There Will Be Blood

          Overall, I was displeased with There Will Be Blood. However, I loved how there was little to no dialogue for the first 15 minutes. This shows  that the makers of this film are skilled enough to keep our attention without dialogue. 

          One thing that I have realized after watching many movies and television shows is that when I hate a character, it is usually because of incredible acting and writing.  In There Will Be Blood, Eli is a character I cannot stand for several reasons.  First, I find him extremely annoying. He is the pastor of a church in a small town at a young age, so he thinks he has great power. At one point, Eli calls his father Able stupid and lazy, which at the time would have earned him a harsh beating.  The worst part is that he gets away with it. In that scene, Eli holds his head very high so that he is physically and metaphorically looking down his nose at his father.  He even shows his dominance by tackling Able and scolding him for being stupid and lazy.

          Also, there are subtile things that disgust me about him.  While getting beaten by Daniel Plainview, Eli screams like a little girl, and fails to fight back. 

          I wasn’t a fan of the cinematography in this movie. I found there to be many long shots that carried on for no particular reason. Also, the framing of some shots made me feel uncomfortable.

          Probably the reason why I did not enjoy this movie is because I was confused about the storyline. 

          One of my biggest problems with some movies is not being able to distinguish a basic storyline. Someone once told me, if you can’t explain your idea in one sentence, the idea isn’t simple enough.  This is exactly how I feel about There Will Be Blood. Throughout the movie I have been trying to figure out what the premise of the movie is. All I have been able to distinguish is that it is about a man’s life who is in charge of an oil company. His business and family begin to fall apart and he loses control.   

          Later, the movie skips ahead 16 years and avoids all of the problems that were created in the first section of the movie. Daniel Plainview tells his son that he’s adopted, which doesn’t make sense because he abandoned him than took him back out of love and regret. Than Eli comes back and is randomly murdered by Plainview. 

          There Will Be Blood definitely is on my “never to watch again” list. Two and a half hours of my life were wasted and I will not be getting them back. Two thumbs way down.

Gladiator

          Without a doubt in my mind, I can say that Gladiator is a film that holds a significant place in each man’s heart.  While people don’t normally say it, I firmly believe that Maximus Decimus Meridius is a man that is highly looked up to by men today.  My reasoning behind this bold statement is simple. Maximus displays all of the virtues necessary to be a good man. His honor, strength, loyalty, courage, and determination are the reasons why Gladiator is a phenomenal film.  If you were to survey the male population about the best guy movies, I’m positive Gladiator would be on the list along with Braveheart, Scarface, and Caddyshack.

          While the movie isn’t jammed with violence, it definitely has its moments.  To my surprise, much of the brutality is not shown in the film.  Ridley Scott would pan the camera away quickly but leave enough information on screen for the audience to use their imagination.

          Most of the movie is dialogue and storyline, which is a little unique for a “guy movie.” Luckily, the writing is good enough to keep the viewers interested in between fight scenes.  Unlike most movies I watch, I found it difficult to find flaws within Gladiator. The dialogue and storyline was realistic, the acting was superb, and the fighting was graphic and life like. 

          Along with Gladiator, Hans Zimmer has composed over 100 film soundtracks including The Lion King, Black Hawk Down, Pearl Harbor, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Dark Knight, Sherlock Holmes, and Inception. He is without a doubt my favorite composer and never fails to make a successful soundtrack.  Of his work, 50 soundtracks or songs have been nominated for awards. Gladiator alone won a Satellite Award, a Critics Choice Award, and a Golden Globe.  I have no idea how he does it, but every movie he composes for is extremely enhanced by the quality of his music.

          One of the best qualities that Gladiator exhibits is the wonderful characters.  While watching the film, one of my friends kept saying how much he hated Commodus.  What he probably didn’t realize is that the love or hatred for a character derives from the phenomenal acting and character creation.  Without Joaquin Phoenix, the film would have been severely lacking in quality.  The same goes for Maximus; if the character were poorly created or terribly acted, he would not be loved by the audience and the film would not have been as great of a success.  Little known fact: Mel Gibson was originally considered for the role but turned it down because he felt that he was too old. If he had taken the role, he would have starred in 3 famous guy movies: Gladiator, Braveheart, and the Patriot.

          If you’re reading this, I am assuming that you have seen Gladiator and am hoping you share my enthusiasm for it.  If not, than I am surprised that you read this far.  All in all, I love Gladiator and would definitely put it in my collection of guy movies.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

          Probably the biggest reason I love about Guy Ritchie films is because of the heavy incorporation of British humor. RocknRolla, Snatch, and Sherlock Holmes are perfect examples of this.

          The storyline for this film is absolutely unbelievable. The complexity of the rivalries between the various groups of characters is spectacular and captivating. While the beginning is a bit slow, the movie steadily increases in intensity until the final scene. One of the reasons why I love this movie is due to this rising action. Just as the tension becomes unbearable, the movie ends and leaves the viewer with the choice to make up their own ending. Either the ending can be comedic, where Tom throws the guns off the bridge, or it can be a happy ending, where Tom answers his cell phone first. Either way, the ending is magnificent. 

          I found the cinematography to be memorable, but not revolutionary. This could be because this is one of Guy Ritchie’s first movies.  Still, I feel that it is above average.  One scene where I was truly captivated was the drinking scene after the successful robbery.  I absolutely loved how sections would be sped up slightly, than slowed down to give the scene a time lapsing party effect. Also, I thoroughly enjoyed the long shots with wide pans to fully show the environment. I feel like this is one of the few situations where this technique is used perfectly. Finally, I was thrilled by the extreme camera tilts. Multiple scenes have the camera flipped from 90 to 180 degrees. By doing this, Ritchie was able to capture the drunk-like feel of the party. 

