal choice. Although the idea of the Statue of Liberty is inspiring, it seemed like a really safe choice to me because it was something that could have been chosen by anyone and everyone.
April and Mondo went for the Brooklyn Bridge, but different portions of it. April was inspired by the architecture of the bridge itself, while Mondo liked the optical illusion of the bridge. Andy headed to Central Park for the curviness of the paths of the park and the tree branches. Gretchen went to the Lower East Side, but didn't seem that inspired by the theme in general.
I was a little worried for Mondo during this design challenge because he took a 90 minute nap and ended up stressed up until the runway. It was the final challenge before fashion week and the designers definitely were exhausted.
Michael C's dress was very plain and boring. It doesn't seem as though he really did much. Gretchen's look was nice, but the jacket doesn't have the wow. Somehow it didn't all go together, but each piece was nice by itself. Andy's look was very cool with the mix of shiny and matte fabrics. However, it was very reminiscent of his earlier designs - the warrior woman look.
Mondo's look had awesome pattern mixing and is very cute. April's look was nice on the bottom, but I didn't like the top so much; it also reminded me of her earlier work, just a dress version instead of top with sheer pouf and shorts.
After their critique, the designers had to give a reason why they should go to Fashion Week and name two other designers that should go with them. I was a little worried about Andy and April because they both love the black. Andy loves the warrior woman, while April really loves the black tulle idea. Gretchen and April ended up in the bottom two, but April was out with Gretchen's earlier wins probably keeping her in.
I don't think Michael C deserved the comment of it being a stand-out dress. It seemed as though he was a universal choice for the best dress this challenge, but I really didn't think so, it was wayyy too boring.
The designers got a little chance to rest, relax, talk to each other, and drink champagne. The next day they receive their challenge - to use any New York landmark as inspiration. Michael C. immediately headed for the Statue of Liberty, which was...really a normal choice. Although the idea of the Statue of Liberty is inspiring, it seemed like a really safe choice to me because it was something that could have been chosen by anyone and everyone.
April and Mondo went for the Brooklyn Bridge, but different portions of it. April was inspired by the architecture of the bridge itself, while Mondo liked the optical illusion of the bridge. Andy headed to Central Park for the curviness of the paths of the park and the tree branches. Gretchen went to the Lower East Side, but didn't seem that inspired by the theme in general.
I was a little worried for Mondo during this design challenge because he took a 90 minute nap and ended up stressed up until the runway. It was the final challenge before fashion week and the designers definitely were exhausted.
pic courtesy of mylifetime.com
Mondo's look had awesome pattern mixing and is very cute. April's look was nice on the bottom, but I didn't like the top so much; it also reminded me of her earlier work, just a dress version instead of top with sheer pouf and shorts.
pic courtesy of mylifetime.com
After their critique, the designers had to give a reason why they should go to Fashion Week and name two other designers that should go with them. I was a little worried about Andy and April because they both love the black. Andy loves the warrior woman, while April really loves the black tulle idea. Gretchen and April ended up in the bottom two, but April was out with Gretchen's earlier wins probably keeping her in.
I don't think Michael C deserved the comment of it being a stand-out dress. It seemed as though he was a universal choice for the best dress this challenge, but I really didn't think so, it was wayyy too boring.
10/15/2010
The Lie-Spy (Spotter)
Undercovers S01E04 Jailbreak
This week's episode dealt with the theft (and recovery) of a hard drive containing CIA databases of top-secret detention centers and their detainees. I don't know exactly what happened this week, but the unrealistic errors were ridiculously out-of-control! Although there was one that was explained away, some were really horrible.
The idea that the government would keep such classified documents on a portable hard drive that could easily be stolen without completely encrypting it to the hilt is ludicrous. While I could see some being stolen, that ALL the places and people would be kept in one place...it's crazy.
Another technology point that bothered me was how they got the hotel room number. While I could definitely picture them hacking into the hotel's wireless network and getting the room number that way, I don't see how holding a phone near the computer would do the same thing. Unless there's an app for that now too. :P Then sticking a spy camera in the wall vents in order to spy on the room below??
