New Romans

Tonight was the finale of Whodunnit, the new reality show in which contestants must solve murder mysteries each week detailing how previous contestants were killed. Although no contestants were really harmed in the show, it makes me wonder how close we are to becoming the next Rome, in which men and women are killed merely for the entertainment of the audience. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of the show Whodunnit and am looking forward to the next season. However, this new reality show seems to be toeing a very thin line. Reality shows, no matter what their themes, are always cutthroat, but it seems that the relief contestants had with just hypothetical deaths is a step above cut throat. With the imitation of real murders and the competitive but nonchalant aura of the show, Whodunnit could be the start of actual death becoming a mere game. And the audience is not completely free of blame for this transition. If we desensitize ourselves to the idea of watching fake deaths that mimic real murders, how far are we from not blinking when we see an actual murder televised. And if we do come to this point, will we become the next Romans who find pleasure in blood shed and torment? Will we eventually find our empire crumbling. Perhaps I am blowing up a simple situation into a major drama, but it wouldn't hurt to keep this possibility in mind. It may take decades, but we could find that we transform into the modern equivalents of blood lusting Romans.

 

Surprising Words from an Unlikely Source

While listening to the radio I heard a song that really touched my heart.  And what surprised me the most was that it came from artists that I have struggled with in the past. Before, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's songs usually left me feeling very confused. On the one hand, I love the sound of their music, like the melodies for their two songs "And We Danced" and "Thrift Shop." However, I'm definitely not a fan of their lyrics. I usually find their lyrics to be really offensive. However, their one song, "Same Love" was very insightful and truthful in my opinion. I feel that this song spotlights the hypocrisy that some religions show towards homosexuals. The song's lyrics "And god loves all his children, is somehow forgotten, but we paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago" really does ring true to me. I can't understand how a religion can say that god loves all his creations, but yet seclude homosexuals as sinners. And yet that same religion claims that all humans are sinners as soon as they are born. The song's lyrics "If you preach hate at the service those words aren't anointed, that holy water that you soak in has been poisoned" really highlight some religions' hypocrisy. There are men and women that stand above everyone else saying that they are good people who only want to save the souls of others, and yet they turn around and commit cruel acts that only hurt other people, like the Westboro Baptist Church. The members of that church will disturb the funerals of those soldiers who have given their lives to provide basic rights, and yet Westboro's members use their rights to spew hateful messages about those same soldiers. All I can say is that after hearing Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's song "Same Love," I have a new level of respect for these artists.

 

Two Negatives Equal a Positive

After re-watching episodes of Once Upon a Time, I was thinking that  Regina and  Hook would make a good couple. They really have quite a bit in common. Both had to witness their loved ones’ hearts literally ripped from their chests. Cora, Regina's mother, ripped Daniel's heart after learning her daughter was going to run away with him. Rumplestiltskin ripped his wife's heart out after learning that she ran away with Hook. Also, both Hook and Regina have tried to start a family with a boy that was not related to them through blood. Regina, of course, adopted Henry after Emma gave him up for adoption. Throughout the two seasons of the show, Regina has fought to keep Henry. And Hook, even after discovering that Baelfire was the son of his enemy Rumplestiltskin, wanted to adopt Baelfire. Although both characters have done despicable acts, Hook and Regina have had moments where they have tried to do good things, even if their intentions were all but honorable. Plus, I think that Hook may have some infatuation with Regina. Even after she betrayed him and pushed him off a cliff to be killed by Maleficent, he still refused to participate in her torture by Greg and Tamara. Now the only question is could Regina put down her guard enough to find a little love for the captain.

 

Passing of the Sonic Screwdriver

Well it’s official. Matt Smith will no longer be playing the Doctor, come Christmas time. BBC confirmed that the Doctor Who actor will leave after four years of starring as the Time Lord. Smith will continue his role of the Doctor in the 50th Anniversary Special in November of 2013, but will regenerate in the Christmas special. My initial reaction, like many other fans, was mistrust of the new actor who first starred as the new Doctor in 2010. Although I was not a fan of David Tennant’s performance of the Time Lord, I still had my doubts that this young actor could pull off such a colossal part. Boy was I proved wrong. Although Christopher Eccleston will forever be my favorite Doctor, Smith, at least out of the three recent actors, was the perfect portrayal of the Doctor. He had the exact combination of madness, charm, eccentricity, and strength that made him such a good Doctor. And the sad part is I just got used to him playing the part and now he’s leaving. Although I am sad, I’m really excited and a little apprehensive about who will be cast as the new Doctor. Of course, like anything else, speculation and rumors are spreading like wildfire. It has been rumored that the next Doctor may be played by a woman. If this is to happen, I hope the next Doctor will give an excellent performance. I can bet that many fans will be resistant and even hostile against an actress that does not fit their exact expectations. Whoever it may be, I wish this performer luck, because they have a taunting task ahead. And as for Matt Smith, I hope he had good experiences performing as the Doctor and I wish him many prospects for the future.

