Super Bowl 2012 [commercials and half-time]

While I do watch the Super Bowl for the actual game play [whoot Giants!], I also enjoy watching the commercials and the half-time show.

In regards to commercials... I was a bit disappointed. While I did miss the first quarter commercials, I saw most of the others. There were the usually distasteful GoDaddy.com commercials [thankfully I only really see them on during the Super Bowl].

I was especially disappointed that there were not many funny commercials this year. And by funny, I mean actually amusing and not just trying to be amusing.

I did think that VW did a pretty good job with this year's commercial. Last year's Darth Vader kid was going to be hard to follow, so I like that they kind of did a follow up on it.

It was certainly a different approach than most of the other vehicle competitors, who decided to pull out heavy hitters for their ads.


There was Matthew Broderick for the Honda CR-V in a Ferris Bueller-esque style

Acura got not one but two big names: Jerry Seinfeld and... Well, I don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone who has yet to see it.

And my personal favorite, Chrysler with Mr. Clint Eastwood. While it was a bit sappy, Mr. Eastwood has that way of speaking that makes you pay attention.

Chevy took a very different approach to their commercial this year. You've probably seen glimpses of the commercial here and there. Honestly, the best part of this commercial is the music used [and if you check the US iTunes charts, it is currently #1]. The stunts are really awesome but the song really brings it all together. For those interested, it is called "We Are Young [feat. Janelle Monáe]" by Fun. And yes, I purchased the song. For those interested, Glee did a cover of this song this season [Hold on to Sixteen]

Outside of David Beckham's ad for underwear, nothing else really seemed to stand out. And either way, it's not like that isn't something we haven't seen before [not that we mind].

---

As for the half-time show... It was definitely better than previous years. Black Eyed Peas was kind of awful and confusing for most people. And while the following artists are very good, they are not very relate-able for/known to younger generations: The Who, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Prince, The Rolling Stones, and Paul McCartney.

But that doesn't mean this year's show was amazing by any means.

I loved that Madonna involved so many different acts in her show. Outside of LMFAO, I felt like all the acts were used well and incorporated in a way that did not seem so awkward as it could have been.

What I can't get over is Madonna's new song "Gimme All Your Luvin'." That would be an ok song... for a twenty something. The song is very pop-like and her enter movement on stage during this segment just doesn't seem to fit right. The whole concept from the dance moves to the musicality of it seemed forced. It also felt like a move back to her old style instead of a move to evolve her music beyond her past.

Also, it's sad when an artist feels the need to pull off a stunt to become relevant, aka M.I.A. It may have helped that I knew who she was before, but pulling off the middle finger did not interest me in her at all. Her part in the song is insignificant, which is a shame because she is an ok performer. I'm not really into rap/hip hop but I have heard her song "Paper Planes." The fact that she did flip the bird to the cameras shows that she is relying on the publicity of the stunt to sell new music instead of letting the music speak for itself. This just shows me she lacks true integrity as an artist. Appearing next to Madonna during the Super Bowl half-time show should have been enough to get people interested.

Outside of LMFAO and the entirety of "Gimme All Your Luvin'," it was a very good performance. I loved all the older songs and most of the guests that appeared with Madonna on stage. Hopefully this performance is the first step back into having [mostly] quality half-time shows in the Super Bowl.

The Voice [Season 2]

I'm sure you'd think I would create a post on the Super Bowl commercials... Which I will. Because there was a some good ones and some ... Well, not bad but not good ones. But with The Voice, I definitely need to watch and write at the same time. Where as with the commercials, I'll go back and watch them all again. And maybe even name my top 3.

I watched some of the first season of The Voice. And it was interesting while each judge/professional trainer/whatever were selecting their team. After that... I wasn't really interested in watching anymore. However, this season should at least have a little bit of extra time dedicated to selecting team members because the numbers per team have increased. Again, I don't know if I'll be able to keep it up.

For those who don't really know anything about The Voice, it is a singing competition. There are four "judges": Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Cee-Lo Green. When the performer first comes out to sing [and maybe play], the judges are facing the other way. In front of each judge is a button that s/he can press if s/he decides that s/he wants that performer on their team. The button turns the chair around so the judge can see the performer. If one judge turns around, that judge gets that performer. If more than one judge turns around, the power is in the performer's hands. That performer gets to choose who s/he works with.

