PS, I Love You – Movie Review

I finally got around to watching this after having rented it 2 weeks ago.  I keep getting those phone calls from Blockbuster threatening to take my first born child unless I return the movies NOW.  Sorry, evil empire Blockbuster.  Can you ever forgive me?  No?  Okay.  I’ll just try Netflix then…

Fine, I’ll be good.  I won’t talk anymore of my abhorrance for Blockbuster, or which my partner in crime tells me that she quit today.  (GO KATHY!  WOOHOO!)

PS, I Love You was basically a story about a woman who lost her husband, and was receiving letters from him urging her to be the best version of herself as she possibly could.  It was heartbreaking to watch the characters go through the hard times and troubles and losing someone they love.  However, it was equally uplifiting to watch them grow and move on and maintain the memories they cherished.

Starring:

• Hilary Swank – Holly, the leading lady… however, I do not like her simply because of her role in Boys Don’t Cry.  She freaked me out, and it was just all around uncomfortable… but she was excellent.
• Gerard Butler – Jerry, the dead husband, and GORGEOUS Irishman.
• Kathy Bates – the meddling mom, who promises the dead husband that she’ll see to it Holly moves on.
• Lisa Kudrow – the best friend… she’s FINALLY getting married.
• Gina Gershon – the other best friend… she’s pregnant
• James Marsters- (sigh) John.  Jerry’s best friend and husband to BF #2.  GOD, HE’S SO PRETTY!  (*side note: in one of Jerry’s letters, he told Holly that she should find a new job and be happy… she can’t be a ninja or a mob boss or something.  And she definitely can’t be a VAMPIRE SLAYER because they don’t exist.  And because of THAT reference, and the fact that James ACTUALLY plays an important role, I will definitely be buying this movie)
• Jeffrey Dean Morgan – William or Billy, Jerry’s childhood friend, and the other GORGEOUS Irishman.  He played Denny on Grey’s Anatomy.
• Harry Connick Jr – the new Guy best friend who cares about Holly and thinks they would be great together until they are actually trying to kiss… it was like kissing a relative.

As I mentioned before, this is a movie I will definitely own (and not because I’m refusing too lazy returning it to Blockbuster today).  It was genuinely a good movie.  I loved the struggle Holly found herself experiencing as the year was progressing.  I won’t lie, the last half hour of the movie was far more heartbreaking than the first half hour.  Holly finally broke down in realizing  that Jerry is no longer here.  Even though she was getting letters, he wasn’t physically there, and Holly began feeling that she could no longer “feel” his presence.

The only reason I was interested in seeing this movie in the first place was because of James, but truth be told… it ended up being a great movie just as well.

And the next AMERICAN IDOL is…. DAVID!

Tell me they weren’t playing that up.  In case you didn’t watch the American Idol  finale last night… David won.  To be perfectly honest, I didn’t watch the entire finale.  Somehow, it has just lost it’s luster.  You watch it for the entire season, and to me, it’s starting to feel a little stale.  Sure, there were fantastic celebrities performing, and it looks a little like one of those variety shows from way back when.  And I was bored.  It’s the same old stuff year after year.  That’s fine.  I don’t have to watch it if it’s boring… and it wasn’t boring.  It wasn’t anything really.  It just was.

My friend B and I have been texting each other back and forth for weeks during Idol, and the topic was always the same: DAVID COOK had better win, or we’re going to boycott the show… for real this time.  From week to week, it was the same thing:  Vote for DAVID COOK or die!  Only probably MORE dramatic.  I guess all of our texting paid off, because DAVID COOK won.

Good for him.  I honestly didn’t think ARCHULETTA had the capacity to be able to deal with something so huge at this early stage of his life.  He was only 17, I think.  And that kind of fame… he doesn’t come off like he’s equipped to deal with it.  But he probably would have had to force himself to be prepared if he was the winner.  Either way, he’s got a full career ahead of him.  They both do. 

