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!!!

Why Did You Do That? - BET Awards Fashion Gone Awry

Here in Barbados we have the privileged of cable television, the internet, international newspapers/magazines, books, libraries....you name it. We are not closeted from the fashion and entertainment world. Heck, many an actress and actor have called this rock home, or summer home, or home away from paparazzi.

In other words, a gal from Bim knows a bad thing when she sees it. And Sunflower saw many bad things while watching coverage of the 2009 BET Awards. Here are my thoughts in a special Why Did You Do That?

(Note - To close the menu at the bottom of the picture, please click the white arrow. The menu will slide to the left. To reveal the menu, click the arrow again.)

Why Did You Do That - To Your Neck?

Here is Elise Neal wearing a thorny heart shaped pendant which looks more like a robot from Transformers waiting for the right moment to attack. I can only assume that she does not like her neck and her neck does not like her. Otherwise it would have retaliated by giving her a sore throat. REALLY!!!??? She looked in the mirror and thought: "Nice dress, I'll pair it with spikes." WRONG. Why did you do that? You have a nice neck and a beautiful smile.

Here is someone who did it right - Nichelle Nichols

Our Star Trek heroine knows how to honour a neckline. Having a few more years on Elise Neal (above), Nichols knows that you should be thankful for the great gifts you receive, and wear a necklace which will not harm you if you tripped and fell over on the red carpet. (Safety first gals.)

Why Did You Do That - To Your Booty?

From the front the dress looks half decent, but the back is a nightmare. Dear Claudia Jordan, why did you do that to your booty? Seriously, the dress looks like it was inspired by a peacock and did not do you justice.

Why Did You Do That - To Your Body?

First up in this category is Melody Thornton.

In the words of Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest: "You know, these clothes do not flatter you at all. It should be a dress or nothing. I happen to have no dress in my cabin."

Apparently Melody had no dress in her closet either because she is wearing no dress at all. This is not a dress. It is STRING!!! If a cat happened to walk by there would have been chaos. Here is a piece of advice ladies - next time someone shows you a dress made of string - ask them if they want to buy some snake oil.

Second up is Shaun Robinson.

We get it, you are tiny and cute and can wear anything on your slender frame. Would it not have been better to wear an entire outfit? Like Melody, you are wearing no dress at all. This is a shirt - a long shirt, but a shirt/blouse/top. A rose by any other name is a rose. This is a SHIRT. Gals, please learn the difference between a top and a dress.

Last up in this section, but by no means least - Beyonce

It looks scary in the dark and even more frightening in the light. Honey, people were not reaching out to touch your pretty frock, they were trying to tell you to go back. Yes, go back and put on a dress, or pants or something. Just like Melody and Shaun, you are wearing no dress at all. This is more like a Queen of the Band costume. And if it was, you might have won; as it is not, you lost. The sad thing is that we know you have tons of clothes in your closet. It is a shame when bad fashion happens to pretty people.

Why Did You Do That - To Your Hair?

Or more like - What did you not do to your hair? Style it - that's what you did not do. Oh Tyra Banks, you are in the running to be America's worst hair model.

Guess what - I don't like the hair either. Surprise!!!! Better luck next time.

Next up - Lil Mama

Just because your name is Lil Mama does not mean that you should let children style your hair. Yes, I know, they beg and plead and cry when you don't let them have their way. But we gals must be firm, especially when getting ready for big events. Practice this line: "Children, you may not style my hair when I am going out in public. And definitely not when I am attending the BET Awards show." Got it? Good.

Why Did You Do That - To Your Feet?

This is a category close to Sunflower's heart. The Sunflower loves shoes. Loves them!!! So when I see people disrespecting their feet with ugly shoes, I feel compelled to blog about it.

Again - Beyonce. These shoes look bad from the side and from the back. Where is the love for your feet destiny's child? Bootylicious does not equal foot-delicious.

These feet belong to Amerie but they do not look very happy at all. The shoes were channeling John Travolta in his Vinnie Barbarino days. The 70's called and they want their shoes back.

Letoya Luckett's shoes. Ok this is a toughie - they are not totally horrendous but they are not nice either.

I like these shoes, but Omarosa's toes (on both feet) look like they are trying to escape. So the overall effect is not good. Your toes should love your shoes not hate them.

No Naturi Naughton, everyone will not be running to Payless to get a knockoff pair of these shoes. Looks like the cobbler did not have enough leather to make a decent pair of boots. You were short changed.

Final words - Ladies, don't become slaves to fashion. Have fun with your clothes, after all you paid good money for them. But always display some common sense.

The pictures in this blog post are for The PicApp website. www.picapp.com

Goodbye Michael - We Will Miss Your Genius

Sunflower would like to extend condolences to the family and friends of Michael Jackson, King of Pop and musical genius.

We will miss you Michael.

The pictures in this post are from the PicApp website.

Live Performance of Smooth Criminal

Live Performance of Bille Jean - 1983 Motown 25 Live

Please visit the official Michael Jackson website at http://www.michaeljackson.com/

Michael Joseph Jackson
August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009
Age 50