Big Bang Theory – The Psychic Vortex

Review of BBT: S3/E12; Aired: Jan 11, 2010

SPOLIER ALERT

This was an episode where everyone who wanted some, got some, except for Leonard and Penny. Thus causing Leonard much frustration. On discussing his lack of sensitivities to Walowitz; Walowitz summed up what we all hope is not true by saying: “I’m sure Penny fakes all kinds of things when she is with you.”

Let’s hope not. Leonard and Penny's relationship on BBT is testimony to all geeks who are looking for love with that elusive hot chick or hot guy. If she is faking “all kinds of things”, then what does that mean for the geeks out there. Have no fear geeks, as seen in this episode hot girls are attracted to you guys. Just ask those three ladies who were dating Sheldon, Howard (Walowitz) and Raj. They were really into those guys.

On that thought, exactly how lame brained can Sheldon be? Did he really miss all the signals that girl was throwing at him throughout this episode? They were so many and so blatant. Even if he was splitting the atom he would have noticed the signs over the top of his goggles.

Sheldon – get a clue!!! I think we were all disappointed that he didn’t.

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How I Met Your Mother – Girls vs. Suits

Review of HIMYM: S5/E12; Aired: Jan 11, 2010

SPOLIER ALERT

The title of the episode was “Girls vs. Suits”. So we almost definitely know that this episode is going to have in a whole lota Barney and….wait for it…he is probably going to have to decide between suits and …. girls.

If Barney is the same old Barney from the pre-Robin & Barney arc, then we kinda already know how that battle is going to turn out. So what else happened in the episode?

We got close; this close to finding out who the mother of Ted’s kids is. We came ankle-bearing close, but extremely far from finding out much else about her. It was a bait and switch. They baited us all throughout the episode then switched; by not revealing Ted’s future wife, at the last minute. Thereby allowing the mystery to continue. To be brutally honest; I am getting a little sick and tired of not solving that particular mystery. Come on man, just tell us and get it over and done with. They can meet, fall in love and break up as is customary in relationships. Then the mystery would be how and when they get back together.

Mother can you hear me?

We live in hope.

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Sherlock Holmes Review - …Dear Watson,

 

It’s elementary. Is it? Sure it is! Elementary movie mathematics:

Two big movie stars + One big movie director = Blockbuster

Well, they got the equation right, so what went wrong? Don’t misunderstand me, I loved this movie. I loved watching Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law.

(Robert Downey Jr –who will forever be referred to as “Iron Man”)

 

(Jude Law – heard he was in Barbados in December 09)

I was happy to see Mark Strong again. (i.e. that guy “Septimus” from Stardust and “Archy” from Rocknrolla. Don’t you just love him?!!). He played the not-as-sinister-as-they-thought-he-came-across-as Lord Blackwood.

(Mark Strong – who looks better with hair)

And I loved that they got England at that time right – foggy, a little gloomy. That is a lot to love in a movie now-a-days. I’ve loved movies with far less going for them (for e.g. Torque – don’t ask. I actually bought the DVD from Walmart.).

What I did not like was the fact that my posse and I were fighting sleep while we were watching Sherlock Holmes. That does not bode well for an action flick. Was it an action flick? Not really; more accurately, it was a Sherlock Holmes movie with action. And it was 100% a Guy Ritchie film. Had his mark stamped all over it. (The only Guy Ritchie film I have seen that I did not like was the one with Madonna.)

So I went into this film as a fan of Guy Ritchie, Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr. (A fan of their bodies of work that is.) And coming out of the film, I still love them but I thought the film could have been better. Sherlock Holmes is a thinking man’s mystery and there was no real mystery here. I was figuring out the plot as it went along. Harry Potter has more mystery that this Sherlock Holmes flick.

Why make a film on a well-loved detective famous for solving mysteries; and make the movie short on mystery?  I don’t have an answer. I wish I did. (Come to think of it, most detective tv series have more mystery.)

