MMAM - Vol. 47

To celebrate the Series 6 finale of DOCTOR WHO that aired Saturday (expect a really, really long review later this week), I have some of Murray Gold's music for you today.

If you're looking at this and then deciding not to bother with the tracks, that is the wrong choice. Give 'em a try. This series boasts the best music on television since Bear McCreary's BATTLESTAR GALACTICA work ended and Michael Giacchino signed off on lost. Murray Gold is awesome. Take a listen to the tracks, please:

"The Life and Death of Amy Pond"

"I Am The Doctor"

"Vale Dacem"

"All the Strange, Strange Creatures"

Wooo! DOCTOR WHO!

If I knew how to make banners, I would totally do a spiffy one with a TARDIS on the side saying DOCTOR WHO WEEK. Why oh why do I know nothing of Photoshop?

The Watcher: 09/23/11 - 10/01/11

The Watcher is now being moved to Saturdays to accommodate the wide range of shows I watch Thursday and Fridays. Thus, for this week, you've got double helpings of Fringe, Nikita and Supernatural! Awesomeness, no? Honestly, it's a little sad not to see Smallville included on the list below. After 10 years, it's all over. Blimey. No spoilers, no reviews, nothing.

BREAKING BAD S04E11 -"Crawl Space" (25 September 2011) - Wow. One of the best episodes of Breaking Bad ever, I believe. There is not one single bad not in its body. Riveting from beginning to its ohmygod end, "Crawl Space" is just one of those experiences where your jaw drops, your mind is buzzin' a thousand miles a second, and you understand you're watching truly great writing, acting, and directing right this second. Those final four minutes are a thing of beauty. The drums in the background. Bryan Cranston's spine chilling laughter as he realizes there's no way out. And most of all, the emotion that Betsy Brandt conveys when she looks at Walt with horror and fear as he looses his mind - the shot of her bend down and then back away will forever be etched into my memory. What a outstanding episode, leaving me excited as pizza to see how this wraps up and sad the season is almost over. Wowness. Score: 10/10

FRINGE S04E01 - "Neither Here Nor There" (23 September 2011) - After an explosive third season, possibly the strongest of any science fiction series I've seen since Firefly, Fringe returns with a iffy premiere that I don't really care one way or another for. In fact, here we are days later, and I can't recall much of the plot. There's a funny bit with Walter asking Astrid to video tape a victim's anus for clues concerning their death, and hints that Peter's presence may still be banging around in Walter's head, but overall, meh. I did like the bunker that now stands as the bridge between both worlds, where these two universes can meet and assist, etc. That will lend itself to some interesting stories, along the way. No appearance of Walternate, yet - interested to see where that goes now that Peter is gone. This revised version of Lincoln Lee was great as always, and I hope to see him grow into the Other World's more kickass Lincoln Lee as the season progresses. "Neither Here Nor There" felt very much like a Pilot, minus Peter. We see this whole new world through Lincoln's eyes. Olivia is still that reserved, stoic individual because without Peter that closed wall never crumbled, and because of that, Olivia doesn't really become the anchor of the hour - it's Lincoln. Not a wholly successful premiere, but it's great to have Fringe back. If this is the final season, I really hope there's a plan in place. Now that the two universes have converged and are working together, more or less, where does this go? Is the ultimate endgame saving the earth from itself? Undoing the damage the Walter's have committed? Score: 7.8/10

FRINGE S04E02 - "One Night in October" (30 September 2011) - Now this is more like it. Firstly, props must be given to Anna Torv for portraying two distinctly different Olivia's, both with their own physical and mental quirks. Without difficulty, one could look at the two Olivia's and instantly tell who is who, and not because of some telling sign like the hair - it's Anna Torv's exquisite performance that sells these two individual versions of the same person. Great job, Ms. Torv. This week's case looking at the different choices of one man from both worlds is both fascinating and utterly rich - in Our World, the man in question is a professor of murders, and in the Other World, he's a serial killer. Like Dexter...sorta. It's shown that through choices and experiences, although they are fundamentally the same man with the same cravings and desires, it's those experiences that form the choices that make our lives different from another. When the two professors come face to face, it's great writing and great acting on screen in full awesome glory. And we got the return of Other World kickass Lincoln Lee! Yay! With more hints of Peter's eventful return to the world thanks to a not-so-thorough job from an Observer, I'm as psyched as ever for more Fringe. Score: 8.9/10

