Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Entourage

    Well, let's see, another great HBO TV show - Entourage. I mean, this is HBO after all they've hardly made any bad series, and as all of them this one is also addictive.
    This one is about show business, about fame, money and the things that come with them. Overall I have to say it is a comedy, but in the big picture you can see that actually the characters have a ton of problems, each has his own drama. But don't think drama like "Romeo and Juliet", here we see the problems behind being a "superstar" actor, being in the movie business. Where's money, there's trouble. And you will see that to be true.
   A bit our characters maybe. The main people around which the action is happening is Vincent Chase, a movie star, with his entourage - his brother Johny "Drama" Chase, Turtle and Eric "E". Drama started acting before his little brother Vinnie, starred in the 90's TV show Viking Quest but since then his career has kind of hit rock bottom. Later when Vinnie becomes the star, Drama will have the chance to get some bits and pieces. He is also supposedly the entourage's cook. "E" is the best friend of Vinnie, and he trusts him completely, though they've had their share of quarrels. E has assumed the position of Vinnie's manager, since he is quick witted and knows people. Turtle doesn't have any specific role, he is kind of a handyman, doing all kinds of menial chores. That being said Turtle will later on also show his potential. And last but not least is Vincent Chase, he is kind of the "meal ticket" for the entourage, they are getting from his fame and glamour and their roles are arranged around him. Another character worth mentioning is Ari Gold, Vinnie's agent, he is a very interesting, with a touch of weird-crazy character, top in the movie industry.
   The storyline is fast paced, you will see that, there will be no "filler" episodes always something will happen, it's just that you don't know what. Which is great! I love unpredictable, it gives a the suspense, the longing for the next episode. So, let's talk downsides - hm, the episodes are 30 minutes, but i really think this is for good, cause a 50min episode will come a bit much, and the seasons might become diluted, watery. I can't really think of something that irritates me in the show, there is probably, but the overall greatness makes it totally worth it. Peace, I'm out.

Ari Gold: [Ari doesn't want Vince to do Queens Blvd] You know what they feed people on an indi set, Vinne? Nothing! They don't give you a trailer. They tell you to go sit on an apple box. Ever try to bang an extra on an apple box?
Eric: Well, if anybody could do it, Vince could.
Vince: I do have great balance.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Putting the Herb in Suburb

   I thought I should review a comedy show today, something different, for the sake of variety. So, here we are, let's review Weeds.
    First of all, so far I've reviewed 40-60 minute shows, and Weeds' episodes are much shorter - around 30 minutes. Weeds is a weird show, it has a bit of comedy, some drama (don't be thrown back by that) and of course crime. I mean it is a drug-related show, so the crime bit is certain. Our main character Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker which by the way is really hot) is a single mom with 2 kids (which will change), who is selling weed as a main source of profit. So there, from here come the comedy, the drama and the crime bits. But bare with me, this isn't a "How High" stoner comedy (not that it is bad), Nancy (and later her kids) are mostly just selling. Well this is the main plot element  and it doesn't change, our character is always either trying to sell or selling weed.
   It's not all good though, the action through the seasons becomes a bit repetitive after the first several seasons. But after you've gone through that it still is pretty good, it is hilarious, almost every episode will make you laugh out loud or at least smile. We see the characters in loads of ridiculous situations, each one of them has kind of different agenda. We see the rise and fall of the family, the development of characters is a bit non-existant, subtle, especially in our main character Nancy, but I'd say she is just doing what she knows best - sell weed.
   I really don't know what to say for it more than to give it a chance, either ways Mary-Louise Parker is super hot, so there you go another great reason to watch the show, and besides the episodes aren't that long as stated which makes it non-heavy, really good casual show. Peace I'm out.

Andy Botwin: How can you be so blindly pro-Bush?
Doug Wilson: I like his wife Laura... I used to buy weed from her at SMU.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Dexter

    Dexter. Hm. Dexter is something new, he is a breath of fresh air for those that have gone sick from the other series. Dexter is both a villain and a hero (depending on the view point). It is a unique show.