Taking the whole “lack of suspense” thing into consideration, the rest of the film was pretty good, well acted, well shot and directed…a feast for the eyes. Aren’t they too cute? (See poster below.)

My verdict – Go watch it. There is plenty to love (or deeply like).

Want someone else’s opinion, check out what a more experienced movie critic had to say: Sherlock Holmes review on Big Thoughts from a Little Mind.

Back to The Bimshire Post

Mini Reviews – The Ugly Truth and Fighting

This weekend I chose to watch 2 films I missed when they were showing on the big screen; The Ugly Truth and Fighting. Needless to say, one of these films I couldn’t even finish watching and the other was something like a made for tv movie.

The Ugly Truth

First up on my movie-catch-up night; I had small hopes for The Ugly Truth as I was sure that the best parts of this film I had already seen in the trailer. I was not wrong. I wasn’t prepared however for the made-for-tv likeness that was presented to me in the pretense of a full feature film. My main question was – why did Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler star in this film? Don't they have better things to do? I am sure they could have spent the time they wasted on this film working with their various charities.

Fighting

I couldn’t even finish watching this film. That is how bad it was. It seemed like they had cut out some crucial scenes and pieces of dialogue. I felt as though I was making up the missing parts as the movie went along. For instance – when did Tatum Channing’s character train? He was awful fit for a guy who did very little to maintain his physique. Also – how did Terrance Howard’s character get to be so important on the street if he was so soft spoken and looked like he couldn’t hurt a fly. Actually he seemed like a fly would hurt him.

Obvious question:

Why do bad films happen to such pretty people? (And Terrance Howard is sooooo pretty!!!!)

What else – Needless to say neither movie won my heart. Watch them if you have nothing else to do.

Later!!

Flashback – Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide

 

Sometimes I catch myself watching the Teen Nick channel, mainly because the rest of cable is showing junk. during these times I am fortunate if either of a few of my favourite shows are on:

• Fairly Odd Parents
• True Jackson, V.P.
• The Assistants
• Degrassi
• iCarly
• Ned’s Declassified School survival Guide

On a recent Sunday I managed to catch one of what I consider, the funniest episodes of Ned: the one with the school play. There are so many side splitting episodes of Ned that it is hard to say which ones are the funniest, but the school play and the one where Cookie sneaks into the house party always stand out in my mind.

Let it be said that 90% of the Ned series are entirely watchable, well written, superbly acted and very funny. (If I got a box set for I would be totally happy. Did they make the box sets?).

The School Play episode however is one of the gems of the series. It is tight with back-to-back hilarious scenes.

If you have never watched any of the above mentioned shows and you happen to be flipping through the channels and catch one of them, give them a chance; you may enjoy the ride.

Later!!

Happy New Year!!!

 

Winter 2009 TV Season in Review

The Winners, The Losers and Who got a Call Back

Here is a rundown of the shows I really enjoyed this season (the winners), the ones I stopped watching for one reason or another (the losers) and the ones I stopped watching and started watching again (the call backs).

These are all good shows. The losers are by no means crappy tv, I was just enthralled by other series and found myself missing episodes (for e.g. The Mentalist). After you miss enough episode of a show you realise that obviously that particular picture does not hold its place in your viewing itinerary like it used to. Once upon a time I could not miss an episode of Monk or Psych. But this season I think sleep won over.

The rundown!!

The Winners

This season there were a few all out, at the head of the pack winners:

• True Blood – it actually got better this season. The first season was good but the second season was definitely better. Stars of the 2nd season – Alexander Skarsgard who plays Eric, followed (not too closely) by Ryan Kwanten who plays Jason. Both the Eric and Jason characters got some legs this season, but there is something about that Alexander. When he is on screen you just have to watch him and no one else.