NIKITA S02E01 - "Game Change" (23 September 2011) - Nikita was the surprise show of last fall, with every indication being that it would be mildly entertaining with a far-too-skinny Maggie Q in the lead. Turns out, the new and revamped Nikita was super entertaining, with two strong female leads that were very well fleshed out, boasting great action sequences, engaging character dynamics, and so-so B plots. Point is, I liked the show, and with the once allies Nikita and Alex now on opposing sides, the whole glue of the show has turned over from a year ago, surely to bring up interesting stories. First and foremost, the frenemy dance between Nikita and Alex at the end was definitely an episode highlight, and I hope to see similar battles happen again. Ex-Division operatives Michael and Birkoff also are given great moments to shine, and Birkoff gives us the single best laugh of the night. With the exception of the Nikita/Alex feud and the Magneto-esque vibe of the Percy-caged scenes, "Game Change" didn't feel all that much like a game changer. Instead, felt like a back burner episode instead of a premiere. Nikita needs more of the "umphf" to make it must-watch TV. Still, excited to see where this goes, what with changing allegiances every other episode and possible new organizations to explore. Score: 6.7/10

SUPERNATURAL S07E01 - "Meet the New Boss" (23 September 2011) - In a season where Sam was soulless, anarchy was all the rage in Heaven, the Mother of All came to the surface, and Purgatory was the #1 hotspot on everyone's list, the final story to be told was Castiel's slippery slope into going loco. "Meet the New Boss" shows the repercussions of Castiel's misbguided journey to be the New God in town, to right the wrongs God did when It vacaed over two years ago. In less than forty minutes, Misha Collins successfully shreds the fun, free-spirited Castiel we all know and love and replaces him with a mean, devilish, vengeful Angel with a bit too much power in his hands. Catiel is truly frightening. And then to make matters even more messed up, Sam's hallucinating, not knowing what the hell is real or not, giving us a (surprise!) appearance from Lucifer, taunting Sammy that everything around him is nothing more than an illusion. Obviously not true, but one hell of a gorgeous torture device. In the end, as Castiel winds down his killing spree weeks later, the power becomes too much for him, his host body is about to explode, and he sees his wrongdoings. In what appeared to initiate a season-long arc for redemption, Castiel instead became consumed by the Leviathan who decided to stick around in the meat suit instead of being flushed out like the other Purgatory inhabitants. Uh-oh. A strong opening that allows Misha Collins to shine. Now I just hope Dean doesn't continue to be as obnoxious as he was last year. And guest appearance from Death! Always something special to watch. Score: 9.5/10

SUPERNATURAL S07E02 - "Hello, Cruel World" (30 September 2011) - What's this? Four episodes in a row now that are all linked together without standalone adventures? It's pretty nifty, if I say so myself. "Hello, Cruel World" is a great episode that sees the departure of Castiel (presumably) early on as his vessel is about to explode thanks to the mighty power of Leviathan (am I the only one who felt bad for the dude who's the vessel? That guy's wife and kid will never know what happened to him), and the possible demise of Bobby (yeah, sure, whatever). Two episodes in, and already you can see the series having showing its balls. It amazes me that even after seven seasons, Supernatural doesn't cease to impress me. The fallout of this Purgatory plot brings us Leviathan, multiple Big Bads that swim through the water system and infect people, using them as hosts to further whatever their leaders big plan is. We're still early in the season, so details on the Leviathan are scant, but already they are an impressionable, lethal foe that definitely feels like a worthy adversary. The Winchesters are going to have their hands full. And the pre-season comments from the showrunner about how this year will have Sam and Dean on the run a lot more makes perfect, beautiful sense here: the Leviathan are everywhere, and they have a bone to pick with the Winchesters for some yet-unexplained reason. Basically, the boys are screwed. This season will be awesome. I'm also curious as to how Castiel's 'death' will be dealt with, what this means for Heaven and the whole Angels on earth/where's God? business. Excitement! Also, everything involving Sam's hallucinations of Lucifer was absolutely awesome, and it's great to have Mark Pellegrino back on the show. And finally: Benito Martinez! Always makes me happy to see Shield vets get some work. Score: 10/10