Another aspect with this show is that you miss out on all the bad performers. I believe these people have already been through at least 2-3 auditions before even making it on the show to perform the judges.

All my thoughts on these people are based solely on their performance. I'm not really interested in their back stories. Throughout the show, they will show some random people in between where it will be a quick "We didn't chose these people." I won't be writing about those people, only performers who are shown in full.

1. RaeLynn - I wasn't particularly impressed. I don't know if this is because she was singing country [which is a genre I am very selective about] or what. There just wasn't enough power behind her voice for the song. She managed to turn around Adam and Blake [who she chose].

2. Jesse Campbell - I had mad goosebumps when this guy was singing. He also managed to get all the judges turn around. He chose to work with Christina.

3. Daniel Rosa - He is playing a ukele in the previews which is ... awesome. But he is not impressing me with his voice. He picked Neon Tree's "Animal" which was part of the problem. It wasn't a particularly interesting rendition and like all the judges said, pitch was definitely off. He was not selected.

4. Juliet Simms - She definitely has a raw voice that is very much in right now. She could use some refining to the raw voice [and yes, that is possible] but I think she has a lot to work with. She managed to turn around Adam, Cee-Lo, and Christina. It's hilarious how much tension there is between Christina and Adam right now. She chose to work with Cee-Lo [which could have been because she was turned off by the fighting between mommy and daddy Christina and Adam]

5. Chris Mann - I love him. End of discussion. His voice is strong and unwavering. And he chose something so unconventional for a show like this [aka not in English]. He managed to make Cee-Lo and Christina turn around. I think that Blake and Adam were certainly intimidated with how powerful his voice was. Either way, he seemed to know what he was doing with his voice.  He chose to work with Christina.

6. Tony Lucca - His performance was good. Singing and playing guitar certainly helps... But I honestly was not amazed. And while I said that I would not talk about the back story, I think it is hilarious that Christina did not recognize him until after he left the stage [they supposedly worked together on the Mickey Mouse Club]. Afterwards, she went and met up with him and his family back stage. He managed to turn around everyone [though Adam "helped" Cee-Lo press his button]. He chose to with with Adam.


For the most part, I think this night was pretty good in relation to musicians. Tonight is a 2 hour showing but there are other shows that I'll probably watch instead. I'm pretty sure this show is OnDemand.

The Borgias

It's the most wonderful time of the year... For watching TV. Because Showtime OnDemand is free for this weekend courtesy of Comcast. Basically, it is a "let's watch what we can in one weekend" in my house. So my younger brother and I have decided to try out The Borgias. I really want to watch this because I have been watching two people on YouTube playing Assassin's Creed games and Borgias is thrown about quite a bit.

I also love historical fiction[ish?] type shows. I call it historical fiction if only for the fact that the show does take some liberties with history. The writers add their own flair to the story that is already there and fill in any gaps that need to be fillled. If you've seen The Tudors, it is very similar to that show... Well, the guys could be better looking, but the story is interesting enough. I wasn't too familiar with the history of the Borgias family. I recall hearing of them in history class but it was in passing.

Either way, I would say this is certainly a worthwhile show to check out.

On a side note...

Sherlock is back for another 3 episodes. I'm hoping maybe they will show it on BBC America. The first episode aired today on BBC One but no word on that.

I could just find them online but the quality usually sucks... Or I could wait till May when they will be on PBS... But that requires patience. We'll see what I do.

Finally!

We're finally into 2012 and I'm just excited for my shows to finally come back! Just going to post the TV watching schedule of my household:

Monday, Jan 2
2 Broke Girls [8:30pm]
Two and a Half Men [9:00pm]

Tuesday, Jan 3
NCIS [8:00pm]
NCIS: LA [9:00pm]
Parenthood [10:00 - OnDemand]

Wednesday, Jan 4
Modern Family [9:00pm]
Revenge [10:00pm]

Thursday, Jan 5
Vampire Diaries [8:00pm]
Grey's Anatomy [9:00pm]
Private Practice [10:00 - OnDemand]

Friday, Jan 6
A Gifted Man [8:00pm]
Merlin [10:00pm]

Sunday, Jan 8
Once Upon A Time [8:00pm]
Pan Am [10:00pm]

Monday, Jan 9
Castle [10:00pm]

Thursday, Jan 12
Bones [8:00pm]
The Finder [9:00pm]

Friday, Jan 13
Grimm [9:00pm]
Person of Interest [9:00pm - OnDemand]

Monday, Jan 16
Being Human [9:00pm]

Tuesday, Jan 17
Glee [8:00pm]
New Girl [9:00pm]
Raising Hope [9:30pm]
White Collar [10:00pm]

Wednesday, Jan 18
American Idol [8:00pm]

All items that are italicized are shows that someone other than myself will be watching [read as: Mom]. All the shows that have OnDemand next to them will be watched the following day or when available OnDemand and not at the initial air time.