Alexander Skarsgard

• Flash Forward – my mind is in a twist. Are people causing things to happen in the present because of what they saw in their flash forward of the future? Or is what they are doing now supposed to happen? Who is lying about what they saw in the future and who is telling the truth? Can you change your “destiny”? Can you misread your “future”? Is it bound to happen or can it be changed? So many questions. Will I get answers? Either way, I’m hooked. Breakout star – John Cho. He was always a star in my book and he steals the scene from Joseph Fiennes every time. Sorry Joseph but your FBI agent seems like a wimp with alcohol issues. Not a good combination for an FBI agent.

John Cho

• Glee – a musical every week? Not usually my cup of tea. I must be the one person on earth who thinks The Sound of Music is more like The Sound of “Get-Me-Outta-Here”. Which all means that Glee must be freaking awesome!!! The glee kinds are great but the “supporting” cast is downright amazing, even the principal rocks. Star of the show – dialogue maven Jane Lynch who plays Sue Sylvester. Is there a role she can’t play? Is it fair that she gets 90% of the best lines? Give this woman props. Gotta love her.

Jane Lynch

• Sons of Anarchy – Jax, Gemma, Clay, Half-Sack, Bobby, need I say more? Yeah I do. This season was off the hook. Check my review of the finale HERE. The storyline was tight. Bringing in the Zobelle white supremist and mixing it up with the Irish, Mayans and the FBI was a stoke of genius. For any other show this type of mash-up might have been too much but in the hands of the SOA writers it was just enough to keep the story jumping. Axing a few key players was unexpected. Sending Gemma on the lam was unprecedented. We need her back. The story needs her back. How will she return? I don’t know!!!! Star of the season – Charlie Hunnam who plays Jax. Awww, come on!! You gotta love Jax. Everybody loves Jax, except maybe Clay every other day. More Jax please.

Charlie Hunnam

That’s it for the winners.

The Losers

• The Mentalist – Ouch!!! This was a big winner last season. I'm sure it is still good (well I can’t be certain) but people are still watching it, just not me. Simon Baker is fun to watch and fun to watch and fun to watch (repeat). But how many of these shows can a body sustain without getting bored out of his/her mind. It was a bad season for procedural dramas, too many of them to chose from and non of them won. I was looking for something new to watch and tvland was full of somethings new. (Vampire Diaries anyone?).

Simon Baker

• NCIS – Yes, I lived without NCIS. How was it possible? Did I miss Gibbs, DiNozzo, Ducky, Abby, McGee and Ziva. Hells yeah, and in that order. Truthfully I think I grew weary of Ziva. i really preferred the female agent they had before. Sorry guys, maybe next season.

Mark Harmon

• Burn Notice – last season I would have traded in my eye teeth not to miss Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Weston and Sharon Gless as his mom. The cast gets an A+, but Thursday nights belonged to Flash Forward. Catch you guys on internet reruns.

Sharon Gless

• Psych, Bones, Medium, Castle, Monk and In Plain Sight – What can I say? These are almost the same picture (except for Medium) in different packages. Who needs more of the same? Catch you guys on internet reruns also.

Cast of Psych

The Come Back Kids

These are the shows I stopped watching and was drawn back into for one reason or the other. Sometimes one good episode is all it took.

• Desperate Housewives – Terri Hatcher picking up garbage at the side of the road in an orange jumpsuit; classic.

Terri Hatcher on the set of Desperate Housewives

• Supernatural – Okay that episode, “The Curious Case of Dean Winchester”, where the demon turned Jensen Ackles’ character Dean into an old man was a work of art. The actor who played older Dean (Chad Everett) was spot on. Kudos!! “Changing Channels”, the following episode was also a class act. If you miss every other episode in season 5, don't miss these two.

Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles

• New Adventures of Old Christine – On most days this show is funny. There is more to laugh at here than in most other comedies.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

• How I Met Your Mother – Barney. Too much awesome. Who can resist that?

