Back from the Dead

Woah. It’s been crazy under the rock that has been my home for the last month or so. Between work and volunteering with the American Cancer Society, things have been nuts. I have done a lot of things and seen a lot of movies and I want to write about all of them! So in the next coming days, my goal is to catch up on everything from California Adventure opening this coming Friday and all the new merchandise they have to offer to every movie I’ve seen in the last few weeks: Avengers, Dark Shadows, Men in Black 3, and Snow White and The Huntsman. It’s going to crazy so hang on.

I have seen more movies in the last few weeks than I have seen in the last year. I used to go to the movies all the time, but then things got busy and I just didn’t have time to go anymore. Plus, there were very few movies that I really really wanted to see. This movie season has definitely proven worthy. Everyone knows that Avengers was awesome so I feel like I would just be wasting a blog if all I did was rant about something everyone already knows so I think I’m going to skip that one and go right into the most disappointing movie of the year, Dark Shadows. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. What could go wrong? Apparently, no matter how good you are at making a movie, you have to have a good script. You can have every great actor and the best director, but if your script sucks, you’re screwed and that’s exactly what happened with Dark Shadows. I never watched the TV show so I was going in blind expecting greatness. But as I mentioned, the script was boring and I didn’t give a shit. Of course Johnny was awesome and the movie was pretty to look at, but that’s where it ended. Johnny’s character is cursed by a witch when he falls in love with someone other than her. She turns him into a vampire and locks him in a coffin until he’s found by construction workers decades later. Naturally, the witch is still alive and has taken over his family business. He tries to get it back from her and blah blah blah. I’m bored already. All comedic timing was lost and I was left asking “WTF?” Very disappointing, especially because all the people who watched the TV show were pretty much boycotting the movie. The least Tim Burton could have done was made this movie freaking awesome so people would have no choice but to see it. Maybe next time, Tim. Long story short, don’t see this movie. Don’t even waste the $1 at Red Box. Don’t even download it illegally.

Breaking News!

I have so many blogs that I need to write, but I felt this one needed to be posted immediately. Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries are getting a divorce after only 72 days of marriage. Of course, people are saying that this was all a publicity stunt and it was all done just to get money. I watched the 2 part wedding special on E! and I don't think it was fake. The couple didn't seem to be getting along at the rehearsal dinner because Kris just didn't care about anything and was giving answers to questions to clearly piss people off so I'm thinking things just went down hill from there. I'm also thinking that the second they got engaged, E! wanted to make a TV special and the couple was kind of forced into things. Kim probably knew before the wedding that this wasn't going to work out, but for some reason did it anyway. Plus, Kris is so young! I don't know many guys who are ready for marriage at age 26, especially professional basketball players. It didn't really add up in my opinion. Either way, the wedding looked freaking beautiful and the Kardashians made millions of dollars off of the special so is this really a loss for anyone? Is that heartless to say?

American Horror Story

I finally had a chance to sit down and watch American Horror Story and write this. Before I watched the pilot, I read some reviews and comments and they were all pretty interesting and I was very curious because number one the commercials looked cool and number two it's written by Ryan freaking Murphy. How can one guy write two completely different shows? I had to find out for myself. So I watched the pilot and it was very weird, but I wanted more. I finally got a minute to watch the second episode and it was freaking weird too, but there's definitely a lot that makes me want to come back. I'm very curious to see where it will go. At this point there doesn't seem to be any real story line that can be followed from episode to episode, which is different, but there's still something about it that keeps my interest. The basic premise of the show is a husband and wife move to LA with their teenage daughter to get away from the past where the husband cheated on the wife. They find a very pretty house in LA that is a lot cheaper than it should be and of course it's because there was a murder suicide in the basement. They decide to move in anyway because where would the show be without a little craziness and weird shit starts happening. They start seeing things that aren't there, sleep walking etc. Probably not the best show to watch while I was home alone at night, but I'm a masochist. It's very interesting for Ryan Murphy so if you're going to watch it, I recommend watching when the sun is up, but it's definitely worth a watch.

