Castle – The Complete First Season

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Castle: The Complete First Season
  • tv.com: link

When a pair of murders are discovered to be recreations of his novels, writer Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) is brought in for questioning by Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic). Castle, coming off the end of a best-selling series of novels, is looking for something different. And, much to Beckett’s consternation, he finds it by helping her solve the case.

Rather than part ways Castle becomes a permanent consulatant for the NYPD as he does research for his new character “Nikki Heat” based on Beckett. As he writes, and takes care of his precosuious mother (Susan Sullivan) and responsible daughter (Molly C. Quinn), Castle helps Beckett and her team (Jon Huertas, Seamus Dever, Tamala Jones) solve a string of cases including a man stuffed into a wall safe, a nanny thrown into a dryer, the death of a young private school student in Central Park, a woman frozen for years, a woman drowned in a bathtub full of motor oil, and a dead Councilman.

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Love, you know, Happens

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Love Happens
  • IMDB: link

love-happens-posterI often dread going to see romantic comedies such as Love Happens. 1,000 times burned, 1,001 times shy. Romcoms are usually known for only their lack of originality, convoluted nature, and eagerness to play on overused themes.

As it happens, Love Happens isn’t a bad film. In fact its a fair bit better than I expected. However, even with two likable stars playing even more likable characters, not to mention a talented supporting cast, the film gets into trouble when it ignores the story it’s trying to tell, one worth watching, and instead focuses on giving us pat scenes which could have been taken from any other movie of this genre.

Aaron Eckhart stars as a widower turned self-help guru on the verge of national syndication. Along with his loyal assistant (Dan Fogler), Burke returns to Seattle for a seminar and hoping to close a lucrative deal. Unexpectedly Burke encounters a flower shop owner (Jennifer Aniston) with a passion for big words. His relationship with Eloise forces Burke to take a hard look at his own life, the loss of his wife, and the pain he still carries around inside him.

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Jennifer’s got a smokin’ Body but no soul

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Jennifer’s Body
  • IMDB: link

jennifers-body-posterHere’s what I learned from Jennifer’s Body.

1) Academy Award nominated screenwriters are just as good at writing mediocre horror flicks as everyone else.

2) People should really stop giving Æon Flux director Karyn Kusama work.

And 3) Asked to do some real acting, and without Michael Bay’s lascivious ogling lens, Megan Fox (who isn’t allowed to straddle motorcycles in cut-offs here) isn’t nearly the same sexy siren her fans drooled over in the Transformers franchise.

The film isn’t awful, but it wastes what little it brings to the table by serving up a lukewarm TV dinner that fails to satisfy. Jennifer’s Body makes several errors on it’s way to Best Buy’s DVD bargain bin, some of which I’ve summarized below.

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Top Ten Returning TV-Shows

/ / Essays, TV News 

TV’s new Fall Season seems to be upon us. There are plenty of new shows. There are also more than a few who were dragged out back and unceremoniously capped in the back of the head and dumped in shallow graves. I’m still a bit bummed with the fact that both Life and Pushing Daisies got the chopping block, but there are still plenty (at least ten) which are returning and are worth watching (including a couple returning tonight). Is this a top ten you are sensing? I think it is.

Before we begin let me take a moment to give a shout out to NBC’s Chuck which only misses the cut because his return won’t happen until Spring of 2010. Damn you NBC!!!! (And you wonder why you didn’t get a single show on the list) Okay, having gotten that short rant out of the way, now on with the list…

10. Dollhouse

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Whiteout

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Whiteout
  • IMDB: link

whiteout-posterAlthough Whiteout was slightly better than I expected, the film is nothing more than your basic thriller complete with a masked killer, a plucky detective with hidden scars, dangerous situations (most of which could be avoided the slightest hint of common sense), and a late plot twist which is far less surprising than it’s expected to be.

Kate Beckinsale stars as US Marshall Carrie Stetko. Due to an unfortunate case in her past, which we are given glimpses of in flashbacks, Carrie transferred as far from the action as possible. For years she has been the law in the icy wilderness of Antarctica where nothing ever happens.

Until now! Cue the suspenseful music.

Only days before her vacation, when the last planes will leave the Antarctic station for winter, a body is discovered. Carrie will have to put her past behind her and with the help of her doctor friend (a gruffy looking Tom Skerritt) and an agent from the United Nations (Gabriel Macht) she’ll try to find a killer from among the small population of the research station.

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