DVD Review: The Vampire Diaries The Complete First Season

With The Vampire Diaries returning for Season Two on Thursday, September 9th at 8/7c vampire fans everywhere are rushing out this week to relive and catch up on The Vampire Diaries The Complete First Season on DVD which is available now. I've got my copy, have you got yours?



For over a century, I have lived in secret. Until now. I know the risk, but I have to know her. Dark, brooding, pulsing with bloodlust and transcendent with romance, The Vampire Diaries, which started as a series of must-read novels by L.J. Smith has become a must-watch television hit. Season One offers unforgettable characters, living and undead. They are vampire brothers Stefan and Damon, one good and one evil; Elena, a double for the beauty both brothers loved some 150 years earlier; plus Jeremy, Bonnie, Matt and more denizens of Mystic Falls, VA. All are caught up in a spellbinding web of secrets, passion and terror.

Release Date: August 31, 2010
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 925 minutes

As someone who has not read The Vampire Diaries series by L.J Smith (but plans to) and as someone who loves television, I am happy to say that I was more than satisfied with the first season of the television series. Each episode truly became more intriguing than the next. The writing is superb. The dialogue is witty and smart and gets better as each episode goes on. The plots are interwoven so well. Though the show is modern, as the episodes go on, it seems that this show is timeless. Not just because there's a love story but this show is just as much character driven as it is vampire driven. There are tons of complicated relationships, involving love and dysfunctional families. The ensemble cast and beautiful setting make this show come alive in more ways than I could have ever imagined. It's dangerous, fun, and full of surprises. There's action, there's comedy, there's drama. There really is something for everyone to love in this series...no wonder it is The CW's #1 show. So much goes on in season one, it boggles my mind just thinking about the possibilities for future seasons. I would highly recommend that you go out and buy The Vampire Diaries The Complete First Season because it will become your new favorite show! Don't rent, buy! Prepare yourself for a marathon weekend with your family and/or friends, because you will get hooked to this show. The actors take you into this new world of Mystic Falls and will leave you with the most incredible cliffhangers in the season finale. You'll be taken on one of the most thrilling television rides you've been on in quite some time. There are so many twists; your jaw will drop in every single episode. This show doesn't compare to the other vampire hits we've seen in the past few years. It is in a league of its own. There are also some incredible guest stars including Gina Torres and Arielle Kebbel. Really, there is no reason not be watching this show. There is so much passion in every aspect of this show...job well done to the cast and crew because this is one television series that I will be talking about for years to come.



Bonus Features:

Into Mystic Falls (25:01 minutes) - Executive producers, Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson begin this feature talking about the evolution of the television series. The two wrote the Pilot in 2 weeks and made history from there! The cast and crew talk about translating from book to television, the theme and tone of the show, Kevin's dialogue, and so much more. Behind the scenes footage is shown from the Pilot as everyone talks about working on the Pilot with director, Marcos Siega. Next, everyone begins to praise the Director of Photography, Paul Sommers as well as production designer, Garreth Stover. It doesn't end there though! The cast and crew talk about the pros and cons of shooting in Atlanta as opposed to Vancouver, Canada where the Pilot was shot and also discuss night shooting and shooting flash backs. One of my favorite parts of this feature though has to be when Nina begins to talk about the fangs and contacts that are to be put in when the characters turn into vampires as viewers see both the fangs and contacts being put on/in by Ian. Both Nina and Ian talked about the contacts being a bit of a pain and that just makes me appreciate the cast even more. Not only are they working all hours of the night, but they are sometimes in a bit of physical pain all to make a fabulous show. I couldn't appreciate this cast and crew any more! This is definitely a must see feature. Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Sara Canning, Candice Accola, Katerina Graham, Steven McQueen, Michael Trevino, Matthew Davis, Zach Roering, executive producer, Bob Levy, and co-executive producer/director, Marcos Siega all appear in this feature.

When Vampires Don't Suck (18:47 minutes) - Executive producer, Julie Plec opens this feature, talking about the loyal fan base of the book series. This leads to finding out that Candice Accola and Nina Dobrev were roommates in Los Angeles in the beginning stages of the show and the girls would check out Vampire-Diaries.Net for show updates! Heather Cordova from Vampire-Diaries.Net also has a few words to say about the success of the show. The cast, crew, and fandom discuss the craze of the vampire culture and transformation of vampires over the years, as well as the fandom growing for the show. Since the cast appearance at San Diego Comic Con in 2009, the show has blown up to become The CW's #1 show. Footage from the wildly successful Hot Topic meet and greet tour is shown. There is also talk about winning the People's Choice Award and connecting with the fans via Facebook and Twitter. This is the feature made for the fans with quite a few of the fans, so thank you cast and crew for making such a wonderfully edited and produced feature. Cast mates, Matthew Davis, Sara Canning, Katerina Graham, Steven McQueen, Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Zach Roerig, and co-executive producer, Marcos Siega appear in this feature. LA Times critic, Carina MacKenzie, Historian, David Skal, and Film Historian, Angela Aleiss also appear in this feature.