Top 5 Shows I'm excited for, in this order:

1. Once Upon A Time
2. Vampire Diaries
3. New Girl
4. The Finder
5. White Collar

I used the TVLine.com January Calender to make my list - Items in bold are season/series premieres.

The Help

Got my laptop on my lap and a frozen hot chocolate [with some liquor], so I think I'm ready to watch The Help. My mom has been wanting to watch this movie since she heard it was coming up.

It starts off pretty dramatically. A black woman starts talking about her story. How she knew she was going to be maid growing up and how she spends her life raising white babies.

And we flash over to Skeeter [Emma Stone], who is trying to get into the publishing world. She tried to get employed at Harper Publishing company but needed more experience. And she is pretty much given her break at a small town gazette, the Jackson Journal.

Skeeter seems to be different from all the people she grew up with. She seems to have an appreciation for the help and loved Constance, the black woman who raised her [though not according to Skeeter's mother]. Apparently, while Skeeter was at college, Constance "left" to be with her family in Chicago. She is very independent for her generation.

And the maids are the best part of this movie. They are passionate and have a hard life due to the times. You see things you don't learn in history class, like the idea of a house having a separate bathroom for the help. And you get to see the thought process of the white people of the town. It's amazing to see what they considered being "racist" versus "separate but equal."

Also, there is an interesting lack of men in this movie save for a few glimpses here and there. But then again, this is a focus not only on black peoples' rights, but black women's rights. And so it would be pointless to have much focus on the men.

Either way, I'd definitely recommend this movie. It is certainly different from all those other "chick flicks," for lack of a better words. It's not a laugh a lot movie like Bridesmaids or sappy like anything like Jodi Picoult or New Year's Eve [and yes, I consider that movie to be a chick flick]. It has some comedy, some serious notes, some highs and some lows. All the actresses in this movie definitely did their job of making you feel. They deserve all the award nominations they got and then some.

---

Fun Side Notes

• Crisco is to The Help like Windex is to My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
• Stuart Whitworth was played by Chris Lowell, who also played Piz in Veronica Mars

Once Upon a Time [mid-season finale]

Spoilers! The following post does contain spoilers for the Once Upon a Time episode The Heart is a Lonely Hunter [episode 7]. Do not read if you have not seen the episode and do not want it spoiled for you.

Neverland [SyFy mini series]

There may be some mild spoilers in this review. Do not continue if you want to be surprised when watching. You have been warned...

YouTube + Video Games = Many hours wasted

Recently, I've become kind of a youtube junkie... Particularly for guys and gals playing video games. Maybe it's my way of playing the games vicariously through others. I only own my laptop and a PS2 [with a handful of games]. And since I don't own a memory card, I haven't felt encouraged to start any of my games.

Here are some youtube channels focused on video game playing that I have subscribed to:

Hank Games
For anyone familiar with the vlogbrothers, you have probably heard about this channel. It originally started with Hank Green playing video games by himself. I subscribed to this channel when he began playing Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4. I have always liked watching other people play video games... Given they have amusing commentary to go with it. I'd also recommend watching him play Assassins Creed... But start from the first one he played! He's currently on Revelations.

But right now, the first thing I check out is to see if his brother, John Green, has put up a new episode of The Miracle of Swindon Town. Basically, he plays FIFA 2011 as the Swindon Town Swoodilypoopers [not the real name of the Swindon Town F.C. btw] and provides interesting and random commentary. I don't know why it fascinates me so but it does. Maybe it's just the listener in me. I like listening to people and John Green has a lot to say.

Below is the latest episode of The Miracle of Swindon Town

Luke's Arcade

This is a really new channel from a youtuber that I was following before hand, Luke Conard. What I like about the channel is that there are a bunch of different people playing a bunch of different games. There really is something for everyone and I'm excited to see this channel flourish. Not only that, I haven't played most of the games they are taking on.