And the lie detector thing? Okay I understood the possibility of it happening, since I also watch Lie to Me. But it just seemed a bit improbable that the one time Steven needed to detect the lie, he didn't. Unfortunately, there wasn't as much humor this time around, so those glaring mistakes really made an impression - and not a good one either.
This week's episode dealt with the theft (and recovery) of a hard drive containing CIA databases of top-secret detention centers and their detainees. I don't know exactly what happened this week, but the unrealistic errors were ridiculously out-of-control! Although there was one that was explained away, some were really horrible.
The idea that the government would keep such classified documents on a portable hard drive that could easily be stolen without completely encrypting it to the hilt is ludicrous. While I could see some being stolen, that ALL the places and people would be kept in one place...it's crazy.
Another technology point that bothered me was how they got the hotel room number. While I could definitely picture them hacking into the hotel's wireless network and getting the room number that way, I don't see how holding a phone near the computer would do the same thing. Unless there's an app for that now too. :P Then sticking a spy camera in the wall vents in order to spy on the room below??
And the lie detector thing? Okay I understood the possibility of it happening, since I also watch Lie to Me. But it just seemed a bit improbable that the one time Steven needed to detect the lie, he didn't. Unfortunately, there wasn't as much humor this time around, so those glaring mistakes really made an impression - and not a good one either.
Jackass - for real
So I was correct in my earlier post about Jackass 3D being one of the few movies to actually employ 3D to good effect. It really brought the audience into the movie, but in some cases it wasn't such a good thing.
Jackass and Myspace really pulled out all the stops to promote this movie. Not only was there free popcorn and soda, posters, T-shirts, backpacks, and wallets (although those last two are of cheap quality), but also a dj and a flip-book that was made on the spot. Luckily I had arrived early enough to snag decent places in line, so we managed to grab the last two shirts w00t.
The movie itself, couldn't really be called a movie at all, but I knew that going in. It and its two prequels have no plots, they're just a conglomeration of stunts both awesome and sickening. For the most part the audience was laughing and/or screaming, but there were a couple stunts that caused a good fifth of the audience to want to gag - along with those on-screen.
At one point I actually looked at the crowd in front of me and saw a couple people really dry-heave. That was when I knew I needed to close my eyes for a bit until it was over and the threat of vomiting was no longer imminent.
One thing is for certain. If I ever do any kind of stunt, I will record it using a super fast shutter speed because everything looks better in slow-motion. Though it was tons of fun, I'll pass on re-watching the movie (unless those really gross stunts are cut-out).
Jackass and Myspace really pulled out all the stops to promote this movie. Not only was there free popcorn and soda, posters, T-shirts, backpacks, and wallets (although those last two are of cheap quality), but also a dj and a flip-book that was made on the spot. Luckily I had arrived early enough to snag decent places in line, so we managed to grab the last two shirts w00t.
The movie itself, couldn't really be called a movie at all, but I knew that going in. It and its two prequels have no plots, they're just a conglomeration of stunts both awesome and sickening. For the most part the audience was laughing and/or screaming, but there were a couple stunts that caused a good fifth of the audience to want to gag - along with those on-screen.
At one point I actually looked at the crowd in front of me and saw a couple people really dry-heave. That was when I knew I needed to close my eyes for a bit until it was over and the threat of vomiting was no longer imminent.
One thing is for certain. If I ever do any kind of stunt, I will record it using a super fast shutter speed because everything looks better in slow-motion. Though it was tons of fun, I'll pass on re-watching the movie (unless those really gross stunts are cut-out).
10/14/2010
Talking the Talk and Walking the Walk
America's Next Top Model S15E06 Patrick Demarchelier
The first challenge the girls have this week is to explain Covergirl products inside Walmart. I found it really funny when Nigel was explaining the challenge - he sounded as though he was a tele-marketer just reading off the lines and attempting to overact them.
Unfortunately for the models, they got to secretly watch as Nigel interviewed the 'shoppers.' Ann received the lowest score because she barely spoke when she was supposed to be presenting/selling the product. The public scored Kacey the highest.