TERRA NOVA S01E01/S01E02 - "Genesis" (26 September 2011) - Well, you can definitely tell two things with the series premiere of the mucho expensive Terra Nova: 1) Steven Spielberg's hands are all over this baby, and 2) it looks expensive. Hopefully the money invested in this thirteen-episode premiere season will be worth it, but "Genesis" doesn't do much to make one super excited. Not to say I didn't enjoy myself - I quite did. But there doesn't seem to be enough unique qualities to make Terra Nova stand out. The family dynamic that is at the heart of the series already feels a little stale, a little forced, not really real or fluid (especially in regards to the teenage son who I would not mind get toned down a peg or two). Part of me wants to forgive that based solely on the fact a series about dinosaurs with dinosaurs in it is being transmitted on national television, and it's going a long way in making me overlook the less great elements of the premiere, like the choppy second half or lack of 'real'ness to the characters and dialogue. The important part is that I liked what I saw with Terra Nova, disgruntles aside, and the subplot involving the symbols carved into the rock would make me tune in again no matter what. I want to see where this is going. The only disappointing thing is that with all the hype and money put behind the production, we didn't get a product that pushed the boundaries more. Although, I guess it makes sense that the better wager is to stay safe with a series boasting a hefty budget. Oh, and the special effects were very pretty. Score: 7.5/10

Movie Prowlin: 2011 Edition, Vol. 3

Compared to this time last year, I'm up only a small percentage in my movie watching. Interestingly enough, I think my theatrical viewing has decreased, and my Netflix/Redbox renting increased. Additionally, I have really sucked with the reviewing of anything. And for that, I apologize. There was plenty of intention along the way, just no dice. I'm hoping, as we enter the final months of this year, that this site will be alive again with reviews of both movies and television on a daily basis, and with my wibbley wobbly mentality, the Minnesota Geek just might be a worthwhile site.

Newly resolved and the like, I now present to you all the flicks I watched in the third quarter. As always, if you want a review of something from yours truly, just let me know and I shall review it (or revisit it and then review it, depending on how much I remember of the flick). And finally, I really hope to meet my goal of over 200 films watched by years end. So here's me being like Thomas the Train Engine: I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

Movies Watched in 2011: 01 July 2011 - 30 September 2011

120. Transformers: Dark of the Moon [3D]
121. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
122. The Eagle
123. Hall Pass
124. Arthur
125. Beastly
126. Good Burger
127. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
128. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
129. Captain America: The First Avenger
130. Captain America: The First Avenger
131. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
132. Cowboys & Aliens
133. Crazy, Stupid Love
134. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
135. Star Trek (2009)
136. Dracula 2000
137. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
138. Bridesmaids
139. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
140. Ratatouie
141. Limitless
142. Fright Night [2011]
143. Friends with Benefits
144. Conan the Barbarian [2011]
145. One Day
146. 13 Assassains
147. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
148. Kung Fu Panda 2
149. Shark Night [3D]
150. The Debt
151. Red State
152. Dylan Dog: Dead of Night
153. Blue Valentine
154. Your Highness
155. Something Borrowed
156. Horrible Bosses
157. Attack the Block
158. The Tree of Life
159. Cherry
160. Last Night
161. Conan O'Brian's Can't Stop
162. Troll Hunter
163. Wet Hot American Summer
164. The Squid and the Whale


TV Seasons Watched in 2011: 01 July 2011 - 30 September 2011

21. Being Human: Series 3
22. Breaking Bad: Season 2
23. Breaking Bad: Season 3
24. House: Season 4
25. Warehouse 13: Season 2
26. Life Unexpected: Season 1

...and I'm off to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival! w00t!