I have been watching all the videos so far but the ones I guess I'm most excited for are:

Little Big Planet with Luke and Ingrid [missglamorazzi]

and Alex plays Batman: Arkham Asylum [which did a live showing but hasn't been posted yet on the channel].

... Yeah. That's all.

A change from your irregularly scheduled program...

Like I kind of mentioned in my post about Once Upon A Time,  fairy tales are up on the rise with media today.  Really, I think it comes with off the tailcoats of the vampires/werewolves revolution we've been having with the Twilight saga and The Vampire Diaries. By that, I mean that writers and directors and producers are taking a concept that has been around for a while and revamping it for a modern audience.

Which gets to my main point: I'm really excited for the Snow White movies that are coming out next year. Like, really really really excited. Like, I may actually want to see these movies in theaters... Which doesn't really happen for me with a lot of movies.

So the following is my take on the movies so far along with the trailers.

Snow White & The Huntsman

This is the one with the tough Snow White, played by Kristen Stewart. We have the typical part of the story:

- Queen wants to be fairest in the land

- Snow White is gonna beat her

- Queen wants Snow White dead

- Queen sends Huntsman to kill Snow White

And then we get a change. The Huntsman [AKA Eric] is apparently reluctant to work for the Queen from the start. He appears to have been captured and is to either kill Snow White or be killed. From there, he apparently starts to train Snow White to fight in a battle against the Queen. Definitely pretty exciting in my opinion.

Kristen Stewart is the Snow White in this version and that hasn't deterred me from this movie yet. But I'll have to see another trailer because we haven't actually heard her speak, which could be a deal breaker for me. I've seen her in the Twilight saga and have noticed... Her acting has not evolved much through the series. I'm hoping that maybe in the strong female role, Stewart will flourish.

Mirror Mirror

This version of the Snow White tale seems like it will definitely be very different from the other. It may have been the impression from the trailer, but this story seems to focus more on the Queen then Snow White. And with Julia Roberts playing the Evil Queen, it's a no wonder. However, I don't know if I'd call her evil so much as self-absorbed. The trailer has her coming off as insecure and less scary. She almost comes off as comical in the trailer.

Something you do get from this movie that doesn't seem to appear in the other? The dwarves. You get a glimpse of them and Snow White training [again with the strong female who previously wasn't] for her fight against the Queen.

Also, the music in the trailer at the beginning actually makes me think Bollywood. It's really weird but exciting at the same time.

Bones [SPOILERS]

I've been on and off with this show for a few years now. I usually catch old episodes on TNT [though I think I've seen most of them by this point]. I've never been committed to watching it once a week even though I really like Bones.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about the Bones/Booth couple with a bun in the oven. It just seems kind of strange after so long for them to finally be together.

Even still, Brennan and Booth are two very different people. Tonight's new episode ["The Memories in the Shallow Grave"] seems to be showing us a lot of the obstacles that they are going to face not only as a couple, but a couple with a child on the way.

Brennan is very factual and scientific. Her way of thinking has not changed much since the first season give or take a smidgen. She has no belief in a God and has never really had a functioning family or anyone else to depend on.

Booth is a very emotional and bases his decisions on gut instinct. He is as open to ideas as he can be. Family and friends have always been #1 in his life and he is a bit more in touch with people than Brennan. And while he didn't grow up with the conventional family [his grandfather raised him], he still understands the functions of a family.

We can already tell that the following topics will need to be discussed/resolved this season:
- Finding a new place
- Religious upbringing
- Brennan working far into her pregnancy [because I can't imagine she'll be able to sit or whatever]
- Picking a name [which I think will be hilarious]
  ~ In relation, deciding on the child's last name
- Dealing with Parker [Hopefully this will be addressed because I feel like Booth's son is so easy to forget]
- Brennan's hormones [which I'm sure will come up the entire season]
- Money [which will probably come up more than once]

I'm sure there are more but those are what are coming to mind right at the moment. Any other ideas are welcomed.

First episode back was pretty good. We got to see Brennan have a few awkward moments and the kissing between Booth and Brennan were cute as oppose to weird.

The murder was so strange that it was kind of boring. I was more interested in the relationship aspect then the murder aspect. It is usually the other way around with me. I'm excited for what is to come and I'm going to try and keep up with the show, which will probably be difficult once Vampire Diaries goes on hiatus.

Once Upon a Time

I know, this is a little late but whatever...