A New Breed of Vampires (12:42 minutes) - This feature opens up with executive producers, Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson, as they open up about the casting process for the show. It was interesting to find out that the network was not concerned about getting an all star ensemble cast. They made their own all star ensemble cast! Not only that but all of the females auditioned for Elena regardless of the role that they were after and all of the males auditioned for Stefan or Damon regardless of the role that they were after. Zach Roerig originally read for Damon but of course we all know that he got another role. The search for the main three was tough! Nina was cast first and the fans of the novels were outraged since Elena has blond hair in the series. Though the network was behind the casting choice and from there, Nina read with dozens upon dozens of guys for Stefan. Casting Damon was easy once Ian walked in the door, but it took awhile for Julie Plec and others to realize that Paul was the guy to play Stefan. Throughout the feature, Michael, Sara, and Paul mention how they began reading the series immediately while others did not want to series to affect how they played their character. My favorite parts of this feature was seeing audition footage from Katerina Graham, Michael Trevino, Matthew Davis, Steven McQueen, Sara Canning, Nina Dobrev, Zach Roerig, and Michael Trevino. Also appearing in this feature are Paul Wesley, Candice Accola, Matthew Davis, Ian Somerhalder, and executive producer, Bob Levy. If you own this DVD, you are doing yourself a disservice if you do not watch this feature. To see how far these characters have come from the moment the actors auditioned to the season finale of season one...it's quite a phenomenal journey to see.

Vampires 101 (6:42 minutes) - This feature also opens up with executive producer, Julie Plec, as she opens up about the vampire rules for the show. Executive producer, Kevin Williamson, and cast mates Candice Accola, Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder, Sara Canning, Zach Roerig, and Steven McQueen all give viewers insight into The Vampire Diaries' definition of who vampires are. After sharing 10 interesting facts, the cast and Williamson answer the question asking if they ever would want to be a vampire. The answers are fun to hear and worth checking out. This feature was very well edited and the music that went along with this feature made it all the more fun to watch. Don't skip over the feature...don't skip any of these features!

The Vampire Diaries: A Darker Truth - webisodes (7:39 minutes) - There are 4 episodes in the web series which follows a young man named Jason who attempts to prove that Stefan killed his sister. He starts off visiting the Mystic Grill and then makes his way to the Salvatore home. He spots two corpses in the woods and makes his way back to the Salvatore home, to burn it to flames. But before he can, Damon, the one who killed Jason's sister ends up taking a stab or bite of Jason. So Jason's curiosity killed him and it's a shame because his video diary entries were quite interesting. He was on a mission for revenge, not justice. Revenge only gets people hurt, so he should have just let it be. Ah well. This was a well written, well produced, and well acted web series. I wonder if a new batch will be made following another young innocent in season 2. Only time will tell.

Second Bite (3:57 minutes) - The gag reel opens up with Nina Dobrev...she seems to have a few problems getting her lines right, as does Ian Somerhalder. Paul Wesley and Nina laugh about his drooling during a romantic scene. The whole gang gets quite a laugh when Nina falls over her skirt from the 1800s. That's not all! Nina manages to break a prop but is as calm as can be when she's in the car and meets a grasshopper. There was so much to enjoy in this reel and I wish it had been longer. This reel caught some amazing moments that I played over and over again and will do so in the future every time I put in the last disc.


The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening - Owners of this DVD can play or download the audio book "The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening" which is the first of the six books in the series by L.J. Smith. I highly recommend that all listen to this audiobook and then go buy the rest of the series to read! The book series is just as entertaining as the television series.

Commentary - The commentary for the Pilot episode is conducted by executive producers/episode writers, Kevin Williamson & Julie Plec and director, Marcos Siego. This was such an amazing commentary and I wish that these three conducted more commentaries for this DVD. Right away, fans are given some pretty cool fun facts about filming the Pilot. The three discuss everything viewers would want to know about casting, continuity, tough sequences to shoot and edit, the struggle finding the tone of the show and more. Throughout the entire commentary, the three weave in and out of the topic of music. The CW never fails to deliver good music, so it is nice to see the three acknowledge this factor. I also really appreciate the three discussing the elements that didn't quite work in the beginning and have been taken away since. For instance, the crow and the fog that are seen in the Pilot are not seen continuously throughout the rest of the season. What is seen though is the high school that was also used on Smallville and Kyle XY. What I found most interesting in this commentary was when Kevin and Julie brought up how one hates the diary entry voice overs and the other loves them. The show is titled, "The Vampire Diaries," so it was incredibly interesting to hear their points of view on the inclusion of the diary entries. What I do wish had been more discussed...the dialogue. In the first few episodes of the show, the slang amongst the teenagers seems out of place and makes those episodes not so timeless. This was something I noticed right away when the show first aired and wished would be talked about on the DVD. Even though that wasn't discussed, but I still loved every moment of the commentary and definitely see myself watching it over and over again. Hopefully there will be more commentaries on the Season 2 DVD because this has been one of my favorite commentaries to listen to this year.