MMAM - Vol. 46

This wasn't the music I was going to use today, but honestly, I can't get this track out of my head.

The thing is, SIGNS "Main Theme" freaks the hell out of me.

The hairs on my arm stand up, my body tenses, my eyes dart around looking for something supernatural coming my way, and I prepare to get the frak outta Dodge. This is bone chilling music, but yet --

-- it's beautiful. Amazing, really. One hell of an brilliant, beautiful, amazing piece by James Newton Howard. Like or hate the flick - wow, James did a majestic job.

So it gets major props from me. Frakkin' scary as hell, but also extremely beautiful (and dramatic) to listen to. Think I'll have this on iTunes repeat today...

Geek Newsroom: Transformers, Spider-Man, Dark Knight Rises

Hello all! Welcome to a new feature. It's a work in progress, just experimenting to see how well this turns out. Tentatively titled 'Geek Newsroom' - and I'm open to suggestions if anyone has a way cooler name (which isn't difficult to achieve) - this (hopefully) weekly Sunday feature will give a preview of the upcoming releases of the week as well as a short rundown of notable movie news the previous week.

News Feed

• Anne Hathaway in full Catwoman outfit on the set of The Dark Knight Rises (CBM.com)
• Kiefer Sutherland and Tim Kring team up at FOX with Touch (TVLine.com)
  
• Could this Fringe Observer be the next Lex Luthor? (CBM.com)
• So that Lone Ranger movie might not be so dead after all (Deadline.com)
• Get ready for some universe hoppin' in Thor 2 (CBM.com)
• Kai's Top 5 Great Villains from Bad Movies (ManILoveFilms.com)
  
• Premiers of Fringe & Supernatural weren't spectacular, but not bad, either (TVLine.com)
• Easy A director Will Gluck sold comedy about exiled Angel (Deadline.com)
• Watch these Sci-Fi Shows before Netflix Collapses (GiantFreakinRobot)
• Those Star Wars Blu-Ray sets are doing okay... (Variety.com)
• Super awesome sci-fi/fantasy mash-ups (blastr)
• Community's brilliant homage to Doctor Who: Inspector Spacetime! (YouTube.com)
• AM lists the Top 10 John Williams Scores (Anomalous Material)
  

DVD/Blu-Ray Releases
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Hitting DVD/Blu-Ray on Friday, it's worth mentioning for any interested buyers that Paramount's releasing this bare bones, AVATAR-style, with a bonus feature heavy release scheduled for November. So if you want the movie and just the movie, go right ahead and pick up this baby, but if you're like me and love the bonus content, unfortunately you'll have to wait. [Review]

Ben Hur - 50th Anniversary Blu-Ray Special Edition

Had the pleasure of seeing Ben-Hur for the first time a few months ago, and frankly, I loved it. One of the few classics that truly do hold up years and years later. And now it's hitting Blu-Ray in a special edition Gift Set. The reviews have been stellar. Consider this bought - although I would prefer not having the Gift Set.

Notable Comics

Batman: The Widening Gyre

Don't like Kevin Smith movies? Fine. Check out Kevin Smith comics. He's written for The Green Hornet, the upcoming Bionic Man comic (based off his old script), Daredevil, and a successful run on Batman. The Widening Gyre is his latest work with the Caped Crusader, and it's all kinds of awesome. If you have an inkling of interest, do it. You will not be disappointed.