 

 

Just to Have a Laugh

Whenever I’m feeling sad or just want a guaranteed laugh, there is one show that I turn to every time; The Carol Burnett Show. Found mainly on DVD, this variety show from the 60s and 70s is a sure way to put a smile on my face. The cast, Carol Burnett, Tim Conway, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence and Lyle Waggoner worked so well together that they seemed as close as a family. The variety show had clever writing that could take even the simplest moments and make them hilarious. The outstanding writers, one of whom was the show's comedian Tim Conway, did not need to have a joke be nasty in order for it to be funny. Those writers had true talent, reaching deep down in their minds to find clever ways of making the ordinary extraordinary. Even with the exceptional writing, the skits wouldn’t be as funny without the performances of the actors and actresses. The cast, especially Carol Burnett, were not afraid of physical comedy; in fact they were more than willing to take a fall for a laugh. The cast handled the pressure of performing in front of a live audience well, even though they were prone to fits of unscripted laughter, most commonly Harvey Korman. With an ornery little rascal like Tim Conway, I think it would be near impossible not to laugh at his ad-libbed lines and funny accents. I think reactions like this demonstrate that the cast were so passionate about their work that they could appreciate a funny situation even in a serious one. All in all, I think the show was just an all-around good show that touched many hearts. Whether you want to have a laugh or sing a song, as Burnett’s farewell song goes, this show will bring a smile to your face.

 

The Third Time Really is a Charm

I am so glad that Candice Glover won American Idol. Not only do I think she is a better singer than Kree Harrison, but I also liked her personality better. I  personally would have preferred Angie Miller was in the top two, but I’m just glad Candice won. That woman has such an extremely powerful yet controlled voice. I would give anything to sing even remotely as good as she can. And to think, this was her third time auditioning for American Idol! The finale was, as usually too long, but I did enjoy a few of the performances such as Emeli Sande and Amber Holcomb’s performance of Next to Me and Jesse J's surprise performance with Angie Miller. It was really awesome that Jesse J asked Angie to perform at a concert in London. Man, I would die from a heart attack if my idols, Pink or Kelly Clarkson, asked me to sing at one of their concert. I was surprised by how many performances the judges did. I wonder why Nicki Minaj did not perform at all. To be honest I'm glad she did not perform. Not only am I not a fan of her music but I am not a fan of her behavior on American Idol as a judge. She was very immature and unprofessional. Minaj often let her own personal biases and emotions skew her criticism. For example, after Lazaro Arbos performed a song, instead of just politely critiquing the performance, all she could say was “Okay” in a very rude manner. I often wonder if Minaj, or the other judges for that fact, realize that they are being paid to do a job, not spend the time rambling on about themselves or fighting each other. If this was any other job, they would be reprimanded for their behavior. It is no surprise to me that The Voice had better ratings over American Idol. Although the judges could get a little competitive and egotistical sometimes, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Shakira, and Usher showed true concern, compassion, and beneficial criticism towards the contestants on The Voice. I have been a fan of American Idol since it very first aired, however, if Idol cannot chose better judges, it may lose a fan.

Humanity of the Undead

I've been reading the novel "Warm Bodies" by Isaac Marion, and I must say that it is quite a tale. The extent of unique concepts seen in the movie of the same name comes nowhere close to that of the novel. Although many aspects of the movie are similar to the book, there are some ideas that are excluded from the movie, which in my opinion may be a good thing. The level of humanity that Marion portrays in his zombies can boggle the mind. In his novel, his zombies attend church, have a family, attend school, and even have a twisted version of sexual intercourse. Church is comprised of zombies standing in a circle, school consists of a helpless living human being attacked by zombie children, and sex is just standing around naked. I would argue that some zombie fans may not enjoy this unique encroachment into humanity. To me, these activities seem too ordinary to have such a supernatural phenomenon like zombies participating in them. However, although I do not like reading about zombies performing these acts, I cannot help but feel that Marion is trying to incorporate a deeper meaning into his novel. Perhaps he is saying that  the basic needs of pursuit of knowledge, craving of company, or hunger for touch, is so deeply embedded in our being that even a hypothetical situation of the zombie apocalypse  cannot extinguish these needs. Whatever his message is, I enjoyed the movie more than I did the novel, which is quite rare for me to say.