Unaired Scenes - In the unaired scene for 2.02 The Night of the Comet (53 seconds), Matt grills Vicky at the bar about her relationship with Jeremy. I found this to be a great scene, so I can only imagine that it was cut for time and that we see Matt's disgust for this relationship much more throughout the season. In the unaired scene for 2.05 You're Undead to Me (36 seconds), Elena and Stefan are walking through the woods as Stefan reassures her that he will tell her everything after they give Damon the ring. There are 2 unaired scenes for the episode, 2.06 Lost Girls (3:08 minutes). Both display the sibling dynamic really well and I wish both had been included in the episode. At home, Jeremy tells Elena that Vicky is safe at home after the forest incident. Jeremy attempts to leave the house to see her but Elena stands guard to protect him. I love this scene and wish it had aired. Even though Jeremy is bigger than Elena, Elena is the older sister and he listens to her. I love it. In the next scene, Vicky and Matt have quite an emotional brother-sister talk (after Vicky has been bit, unbeknown to Matt) and I am clueless as to why this scene was deleted from the final cut. Vicky breaks down and Matt consoles her and it is just beautiful. In the unaired scene for 2.07 Haunted (48 seconds), Bonnie and Damon argue over who is the rightful owner of Bonnie's crystal necklace. Viewers see enough of this in the show, so a few seconds of it cut out was a smart move. There are 3 unaired scenes for the episode, 2.10 The Turning Point (2:32 minutes). In the first scene, Bree (Guest star, Gina Torres) talks to Damon at the bar about a possible vampire in town. This is just the beginning of Bree digging for dirt and Damon doesn't give in. Though we see this play out in a much more entertaining way in the final cut of the episode, so this unaired scene is no big deal. In the second scene, Jenna bumps into Rick at the bar while she waits to meet up with Jeremy. Rick asks about how Elena is doing since she missed class. I appreciate the fact that this was deleted from the final cut because it would have been too early for Jenna to worry about Elena. In the next scene, Bonnie and Stefan are in the woods. Bonnie admits that she is scared about what she is and what Stefan is. She then begins to talk about Emily and making sure that the tomb never gets open. I like this scene and hope to see more bonding moments between Stefan and Bonnie...moreso on Bonnie's part since Stefan is an open guy once the curtain is pulled open. There are 2 unaired scenes for the episode, 2.14 Fool Me Once (2:15 minutes). In the first scene, Matt guides his drunk mother, Kelly (Guest star, Melinda Clarke) into the house as the two briefly discuss why she left, before she heads to sleep. In the second scene, Kelly makes out with bachelor number 3 outside of the bar before her kisses kill him. Oh how I wish this had been included! We all knew Kelly was shady and the discovery of this moment is important...I like this scene just as much as what was shown in the final cut. In the unaired scene for the episode, 2.15 A Few Good Men (24 seconds), Jenny talks to Elena at home about leasing out Elena's dad's empty office space. This scene doesn't push any story line further, so I am glad that it was deleted from the episode. In the unaired scene for the episode, 2.16 There Goes the Neighborhood (2:22 minutes)...tied up and suffering in the basement, Stefan is talking to another vampire prisoner about the hunt and not feeding on humans. The only issue that I see with this scene is the slow pace. Otherwise, I love it. In the unaired scene for the episode, 2.17 Let the Right One In (12 seconds), Elena goes to Jenny to let her know that she cannot find Stefan while at the same time asking if she has seen him. Jenna is no help, so Elena moves on. I can understand why this was unaired. If there were more time, sure it could have been included but this doesn't push forward the story line so it can be cut when time is of the essence. Overall, I enjoyed these deleted scenes the most out of all of the deleted scenes that I have seen from various television shows all year. My only suggestion is to include commentary as to why the scenes were deleted because it seems all but two could have really been beneficial scenes to have been included in the final cuts. Definitely watch the unaired scenes!

Own The Vampire Diaries The Complete First Season on DVD today.

DVD Review: The City of Your Final Destination

This year, I got to see a lot more of Laura Linney's work. I first became familiar with her in one of my favorite films, The Truman Show (1998). Over the years, I saw her in Mystic River, Love Actually, and The Nanny Diaries. But it wasn't until this year that I saw her live in the play, Time Stands Still on Broadway. It wasn't until this year that I saw her on television, leading the new Showtime hit series, The Big C. And it wasn't until last month that I saw her in the film, The City of Your Final Destination which is now available on DVD.



Release Date: August 17, 2010
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 118 minutes

28-year-old Kansas University doctoral student Omar Razaghi has won a grant to write a biography of Latin American writer Jules Gund. Omar must get through to three people who were close to Gund - his brother, widow, and younger mistress - so he can get authorization to write the biography.

I've said all of this to say that Laura Linney made this film bearable. Yes, the entire cast was fantastic, but even a fabulous ensemble cast and beautiful setting of Argentina could not get me hooked to this film. This is very much a character driven film and while I love characters, the dull tone distracted me from appreciating the characters as much as I wanted to. The slow moving plot and dull dialogue also did not win me over. Don't get me wrong, the story is sweet and will have you rooting for aspiring writer, Omar to get permission from the estate of a late famous author to writer his biography. Though the plot is dragged out and the ending is quite clunky and odd. Linney's character, Caroline is infamous for saying "no" whenever she can. If I were to answer "yes" or "no" if asked if I would watch this film again, I would say "no." The aesthetics are not enough for me, but if they are for you, there is more to check out in the special features.

Special Features:

Select Scenes with Commentary (25:45 minutes) - If you made it all the way through the film and enjoyed what you watched, than you may appreciate the select scenes with commentary. If you did not enjoy the film very much, the commentary will not help you like the film more. The commentary is quite boring and dry. Honestly, I found myself losing interest in what was being discussed after the first five minutes. Viewers will gain some insight into the behind the scenes of filming but not enough to make you appreciate the film more.

