路顺风!

I found a web site that says the above means bon voyage in Mandarin (apologies if it's wrong and says something offensive instead). This is my way of saying I am off to China for a two week journey (meet me Tuesday at the wall!) but I will be back the week of April 27th so tune back in then!

The Unusuals: Watch what you steal from The Wire

Stealing the photocopier lie detector test was just ridiculous (and made no sense in the context of the show) but stealing Duqie is always OK by me (and indeed relieved some of the stress I've been carrying around since I last saw him doing drugs in an alley).

Wire steals aside, I have to say that I enjoyed the first episode of the Unusuals. Adam Goldberg did his perfect angry man schtick although I think Harold Perrineau was a bit misused as his death-fearing partner (just a bit too neurotic). The chemistry between Amber Tamblyn and her new partner (who they point out, used to play for the Yankees - yay!) worked for me and I am excited to watch Tamblyn probe the depths of corruption in the precinct (keep your eye on the Bible guy). I'm now planning to give this show a spot on the rotation and hopefully I will continue to enjoy it (until ABC cancels it that is - bets? May 1st anyone?)

Anyone else watch and/or enjoy the show?

Sugar: Donde esta I-A?

Now I admit that I am a sucker for baseball movies, but Sugar is not like any baseball movie I have seen before. It is about the search for the American dream more than baseball itself and it is definitely, definitely worth seeing. The film follows a Dominican pitcher, nicknamed Sugar as he makes his way from the DR to the minor leagues and then, well see for yourself. I will say that there are parts which are hilarious (hope you like french toast) and parts which are heartbreaking and although I thought it had lost me two-thirds of the way through, boy did the end bring me back. The film is only playing in New York and L.A. right now but keep your eyes peeled - it will hopefully be rolling out in more places soon. Until you can catch it, whet your appetite with the trailer:

Lost: The Smoke Monster Walks Like an Egyptian?

So Ben can't kill mothers (presumably because he has a complex from his mother dying giving birth to him) but he did indirectly kill his daughter. He would have liked to kill Widmore's daughter, since Widmore is also a daughter killer and would be mother killer (a la his plan to kill Rousseau) but since Widmore's daughter is now a mother, that plan's out the window. So instead, all he can do is go back to the island to stick it in Widmore's face that he can go back so easily but while he's there, Locke may as well force him into atoning for being a daughter killer. Actually, it was hard for me to tell whether Ben really intended to seek out the smoke monster or not. Here he says he does:



but then later Locke has to drag him to the temple to do it (oh gosh darn, I summoned him but he didn't come, ho hum. What's that? You know where he is. Oh, um, yippee.) Which would seem to make the above scene a front which would mean that Ben is also genuinely surprised to see Locke watching over him and did indeed want him morally, ethically, spiritually, physically, positively, absolutely, undeniably and reliably dead. And this heart of hearts wish leads to his punishment for being a daughter killer - Locke is his new master (which he perhaps should have been all along had history been written differently but since it can't be rewritten is this a course correction?)

Asides: Ben and Widmore did have really bad hair (as suggested by Jeff Jensen no relation at EW) but at least now we know a little more about their personal beef although why would one be banished for fathering a child (Penny) off the island?

I'm not quite sure why Sun has to be dragged around the island for the Locke/Ben showdown. What on earth could be the point in that for her? And how the heck will Locke be able to help her get back to good old 1977?

So Hydra Island has now officially gone Lord of the Flies? If Caesar is dead, I will be pissed because I was excited for Said Taghmaoui to join the show. Also, what kind of password riddle is what lies in the shadow of the statue? I would ask that the show explain this but I'm not sure that I care. There are enough people to worry about and things going on to see how Lapidus gets out of a jam with some random extras.

Going forward, I am excited about the prospect of a Miles-centric episode (as next week looks to be). Ironically, my sister and I said before we saw the episode that we wanted more explanation about Miles and his I see dead people powers and our wish apparently is their command. Too bad I have to hold out over two weeks to see it since I will be out of town. Think they have Lost in China?

Rescue Me premiere: Back with a Bang

The season 5 premiere episode of Rescue Me featured just about everything I love about the show. And if you haven't seen the premiere yet (Merri) stop reading now.

The firehouse banter is back in full force as are the dramatic fires that they fight - the image at the end with Tommy looking up at the figure in the high-rise window that he can't save from the flames was really moving, particularly with the haunting music in the background. Mikey and Sean have cooked up a fabulous let's open a bar scheme and Franco is perfectly relishing each moment, waiting for the scheme to fail. My absolute favorite aspect of the show, Tommy's relationship with his family, was also back with a vengeance. This scene of the family watching old home movies just killed me - Leary, as always, does angry truth so perfectly:



The only aspect of the show that sagged was the part that always sags a bit for me - Tommy and his women. I feel like he is particularly ill-matched with Gina Gershon, who is adding nothing in the way of humor so I hope that relationship ends quickly. His relationship with Janet also drags on as he is jealous of her new boyfriend Michael J. Fox. Fox had a great but brief scene in the episode, here's hoping he gets a lot more time in the next few episodes!