   Let's see what it is about. Dexter is a guy working in Miami PD, forensics expert, blood specialist. But he is no ordinary lab rat. He has a deep, dark secret... And this is the great part, I mean how many shows do we have where the main character is a serial killer? Dexter has problems, he has the need to kill, since his mother was killed in front of him when he was just a baby. So far we've got the villain part, but how can a killer he be a hero as well you ask. Well he is putting his "need" to use, by killing only, and strictly other criminals, killers. Dexter is like a modern day Superman or Spiderman, he is getting rid of all the scum from our society and that's what makes him a hero really. Where the authorities (the police) have failed he comes by to repair their mistake. During the show some people realise what he is doing and try to join him in his "crusade" but so far almost all of them wind up dead.
   A bit about his personality. Well what can I say except he doesn't feel. He doesn't have feelings like you and me, compassion, even love (though this will change). This is maybe what makes him the psycho he is, I don't know if normal person will be able to sleep at rest, knowing what he had done. Dexter lives 2 lives, a bit like Walter White (Breaking Bad), but he plays his role as a normal person better, he manages to fool everyone so far. And this, I think, is because of his lack of normal feelings, his different thinking process.
   OK, Dexter is a serial killer, you would ask now how doesn't he get caught, this is setted up you'd say. Well no. After the little Dexter was found on his mother's crimescene he is adopted by one of the cops. When growing up Harry (the cop) realises that Dexter is not like other kids, he is not "normal". So, long story short, he learns him a code by which to live, stay safe and the most important, never kill other man than a killer.
   Great! So far so good. For some of the people maybe the latter seasons get a bit repetitive - Dexter gets in trouble, and a really tight escape. Well I tend to overlook that a bit, cause the general idea, plot, storyline is genious, it has gotten me stuck in front of the monitor for days. It is pretty realistic to some extend. Well this is it, I can't write no more without revealing big spoilers for the show. Peace, I'm out.

  Dexter Morgan: [voiceover] People fake a lot of human interactions, but I feel like I fake them all, and I fake them very well. That's my burden, I guess.
  Dexter Morgan: [as victim averts his eyes from dead bodies] Look! Or I will cut your eyelids right off your face

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Being Human

   Well, I thought I should review a show not that famous today. My eyes stopped at Being Human.
   First of all there are 2 versions of this series, the original one is British (BBC) and is up to season 3, this year should be releasing season 4. The second version is by the beloved SyFy, they basically bought the show from the British BBC, didn't even change the name nor the basic script and so far it has only 1 season. Today I will talk about the original UK version.
  OK, the series are great, and I mean really, really the story is awesome. With the first episode we meet with a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost. And all of them living in the same house! Wow, it's already gotten interesting! We don't have many shows where supernatural creatures (beings, people) live together. The vampire is giving his best to not kill people (not successfully), the werewolf is a big mess, he's trying to forget what he is, to bury the wolf, and the ghost... well the ghost can only be seen by supernatural beings, so she really likes them and thinks she has some unfinished business on the Earth. 
   Really, if you are into supernatural kind of stuff, you will like this TV show. It has got everything you need - action, drama, a bit of a romance here and there (not enough to spoil anything). Mitchell (the vampire, who I think is the most interesting character) has some problems with the hidden society of fellow (not so much) vampires. He was best friends with the "head vampire", but now that he has gone sober and good he has separeted himself. Well... it doesn't go really well for him, he goes berserk from time to time, lingering from chaotic evil to lawful good, (yes, it is a D&D reference) which is really great because I wouln't watch a show with 3 different types of supernatural beings and no blood in it.With time (and seasons) we realise that there are as well other ghosts and other werewolfs.
   So a bit about the other characters. The ghost (which I don't really like) is kind of depressed but she is good. She can't touch stuff, can't exit the house and is invisible to normal people, though this will change several times in the series. Anine (the name of the ghost) is messed up big time, she is weird and at the beginning even the other characters will see her as irritating. She has big emotional baggage, and generally that's why I don't like her, but hey, the show wouldn't be the same.
   The werewolf (George) is a bit socially awkward (make that a bit more), and has his own problems. He changes, transforms to a werewolf once in the month in the full moon, the rest of the time he is normal-ish person. During that full moon he is making everything possible to not harm anyone (or possibly infect someone with the werewolf "disease") but that isn't so sucessful as well.
   So Being Human, another series with which you will have a great time in front of the monitor/TV. Also as I see that some of you have the problem from where to get the show to watch it - you can find this (and I think almost every show) in the mighty Pirate Bay. Peace, I'm out.
George trying on another shirt: Well?
Mitchell: This, ah, non-date. You gonna break it to her you cross-dress?

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Breaking Bad

   Hello again folks. Let's review Breaking Bad, since its 4th season is underway at the moment.