Behind the Scenes: Sorting It Out in Ocho Rios (19:51 minutes) - This feature takes viewers behind the scenes of filming in Argentina from 2006 - 2007. Director, James Ivory as well as the cast and crew talk about working on the film. Though I am not particularly a fan of the film, I did find this feature to be quite intriguing. Argentina is so beautiful and no matter how much I did not enjoy the film, the working environment is just too beautiful to turn away from. The cast is fantastic and the crew was incredibly hard working as well, so to see different points of view discuss filming, it was enjoyable. If you have 20 minutes to spare, I would suggest watching this feature over the other.

Own The City of Your Final Destination on DVD today.

2010 Emmy Winners

If you missed the 2010 Emmy Awards red carpet this past Sunday, you can watch the hour long broadcast on NBC.com. Tons of video and photos can also be seen here.



Check out the list of this year's winners:

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy - Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy - Modern Family

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy - Jane Lynch, Glee

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy - Glee

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy - Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy - Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie

Outstanding Comedy Series - Modern Family

Outstanding Writing for a Drama - Mad Men

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama - Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama - Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama - Brian Cranston, Breaking Bad

Outstanding Directing in a Drama - Dexter

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama - Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Outstanding Drama Series - Mad Men

Outstanding Writing in Variety - 63rd Annual Tony Awards

Outstanding Variety Series - The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program - Top Chef

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie - Julia Ormond, Temple Grandin

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie - David Strathairn, Temple Grandin

Outstanding Writing in a Miniseries or Movie - You Don't Know Jack

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie - Claire Danes, Temple Grandin

Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or Movie - Temple Grandin

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie - Al Pacino, You Don't Know Jack

Outstanding Miniseries - The Pacific

Outstanding Made for Television Movie - Temple Grandin

Congrats Glee, Modern Family, Breaking Bad, Jim Parsons, Kyra Sedgwick, and all of the 2010 winners!

DVD Review: One Tree Hill The Complete Seventh Season

In two weeks at 8/7c on The CW, One Tree Hill will premiere its eighth season! Two weeks! Two weeks! Two weeks! Until then, I am catching up on the show by watching One Tree Hill The Complete Seventh Season on DVD.



Release Date: August 17, 2010
Rating: NR
Running Time: 924 minutes

The journeys of those who hail from the town of Tree Hill have been vast, from Nathan and Haley's first kiss to marriage, a son and, most recently, Nathan's return to the basketball court; from Brooke's dedication to her clothing line, Clothes over Bros, to opening herself to the possibility of love with Julian; and from Mouth's battle to win back Millie to Dan's battle to win back his family -- and his life. Now in its seventh season, One Tree Hill continues to explore the journeys of its beloved characters, while seamlessly introducing new favorites. As the series jumps ahead 14 months, these new relationships infuse the history of Tree Hill and change the lives of those who live there. Through it all, these friends and family members realize that life always leads you right where you belong.

Season seven is packed with scandals, relationship conflicts, career conflicts, death, depression, and so much that I will not spoil. I was thrilled to see Bess Armstrong guest star as Haley's mother. She did a fabulous job and her character's death brought upon acting range from Joy that I don't believe we have seen before. Joy blew me away this season. She went above and beyond and really led this season. In a way she reminded me of Holly Marie Combs on Charmed who performed phenomenal monologues. I was also thrilled to see Rachel return to Tree Hill. She always brings the drama and this season's arc was no different. Aside from the series regulars and past Tree Hill favorites, there were a handful of new characters that I enjoyed. Though there were some characters and some story lines that I could have done without. Grubbs forming a relationship with Miranda seemed to be a waste of time. Clay's story line with his wife was heartbreaking and I enjoyed learning about his back story but I did not enjoy Clay being stalked by his wife's look a like. This story line reminded me of the soap opera Nanny Carrie story line that I hated. The way that Quinn and Clay were introduced was sweet but the way that Quinn broke away from her husband was wrong. I did not enjoy the "us against the world" mentality that I felt between Quinn/Clay and Haley/Nathan. Thankfully, that tension died down. Joy and Sophia really held this season down and Naley going strong is what we all expected, so this season overall was actually very substantial. Yes, Hilarie and Chad are not in this season..and yes that breaks my heart. Though this show has been on for seven seasons, so there are bound to be some changes. Some of the changes I enjoyed, some not so much. But when it comes down to it, this is a show that I have been in love with for a long time and will continue to be in love with for better or worse. The show took some risks and many of them worked. The majority of the new characters worked. This season worked. This season was great and although the season finale left me feeling satisfied with the series as a whole, I am looking forward to another season this fall. Though before I get ahead of myself, let's check out the bonus features.