Ringer Review

I wanted to give Ringer a few episodes before I made any comments and Tuesday night was episode 2 so here it goes. I was a little worried about the show because Sarah Michelle Gellar is kind of a one note actress and it seems nothing has changed. The first episode wasn't very good and I was kind of ready to change the channel 15 minutes in and when it came to the second episode I wanted to watch The Biggest Loser instead. I'm sad it's come to this. Buffy will always be an awesome show and Sarah Michelle Gellar will always be known for that, but I'm not sure she's able to go much further.

The story thus far is a bit confusing and I know a lot of that is done on purpose so you come back for more, but it's confusing to the point where you kind of stop paying attention. Sarah plays twin girls, Siobhan and Bridget. Bridget is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict and goes to see her sister after not seeing her for a long time because of her addictions. They hang out on a boat in the worst CG scene ever where Bridget falls asleep, which was horribly edited by the way. She wakes up to find that her sister is gone and because of what she sees around her she believes that her sister has committed suicide. She finds a medicine bottle rolling around on deck with her sisters wedding ring inside. So of course the only think Bridget can think to do is take on Siobhan's identity, which means she takes on all her life problems without knowing it. The part that hurts my brain is that the audience finds out that Siobhan isn't really dead. She's sitting somewhere staring at herself in a mirror. Promo picture! It's just weird. Then, the second episode was all about some body Bridget tries to hide in a trunk. The plot line went absolutely no where. Shows on The CW tend to be kind of lame so needless to say I'm disappointed. See why I wanted to stay watching The Biggest Loser instead. I feel like I would be betraying my teen years if I stopped watching the show so I'll give it a few more episodes before I stop, but I have a feeling it might come to that. Sad day. Sarah, I'll never forget you in I Know What You Did Last Summer and Buffy.

Anyone else watching?

Those Legs Are As Straight As Elton John!

I've found a new little gem on Lifetime and I just can't stop watching! It's like a horrible horrible train wreck! It's called Dance Moms. If you're not watching this show, you don't know what you're missing. The show is about the dancers, moms, and Abby Lee Miller at the Abby Lee Dance Studio in Pittsburg. Some of these dancers are kind of amazing and they're only 9 years old, but the show is more about the moms and their fights with each other and Abby. Abby will do something that gets the moms up in arms and then the drama ensues. Or one of the moms will do something dumb and or say something dumb and all the moms start fighting with each other. Abby is kind of a bitch and all the mom's think their daughter is the best so there's a lot of drama. I'm actively excited to be watching a marathon on TLC. What has happened to my life?!?! Everyone needs to make time on Wednesday night to watch this show.

Less Hope

No! Why?!?! Hope Solo, super hot soccer goalie from the Women's World Cup is going to be on Dancing with the Stars. Isn't that a show actors go to when they're kind of washed up and need some money or recognition for something dumb? Hope Solo gets good attention and she's not washed up by any means so what made her want to do this? Sure she's a fan of the show and whatever, but that's a bad excuse. Plus, this means I might actually have to start watching the show or something. Boo! I'm begging you Hope to stick to the field. You actually made me like America.

Canceled!

It’s about time! TLC has finally canceled Kate +8. This has been a long time coming, but TLC wanted to squeeze every penny they could out of this poor family. I’m not sure who’s worse at this point: TLC for letting this show stay on the air for as long as it did or Kate for allowing her children to go through this so she could pay the rent. I was flipping channels the other night and saw a new episode of the show and the kids are so grown up, it’s insane! All I can hope for is a normal life for these kids. They know nothing else other than a camera crew in their face. I hope they all become successful in their lives and I hope we don’t read about them in the newspaper for getting DUI’s or checking into rehab. Jon and Kate can go suck it if their kids end up damaged.

