Saturday, December 14, 2013

Alexis Bledel in "Violet & Daisy"

        Bought the DVD and watched it. First impression that it was kind of Pulp Fiction-ish. Odd things happen, with flashbacks and a dream sequence.
Brief synopsis...
Violet (Alexis) and Daisy (Saoirse Ronan) are hit women. Violet and Daisy celebrate Daisy's 18th birthday. They both love singer and entertainer Barbie Sunday, who canceled a concert, but had a line of fashion coming out, including a signature dress they both want.
    So they take one last easy job - get in "The Guy's" apartment, wait for him to come home, and kill him. They sit on the sofa waiting and fall asleep. He comes in, covers them with a spread, and sits down in a chair to wait for them to wake up.
    They do, then go into a bedroom to discuss why he didn't take their guns. They decide to just run in and blast away, which they do, with eyes closed. But he was in the kitchen making cookies. He wants them to kill him because he robbed somebody also, and those guys coming for him will torture him first.
    Violet has to go out to buy more bullets.
    Daisy and The Guy start bonding. He discovers that Violet is more violent than Daisy, and she kind of wants to be like her, and kind of doesn't. Also he is dying of cancer and doesn't want to suffer and linger.
    The other guys come in, Violet comes in after them and kills all four of them. They put them in the bathtub.
    Violet again goes out for more bullets. Daisy finds out The Guy has a daughter who, for some reason, blames him for her mother's death even though it was an auto accident.
    Violet comes back, he is ready to die, but only one of them shoots and kills him. They get out by the fire escape as the cops come in the front door.
    They buy the dresses, then separate. Daisy goes to the school where April, The Guy's daughter, is attending, and gives her the Barbie Sunday dress, telling her it is from her father.
    End of movie. The only extra was the theater preview - which had the scenes all jumbled up, as usual.
   
    April was played by the awesome Tatiana Maslany, who is SO wonderful in Orphan Black.
    I can kind of understand why the movie went straight to DVD, not the blockbuster that studios and theater owners want to offer.

But out of 5 stars, I'd give it 4

For pics of Alexis -- Alexis Bledel

And --
Tatiana Maslany in "Orphan Black"


Thursday, November 14, 2013

Shiri Appleby on Law & Order: SVU

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In the episode, Shiri played a Coast Guard ensign who got too drunk (she was fed alcohol shots) and then was gang raped by three of her shipmates.

And even though I probably shouldn't have been,  I was amazed at how great Shiri's acting was. She really nailed it!!

    I guess I was so used to seeing her in things like Roswell, Darklight, Pizza My Heart, ER, Life Unexpected, Dating Rules from My Future Self, and Chicago Fire.  

Some roles were lighthearted and some were dramatic, but none as dramatic as SVU. 

I can see a Golden Globes or Emmy nom for sure. 



 

Sunday, September 29, 2013

The Crazy Ones

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This is the new comedy show starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Robin Williams.

I am NOT a fan of sitcoms since they are never funny, they are boring, and are never funny.

I really wanted to like this because I will always be a Buffy fan, and I really like Sarah. But she is not a comedienne. Every time she delivered a "funny line" the look on her face was like she expected the audience to laugh. Or hoped they would.

Robin Williams was typical of his brand of comedy. But with his age, he just looked foolish.

I think Sarah is more suited to dramatic roles such as Buffy, and "Ringer."  (There was a lot of criticism of this show, but I liked it. I thought Sarah did a good job playing twins Siobhan and Bridget.)
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Monday, September 23, 2013

Mary McCormack's New Sitcom

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Over the weekend I watched "Welcome to the Family" Mary's new show. Basically, her character's daughter who just graduated from high school told them that she was pregnant. The guy, who is Hispanic, also is just graduating, and the families meet over dinner to discuss it.

I love Mary, but I don't have much hope this show will last very long. I didn't find it particularly funny (but I never watch comedies because they are NEVER funny).

Whenever Mary was in a scene, she didn't seem much like Mary Shannon from "In Plain Sight" until she got sarcastic, then she did.