Bonus Features:

Unaired Scenes - In the episode, What Are You Willing To Lose?, one deleted scene shows Skills (Antwon Tanner) and Lauren (Allison Munn) on the beach having a lovers quarrel. It's funny but it's more pathetic than sad what their relationship became so I am glad that this was not included. There are quite a few unaired scenes from the episode Some Roads Lead Nowhere. In the first, Millie (Lisa Goldstein) exchanges a dress for drugs. We do see this scene on the show, it is just slightly altered and honestly, either scene would do. In the next scene, Brooke (Sophia Bush) & Julian (Austin Nichols) are talking outside of the hospital about Alex's suicide attempt and about their relationship...I wonder why this didn't make the cut. I loved the scene and find it a disservice that this was not included. In the next scene, Clay (Robert Buckley) and Quinn (Shantel VanSanten) are talking about Clay and his new agency. At that point in their relationship, I was quite annoyed with these two and this scene doesn't help me feel otherwise. In the next scene, Julian (Austin Nichols) is talking to his father on the phone, pitching the idea to make a movie with Alex. I like the scene but I can understand why it was cut. The next scene shows Grubbs (Michael Grubbs) and Miranda (India de Beaufort) at Tric and I was never intrigued with this story line so any scene of theirs that is cut is fine with me. In the next scene, Skills (Antwon Tanner) leaves the apartment as Mouth (Lee Norris) asks about if there would be a goodbye between Skills and Lauren. This scene was touch to watch simply because of the tension. Yes, tension is good but at some point it becomes unbearable, so I was satisfied with this scene being cut. In the episode, My Attendance Is Bad But My Intentions Are Good, Grubbs (Michael Grubbs) and Miranda (India de Beaufort) talk about relationship and as you know, I am not the least bit interested in this story line. So in the episode, At the Bottom of Everything, there are a few unaired scenes that were included in the bonus features. In the first scene, Mouth (Lee Norris) looks out of his apartment window as Owen (Joe Manganiello) is being a friend to Millie (Lisa Goldstein) for the day. The relationship between Millie and Mouth is so sad at this point, and in this scene it is even more depressing on Mouth's part so I am glad that this was cut. In the next scene, Victoria (Daphne Zuniga) asks Brooke (Sophia Bush) for daughter/mother advice aka relationship advice. This is the number one unaired scene I wish would have made it into its respected episode. This scene is just too adorable. Victoria is in love and vulnerable. How often can we see Victoria in this state? This is my favorite unaired scene this season. In the episode, The Last Day of Our Acquaintance, Mouth (Lee Norris) talks to Millie (Lisa Goldstein) about Owen and then tells her that he asked Lauren out. This was an entertaining scene that displayed jealousy, curiosity, and a hint of moving on. I liked it. In the next scene, Quinn (Shantel VanSanten) tells Haley (Bethany Joy Galeotti) that she is leaving the hospital to go get Taylor. Based on how the episode played out, I can understand why this was cut. In the next scene, Julian (Austin Nichols), Alex (Jana Kramer), and Brooke (Sophia Bush) are on the set of the movie and Brooke gets upset while she overhears Julian talking to his father. This scene displays a mini break down of Brooke's that I wish I could have skipped. Brooke is better than this, so thankfully this scene was cut. In the next scene, Clay's stalker has a mini meltdown and her room mate has a few words for her. I had a strong dislike for this story line, and this scene had a soap opera feel, so this scene being cut was a smart decision in my mind. In the next scene, Clay (Robert Buckley) and Quinn (Shantel VanSanten) are at the hospital and this scene is a skipper. In the last unaired scene for this episode, Mouth (Lee Norris) talks to Millie (Lisa Goldstein) as she packs her things to leave the apartment for good. The two talk about transitioning from being more than friends to just friends and it is so honest and sweet. I am dumbfounded as to why this scene was cut. In the episode, Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said the Last Time I Saw You there are two unaired scenes with Alex (Jana Kramer) and Josh. One of those scenes takes place in Utah at the red carpet premiere of Julian's film. Julian (Austin Nichols) and Brooke (Sophia Bush) also appear in that scene. Fans may or may not be satisfied with this scene being cut, though ultimately it does nothing to advance the story line. In the next scene, which also takes place in Utah, Nathan (James Lafferty) asks Haley (Bethany Joy Galeotti) how she is holding up. but before Haley can really get into too much detail, James (Jackson Brundage) comes in to ask if they can play. This is a great scene that Naley fans and parents will love, appreciate, and be thankful that it made it on this feature. Overall, the unaired scenes are a jumbled mix, though there are a few gems that are worth the watch.

Commentary - The commentary for I and Love And You is conducted by series creator, Mark Schwahn, co-star Robert Buckley, co-star/director James Lafferty, and executive producer Joe Davola. Commentaries for this show are always interesting and by no surprise, Mark always takes the lead (even though James Lafferty directed this episode). Mark talks about the TCA press tour, the Dan and Rachel story line, what he learned throughout the season and after filming the season, and more. James talks about the challenges during shooting, including his least favorite part about directing, which is directing himself. Listeners will also find out that James sticks to the script while directing. Something I found quite comedic was the talk about making Rob look older as Nathan's agent. This talk lead to quite a funny mustache story! There's plenty to learn and laugh about in this commentary. One Tree Hill fans will not be disappointed.

The commentary for Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said the Last Time I Saw You is conducted by series creator, Mark Schwahn, co-stars Robert Buckley, James Lafferty, and Stephen Colletti and executive producer Joe Davola. They conducted this commentary on the last day of shooting season seven and were unaware of the show's fate. Mark dominates the commentary of course and gives plenty of insight into filming this episode. The guys joke around quite a bit, so it's a very fun and laid back commentary. Since there are only two commentaries for this DVD, you should definitely listen to both. Sadly, none of the ladies of Tree Hill participated in either commentary, but both are still worth the listen.

