TV Week In Review

*Reviews May Contain Spoilers*

Chuck - Chuck vs. The Best Friend

Chuck: You okay? You really had me worried.
Morgan: I'm so embarrassed. I can't even get my ass kicked with any dignity.



Morgan having everyone help stalk Anna with Sarah and Casey behind was quite funny. What a terrible situation Chuck was put in, having to befriend Anna’s new boyfriend. The situations that Chuck gets into are equally worrisome as they are humorous. Did I use the word “worrisome” correctly? Anyway…I yelled at the screen when Chuck was trying to leave the area he was planting since I thought he was going to get caught. Lucky for him…or not, Morgan was caught instead. Although Chuck did not have to save Morgan the way that he did. That was messed up. Although once again, lucky for Chuck that Morgan was not angry with him in the end. Unfortunately Morgan wanted to stand up to the spies, which was pretty funny when he was talking about being a man. Sarah fighting in the car and chuck driving away was such great action, I loved it. The look on Sarah’s face when she thought Chuck was in the car that blew up was priceless. Lester and Jeff singing at the end was the comic relief we definitely needed by the end of this action packed episode. It was perfect. Morgan saying, “I lo - I liked you” was, well I don’t know how I feel about that haha.

House - The Softer Side

Kutner: I don’t remember you taking Vikatin today.
House: I don’t remember hiring my mother.



The introduction and the storyline about an out of the ordinary boy with girl genes with parents who won’t tell him the truth definitely caught my attention. I was glad that 13 told the kid that she was not giving him vitamins, as the parents had lied and said it was. Not a surprise that the parents were wrong in telling House and the team what to do and it was upsetting to see House go forth with it at first. Thankfully by the end of the episode, after House comes back to his senses and tells the parents what the kid’s situation was, he also realized that he needed to get off the meth. Interestingly enough, I enjoyed House when he is more sarcastic and negative than normal and chipper . The fact that House was taking meth because he didn’t feel any pain reminds us just how human House is. Even knowing that he would be back to work once the meth situation was figured out, it worried me that House ignored his beeper. Although, shortly after Cuddy offered him his job with certain meth restrictions. I do not know whether to feel more sympathy for House not taking the meth or be content that he will not be taking it to help him have a clear mind when he is with patients. Anyway, Taub mocking Foreman’s expressions and Kutner giving his two cents on the “breakup” was funny and it is only a matter of time until House mentions something to 13 and Foreman.

Heroes - Cold Wars

Matt: You were my friend. You could have warned me! You could have warned all of us.



Matt, Peter, and Suresh kidnapping HRG was great to see, but an entire episode devoted to this scenario seemed to be a bit much. It would be more interesting to have an episode devoted to Angela than HRG since HRG has already had episodes devoted to him in the past. Anyway, I loved how Matt got into HRG’s mind and saw the past. Although I honestly cannot even keep track of how many powers Matt has. It also seems as though Matt uses his powers (other than reading minds) at select times instead of all the times that he could actually use them. Not saying that is a bad thing, but I wonder if that is under his control or his powers only come to him when needed if that makes sense. Matt did not have to go into HRG’s mind to know find the obvious fact that Nathan started it all. Matt and Peter were doing their thing but I haven’t been a fan of Suresh since he injected himself to get powers so I don‘t have much to say about him. As for HRG, even if Claire’s powers were taken away in Building 26 or wherever they plan on rounding up the heroes, he has long been in too deep to leave the company. He will always be a company man, I just do not see how he could escape it. That is why he gave the watch back to Angela. He knows it too. It wasn’t a surprise that Daphne was alive, nor was it a surprise who the hunter was when you think about it. Looking back at past episodes, it does not even seem like they were hiding his identity. Although his reasons for wanting to round up the heroes is a mystery. I can’t really say anything about the last 10 minutes of the episode because I was not paying a lot of attention to be honest. Don't worry, I did catch the very last moment and I am not sure how I feel about yet another explosion on the show. Yes, I was surprised and loved it but at the same time, I thought, "again?" I need more action and that will bring more action so I can't complain there. I am itching to find out who the “rebel” is next week or the week after. I do not want that mystery to be dragged out for a million episodes.

Privileged - All About a Brand New You!

Marco: So how do you like your steak Pookie?




Kathy Griffin was a great cameo as part of the season finale but on the other hand, it seemed like too little too late for this show in general. I loved wardrobe, as usual. Sage thinking that Rose is intentionally changing is ridiculous. We all change and grow and Sage needs to back off and let her sister grow up and be her own person. I was wondering when the while Marco being gay was going to be an issue on the show, so it was good to see reality come to the screen. Sage proposing a counter argument by requesting to watch Milk with her boyfriend was the funniest thing. Apparently what she believed in and what he didn’t was an ice breaker for Sage and that was the end of that. You got to do what you think is best for you. I was so glad that Will broke up with Megan because of exactly what Will said while breaking up with her and also because I always liked the idea of Megan and Charlie together eventually, which never got to happen. It was great to see Lucy Hale sing again. If the guy Megan met at the commitment ceremony was supposed to be setting up for a possible love interest in a Season 2 that may not happen, that is moving too fast. Megan needs to figure out who she is before she adds another half to that.

Ugly Betty - Things Fall Apart

Connor: Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you.
Betty: I didn’t think you were until you said, “I’m not going to hurt you.”



The laughs came immediately, from Hilda wanting to sell Justin’s goods to redecorate the place, to Betty smiling in the webcam to make a face book profile picture, to Daniel thinking he was dying since he was sick. Then again when Amanda said, “I need to know that you know what you are wearing” to Betty! Wilhelmina having maternal instincts? Can Wilhelmina Slater be an amazing mother? I think yes. Bernadette Peter’s character explaining why the special guest, Tina was not in attendance was pretty funny too. Wow, this episode just rolled out the laughs. It was a lot different from last week’s episode. Marc saying, “next time” about coming up with a fat joke for Betty to Betty was extremely funny. Onto Betty and Henry… As soon as Henry’s co worker mentioned that Henry was not with Charlie anymore, it definitely makes me think about what happened with that relationship and why Henry didn’t go back to Betty if he could have. Luckily, Betty asked Matt out anyhow. Although I am hoping she is not hanging out with Matt just because she needs to get over Henry. As friends, that is fine, but there do not need to be any mixed signals, especially working together. As for Daniel and Molly, I think that Molly really could have been more positive to their relationship even with cancer. She can still have a healthy relationship with someone even if she herself is not healthy. Live life to the fullest while you instead of pushing people away. Now for the real story. When Betty mentioned the millions of dollars that were missing, I automatically thought that Connor was the one to blame. I was right on the money! I knew Connor interrupting Betty’s phone call was because he was paranoid about the money. The fact that he tied not only Betty but Daniel into the money situation is an incredible low for him. The only reason I can understand how Daniel is not showing his anger over the situation is that he is sick. I am surprised Connor told Wilhelmina so quickly. He should lose his job and Wilhelmina in the near future. This better not ruin Betty in any way shape or form. I am so thrilled that Marc gave Betty the location of where Wilhelmina was meeting Connor. It seemed as though Wilhelmina was about to accept Connor’s offer, knowing the consequences which means she should be reprimanded for her actions regarding being okay with him taking the company‘s money. If she was going there to deny Connor’s request, that would have been something to see. Connor played everybody and it is only a matter of time until he is caught, hopefully. This episode was great! It just might be my favorite episode this season. It was also the most exciting episode to watch this week out of all the shows that I have viewed.

Terminator: SCC - Some Must Watch

Sarah: She is a bad dream. She is a bad bitch.