The photo shoot paired up the models along with another male model. Luckily for Chris she was the one girl who wasn't paired with another girl in the competition.
The Final Shoot
Liz - not moving much, no commitment
Kendal - really awesome shot, but don't like the face much
Esther - really natural
Kayla - awkward arm/hand
Jane - nice, mysterious
Kacey - boring
Ann - so cool, red shoes
Chelsea - good movement, but too much face
Chris - good, but not great
Ann won best picture for the 5th time in a row, with Jane as runner-up. Kayla and Kacey were the bottom two, with Kacey going home. I'm so happy that Kayla stayed because she has had some amazing photos. Kacey, on the other hand, hasn't had good photos even though she's won some challenges.
The first challenge the girls have this week is to explain Covergirl products inside Walmart. I found it really funny when Nigel was explaining the challenge - he sounded as though he was a tele-marketer just reading off the lines and attempting to overact them.
Unfortunately for the models, they got to secretly watch as Nigel interviewed the 'shoppers.' Ann received the lowest score because she barely spoke when she was supposed to be presenting/selling the product. The public scored Kacey the highest.
The photo shoot paired up the models along with another male model. Luckily for Chris she was the one girl who wasn't paired with another girl in the competition.
pic courtesy of the cw
The Final Shoot
Liz - not moving much, no commitment
Kendal - really awesome shot, but don't like the face much
Esther - really natural
Kayla - awkward arm/hand
Jane - nice, mysterious
Kacey - boring
Ann - so cool, red shoes
Chelsea - good movement, but too much face
Chris - good, but not great
pic courtesy of the cw
Ann won best picture for the 5th time in a row, with Jane as runner-up. Kayla and Kacey were the bottom two, with Kacey going home. I'm so happy that Kayla stayed because she has had some amazing photos. Kacey, on the other hand, hasn't had good photos even though she's won some challenges.
Synchronicity
Lie to Me S03E02 The Royal We
This week's episode was heartbreaking. Adelaide Clemens did a marvelous job of portraying the many expressions of pain, fear, hate, and joy - all very subtly. From the outset, I could tell the exactly what emotion she was supposed to portray and whether it was faked or real.
Surprisingly, we got a little more depth to the relationship between Loker and Lightman, and Torres attempting to fix them. Although it was revealed in the previous episode that Loker wanted to leave the Lightman Group, we got to see a bit more as to the reason why. However, his character still hasn't shown much besides being kind of whiny and underused - though that's mostly his fault for doing something completely dumb back in season one.
I'm happy to see Lightman no longer procrastinating on his book, even if it did require a push from his daughter to stop. I wonder if the directors will decide to 'release' his book the same way Castle does - probably not, but it would be fun.
This week's episode was heartbreaking. Adelaide Clemens did a marvelous job of portraying the many expressions of pain, fear, hate, and joy - all very subtly. From the outset, I could tell the exactly what emotion she was supposed to portray and whether it was faked or real.
Surprisingly, we got a little more depth to the relationship between Loker and Lightman, and Torres attempting to fix them. Although it was revealed in the previous episode that Loker wanted to leave the Lightman Group, we got to see a bit more as to the reason why. However, his character still hasn't shown much besides being kind of whiny and underused - though that's mostly his fault for doing something completely dumb back in season one.
I'm happy to see Lightman no longer procrastinating on his book, even if it did require a push from his daughter to stop. I wonder if the directors will decide to 'release' his book the same way Castle does - probably not, but it would be fun.
10/13/2010
Steam-Punk Romanticism
Castle S03E04 Punked
This week's episode dealt with old-fashioned ideals and Romance. I absolutely loved the beginning shots of the city, the horses, and the dead body all interspersed with each other. The policemen on horses riding up to the green meadow definitely set the tone of 19th century Victorian London, and got me wondering whether they still exist today, which apparently they do!
The joke of Esposito's injured neck was used for great slap-stick effect, when he and Ryan were attempting to question 'Lord Henry', and when the suspect ran into them at the door. It was actually an awesome shot of Esposito's eyes widening, the suspect running into him, and Ryan slowly turning around.