Return to Camp One Tree Hill (17:52 minutes) - Mark opens up this behind the scene feature as he talks about the new cast members this season. Footage from the first day of the season seven table read and the first day of filming season seven are shown. One fun fact to learn from this feature is that Shantel read for the role of Alex but was asked to read for the part of Quinn, which she ended up getting. All of the cast members talk on camera at some point in this feature and even special guest star and NFL Hall of Famer, Jerry Rice makes an appearance in this feature. This is a fun film to watch that I will be sure to check out again right before the new season, as it is really refreshing and gets me pumped up for new episodes, new characters, new settings, and new story lines.

OTH The Director's Debut: Sophia Bush (13:28 minutes) - This feature takes viewers behind the scenes of Sophia Bush directing her first episode of One Tree Hill, episode 709, "Now You Life Your Eyes To The Sun." In the beginning, Sophia explains why she finally decided to direct an episode of the show, despite originally wanting her first directing job to be outside of the show. Sophia shows viewers her binder (includes blocking charts, etc..) both on a location scout and on set. As the feature goes on, viewers will get to see the challenges Sophia faced...one if which was a rainstorm, which added 5 hours to the shooting schedule one day. I really enjoyed seeing Sophia sitting in the director's chair while shooting a scene with Austin Nichols, as their characters are talking on the phone. I also really enjoyed watching Mark visit Sophia on set and talk about how great she is with details and being prepared. Many of the cast talk about their experience working with Sophia as a director. Sophia herself talks to many of the crew members, including grips, DP, lighting, art department, props, etc... Director of Photography, Peter Kowalaski, First Assistant Director, Chad Graves Executive Producer, Greg Prange, and Script Supervisor, Michael Leone also appear in this feature. This is a must see feature for not only Sophia Bush fans but aspiring directors and One Tree Hill fans who want an actor's perspective as a director.

Spring Break with One Tree Hill (16:08 minutes) - This feature opens up with Mark Schwahn messing up his lines in a message to fans, letting them know about the chance to be on set for the filming of the season 7 finale. Then viewers get to follow those contest winners, Tiffani Walters from West Virginia and Brandon Bradley from Pennsylvania. Tiffani and Brandon were lucky enough to go on a set tour, visiting the sets of Nathan and Haley's house, Mouth's house, Brooke's house, Alex's hotel suite, Lucas' old bedroom, the wardrobe studio, and more...and they bump into a few of the stars while on the set visit. The two have many roles over the next few days on the set of One Tree Hill. First, the two work as stand ins as Mark does blocking at the recording studio. Over the next few days, the two also work with key set production assistant, Scott "Sabre" Oberholzer as PAs, as extras in a nightclub, and they work with the props department, Greg Messer & Jim Nelson. The two not only meet all of the cast members filming over time but also watch Jackson filming a scene as well as Jana shooting a scene. Overall, viewers can see that Tiffani and Brandon had quite a fun experience on the set of One Tree Hill. Any OTH fan will be envious while watching every moment of this feature...so watch at your own risk!

Gag Reel (2:43 minutes) - This gag reel is incredibly short, so it is disappointing in length. Though the footage shown somewhat makes up for it. My favorite moment is when Jackson reacts to the disgusting "prop" soap in his mouth which is actually real soap. Bethany and James are laughing hysterically, as Bethany manages to say, "Your mom said it was okay." So the reel opens with Robert Buckley dancing to his own tunes, and continues on with footage of Jackson getting into his actor vibe, Bethany singing, Shantel and Jackson becoming distracted by a bug, the cast messing up their lines, awkward smooches, bad acting, the use of spit cups for food scenes, odd noises, and more. Aside from the soap incident, this is not my favorite OTH reel, though it is still worth watching.

Own One Tree Hill The Complete Seventh Season on DVD today.

DVD Review: Ugly Betty The Complete Fourth and Final Season

There's one show that won't be returning this fall that I am going to miss like crazy. Actually, I'm already missing it like crazy. Thankfully, I can relive the final season over and over again as Ugly Betty The Complete Fourth and Final Season recently released on DVD.



Release Date: August 17, 2010
Rating: TV PG
Running Time: 860 minutes

Betty sure has come a long way! She is finally coming into her own and getting what she’s worked so hard for. But what she doesn’t realize is that she’s starting over in so many ways, and if she wants to play in the big leagues she needs to keep up. Ugly Betty: The Complete Fourth and Final Season focuses on her transformation – both personally and professionally – and how she will navigate these new waters as only she can. If Betty wants to succeed, she will once again have to rely on her heart, perseverance and intelligence – along with some help from her family, friends and a few unlikely allies.