Superman #1

Yes, I'm picking and choosing what comics to include, but c'mon, it's a friggin' huge list. As part of DC's New 52 initiative, Superman's getting an makeover (although I'm still fuzzy if this is a re-imagining or a continuation of the line with a sort of blank slate), and I wager this premiere issue will tackle the Sup's status around Metropolis and more romantic angst between him and Lois Lane.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #2

A lot's happened to the Ultimate Spider-Man line since 2001, and now Peter Parker, the original Spider-Man, is dead, and young Miles Morales picks up the pieces. Truthfully I haven't had a chance yet to check out the new series, but I'm curious to see where Brian Michael Bendis (Powers) takes the line.

New Releases

50/50
Been eagerly looking forward to this film for awhile, so the chance of me seeing it this weekend is pretty high. I love Joseph Gordon-Levitt, I can mostly tolerate Seth Rogen, the script seems funny and dramatic, and there's very little about this flick that doesn't look appealing.






Dream House

...Whereas this, I really couldn't care less about. Now I dig Daniel Craig, and have always fancied Rachel Weisz since The Mummy in '99, but this just doesn't look remotely appealing. If I do see this, it will most likely be via Redbox rental or through some other estranged means.

What's Your Number?

Maybe there's a part of me that doesn't mind painfully bad movies (e.g., I made the choice to watch Something Borrowed last weekend), but this looks weirdly appealing. As in, there's a good chance I'll see it in theaters. I'm not expecting much at all, honest to blog (shameless Juno-isms, blame classes), but Anna Farris is mostly funny, I gots me a man crush on Chris Evans, and it looks like it might not be all bad.

Margaret

Apparently Margaret has been in post-production Hell for years, and the company is just now throwing it out on the release schedule. Not my cup of tea, but I can't say seeing Anna Paquin's name attached to the flick didn't peak my interest.

Courageous

Made a quick look at the Wiki page, and in the Plot category there's a Bible quote in lieu of an actual, decent plot summary. Yeah, I'm skipping entirely with a wide smile. Maybe I'll throw on Justified instead.

The Watcher: 09/16/11 - 09/22/11

I was able to catch up on last weeks titles, and are reviewed below. I'm thinking I might have to change The Watcher to Saturdays in order to accommodate Thursday shows - of which there are many I watch - and would not be able to write about if I want these posts to be on time (rare that may be). So, who knows what will happen. Maybe I'll write about Thursday shows in the following weeks column. *shrug* The good news is: Supernatural premiers tomorrow night! Supernatural premiers tomorrow night! And no force on this earth will stop me from watching its awesomeness.

BREAKING BAD S04E10 - "Salud" (18 September 2011) - Wow. One beautiful word that perfectly summarizes the experience of watching this episode. Breaking Bad has always excelled at nail-biting, seat-gripping suspense/tension, and "Salud" is the show at its best. Not only in regards to the tension the series manages to hold for ten solid minutes, but also the drama that came out of a heartbreaking, rather emotional monologue from Walt to Walt, Jr. regarding his behavior over the last year. It was a truly remarkable scene for Bryan Cranston, and a wonderful turning point for Walter. Hopefully, with his realization it was he who caused a lot of the damage that has been done, Walter will go down a new path that will lead to some interesting elements of character. The real star of the episode was, of course, everything that transpired in Mexico, and Jesse's ultimate owning moment as he tells the manufacture's what's what. There's even a gleaming moment of Gus expressing something akin to pride of young Jesse Pinkman. So, those last ten minutes when Gus exacts his well timed revenge. Oh, that was gripping. Sweet, gripping, wonderful television. Giancarlo Esposito gave one of his finest performances of all time here, next to "Hermanos" (which this is a quasi-sequel to, really). With only three episodes left, I'm both excited and sad to see the series departing. As it stands, Breaking Bad has never been more...wow. Score: 10/10