Several fantastic shots were in this episode. I liked the one where Castle attempted to high-five Lanie, only for her to already be walking away. There was also the progression of technology for Castle's shooting attempts, although considering that he saved Beckett earlier in the show using a gun it didn't really make sense, but it was hilarious. Another awesome scene was Castle's talk of love with Alexis, only to turn around and ask Beckett.
However, there was one shot that kind of bothered me. After the talk with the sister of the murdered man, the shot showed Ryan just standing there facing the camera, a good ways away from the door, when he had just knocked. Why couldn't they have had him stand at the door as if he had just knocked?
Anyways, the episode was a tiny bit predictable - I managed to grasp the idea immediately after the clothes were shown, although that may have been the point. Right up until Castle explained the idea to Beckett and Ryan, I was thinking 'Come on, come on...I have to be right.'
The best part was that I learned of a new culture - steam-punk society, a sub-culture of sci-fi and history. In essence, it incorporates the time when steam power was prominent (usu 19th century/Victorian London) with the ideas of sci-fi/fantasy. Although I've seen instances of steam-punk and its other variants (e.g. cyberpunk, gaslight romance, clockpunk, etc.), I had never known that it was actually an entire sub-culture. I loved the entire geekiness of it.
Unfortunately for Castle, not only did Alexis fall in love this episode, but also Beckett (sorta). She has a new boyfriend, Josh, and he drives a motorcycle. Beckett's back in her wild-child phase :P I kind of feel sorry for Castle, but he totally blew his chance, speaking of which, I haven't seen his ex-wife/girlfriend this season yet they continue to introduce her character as his current girlfriend. >.>
This week's episode dealt with old-fashioned ideals and Romance. I absolutely loved the beginning shots of the city, the horses, and the dead body all interspersed with each other. The policemen on horses riding up to the green meadow definitely set the tone of 19th century Victorian London, and got me wondering whether they still exist today, which apparently they do!
The joke of Esposito's injured neck was used for great slap-stick effect, when he and Ryan were attempting to question 'Lord Henry', and when the suspect ran into them at the door. It was actually an awesome shot of Esposito's eyes widening, the suspect running into him, and Ryan slowly turning around.
Several fantastic shots were in this episode. I liked the one where Castle attempted to high-five Lanie, only for her to already be walking away. There was also the progression of technology for Castle's shooting attempts, although considering that he saved Beckett earlier in the show using a gun it didn't really make sense, but it was hilarious. Another awesome scene was Castle's talk of love with Alexis, only to turn around and ask Beckett.
However, there was one shot that kind of bothered me. After the talk with the sister of the murdered man, the shot showed Ryan just standing there facing the camera, a good ways away from the door, when he had just knocked. Why couldn't they have had him stand at the door as if he had just knocked?
Anyways, the episode was a tiny bit predictable - I managed to grasp the idea immediately after the clothes were shown, although that may have been the point. Right up until Castle explained the idea to Beckett and Ryan, I was thinking 'Come on, come on...I have to be right.'
The best part was that I learned of a new culture - steam-punk society, a sub-culture of sci-fi and history. In essence, it incorporates the time when steam power was prominent (usu 19th century/Victorian London) with the ideas of sci-fi/fantasy. Although I've seen instances of steam-punk and its other variants (e.g. cyberpunk, gaslight romance, clockpunk, etc.), I had never known that it was actually an entire sub-culture. I loved the entire geekiness of it.
Unfortunately for Castle, not only did Alexis fall in love this episode, but also Beckett (sorta). She has a new boyfriend, Josh, and he drives a motorcycle. Beckett's back in her wild-child phase :P I kind of feel sorry for Castle, but he totally blew his chance, speaking of which, I haven't seen his ex-wife/girlfriend this season yet they continue to introduce her character as his current girlfriend. >.>
10/12/2010
Flying Angels and Sneaky Devils
On Sunday I went with a friend to San Francisco for Fleet Week. She enjoys her exercise like me, so we walked down The Embarcadero to Pier 39. Although we got started a bit late (we cleaned her house after a party the night before) we managed to time it almost perfectly and got there about an hour before the Blue Angels performed.