Cast of How I Met Your Mother

That is my take on the tv winter season 2009. What is yours?

Twilight: New Moon – It’s a toss up

Watching Twilight: New Moon made me realise that I really, really miss True Blood; and Laurel Hamilton “Anita Baker” books when they were good.

If you have not guessed by now, Sunflower is not a teenage girl. Female, yes. Teenager, no. And New Moon is for the teenage crowd. Does that mean I did not like the film? Yes, and no. (Some of my fellow adult friends sure seemed to like it.)

First off, I have not read the books, and don’t intend to; although New Moon made me feel like running out and buying book no.3 in the series. See the conflict, I do feel torn in 2 directions like a teenage girl. And much like the teenage heroine in the movie.

New Moon was not all bad, but clearly not all good. There was a scene where the heroine (Bella) screamed and screamed because she missed Edward, her vampire on-again off-again beau. It was a bit much!!!! Screaming, almost every night for months? If I was Bella’s dad I would have hastened her off to therapy.

Then there was some really bad acting but almost everyone in the film (except Taylor Lautner). And of course there was the bare chestedness of the male werewolves in Sam’s pack. Yes, nuff young men with no shirts on. Was it teen night at Chippendales?

Was I impressed? NO. Was I repulsed. Heck YEAH!! The Sunflower is not a prude but there were about five (5) too many scenes with young men with no shirts on. Why was there a need for so much of this in the film? Was it in the book? I have to ask ‘cause I did not read it (as mentioned earlier).

My basic problem with the Twilight series is the author’s take on vampires. Their shining skin, their walking in the day; all sorts of things that I am not in favour of. But this is fantasy, right? So she can create what ever fantasy world she wants her vampires to live in. I don’t have to like it.

Back to the movie.

My favourite scenes are the ones with the adult vampires in them. “Adult” being the vamps who turned vampire past the age of 18. The story line could also have been a lot better. There were some massive holes in the plot which could have been filled by acts of common sense. But then teenagers are not known to be blessed with a whole lot of that. Still, the ending of New Moon falls under “dumb”. Not because I am over 25yrs of age but because if you looked in the dictionary for “dumb” there would be a big ‘ole poster of New Moon.

Sunflower gives New Moon a C+. The plus is because I still want to know what happens next. And that must count for something.

TV Show Finale Review – Sons of Anarchy

(Spoiler Alert – If you have not seen episode 13 in season 2, I suggest you do not read this review. I don’t give a way much, but to a true fan a little may be too much.)

Of all the shows I hate to admit I love, Sons of Anarchy must be at the top of that list.

(Can you really hate these guys? Look how cute they are all dressed up.)

The show is about some fairly bad dudes who run guns (not drugs) and who have no problem dispensing of their enemies and hiding the bodies.

And in an equal opportunity kinda way, SOA also showcases some firly bad dudettes. The chief “old lady” aint all that old and she packs a mean punch (with a skateboard no less), and has her own mini arsenal of weapons.

Ok, that is my idea of an overview. To find out more about SOA you can check ----> Sons of Anarchy on TV.com

About the Finale

Good finales should wrap up a few plot twists and add a few more, just to keep the audience eager for the next season. And this finale did just that.

What got wrapped up – That whole Zobelle thing. Well kinda. Chief Zobelle is still alive and kicking but his daughter did not fare so well. The Zobelle clan was disbanded and in the nicest of ways.

Gemma. Thought she was smarter than to walk into a room and not check who was lurking in the shadows first. Although I know why she did what she did, Gemma had to pay for being stupid when you should be smart. Now she is on the run and to me, it is mainly her fault, aided nicely by Agent Stahl.

Stahl is another one I love to hate. I hate when she comes on screen cause I know she is going to kick up some trouble for the Sons. And that is where my conflict is. She is the “good guy” and I get angry when she tries to  do her job. why am I siding with the “bad guys”. (The world’s turned upside down, that’s why.)