The introduction voiceover by Sarah was great. I can’t exactly say that other than the voiceover I enjoyed the introduction. It was probably the most uninteresting introduction in the series. Then, I understand where Sarah is at right now but at the same time, I don’t want to see it devoted to an entire episode. I think that is why this episode fell flat for me. It was interesting to see her in her dreams, having a discussion and fight with the guy she killed a few episodes earlier. Funny, Sarah being at a sleep clinic in reality actually made me want to go to sleep. It seems as though John put her in the sleep clinic after she fell down the stairs at home. This episode was not very strong to me and since there really was no terminator action, I was really bored. However, I was very worried that John and Sarah would get caught when John was erasing Sarah’s data from the “sleep clinic.” When they did, I was not expecting both Sarah and John to get shot! I really enjoyed in her dream, when Sarah was fighting for her life at the end. Throughout the episode, I was really confused about which story really was reality. Based on the promo for next week, it seems as though her “dream” in this episode was actually reality. I did not really enjoy this episode. It was boring and hard to understand. I could have done with just one of the two but, you can’t win them all. So, I am hoping next week is more interesting! It looks like it will be. Hopefully the irony of Sarah being at a sleep clinic and me almost falling asleep during this episode has not happened to the rest of the TSCC viewers because ratings are low as it is.

Dollhouse - Stage Fright

Echo: You can fire me but bitch don’t think you can take me.



This episode is definitely not one that will stand out among the entire season. Honestly, it did not catch my immediate interest. This was however the episode that singer, Kimberly Cole appeared in, who I interviewed not too long ago (read that here). Eliza seemed to be having a lot of fun playing a backup singer. I was not given a reason to care about anything that was going on until Echo found the stalker letters and tried to get the lead singer to not go on stage where she would be shot by the stalker. I was confused at the end because I thought that those in the dollhouse knew each other even after treatments but it felt like the Brazilian and Echo had just met each other through the lead singer even though they worked together in the episode, Ghost at the end. Maybe I am thinking too hard or maybe things are not well explained, even if just by a little bit. Of course I am not expecting it all to be spelled out but it just felt like mixed messages. Anyway, overall this episode was nothing special. Next week looks better.

Au Revoir:
Privileged - Earlier this week, The CW announced shows that were being picked up for the fall and this show was not on the list. Whether this show comes back for Season 2 or not, I will not be watching. The show has shifted its focus away from its original premise too much, I am not a fan of the main character, and one of my favorite characters left the show when that storyline had so much potential. So it is safe to say goodbye now.

What I Am Watching:

Sunday
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC) 8pm
United States of Tara (Showtime) 10pm

Monday
Chuck (NBC) 8pm
House (Fox) 8pm
Heroes (NBC) 9pm

Tuesday
Privileged (The CW) 9pm

Wednesday
Lost (ABC) 9pm

Thursday
Ugly Betty (ABC) 8pm

Friday
Terminator:SCC (Fox) 8pm
Ghost Whisperer (CBS) 8pm
Dollhouse (Fox) 9pm

More in March!

Last August, I started posting exclusive interviews to Hollywood the Write Way with the intention of posting weekly interviews for all to read. I did not know how I was going to do it, but I did it successfully. I even had a theme for the first month of interviews. That theme was “Never Stop Dreaming.”

I am thrilled to announce that there will be “More in March” for all of you to read. I will be posting not 2x but 3x more interviews every single week for you in the month of March!

Coming up in the month of March are interviews with… a star from the upcoming musical, 9 to 5, a lovely actress from the hit CW show One Tree Hill, special surprise from the upcoming Fox series Glee, and more!

Make sure to bookmark this website so you do not miss any of the amazing interviews that are lined up for the month of March.

Youtube Video of the Week

Catching Up With Stacey Oristano

Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Stacey Oristano who plays Mindy Collette on the show that everyone should be watching…Friday Night Lights fans. Her role on Friday Night Lights grew in Season 3 and she recently finished playing the leading role in the musical, Violet at Addison’s Water Tower Theatre in Texas. Stacey was more than happy to take a few moments out of her day to talk Friday Night Lights, musicals, and more.



How did you spend Superbowl Sunday?
I was in Dallas working on a show and then my dad is a huge football fan so he had a huge Superbowl party. It was a lot of fun.

Talking Friday Night Lights, you were only supposed to be in one episode?
Yeah, they kind of kept me around. There was never any talk about it, they just kept calling to see if I was available. Lucky for me, I was. For the 3rd season, they told me they needed me for the entire 5 months.

What is your favorite part about playing Mindy Collette on Friday Night Lights?
She is not really the bad girl but she is definitely loud and a little trashy sometimes. It is kind of fun to be loose and that carefree.

Did you have any doubts, any hesitation playing an exotic dancer?
I didn’t. I knew that because it was NBC and we had to be fairly clean, it was okay to explore that side.


What do you think about Billy & Mindy’s relationship? Are they in love or in convenience?
I really think they are in love. A lot of people say that it happened too fast and why didn’t it happen before. It is just pure bliss.

If you weren’t playing Mindy, which character would you love to play?
I would want to be Tim Riggins. He is the bad boy who gets to do whatever he wants. There is really a no holds bar when it comes to Tim Riggins.

What is an average day of filming Friday Night Lights?
There are some days that I would shoot for 2 hours but there were some days where we were shooting 18 - 20 hours. Especially filming football days, it was really crazy. The last episode we shot, Oh my gosh…I was in that wedding dress for 20 hours. I was ready to get out of it.


From season 3, what has been your favorite moment?
Every time that I get to do a scene with Taylor Kitsch it is so much fun. He is absolutely hysterical. He makes me laugh the entire day.

When the show gets picked up for a season 4, where would you like to see your character go?
I can’t give away what happens at the end of this season, for the people who haven’t seen it yet and are watching it on NBC. But definitely Mindy and Billy should figure out their life together.

How is juggling filming Friday Night Lights and Theatre?
Filming season 2 was a little difficult because I was in a play. So I was on a plane or driving from one city to the next every day. Usually, I will try to keep it really separate since I know I have the rest of the year that we are not filming. I am still trying to find the balance between being on stage and being on film because the two are very different.

What has been your favorite theatre role so far?
I think that my favorite show that I was in was a play called Urinetown at the Water Tower Theatre. Also, I got to play Sally Bowles in Cabaret and that was a role I had wanted to do since I was 7 years old.

What is your dream Broadway role?
There is a musical, Sunday in the Park With George. I would want o do any Broadway musical. I would be very happy.

What was the best part about studying at London’s prestigious Rose Bruford College?
My professors were also working in the West End so I learned from people who were in the trenches. Being immersed in that cultured was so amazing in itself.

What is your favorite and least favorite part about living in NY?
I am so in love with the city. You can do anything at any time of the day. But the winters in NY. Oh God. It is such a pain.

Random Questions

Favorite Food: Sandwiches
Favorite Ice Cream: Mint Chocolate Chip
Favorite Author/Book: Lamb by Christopher Moore
Favorite Move: Princess Bride
Favorite TV Shows: Lost and anything on HBO and Showtime
If I Were Going Through Your iPod, What Would I Find: Every Billy Joel album ever made, Bob Dylan, Broadway shows, etc…
Last Broadway Show You’ve Seen: In The Heights, it is so good!

This or That
Pepsi or Coke: Diet Coke
Romance or Comedy: Comedy always
Noise or Silence: I think I like noise.
Burger King or McDonalds: Burger King burger with McDonalds fries
Sunrise or Sunset: Sunset, I am not really a morning person
Tattoos or Piercings: I have so many of both. Well, I have 2 tattoos but I want a lot.

Talking Memorial Day with Josh Fox

Not too long ago, I was introduced to the independent film, Memorial Day which was directed by Josh Fox. After watching the film, I was able to ask Fox a few questions and those answers are below. What is this film about?

