TV Review: Smallville 5×09 Lexmas

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Buy Smallville – The Complete Fifth Season on Amazon.com.

Lexmas is currently the only Christmas episode of Smallville. The episode starts out with Lex going to a meeting in a dangerous area of Granville. He’s making plans to get Jonathan Kent out of the senate race. Lex is shot when a couple of junkies steal his car.

When he “wakes up” he is lying in bed next to Lana. A young boy runs in and calls him daddy. Not only that, but Lana is pregnant. He is very confused, and asks some crazy questions to figure out what is going on. He is married to Lana and their son’s name is Alexander. They have a middle class income, as Lex was cut off from his father when he married Lana. Lex takes Alexander to find a Christmas tree, and runs into Clark and Chloe. They are all still friends. They remind him that they’ll see him later at the annual Kent’s Christmas party. Lex and Lana attend the party, and Lex is honored by Jonathan and the community. This has to be Lex’s perfect life, right?

Well, no. Lana goes into labor, but there are complications. Lex goes to Lionel for his influence and money in getting the best doctors. Lionel turns him down, and says he made his choice. Lana dies, and Lex wakes up again. This time he is in the hospital, having had a risky surgery that Lionel approved to keep him from being paralyzed. Throughout this whole thing, Lex has been “seeing” his mother, Lillian. She tells him that if he chooses correctly this could be his life. He could be happy. After seeing the death of Lana, Lex concludes that money and power are the way to true happiness. This is the moment where Lex makes a choice that will take him down the dark path to becoming the evil Lex Luthor.

Also in this episode, Chloe has Clark help deliver toys to underprivileged children. He runs into a drunk Santa, thinking of committing suicide. Clark saves him, and Chloe’s presents are magically delivered.

I really enjoyed this episode of Smallville. It could’ve been just a throwaway episode, like many holiday episodes are, but it wasn’t. This is a major event in Lex Luthor’s life. It’s a very big deal that he makes the choice to go down the darker path. He’s been fighting with his darker side for years, but here he chooses to embrace it.

Seeing the alternate future is lots of fun, too. Michael Rosenbaum is such a funny guy in real life, but you don’t get to see much of that in the character of Lex. It was great to see him smiling and laughing for a change. It’s also really fun to see where Clark, Chloe, and the Kents end up.

Need a Gift for the Barney Stinson in Your Life? Get them a Sockscription!

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If there’s one thing we’ve learned from watching TV — clothes make you a better man. If you don’t believe us, ask Barney Stinson, one of the lead characters of How I Met Your Mother. Barney’s catch phrase, “Suit Up!” is not only a funny saying, but a truth that Barney carries through out his life.

Why are we talking about Barney Stinson. I mean, other than he’s awesome, of course. Because we have the perfect gift for the Barney Stinson in your life (or the man who needs to learn from his fine example) – a sockscription. The good folks over at Blacksocks.com want to help the men in your life live in style this year, with a sockscription.

For an annual subscription of $89 (includes shipping), “sockscribers” receive three pairs of socks every four months for a total of nine pairs annually. The socks are manufactured in Northern Italy, using the highest quality yarns with long fibers that pill less and are more durable. Sockscribers have the option of calf socks, knee socks, and cashmere silk socks.

These socks are extreme quality in the making, BlackSocks.com sent me a pair to test out on my father, and they are as luxurious and good-looking as advertised. They were a lot thicker than I anticipated, a lot better than most dress socks you buy in the store. This is the perfect gift for the hard-to-please man on your gift list this year. Maybe your CEO, or father, your lawyer, your professor, or even yourself! After all, you worked hard this year at being awesome — shouldn’t your feet be rewarded for all that hard work?

Clothes may not make the man, but they sure make the man look good. So head over to Blacksocks.com and check out their service for yourself. Blacksocks also carries men’s underwear and fine T-shirts, available via subscription.

Not sure if you are ready to buy a sockscription? You can purchase trial pairs before committing. Barney would approve.

(Photo: CBS)

Quadruple Z Episode #002: Review of Chuck 1×1 – “Pilot”

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Buy Chuck: The Complete First Season on Amazon.com

quadz_logochuckJoin Tabz, Kim and Faith (the Vampire Slayer) as they discuss Chuck Season 1, Ep 1 – “Pilot”.

TV.com Recap:
Chuck Bartowski is an average computer geek until files upon files of government secrets are downloaded into his brain. He is soon scouted by the CIA and NSA to act in place of their computer.

This episode was edited by Tabitha Grace Smith

Love Chuck?
Check out these great resources:
ChuckTV.net
Chuck vs. the Podcast

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Leave them below or email us at betweenthelinesstudios-at-gmail.com. We’ll read them on an upcoming episode!

