3.5 Razors

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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Lucky Number “9”

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: 9
  • IMDb: link

9-posterAdapted by creator Shane Acker from the short film of the same name, and produced by Tim Burton (who knows a thing or too about creepy and unconventional animated films), comes 9.

CGI animation in the style of stop-motion, Acker’s film is a breath of fresh air in both style and story. If you enjoyed Coraline earlier this year then this one’s for you. Here’s a good story beautifully rendered and not afraid to inspire both fear and awe in younger viewers.

Rather than take time to explain the world and its rules (i.e. talk down to its audience), as would happen in well over 90% of animated films (and close to 100% of kid’s films), we’re thrown right into the middle of the action.

The story begins with birth into a world of death. This is a post-apocalyptic world populated only by small puppet figures and dangerous mechanical beasts. We discover the world through the eyes of the newly created 9 (Elijah Wood).

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Lucky Number “9” Read More »

Psych – The Complete Third Season

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  • Title: Psych – The Complete Third Season
  • tv.com: link

I’m a big fan of Psych. Equal parts silliness and mayhem (with more than its fair share of 80’s pop culture references), the tale of fake psychic Shawn Spencer (James Roday) and his best pal Burton Guster (Dule Hill) solving crimes, both large and small, is a darn good time.

The four-disc set includes all 16 episodes from Season Three. One of my favorites from this season, or, for that matter the entire series, is the high school reunion episode “Murder? … Anyone? … Anyone? … Bueller?” packed to the brim with John Hughes references. It, like the season’s final episode “An Evening with Mr. Yang” (another strong episode, which you can watch below), also guest-stars Rachael Leigh Cook as the girl from Shawn’s past who got away.

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500 Days of Summer (in 500 words)

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: 500 Days of Summer
  • IMDB: link

500-days-of-summer-poster(500) Days of Summer isn’t your typical date movie. In fact, in many ways it’s almost an anti-date film. Through the eyes of Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon Levitt) we are shown the ups and downs of his relationship with Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel). Those couples looking for a fun romantic evening should choose this one only if they’re very comfortable and confident in their relationship. Otherwise the evening might turn a little more uncomfortable than what you planned.

Rather than giving us a linear look the script, written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, jumps through the timeline of the relationship for maximum effect. Sometimes this provides hilarious juxtaposition, and at other moments you’re allowed to feel Tom’s pain. To help you follow the timeline title cards and narration (provided by Jean-Paul Vignon) are provided.

Without a doubt it’s the cutest film about a doomed relationship I’ve ever seen. Those who have been involved in love affairs where one side feels more passionately than the other will no doubt understand and empathize with Tom’s plight.

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Leverage – The 1st Season

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Leverage – The First Season
  • tv.com: link

leverage-season-one-dvdGrifter. Hacker. Hitter. Thief. Four thieves agree to work under direction of an honest man helping those who can’t help themselves. As the show’s tagline states “sometimes the bad guys make the best good guys.”

Insurance investigator Nate Ford (Timothy Hutton) and four thieves are brought together by an unscrupulous executive (Saul Rubinek) who planned to use them for his own ends. After turning the tables and completing their mission, the team begin to work together as modern day Robin Hoods by going after those who have been taken advantage of by the system and those in power.

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