Category Archives: Review

Dexter “Are You…?” 7.01 – Review

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After witnessing her brother kill Travis Marshall, Debra attempts to reconcile with Dexter while struggling to cover up their involvement with the murder. Meanwhile, Detective Mike Anderson has an unfortunate run-in, Quinn and Batista begin to make amends, and LaGuerta finds evidence that causes her to re-think the closed Bay Harbor Butcher case.

Dexter is back and now he must face his greatest challange…his own sister. Last season Dexter was caught in the act of killing Travis Marshall by his own sister Debra. At first Dexter is able to convince his sister that all is not what its seems and she even helps him cover up the crime scene. Debra begins to deal with her discovery and past events and she begins to link them with her brother. She soon begins a journey into discovering who her brother really is and it is confirmed by Dexter verbally, when she confronts him. The pressure begins to build for our favorite serial killer and it erupts in a most messy kill at the airport. Many questions loom for Dexter this season and the most prominent is…How will the Morgan siblings survive this change?

I am a huge fan of both the Dexter books and television series and I find it great that they differ in many ways. It allows me to enjoy both and keeps me on my toes as I look to where both lines of fiction intercede. The writers of Dexter have done a fantastic job of keeping the series both interesting and thrilling at the same time. We all know Dexter has to get away in order for there to be a new season, it is how he does it that keeps us tuning in. Each year the noose has gotten tighter and Dexter has managed to just miss discovery by those he holds most dear, but that has now changed. Will he be able to keep the fragile life he has built, now that all has come undone?

Michael Hall does a great performance every season and I suspect this season will be his finest. There is some much that will unfurl this season and I cannot wait till next Sunday for my next installment of Dexter. If you truly enjoy the show, I would recommend that you pick up the books it is based upon. They are : Darkly Dreaming Dexter (2004), Dearly Devoted Dexter (2005), Dexter in the Dark (2007), Dexter by Design (2009), Dexter Is Delicious (2010), Double Dexter (2011), by the author Jeff Linsay.

All right Dexter fans…see you next week for another bloody episode.

9 Scenes From Storm of Swords That Will Be Awesome On Screen

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A Storm of Swords is the third novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. It is also going to be the basis for seasons 3 and 4 of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” So far the show has not let me down, and as long as they do these 9 scenes correctly, I’ll be happy.

The new season is still kind of far away, but the more news I hear and the more cast pictures I see, the more I anticipate the third season.

So here is a countdown of the 9 moments from SoS that I am most excited to see translated on screen.

::::MAJOR Spoilers Ahead::::

9: Daenerys obtains the Unsullied

I may be the first to admit, but I find the Dany storylines slightly boring. It’s mostly just her complaining to Jorah about her rightful throne and stumbling around Essos. Yeah, her dragons are fucking cool and her slight lesbianism with her handmaidens is hot but she is just… whiny.

However, the way she obtains her army, the Unsullied, was one of my favorite parts of her storyline in SoS. The idea of her giving up one of her children, her dragons for an army bewildered me till I realized her plan.

I think this scene is super important. Using her newly acquired army to sack the city and regain her dragon was clever and strong-willed. This is the first time in the series that I was able to see her as a leader and not as a disillusioned child. She was willing to not only raid the city, but also free the slaves. She is becoming stronger but is managing to hold on to her compassionate side, something most in Westeros can’t seem to do.

8: Jon Snow and Ygritte

I LOVE Jon Snow, and his hair. His beautiful hair. I’m also infinitely jealous of Ygritte (and Rose Leslie for that matter). So I live vicariously through the exploits of the lovers.

If you read any of the scenes between the two and your heart didn’t both ache with sadness and melt with love, then you are probably a robot.

The scenes are filled with hope and grief. Hope for the future of Jon Snow and his happiness yet grief over knowing his mindset. He knows he can’t stay with her, that he has to leave her even though every fiber of his being doesn’t want it.

Also, I want to run my fingers through his hair.

Yes, yes we would

7: Daenerys and Ser Jorah

I included this on the list because it is two books/seasons in the making. Dany needs to learn the truth about Ser Jorah. I mean, yeah, he loves her (creepily I might add) but he still betrayed her in the beginning and it is about time she knew about that.

I think Iain Glen is amazing so I am looking forward to him in this scene specifically. It is emotional moment for both characters and I can only imagine the sad puppy love look that will be all over Jorah’s face.

The Knight of the Friend-zoned

6: Shae’s betrayal

UGH. SHAE. I had such high hopes for her by the end of CoK and the second season. All those hopes were dashed in a two paragraph long structure. I’ve never gone so quickly to liking a character, to hating her, to wanting her dead.

When her betrayal of Tyrion was revealed, I wanted her dead instantly. I got some sort of smug satisfaction that this whore got what she deserved and that it was Tyion who did it.

Watching it will be sad, for sure, to see the hurt in Tyrion’s eye when he finds Shae in his father’s bed will kill me. But seeing that hurt become rage and power will be awesome.

Yeah, because you are a whore. 

5: Joffrey’s death

Some people will say this needs to be higher. But hear me out. We ALL KNEW that his death was inevitable. You can argue that this is A Song of Ice and Fire, that we can expect all the characters to die, but Joffrey is different. Everyone wants him dead. Not just readers but characters throughout the series want him dead. His death had to happen. His death was essential to the safety of so many characters, and vital to moving the story forward.

BUT just because it was a necessity, doesn’t mean I, and fans everywhere, didn’t love seeing him die. Especially in such an ungraceful way. He doesn’t die valiantly in battle, rather he is poisoned and chokes to death in front of everyone at his wedding.

I have a feeling that the Internet and viewers everywhere will be cheering for this scene.