CHARLIE'S ANGELS S01E01 - "Angel with a Broken Wing" (22 September 2011) - This new, up-to-date series of CHARLIE'S ANGELS is light and fluffy and doesn't have a really engaging bone in its body. I never watched an episode of the original series, but I did quite love the Drew Barrymore/Lucy Liu/Cameron Diaz film (not the sequel), and I would love nothing more than to see that on TV screens every week. This, this I don't want. There's no sense of realism to any of it, and no amount of flashy cars, yachts, or hand held camerawork will give it an edge that I want. The script definitely has no agenda other than to be a harmless, 42-minute episode of girls dressed up all pretty-like, laughing like they're the bestest friends ever, and (most likely) half hearted plots. The premiere episode has two very dramatic elements that could have been beautifully exploited - an unexpected death in the opening minutes and a revenge subplot. It's basically a PG, Disney-esque version of the Angels, and that ain't what I want. For fans of the original series, this update (re-imagining isn't the right word for this) is probably right up their alley. For me, this isn't what I was looking for. With the new addition of Eve to the Angels, there's a chance the show might be more interesting (she seems to fill the Barrymore role), but I think I'll wait to see how the show evolves before I take the plunge again. Score: 7.0/10

NEW GIRL S01E01 - "Pilot" (20 September 2011) - Frankly, I'm surprised as hell. One enjoyable Pilot that wastes absolutely no time in throwing the audience into the premise of the series. Hell, the content that would take up a normal 22-minute Pilot was over and done with by minute five. Jessica was moved into a new place, and she was already in the process of bonding with the guys. It felt more like any normal episode of the series than a premiere, but maybe that's a good thing. And also surprising is how utterly likable Zooey Deschannel as Jessica. Maybe she's just made some bad movie choices as of late, but I've found my love for her to be waning lately, so it was nice to just fall head over shoes in love with her again. But, er, can someone do something about that hair? Please? The cast has a nice chemistry, and judging from this one episode alone, I think the series can work. I'll be checking in to see how the series progresses, but overall, solid premiere. Score: 9.1/10

PERSON OF INTEREST S01E01 -"Pilot" (22 September 2011) - There wasn't one beat in the Pilot I did not like. Lo and behold, here we have the first real "I love this" show of the Fall 2011 season. This is what happens when an millionaire/billionaire (?) and a man with Batman's training combine their talents to save people, both little cases and big cases. Both men have a troubled, dark past, and both men have lost something. They are committed to saving lives and doing the right thing. With the powerful performances from Jim Caviezel and Michael Emerson, brilliant writing by Jonathan Nolan, and a very cinematic vibe from director David Semel, PERSONS OF INTEREST feels fresh, something that I am eager to see developed to hopefully a long run. Finally, a procedural I can get behind! And the "Pilot" gets major props for casting the absolutely gorgeous Natalie Zea as the good guy/bad guy. So, so pretty. Plenty of mystery to sustain a series. Guys fighting injustice and fine writing - I'm sold. Score: 10/10

REVENGE S01E01 - "Pilot" (21 September 2011) - Any casual comers to the Minnesota Geek recognize that I love revenge films. So when ABC announced a new series hitting Fall 2011 called, what else?, Revenge, naturally I was sold. And the utterly gorgeous Emily VanCamp (Everwood) in the leading role? Double sold! Luckily, the opening episode was pretty entertaining. There are some 'ugh' points, but overall, the positives definitely outweighed the negatives. The good news is, the series can definitely sustain at least one season. There's plenty of room for Emily's character, Emily/Amanda to wibble and wobble through for 22 episodes, but I don't know if the series can really last being a...y'know, series. So I'll look at Revenge as an extended miniseries. Ms. VanCamp perfects the line of sweet, innocent Emily Thorn to the world around her, and the dark, ass-kicking nature of Amanda. Because every show needs some sort of romantic subplot, there's something involving an old guy friend of Amanda's that might lead to something [there was a wonderful scene involving the man's dog that recognized her, while he did not]. Emily's target is a rich family that framed her father and destroyed his life. From the looks of things, she's going to integrate herself into their lives and stir up mischief. I can deal with that. My only 'ugh' is that we're following the rich - a group of folks I'm not particularly fond of watching. But right now I'm intrigued, and Revenge will be on my weekly list of shows to see. Solid pilot. Score: 9.1/10