Fame the Remake Teaser Trailer

So while I am glad they seem to be using some of the same songs as the original film, and while I wasn't completely turned off by the cover of one of my all time favorites "Out Here On My Own," I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I, as a lifetime Fame worshipper, will be able to make it through a remake or not. I think this is not enough information to decide - let's see how I feel when a longer trailer comes out. In the meantime, see what you think:

Rescue Me Comes Back Tonight!

For 22 weeks!! I can barely contain my excitement!!!

For those of you who have somehow missed this show, you have to give it a try. It is hilariously funny, heartbreakingly sad, angry, twisted and topical all at the same time. Denis Leary, Steven Pasquale, Daniel Sunjata and the entire cast are hysterical and the way the show presents the gamut of emotions and issues Denis Leary's firefighter Tommy Gavin goes through is just perfect. You can catch promotions for the new season as well as lots of behind the scenes type videos on FX's web site http://vod.fxnetworks.com/fod/play.php?sh=rescueme#.

Please, please, please watch tonight and come back tomorrow so we can discuss the premiere!

Almodovar Will Return with Broken Embraces - Mark November 20th in your calendars now!

I've been hearing about the new Pedro Almodovar film Los Brazos Rotos (translating as Broken Embraces) but I didn't allow myself to get truly excited until I saw this:

Teaser Trailer- Pedro Almodovar’s Broken Embraces - _Film
by sinemaestro

A longer trailer (in Spanish only - I regret giving up lessons) is available on the film's official site http://www.losabrazosrotos.com/. According to imdb.com, the film will hit the U.S. in "limited release" (AKA my local arthouse theater) on November 20th and I am now counting the days. C'mon it's Almodovar and Penelopse Cruz with lots of embracing men - anyone else with me?

Here Comes Bruno

Now while I found parts of Borat hilarious, I would say parts of it went too far for my tastes so I would not call myself an enthralled fan. I feel pretty much the same about this preview for Sasha Baron Cohen's Bruno (coming in July) although something tells me I'll still be heading out to see it when it hits theaters. Watch the trailer and let me know - funny or too much? BTW, it's a Rated R trailer so you need to type in your birthday to watch.

Can't Shake That Tune!

Perhaps it's because I tend to see this commercial right before I go to bed but this song has been stuck in my head all week. I finally had to look up last night who's singing this cover of Major Tom (answer: Shiny Toy Guns) but I still can't shake it. And since it's such a short snippet, it keeps running over and over on a loop in my head. Please, someone start humming something else.

Life on Mars: Um, guys, I don't think that was supposed to be literal

So ABC cancelled Life on Mars but they still had time to get in a finale - the most bizarre, non-sensical finale I've seen in quite some time. Accepting that they were under the gun to slap together some kind of ending, what they came up with was still so ludicrous and hokey at the same time that I wish I had just watched a rerun of the British ending instead. If you somehow managed to make it through the U.S. show and were left scratching your head last night, please, please find a way to check out the British version of Life on Mars (or at the very least tune in to its sequel series Ashes to Ashes which is currently airing on Saturday nights on BBC America).

Green Porno is back!

As I heard her promise a year ago, Isabella Rossellini has made a new Green Porno series focused on the reproductive habits of marine creatures (the whale, barnacle, limpet, anglefish and starfish). While they're not quite as bizarre as the first Green Porno insect series, they're still plenty informative and fun. You can watch them all (marine and insect life) on the Sundance Channel's web site http://www.sundancechannel.com/greenporno/video/

Lost: What's in That Temple?

I have to say I was fairly disappointed with the episode this week which was fairly low on revelations. Kate did Sawyer his whispered favored which, as expected, was going to visit his daughter. She also, as expected, left Aaron with his grandmother although I didn't quite expect the spontaneous, conveniently timed change of heart prompted by nothing more than Aaron getting lost in a supermarket. I was hoping for something a little more Lost-like like a visit from Claire or Charlie or any other of the free floating spirits. Oh well.

Also, as expected, Ben can't die because we all know he lives to torture our heroes another day but the motivation of Juliet, Kate and Sawyer to save the life of a child no matter what it takes is the possible cause of Ben becoming an other and living life on the dark side. So if I get this straight, although our heroes think they're making independent decisions in their present, all they are doing is playing out the past that has to happen so we can get the future we know, right guys?



[That had to be hands down my favorite part of the episode. Love that Hurley - he's always good for a scene steal.]

So if only Jack had said yes and saved Ben at the Dharma camp, he might not have become one of the others but Jack has to say no so that the future can play out as it needs to right? He says no of course because he says no and that's the way it's written in history and it can't be changed, right?

I am very excited to see just what's happening in that temple (which looks like will be part of next week's episode) - let's get back to a little Island magic action and leave the woes of the boring lovelorn behind (I'm so over the Kate and Sawyer thing already!)