 

A Fan's Biggest Dream

Yet another winner of Survivor was chosen and I can honestly say that this season proved to be the most dramatic yet. It appeared to me that there were more physically injuries and mental breakdowns this season than past years. And to top it off, the winner could be the biggest underdog the competition has seen. John Cochran, or Cochran, was a huge fan of the show. If a person wrote his thesis paper on the jury system, you can guarantee that this person is a fan. Cochran proved this by the analysis he showed during the show, which ended up benefiting him in the end. Out of the final three competitors he made the most convincing case of why he should be the winner of Survivor. Dawn Meehan, throughout the competition proved herself to be out of control when it came to her emotions. I think Sherri Biethman destroyed her chances of winning during her speech at final tribal council. She shouldn't have told the jury she was in control of multiple businesses, because her wealth possibly dissuaded the jury from handing her the million dollars. It didn't help that she responded so rudely to Erik Reichenbach. I feel that this was a defensive move on her part, since she may have realized she would not receive any votes in her favor. During the live reunion it was quite odd that only members of the jury were placed on stage and questioned by Jeff Probst. All of the competitors should have at least been able to sit on stage, even if Jeff did not have time to speak to them.

Wi-Fi Soup

So today I watched Doctor Who's “The Bells of St. John" for the second time. I was so excited for the return of the show, especially since I was so eager to find out who Clara Oswald is and how she died two times. Though this episode did explain some small details about where her famous words to the doctor "run you clever boy and remember" came from and her nickname Oswin, I was disappointed that the show still left me hanging on the full details of who she is. There have been some interesting theories going around on the internet though. One theory that I found really neat was a connection between Rose working in a shop after she was sent to a parallel universe and Clara telling the doctor that a woman in a shop gave her the number to the T.A.R.D.I.S. phone. Rose would definitely considered The Doctor to be the best helpline and so it would make sense that she gave this number to Clara. The really exciting part of this theory is that if it is true, then it is possible that Rose may be returning for the 50th Anniversary special to explain her connection with Clara. Also there may have been a subtle appearance of Amy Pond, since the book Summer Falls, which Clara took from one of the children she looked after, was written by Amelia Williams. If Amy adopted her husband's last name, Williams, then she could have very well been this author. However, for me, the best part of this episode was the touching love and care that the Doctor put into making sure Clara was okay after first encountering the Spoonheads. I thought it was the most adorable gesture when he put flowers by her bed and cookies on the nightstand, even though he left a cookie half eaten. I would give anything to have someone do that for me, especially if it was the Doctor.

 

Step Aside Nuclear Family

I've always found it difficult to watch shows such as "The Brady Bunch", "Leave it to Beaver", and "The Andy Griffith Show". While many viewers consider these to be good and wholesome entertainment, I personally found these shows as very unrealistic and closed minded. It was hard for me to accept the family dynamics of these shows, because these “nuclear families” excluded or simply ignored so many different types of family structures. Non-whites, impoverished, single parent families or homosexual families went unacknowledged in these shows. Women were only portrayed as dutiful wives and mothers, while the men were shown as strict but wise fathers. The children were often ornery and misbehaving but at the end of the episode were magically taught a valuable lesson.  The only problem with this is that the shows were only directed toward a specific audience, one who shared experiences and values with this nuclear family. This target audience was sometimes only a small portion of the population. Now, especially in the media, there is a new movement to expose different kinds of families. Shows such as the New Normal, bring to light other perspectives. The New Normal focuses on a couple, David and Bryan, who are trying to raise a family. Since the couple is homosexual, these two men depend on a surrogate, Goldie, who is a single mother, to carry their child. This fluid and modern family would never have been recognized in a show like "The Brady Bunch”. This is quite a shame, because there are some really touching and insightful moments that expose the hatred directed to homosexual couples, and demonstrates that sometimes the people that have the most love are the families that step away from the traditional familial structure. Being homosexual and a single parents did not stop this unconventional family from feeling a strong bond for each other. These characters may be from a fictional television show, but I feel that they can teach a great deal of lessons to real families.