RINGER S01E01 "Pilot" (13 September 2011) - Like many folks, I'm excited at the prospect of Sarah Michelle Geller coming back to television. Hell, I'm just happy she's acting in some capacity that isn't a Scooby Doo sequel. So here we have Ringer, a series that definitely benefits from Geller's wide range of talents as she's assigned the task of playing two characters, one of them trying to pass off as the other while the other is supposedly dead. It sounds complicated, but it isn't, and the ending minutes twist wasn't all that twsity. Yes, this is a solid vehicle for Geller to start in, and with her and co-star Nestor Carbonell, I have faith this might be a decent, entertaining show. That said, I am a bit lost (hehe, see what I did there?) on how Ringer expects to have any sort of longevity, ratings-aside. This is a story that can't hold on for more than two or three seasons, max. If they want the series to continue, the premise will need to change quickly and the whole show dynamic will end up being something entirely different by, say, halfway through season two if not sooner. Strong performances and solid writing aside, I do have a problem with the cinematography of the "Pilot." Too many mirrors shots. There is subtlety, and there is blatancy. This is nothing like the beautiful use of mirrors in Black Swan; this is just obnoxious. Overall, the Ringer "Pilot" was well crafted and will prompt me to check out further episodes, but I think this might be the (beginning and) end of me reviewing it, unless the next two episodes really grip me. Good luck, Mrs. Geller. Score: 7.8/10

THE SECRET CIRCLE S01E01 - "Pilot" (15 September 2011) - A lot happened in 42 minutes, inevitably giving it a bit of a rushed feeling, but hell, I really dug the Secret Circle pilot, and I will definitely be coming back for more. And no, it's not just because I have a newfound crush on Britt Robertson (Scream 4), but because - and trust me, this is a surprise - I find the story to be genuinely compelling. Yes, there are some tried and true stereotypes here: the bad girl who wears provocative yet sorta harsh clothing and isn't a fan of Cassie, the bad guy dressed all in black and has great supernatural power, etc. But y'know, I can deal. I want to see what happens to Cassie, and to further surprise matters, I'm now vouching for a Cassie/Adam (Thomas Dekker, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) romance [after all, it's written "in the stars", apparently]. It wasn't an amazing pilot, and some of the actors (and the theme song) has already gotten on my nerves, but I was impressed. I didn't expect to like it, let alone want to continue checking it out, but lo and behold. So until I become bored or the series does something astronomically stupid, which is quite possible, expect The Secret Circle to be a part of The Watcher. Score: 8.7/10

Favorite Episode of the Week: "Salud", Breaking Bad
Standout Performance: Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad
Best Premiere: Persons of Interest

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 34

Title: Solomon Kane

Notes: Regrettably, Solomon Kane hasn't made its way to North America, but just about everywhere else in the world. However, when news broke that the flick was making its way online, well - lets just say that I really needed a sword & sorcery fix. For anyone who hasn't heard of this series, based off a relatively acclaimed graphic novel franchise, I'd recommend you do so. Solomon is a warrior looking for redemption, so already you have an interesting, complex character right there. In addition to Solomon's quest to redeem himself, he faces off against demons, Apocalyptic Big Bads, and other forces of darkness that seek to take over the world. Similar to this year's Conan in that respect: evil is basically rampant and a cool, sword-wielding, kickass type of dude comes around to beat the shit out of it. Solomon Kane isn't exactly a film looking to be loved and adorned by its straight forward, edginess - nay, it instead wants to be fun and entertaining and show off extravagant special effects. In that regard, Kane is solid gold. I can safely say I loved and enjoyed every second of this fantasy 'epic', and I wouldn't be opposed to another flick in that universe (which I wager is doubtful, despite mixed reviews). Anyone else care enough to hunt down Solomon Kane? If you haven't, and you like your sword & sorcery epics, this is definitely for you. C'mon: swords! Magic! Demons! End of the World stuff! Giant Evil Monster thingy! Love at first sight.