          To his benefit, this seems to be one of Jason Statham’s better roles. Usually he is a complete monster, fighting unrelenting enemies sporting various weapons, shirtless, covered in oil. This film showed a more realistic side of him with better dialogue.

          Along with Statham, the rest of the cast was well chosen. Each actor seemed to fit their role perfectly.  

          Overall, Lock, Stock and Two Smokin Barrels is an astonishing film. While it is Guy Ritchie’s first film, it is also one of his best. 

Bones Season 7 Episode 3 "The Prince in the Plastic"

          I can say without a doubt that Daisy Wick is the worst character on Bones. While making comments that are illogical, she manages to ruin every episode she is in. However, she is the perfect example of a crazy girlfriend. In this episode, she focuses on the tragedy of a barbie-like doll being “murdered” instead of the actual murder. While this is insensitive, it also doesn’t make any sense. Who in their right mind would do this?

          On the other hand, I would like to congratulate Emily Deschanel for single handedly destroying my views on this season. I just learned that she became pregnant and ruined this season. I don’t understand why they couldn’t have hid her pregnancy from the camera. The Cosby Show did this for an entire season while Mrs. Cosby was pregnant. During that season, she was always shown with close up shots, or was having her stomach covered up by something. Open refrigerator doors and large teddy bears made hiding her pregnancy possible. This same technique could have been used on Brennan and the show would have remained wonderful.

          In the middle of the episode, the murder looked like an accident but later turned out to be murder. I would have much preferred an accident because most of the episodes turn out to be emotionally driven.

          Dr. Sweets just acquired his license to carry a firearm which makes absolutely no sense.  Shrinks stay in their offices and analyze people while real FBI agents go out into the field. Why would a shrink need to carry a gun if he’s going to be in his office?  It almost seems like the writers are trying to replace Bones with Sweets, which is a terrible idea.

          Because of all of the inconsistencies, I would have to say that this is one of the worst episodes of Bones that I have ever seen.

House M.D. Season 8 Episode 7 "Dead and Buried"

          The beginning surprisingly doesn’t open with a patient in the process of getting sick outside of the hospital. Subtile changes like these make the show interesting without changing any major dynamics of the show.

          I know I give a great deal of praise to this show. I am sorry, but I am going to give a bit more.  Within almost every episode that I have seen, which is all of them, there has been a great deal of medical speech. I understand very few operations and diseases that they talk about, but love when they explain things.  For the first time, I noticed that there is tons of banter between House and his team. Normally, House talks about personal issues residing within his employees while they avoid the personal topics by suggesting theories. To me, only half of the dialogue was interpretable which added to the power of the understandable. Without thinking, I ignore what I do not understand and wait for House’s side of the conversation to begin. While both conversations are complete, only half is understandable which makes that part more important.

          Much like Sherlock Holmes, House isn’t interested in helping other people, he is interested in entertaining himself. To society’s benefit, this so happens to be in the form of a doctor who takes on cases nobody else can solve.  Also, he happens to fake and play off of human emotions to get what he wants, which makes him a more personable character and slightly likable by his peers.

          Another thing that grabbed my interest is House’s passion to figure out the case of a dead child.  He has never done this before and is broadening his curiosities. Because of his obsession and addiction with puzzles, House figured out how a child died while potentially saving the lives of two of the family members.

          Two flaws that I noticed within this episode correlated with the dead child case. First, the child was in excellent condition after being buried for 5 years. The skin was still intact and was not dried up and leathery. Second, when House opened the coffin, the smell from the decayed body would have been terrible. House failed to cover his nose or even show a change in smell.

          However, I am confused how is House getting away from being off the hospital grounds all the time. The show said the signal was jammed for only 45 minutes in the beginning.  Luckily, he got caught and punished in the end to show that he was breaking the rules and this wasn’t entirely a plot flaw.

          Finally, I loved the use of split personalities in this episode. While it is commonly talked about in psychology classes, it hasn’t yet occurred on the show. Multiple personalities isn’t a “medical diagnosis,” but it did serve as a cause to other diagnosis’.  To my discontent, this case ended abruptly because the focus was on the dead child case. While I wish the focus could have been on both cases, I feel that the writers did an adequate job bringing emotion into the other case.

Elf

    Elf is by far one of my favorite Christmas movies. Because kids are the targeted audience, the acting isn’t the best, but it is still extremely enjoyable.

          One thing many people probably don’t know is that Jon Favreau, director of Iron Man and Cowboys and Aliens, also directed Elf. Along with directing, he also plays the doctor the doctor who gives the paternity test.

          Once again, Will Ferrell is playing his usual perfect role, which he does flawlessly.  His roles usually consist of dumb jokes and hilarious lines, but this movie also shows a more sensitive side of Ferrell. Along with Everything Must Go (which was a disaster) and Stranger Than Fiction (one of my favorites), Elf shows a more fragile version of Ferrell which brings a wonderful change to his routine.

          One of my favorite lines in the movie is when Buddy (Ferrell) says, “I think you have the most beautiful singing voice in the whole wide world,” to Jovie (Deschanel).  I love this because Deschanel is actually a famous singer for the band She and Him. The casting for Jovie is perfect because she is a character who is a wonderful singer but is nervous about singing in public. I would have to agree with Buddy that she has one of the most beautiful singing voices in the world.