Does anyone remember what happened to CHRIS DAUGHTRY?  He was voted off in the final 5…?  And his band exploded with a few hits.  Unbelievable!

OH!  And what I’ve noticed they’ve done year after year, when they go back to the contestants home town, they use previous years contestants to host the trip.  In David Cook’s home town was resident annoying chick with the bitch attitude that Simon absolutely adored, Mikalah Gordon.  And in David Archuletta’s home town was the guy from some season, who really wasn’t all that spectacular… Matt Rogers?  Yeah.

Anyhoo, DAVID COOK is the next AMERICAN IDOL.

Dollhouse Trailer

The trailer for Dollhouse is up and running.  Check it out at the Dollverse wesbite.  And my god, it looks INCREDIBLE!

I can’t wait until it airs.

New iPhone

Now, I typically don’t post much about new technology, seeing that this is a blog about TV.  But I could hardly contain myself when I saw this article on Engadget.  And since I’m already out of the closet, I might as well come clean: I own an iPhone.  I bought it the day after it came out.  I got the rebate from Apple when they decided the cost was too high.  I am a devoted Apple products owner.  And without any hesitation, I will be buying the new iPhone version when it comes out (hopefully in June).

It’s always had awesome features.  For starters, the text messages look like chat bubbles.  And the cous de gras is the VISUAL VOICEMAIL.  I like being able to decide what to listen to, and not have to listen to everything if I don’t want to.

Anyway, the newer version is rumored to be a different size, have a few different color options, AND different front page themes.  Hence the article above that mentions a Windows Vista theme. 

I’ll keep you updated, and let you know how it works, and how much I’m going to love it.

Bones finale, season 3

Wow.  This finale was chock full of suspensy goodness.  I think the entire episode made me uneasy because it was THAT unpredictable.  I think I nearly had a heart attack at every commercial break wondering what the hell was going on.

<Spoiler Alert>

First up, when we last left our gang, Booth had been shot and Brennan was crying over his wound.  The new episode opens up with Brennan at a table trying to analyze remaines, while everyone else is preparing for Booth’s funeral.  Booth is dead.  HOWEVER, at his funeral, they find out he’s alive, after he is attacked by a fugitive who was out to get him.  Talk about annoying.  I was ready to cry, all the while, my logical side was thinking, “this is HIS show… they can’t kill him off… there is no show without HIM!”

Enter suspenseful story arch that has lasted since the end of season 2.  Gormagon.  And Zack was his apprentice.  Zack planned an explosion to take the focus away from him, in which he got hurt.  He was approached 3 months ago to be a new apprentice, and completely let go of his rational thought in order to complete his assignments.

What I LOVED:

• Hodgins accepting that he may be a suspect.  He’s the conspiracy theorist, and he knew that things were looking a little too squeaky clean… or not.
• Brennan busting into Booth’s bathroom while he was naked in the bathtub drinking beer and reading a comic book.  What made that moment better (aside from a naked David Boreanaz) was the genuine concern Brennan was feeling for Booth, and she was genuinely upset that she wasn’t told he was still alive.
• The final scene, after Zack was given a bargain to be in a mental facility.  Where the whole gang stood around Zack’s stuff realizing that everything he kept that was important was stuff his friends had given him.  Brennan didn’t think she gave anything to Zack, and ran off crying.  Booth followed along, with a letter of acceptance from Brennan to Zack.  Then there was the shoulder cry. 

What I DIDN’T love:

• Zack as the killer.  Although it was totally unexpected, it felt like it came out of nowhere.  There was no indication that he was being weird.  No open signs that something was wrong.  Hmm… maybe that was a good thing. 
• Gormagon was a nobody.  It would have been bigger or more dramatic if Gormagon was also someone the gang knew, or perhaps if he was a public or important figure.

Anyhoo… another season has wrapped itself up.  I can’t wait for this to be released on DVD, so I can watch it continuously and looking for tiny nuances.