The beef between Jax and Clay is not resolved. Just shoved aside for the greater good. They need each other right now and cant exact revenge on the club’s enemies on their own. No biker is an island. The club had to put forth a show of strength to combat their enemies.

But did the end justify the means?

This is a theme which ran through the entire second season. The Sons have their revenge and their enemies retaliate in unspeakable manners. And the club seemed lesser after each retaliation. It was like they were always being “one –upped”. And that is not how it was supposed to happen. Why could their enemies not stay down like good little boys?

In this season’s last episode Jax paid the big price (not ultimate, but fairly damned close). No one felt the pain dealt on him by the Irishman like Jax did. That one Jax has to deal with early in the next season. Or will that thread run all season 3 long? I hope not.

So as Zobelle boarded that plane off the Budapest, the fans are off on a trip too. A long lonely trip until SOA season 3 starts sometime next year.

And we cant wait until this trip ends.

Sons of anarchy season 2 finale - A+

Whip It - Watch With Friends and Family

So what's in a name?

The movie is called "Whip It". Simmer down pervs, there are no actual whips in the film. The phrase refers to a roller derby technique called "the whip". Hence "whip it". Got it? Good.

So now that we have established the rational behind the misleading name (or is it just me? I really thought there were going to be some kind of bondage involved), we can address the second issue I had to confront before going to see this movie: the subject matter.

Roller Derby

This is not my favourite topic to watch on the big screen. The reason behind this is that I have been burned before with a little LL Cool J film I like to forget I ever saw. The ladies may love Cool James but the Sunflower hated (really hated) his roller derby film. Sorry Cool James, better luck with NCIS Los Angeles. By majority vote my family and friends decided to watch Whip It while I was on holiday a few weeks ago. So off to the cinema we went.

Watch with family and friends

This film is a group watch - so grab four or five of your nearest and dearest buddies and head out to see Whip It. (Or just grab five bums from off the street. The choice is yours.) Why? Because if you watch it on your own you might hang on to the film's flaws and by pass some of the sutler funny parts.

What is good about Whip It?

I'll start by saying that I give this film about 3 petals out of 5. Which lands it squarely in the not bad but not great category. What is good is the acting. The cast is comprised of some genuinely good actors giving spot-on performances. I cant say that Ellen Page (Bliss) is one of them. For Whip It, she pretty much played Juno on skates. Replace the whole pregnancy issue with the coming of age issue and you have her performance nailed. No surprises, no soul searching or digging deep to pull off her role. Kind of a repeat performance, but a good repreat performance. Second time the charm?

Marcia Gay Harden, Alia Shawkat, Carlo Alban and Daniel Stern who played Bliss's mom, best friend, boss and dad respectively were great. But the stand out performance was Andrew Wilson who played the coach. Juliette Lewis as usual gave a stellar performance.

The best friend played by Alia Shawkat

The dad played by Daniel Stern

The coach played by Andrew Wilson

Juliette Lewis

What is not-so-good?

The film moves slowly at times and contains a few irrelevant scenes which could have been left on the cutting room floor. There are other weak points in the movie but to expand on them would give away some of the plot.

What I can say is that for a film about a young woman's journey into self awareness through roller derby, the roller derby scenes are not that great. But few films if any are perfect. Whip it, as mentioned earlier is actually fairly good, not great but definitely a go-see.

2009 Pic-o-de-Crop Semi Finals Review

Sunflower was at the Gymnasium

Yes everyone, Sunflower went out last Friday night to the Pic-o-de-crop semi finals (no, the moon did not fall from the sky). Not only did I attend the show, I painstakingly wrote a 3 part review. So visit The Bimshire Post website to read all about it.

• For my review on the first half, click here ---> First Half

• For my review on the second half, click here ---> Second Half

• To see how my final 9 matched up with the judges, click here ---> The Judges Decision

Congrats and good luck to the finalist!!!