Puppet Marriage

Oh Bert and Ernie. Who doesn’t love these 2 guys? Everyone thinks they’re gay, but no one has ever gone as far to ask that they be shown as truly gay...until now. The public has asked that the 2 wed on Sesame Street. There was even a petition going around to show support for their marriage and it received 7,000 signatures thus far. I think it would be cool to have these 2 puppets marry on TV, but at the same time is a 3 year old learning their ABC’s going to know what that means? I understand how everyone wants to get little kids to understand tolerance at an early age, but usually kids 5 and under watch Sesame Street so I almost feel like it would be wasted. I don’t know. I mean will Bert and Ernie getting married really change little Johnny’s view on life?

Of course, PBS said no to this and told the public that these 2 characters were created to show kids what friendship means. I think I might have to side with PBS on this one. Does that make me a bad person?

The Dr is Annoying!

I am soooo over Dr. Drew. I used to listen to Love Line every night on the way home from rehearsal in college and I loved it. It was something to listen to and keep me awake and entertained on my late night drives. But then Dr. Drew started getting involved in other things like Teen Mom and making predictions about Lindsey Lohan and the next thing we all know, he’s EVERYWHERE! You can’t turn around without seeing him on TV or hearing him on the radio. Well, now he’s going to be doing a day time show on the CW. Is this guy even a real doctor? On this show he will be working with “real people” and not celebrities. I feel like all the people who call into Love Line are real and the chicks on Teen Mom are real. The only celebrity he’s ever talked about is Lindsay Lohan. Who the hell does this guy think he is? Again, I don’t even think he’s a real doctor. Please go away!

Manic Monday

Did you know that MTV turned 30 last Monday? I had no idea that it’s been around that long. The network that made all the rock stars and singers famous is now known for ridiculous reality shows like Teen Mom and Jersey Shore. I miss the days when MTV stood for Music Television and there were music videos showing all the time. But I can’t remember the last time I saw a music video playing on MTV. They did away with TRL, which was the last string of hope for music videos. I don’t even know why people make them anymore. The only place to see them now is on YouTube. Obviously, I’m still a big fan of MTV and I watch quite a few of their brain mushing shows, but I feel like they should pull a Nickelodeon and show their old stuff starting at 9pm or something. Reruns of TRL or Making the Video. I would watch that. You do have to give it to MTV though, they’re definitely good at keeping the teen audiences, and sometimes the adult audiences, glued to their TV’s. True Life, Teen Wolf, Awkward, The Challenge, Real World. Those are all entertaining shows. I have a feeling MTV isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Happy belated birthday MTV!

Still A Bad Graduation

Ugh! So now the Glee people are saying that Lea Michele, Chris Colfer and Cory Monteith aren't leaving Glee. I'm so sick of your games! The cast members signed on for 7 years and therefore can't be leaving the show after the 3rd season. Makes sense, but stop messing around. One of the creators was asked during Comic-Con if these 3 were leaving and he said:

Cory, Lea, Chris, they are seniors and so they are graduating. But because they are graduating doesn’t mean they’re leaving the show. I always say, if you have Lea Michele under contract, you don't just say, “You know what? We’re gonna let you go.” It just wouldn’t be kind of the smart thing to do.

Well duh!!!! I would come over there and strangle you myself if you did something like that. There are just more and more things that make me dislike Glee. It makes me sad because it has the potential to be a good show, but when you throw this bullshit into the mix, I'm outtie.

New Home?

So now that you all know I think the Glee writers are dumb, could there be a new place for Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, and Chris Colfer? Doubtful, but it’s worth a shot. Ryan Murphy and FX announced a new show called American Horror Story to premiere in October. I didn’t realize Ryan Murphy came from FX originally with Nip/Tuck. Kind of surprising that he co-created that and then went on to Glee. Totally different ball parks. Anyway, now he has created this new show about a family who moves into a haunted house:

The series, about a family that moves across the country to deal with past issues, features a cast that includes Dylan McDermott (“The Practice”), Connie Britton (“Friday Night Lights”) and Jessica Lange. The show follows a husband and wife (McDermott and Britton) trying to rebuild their family after a few setbacks -- a miscarriage and an affair -- and a change of scenery. Only problem: Their new house is haunted.

Hmmm. I might watch that depending on how they handle the haunting. I wonder what made him decide to take on another project and not stick with Glee. Maybe the Glee cast members will have guest starring roles.