Beginning as a rowdy beach weekend video, Memorial Day twists and turns to find the dark hearts of young Americans who live to tape their most debauched adventures. The characters are thrust into full exposure, both physically and emotionally, to a place where self-exploitation and the exploitation of others give rise to a shocking new kind of entertainment.


This film is like no other you have seen, I can promise you that. I would recommend it to those who are mature enough to watch what is described above. I definitely recommend that you read this interview before and after you watch the film.



Was there a particular Memorial Day weekend that inspired you to make this film?

The film is very specific to the George Bush era, I think. It is about how the abuses at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo put the whole country in the very uncomfortable position of being accomplices to torture. If you are sitting and having a beer or a cup of tea and torture is happening in the very next room, you can hear it, you can maybe even catch a glimpse of it from time to time, you can feel it happening there. Even if you are not participating, it makes your act of sitting and simply drinking a cup of tea entirely different. During the Bush years, we were all in some way implicated by the actions of our government and our culture. So, partying on Memorial Day weekend is really not at issue here, what is interesting to me is showing all of the ways that the epic and the national influence the personal and the local.

But the film starts with the taxing Memorial Day weekend I had in 2004 just a few weeks after the Abu Ghraib photographs came out. I went down to the beach planning on sun and sand and relaxation and I got Girls Gone Wild and people throwing up and fighting everywhere. The only way I could get through the weekend was to pretend I was in a movie—somehow being the protagonist of my own personal version of Jean-Luc Godard’s WEEKEND got me through the three days.

I compiled those cell phone pictures into a five-minute trailer with my own narration and showed it to Jim McKay, who was a friend of a friend. He then showed it to Michael Stipe, his partner in C-Hundred Film Corp and they gave me the initial backing to start the project in earnest.

Later, Artists Public Domain and Journeyman Pictures got involved when we needed to do the second half of the film, which was much more complicated, expensive and difficult to pull off. My good friend and amazing producer Laura Wagner, with her new company Bay Bridge Productions, was integral to the process of development the whole time. It was her crazy beach town I was visiting.

How did you choose where you would film?

Ocean City was always the location, because that is where I found that crazy synthesis of torturous electricity. But I can see it taking place so many places, Cancun, Daytona, Panama City...there's a whole Girls Gone Wild nation out there.

Memorial Day is about the “spring break” culture which is the seedy underbelly of our American Puritanism, the inverse side of the coin. It’s also about how we forcefully exported that culture and then pretended to not know what we were doing. During the Bush years, we saw evangelical groups rise in popularity and power, we also saw porn go mainstream, which of course, is interconnected. So Girls Gone Wild USA is its own country, a vast and popular country that lives inside America with its own value system. Psychotic, fragmented, overexposed, thrilling, sexy, lustful, violent and amnesiac. People mistake this film as being anti-soldier or anti-American. It’s not. If that is what you get from it, you judged it from the outside, which many people have. I want people to get inside of it and embrace it, like an intoxicating nightmare that you can’t shake and somehow enjoyed. It’s the enjoyment part of it that has pushed me on in the making of the film, which is undeniable and problematic. That’s the deeper question here. Why were the Abu Ghraib prison guards SMILING? The film’s ambition was to live inside of that smile. I like to see it as a celebration of all of our worst, most nightmarish impulses. That’s a contradiction, of course, but that is what it is. It’s an atrocity exhibition that is designed to be thrilling to the spectator, if they are daring enough to get inside of it. Living in the country where we filmed Memorial Day, this MTV spring break world, was a matter of being totally amped up on camera and totally exposed 24/7 and learning to love that scream and ride out the roller coaster.

How did you cast the film?

I’ve worked with many of the same people for the last 10-12 years who are members of International WOW Company. We've performed on stage all over the world and very frequently in New York. It's an ensemble company, so actor collaboration is extremely important. All of the main characters in the film are played by actors that I have worked with for quite a long time. They created those characters and built the scenes. There was constant on the spot communication about what we were doing on many levels. When you work with people for a long time you start to sense what they are thinking without having to communicate explicitly. In that sense it was a very intimate process.

What brought you to the decision of directing it the way you did?

I was looking at the aesthetics of YouTube and of my crazy little grainy cell phone camera. It was always for me a home movie that went out of control, like the Abu Ghraib photos and videos themselves, but pushed, peaked and tweaked out. I found exposures that blew light and colors out and made things seem ’hyper-real’, more real than real -- accelerated, blown out and exciting. So it's not simple home video at all; it has a very specific kind of lighting that I was looking for, something very vibrant where all the lights look almost neon. Night vision stuff was important, too. We shot in so many dark locations, the night vision really helped capture things live that we would normally have to light, and that blended in with the war aesthetics as well. It was a live event, a staged guerrilla film making adventure, so the camera is bound to be as alive and jumpy and jarring as the events themselves.

And of course, part of that mission was to engage the world around us and sweep people into the film who weren’t actors. Impose our experiment on the outside world. We made actors out of people once the camera was pointed at them, and we ourselves became real people once the camera was pointed at us. I don’t think we counted on that. I don’t think I ever said action or cut. It just rolled.

Do you think that Americans have made any progress in celebrating Memorial Day for its true meaning and not using it as an excuse to party?

What is the true meaning? It's a war holiday, which in itself is a contradiction in terms. War and holiday don't go together, so you are bound to be ripping up your consciousness anyway you do it. I didn’t think this stuff up; Memorial Day weekend is a war holiday and it’s also the “unofficial” beginning of summer. A time for remembering war and a time to party. At first that seems like a contradiction but really it’s a symbiosis.

The film is about wild abandon. It’s about losing the contexts of various kinds of morality and how that happens without you even noticing it. Culture is the air we breathe all around us. If you are in a spring break-type place it’s going to be much easier to get completely drunk, strip in front of a camera, and generally lose your moorings--those thoughts are going to come easier, just as it is going to be more appropriate for you to wear shorts with no shoes to the beach and not a suit and tie. We think appropriately to the occasion. We move with the herd. And of course, in a war it’s much easier to kill and abuse people; it’s part of the culture of war.

The striking synthesis to me, of course, is that Memorial Day the holiday is supposed to be a somber occasion, a time when we are supposed to remember those who died in war (not just soldiers, by the way, civilians who died as well, we often forget that on Memorial Day) but we have stressed the patriotic/soldiering part of it, which leaves us in a mess of violent emotions—sexual and bloody. Memorial Day becomes a day to hit the beach and get rocked and throw up on your date.

The weirdness of the total connection is so clear and it’s uncomfortable-it’s Freud talking about Eros and Thanatos. The sex/life force and the death/self destruction/risk/violence impulses are connected. While it may seem that the film is saying “look at all these drunk naked teenagers, how fucked up of them, they should be thinking about war instead of partying,” that’s the superficial way to see it. It’s not saying that at all. It’s asking other kinds of questions about why partying and warring are connected to begin with. Those partying drunk naked kids ARE thinking about war, they just don’t know it. Why the hell is that? Why are humans made that way?

To do the film we got totally immersed in that reality--equal parts reckless abandon and dire seriousness. It was an exercise in total immersion. Everything in the film was planned, every scene was either scripted or outlined beforehand--but everything really happened, because it was real, in a sense, we were immersed in that reality. Like the Zimbardo experiment (where college kids built a fake prison and the guards and prisoners ended up totally abusing each other and it had to be stopped after a few days). With us it was a dramatic thing-- everyone in the experience was totally adamant to live inside the circumstances, no matter how difficult they got.

This film really makes people look at themselves and/or those they surround themselves by. Was that something you thought about when editing the film?

Editing Memorial Day took over a year. It went through so many revisions and versions to get the balance right between the characters and the rhythm of the scenes.