House Finale, season 4

I’m going to mention this upfront, I was in tears at the end of the episode last night. 

<Spoiler Alert> (insert annoying siren HERE)

Cutthroat Bitch, aka Amber, died last night.  She had taken pills to alleviate her flu symptoms, and as a result, her body couldn’t filter the proteins and sent her entire body on system failure.

Girlfriend of Wilson, nemesis of House… she was evil and pushy and… well, she was CUTTHROAT BITCH.

The seaon 4 finale was a testament to all good episodes of House.  House was struck with a case of amnesia in regards to what happened the night before.  He saw a sympton, but could not remember where he was, or what symptom he saw or who it belonged to.  He tried nearly everything to jumpstart his memory, from electricity to sensory deprivation, risking his life nearly every time.

The theory was that House and Amber were having an affair, and the fact that he could not remember was a clear sign that she was meeting him there for just that.  Everyone suspected such infidelity, especially since it was House.

What actually happened, as House began to remember little by little, House tried finding Wilson because House was drunk and needed a ride home.  Amber came to his rescue, and followed him on the bus to ensure he got home safely.  She sneezed, took flu pills, and the bus crashed.

It was heartbreaking watching Wilson break down and not accept a non-cure to begin with.  He ordered that Amber be cooled down to buy them time to find her cure.  Finally, once House realized that a cure could not be found, Wilson broke down and finally said goodbye to Amber.  It was a purely heartbreaking moment.

What I LOVED:

• The final scene, after Amber passed.  It was a montage.  Each member of  the cast mourning in their own way.  Foreman, Chase and Cameron met at the bar/restaurant where they spent so much time as interns.  Wilson went home and cried.  #13 finally took a genetics test, which came back positive for a hereditary disease which may kill her in a few years. 
• Cuddy being more caring and maternal towards House.  She slept in a chair by his bed after he woke from the coma.  Perhaps she’s finally coming around.

What I DIDN’T love:

• Cutthroat Bitch dying.  Although it was sad, and it moved the plot along, I thought it was a little forced.  “She’s not renewing her contract, let’s kill her off…”  It just doesn’t sit right with me.
• Dreams/hallucinations.  It’s always difficult to tell what is a dream or hallicination and what is real.  House did an episode 2 seasons ago in which it was primarily a hallucination, and it confused the hell out of me.

Even though I was not Cutthroat Bitch’s biggest fan, it is sad that she’s gone.  It’s really going to have an affect on future storylines involving House and Wilson.  And Amber will be missed.

FOX revolutionsizes TV watching…with less commercials?

Um…. ok.  Is anyone else confused by this?  And didn’t NBC and ABC do this with the season premieres of Lost and Heroes?

According  to the Hollywood Reporter, FOX has plans to dramatically limit the commercial interuptions advertisements in order to keep viewers away from their remotes.  And they plan to start with Dollhouse and the new 90210spinoff.  FOX announced their plans at the Upfronts last week.

Fine… I’ll bite.  I’ll watch.  I promise not to change the channel… if the shows are good.  I have all the faith in the world (no pun intended) in Eliza Dushku and Joss Whedon.  But, come on.  A 90210 spinoff?  I didn’t like the original show, what makes FOX think that we’re going to like the new version…?  Do you remember what happened with Saved by the Bell… The New Classshowed up, and there was no more Zack or Kelly, or Lisa, Jessie, or Slater… Heck, even Screech was gone for awhile.  And didn’t they try doing remakes during the 2007-2008 tv season?  I don’t remember that going well, with Cop Rock and Quantum Leap making appearances.

But let’s get back to more important things, like less commercials.  FOX Entertainment Chairman Peter Liguori had this to say:

“It’s a simple concept and potentially revolutionary.  We’re going to have less commercials, less promotional time, and less reason for viewers to use the remote. We’re going to redefine the viewing experience.”