Jungle Fever

There are no words to describe last night’s episode of Survivor. Out of all the years of Survivor, I don't think there has ever been a contestant who completely broke down in such a way that Brandon Hantz did. I really hate to say it, but from the clips I saw, I honestly believed that Brandon had some very serious psychological issues during his second time on the show. Of course, I realize that the clips shown on Survivor are edited in order to cast a contestant in a certain light. And since I was not on location with Brandon, I do not have the full details and knowledge of his actions. However, I have a feeling that he suffered a full meltdown on the show. Whether it was because of the elements, lack of sleep or food, frustrations with the other contestants (mainly Phillip), mental instability, or a combination of all five, I cannot say why Brandon behaved in this manner. I personally would not be able to handle a personality like Phillip, so I can understand Brandon's frustrations with this man. However, the way in which he conducted himself, especially in regards to the other contestants, was inexcusable. I would have physically knocked him to the ground when he tried to destroy the limited supply of food. This behavior makes me wonder if there needs to be more efficient psychological background checks when picking contestants for the show. I almost feel sorry for Brandon, because his meltdown will now be displayed in front of millions of people. I feel that he should not have been allowed on the show in the first place. I really hope that after he was voted off the show, he was given some form of help. I do have to say that I was very impressed with how the host of Survivor Jeff Probst handled Brandon. Without aggressively pulling Brandon out of the show, he de-escalated his behavior by talking with Brandon and even giving him a massage to try to calm him down. Probst showed that he was a host that could handle a very unexpected and potentially violent situation. I really hate to say such negative things about an individual, but I really was blown away by Brandon's actions and I sincerely hope he can get some type of help. Or, if the show somehow misrepresented him, that he can find a way to speak the truth about his situation.





Year of the Animation

It just occurred to me that 2012 had some really great animated movies, at least in my opinion. The four main movies that touched my heart and jump started my imagination were Hotel Transylvania, Rise of the Guardians, Wreck It Ralph, and of course, Brave. Hotel Transylvania put a very humorous and cute spin on the fictional characters that have served as the villains of so many scary stories. I adored this movie because I think it made its audience view so called monsters in a new perspective and made us question whether humans can actually be considered the bad guys. Rise of the Guardians brought back the wonderment we had as children, although some of us never truly lost this. Rise of the Guardians reminded us why we loved Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Tooth fairy, Sandman, and Jack Frost. It was really interesting to see these characters cast into the role of guardians for children, even though it makes sense since most of us owe our best childhood memories to these characters. Wreck It Ralph provided a clever and humorous interpretation of how arcade game characters feel. I was truly fascinated by the unique ideas that were integrated into the world of the three arcade games. The candy rush land had such humorous and inventive concepts such as the donut police officer named Dunkin, the hot Coca Cola lake and the Mentos stalactites, or the quick sand made of Nesquik drink mix. Brave, as I have said before in my post "Brave New World" was a wonderful new take on the classic Disney princess. Merida was a princess which more modern women and girls can appreciate, and was a perfect movie to show that happy endings can exist without a romantic relationship. This is becoming a very relevant topic since many women are concentrating on their careers and education instead of pursuing marriage and motherhood. This year also looks promising with animation films such as The Croods, which stars one of my favorite actresses, Emma Stone.

 

 

The Chimes at Midnight

I finished watching The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and realized that there were some very important messages demonstrated by some of the residences of the hotel. Graham Dashwood proved that if we live with regret and shame, we are only sentencing ourselves to a life of misery. Once we can let go of these prisons, then we will truly be free and at peace. Muriel Donnelly is an example of how when we lose our usefulness, we are cast out by society and the ones we love. Therefore, we hide within ourselves, never wanting to have interaction with others for fear we will become obsolete to them. Jean Ainslie demonstrated that when we become so blinded by our insecurities and fears, we lose sight of the beauty and wonder that so often surrounds us. Evelyn Greenslade was a woman who discovered that even in our later years we can discover our true path, even if our previous steps have been taken at somebody else’s side. Douglas Ainslie's attempts to remain loyal and kind were useless when they caused him to be unhappy. Lastly, Sonny Kapoor felt that his happiness depended on how others viewed him, but his unrealistic expectations resulted in his misery. It is impossible to please everyone, but if we are happy within our own soul, then most likely we will give happiness to everyone else. This movie demonstrated that even though society pushes elderly individuals to the side they are often the ones with the most wisdom. I was also excited that there may have been a vague and unintentional connection to Doctor Who. Penelope Wilton who played Jean Ainslie also played Harriet Jones in Doctor Who. In the movie Penelope Wilton's character repeatedly said that she was going to turning left, which coincidently was the title of a Doctor Who episode. Coincidence, I think not.   