          Also, I found it humorous that Emily Hobbs (Mary Steenburgen) is Ferrell’s adopted mother because she plays his mother in the movie Stepbrothers. Once again, she plays a mother who is loving, caring, and extremely supportive.

          I am surprised when I saw the wonderful use of forced perspective in the film. This was used whenever the elves and Buddy were in scenes together. With a steady camera, the elves would be a great distance away from Will Ferrell in order to make the viewer think that they were smaller. This was also used in the Lord of the Rings franchise with hobbits and humans.

          Overall, I would have to say that this is a modern day Christmas classic that will be watched for many years to come due to the wonderful writing and acting.

Dexter Season 6 Episode 8 "Sin of Omission"

      One thing that I feel that the show Dexter has been missing recently is the close interaction between Dexter and Deborah. Since season 1, they have been very close and have shared mostly everything with each other. After Rita was killed, Dexter pulled away and their relationship has become even more distant since Deb became the Lieutenant.  To my displeasure, it only seems to be getting worse. Dexter keeps shutting Deb out of his life and Deb cannot take it. I am really hoping that they will get back on track because that is when the show seemed to be the best. Watching Deb in pain over her lost connection to Dexter is heartbreaking to say the least. All she has been trying to do this entire show is connect with people. All of her boyfriends are for a desire to connect because she cannot truly get this from Dexter. This being said, I would be very happy if Dexter opened up to Deb about his Dark Passenger and how he kills people. Not only would this bring them closer, but it would add complexity to their already confusing relationship.

          I must say that I am extremely disappointed that Brother Sam is out of the season so quickly. I know he died a few episodes ago but his funeral made me realize how much I actually miss him.  

          I don’t understand why, but Lewis is seeming a bit more like a creep. Usually the writers downplay something like this for a dramatic reveal in the final episodes.  

          I am actually enjoying the interactions between Dexter and Travis. Dexter has started reading the bible, something I am confused about but also proud of him for. By doing this, he is able to connect to Travis in a way he could not earlier. It would be interesting if they somehow teamed up against Gellar. Dexter seems to be taking on possible apprentices. Jonah who killed his mother, Travis who is in need of guidance, and Lewis who seems to be more of a stalker than an apprentice.

          Despite being Tom Hanks’ son, Colin still can’t act. The scene where he found out his sister was turned into the Whore of Babylon was very hard to watch. I have no idea why the casting crew chose Colin Hanks for the part of Travis Marshall but it was definitely a mistake.  So far, he has been the worst actor on the show, surpassing Julia Stiles.

          As Dexter wandered through the abandoned church where Gellar hides out, the tension became unbearable. For the first time in a while, Dexter donned his kill outfit and lurked in the dark. To add to the creepiness, Gellar saw Dexter come after him. Like a game of cat and mouse, the suspense built until the episode ended. It is this kind of cliffhanger that I have been waiting for all season. There are only 4 episodes left and so little time to answer all of my questions.

House M.D. Season 8 Episode 6 "Parents"

          While this is probably the most boring episode of the season, it has some of the deepest values. The story revolves around familial problems and what it means to be a good parent (which House says is an oxymoron).

          I loved the familial background stories of each of the characters within this episode. Probably my favorite one is Chase’s. He explains that his mother locked him in his fathers study while she would drink because she couldn’t handle him. After a while of crying and banging on the door, he had to find something else to do so he read books on medicine. This horrible memory created his love for medicine and started his career.  He simply states, “We all have family disfunction. Its why were successful, to fill that hole.” Strangely, I find this comforting because it reassures me that every family has their problems and that I am not alone with mine.  

          At the end of the scene, I was surprised to find that Chase called House so that he could hear Adams “open up” about her background. To my disappointment, she somehow figured this out and foiled Chase’s attempts. I don’t exactly understand why Chase is helping House. Hopefully this will be explained later.

          I did not see the biological dad sexually molesting the son. This gave the son syphilis which caused all of his problems. That was definitely a unique diagnosis and an interesting ending to the rather boring episode.

          Adams seems to be the only person on the show that always see’s through House and his maniacal plans. Wilson on the other hand, was not so lucky and was conned out of his ring-side seats by House and Foreman. 

          Being a college student trying to find my place in life, I found the following quote comforting. “Following your heart is easy, following your brain is tough.” Many of the things I love, I am terrible at but sometimes, you have to make sacrifices in order to be successful. I overheard a speech relating to this topic recently from the singer of Slipknot and Stone Sour, Corey Taylor.  He was asked by Oxford University to speak on campus and delivered a phenomenal speech about how to choose a path to follow. http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/top-posts/video-slipknots-corey-taylors-full-oxford-lecture-online/

Dexter Season 6 Episode 7 "Nebraska"

          Wow. Each episode this seasons continues to top the last. With Brian Moser (Christian Camargo) back in the show, my excitement has skyrocketed. I am absolutely ecstatic because the writers included Brian and the Trinity killer.  I love it when they incorporate previous seasons like in seasons 4 and 5.