Ugly Betty was one of the most entertaining and under-appreciated shows on television in recent years. I admit, I had my preconceptions about the show prior to watching an early season on television when a marathon happened to be running over the holidays. After that, I was hooked. I could not believe that I had opted not to watch this show for so long. I won't be able to look at Vanessa Williams anymore without thinking about Wilhelmina Slater. Every character has grown so much since season one and in such positive ways...and aside from Betty, I was most pleased with how much Wilhelmina grew as a person in the final season. What I enjoyed the most about the final season is that even though the cancellation was somewhat of a shock, the announcement was given in enough time for this season to be written out well. Everything wrapped up smoothly and nothing was rushed. After seasons of watching Justin struggle with his sexuality, he finally came out to his family. After seasons of watching Hilda go in and out of relationships, she finally found the one for her. The Suarez family as a whole always stood by each others' sides no matter what the situation. Though sometimes they butted heads, the Suarez family represents a strong and loving family to the end and that is admirable. My favorite partners in crime, Marc and Amanda were entertaining together but seemed to get farther individually and believe it or not, it was refreshing and quite exciting to make moves as individuals. Claire reunited with her long lost son and that was a person and story line that I rooted for surprisingly more than I expected myself to. There was quite a bit of conflict for the Meade family all around. So much happened in this season and every bit of it I enjoyed. Though there are some actors that did not reprise their roles one last time (*cough* Rebecca Romijn *cough*), I really did enjoy how everyone's story lines wrapped up. The actors shined their brightest in the hottest locations and the writing was truly superb. I especially enjoyed the episodes in which Mode went to the Bahamas, when Betty held Hilda's bachelorette party in London, England, and the alternate reality episode. I laughed, I cried. I loved it all.

Bonus Features:

Mode After Hours - Becki Newton and Michael Urie are two of my favorite actors on Ugly Betty, so watching their web series on the DVD was such a treat! I purposely did not watch the web series while the show was still on the air so that I could still have new Ugly Betty footage to watch even after the series finale. It was definitely worth the wait and is definitely worth watching over and over again. These two never fail to make me laugh or drop my jaw in shock, or both. This is a must see feature for all of you die hard Ugly Betty fans.

Betty Goes Bahamas (8:30 minutes) - Becki Newton and Michael Urie are back in another special feature! They can be seen relaxing on the beach and afterwords, begin a hunt to find the other cast members that are hanging out around the island of the Bahamas. They aren't lucky spotting the cast members, but the fans are lucky enough to see what the cast is up to on their downtime. Ana Ortiz and Marc Indelicato swim with the dolphins, Vanessa Williams, Judith Light, and Tony Plana are at the fancy restaurant, Nobu, and America Ferrera can be seen lounging by the poolside. It's fun to soak up the beautiful setting of the Bahamas as well as watch Becki and Michael run around the island playfully in and out of character.

Betty Bloops (6:32 minutes) - Round of applause to the all involved in making this reel over 6 minutes long. I strongly dislike blooper reels of comedy shows that are barely 3 minutes long, so I am thrilled that this show went above and beyond. This truly is one of my favorite blooper reels this year. Fans will see random spouts of laughter, cast members missing marks and messing up their lines, pranks, prop issues, and lots more. There's a small portion of the reel dedicated to "Accidents" aka trips and falls, "Smoochin" aka when Amanda is kissing Matt and then sees Betty in her mind, and "Noise" aka odd noises on set and odd noises from the cast. "Smoochin" was quite hilarious since Becki and America were laughing hysterically right before the big kiss. Such professionals. Got to love those two! "Noise" was interesting since this bit actually included not only odd noises but bits of the cast making odd faces and then the reel ends with the crew dancing wildly in the Bahamas during a sunset. It's all very bittersweet this reel...and you really can't watch it just once.

Deleted Scenes - In Guy Talk, Bobby asks Marc for advice on being friends with Justin and it would have worked with in the show if Justin hadn't gone to the Beyonce concert with Austin. In Wedding Planning, the Suarez family is sitting at the table working on Hilda and Bobby's wedding plans when Justin comes downstairs and Bobby suggests that he invite Austin to the party as a friend. Betty chimes in to say that she is bringing a friend but based on Justin's reaction to Bobby's suggestion...it seems this scene would have taken place right after Bobby saw "the kiss." I am glad that this was taken out because Bobby tries to encourage Justin to be more open and that has to happen on his time. Had this scene not been deleted, I do not think that Justin's relationship with Bobby would have become what it has become in the same amount of time since Bobby seemed to cross an unwritten boundary. In Going To Far, Marc boldly tells Wilhelmina that she is going to far in her schemes. I would have loved to have seen this scene placed right before Willie ended up in the hospital. I don't believe that is where the scene was originally supposed to fit, but I think that would have been great. For the most part, I enjoyed the deleted scenes and wish commentary had been added to explain why these scenes were cut.

Commentary for "All the World's A Stage" - The commentary was conducted by Actors Michael Urie and Mark Indelicato. The day that the two stars they recorded this commentary was actually the last day that they were shooting on the Mode set. So it was bittersweet and full of laughs and entertainment. Hearing the two bounce back and forth off of each others' words was so much fun. I wish this had been a video commentary. The guys talk more about the show in general than this episode, but it doesn't matter because it's all great stuff. I especially enjoyed when the two talked about working with guest star, Carol Kane and Broadway star, Aaron Tveit (Next to Normal). If you have this DVD in your posession, you are really missing out if you do not listen to this commentary.

Own Ugly Betty The Complete Fourth and Final Season on DVD today.

DVD Review: The Last Song

After having enjoyed reading The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks, I was very excited to see the film adaptation. I am happy to say that I was pleased with the film and I have become the owner of The Last Song Blu-ray DVD Combo Pack.