Worst Graduation

Ok, I can’t ignore this any longer. I think this is the dumbest decision the Glee writers and producers could possibly make! Lea Michele (Rachel), Chris Colfer (Kurt), and Cory Monteith (Finn) will not be returning for season 4 of Glee. They will be “graduating” and they won’t be followed off to college. I understand that the writers didn’t want it to be one of those shows where the kids are in high school for 8 years, but wow. Your show is popular right now. Why would you change the cast so dramatically like that? I pretty much only watch the show for Lea Michele. She’s amazing and belongs on my TV singing. There’s a show right now called The Glee Project where the Glee talent guy is actively hunting for new talent. I don’t really like any of the kids they have on the show. I’m not even a very big fan of Glee and this makes me a little mad. I think it’s a really bad decision and I wouldn’t be surprised if the show gets canceled not too far down the line.

Fox is also going to release a 3D concert movie of Glee. I’m kind of over you!

The Haunting Hour

I have been a long time fan of R.L. Stine. I used to read Goosebumps all the time and my brother had all the Fear Street books. I also have some of the books he wrote for the Goosebumps group who grew up. I got him to sign one of them too at some mystery book store in Burbank. He wrote a line in almost every book that will always follow me: I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Every book I read has a similar line in it and therefore R.L. Stine will haunt me for the rest of my life. Anyway, I digress. R.L. Stine has a new TV show coming out called The Haunting Hour. He had an awful Canadian show based on his Goosebumps books so I can only hope this show is better. It will be on the Hub TV channel and will be geared towards kids. The show premieres on Christmas Day with 2 episodes. If I had that channel, I would totally watch the show!

Someone asked R.L. why his storylines and other storylines with zombies and vampires were so popular and he had an interesting explanation:

I think the world is a really scary place, for real. And I think whenever the world becomes a really scary place, this kind of horror fantasy becomes more popular because it’s an escape. It’s sort of an attempt to deal with horrors where you know you can close the book at any time. You know you’re not going to lose. You know you’re safe. It’s one reason why everyone likes it. Every age, people like scary stories, because it’s a way to face fears and know you’re safe at the same time.

That’s very true and also why I love reading his stories. He scares me, but not too much to where I can’t sleep, but just enough to give me shivers. Here’s a little taste of his new show.

Diva

Is anyone watching Drop Dead Diva? If not, you should be. It's a pretty good show. At first, I only saw a few episodes in the middle of season one and I found the main character to be annoying, but I started watching from the beginning and she's awesome. It's a lawyer show, but not your typical lawyer show. Yes, there are cases that they win in court and all that fun stuff, but there's so much more to it. Jane, the main character, used to be a model named Deb. She got hit by a car and died, but before she was sent to heaven, she took over Jane's body gaining all of Jane's abilities and knowledge. The main plot point is that Deb was very serious with one of the lawyers Jane works with and she can't tell him that it's her in Jane's body. Kind of cute. It's definitely a chick TV show, hence the reason it's on Lifetime. What I love even more about the show is that the actress who plays Jane, Brooke Elliott, is a Broadway actress so her dreams are usually musical numbers. It's just a fun show. The first season is on Netflix instance if you have a weekend to watch. No tissues necessary, I promise.

The Killing

Oh The Killing. I haven’t talked much about it, but now that the finale has aired and people have had enough time to watch it, I want to talk a little about it. I hope you’re watching it because it’s really good, but if you’re not I will try not to give too much away. So the series started out with the murder of Rosie Larsen. She was found in the trunk of a car that was also found at the bottom of a lake. Clues lead the cops there and then of course the rest of the season is trying to find out who killed Rosie. You think it’s a million different people along the way and we’re still in the dark after the finale. I will admit that the first few episodes were a little slow, but it picked up and got really good so make sure to keep watching no matter what. I’m a little sad though because a lot of people don’t seem to be happy with how the finale turned out. Yes, it would have been nice to know who did it, but I think the finale was a very good cliff hanger and had a lot of suspense. People are saying it was anti climactic and they’re upset, but I’m seriously ready for more. I mean think about. How many of our favorite shows end for the season with something suspenseful happening and we have to wait until next season? A lot of shows do that. If they told us who killed Rosie in the finale, what would keep us all coming back to watch the season 2 premiere? I’m sure people would come back to see what new case there would be, but they need something that would definitely keep people coming back. I just hope this show doesn’t turn into Twin Peaks where it started to get really weird and then it got canceled.