(Photo: ChuckTV.net/NBC/Warner Bros. Television)

Quadruple Z Episode #001: Interview with Author J.C. Hutchins (Part 1)

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Buy 7th Son: Descent on Amazon.com

QuadZ_JCQuadruple Z talks with podcasting and publish phenomenon J.C. Hutchins about his new novel – 7th Son: Descent. The interview covers how J.C. Hutchins podcasted and then published his first novel and their singing (yes, singing).

Hosted by Crystal
Intro by Kimi from Tale Chasing
Quadruple Z’s Theme – “What We Need is Some Interns in Here” – Beatnik Turtle
Credits Read by Naomi Starsiak

About J.C. Hutchins
J.C. Hutchins is an award-winning novelist best known for his 7th Son technothriller trilogy, which he released as free serialized audiobooks from 2006-07. With approximately 100,000 downloads of his episodic fiction still occurring each month, 7th Son is the most popular “podcast novel” series in history.

The trilogy — and its 2008 groundbreaking spinoff anthology OBSIDIAN — are available for free download at 7thSonNovel.com. The series’ first novel, Descent, will be published this fall by St. Martin’s Press. Personal Effects: Dark Art, J.C.’s debut in a new supernatural thriller series, will also be published in June. Learn more here.

J.C. has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, TIME.com, OMMA and Blogger & Podcaster magazines, Asimov’s Science Fiction, on the BBC and Italian national radio, and in more than 100 podcast interviews.

J.C. lives in South Florida with his girlfriend, and their cat, Chester.

About 7th Son
The president of the United States is dead. He was murdered in the morning sunlight by a four-year-old boy…

So begins 7th Son: Descent, the technothriller novel by J.C. Hutchins. Originally released as a free audiobook podcast, 7th Son has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time.com, Wired.com UK, and on the cover of Blogger & Podcaster magazine. See what critics and bestselling novelists are saying about the book.

As America reels from the bizarre presidential assassination committed by a child, seven men are abducted from their normal lives and delivered to a secret government facility. Each man has his own career, his own specialty. All are identical in appearance. The seven strangers were not born, but grown — unwitting human clones — as part of a project called 7th Son.

The government now wants something from these “John Michael Smiths.” They share the flesh as well as the implanted memories of the psychopath responsible for the president’s murder. The killer has bigger plans, and only these seven have the unique qualifications to track and stop him. But when their progenitor makes the battle personal, it becomes clear John Alpha may know the seven better than they know themselves…

DVD Review: The Cheesy Adventures of Captain Macaroni: The Greastest Treasure

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Buy The Cheesy Adventures of Captain Macaroni: The Greastest Treasure on Amazon.com.

When I first received a screener copy of The Cheesy Adventures of Captain Macaroni I was extremely excited. I grew up on a variety of great Christian kids programs (like The Greatest Adventure Stories From The Bible, The Flying House and Superbook). I was delighted to get the same enjoyable, funny and memorable experience with The Cheesy Adventures of Captain Macaroni that I did with my childhood videos.

The best part of the DVD was the characters. Captain Macaroni is a lovable, enjoyable super hero who is a bit silly but also wise. His sidekick, a cream-pie throwing rooster named Cheese, brings in the comedic value and offers a good foil for Captain Macaroni. I was especially impressed with the inclusion of a Hispanic character, Eddie and an African-American character, Mikey. Eddie is a genius and gets to throw in a tiny bit of Spanish when talking with Captain Macaroni.

Another great part of the DVD was the humor. It was, as the name suggests, kind of cheesy, but fun. With jokes that kids and adults can enjoy, while still being clean and wholesome. I was very glad to see there was little in the way of teasing or poking fun at other characters (an extremely easy to pick up trait that kids shouldn’t get help with).

The animation is done by the Animation Collective, who also work on cartoons for Disney, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. I really liked the hybrid of Anime and traditional animation styles, which make the cartoon seem modern and enjoyable. Produced in conjunction with Daystar the plot is focused on good values, but told in a way that makes it fun (not preachy).

If you’re looking for a great, wholesome DVD for kids 4-9, I’d say give Captain Mac.A.Roni a try!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of “The Cheesy Adventures of Captain Macaroni: The Greatest Treasure of All” for review, but the review is entirely my own personal opinion and I was not compensated for this post.

Want a 7 Night Cruise for You and 9 Friends? Watch the Bonnie Hunt Show!

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Watch The Bonnie Hunt Show every day for your chance to win a 7-night cruise for you and 9 of your Facebook friends on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, the world’s largest and most revolutionary cruise ship! Air travel provided by Southwest Airlines. Simply tune-in to The Bonnie Hunt Show, watch for the word of the day, and then enter online at www.bonniehunt.com/fantasticvoyage.