Which I suppose is good, and bad.  Good, because she is the Mary I (we) tune in to see. But bad because she is playing a different character and is NOT supposed to be Marry Shannon, U.S. Marshal.

In a way I can see why Mary might have decided to do the show. First, she isn't the main character, so her workload will be much less. Second, it is only a half our show, so the pressure to produce a weekly show would be less. And thirdly, Mary now has three daughters, one still a baby, so she will have more time to spend with them.

Despite all of that, I really wish Mary would find a drama of some kind to act in. It doesn't have to be a cops show. A medical drama, or lawyer show would be fine with me.

It's possible I might watch it occasionally, but I can't see me tuning in every time it is on.
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Sunday, September 22, 2013

2013 Emmys - The Usual Crap Shows Nominated

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And once again it's here, and the reason I NEVER watch the Emmys -- shows I never watch are nominated, and the ones I do are ignored (DON'T EVEN get me started on "Gilmore Girls"!!)

My list of shows and people who deserve to be nominated:
 (Since I never watch comedies [because they are never funny, they are boring, they are stupid, and they are never funny] they are not included.)

Shows (in no particular order) --
Hell on Wheels
Orphan Black
Sons of Anarchy
Justified
Longmire
Defiance
Continuum
Chicago Fire
The Americans
Blue Bloods
NCIS
The Bridge
Blue Bloods
Falling Skies

Actors and Actresses  (in no particular order) --
Tatiana Maslany ... Orphan Black ... Lead
Robert Taylor ... Longmire ... Lead
Ksenia Solo ... Lost Girl ... Supporting
Julie Benz ... Defiance ... Lead
Rachel Nichols ... Continuum ... Lead
Keri Russell ... The Americans ... Lead
Diane Kruger ... The Bridge ... Lead
Stephanie Leonidas ... Defiance ... Supporting
Tom Selleck ... Blue Bloods ... Lead
Donnie Wahlberg ... Blue Bloods ... Supporting
Emily Rose ... Haven ... Lead

And I guess that is all. Too bad these people and shows never get the recognition they deserve.
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Sunday, August 25, 2013

Mary McCormack in "In Plain Sight"

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I've just finished watching the USA network series "In Plain Sight" on DVD. It ran for five years, from 2008 to 2012, and I cannot understand why Mary was never nominated for an Emmy.

Of course being on a cable channel, and consequently not being seen by the large audiences that network channels get may have had something to do with it.

And it's a damned shame!  Mary brought so much to the show, she should have been nominated for every award there was.

Mary played a U.S. marshal in the show, and she was part of the Albuquerque  WitSec - the Witness Security Service, more commonly known as witness protection.  Her name was Mary Shannon (aka Mary Sheppard when she needed to go "undercover") in the series.

In the fourth season, Mary in real life got pregnant with her third daughter and the pregnancy was written into the show, and she went into labor at the end of that season. So
I guess that is why the fifth season was only eight episodes long. No doubt she wanted to spend more time with her new daughter.

I saw Mary in two movies before I knew who she was - "Deep Impact" in 1998, and "K-Pax" in 2001. And it wasn't until I rewatched "Deep Impact" did I recognize her. She was in the last few seasons of "The West Wing" which I never watched. She also was in an episode of "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" in 2008 as Mary Shannon, so maybe it was a cross-over episode.

And she was in E.R. as a recurring character in six episodes from 2003 - 2006. (I've just now started on the E.R. series. I'm only in season two, so it will be a long time before I get to season nine).

Mary is currently filming a new comedy series called "Welcome to the Family" to air this fall.

For more pictures of Mary --
 http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Mary+McCormack&go=&qs=ds&form=QBIR

Sunday, July 14, 2013

George Zimmerman -- Not Guilty (?)

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 The jury's decision in the George Zimmerman trial was that he was  guilty of neither second degree murder, nor of manslaughter, of Trayvon Martin.

And just like in the Casey Anthony trial, no one but the jurors know what went on while they were coming to their decision.

I was surprised there were only six jurors. And I was surprised that the attorneys on both sides thought five women would render the verdict they both wanted. I understand that four of the women were white, and the fifth was a minority/ non-white - either Hispanic or black.