The camera was a huge factor throughout. None of this stuff happens without the camera. I think cameras have altered reality to such a degree that we now cease to be real without them. In our camera obsessed NOW (Youtube, reality shows, etc.) the camera further “eroticizes the space” as Spalding Gray once said. All of our impulses get ramped up beyond our ability to realize what the hell we are doing. It’s a kind of delirium that happens, and highly addictive I think.

There is a deep and very specific need to be seen on camera that has become hard-wired in us. We would be walking down the street in Ocean City, Maryland where most of Memorial Day was filmed, in the center of the bacchanalia and people would walk up to us and say, “Hey are you making a porno? Can we get it in?” and of course we would say “Yes.” Is self-exploitation a way of proving you exist or of annihilating oneself? And what happens when you stop exploiting yourself and start exploiting someone else? Haven't you vanished even further from your gaze? Is this an American rite of passage or the hell that exists inside of all humanity being unleashed be a new drug? I think I was trying to get people to disappear by shooting them on camera in Memorial Day. They do these vanishing acts. A person is a monster, a vapor, their humanity is gone. They re-emerge for a moment and then collapse back into two dimensions.

What are your upcoming projects?

I am currently making a documentary on the harmful effects of natural gas drilling in America. Gas drilling is occurring all over the United States and there is an extremely environmentally dangerous way of drilling called Hydraulic Fracturing or Fracking. It was made legal by Dick Cheney in 2005 when he pushed Congress to suspend the Clean Air, Clean Water and Safe Drinking water acts. There is all this hype about natural gas being the clean burning fuel of the future but the process of extraction is incredibly toxic, damaging to health and destroys water systems wherever it happens. And it's happening in some of the country's most scenic and beautiful areas, wrecking landscapes and turning people's lives and health upside down. It's very devastating and vastly under reported. I've been filming on and off since May and I am editing now with Matt Sanchez, a terrific filmmaker and collaborator. Sections of the film in progress can be seen here.

Movie Monday

A Look Ahead:

X Men Origins: Wolverine
Rating: Not Yet Rated
Release Date: 05/01/2009
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Liev Schreiber, Dominic Monaghan



Just Released:

In Theaters:

Crossing Over
Trailer
Rating: R
Release Date: 02/27/2009 (Limited)
Cast: Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd, Jim Sturgess, Ray Liotta



On DVD
What Just Happened
Rating: R
Release Date: 02/24/2009
Cast: Robert De Niro, Catherine Keener, Bruce Willis, Sean Penn, Stanley Tucci,, Kristen Stewart



A Look Back:

FreedomLand
Rating: R
Release Date: 02/17/06
Cast: Julianne Moore, Samuel L. Jackson



*******
Fun Link: Watch Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (with a Netflix 2 week free trial) before the remake with Denzel Washington and John Travolta hits theaters on June 12, 2009.

Pretty Bad Movies...

Late last month, I shared a short list of films that I wish I hadn't seen. Those films may have been entertaining at the time of their release, but the list of films below were not at all entertaining to me when they were released. All of these films are very flawed in their own way…

Ghost Rider (2007) Nicolas Cage, Wes Bentley, Eva Mendes - I tried to force myself to enjoy this but I really do not know where to start questioning what went wrong with this film.

The Reaping (2007) Hilary Swank, David Morrissey, AnnaSophia Robb - What an incredible disappointment. I remember watching a TV movie that had somewhat the same concept a few years ago that was so much better than this.

The Grudge 2 (2006) Amber Tamblyn, Arielle Kebbel, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jennifer Beals - Wow. All I can say is…what a waste of good talent.

Dark Water (2005) Jennifer Connelly - If you are having trouble falling asleep, this is the film to put in.

Must Love Dogs (2005) Diane Lane, John Cusack - This is dull, semi-romantic, non humorous fluff is yet another waste of great talent.

The Terminal (2004) Tom Hanks, Catherin Zeta-Jones - The concept was great, the actors were on point, but the script could have been better (*cough*ending*cough*) because everything did not hold together well.

The Ring (2002) Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson - Yes, it was very creepy but it was also very boring.

TV Week In Review

*Reviews May Contain Spoilers*

Desperate Housewives - In A World Where the Kings Are Employers

Katherine: No, it’s going to be tricky because Mike is moving in here.



Each second of this episode was more exciting than the next. I enjoyed this episode more than I can say. This is why I love Desperate Housewives. So getting to the episode…Mike should not have turned Susan and MJ down because he knows that Susan is getting back into work so he should be open to helping out his family, even if they are not together and even if he has to cut down or re arrange his plumbing jobs. The fact that Mike dropped MJ off at Katherine’s shows that his priorities are not totally together. He needs to balance his work with his family. Believe it or not, I do hope that Mike and Susan get back together eventually, but I am happy for Mike and Katherine. Having those 2 move in together may take awhile for Susan to accept.. Whether it be Katherine or any other girl Mike could be with, Susan would have a problem. Unfortunately it is with Katherine, which has broken the friendship between her and Susan. This is so realistic, so in that sense more people can appreciate this storyline. However, all I want is to see things work out. So in that sense, let’s not be realistic and move it along. As for Bree and Orson… Bree is right for not talking to her husband about the raise she gave her son but at the same time, she should have given him somewhat of a bonus too or at least given him some advance notice about what she was going to do, to avoid him freaking out. God only knows what he will do now. From the looks of it though, whatever he is up to may hurt him instead of help him. With Gabby, I understand why she was so upset about the bonus but she should have accepted the fact that no one was getting a bonus. It did not take long for something to happen that would lead Gabby to getting the bonus for Carlos but look where that brought them. Gabby has now dug both her and Carlos in a hole having accepted the role as Godparents to Carlos’ boss. This situation screams disaster and I look forward to seeing this play out. The laugh we hear after Lynette said her and Tom were going to go bankrupt and then again after Tom said he wasn’t going to be a failure made me laugh aloud. Tom taking out his anger on his son at work was more about him being angry about the slump in business than who was taking a table. Thankfully, he came to his senses and realized what was best to do. Whatever the family decides to do next for income, it will be fun to see them coming out on top again.

Chuck - Chuck vs. The Suburbs

Chuck: Charles Carmichael always comes quickly.



The title alone of this episode lets you know that this episode is going to be entertaining. I was not disappointed. My expectations for this episode were met and some. Big Mike getting divorce papers on Valentine’s Day is the worst thing in the world for someone who looks forward to the holiday. Having the Buy More staff help him get a date was a fun idea. Although, Big Mike doing the nasty with Morgan’s mom was just about the funniest, disturbing thing on the show so far. I wonder if Big Mike is going to end the relationship or keep it going, and how he will treat Morgan if he does keep it going. How creepy were the photos of Sarah and Chuck as well as the dog? Jenny McCarthy guest starring was great. Having the entire neighborhood be Fulcrum was a smart idea. Seeing Chuck save Sarah is always more satisfying than the other way around so that was nice to see at the Fulcrum lab - even though Casey helped out too. Overall, I really enjoyed this episode. It definitely stands out among the rest of the season.

House - Unfaithful

House: Separately they are great doctors. Better than you. Together, they are morons.



The introduction of this episode was interesting. It definitely was different than the usual thrilling, mysterious introductions. I was freaked out by the drunk priest’s hallucination of Jesus, but I think that was the goal. I also am guilty of laughing at a drunk priest seeing Jesus. The priest being difficult at times when Kutner and Taub were trying to figure out more about him was ridiculous. I hate when the patients do not cooperate. I enjoyed watching the discussion the priest and House had about what they do and do not believe. At first I was thinking, “Why does house start these types of conversations when he is just going to be sarcastic?” but then I realized that the more conversations like these that he has, the better he gets at learning more or accepting more about himself and others. Speaking of others…seeing House considering going to Cuddy’s baby’s Jewish baby naming ceremony throughout the entire episode shows just how much he really does care about Cuddy. But unfortunately, he over analyzed, which got in the way of him being a human being with feelings and actually go to the ceremony. Foreman and 13 being put in the position that they were put in by House was something I thought should have happened sooner. The thing about Foreman and 13 is that they both have the same strong personalities whether neither one of them will back down. This is why they clash so much and most times it is not fun to see on screen. I am surprised that House did not fire both of them, given 13’s track record in the past, although nobody is probably thinking about that given what Foreman did. Cuddy not giving Foreman a recommendation topped off Foreman’s bad day. Thankfully for him, he got his job back in the end. I enjoyed this episode very much. I do not know why 13 and Foreman’s relationship has gotten so much screen time the past few episodes but it is exciting to watch.