Are you serious?  It is not really all that revolutionary.  I’d consider it a last ditch effort to maintain or regain ratings after the 2007-08 Writer’s Strike.  So explain to me this: if they are cutting ads and promo time, how are they going to make money?  The advertisers can’t be happy about this.  To be perfectly honest, I don’t care either way.  But what does this mean for the quality of good TV?  A normal hour long drama with commercial interruption runs approximately 42-46 minutes.  Now, with limited interruptions, will they run longer?  Say, to 55 minutes or so?  Or are they going to have less actual commercial breaks, but longer commercials or ad space?

Please, let me know what you think about this “revolutionary” idea.

 

EDIT:  The FOX show that will also be affected by the shorter commercials will be Fringe, not a 90210 spinoff.

Firefly review…FINALLY

This weekend, I managed the finish watching Firefly (not that there is much to watch).  Honestly, I don’t know how to feel.  Possibly, incomplete?  I really feel like it’s going to haunt me for the rest of my life.  There were so many stories left untold, so many backstories, and mischeif and relationships.  Joss, it’s a shame that it was let go so early, but it had a great run.

I borrowed Serenity from the same FNG that loaned me the TV series.  I may watch it tonite.  Maybe not.  It took me less than a week to churn out the episodes of Firefly, even though my backlog seems to be getting bigger. 

Anyhoo, my list of likes and dislikes about Firefly:

What I LOVED:

• Nathan Fillion as Mal.  He’s a rough and tough guy, with a sense of humor along with his loyalty.  Also, he seems to be gullible at times, so he always seems to be getting into one scrap or another.  And, well… seeing him as naked as network TV would allow, is pretty funny too.
• Anara.  She’s a “registered companion,” with a love-hate relationship towards Mal.  She’s proper and uppercrusty, while maintaining the fact that she is a high class call girl.  Oh yeah, and she’s beautiful.
• I absolutely LOVE that Jayne is a double crosser… or can be when the money is good enough.  He’s a simplistically complicated character.  He is loyal, but sometimes, his evil doer ways get the better of him.
• Firefly was written by the brilliant Joss Whedon.  What’s not to love?
• The character dynamics are unbelievable.  The entire cast appeared to have chemistry since the first episode, so there wan’t any waiting for them to perfect their craft.

Dislikes:

• The whole 500 years into the future with old western throwbacks.  It’s intersting for a minute, but it really throws me off to see a super tech spaceship, then the whole crew riding on horses like it’s 1859.
• Summer Glau.  I do not like her.  I was not a fan of her in The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which is that new Terminator show that was picked up for a second season.  I don’t like the character of River either.  She’s whiny and scared and meek most of the time, which is kind of off-putting.
• It ended too soon. 

CBS Upfronts…

Upfronts week has been on the quiet side this year. Probably due to the writer’s strike, and the recent lack of ratings at the end of this season. I remember being sooo excited last year.  It was almost like freakin’ Christmas, the way upfronts were looking.  Ah, well.  Looks like a few of my shows will be gracing the new season.

MONDAY
8:00 p.m. The Big Bang Theory
8:30 p.m. How I Met Your Mother  (You bet I’m excited!  More Barney!  Wooo!)
9:00 p.m. Two and a Half Men
9:30-10:00 p.m. Worst Week [New]
10:00-11:00 p.m. CSI: Miami

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 p.m. NCIS
9:00-10:00 p.m. The Mentalist [New]
10:00-11:00 p.m. Without a Trace

WEDNESDAY
8:00- 8:30 p.m. The New Adventures of Old Christine
8:30 9:00 p.m. Project Gary [New]
9:00-10:00 p.m. Criminal Minds
10:00-11:00 p.m. CSI: NY

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 p.m. Survivor
9:00-10:00 p.m. CSI
10:00-11:00 p.m. Eleventh Hour [New]

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 p.m. Ghost Whisperer
9:00-10:00 p.m. The Ex-List [New]
10:00-11:00 p.m. Numb3rs

SATURDAY
8:00-9:00 p.m. Crimetime Saturday
9:00-10:00 p.m. Crimetime Saturday
10:00-11:00 p.m. 48 Hours: Mystery

SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 p.m. 60 Minutes
8:00-9:00 p.m. The Amazing Race
9:00-10:00 p.m. Cold Case
10:00-11:00 p.m. The Unit

Meh.  We’ll just have to wait and see what actually happens when the time comes.