I cannot express how excited I was for Once Upon A Time. Of course, I've kind of been excited for all the fairy tale story line shows that are coming out [Grimm] but this one especially. It is just such a new and different take on the tales. I've always been a lover of the fairy tales, whether Grimm or Disney.

Here is a link to the ABC website where you can watch the first episode of Once Upon A Time. If you don't want to be spoiled to the first episode, don't keep reading... You've been warned.

Sherlock

So, I've always been a Sherlock Holmes fan myself. I love the stories and have seen 2-3 of the adaptations. And this has got to be the most brilliant one!

Sherlock has taken the old school tales and given them a modern twist. And it is completely fabulous and I want the next series to come out. 

Basically, we start off with Dr. John Watson, who has just returned from Afghanistan and has had a rather traumatic experience. He visits a therapist and has a psychosomatic limp [which means trauma causes the limp]. Either way, he runs into a friend whom he says that he doesn't know who would be able to live with him... And it turns out that this friend is also friends with Sherlock Holmes. Who is also looking for a roommate and also wondered who would be able to live with him.

And so our dynamic duo is formed. And they are absolutely fantastic together. Sherlock is exactly what he calls himself in the show: "high functioning sociopath."  He has little regard for other people, doesn't seem to have too much in the way of feelings, and lives for the thrill of the chase. You could also say he is a little needy/dependent. He constantly has Watson do little things such as text someone or fetch his phone.

Watson is pretty level headed and a good counterpart to Holmes. He does cater to some of Sherlock's craziness and does a lot of listening. He is as close to a "friend" as Holmes could ever had.

Either way, this show is fantastic! I love Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock... And he comes off as strangely attractive. Which is weird for me because I usually don't care for the curly hair look at all. Maybe it's the impartial-ness of the character. Or maybe it's because it's freaking Sherlock Holmes... I don't really know or care to explain it.

Unfortunately, there are only three 90-minute episodes, which is incredibly depressing. Supposedly there are going to be three new 90-minute episodes early next year. Hopefully it will be done through PBS again so I can actually watch it when it comes out.

New Girl

I have a few shows this season that I'm interested in watching but I've always been bad about watching the first episode.


Hence, why I only just watched New Girl today.
Turns out it's a comcast ondemand thing. The show doesn't really premiere until Tuesday... So if you have Comcast ondemand, go check it out New Girl now!

And it was pretty awesome and I already have reminders plugged into my phone. I was kind of excited for this show just from the previews.

Jess Day [Zooey Deschanel] just found out her model boyfriend is cheating on her [the wikipedia page calls in a "surprise breakup"] and she needs to find a new place to live. She happens upon a craigslist ad [craigslist killer anyone?] for a place with 3 guys... And we see just how quirky Jess really is. That isn't to say that the guys are completely normal.

What to know about Jess:

1. She likes to sing... this includes occasionally making up songs as well
2. She is friends with models
3. She is quirky... Veeeeery quirky
4. She doesn't understand some social interacts... Especially when it comes to guys

And there are her 3 roommates: Nick, Schmidt, and Coach.

What to know about Nick:

1. I don't know if this will be reemerging but he's kind of obsess with his ex-girlfriend. This is kind of resolved in the episode but who knows
2. Bartender
3. When he is drunk, he calls his ex-girlfriend and speaks in an Australian accent [again, don't know if this will continue in the series]

What to know about Schmidt:

1. He's definitely Jersey Shore like [save for the tanning]
2. He has his own swear-word-esque jars. Except he puts money in whenever the other roommates decide he is being douchey. It is called the Douchebag Jar
3. He is the reason Jess is living with the guys. He was interested in her model friends.
4. He takes off his shirt even if everyone wants him to keep it on.

What to know about Coach

1. No interaction skills with the ladies [he yells a little too much]
2. Personal trainer
3. He's gone after the pilot due to Damon Wayans, Jr.'s obligations to Happy Endings
4. His character will be replaced with Winston [who we don't meet until the 2nd episode]. Apparently he was only subletting the apartment.

We also meet Cece, who is one of Jess' model friends. I can't really say much outside of the fact that she is a very loyal friend to Jess. And she appears to be fairly intelligent. But I can't make much more of her than that yet. Hopefully we'll see more of her in the future.

Either way, I'm definitely excited about this show. 

Ringer

First, I absolutely need to start this post with "Welcome Back Sarah Michelle Gellar!" She has pretty much been off the screen for the most part since Buffy the Vampire Slayer with spots here and there.