Heroes - Building 26

Sylar: Okay, technically I’m a serial killer.



This was a great episode because it was more emotionally hard hitting than other episodes. I also loved the music throughout. Story wise, Hiro’s storyline and the Building 26 build up fell flat. Claire at home, almost forced into the situation of having to act like there is nothing going on for her mother’s sake was horrible to see. Once Claire told her mother the truth, her mom went off on Noah. Did you feel the heat of that argument? I felt it. I was so relieved that Claire acted on the text message that she got from “rebel” as soon as she got the chance to do so. Claire and the hero she was helping out escaped easier than I thought they would, lucky for the new hero for now anyway. The way that the heroes are being tracked is insane. Surely more heroes will be captured within the next 2 or 3 episodes I hope because it is boring to only see one hero locked up in building 26. Sylar and his mini me was so amusing to watch. I love seeing Sylar paired up with someone, whether it be with Noah, Elle, etc… People in general bring the best and worst out of him, so it is nice to see the effect one person on him over time. I wonder how long Sylar will keep his mini me around. Now that Sylar has the address for his real father, the moment many Sylar fans have been waiting for will be coming soon. Hiro and Ando’s storyline unfolding in India was something I was looking forward to seeing, since the picture of the future was drawn by Matt. It looks like there was nothing major attached to that picture, just that they needed to be there to be told to warn Matt. This either could have been done another way or everything leading up to it in India could have been more meaningful. Maybe it could be more meaningful and I do not even know it, I don’t know. It just did not seem as attention-grabbing as I had thought it would be. I was so shocked and excited when Moira Kelly, who I know as Karen on One Tree Hill appeared on this episode. Go Moira! Hopefully she will be seen in a few more episodes throughout this volume. Friend or foe character wise, I am thrilled she guest starred on the show. I enjoyed this episode more than last week. Let’s hope that the promo for next week is not misleading because I am definitely looking forward to it.

Ugly Betty - There’s No Place Like Mode

Marc: You are still as horrible and evil as the day that Satan himself placed you in your mother’s arms.



Bernadette Peters, does her thing. I lover her. Betty getting the sports guy for her Yetti assignment was especially funny to me because I would feel exactly the way that she did when she got him (I am not a sports person). Although she should have been more professional and went with the flow as opposed to complaining about who she got partnered with and not even give a second thought as to what the sports guy does. When Christina and Betty were creating a fake press release for fun, I thought it would come around and bite Betty in the butt. However, it actually benefited Betty. Having Betty ask Justin to help her with the press release was funny though. Got to love siblings. How insensitive was it for Betty’s dad and his girlfriend/former nurse to wake up and come down to the breakfast table together. Betty’s dad and the girlfriend, who’s name I can’t remember both should know to take things slow, especially when they know Hilda and Betty are still getting used to the relationship. Some might argue that their relationship is none of their business but if it is under the roof all of them live in, it is. I want to know why Molly was at a doctor towards the end of the episode. Christina walking down the runway while she was having contractions and then having the baby right there with the models standing around her was just about the most bizarre entertainment this season. I loved, loved, loved the ending of this episode. The title of this episode is perfect. I would definitely say that this episode stands out among the rest of the season.

Terminator: SCC - Desert Cantos

Catherine: Would you excuse me Mr. Ellison? I’m feeling emotional.



There was no action at all in this episode so I was disappointed in that sense. The entire episode focused on the entire day of the funeral and everything that goes with it for those who died in the “fire.” I did not expect an entire episode to revolve around that, so in that sense I am disappointed with that being dragged out. Other than that, I did enjoy this episode very much. I wonder if John meeting and talking to Zoe was just to have John talk to someone or if she is going to play a bigger part in a few more episodes. Sarah talking to the widow of Jim (I think that is his name) was a great way to lead into the opening credits. The dialogue was perfect. Derek had his eye on Catherine’s hawk the whole time. It was comforting to know that the widow knew that her husband’s job was not what he said it was. Although it seemed to me that she was a bit too open to Sarah, being that she just met Sarah for the first time. If she had doubts about her husband’s job, it would not be the smartest thing to open up to the first person who claims to have worked at his job. Ellison getting closer and closer to figuring Catherine out makes me think that he could be the big death this season. It took them long enough to realize that Jim was not dead. I do not understand why Sarah did not ask Derek to come spy with her or at least mention where she was headed. Thankfully nobody caught her snooping and they all came together in a way that was not obvious. Shirley Manson makes an outstanding terminator. As far as the ending goes…is Jim a terminator now or is he still Jim? While there was no action in this episode, it was still a somewhat enjoyable filler. I really cannot wait until next week’s episode. Hopefully there will be some action next week.

Dollhouse - The Target

Echo: Toss the bow and get on your knees or I’ll blow your freakin’ head off.



Now that’s what I call the perfect nightmare of a date. Never go on a date alone in the woods. I do not understand how Topher and the rest of the people working on the actives have not practiced trial and error in order to plant an imprint to fight. Instead of giving up on the imprint, work at making the imprint like intermediate self defense. Yes, that will cost them some lives but obviously they do not care about that since they have taken away the lives of the actives. I loved Echo being faced with her old self in the woods. It shows that even though her mind gets wiped, she is still attached to who she was before the dollhouse. Honestly, I thought that her remembering things that should have been wiped would be a more gradual thing but it seems to be happening rather quickly in the show. This episode was definitely full of action, so there was no disappointment there. Although I still do not know the names of any characters other than Echo, Topher, and Langdon. I feel like I do not know any of the characters except Echo, and I really do not know her because she does not even know herself. So it is safe to say that I have not really connected with any of the characters. While this episode was good, I still have not reached the point where I am fully anticipating what will happen every week.

What I Am Watching:

Sunday
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC) 8pm
Desperate Housewives (ABC) 9pm
United States of Tara (Showtime) 10pm

Monday
Chuck (NBC) 8pm
House (Fox) 8pm
Heroes (NBC) 9pm

Wednesday
Lost (ABC) 9pm

Thursday
Ugly Betty (ABC) 8pm

Friday
Terminator:SCC (Fox) 8pm
Ghost Whisperer (CBS) 8pm
Dollhouse (Fox) 9pm

YouTube Video of the Week

Billy Boy on Poison

I want to introduce you to a band that I was introduced to not too long ago. If you watch The CW, you may have heard their song, "On My Way" play in the background of a Gossip Girl promo commercial. Check it out here. Needless to say, Billy Boy On Poison is going places. So get to know the band below.




When and how did you all come together and decide to form a band?
Jessi: In 2005, Davis was going to start a solo project, but decided to go in the direction of having a rock band, so he made some calls, and we had our first official show in April of 06.

How long did it take to find Greg after the band was together?
Jessi: Well, we lost a guitar player in the summer of 2007. We auditioned what seemed like hundred of people, and none of them had the right "umph"... then Greg came and was the answer to our prayers. it was a few good solid months of auditioning to find him though! haha

Davis & Jes, as cousins, is it harder or easier working together?
Jessi: Well, I would say easier... we don’t overstep our boundaries because we know each other so well. plus we have an underlying bond and unconditional love, so if there is a disagreement, its easy to put aside when we leave the workplace.