          After killing Nick (Brother Sam’s murderer) Brian shows up as the Dark Passenger.  This is the first time we have seen the physical presence of the Dark Passenger since season 1.  About halfway into the episode, I thought I wanted Brian (Christian Camargo) to be a series regular instead of a guest star. Although only a few minutes later I retracted that. Brian started out being the happy brother who was encouraging Dexter to kill innocent people, but later began trying to force Dexter into this decision.  At Dexter’s breaking point, he had random sex with a grocery store clerk, stole a gun, and went on a street sign shooting rampage.  It was a little bit over the top, but I’ve had bigger problems with the show.

          Prof. Gellar and Travis Marshall have been on the back burner in the last few episodes due to the problems occurring with Dexter and Brother Sam. Hopefully these next few episodes will show more of them. 

          I am very happy that the rivalries between LaGuerta, Quinn, Deb, and Batista are dissipating.  While Deb and Maria smoothed out a little, Deb and Quinn finally patched things up between them. I am still hoping that they end up back together because they were such a cute couple. Their characters seem to be written perfectly for them to be together.  

          I noticed a couple great camera shots throughout the episode. My favorite one was when Dexter is talking to the pot farmer and Brian stabs him with the pitchfork. The camera rotates behind the farmer and reveals Dexter holding the tool.  I thought this was scary because Dexter seemed to have almost no control over the situation. Brian (the Dark Passenger) quickly possessed Dexter’s body and took over. Normally, the Dark Passenger encourages and tempts Dexter, just like Jordan Chase in season 5.

          The situation with Jonah was extremely captivating and thought provoking. I assumed that Jonah didn’t take on the persona of Trinity due to his hatred of his father. Also, it seemed way to obvious. After watching the Dexter seasons repeatedly, I have managed to figure out how the writers work, and have realized that usually the first guess is the wrong one. I am still hoping that Dexter will somehow adopt Jonah into his life. Despite being a killer, I can see Jonah acting like Dexter’s son. At that point, Dexter would train and mentor him just as Harry did.

          I’m glad that Dexter’s rebellious streak has dissipated, and Harry is back in his life as the Light Passenger.

          Lewis (Masuka’s intern) seems to be getting even creepier. If you didn’t notice, Lewis managed to get into Dexter’s house with permission by going out with Jamie Batista.  I’m guessing he only did this to snoop around. Maybe he’s another apprentice of Prof. Gellar, maybe he’s in love, or maybe he’s just looking for a role model.  It doesn’t matter. Lewis is creepy.

          Great episode. The season is getting better and has already surpassed my rating of season 5. 

          What did you think of it?

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

           First, I love Harry (Robert Downey Jr.) as the narrator. In the beginning he says “I don’t see another narrator so pipe down,” which I love because this actually makes us feel something for the narrator instead of a storyteller. Personally, I feel bad for the narrator because he seems lonely and nobody else would want to narrate so he did.  The quality of Robert Downey Jr.’s narrating is totally unique. Unlike most movies, Harry is a terrible narrator by jumping around in the story, criticizing his own narrating, telling whats going to happen next. The final scene where the narrator is actually shown (Harry) was funny and also unique.

           The ironic circumstance of Harry’s escape from the police is absolutely hilarious. The fact that the casting call was for a man who got his partner killed (just as Harry did) makes Harry break down sobbing, and results in him getting a job. He went out to rob a store, and ended up getting a successful acting career. Also, this situation gave him a way to hide from the police.

          One of the few things that infuriates me about movies is unnecessary nudity. At the party in the beginning of the movie, Harry is scene talking to a beautiful woman who is a porn star. They quickly cut to a shot of her topless screaming while being beaten by a man in a wolf costume. Absolutely unnecessary along with the few other scenes with nudity . This doesn’t add anything to the storyline, it just adds a cheap thrill for horny guys. It is because of this scene that I wouldn’t watch this movie with a lot of my friends.

          One of my favorite quotes from the movie was when Harry said, “But who the hell was he, he was just the writer.” I love this quote because it truly shows that characters can come to life. Even if the writer says the character is fake, that doesn’t mean that you have to believe it. It puts a false sense of reality into literature which makes an emotional connection to the reader.

          There are various reasons why I love this movie but the two biggest reasons are for the attempt at realism of the characters and storyline, and the humor between Harry (Downey Jr.) and Gay Perry (Val Kilmer). When Harry is narrating, he points out all of the flaws and cliche’s which make the stereotypical moments original.  Yes there are some inconsistencies and cliche moments, but I feel like there are less than other movies.  

          I am not sure if the humor comes from the writing or Robert Downey Jr.  I would just like to know if his sarcasm and wittiness is applied just as thick in person or if it is due to the writers of his films. Along with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, other movies with this similar humor include, Ironman, Ironman 2 and Sherlock Holmes.

          A bit like Family Guy in the sense that they love to make fun of things such as Christians, Baltimore, and homosexuals.

          As hypocritical as this sounds, I thought the acting and realism of Robert Downey Jr. was poor when his finger was severed.  He would probably be screaming and swearing instead of just standing there asking for Harmony (Michelle Monaghan) to pick his finger up.  

          The more I pay attention, the more flaws I find in the film which is disappointing because it started out spotless. 

          Overall, it was entertaining, but probably not worth buying. Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer are the best parts of the film with their sarcastic humor. The storyline isn’t very memorable but multiple scenes are. I enjoyed it, but let me know what you thought.

Sucker Punch

          I must say that I am surprised by the outcome of Sucker Punch. Having only seen Dawn of the Dead and 300, I was expecting a shallow movie with incredible special effects, much like The Matrix, (directed by the Wachowski brothers) but I was wrong. The film turned out to be a film about a group of women trying to escape a mental institution. In the end, some of the women sacrifice their lives for their friends security, which made the film deeper and more enjoyable.