I also just learned that this show is a rip off of a UK show with almost the same exact character names and almost the same exact story. I’ve lost a tiny bit of respect, but now I want to watch the UK version and compare. Do Americans have any original bones in their bodies? Either way, I recommend watching The Killing. There are 13 episodes total so take a long Saturday night and watch them all the way through and then come and tell me who you think killed Rosie.

Falling Ratings?

So I watched the series premiere of Falling Skies last night and I have no idea where the story can go. The show kept my interest and I might watch watch it again, but I feel kind of lost wondering what the hell could happen next. Like I said yesterday, it starts after the alien invasion and we see the people trying to survive. It was cool with The Walking Dead, but there was so much more at stake. The main character was all alone and he needed to find other humans and find out what happened to him and his family. Falling Skies doesn't have any of that yet. The only thing that they left hanging was how the invasion happened and even then there are kids who sort of talk about it. Obviously, people will get killed along the way and aliens will invade along the way, but I felt like the story was very anti climactic.

The aliens kill people with their laser pointer things, but they have also taken over some of the kids. They have attached these succubus things to their spins causing the kids to follow orders from the aliens. The main character's son is one of these kids so next episode they're going to try to rescue him, but who knows what happens from there. Not sure if this is a good or bad thing for the show. It might be good because it might keep people coming back to find out what happens, but it could be bad because people might not care because there doesn't seem to be anything to care about. I don't know. I will watch a few more episodes and see where it takes us. For now, I say give it a shot. I read that it had 5 million viewers so I'm curious to see if those same viewers return.

Manic Monday

Steven Spielberg has taken on a lot lately and I’m kind of excited. He always makes amazing things. First, is Super 8, which I am soooo excited to see, then 2 TV shows; Falling Skies, which premiered last night and Smash, which premieres in the Fall. Unfortunately, Spielberg isn’t directing any of these, just producing them, but the fact that he’s involved with the creation makes them automatically good.

Super 8 has gotten amazing reviews even though it’s been advertised everywhere. I know why they did it, but usually when movies get over advertised, they suck, but the kids in the movies are new to Hollywood so they had to over advertise to get people to notice it. Although, I feel like the names JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg were enough.

Smash looks incredibly entertaining with singing and all that fun stuff. Katherine McPhee is auditioning to become Marilyn Monroe on Broadway. Falling Skies looks really good as well. I hadn’t heard of it until KROQ was talking about it last week in preparation for the premiere and I decided to watch a preview and it looks good. Aliens come to Earth and the people must survive. Sounds similar to The Walking Dead, but with aliens. The series starts after the invasion has already taken place and we see their adventures from there. I haven't had the chance to watch the pilot episode yet, but I have no doubt it's going to be good. So Steven, keep up the good work. I wish I were your friend.

Surprise

MTV has cancelled Skins. I’m not really surprised. I’m sure they were happy when the show got bad press because any press is good press, but I guess no one was watching it even with all the press. The show had to be aired after 10pm and then couldn’t repeat throughout the day in fear that the younger audiences would watch. When you have a show that needs to be aired that late so kids don’t watch, you probably shouldn’t have put it on the air anyway. I didn’t care much for the show. I watched a handful of episodes and could care less. Kids smoking, getting high and having sex is boring. So needless to say, I’m not too sad about this TV show loss.

The Zombies Are Coming Back!

I know we still have a few months to go, but talk of the next season of The Walking Dead has got me all excited! AMC has posted 2 new photos on their website from season 2. The make-up is kind of incredible! Season 2 will air on Halloween of this year and there will be 13 episodes. I’m so excited! Last season there were only about 7 episodes so now we can watch zombies longer!