That Zimmerman shot Martin, there is no doubt. But the circumstance was the issue: A racially motivated shooting; or a fight for his (Zimmerman's) life?

But regardless of what really happened, George Zimmerman was found not guilty (and as in the Casey Anthony verdict, "not guilty" does NOT mean "innocent").

And his life is forever changed. He will be constantly looking over his shoulder, and jumping at every sound, worried that someone will be there to exact "justice."

No doubt he will have to go into hiding, and probably leave Florida for good.
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Saturday, June 29, 2013

"Man of Steel"

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Went to see the movie today. Heard some kind of bad reviews about it. But the main problem is that it IS NOT a Christopher Reeve Superman movie.

Once you get past that, and realize that the details are completely different, then the movie becomes more enjoyable.

Krypton is NOT the crystal planet. Get over it.

Although -- there are things that seem to be from other movies. At the beginning, there is a creature that reminded me of one of the 'Star Wars' movies. And then Jor-El rides home on a two winged dragon looking thing, reminding me of  'Avatar.' And that is a mistake. Why would he be riding a dragon when the people chasing him were using flying machines?

The movie doesn't take a chronological path, but there are flashbacks of Clark's childhood, and the sporadic uses of his powers to save people.

And there is a LOT of fighting and destruction of Smallville and Metropolis.

Amy Adams was pretty good in this as Lois Lane. There have been complaints that I've heard about her knowing who Superman/Clark is almost right from the start, but I can't see where it hurt the movie any.

Out of five, I'd give this 3.5 - 4 stars.

And when the DVD comes out, I'll probably buy it.
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Sunday, June 2, 2013

Star Trek: Into Darkness

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   Went to see the movie Saturday (June 1st). It had been out for 3 weeks, so I figured the movie theater wouldn't be very crowded.     My Mistake!   Up until the movie actually started, there was no one sitting  beside me in either seat. Then some big guy sat on my left. So I spent the entire movie with my left arm in my lap, leaning on the right armrest - most uncomfortable!
And I'm sure that is what caused me to enjoy the movie much less than I ordinarily would have.

The movie itself was pretty good - lots of action, and not very many slow spots to allow the story line to develop.  The actual story was good, and at least twice, when I thought the movie was almost over -- some life threatening thing happened that the crew of the Enterprise had to deal with.

I liked all of the characters except the guy who played Scottie. Or maybe it was just the character. But it seemed like he tried TOO hard to be the Scottie on the TV show.

Karl Urban, who played Bones, only copied the TV Bones' signature lines only a couple of times ("Dammit, Jim, I'm a doctor. I'm not a ........ !" as one example).

Loved Zoe Saldana as Lt. Uhura (but how can you NOT love Zoe Saldana - in anything?). But it would have been nice if she'd had more screen time.

The Enterprise was all but destroyed - again! Yet somehow, in the space of a year, it was fully repaired and ready to begin its "five year mission."

Also -- there was a cameo of one of the TV  'Star Trek' characters. I won't say who it is, but I'm sure if you want to know bad enough without seeing the movie, you can easily find out who it is.

I am considering going again next week, hoping I won't be so crowded, and can actually enjoy what I am seeing.

On a scale of 1 - 10, I'd give the movie a 7.5. If I hadn't been so uncomfortable watching it, maybe it would be an 8 or 9.
`


Sunday, May 19, 2013

Iron Man 3

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Went to see Iron Man 3 yesterday. Paid $9.50 for the 3-D matinee.  And just like when I went to see Avatar in 3-D, after a while I got used to the extra dimension until one scene or another would remind me.

I had heard that the special effects (FX) were good but the movie itself wasn't so great. And I know why.

You can't have nonstop action. There have to be places in the movie for the story to unfold, to let you know who is doing what, and why. The problem is that there were too many of these slow spots, and they lasted way too long.

There were bits and pieces of action, and humor, scattered throughout the movie, but it wasn't until the last fifteen or twenty minutes that all the action really started popping. And popped it did! Can't fault the action at all.