Anyway, we meet Sarah Michelle Gellar [SMG] #1 [if you don't know the premise of the show, you'll understand better after a bit], who is a recovering alcoholic Bridget and apparently tangled in some serious business... AKA, she is a witness that is suppose to speak against some big baddie. Also, she's kind of entangled with her AA sponsor. Oh, and Richard is there... He's everywhere and pops up at random moments when you least expect it [Also see: LOST].

However, she doesn't seem to want to really deal with any of it and runs away from it all to visit her sister for the first time in 6 years... Who is Sarah Michelle Gellar #2, Siobhan. So to the Hamptons we go!

And we find out that SMG #2 is super successful and has lots of moneys. Side note that SMG #1 pretty much has nothing to her name. Anyway, they go on a super fun boat ride... And SMG #1 takes a nap... And SMG #2 disappears... Supposedly by committing suicide [insert skepticism here and thoughts of when SMG #2 will reemerge].

And then suddenly "Siobhan" is walking back into her NYC home. But it's really Bridget dressed up as "Siobhan." Because Bridget decided to take her sister's identity. So we follow her attempting to live her sister's life. And we find out her sister was way more complicated than she seemed. Let me list the ways:

1. Siobhan and her husband have a kind of cold relationship
2. Siobhan has been having an affair with her best friend's husband
3. Turns out Siobhan was 4-weeks pregnant
4. Oh, and Siobhan is still alive and someone is trying to kill her and she knows someone was trying to kill her...

Yeah, craziness. I'll keep watching though. Cause it's Sarah Michelle Gellar and this show seems like it's gonna be good. And I'm definitely interested in seeing where it goes.

The Secret Circle

So, after semi-watching a what-could-have-been a fabulous episode of The Vampire Diaries [I'll explain at the end], I decided to stick around the CW and watch The Secret Circle.

Now, my luck with CW shows are hits and misses... Mostly misses to be honest. And this show is, as of this moment, hanging on the miss side as well.

The story is basically about this girl [Cassie] who moves back to the town that was once her parents' hometown. Her mom just died and her dad has been dead since she was an infant. She's come to live with her grandma. Sounds pretty normal-ish, right? Yeah, well what she doesn't know is that she is a witch... And part of this "secret circle." Her parents were also a part of a "secret circle." And something with this circle is the reason that 1) her father is dead and 2) her mother never told her about the "secret circle."

So basically, there are a bunch of kids of the people who were in [a] secret circle with Cassie's parents [?]. And kind of throw all this information at Cassie... Who has decided to reject it all. And who can blame her? As if having to grow up with only her mother's support and then to have her ripped away, this is kind of much. And of course she can't just talk to anyone about all of this. Remember the "secret" part.

And of course, because it is an CW show, there is lots of normal teenager drama.

I'll probably watch this show, if only for the fact that it is after The Vampire Diaries until at least November 3rd [which is when my friend pointed out that Bones comes back that night]. But on the topic of TVD, the reason I missed a good half hour of the beginning is because brother #3 called to wish me a happy birthday and to talk a bit. I'll hopefully be able to watch it online soon.

Julie and Julia

I'm not really a chick flick kind of female. And so far, this is not really making me want to see more chick flicks.

My mom wanted to watch "Julie and Julia" and I've just kind of been sitting in the room, sort of watching it. It is an ok movie, not bad but not really amazing either.

It stars Meryl Streep as Julia Childs, a woman who resided in France [her husband worked at the US embassy] and decided to go to Le Cordon Bleu [famous French cooking school]. We catch glimpses of her life in France and dealing with the fact that she could not speak French and was not an expert at cooking as her fellow peers.

And then there is Amy Adams as Julie Powell, a woman who works at a call center, dealing with victims of the September 11th attacks and such. She decides she is going to go through Julie Childs' cookbook on French cooking, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and blog about it. She gives herself the goal of going through the whole book in 365 days.

And you follow both of these women as they go through the struggles of life and learning to cook. I probably would never watch this movie again. The acting is great and the script is ok. The movie is a little choppy because of the way the whole thing is set up, jumping between Julia's life and Julie's life. So that's something to be expected.

I think it's more of the fact that I'm simply not interested in cooking. All the cooking and cooking talk in the movie kind of bores me. And there is quite a bit of it. -sigh- But maybe if you are remotely interested in cooking, this would be the movie for you.