          Visually, Sucker Punch was one of the best movies I have scene, along with the Matrix, 300, and Inception.  The cinematography and directing was unbelievable and made the film worth watching again and again. The post processing and special effects add to the overall “grungy feel” of the film. 

          The soundtrack played a vital role in the movie. Much of the movie’s emotions and dialogue was created behind the unspoken words.  The remixed version of Where Is My Mind was incredible and was successfully incorporated into Sucker Punch.  Part of the reason I loved this was because Where Is My Mind is also used in Fight Club (one of my favorites).

          To me, Baby Doll seemed highly sexualized due to her big lips and other ample features.  I felt like this was distracting from the character and was only added for visual appeal. Also, the rest of the girls were incredibly good looking as well.  Even though they were used for a sexual visual appeal, I thought that they looked too beautiful to be in a mental institution. Realistically, the wouldn’t be wearing ridiculous amounts of makeup and would be somewhat dirty. 

          Morally, this movie is pretty messed up. Girls stuck in a mental institution are forced to dance and become prostitutes.  This added strong motives for the women to escape from the institution.

          Even though I found the beauty of the women unrealistic, I did enjoy it.  Watching scantily clad women with silenced machine guns destroy undead German soldiers is appealing for any guy. Along with machine guns, these women use tomahawks, swords,  pistols, and gatling guns to kill dragons, orcs, samurai, and robots. What guy wouldn’t like this?

The Dilemma

          Despite the movie obtaining a 5.2 rating on IMDB and a 23% on Rotten Tomatoes, I will be giving this movie a slightly more positive review.

          The whole movie revolves around the idea of what it means to truly know a person.  Kevin James’ character thinks he knows his wife (Winona Ryder) but she is having an affair with Channing Tatum. Vince Vaughn finds all of this out and tries to tell James but ends up looking like he has relapsed into his gambling addiction. For a romantic comedy, this film has quite the confusing story due to a massive web of lies.

          Jennifer Connelly plays Vince Vaughn’s girlfriend and they make a cute couple.  Part of it is that their comedic banter is amusing and Connelly still looks great.  

          On the other hand, Kevin James and Winona Ryder are a terrible couple, mostly due to Ryder. She tends to play annoying characters and by the end of her movies, I want to turn them off.  Luckily, her true acting colors shine through during her fake crying scene. 

          Channing Tatum plays a tattooed, muscular character that surprisingly has very sensitive feelings which makes for some amusing scenes. 

          To my displeasure, most of the humor in The Dilemma comes from Vince Vaughn.  His comedic acting originates from his quick, sarcastic lines that almost make you watch the movie again. Almost.  That being said, I loved how he gave the Herb Brooks speech from the movie Miracle. Being a major hockey fan, I connected to this speech and found it inspiring.

          Also, I loved the blatant Chicago advertising because I live in the Chicago area. There were tons of skyline shots of the city along with their sports teams.  In the movie, the characters attended 2 Blackhawks games which I was absolutely enthralled by.  GO HAWKS!  Chicago sporting apparel was included everywhere. Vince Vaughn was in a Bears hat, James in a Blackhawks shirt, Connelly in a Cubs shirt, and Vaughn even mentioned the White Sox at one point. Blatant but I loved it.

          Unfortunately, the entire movie was building up to a climax that didn’t provide enough drama.  The intervention scene seemed like a poor way to end the film and resolve all of the conflicts that occurred.  After this, Vaughn proposed to Connelly by giving her a paper bag with a ring in it. This is possibly the most unromantic, uncreative proposal ever. I’m just surprised she said yes.

          Everything I have said makes this movie sound terrible but to be honest, it wasn’t that bad. I watched it with my family and we all seemed to enjoy it. I certainly don’t feel like I wasted 2 hours of my life, so for that, I won’t give it a thumbs down.

House M.D. Season 8 Episode 5 "The Confession"

          I’m glad that Taub and Chase are back but I am not exactly thrilled about them being back.  While bringing them back onto the show may add for some interesting scenarios, the drama from the previous seasons comes with.  I loved how this season seemed like a whole new show with Cuddy and the rest of House’s team gone. It seems like that was only temporary.   

          Luckily, there seems to be good chemistry between Adams and Chase. Maybe they will end up together like Chase and Cameron.  

          One thing that this episode does incredibly well is the tension between House and Taub.  Every time House tries to get Taub’s DNA, he fails but than makes his plans more elaborate.  Starting a betting pool in the hospital about the legitimacy of Taub’s children is cruel, unprofessional, and absolutely hilarious. This is why I hope the show never ends. 

          I would have to say that one of the most meaningful moments in this show happened in this episode. While at the newly installed mini-bar in his office, House confronts Adams about the truths in this world. After Adams says, “Maybe if everyone didn’t lie,” House steps onto his soapbox and delivers a wonderful speech.

"Aw that is cute. I’m talking about your breasts. They always get perky when your being painfully earnest. Truth. It’s uncomfortable isn’t it?  More truth. I only noticed because I noticed Chase was staring at them. He’d never admit it because he doesn’t want to offend you.  Same reason he’d never tell you he’s thought about having sex with you.  Although to be fair, every man you’ve ever met has thought about having sex with you.  They’ll lie because if you knew, you wouldn’t want to have sex with them. And thats just some of the lies from the last minute. And here’s a bigger one. You already know this, but you pretend you don’t because it makes you feel civilized.  Most people find it easier to ignore the truth, ask Taub."