Release Date: August 17, 2010
Rating: PG
Running Time: Approx 107 minutes

Miley Cyrus shines as the star of this heartwarming coming-of-age movie that will strike your emotional chords. Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks (Dear John, The Notebook), The Last Song follows Ronnie (Cyrus) and her estranged father as he tries to restore the loving relationship they once had. But reconnecting with his rebellious daughter isn’t easy, so he chooses the one thing they still have in common — music. Complete with not-to-be-missed bonus features — the Miley Cyrus music video “When I Look At You,” exclusive interviews with the actress and more — this uplifting and touching drama about family, first loves and second chances is a heartfelt story to you won’t soon forget.

Now if you've seen or read previous Nicholas Sparks films/books than this film is completely predictable. It's a love story and there's a death. The set up is not as smooth as it is in the book, but once the film gets going, you get sucked in. Though easily predictable, who can't get sucked into a love story and broken family? Yes, I'll say it...it's what you would expect a melodrama starring Miley Cyrus to be. Miley is not fantastic when tackling drama. But because Miley fell in love with her co-star, Liam that obviously made their chemistry much sweeter on screen. If they hadn't fallen in love, I don't think that this film would have been as good as it is. It is so much fun to watch the romance unravel between both Miley and Liam and their characters Ronnie and Will. Aside from the romantics, Ronnie's relationship with her father clearly needs repairing. Unfortunately it takes a tragedy to make this happen, but better late than never. Ronnie came to the South from New York at the beginning of the summer one person and left a completely different person. She met her first love and lost a very important one. Sure, I enjoyed Sparks' other book/film, Dear John that came out in theaters the same month as The Last Song. There's not as much depth in The Last Song but Ronnie learns to find herself and appreciate love and life in such an innocent way and that is what I love about The Last Song. It's sweet, it's charming, it's heartwarming. This is a feel good movie that will leave you thinking about how you will next show your appreciation for the ones that you love and the opportunities that you have. If you want the best insight into these characters though, I do recommend reading the book.

Bonus Features:

Set Tour with Bobby Coleman (5:06 minutes) – Actor, Bobby Coleman takes viewers behind the scenes of the movie set in Tybee Island, Georgia while he interviews various crew members including Interview Producer, Adam Shankman, Miley Cyrus' Trailer Security Guard, Warren, Makeup Department Head, John R. Bayles, Hair Department Head, Patricia Glasser, Key Craft Services, Reva Grantham, Grip, Chris "Barefoot" Alled, and Video Assist, Charles "Chaz" Laughon. Miley Cyrus makes a brief appearance in this feature. Overall, this is a fun feature to watch since viewers are introduced to crew members that usually are never in the spotlight. As far as a tour, there isn't a general layout shared as to where the departments are on the set amongst each other but this feature was worth it just to meet some of the amazing people who worked on this film.

Making of the Music Video, “When I Look At You” with Miley Cyrus (4:20 minutes) - Miley Cyrus talks about how the song became attached to the film and Director, Adam Shankman talks about the premise of the music video in this special feature as well as working with Miley and the cast and crew. I was happy that it was made a point that the goal was to create a more mature and still simple version of Miley Cyrus. Even though Miley's character in the book is grungier, I love the wardrobe and look that was chosen for Miley on screen. She pulled off the look great. Also in this feature, co-star, Liam Hemsworth talks about his part in the music video and production designer, Nelson Coates talks about the use of the black grand piano in the music video. The shots of the grand piano are my favorite in the music video, so I definietly appreciated the time spent on talking about it. Overall, this was a very well produced special feature that I would watch again and again if I was a huge Miley fan. It's a very well put together behind the scenes look.

Miley Cyrus Music Video: “When I Look At You” (4:15 minutes) - Miley fans, the entire music video is on this DVD as a special feature and it's a fabulous one. Miley is all grown up and in a classy way in this music video. Not only is the song beautiful, but the setting is as well and everything about this music video is fantastic. It is definitely worth the watch, whether you are a Miley fan or not.

Commentary - The commentary was conducted by director, Julie Ann Robinson and co-producer Jennifer Gibgot. Honestly, I was not all that captivated by this commentary. This was probably the least interesting commentary that I have listened to in quite some time. There were a few interesting facts that I learned. For instance, the crew scouted 4 states before they reached their shooting location of Georgia. Though Georgia did provide a number of weather conflicts. Another conflict was working with raccoons. Listen to the commentary for the reason why. Liam got scuba certified and Miley had a body double, Stephanie since Miley was under the age of 18 while filming and her work hours were restricted. You'll see Stephanie many times in the film and not even realize it is her. Although while watching the film, I did notice a certain shot was not Miley (when Ronnie is leaning against the door after she gets kissed) since Miley is not as short as Stephanie. Anyway, there is lots to learn about what went on behind the scenes though it's honestly just too boring and dry of a commentary to listen to in one sitting or right after viewing the film.

Own The Last Song on DVD & Blu-ray today.

New Outsourced Sneak Peak

I absolutely loved the Pilot of NBC's new Thursday night comedy, Outsourced...but until you get to see the show's premiere, check out this new sneak peak with clips and interviews from the cast!



Outsourced premieres Thursday, September 23, 2010 at 9:30/8:30c on NBC.