Metal to Metal, Spark to Spark

To show you how much of a geek I am, I watched Robot Combat League on SyFy tonight, which sadly is not the geekiest fact. I am so used to watching futurist science fiction shows that I thought the "effects" on this show were not well done. I've become so spoiled with watching computer generated effects that I'm expecting that fluidity in the robots that were fighting on Robot Combat League. In fairness, it really is amazing how advanced those robots were, considering that electronics have recently popped up in the last hundred years or so. I was really amazed that through engineering, the human fighters were able to maneuver such large machinery. I can definitely see the future potential, not only for fighting, but for a wide range of uses. Already robots are starting to be used for medicine and weapons. Electronic devices can serve as prosthetics, and be controlled by mere neural signals, like thoughts. This will give so many people a second chance after losing their limbs. Exoskeletons machines have the ability to advance the strength of human beings while still keeping their speed and agility. These exoskeletons have the potential to restore movement to paralyzed patients or those who have diseases such as Lou Gehrig’s. I knew someone with Lou Gehrig’s disease and it’s a horrible disease to witness and an even more horrendous disease to experience. I hope that humanity can find a cure for this disease, but allowing victims to be able to walk again would be a great miracle too. There is so much potential for robots and I am really curious as to what robotic advances we will see in the next few decades. The only drawback is we must be careful we don't have a scenario like the Terminator. Hey it may be a movie, but the concept is all too possible. Told you I was a geek!

 

The Secret Life of Zombies

After watching the trailer for World War Z, I was intrigued as to what the movie was about. The trailer revealed enough about the movie to interest me, but did not give too much away about the plot. When I found out that the movie was based on a novel, I jumped on the chance to find out more about the movie. I'm only about twenty pages into reading the novel, but it proved to be a very interesting book. The book is written like a combination between a history textbook, an interview, and a narrative. The angle that Max Brooks takes in writing the novel is very unique. He seemed to examine how drug cartels and human smugglers would handle the zombie apocalypse and how it would affect their crime. He also examined the different ways in how the rich and poor of third world countries, especially those in Asia, would handle their infections. The poor of these countries believed their relatives’ inflictions to be supernatural, but still protected their family members. The rich spent an absurd amount of money fleeing to other countries to find a cure, and when the situation called for it, would abandon their own family members. I feel that Brooks did such a good job of exploring an aspect of life that is not commonly looked at in American zombie culture. No longer are we sympathizing with the middle to upper class American victims, but we find sympathy for the poor Chinese peasant. Or we come to realize that crime could still remain and flourish in a world overrun by zombies. I can't wait to read more of his interesting angles on such an over done genre.

 

Weight of the Crown

As you can probably tell, I'm really passionate about the show Once Upon A Time, especially the character Regina. Despite her very nasty habit of ripping people's hearts from their chest, I like her character. Regina is a very misguided character who is the product of being raised by her very manipulative and twisted mother Cora. Tonight's episode "The Queen is Dead" proves this. Cora orchestrated the death of Snow White's mother and Regina's rescue of Snow White. What makes me so upset is that Regina is blinded to her mother's evil intentions toward everyone, including Regina herself and Henry.  I really don't like how the writers of Once Upon A Time, at the beginning of the second season, attempted to show Regina's potential to become a good person but destroyed that chance by having her character blindly follow her mother, even though she had suspicions of her mother’s intentions when they were reunited. With Cora framing her daughter for the murder of Dr. Hopper and then using Regina’s need for maternal love, Regina has not been given a decent chance to prove her worth. I’ve noticed throughout the history of the show the common theme that female rulers are unable to hold their position of power. Snow White's mother lost her position of power when she was murdered by Cora. Regina only gained power when her heart was corrupted by evil and she was only queen because her mother manipulated Regina's life in order to gain power. Snow White was not able to rule because her evil stepmother prevented her reign. So far, there hasn't been an example of a queen who has gained power without succumbing to evil or being murdered by evil individuals. I almost feel like the show is trying to imply that women cannot rule because they are either two vulnerable to evil's temptation or they are too weak to protect themselves from evil people.


Brave New World

I'm so glad Brave won the Oscar for the best Animated Feature Film. This movie truly deserves it. With a spirit that cannot be tamed, Merida proves to young girls and women that they have the power to change their fate. In Brave, Merida struggles to change her fate, a fate that involves marrying a man who wins her hand in matrimony after beating his competitors in a series of games. Merida fights for her right to choose her own fate by competing in the contest and by out shooting her competitors. I nearly jumped up and yelled for joy when Merida did this. Merida is a hero for the girls who don't feel like the traditional Disney princesses, who question why they need a prince on a white horse to rescue them. Brave is for the girls who would rather be fighting with weapons while going on a quest, free to choose their own destiny.  I loved that this movie was not centered on a romance, but rather around the struggle a young girl had with connecting with her mother. This movie proves that a happy ending doesn't always have to end with a romance. Merida and her mother Elinor were able to see each other’s perspectives and motivations, which strengthened their relationship. Merida was still able to keep her wild and free spirit but she was also able to learn that every decision has consequences for others as well as herself. For Merida and her mother, this brave new world gave them a chance to change their fate for the better.