Brutal honesty can come across as being rude, but I find it very interesting. With this statement, House shows the humor and reality behind what people are actually thinking. The whole time, he is making guesses, but the surprising thing is that he is right.  It is for this reason that I am absolutely in love with the Sherlock Holmes / Greg House character.   

          I really loved this episode, but I didn’t understand the ending at all. I would love to hear people’s opinions about it.

Bones Season 7 Episode 2 "The Hot Dog in the Competition"

          Still awkward watching Booth be the father of Brennan’s baby. I very surprised that Brennan didn’t inform Booth that she was having an ultrasound. Those appointments are very important for both the father and the mother. It seemed colder than usual for Bones.

          I find it hilariously amusing that there was a python in the abdomen of the victim. If you have read my other articles, you will know that Dexter is my favorite show. In the season 6 premiere of Dexter, the new serial killers murdered a man, put 7 snakes in his stomach, and sewed him back up for the police to find. I just think that this is an awesome coincidence between two of my favorite shows.

          The new intern is intriguing only because of his shaded past in juvenile detention.  I feel like we have been waiting so long for one of the interns to finally get hired, and now the show is adding another one. Luckily, Abernathy is incredibly smart and fun to watch. The way he calculated the weight of the victim and how to get the evidence out of the snake was inspiring and enjoyable.  Hopefully he will become a permanent character for the show.

          Sadly, the cases keep going downhill. I miss the episodes in earlier seasons that involved serial killers. Maybe this is because I am intrigued by them and I love Dexter. Also, I feel like it is important to have a permanent villain instead of a new one every episode.  It is hard to become emotionally involved when we never get to experience the collaborative forces directed at a single villain over a period of time.

          I am slowly becoming frustrated by the repetition of the show.  All of the killers claim “it was an accident” and the relationships within the Jeffersonian are barely developing. The two biggest developments recently have been the two pregnancies.  Bones seems to be declining to the point of a series finale. I’m predicting that the show will end within the next two seasons.  I would love to be proven wrong. Let me know what you think.

Predators

          To preface this article, I must say that along with the Alien, Back to the Future, and Terminator series’, the Predator franchise is one of my favorites.  The newest addition to the franchise is Predators, produced by Robert Rodriguez.  Delivering a phenomenal script and storyline, Predators is one of 2010’s best films. To bridge the 20 year gap in between official Predator movies (AVP doesn’t count), multiple homages were added to the film.  The American soldier’s last stand, the skinned animals, and the 1987 Guatemala story all are prime examples of this.

          Predators had a great lineup of characters that varied from creepy to hilarious which can be used to ease some tension.  The dialogue between characters is wonderful and keeps the viewer interested. In many conversations, inductive reasoning skills are used by characters which supplies a mental stimulant to the viewing experience.  Also, these characters are played incredibly well, which adds to my overall praise of the film.  The acting is believable and accurate despite the stressful circumstances.  As the story progresses and the tension builds, I was able to sense fear within the actions of the characters. Other than the normal “twitchy-ness,” the actors’ subtile movements such as eye-flickering and swallowing convinced me of their fear and paranoia. 

          One of my favorite creepy scenes happens in the beginning of the film when Chuchillo (Danny Trejo) is booby trapped in an open field. Kneeling in the middle of the field, Chuchillo calls out for help until his friends arrive. After everyone abandons him, Isabella shoots and kills Chuchillo only to realize that he was already dead and it was the predators that were impersonating him. Suspenseful, frightening, and morally confusing, this scene freaks me out every time.

          The cinematography was great and definitely added to the film.  Many shots were long, wide, and silent shots of the jungle.  Having nothing move made the tension rise and forced the viewers on the edge of their seats.  Other than these occasional shots, one in particular caught my eye. After the group discovers the first predator, they roll down a hill and fall off a cliff into a lake. The camera follows the characters over the edge and plunges down into the water with them. This shot pulled me into the movie and made me feel like it was actually happening.

          Other than the entire concept, there were a few things in the film that I found unrealistic. When the predators’ dogs are attacking the humans, Royce manages to cut off a dog’s head in a single chop.  I found it hard to believe that steel blade could go through that much meat and bone so easily. I have never cut the head off of anything so how would I know. Also, when Royce is fighting the super predator in the end, Isabella quickly recovers from her drug induced state and helps Royce. She was poisoned only a few minutes earlier and became functional after only a few minutes.  Lets just call that one “movie magic.”

          Luckily, the film has an open ending for a possible sequel. Producer Robert Rodriguez has talked with Adrian Brody and confirms that there will be a Predators sequel. Predators is one of the few great remakes of classic movies. Can you think of any other ones?

Dexter Season 6 Episode 6 "Just Let Go"

          I must say, I was slightly disappointed in this episode. I feel that there would have been more drama with Brother Sam getting shot based on how the last episode ended.  Everyone, especially Dexter, was upset about Sam but I felt that there was no tear jerking breakdown when he died.  As viewers, we were strongly connected to Brother Sam and his death seems too emotionless.

          Also, I was sad to see Deborah lose her friendships with her coworkers because she is now their superior.  Throughout the seasons, it has been Batista who she goes to for comforting and advise, and Masuka who provides the comic relief. Instead, she is now getting rejected and has only Dexter and her councilor to go to.