Of course the gorgeous Gwyneth Paltrow was still gorgeous, and she had a bit more to do in this one.

The only omission was that of Leslie Bibb, who was in three scenes in the first one, and in only one in the second movie.

On a scale of 1 -10, I would give this one a 6 or 7, whereas the first two were at an 8 or 9.
`

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Chicago Fire...on NBC

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Haven't written for a good while, and considering all the news that has been happening, I probably should have.

But today I am writing about the NBC show 'Chicago Fire'.  I had heard that after the first few episodes there was a rumor that it might be cancelled (but not now, I'm pretty sure it has been renewed for a second season).

At first I watched it for the fires, auto accidents, etc. As far as I could tell the show pretty accurately depicted how the firefighters and EMT handled the crises they face. And I was very impressed and continued to watch every week.

But as I got to know, and got invested in, the characters and their stories, I liked the series even more!

This is a great show as far as I am concerned, I hope it runs another 5 or 6 years, at least.

Just as an aside---
There is a character on the show named Severide, and the only other Severide I ever heard of was Eric Severeid, a CBS commentator who died in 1992. He had a daily 2 minute commentary segment on the evening news after Walter Cronkite until 1977.  I discovered that his vocabulary was so vast that I had to actually LISTEN to what he was talking about in order to understand what he was saying.

And NO ONE since has caused me to pay so close attention to what they were talking about.

And I miss that.
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Thursday, March 14, 2013

"Veronica Mars" Movie

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There is talk of a "Veronica Mars" movie (FINALLY!) that in all likelihood will begin filming sometime this summer, to be released around March 2014.

But the only problem was financing. So Rob Thomas, Kristen Bell, and others in the cast decided to try to raise the money from the "Veronica Mars" fans.

They were hoping to raise $2 million in 30 days. But, instead, they got the $2 million THE FIRST DAY ! !! !!!

So far they have raised over $2,800,000. But they need more. The more money they have, the better the production values, and the better the movie will be!

Here is a link to the video about it --
 http://www.tvguide.com/News/Veronica-Mars-Movie-Kickstarter-1062703.aspx

To donate, go here --
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/559914737/the-veronica-mars-movie-project


I donated $200.
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Monday, February 11, 2013

Pop Benedict XVI Resigns

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Haven't written for a while; not much going on I felt like writing about.

Pope Benedict announced that he is resigning on the 28th of Feb, 2013.  I'm not Catholic, so it doesn't really affect me one way or another, but I have a thought.....

He was elected Pope back in 2005 when he was 78 years old. And now, 8 years later, he is saying he is too old to fulfill his duties. The "party line" cites his "lack of strength of mind and body."

Well. it seems to me that maybe there should be an age limit on who can be elected Pope.  Since the average age of retirement  (in the U.S. anyway) is around 65 or 66, maybe that should be the cutoff age for being chosen.  That way, whoever is Pope will have many years left before infirmary or senility sets in.

Just saying.
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Sunday, January 20, 2013

Fringe - the Two-Hour Final Episode

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Watched the finale Friday night, and it was -- okay. At least Olivia went over to the alternate universe, something SORELY missing in this last season!!

The alternate universe was what made the series interesting. It was hard to keep watching and hoping at the same time they'd make the return.

But it's in the history books now, and no doubt before too long the fifth season will be out on DVD.

Maybe one day I'll buy the series set, but not today.
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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

A Quick Look Back at 2012

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Another year has come and gone, and some of it was okay, and some of it (most of it?) wasn't so good.

People died  (Whitney Houston, Robin Gibb, Andy Griffith, and Dick Clark just to name a few).

There were terrible natural disasters (the usual - earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes), the most notable was Hurricane Sandy.

There were mass murders (movie theater in Aurora Colorado, Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown Conn. just to name the worst).

Hussein Obama was reelected.

But there were a few bright spots -- Curiosity successfully landed on Mars, Queen Elizabeth's 60th anniversary on becoming Queen of England, The Avengers was the highest grossing movie of the year.

And I actually made more money this year than I ever have.

Will 2013 be any better? Don't see how it could be any worse -- which means that it will!
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