 

The Noblest of Hearts

I watched the Doctor Who episode "The Fires of Pompeii" tonight. This episode really interested me since I'm a history buff. I have always been fascinated with ancient history, especially Greek and Egyptian history. I'm very interested in the mythology of ancient history, and this episode dealt with mythology in a way. However, this episode reminded me of why I fell in love with Donna Noble's character. By far she is my favorite of the Doctor's companions. I know many fans of the show considered her to be too loud and annoying, which I'll admit her character could be at times. However, I think her name truly represented her heart and "The Fires of Pompeii" proved this. I couldn't imagine time traveling back to the day that Mount Vesuvius erupted and not trying to help the people of Pompeii. It must have taken strength and bravery to convince the Doctor to save at least one person after he explained to her that Pompeii was a fixed point in time. I think out of all the companions I can relate to Donna the most. I’m very stubborn and opinionated, but like Donna, I don't have as much confidence in myself. Despite of her lack of confidence, Donna pulled enough strength and compassion to fight for the lives of the people of Pompeii. Although the Doctor did appear to be somewhat villainous in this episode, we did get a good look into how hard his life would be. I wouldn’t be able to function if every minute I saw what could be, what might have been, and what can never be. That would be so confusing and in a way devastating, like having to make the decision between saving the people of Pompeii or the whole world. I think sometimes it is better not to know what is going to happen, because if you do, you can’t do anything to change it. I guess this goes to show you that not everyone can be a Time Lord.

 

Dead Crazy

I finally got around to watching "The Suicide King", the season premiere of The Walking Dead. Wow, that show had some crazy twists. For example, how Daryl left the group to follow his brother Merle. When I first saw Daryl I felt that he was just as spiteful as his brother, but when he was separated from Merle, I actually came to like his rough around the edges attitude. Even though it saddens me that his character is temporarily taken out of the show, I understand why. If I was given an ultimatum between a group of friends or following a family member, I would choose my family as well. However, Daryl will most likely regret his decision in the future, because let’s face it, Merle is not the most easy person to get along with. It seemed as if Merle brought out the worst aspects of Daryl, and in doing so, put Daryl in a mindset that was not good for him. Another crazy moment, of course, was when Rick saw the hallucination of his dead wife in front of the new arrivals. I can foresee that at one point in time, Rick's mental illness will cost the others a heavy price. I just wonder if Rick will try to prevent this or if he will be too stubborn to admit it. For me, I find that the explanation for his state of mind a little unbelievable. When Lori was alive Rick seemed to be so upset at times that he could not speak to her. Now, he appears so devastated about his wife's death that he suffers from insanity. This just does not add up. Another thing that does not add up is why Andrea still stays with the Governor, even after he proved to be insane and dishonest with her. In previous seasons I considered her to be a strong female character until now. Now she seems to be so dependent on the Governor's attention that she cannot see the reality of her situation. This episode just goes to show you that if there is ever a zombie apocalypse, then humanity will go crazy.

 

 



 

 

The Future Looks… Funny

This weekend I started watching the show Futurama and it made me laugh so much. I should have known since the show was created by Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons. I'm a big fan of The Simpsons and Futurama has the same witty but silly humor that I have grown to love. I enjoy the concept of the show; a lazy pizza boy frozen in a cryogenic sleep wakes up a century later. It's ironic how his new job as a package delivery boy in the future is extremely dangerous, since he is usually sent on insanely treacherous yet comical missions. I love how whenever Professor Farnsworth says "good news everyone", this phrase leads to a risky mission where the chances of survival are very slim. I’m also secretly amused when there are quick references to characters from The Simpsons such as when the robot Bender ate a pair of underwear off a Bart Simpson doll. This is not the only concept that I have seen both on Futurama and on another show. I was saddened to see that an idea from Doctor Who appears to actually originate from Futurama's episode "A Flight to Remember". Philip J. Fry, Leela, Bender, and the rest of the gang take a vacation trip on the Spaceship Titanic. In Doctor Who's episode "Voyage of the Damned" the Doctor boards a starship that is a replica of the Titanic. Both Titanic starships are leisure ships and both come to a tragic end, of course. And since Futurama's episode aired in 1999 and Doctor Who's episode aired in 2008, it breaks my heart to say that it appears as if Doctor Who plagiarized a bit. I am sure it was unintentional, but it just proves that great writers think alike.