I had seen them perform several years ago, but barely remembered anything of those shows, so I was super psyched to see them this weekend. Basically I was willing to miss every other performer as long as I did not miss the Blue Angels.
It was a fantastic show, with the jets showing off awesome tricks and maneuvers. Surprisingly we managed to snag spots right next to the water, so we had something to look at even when they were flying around other places. The jets were flying so fast that I only managed to catch one good picture of them (while close-up). Since my camera is slow at taking pictures, I usually managed only to get pictures of the blue sky.
Afterwards, we went to get shakes (in my case, just good ole' ice cream) and then headed back to Berkeley for the Maroon 5/One Republic concert. We drove up to the hill to 'watch' it, although it's more like hear it because trees block the view. The pretty colorful lights still could be seen ^.^
We brought along a bottle of wine and the three of us finished about half of it. The concert finished at about 10-10:30 ish, so we decided to go and explore Berkeley. Since one of my friends had never been inside the stadium, we snuck inside and had some fun in the basement portion. The funniest thing was seeing how one of my friends totally couldn't be quiet to save her life.
We did climb some gates to get inside, but when we started hearing some clanging/walking sounds we decided it would be in our best interests to scram. Once we found a way out (not the same way we took in of course), we had another hurdle to deal with. The friend that couldn't be quiet...also was afraid of heights. Unfortunately, the way out required a little fall over a wall with some trash cans to help us climb up the side we were on.
It took a good several minutes to convince her to climb it. Although when she finally DID fall, it was only about a foot...LOL. It was still early after that, so we checked out the rumor of a skate park near Clark Kerr. Surprisingly, it was almost a fully completed park, but it had chains everywhere. There definitely were people who 'used' the skate-park because we found game equipment, like a foosball table and croquet, and a skateboard (without the wheels) that people had used to slide down the walls (it was already scraped up).
It was a lot of fun to climb and run and slide around, but I definitely wasn't dressed for it. I would have taken pictures but I didn't bring along the camera and my phone camera can't take pictures in the dark.
I had seen them perform several years ago, but barely remembered anything of those shows, so I was super psyched to see them this weekend. Basically I was willing to miss every other performer as long as I did not miss the Blue Angels.
It was a fantastic show, with the jets showing off awesome tricks and maneuvers. Surprisingly we managed to snag spots right next to the water, so we had something to look at even when they were flying around other places. The jets were flying so fast that I only managed to catch one good picture of them (while close-up). Since my camera is slow at taking pictures, I usually managed only to get pictures of the blue sky.
Afterwards, we went to get shakes (in my case, just good ole' ice cream) and then headed back to Berkeley for the Maroon 5/One Republic concert. We drove up to the hill to 'watch' it, although it's more like hear it because trees block the view. The pretty colorful lights still could be seen ^.^
We brought along a bottle of wine and the three of us finished about half of it. The concert finished at about 10-10:30 ish, so we decided to go and explore Berkeley. Since one of my friends had never been inside the stadium, we snuck inside and had some fun in the basement portion. The funniest thing was seeing how one of my friends totally couldn't be quiet to save her life.
We did climb some gates to get inside, but when we started hearing some clanging/walking sounds we decided it would be in our best interests to scram. Once we found a way out (not the same way we took in of course), we had another hurdle to deal with. The friend that couldn't be quiet...also was afraid of heights. Unfortunately, the way out required a little fall over a wall with some trash cans to help us climb up the side we were on.
It took a good several minutes to convince her to climb it. Although when she finally DID fall, it was only about a foot...LOL. It was still early after that, so we checked out the rumor of a skate park near Clark Kerr. Surprisingly, it was almost a fully completed park, but it had chains everywhere. There definitely were people who 'used' the skate-park because we found game equipment, like a foosball table and croquet, and a skateboard (without the wheels) that people had used to slide down the walls (it was already scraped up).
It was a lot of fun to climb and run and slide around, but I definitely wasn't dressed for it. I would have taken pictures but I didn't bring along the camera and my phone camera can't take pictures in the dark.
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