          So far, I feel like Jamie Batista has no real purpose in the show other than to watch Harrison. I feel like her story needs to be pushed and explored a little farther. I’m hoping the writers will add some drama around her in the upcoming episodes. Who knows, maybe she’ll get kidnapped or killed.

          It was a little strange to see Anderson playing “bad cop” at that drug hideout. So far, he has been hard working but not ruthless. Also, the flamingo handcuff scene was well done and quite entertaining.

          Lewis (Masuka’s new intern) has developed a major crush on Dexter. He’s constantly talking about him, asking if he can watch, and acting like a school girl with a crush. I’m sure this will pan out to be something else, but he could turn out to be a killer just like Dexter. In this scenario, Dexter would be the victim and Lewis would be the predator. This probably won’t happen though.

          This episode was more focused on Dexter and Brother Sam instead of the Doomsday Killers. They had their appearances but very little was accomplished other than Travis letting the next victim go. 

          On his deathbed, Brother Sam tells Dexter that Nick shot him and to not kill him. Instead, Brother Sam wants Dexter to tell Nick that he is forgiven. Since killing his brother, this is probably the hardest situation Dexter has been thrown into. Everything within him wants to kill Nick, but Dexter knows he should obey Brother Sam’s death wish and let him live. Dexter successfully gives Nick the message where Nick was baptized.  In an act of rage, Dexter than drowns Nick in the ocean. This symbolizes the rebirth and relapse from crime that Nick experienced. This is also the turning point in Dexter’s life.  Dexter could have chosen to let go of his Dark Passenger or to continue embracing it. He chooses the latter and is greeted by late brother, Brian Moser (Christian Camargo).  Brian now represents Dexter’s Dark Passenger while Harry has taken the form of the Light Passenger.

          I am really excited to see where this season is headed. I love Christian Camargo and have been hoping that he would make a reappearance into the show. As viewers, I feel like we all want to see Dexter stop murdering people, but we know that once he stops, so will the show.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

          There are multiple reasons why Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is currently my favorite movie, but the main one is because of my emotional connection with Joel Barish. In the beginning of the film, Joel is depressed and fails to admire the beauty of the world by saying, “Sand is overrated. Its just tiny little rocks.” When he says this, Joel adds to his depression by taking uncontrollable circumstances and observations and turns them into complaints. Despite his sadness, he is a nervous and tentative child at heart, longing to be comforted.

          Not only is this my favorite movie, but it is the best film of Jim Carrey’s career. In a large majority of his movies, he plays a goofy, hysterical role. A few of his dramatic performances include The Truman Show, The Number 23, and I Love You Phillip Morris.   

          Other than the emotional connection, the cinematography, special effects, and post processing are absolutely phenomenal. Throughout the film, the color correction changes the mood. The beach scenes have a light blue tint to invoke the feeling of sadness while memories of his childhood are tinted yellow for happiness. This is subtile, but important for the overall mood of the film. In spite of these corrections, Clementine’s character boldly stands out. Her hair and clothing choices reflect her bold personality and show the dominance of her character.

          I love re-watching this movie because I catch new things every time I see it which makes the experiences more real. 

          Throughout the memory sequences, a spotlight effect is given in order to give a retro feeling of memories. This makes it easier to keep track of the non-linear timeline.  Also, many of the memory sequences are blurred and jumbled in order to seem like realistic memories. In one scene specifically, Clementine’s words don’t match up with her lips.  I feel like many memories can feel this way especially after a long period of time, a lot like dreams.

          Because the memories go in reverse order, the happiest parts are in the end. This not only makes for a climatic film, but for a “happy ending” as well. 

          I would compare the relationship between Joel and Clementine to Tom and Summer in (500) Days of Summer. These sets of characters are written to have highly realistic relationships and draw emotions out of the viewers. It is for this reason that these movies have done incredibly well.

          I probably think about Eternal Sunshine once a week. Usually its about the topic of erasing people or events from your memory. But if I have learned anything from this movie, it is to be happy in the moment.

House M.D. Season 8 Episode 4 "Risky Business"

          Another wonderful episode of House. Even though the entire medical portion was predictable, I love the character interaction.

          House never fails to astound me. For the first time in the show, House spoke fluent Mandarin. It seems like something Sherlock Holmes would do considering the entire show it based on Holmes. 

          Along with the movie Sherlock Holmes, I found myself lingering on every word House said. Both to be entertained and amazed. No wonder this show, and the Sherlock Holmes franchise has done so well. People don’t watch this show for the medical work, they watch it for House.

          I would have to say that I am envious of House. His humor is astounding and almost infectious to those around him. Despite this, he has little to no emotion and cannot become close to others, qualities that I have no intention of having.

          For the first time, I noticed the slight background music that begins to play when a patient has a heart attack, vomits blood, or has frightening symptom. This music is barely   but causes anxiety within the viewers, drawing them in.  It helps that the instruments used are mostly synthesizers so people notice the music less.   

          At one point, House transformed into MacGyver and created a strobe light that causes vomiting in order to reclaim the other part of his office. Unbelievable. This is a simple example of the writers keeping the show fresh and entertaining.

          I loved Dr. Park talking to Wilson about House. It seemed funny because every piece of advise Wilson gives Park has a story or experience with House behind it. Wilson has learned a lot from his mistakes with House and still loses battles (as seen in the end).

          I would love for House to take an IQ test. With his deductive reasoning, medical knowledge, and highly advanced reversed psychology skills, he could probably score around a 144 (genius level).