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

Well, Baelfire's identity was finally revealed on Once Upon a Time tonight. Emma's past love and Henry's father, Neal Cassady, is Rumplestiltskin's son. I can't say that I'm really surprised, since rumors spread throughout the internet that Neal could be Rumplestiltskin’s lost son. And to be honest, there really weren’t a lot of other candidates. Whether this news was shocking to audiences or not, the revelation of Baelfire's identity sparked consequences that will shake the show to its core. Henry has now found his father and his grandfather, which may result in conflict when Hook finally catches up to his crocodile, as the previews suggest. Will Baelfire and Rumplestiltskin make amends? To be honest I don't blame Baelfire for not wanting to have anything to do with his father. Rumplestiltskin gave up his right to be a father when he abandoned Baelfire in order to save his own magic. His cowardice and selfishness left his son fatherless. Will Emma and Baelfire resume their relationship? If Henry and his father become close, will Henry want to live with Neal? And if so, will Henry leave Storybrooke and Emma? So many questions arose from this episode. Other revelations were revealed, such as Cora's plans. She hopes to get hold of Rumplestiltskin’s dagger in order to manipulate him into murdering Snow White, Prince Charming, and Emma. The question is will she really keep the promise of helping Regina take back Henry, or is she only using her daughter to become the Dark One? Most likely, the answer is the latter. And of course, in the background of this complicated plot lurks Greg Mendell, the stranger who now has undeniable proof that there is magic in Storybrooke. He recorded on his phone Regina floating objects out of Belle's purse, which he then proceeded to send to his contact outside of Storybrooke. There is no doubt that this will come back to haunt the town.

 

 

Survival of the Fittest Has Begun

Well today the new season of Survivor aired. This season the location of Survivor is in the Caramoan Islands in the Philippines. The two tribes facing off against each other are Fans vs Favorite. Some of the Favorites who have made a splash in previous seasons are Brandon Hantz, Erik Reichenbach, Phillip Sheppard, and Malcolm Freberg. Despite the Favorites taking an early lead in the Reward Challenge, the Fans won the Immunity challenge, proving that determination can beat experience. After the Immunity Challenge, it fell upon the Favorites to choose who they wanted to vote off their tribe. At first, Phillip's name was on the chopping block, since most people felt he was the least stable of the group. However, when paranoia spread in the camp, Francesca Hogi and her alliance felt they had to split their vote, since they felt that Phillip may have the hidden immunity idol. Andrea Boehlke’s name was then whispered around, with many people saying they didn't trust her because she was too strategic. When it finally came to the voting in tribal council, it came to a very close tie between Francesca and Andrea. Francesca was ultimately the one to go home, which was devastating since this was the second time she was the first of her season to be voted out. Although I like seeing how experience from the favorites clash with determination from the fans, I feel like more attention will be placed on the favorites, since so many love the spotlight. I personally like to see new people at the beginning of the season and to grow acquainted with them as the show progresses. That way I have a concrete favorite that I want to see win Survivor. Tonight's episode proved that there will definitely be clashes of egos and drama in the future.

The Turning Tide

In Once Upon A Time’s episode “Tiny” I was still holding out hope that Regina would not team up with her mother Cora. However, now that Cora has her grasp on Regina, it seems impossible that Regina will be anything other than the Evil Queen. It was so unique that Once Upon a Time gave a chance for the Evil Queen to become more than just the villain. I really was excited when Regina tried to become a better person than her mother. Sadly, she reverted back to her usual self, and it seems to me that she will never stop trying to get revenge. And since Henry is on a mission with Rumplestiltskin and Emma, it seems like he won't be able to stop his adopted mother from doing something regrettable. Maybe future episodes will reveal that Regina is just pretending to go along with her mother's plan in order to plot a way to stop her, although it seems very unlikely. Speaking of a tide turning, Rumplestiltskin appears to be losing his power, a concept that must be very foreign and upsetting to him. Plus this begs the question of whether Hook will get his revenge on a powerless Rumplestiltskin. And of course, there are the every present questions of who is Rumplestiltskin's son, what plans does Cora have for Storybrooke, and will the stranger reveal that there is magic in the town? I am, as always, excited to see what happens on next week's episode.





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Not So Tiny Anymore

I’m so happy that "Once Upon a Time" returned last night. I've been waiting two weeks for this show to come back on. So far the episode has given me a great deal to think about. The gender bending of Jack proved very interesting. I’m always excited when traditional fairytales have a woman stepping out of the roles of wife and mother. However, I was a little disappointed to have this Jack betray Anton, the giant who just wanted to make connections with humans. Jorge Garcia did such a good job playing the gentle giant. The fact that the giants were a hardworking and peaceful race and that the humans were deceitful and greedy was a nice twist. In most fairytales the giants are a malicious and greedy race that lord over their treasures. It was refreshing to have a new perspective on the giants, who valued a good day’s work over the benefits of their crops. I'm also a big fan of underdogs and I think that Anton really embodied an underdog. Not only was he the "dwarf" of his family but he was willing to give humans a chance, even if they didn't deserve it. I’m glad that Anton was accepted by the people of Storybrooke, even after he caused so much damage. And the cutting of the beanstalk that he provided for the town may prove very interesting for future episodes.