Each correct entry will be eligible to win the Grand Prize, as well as one of ten Bonnie Prize Packs that will be given away daily. Entry is limited to one per person per day during the promotion period (November 9 – 20, 2009).

As an added bonus, anyone who becomes a fan of The Bonnie Hunt Show on Facebook and shares the FAN-TASTIC Voyage Sweepstakes with their friends will be automatically entered to win a trip to Los Angeles to see a taping of the show.

Disclaimer: I am part of the Warner Brother’s Word of Mouth Marketing Team and am compensated for spreading the word about their TV shows and contests. This, however, doesn’t stop this contest from being totally awesome.

Vacation Rentals vs. Hotels

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I’ve always loved the idea of vacation rentals, especially on longer vacations. It’s like staying in a home instead of the sterile environment of a hotel (or noisy hotel as some cases have been). I’ve stayed in a few vacation rental properties over the years, but I never realized how affordable they could be until a couple years ago when I was in Puerto Rico for my friend’s wedding. The best man had rented out a huge place for his family and another family for $600 for a week. If they had gotten a hotel it would have been more than that per night for everyone!

If you’re planning a trip in the near future (or next summer) and want to start planning on saving some cash check out VacationRental.org. The website features vacation home rental listings and vacation rental managers.

If you’re headed out my way in Los Angeles you could rent this gorgeous mansion or a condo in Hollywood! Want to head up to Vail for some skiing? There’s a beautiful cabin available for rental!

It’s nice to have a website with a one-stop-shop for rental listings. I found some of the cities I looked up didn’t have any postings, but it is a great start. If you have a rental property it’s pretty easy to post a listing. So if you need a place make sure you check out VacationRental.org.

Disclosure: I’ve been compensated for this post through PayPerPost. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Please Vote for Buffy Between the Lines

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Our sister podcast, Buffy Between the Lines, is a finalist in the prestigious Podcast Awards and we’d love your help in helping it win it’s category. If you love Buffy the Vampire Slayer or appreciate the work that Between the Lines Studios does (like this podcast) we’d really appreciate your help.

If Buffy Between the Lines wins we’re going to do a full episode explaining what happened after the Season 7 conclusion. So if you want to know what Buffy and company did after Sunnydale became a sink hole, please go and rock the vote!

Please vote ONCE a day, every day between today and November 30th. You must validate your vote via email, so enter a real email address.

Click here to vote!

Click here to sign up for a daily email reminder: Subscribe to Buffy Between the Lines by Email



CBS.com Launches CSI-Inspired Application Through Facebook Connect

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(Press Release from CBS.com)

Just in time for the CSI Trilogy week, CBS.com announced the launch of the CSI Zeta Casefile site, dedicated to bringing fans exclusive content from three CSI series. The Website features a new application that lets fans be part of a CSI-inspired video and create customized suspect dossiers pulling images and information through Facebook Connect. The site will also feature exclusive interviews with cast and real CSI experts, virtual tours of the three CSI crime labs, and the chance to win a trip to the set of CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION.* To access the Zeta Casefile site, please visit: www.csicrossover.com

The Cadillac sponsored site will debut in conjunction with the highly anticipated CSI Trilogy episodes. The three episode story line involves an interstate trucking ring that specializes in human cargo and black market organ harvesting set to air on Nov. 9 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT (CSI: MIAMI), Nov. 11 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT (CSI: NY), and Nov. 12 at 9:00 PM ET/PT (CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION).

This CSI Zeta Casefile application uses Facebook Connect to pull photos and information from the user’s Facebook account to produce a personalized criminal file and video, including artificial information on past crimes, aliases, and last known locations. Fans can share their experience with other fans and friends in their Facebook network.

Fans can also visit the CSI Zeta Casefile site to watch interviews with real CSI experts, who discuss the evolution of technology and innovation within CSI crime solving. Fans can take virtual tours of the labs featured on each of the three CSI series, allowing them a deeper look at the special effects, set designs and other various technologies used on the shows. The video content is complemented by a comprehensive photo gallery, showcasing stills and images of the set locations and cast interactions.

“Each of the CSI series continues to be among the most popular shows on CBS,” said Bill Binenstock, Vice President and Manager of CBS.com. “The upcoming CSI Trilogy has caused enormous buzz throughout the CBS.com CSI communities, and we wanted to build a site that would give fans a fascinating and exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the three series. The Zeta Casefile program is a creative and fun way to keep users engaged, while the behind-the-scenes content will give fans a deeper look into how the fictional CSI series are the most realistic looking shows on television.”

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of one of the 50 US or DC, 18 or over or age of majority in state of residence. Sweepstakes starts on Nov. 9, 2009 and ends at 11:59:59 am ET on December 31, 2009. Void where prohibited by law. See Official Rules and details at www.csicrossover.com or www.zetasyndicate.com

(Press Release from CBS.com)