MMAM - Vol. 45

I am shamefully late to all forms of contemporary music. One such song, which I think is at least two years old, is MGMT's "Time to Pretend", which I initially heard in SEX DRIVE and then popped up at a bunch of other flicks. After all, that's what happens with popular songs - they show up everywhere, and then audiences get sick of it. Like Flo Rida's "Right Round". At least I think that's the title.

Anyway, so a few days ago I found out that this was the song I dug from SEX DRIVE, and have been blasting it in my dorm room quite a lot. Luckily the roomie isn't around or else he would most likely be 'Grrrr!' So enjoy the awesomeness of "Time to Pretend", or if you're sick of this two or whatever year old song, enjoy the skippiness! If it's any consolation, I was initially gonna put the INVADER ZIM theme for this week, but I thought fifty seconds wasn't long enough awesomeness for y'all. Cheers!

Scenes I Like A Lot - (500) Days of Summer

The Movie:
(500) Days of Summer

What's Up:

After months without seeing Summer, Tom runs into her on a train and she invites him to a party. She gives the invitation innocently, but Tom runs a different scenario in his head. He envisions a scenario where Summer invited him to rekindle their relationship, to talk to him one on one. He sees her being more intimate with him - a hug, a brush of hand, long gazes, etc. This is what he expects, but reality...nah, not even close to the same. Director Marc Webb and screenwriter Scott Neustadter beautifully craft this scene that depicts both Tom's expectations and what actually happens at the party.

Why I Dig It:

What's not to love? I want to mention how utterly brilliant the split screen device is used. First time I saw this movie in the theater, I had chills because of how awesome - and honest - this was. There are at least a hundred instances where I can relate to Tom's mentality and the reality of the actual event. Not only was this splendidly written and realized, but it hits home, and I love it for that. Hell, the entirety of (500) DAYS OF SUMMER I salute for being so bloody honest, yet finding a surprising balance of drama and comedy in all this misery and suckiness. And let's not fail to mention Joseph Gordon-Levitt who is, once again, awesome in the role of Tom, making each stolen glance or satisfied chug of wine as hurtful as the situation. In the end, I relate, I love how the scenario is visualized, and I love how this utterly engaging scene - which could have been really boring - helps push Tom into a different direction where he gets his life in order. I love this movie.

This is totally mine, and I LOVE it!

Yeah, that's hanging up on my dorm room wall...

If you don't know what that is, A) shame on you, and B) that's the TARDIS exploding, as painted by Vincent Van Gogh in the DOCTOR WHO episode "The Pandorica Opens". See, The Doctor met Vincent in an earlier Series 5 episode. They bonded. Later on, he had a vision. The TARDIS, The Doctor's time travel machine, exploding, basically eviscerating all of reality. That's bad. Vincent drew the painting as a warning for The Doctor, a painting that survived thousands and thousands of years until River Song (Alex Kingston, "ER") was able to get her hands on it and present the painting to The Doctor. Ultimately, the fate of the TARDIS was inevitable, leading to one hell of a jaw-dropping cliffhanger and questions that still have yet to be answered.

But most importantly --

It's so PRETTY!!!!

If anyone else is interested - and I know ya are - I also have up an SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD poster, two other DOCTOR WHO's, and one HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS with Harry and Voldemort's face meshing into one. It's pretty awesome.

Alright, back to my regularly scheduled doing homeworkness.

Actually nah. It's the weekend. I'm gonna watch some more INVADER ZIM, and then maybe take a peak at BURN NOTICE after three people told me with absolute enthusiasm that I will love it. We'll see.

And finally: if you haven't watched DOCTOR WHO. Yeah. You should.