 

This Girl is On Fire

After watching the film "Hunger Games" I decided to read the book series. After finishing the first book of the series, I started reading "Catching Fire". For the first few chapters, I wasn't interested in the book, since to me, it seemed mainly to be Katniss Everdeen’s thoughts on whom she should have a relationship with; Peeta or Gale. I'm really not a big fan of romance, so I was starting to get bored. Thankfully, the book took an interesting turn of events when revolution in the districts seemed to be a possibility. However, when I found out Katniss was going to be returning to the arena, I was a tad hesitant to read. I was afraid it would just be a repeat of what was written in the first book. However, Suzanne Collins did not allow this to happen. With a new location for the arena, new characters with new fighting styles, and a surprising twist on the capabilities of the arena, I've found that I can hardly put the book down. Even though I haven't finished "Catching Fire" yet I am super excited about how this book will be portrayed in film.

 



 

American Idol Hollywood week

As usually American Idol's group auditions during Hollywood week did not disappoint in terms of dramatic, shocking, and inspiring moments. I was really shocked when it was announced that the groups were all males and the contestants would be assigned their group members. I personally felt that this was a recipe for disaster, since these auditions are hard enough when the contestants have a choice in who their group members are. I know if I was a contestant, I would be completely devastated if I was sent home because my group was not able to practice and perform together. I was also disappointed to see that the groups were not a combination of males and females. I was very upset about this, especially since some contestants spoke about how there would be no drama since the groups did not have any females. However, as the show progressed, the men proved themselves to be just as emotional and dramatic as women. There were definitely ego clashes, disastrous performances, and dramatic exists, but even through all of this drama, there were still inspiring moments. To hear Micah Johnson singing after damage to his vocal cords and to watch Lazaro Arbos break out in song after struggling with a stutter is truly miraculous. I cannot describe how inspirational it was hear the positivity of Kayden Stephenson, who suffers from cystic fibrosis, or to see the joy on Matheus Fernandes's face as he was hoisted onto his group member's shoulders. These moments made watching American Idol worth it.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Excitement

For my feature writing class I'm writing a timely story about the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. With all this research about the show, I am dying to see what the Anniversary episode will have in store. I am really excited to see which companions will return to the show. My fingers are crossed for Donna, Captain Jack Harkness, and River Song because I absolutely love them. I've read rumors online that Stephen Moffat plans to include appearances from all eleven actors who have played the Doctor. The first three, who are deceased, will be added in using special effects. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for my favorite Doctor, Christopher Eccleston. I wished he could have played the Doctor for more than one season. Anyway, I am excited to find out the explanation of who Clara Oswin Oswald really is. I think I found a photo on Facebook that suggested that Clara was really the daughter of Rose and the meta-crisis Doctor. That would be an awesome explanation for me personally, but who knows if that is the real reason behind her two deaths. No matter who or what is in store for the anniversary episode, I will definitely be tuning in. I just wish it was on sooner than November. 

 

 

 

Warm Bodies

When I first entered the theater last night to watch Warm Bodies, I was a little apprehensive of watching a romantic comedy about zombies. With me being such a huge fan of traditional zombies’ scenes that include lots of gore and action, I was afraid that this film would lack those qualities.  The show did not have as much blood and guts as most zombie films, the effects were sometimes too computerized, and there were more running scenes than fighting scenes, but I still enjoyed the movie. Warm Bodies offered such an ingenious new take on the classic genre. For starters, instead of concentrating solely on a group of humans struggling to survive in a world overrun by mindless corpses, we hear the narration of a contemplative zombie called R, a living corpse who wants more out of his bumbling afterlife. Another concept that I truly enjoyed was how the zombies still had automatic human habits they performed, such as a zombie security guard scanning a metal detector at anyone who passed him. Unlike so many other zombie movies, Warm Bodies encouraged more hope for humanity. The movie made a real effort to show that human emotions, feelings, and memories are stronger than we give them credit.  To have the oddball relationship of R and his human love interest Julie become the cure for the zombie virus added to the quality of the film. Especially since this impossible relationship cured other zombies who witnessed it. With such innovative and humorous concepts in this movie, I am looking forward to a sequel and to read the novel this film was based on.