Robin Hood [A la BBC America]

I love TV shows that are based on older stories. They bring to life the old stories and share them with newer generations... If they are done well, of course.

So I've been watching the BBC America version of Robin Hood. It aired from 2006-2009 and is currently available via my Amazon Prime account. I'm most of the way through the first season and it's... interesting.

I'll be honest, I don't know the original tale of Robin Hood. So there is nothing to complain about in the ways of accuracy like in shows such as Merlin. I'm also not a history buff and don't know much about some of the historical accuracy [if the show is even aiming for that]. Though I'm sure the story has been embellished quite a bit [Marian is a secret fighter against the Sheriff? What what?], it is.... Ok.

There isn't really much to say. The guy playing Robin Hood is quite dashing and attractive. And looks pretty darn good with a bow and arrow. Robin is naturally charming and charismatic. Maybe a little too perfect at times but then again, the male characters back in the day were always perfect.

The basic story is that Robin, Lord of Locksley Manor and Earl of Huntingd,on has returned from the Crusades [He was fighting to protect King Richard] with his trusty side-kick and now former servant Much. But what he comes back to is not the home he left. His estate has been run by Sir Guy of Gisborne and there is a new sheriff in town, Vaisey. And we follow the story where Robin eventually becomes an outlaw and meets up with a bunch of other outlaws. And thus the merry band of men is formed [with a non-white woman to join in the future].

And then there is of course Maid Lady Marian, the daughter of the former sheriff and former flame of Robin's. Like I said before... She secretly fights the Sheriff on the side as the Night Watchman [a title she insists she did not chose]. And naturally, Sir Guy/Gisborne is kind of obsessed with her...

And each episode is basically about how the Sheriff tries to out-trick Robin and capture him. And his subsequent failing at doing so. And yeah... That's kind of the gist of the show. It's fun episode to episode but I'm not terribly interested in the arc as a whole. But I'll keep watching... Mostly because I've already started it and it's something to fall asleep to at night.

Be on the lookout though! I'm considering doing a Harry Potter movie marathon [dunno if I'll include DH pt 2] and will probably do right ups on each movie.

So...

So I just finished watching all of Torchwood... AND IT DIDN'T GET ANY BETTER!!! Ok, it got a teenie tiny bit better but not much. Spoilers under the link.


I should also note that even after watching all of Torchwood that I could, I still don't like Gwen.

I don't know if I'll ever see Torchwood: Miracle Day considering it is on Starz here in the States and I'll probably never want to pay to see it.

So now I'm looking through Amazon Prime for some new shows and movies to watch.

Current going list for tv shows:
Pushing Daisies
Robin Hood
The Tudors [though I have seen seasons 1 & 2]
Primeval
Doctor Who [old school version]
Numb3rs
Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century [because anything involving Holmes should be interesting]

I haven't gone through the movies yet but I'm sure I will. Always open to recommendations as well.

Torchwood

As any good Whovian knows, the secret title of the reboot of Doctor Who was called Torchwood [anagram of Doctor Who]. And thus a spinoff was born...

And I'm not incredibly impressed. While I do love me some Captain Jack Harkness, the show doesn't seem to hold the same pizazz that Dr. Who does. Of course, I've only seen 2-3 episodes [because I use them to fall asleep at night] so I don't know if I've really given it a fair shot. And naturally, I will probably watch it to the end anyway because a) it's only 3 seasons and b) it's in my nature.

It could also be that the characters haven't developed much yet. I like character depth sometimes more than story. That isn't to say that the story should be trash but I think you get what I mean. I really have no attachment to any of the characters at this point [I don't really count the Captain cause I was attached before the show] which is odd because I usually find at least one after an episode or two.

It's probably because the show is a little focused on Gwen Cooper, the newbie to Torchwood. And honestly, she doesn't interest me in the slightest. In fact, she kind of annoys me. She's kind of making rookie mistakes that a now former cop shouldn't be making. She kind of has traits I don't appreciate in humanity. A little too naive, not remotely cautious and doesn't seem to take her job all that seriously. It's like she is just stepping into a smoke filled room knowing nothing of what is inside. Which makes her all the easier to develop as a character. -sigh- Which is kind of dull at this point I guess.

It's interesting because the show has had 2 [made-for-tv?] movies and I'll probably want to see those too at some point. I guess I was kind of hoping for more to start off with. We'll see if my interest stays or if it wanes and I go back to shows that are airing now.