          The final scene where Adams smashes everything with a baseball bat was visually astounding. The director of this episode used the perfect amount of slow motion to make the scene entertaining and authentic. 

          Another entertaining episode. Another long week to wait for the next one to air. Let me know what you thought of the episode.

(500) Days of Summer

          I must say, without a doubt that (500) Days of Summer is the most realistic movie dealing with romance. Its a cool breath of fresh air from the cliché romantic comedy.  Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) accurately depicts all of the cycles of love. Love at first sight.  Instant infatuation.  The awkward first conversation.  The puzzling first kiss. The uncontrollable mania a night later. But also the depression. Smashing everything in sight.  Denial that anything even happened.  The hopelessness of being alone.  All written and acted out to perfection.

          While it may not be the most entertaining movie, it certainly feels like the most realistic, which makes it a major success in my book.

          Stunning screenplay. Visually astounding. I lost my mind over the Expectations vs. Reality split video scene. I’ve always wanted to see something like that done perfectly.

          Its astounding how Tom goes from explaining what love is, to hating the word and anything else associated with it. This only adds to the realism because anyone who has had their heart broken can associate with this exact situation.

          Movies that successfully have an unchronological timeline are rare and valuable. Being able to jump form the end to the beginning to the middle takes talented writers, cinematographers, and a creative director. Luckily, (500) Days of Summer has all three.

          Even though this movie isn’t ideal for a date night with a girl, it adds a fresh light to the stereotypical chick flick which makes it special and memorable. Especially the last line.

Bones Season 7 Episode 1 "The Memories in the Shallow Grave"

          After watching the Bones season 7 premiere, I have come to the conclusion that this season will be highly complicated. With Dr. Brennan pregnant with Booth’s baby, the series will be taking an unusual turn down a path that has not been explored. The previous season was slowly developing the emotional and sexual relationship between Bones and Booth, but I felt that these developments stopped when Bones rejected Booth’s dating proposal. Despite this awkward circumstance, they slept together and Dr. Brennan was found to be pregnant.  

          The writing in the past 2 episodes has been sloppy, forced, and very confusing. When Bones revealed she was pregnant, I was extremely confused and upset because the scene where the couple slept together was filled with crying and comforting, not passion and sexual tension. While sex may have been vaguely implied, I feel that most viewers may not have felt convinced that sex actually took place.

          While Hodgins and Angela’s baby was born, Brennan and Booth have been developing a more romantic relationship. Within 3 episodes, the pair has gone from being emotionally distant to kissing, walking around naked, and having a baby. As viewers, we have watched 6 seasons without seeing any sort of major developments. The writers somehow decide that it is time to unload all of the tension into two episodes.   I feel like the show has become so mundane that the writers felt it was time to make the characters to things that are out of their nature. 

          Maybe the show taking a new direction is a good thing.  I would love to know what other people think of this.  

Dexter Season 6 Episode 5 "Angel of Death"

          Once again, the writers produced a wonderful episode. Even though there wasn’t very much action, it remained interesting because it was filled with character and plot development. I feel like the entire episode is building up for a large climax later on.

I am absolutely loving the plot line of the Doomsday killers because many of the topics are relevant to real life.  Many people view Christians as a little crazy, judgmental, and hypocritical. This is easily displayed by Prof. Gellar. He twists the facts of the Bible to suit his own murderous desires. Seeing himself as above the rest of society, he judges those below him and is dedicated for “God to speak through him and teach them a lesson.” Even though he claims his actions to be “God’s will,” he fails to see that he is breaking one of the ten commandments. 

On the other hand, Brother Sam is portrayed as the Christian that everybody should be like.  Years ago, Sam fell deep into a criminal life. While attempting to murder a man in a prison chapel, he felt God speak to him and he chose to turn his life around and become a minister.  Because he has led both a criminal and a spiritual life, Brother Sam understands various types of people and can successfully connect to people such as Dexter. 

Masuka’s morals are finally showing through when he fired his last intern. The new guy he hired feels right for the show. He’s smart, witty, a bit of a nerd, but lovable.

I feel like the countdown to the end of the world that Miami Metro is theorizing about is giving a hint of foreshadowing towards Dexter’s demise.

I feel like everybody is secretly hoping that Deb and Quinn get back together.  They’ve been so cute recently and would make a cute permanent couple, just as Batista and LaGuerta did.  Than the writers ruined that and made them break up.

Prof. Gellar keeps on repeating the phrase “thats why you’ve been chosen” to Travis a lot. I’m secretly thinking that he will be one of Gellar’s victims. Or maybe there is some other significance in that statement.  

Once again, I’m glad that Dexter seems to have found a true friend. Brother Sam really cares for Dexter in a way that Brian, Lila, and Miguel could never do. Hopefully he won’t be a guest star and will return for season 7 (if it happens).  Sadly, halfway through the episode I wrote down, “I love Brother Sam... that’s why I think he will die.” It seems that I may have been right. Him getting shot 3 times in the end of the episode seems to hint at his oncoming death, but I’m praying he won’t.

It is because of Brother Sam that Dexter goes over his pre-season one history. This hasn’t been done in a while and it was nice to hear it all again. Also, Sam helps Dexter realize that he may have a light passenger to fight his dark one. I’m absolutely loving Dexter’s character development in this season.

I think that this season is better than season 5, and for that I am very grateful. I love talking about Dexter so PLEASE share some thoughts.