Describe what each band mate brings to the band.
Jessi: Ryan is the unexpected genius. He’s a tasteful and very creative guitar player, and brings a lot to the table in dedication and performance.
Greg has grown into one of my best friends. He is off beat, quirky, and has no inner dialogue, but he is one of the most well rounded and expressive musicians I have ever met.
Davis is out of his mind in the best way possible. He has one of the best ears on the planet, and a voice that gives you the chills to go with them.
Ryan: I like Keith Richards and Jack White. I love tone and slide guitar. I bring anxiety to the band.

Think back to the day the band was signed to Kiefer Sutherland’s independent record label, Ironworks Music and describe that day.
Jessi: It was amazing. I think that is one of the most memorable moments in all of our lives. it warms you inside to think that something you have taken so long to create is finally being taken notice of.

As far as writing goes, how do you guys like to write - by yourself and then bringing it to the band, co writing from the start, etc…?
Jessi: All of the above. ideas are flowing around constantly.
Ryan: We usually come up with ideas by ourselves then we show them to each other and we fuse them together if they work out.

Where is your favorite place to play in LA?
Jessi: Umm...I have no idea. I mean, obviously, the Nokia was an honor and great experience, but the sunset venues are great because of the intimacy you have with the audience.
Ryan: Club Nokia and Unknown Theatre

Did the music video for “On My Way” come out?
Jessi: It has not come out yet. but hopefully soon! It was a lot of hard work and something for EVERYONE involved to be proud of. Our deepest gratitude goes out to the crew and ironworks.

What is it like shooting a music video?
Jessi: It’s not easy. haha It’s a lot of hot lights, and doing the same thing over and over again. But its a fun bonding experience for us.
Ryan: It's stressful, it takes a long time, and there are not enough coffee breaks.

How long was the recording process for “Sweet Mess” and what was the best part about recording?
Jessi: The recording process was probably about a year in total. The best part is probably getting to spend so much time with each other and bond. Our creative juices really get flowing, and we really respect and value each others roles in the project.

Where outside of the US has the band traveled and any plans on traveling soon?
Jessi: We haven’t gone out yet, but we will be out to London soon and we'll be playing south by southwest in Austin, Texas.

Is there a tour in the works for this year?
Jessi: Hopefully.


How did you find out that your song would end up in a Gossip Girl promo and is there some sort of deal with them where we will hear more of you on the show?
Jessi: Well, I’m not completely sure. I heard it and was surprised myself! haha so I guess that answers part 2, I won’t know and will probably find out when you do!
Ryan: My sister watches it and I saw the promo for the season. I had no idea our song got picked. It tripped me out.

Q & A with Open Window Director & Writer, Mia Goldman

Late last month I reviewed the film, Open Window, which is available on DVD. You can view my review here. Not too long after that, I was given the opportunity to ask the Director and Writer of the film, Mia Goldman a few questions. Below are her answers and after you read this, don't forget to go get your copy of Open Window.



When you were creating the film, did you know that you wanted it to reflect your personal experience or had you thought about creating the film from a general standpoint?
When I began writing the film I knew that it would be a story that came from my own life, but I wanted to universalize it because I feel that trauma is something that almost everyone experiences in their life in some form. I wanted to reach out across the chasm of alienation to those who have experienced this kind of trauma and what they feel - that includes death, the loss of a loved one, cancer, the loss of a limb, a house burning down etc. Any act that is irrevocable results in a sense of loss that makes one feel there is no hope. I wanted to help change that a little if I could.


Is Izzy a total reflection of you before and after the sexual assault?
Izzy is a character informed by who I am and what I experienced. Many of the things that she experiences in the film, such as flashbacks, a sense of profound loss, alienation from loved ones, wanting to forget everything etc., are emotions that I experienced. The before and after portrayal was also something that was influenced by my experience.


What about Robin Tunney and Joel Edgerton made you realize that these were going to be your main characters?
When I first wrote “Open Window” I had Robin Tunney in mind for the role of Izzy. Her honesty, raw emotion, intelligence and fearlessness as an actress, were all qualities that made me feel she would be perfect for the role. I was very happy when she said yes because Izzy was already imbued with who I thought Robin was. Joel, in a sense, was a more challenging situation in the casting, because although very experienced and successful actors were interested in playing Peter, I think they ultimately found themselves afraid of the character. Robin knew Joel through Andrew Dominic, a wonderful Australian director. Simultaneously, Joel had also read for Midge Sanford, one of my producers, and she passed a tape of his work on to me because she was enthused about his work. I was stunned by, once again, an honesty and fearlessness in his work. Joel also lent a deep sensitivity, which was absolutely key to the interpretation of Peter’s character. When I met Joel I knew he would be perfect for the role and of course I felt extremely lucky that he wanted to do it. I think one can see the range that both he and Robin expressed in the finished product.


Did you always know how you wanted the tone of the film?
Yes I did. I had been looking at films made by Bergman, Kieslowski, Louis Malle, Woody Allen etc. I knew I wanted the movie to express the deep, unspoken emotion that comes out of silences and the landscape of the human face. The directors I mentioned are people who mined that territory before I came along and they inspired me.

Where was Open Window filmed, how long was filming, and were there a lot of rewrites?
“Open Window” was filmed in Los Angeles and with the help of my producer Tom Barad, we scouted every location and negotiated every deal. He was amazing!

Our schedule for shooting was 20 days, our first 4 days were exteriors and it was raining – so we got one extra day. Tom pulled a rabbit out of the hat on that one.

I probably did 40 drafts of this script. I knew that I wanted it to be tight and I thought that if it was overwritten, I could end up ruining it. Selling a script is the hardest thing to do, so that took a lot of rewrites. I also knew I wanted to have a little humor in it. Funny takes extra work.


In 2006, when the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, do you remember how you felt that day, sharing such a personal experience with so many people?
Yes, I was a little tense but not because it was a personal story. I had kept that fact to myself, pretty much. I never discussed it with any of the actors. When we went to Sundance, I decided I would be honest about the source of the movie, because that’s the truth. I thought it would be easier to tell the truth rather than to hide. Of course that added a dimension of anxiety in the sense that I hoped that people would like it or understand my intent.


Have you considered doing a tour around colleges and high schools to screen the film and have panels?

What a wonderful thought! Paula Silver, who was our marketing guru, had done “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” with me, (I was the editor) and she had done something of this sort for that film and wanted to do it with “Open Window”. Her grass roots results are always extraordinary. Unfortunately, in going over the numbers, Tom, Midge and myself felt that the money needed to do it right, might bite into our very small (at that time) returns. We did however do a shorter, faster, cheaper version of the idea ourselves. We went to Vassar, Sarah Lawrence, UCLA Medical School, USC, Columbia University and other colleges. But of course I am always eager to talk about the movie, especially with young people, who seemed, at these colleges, to become ignited by the issue. Many of them, and I include men and women in that, had been touched personally by the experiences of either a friend, or a relative, or they themselves might have also experienced an assault. You’d be surprised by how many men came up to me because either they had been raped or they had a friend whom they loved or a sister who had been raped. This issue crosses all ages, classes, genders and cultures and that is why it is so endemic and so important.


Out of editing, writing, and directing, which do you find to be the most challenging?
They are all challenging in different ways. But I think of all of them, the one I love the most is directing. It’s so much fun to make something with all those wonderful talented professionals around you, helping you to realize your dream. Working alone is something I enjoy as well, but not as much as collaboration.


What are your upcoming projects?
I have started to adapt a novel called ”Anything for Jane”, which was written by Cheryl Mendelsohn. It is the third in a trilogy that takes place in New York City. The first is called “Morningside Heights”, the second, “Love, Work, Children” and the third is “Anything for Jane”. The novel deals with many issues that I am interested in and I feel very lucky to have found it.

