Over the years, the Horror genre has been dismissed by film snobs as nothing more than an indulgence in excessive, shallow pleasures by violence and gore obsessed individuals who feed on screams, despair and bloodshed. Admittedly, so much of it is often derivative, cheap and uninspired. However, innovation and care can still occasionally be found within the dark recesses of this mostly misunderstood form of storytelling. Case in point, Splinter.
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Ever made someone a promise, then been unable to fulfill it while they were still with you? Did you fulfill that promise after they were gone? Were they with you?
Up is the tale of just that situation. Carl Fredricksen (Edward Asner) made a promise to his wife Ellie long before they married, just after they met as children, that they would go to Paradise Falls and build her clubhouse on the top of the cliff. Unfortunately, they live long lives without ever getting to Venezuela, and Ellie dies. Carl, heartbroken but still determined, decides on the eve that the city is forcing him into a retirement community that he and the house will make it to South America if it kills him.
What he doesn’t anticipate is the addition of one Wilderness Explorer named Russell (Jordan Nagai).
Thus begins the journey of an old man and a young boy, one that takes them through danger and the excitement of making new friends. The movie is graced with talking dogs, elusive dodo birds, and, of course, one man’s childhood hero who proves to be extremely different from his media image.
On a personal note, I took my mother to see this for her birthday – her choice, not mine – and surprisingly, truly enjoyed the movie. It made the two of us laugh and cry, and even spill my NERDS on the floor. This isn’t just a kids’ movie, or even a family movie. This is a movie that spans the generations, because, deep down, all any of us want to do is keep our promises, and see our loved ones happy.
If you enjoy original story-telling that entertains, and are willing to become a kid again and suspend your belief, then Up is truly a movie you need to see. Buy your tickets online here at Fandango.com.
This was the first week of competition and our introduction to the ten couples.
Jeanine & Philip – Hip Hop
It was okay. The choreography was amazing, but it was lacking the emotional connection that we’ve seen in dances like last season’s “No Air” by Joshua and Katee or “Bleeding Love” by Mark and Chelsea.
Buy Tru Calling – The Complete First Season
Tru Calling has a lot to offer the average Joss fan, not the least of them being our beloved Eliza Dushku. Eliza plays the title character, and as Tru she crusades about saving helpless victims using a supernatural talent that came upon her suddenly. Sound familiar? The show takes this theme and delves into new ground, exploring the idea of a normal girl gaining the power and responsibility of saving lives. Though in this case, Tru is an adult rather than an adolescent, and her power does not put her in danger as much it does those around her.
Buy Bones: The Complete First Season
Dr. Temperance Brennan: What, exactly, am I supposed to be *squinting* at?
Special Agent Seeley Booth: It’s like pornography – you’ll know when you see it.
Do you like smart TV? Do you like sexy actors? Do you enjoy witty dialogue? Mystery? Danger? Comedy?
If the answer to the above questions is “Yes!”, then you will love the Fox Network TV show “Bones”. Starring Emily Deschanel as a forensic anthropologist and David Boreanaz as an FBI agent, Bones is a fantastic character drama with crime procedural mixed in. The show is based on the life of real-life forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs, a first in TV dramedies. Click below for a spoilery recap and review of the first episode.
My [rating:5]
After having what seemed like quite a long hiatus (though in actuality was only a few weeks), The Unusuals came back with Episode 7, “The Tape Delay.” Bringing it’s usual witty banter, intense drama, and interesting characters, this episode did not disappoint me at all. (Spoilers After the Jump)
Love Torchwood? Buy Torchwood – TV Show Poster (The Torchwood Gang) (Size: 36″ x 24″) on Amazon.com
“We don’t just catch aliens. We scavenge the stuff they leave behind. Find ways of using it. Arming the human race for the future. The twenty-first century is when it all changes, and you’ve got to be ready.”