In the mood for LoVe

Ack!  Today is one of those days where I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.  Which means I need some kind of romantic girly thing to swoon over.  And here it is.

My top favorite TV couples that make me laugh, cry and possibly melt.  (These are in no particular order…) They are TV couples/relationships that give hope, and that we all can find relatable.  Sure, Pacey Witter was my TV boyfriend (along with many others…), but he truly can’t do any better than Joey Potter.  And the same goes for Logan (another TV boyfriend… I told you there were others).  He was a wreck, and he looked to Veronica to help change him…  Anyhoo… here they are:

Logan and Veronica.  Their LoVe was epic.  And tragic.  And could be downright dirrrty.  Veronica’s was dating her best friend’s boyfriend, after her best friend was murdered by her boyfriend’s father.  Talk about complicated. 

But I couldn’t help but feel all mushy and tingly every time Logan and Veronica were having a good day.  They were the dysfunctional couple by which all dysfunctional couples based their entire relationships.  Even on their good days they were dysfunctional.

Favorite LoVe Moment: The Anti-Prom.  Logan confesses to Veronica that he still thinks about her and that their love is EPIC and should span lifetimes and continents.  Of course, when Veronica approaches him later, he has no memory of what he had said, and Kendall showing up behind him.  That moment led to the after party, where Logan comforts Veronica after she believes her father was killed in a plane explosion.  Holy potatoes.  And that is why I love Logan and Veronica.

 

Pacey and Joey.  The couple to end all couples… at least in my mind.  The whole DAWSON/JOEY and PACEY/JOEY triangle was great for the drama in the early years, but it was clear from the very beginning that Joey and Pacey were destined to be together.

Pacey is the underacheiver actively being lazy and purposely not trying to just get by.  While Joey is the overacheiver trying to do better for herself and get out of the lazy little town she grew up in.  In order for Joey to give Pacey the time of day (in his mind), he had to be a better person.  All of which led to Pacey owning his own restaurant and moving on with Joey in the end.

Favorite Joey and Pacey Moment:  Trust me, there are several.  I love their first kiss, when Joey is denying her feelings for Pacey.  Then there’s her confession of love for Pacey before they sail away on the boat “True Love.”  But my all time favorite is when Joey and Pacey are locked in the K-Mart overnight and have to entertain themselves until someone can unlcok the door.  They share a moment, where Pacey is letting Joey get rid of his goatee, and they kiss.  WAIT!  That can’t be topped by the final moment of the series, when they are comfortable with each other, and watching Dawson’s show, and all seems right with the world.  I absolutely LOVE Pacey and Joey.

Christina and Burke.  (Can you tell I have a thing for mismatched couples?)  They are totaly opposites other than the fact that they excel in everything they do… and pretty much everything else.  From the moment they had a thing in the on-call room, I knew they were perfect, even if they relly weren’t. 

Christina was pushy and non-committal.  Christ, she never even told Burke that she still had her own apartment after he thought she moved in with him.  Burke was committal, focused, and stable, which probably scared Christina, but she did everything she could for him in order to prove that she loved him. 

Of course, that wasn’t enough, as they never made it to the altar.  But they constant pushing on either side to make one more like the other was just great.

Favorite Burke and Christina Moment: After Burke had brain surgery, his hand was shaky, and in order to help him with his dexterity, Christina brough home whole chickens that she cut up, and expected Burke to sew them back together.