Schuyler Fisk Update/Review

Today is the day before Schuyler Fisk’s debut album, The Good Stuff releases exclusively on iTunes. You may remember that I interviewed Schuyler not too long ago. You can read that here. So with the album release tomorrow, I wanted to share with you all two things: mini Schuyler Q &A and my review of the album.

What is your favorite track on the album and why?
Wow, I'm not sure. That's such a hard question because they are like all my little babies. How do you choose favorites? I'll just say that right now my favorite song is Other Side Of Love. It's my honest take on life after a break-up. We've all been there.


Which track was the most challenging to write or record or both?
I'd say Mr. Johnson was the most challenging to write because I was writing that song as an apology to someone and I wanted it to be honest, clear and heartfelt while still being positive. It had to be just right because I wasn't writing that song for myself.

How have you been celebrating finishing recording and the release of the album?
You should ask my band. I ran around our hotel the day my records arrived. I skipped into sound check that day to show Ben Taylor and his band. I was so proud and happy to have it in my hands! It's been a long long time coming!



Schuyler Fisk is one of the top indie musical artists on Myspace and if you listen to her album, you will see why. There is only one song on the album that Schuyler has not written/co-written herself. Listening to the album makes me feel as if she is sitting right across from me, telling me this amazing story. Her song writing is remarkable. This album is like a roller coaster, it takes you up and takes you down and you enjoy it all. Everyone and anyone can relate to the songs that she has written. Her songs are all so rich and well crafted, full of so much life - joy and heartache. It is hard to believe that there are only 14 songs on the album. The time goes by when you are listening to The Good Stuff and you will not even realize it. The lyrics are just as meaningful as the music, which is the way that it should be. I certainly liked what I heard on this album. Schuyler has created an album that is like nothing you have heard on the radio. There is no doubt Schuyler has her own sound. The tracks that stood out to me the most were the super catchy and upbeat tracks, The Good Stuff and You’re Happening To Me, the ironically titled fun track, Miss You, and the song that makes your heart ache, Cold Heart. Afterglow and Sunshine are such sweet, fun songs to listen to. These upbeat tracks will really help you get along your day. Everyone has their own version of Mr. Johnson so anyone can appreciate that song. I would like to hear a Mr. Johnson Part 2 to see what came of this. I enjoyed Other Side of Love not only because of the lyrics but the musical range as the song goes on. You’re Only Lonely, Who Am I To You, and Last Day Of Our Lives really had to grown on me. The sound of this album may not be what the majority of you are used to, which is why you will like it even more. The Good Stuff is one album you want to buy on iTunes right now because this is one CD people will be talking about. This is the kind of music that is timeless. This, truly is the good stuff.

Movie Monday

A Look Ahead:

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Trailer
Rating: Not Yet Rated
Release Date: 06/26/2009
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro




Just Released:

In Theatres:

Confessions of a Shopaholic
Rating: PG
Release Date: 02/13/2009
Cast: Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy, Joan Cusack, John Goodman, John Lithgow



On DVD
Changeling
Rating: R
Release Date: 02/17/2009
Cast: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan, Colm Feore, Jason Butler Harner, Amy Ryan, Michael Kelly




A Look Back:
Music & Lyrics
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: 02/14/07
Cast: Drew Barrymore, Hugh Grant






*******
Fun Link: Read the book, “My Sister‘s Keeper“ before it comes to the big screen on June 26, 2009.

TV Week In Review

*Reviews May Contain Spoilers*

Desperate Housewives - Mama Spent Money When She Had None

Susan: Say something in Spanish.
MJ: I’m bored.
Susan: Be bored in Spanish.



The emphasis on Bree spending her money like it is no big deal when Lynette and everyone else is struggling was interesting to see because Bree actually acknowledged this issue positively at first. I really was pleased with the idea of Bree investing in Lynette’s restaurant instead of Bree simply giving her $20,000. Of course once the decision was made, it did not take long to see that Lynette’s worst nightmare was coming true anyway. Their truce at the end was good, topped off with Lynette hitting Bree’s car. So now that Tom knows about Dave, I wonder when and how he will tell Lynette, what the two will do about it, and how this will help or hurt their case. Speaking of Dave… saying that love is just temporary (because of death) to Edie was more than odd. Does Edie really buy that? She is smarter than that. Which is why I cannot believe she gave into Gabby and referred her to boot camp. Gabby joining a boot camp to loose weight is a joke. Edie telling her off when Gabby was going to quit was just what Gabby needed to hear. Hopefully Gabby will use what she used int boot camp to stay fit even after the contract is up. The situation that Susan got herself into with Katherine was embarrassing at first but once she finally let it out that Mike wouldn’t pay for MJ’s school, I think Katherine let her guard down. Although once again, Susan is put into an embarrassing situation when she finds out the pearls Mike bought for Katherine were fake and Mike was furious at her for thinking he would put his girlfriend before his son. Overall, this was a great episode.

Heroes - Trust and Blood

Sylar: And I let you live. Which is kind of a big deal for me.



The best thing about this episode, this volume is getting to see the cast interact more with each other. The most ridiculous thing that came to my mind was how every hero on the plane survived. Yes, it’s a TV show, but really? At least give some of them injuries. Anyway, I knew Nathan was talking to Angela on the phone the whole time. Who else would he be talking to? It seemed obvious that he would be talking to her so there was no mystery. What is the mystery is talk of “hunter.” Who is the hunter? Or did that just go over my head? Who was the person texting Claire at the end of the episode? I hope it is Micah. I miss him on the show! If not, I hope it is someone worth all of this anonymity. Then, to be honest…as cool as the painting the future power is, I feel like this power has been worn-out. I am equally excited and aggravated with the repetitiveness of this power in numerous people. Daphne being shot was horrible to see because I have grown to love this character…however I feel like she’s not dead. If she is dead, what a terrible way this was set up. I say that because there was no time to wrap my idea around the idea of her being dead. There was no time to process what just happened and cope with it. So, I think she will be fine. Sylar torturing those 3 in Newark, NJ (what part of Newark was that? lol)…Sylar is one incredible villain. This episode was good. I expected more action but I know that is coming up in the rest of the volume, I just have to be patient. There was nothing that really stood out in this episode, but I am sure that there will be as this volume continues.

90210 - Of Heartbreaks and Hotels

Silver: Go get us a cake!



Watching Silver being in love is quite amusing. Silver begging Naomi to help her get a table for Valentine’s dinner was really humorous. I really laughed when Silver yelled at the waitress at the dinner about the cake. Silver and Dixon are so cute together. As long as Silver doesn’t say or do anything stupid that is, like her Dixon tattoo. You can tell automatically when Dixon is taken aback by her words and actions. Let’s see how he deals with this situation and how she reacts. Ethan helping out Rhonda because of the accident is sweet, life changing and all, but that does not excuse him from spending all his time with her and not Annie. Then, Annie using Rhonda’s story in her acting class was not right to do. Although that is definitely not solely why Annie and Ethan are having issues. Also, I think Rhonda was so thrilled with someone talking to her at school that she thought it was more than it really was - not because she truly thought Ethan liked her like that. Near the end, it was so sweet to see Navid come to Adrianna’s house. Finally they are back together! I love the artist, Erin McCarley, so I was so thrilled to hear her song, “Pony (It’s OK)” play in this episode. This episode was enjoyable. Although there is nothing that sets this show aside from any other teen drama (which I knew coming into the show) so I think that once Season 1 is over, that will be it for me. I started out watching the show out of curiosity and then that slowly became obligation. Don’t get me wrong, I like the show, but I think I am over watching something that has already been done too many times before. Once the show ends in May, that will be it for me.

Privileged - All About Betrayal

Laurel: Whether you like it or not you are long past being their tutor. You are their mentor and their friend. Surely you know that.