Welcome to Torchwood: a world of violence, sex, humor, and plotholes you can drive a tractor trailer through. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it can make for some of the most entertaining twists that happen in the show. When I took on the assignment of being your guide to the Torchwood universe, I was going to start off with just jumping into doing recaps and reviews of the episodes. But I started thinking about those who might not be familiar with the the universe the show is set in (the Whoniverse, so to speak) and changed my plans.
So what, or who, exactly is Torchwood?
First airing in October of 2006 on BBC Three in the UK, Torchwood is the story of a secret organization based in Cardiff, Wales. Located in a hidden base under the water tower in the Roald Dahl Plass, the team’s job is to protect the citizens from aliens – and their technology – that fall through a rift that runs through Cardiff. Show creator Russell T. Davies initially planned to call the show “Excalibur”, but later changed the name to “Torchwood”. The name Torchwood was originally an anagram of “Doctor Who”, which was used when New Who was being filmed to try and keep it secret.
Have a So You Think You Can Dance party at your own house: So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit: Tone and Groove
I know it’s summer by the return of my favorite TV contest – So You Think You Can Dance.
The last two weeks we’ve slogged through the open audition rounds. The producers have given us the usual mix of amazing, mediocre, funny and what-were-they-thinking.
My favorite moment of the auditions was judge Adam Shankman’s impromptu swing dance. Adam has become world famous for his choreography in movies like Hairspray, The Wedding Planner, She’s All That and Blast From the Past, but it’s still a treat to see the man himself in motion.
This week is Vegas Week, where the dancing talent is brought up to the next level and the top 20 is selected . I know my DVR is set so I won’t miss a moment of it.
So You Think You Can Dance airs this week on Wednesday at 8:00pm and Thursday at 9:00pm.
“I’m a Blogger… Get Me Out of Here!” Pits Bloggers Against Each Other for a Grand Prize Trip Behind the Scenes of NBC’s “I’m a Celebrity.. Get Me Out of Here!”
Embracing the social media sphere Granada America launched a blogger contest today to help generate buzz and excitement about “I’m a Celebrity.. Get Me Out of Here” which premiers June 1st, 2009.
Running until June 11th, the competition will consist of three separate challenges for participating bloggers, each consisting of a research or experience assignment that they’ll have to blog (300-500 words) or a video blog (2-3 minutes) about. Topics may range from the finer points of insect eating to the mating rituals of some of the furry little things the celebs will soon be calling their neighbors. The posts will all go up on imabloggergetmeoutofhere.com, where they will be voted on by America. Half of the competitors will be voted off of the blogosphere island after each round, leaving the final three to compete for the grand prize: a trip to Costa Rica to live blog from the set of the reality show “I’m a Celebrity Get me Out of Here!” from June 17 – 22nd.
Premiering June 1st, “I’m a Celebrity Get me Out of here” is the ultimate Swiss Family Robinson-style competition. Ten celebrities will be dropped into the heart of the jungle to face fun and comedic challenges designed to test their survival skills. America is the puppet master, controlling their favorites by putting them into challenges and tasks to win food, supplies and luxury items. In each episode, friendships will be tested, patience tried and hilarity will certainly ensue. Viewers will decide which celebrities stay or leave. While all participants will be playing for their favorite charities, the last remaining star will be crowned King or Queen of the Jungle, winning the largest share of the prize for donation.
Want to catch up before the movie? Buy Thor Volume 1 from Amazon
Marvel announced recently that Chris Hemsworth has been cast to play the lead in their newest comic-book-blockbuster – Thor, which is currently set to release in the summer of 2011. Thor is one of the characters needed for The Avengers, which includes Iron Man, Thor, Hulk and Captain America (and later incarnations included Spider-Man).
Chris Hemsworth is most recently familiar for his role as George Kirk, Captain Kirk’s father, in the new Star Trek movie. From the brief moments he was on screen I can see him taking this role and doing amazing things with it.