   Well what can I say. First I started watching with a bit of scepticism, I mean the father of Malcolm (in the Middle) Bryan Cranston in a serious drama? I have, and I'm sure all people, were seeing him as a comic actor, he was playing a not-so-smart-guy, even kinda dumb. So it was a great shock when I saw him in Breaking Bad first episode, only in underwear, driving an RV with a gas mask on, moments after that pulling a gun out. I was WTF man, who is this guy, sure isn't the same guy from Malcolm in the Middle!
   In Breaking Bad you can see a great progression of character. In the beginning we see Walter (Walter White, the character of Bryan Cranston) as a dull school teacher, in his mid-ages, best of his years gone. He looks kind of depressed to me, though I'm not a psychiatrist, busting his ass in a car wash as well in the university. So the breaking-bad-point comes with his diagnosis of lung cancer. What are you going to do if you were in his place? If you were a school teacher, and you found out about your lung cancer?... So Walter goes through some metamorphosis, goes insane if you want. From there on we see the character progressing from what he was, to a drug producer. With his progress he gains more money, and mo' money = mo' problems. He goes away from his old self, from his wife and family, and goes into the underground, cooking meth with his partner Jessy Pinkman. I mean, even if you don't want to, you can not live both the lives of a boring chemistry teacher and deal with the pressure and problems of meth cooking. You have bigger problems to solve, when you are neck deep in sh*t I don't think you will be able to do a lot of thinking about other things.
    So, a chemistry teacher gone Insane (in the membrane). Еnd justifies the means. I really think that this is the motto of our meth cook, for the whole time the idea was - get some money for wife and kids to lead a good life after I'm 6 feet under. But what he didn't realise is that in this kind of business you don't go just "out", you can't just quit. So at some point he goes through the point of no return and in seasons 3-4 we see him working against his will with danger for his and even bigger for his partner's life.

   Fourth season so far is awesome, I don't think the quality has go down (a lot, anyway), I will stop now, so you can have something to find out on your own. I think I will stop giving "rating" to my review shows, since I will wind up with 20+ shows with 9+ rating, which kind of defeats the point of rating in my opinion. So, Breaking Bad - another must! Peace, I'm out.

"What's the point of being an outlaw if I gotta have responsibilities?" "Darth Vader had responsibilities- building the Death Star."" True Dat! Two of 'em, Yo! "

Friday, August 12, 2011

Prison Break - a must!

OK, let's get down to it, some actual, maybe (hopefully) useful information.
I will stick with TV shows for now, in the future... we'll see.


   First off, what really got me into series was Prison Break, before that all that existed for me were movies. Prison Break to this day is one of The Best series ever made (though as progressing through the seasons, the quality goes kind of down, but I already said that that is common). Everything links itself in one grand-master-scheme, really awesome stuff. I mean, if I was in a prison, I'd sure want a brother like Michael Skoffield for me. So the first two seasons of Prison Break are top notch stuff, I mean epic, everyone needs to watch them - if you haven't then correct this mistake. Season 3 and 4 kind of go down - everything repeats itself - go to prison again, try to escape from the cops and catch some bad guys Again. Nevertheless if you start watching, you will go down with all the seasons.
   Get a day off, some popcorn and Prison Break! If I have to rate it (and I will do it for you people) it's a 9.8/10 overall, deffinitely watch it!
   For those who have already watched it I'm sorry to say that there is no second show like that (in that area/similar content or ideas). Maybe Breakout Kings but they are more episode-for-episode kind of action.
   So, to end this post I will put up a  first season trailer. Also you can tell me the next TV show for me to review in the comments. Or not. Peace, I'm out.

Dr. Marvin Gudat: I can promise you nothing.
Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell: Story of my life.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Let's get this show started


   Hey! Today I'm starting my new blog.

   A bit about myself first. I used to watch a lot of movies, and I mean a lot - my personal record is five full time movies for a day, and that wasn't even a movie marathon! Then I discovered TV shows, and to this date I'm hooked up. I have watched or am watching near 40 different TV series, and I try to watch the best ones, and filter through the meaningless, why-am-i-watching-this stuff.

   I have got to say for me, movies have gotten way crappier with years, I mean they are all just the same - watch 1 movie and you have seen them all! So that is maybe one of the reasons I moved from movies to TV shows - they seem to offer more variety, even though some get worse with progression of seasons. OK, so a bit to the point here, on this blog I will try to point out some good movies, TV shows for you cinephiles, maybe even put up some reviews, though I don't think of myself as a critic.

   As I know everyone nowadays is interested in music, I have to say my tastes lay in the trance genre, and more specifically psychedelic and my favourite there Goa. Through the years I have listened to old-school rap/hip-hop, house, hardcore, industrial and dubstep, which I still listen to regurarly.

   I think that is it, I plan on writing some more to-the-point stuff soon, haven't really planned it out yet, but expect more.

A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later.
Stanley Kubrick