As season 1 is coming to an end soon I must say that as I was watching this episode, I felt like I was “going through the motions” until the end. I am just not feeling the way that I felt about Privileged when it first began. I am no longer a fan of Megan. Reasons why are in my past reviews. Laurel seems to always be away letting her staff care for the girls as opposed to herself. She says she wants to be there for the girls and yet her actions speak louder than her words. You can be successful without traveling every day. Charlie is gone. I feel that the quote I posted above is supposed to be the only explanation for the turn this show has taken. On the positive side, the characters and stories are still as realistic as they were in the beginning of the season. Sage has become less dense throughout the season. Marco’s storyline has been building. Rose told Laurel how she really feels about her. Rose decided to have her own bedroom, a great step into becoming a more independent person. It was nice to see Robert Buckley in this episode, as I loved him on Lipstick Jungle. Even though I do not like her character on the show, it was also great to see Elaine Hendrix this and last week. This episode did not have enough comedy in it. The balance of comedy and drama has been lost. When the season finale airs next, let’s hope I am given a reason to tune in for Season 2.

Ugly Betty - The Courtship of Betty‘s Father
Betty: You don’t know? You don’t know what? He’s grabbing her booty.
Hilda: It’s a very vague area. It’s sort of her hip, lower backside.
Betty: Hilda he is in there!



Someone’s definition of shoplifting is off. Haha. It was fun to see Claire, as she has been missing the past few episodes. Although because of that, I was afraid the majority of the episode would be about her and it was! I know she is part of the show and all but I just hate in any show where a character is gone for a few episodes and then when they come back it is all about them. Anyway, Hilda acting the way that she did when the camera was on was hilarious. Ana Ortiz has the perfect balance of comedy and drama in every episode. I love her. Betty’s dad feeling up the nurse was not expected and yet not shocking. For some reason I think that this relationship between him and the nurse might last long - just as long as Hilda and Betty put up with it. Wilhelmina and Daniel running into each other with their dates was awkward and yet I am so over it. Daniel making an effort with Molly regarding Tibet was so sweet. However, he need not compare himself with any of Molly’s exes. Mark helping Wilhelmina with her feelings brought a little bit of comedy to this episode. It is great she got the courage to say, “I love you” to Connor. There was not enough Amanda in this episode! I know this episode had nothing to do with her, but still.

The Office - Lecture Circuit Part Two

Michael: Who have I wronged?



Since last week was so good, I had expected Part 2 to be even better. Although I enjoyed last week’s episode more. It was entertaining to see Angela so over the moon about her new cat. I do not know what is worse, selling your engagement ring on eBay or paying $7,000 for a cat. Angela’s love for her cats is more than creepy. It was tolerable the first 4 seasons but what we just saw in this episode is just…wow I have no words for that, other than creepy. I love cats, I am a cat person, but that was just weird. She licked her cat! Okay, moving on before I get even more weirded out. I loved it when Pam said, “Ay O” in the car! Seeing Michael so totally stuck on Holly was adorable. Yet the way that he was acting towards Holly’s boyfriend was just pathetic. I did laugh when Michael crawled out of the conference room. Pam taking over Michael’s presentation was supposed to be funny but I felt as bored as those sitting in front of Pam. Creepy is what I thought when Michael cut part of Holly’s sweater. That is creepy and pathetic. Even for Michael that is taking it far. Kelly going off on Jim because of the birthday cake was funny but I agree with everything she said. Dwight has no right to say, “Good job on the cake bozo” because his brown and black balloons and “It Is Your Birthday” sign are worse. It is a shame that Jim does not know how to spell Kelly’s name by now but at the same time, we all have had that experience. I am surprised that Jim did not go over to her work space when she was not there and look at a paper to see how her name was spelled, or asked someone. You know who’s birthday I would like to see? Pam’s birthday. Only because I would just love to see what gifts the guys in the office would get her. This episode really was nothing spectacular. It was amusing but does not stand out to me.

Terminator: SCC - Good Wound

Cameron: Future you has more important things to do.



I was so ecstatic for the return of this show that if the cast had just sat in a circle staring at each other I would have thought it was amazing. I am not even kidding you, this is one of my favorite shows on the air and my heart was skipping beats as it got closer to 8pm. The switch from Monday nights to Friday nights is perfect and terrible because Monday is like prime time TV overload for me and this show is a perfect way to go into the weekend...Although Friday nights is like TV suicide. I am hoping the time switch does not affect the ratings in a negative way. So getting to the episode… Once Sarah got out of the hospital and took the doctor hostage to help her, I was upset that Sarah had the gun in the doctor’s face for so long. That doctor seemed like no threat at all and if I can see that, then surely Sarah can. Sarah “seeing” her husband, Kyle throughout the entire episode was really good for her. I am glad that she finally gave in from her pride, fear, and whatever else and let the doctor take her to the hospital. Cromartie or, now John Henry telling Ellison about the human being that Cromartie mirrors was interesting because he says he found out the information because he was curious. My question is, will his curiosity put him on the dark side like before or bring him to the good side. The scene with Cromartie and Catherine was really good! Shirley’s acting and her character has become so much more interesting. Catherine killed at the warehouse! Literally. She got everyone. It was so sick, I loved it. I do not really know what is going on with Riley or Jesse at the moment but I also do not care at the moment. I loved the ending of this episode. Catherine is a step ahead of Sarah & Derek but not for long. Let’s see how they handle this situation and get ahead of Catherine. Excited would be an understatement for what I am feeling for next week’s episode.

Dollhouse - Ghost

Echo: She‘s not asleep.



Going into this show only knowing the basic premise, it was exciting to jump into something fresh. I have stayed away from spoilers (as I usually do) so keep that in mind that I know nothing when I spew off my “theories.“ I had a huge grin on my face when Brett Claywell appeared on the screen for the opening scene because I loved him on One Tree Hill. Everything up to the opening credits was a nice set up to the rest of the episode. Echo walking in on the test subject having her brain wiped while not asleep was pretty funny. She was so calm with her worry and curiosity. When she was called in for her turn, after seeing what she saw…the face she made makes me think that she will eventually try to fight the system, try to get out or control it - whether her memories have glitches and are not fully wiped or not. She said, “You can’t fight a ghost” and that can play into a lot more in the future. With that said, I wonder if she would get help from the inside, other test subjects, those outside the system, or all of the above to get out or control the system. Although I do hope that this show is much more complex than the basic premise and these typical theories I am sharing. I expect a lot from Joss Whedon. I expect the unexpected. This show has a lot of potential due to the name behind the show alone. So it had better live up to its expectations and go beyond that. Now I understand that the test subjects need flaws (such as what we saw with Echo and her eyesight) because every human has flaws, but the way it was presented did not seem right. While eyesight is a simple setback, it makes me think that if my theory above is correct that an easy way to beat that is through the ability to put flaws in the test subject. That random lady who busted in the door near the end when Echo already saved the kidnapped girl was so…random. The ending made me excited about seeing the story unfold of how Echo joined the dollhouse and what she was like prior to. The pilot was enjoyable. I think I expected more action. I hope that there is an equal amount of drama and action in future episodes. It is too early to say that I am hooked but I am looking forward to next week.

What I Am Watching:

Sunday
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC) 8pm
Desperate Housewives (ABC) 9pm
United States of Tara (Showtime) 10pm

Monday
House (Fox) 8pm
Chuck (NBC) 8pm
Heroes (NBC) 9pm

Tuesday
90210 (The CW) 8pm
Privileged (The CW) 9pm

Wednesday
Lost (ABC) 9pm

Thursday
Ugly Betty (ABC) 8pm
The Office (NBC)

Friday
Terminator:SCC (Fox) 8pm
Ghost Whisperer (CBS) 8pm
Dollhouse (Fox) 9pm