When someone who doesn’t watch the show asks me why I don’t care that he dies

4: Jaime losing his hand

There is SO much to the character of Jaime Lannister. Losing a hand for most would suck, yes, but losing his sword fighting hand for Jaime is a huge deal.  Jaime has said he is only truly alive when he is having sex and sword fighting.

I think this is one of the more important aspects of his characterization because it becomes the catalyst for his change to an honorable person. Jaime is one of the few characters that appear to be unredeemable but end up being probably one of the most honorable people in the series.

I’m also all for more of the Jaime and Brienne relationship.

 It’s okay Jaime, I do too. 

3: Jaime explaining the truth behind Kingslaying

I always enjoyed Jaime’s POV chapters. There is so much more to the character that he doesn’t let on to those around him. The view of Jaime Lannister is completely different compared to who he actually is.

Like Brienne doesn’t want to be called Wench, Jaime hates being called Kingslayer because he did what he did to save thousands of innocent lives. But what I am excited to see how they portray this revelation in the series. Will they have a flashback? Or will it just be an elegant soliloquy? It is a crucial moment in the life of Jaime that changes him forever and in that moment it is also vital to his relationship with Brienne.

He is also pretty dreamy himself…

2: The truth behind Petyr Baelish

I think we all knew from the beginning that Petyr was a fucking snake. But the extent of his abilities were not even partially realized until SoS. He has always been able to have his hands in business all over Westeros but it is revealed that his actions are what led to the crucial events of the entire series.

He convinced Lysa to murder her husband and blame it on Lannisters setting in motion the entire conflict gripping the world. He is the one who poisons and kills Joffrey, and he kills Lysa effectively taking control of the neutral territory of the Vale while holding Sansa Stark there.

I am looking really looking forward to any scene with Littlefinger in it but also primarily the climax of his relationship with Lysa as she goes crazy and culminates in death.

What a creep

1: THE RED WEDDING

OH MY GOD, THE RED WEDDING. I knew of this event before I even began reading SoS though I had no idea what happened. I only knew it would make me sad and angry, and boy did it ever. After finishing the scene, I literally threw the book down on the ground, covered it with a pillow and refused to pick it up for the rest of the night.

I was so traumatized by it that this is all I could say:

I’m not sure if this will be in Season 3 or Season 4 but either way, it is the paramount moment of the entire novel and series up to this point.

RRROOOOOBBBBBBBBBB, ARRRRGH.

Lawless Is A Film To See Again and Again – Review

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Director: John Hillcoat

Based on The Wettest County in the World (2008) by Matt Bondurant.

Why are you interested in this adaptation?

Elena-

I want to see this movie because John Hillcoat is directing it.  I cannot overstate how profoundly I love The Proposition.  I will probably watch every movie the man ever directs just to see if he can match that one, even if the brilliance of his Western was an accident.  Lightning can strike twice in the same place, right?  But I feel like The Proposition was not accidentally brilliant; I feel like The Road, his other directorial effort, will more likely turn out to be the anomaly in his catalogue of films. That movie was controlled by a studio who did not want to risk a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel’s adaptation on a film with “atmosphere.”  R rating or not, they weren’t going to allow any barbecued babies or long, lingering (what they thought the pleb’s would consider “boring”) shots of a burned out world, and that lack of those shots and details were what caused The Road to fail as a film.  So I would be interested in seeing it only because of the director.

However.  Other reasons:  Tom Hardy. Gary Oldman. Guy Pearce. Shia Labeouf. It’s pretty much a man-doberge cake.  Yum.

Rachel-

I’m actually not into gangster movies unless they’re directed by Guy Richie. They tend to be a little too much “reality” for me. The “reality” of just how horribly and creatively violent people can be. I also don’t like war movies. (Hyperbolic violence is my flavor. Tarantino. I like it when it is highly choreographed.)

HOWEVER, I’m a sucker for Piedmont movies about hillbillies because it’s where I’m from (ish). I enjoy parsing the accents. This is why I suffered through the bleakness of Winter’s Bone and gained a whole lot of respect for Jennifer Lawrence before the atrocity that was The Hunger Games put her on everyone’s map. Plus Gary Oldman. I’m also willing to let Tom Hardy mumble his way through another movie in my presence and to watch him and Shia mumble at each other while sweating. They’re basically both the same guy, right?

What would make it awesome?

Elena-

It will be awesome if it lives up to my expectations as a proper follow-up to Hillcoat’s debut.  The reviews I’ve seen give me hope.  “Atmospheric” has been tossed about—a good sign.

So, for those of you who have not seen The Proposition, what I am looking for from this film is a beautifully framed, visually expansive movie with unapologetic brutality and thoughtfully gray morals.  No heroes, but no all-black villains, either.  And gloriously violent.  That combination of elements, well-constructed and well-executed, would catapult it to the top of my best films of the year so far list.

Rachel-

Aw hell, I don’t know! I saw the trailer, and it looks like it’s going to be hillbillies shooting gangsters and drinking moonshine. Sounds great! I take special joy in “period” movies that have really accurate sets and costumes. So, it will be awesome if everyone looks especially smelly.

What would make it suck?

Elena-

It will suck if the movie is all action.  What makes any really epic revenge tale (which this one looks like it will be) great is the slow burn.  I am patient with films which take the time to breathe but bored by movies that should take the time for character/setting development and don’t. I mean, it’s one thing to give me a movie like The Raid: Redemption which sets up a plot inside of two minutes and proceeds to be nothing but action for the next 90—I’m fine with that.  What I’m not fine with is a movie that is more than gimmicky action but doesn’t take the time to develop anything; Public Enemies comes to mind as a recent disappointment in that style.

Rachel-

If all these non-Southerners (and non-American, sheesh!) really SUCK at their regional accents. That shit will send me right over the edge if I have to listen to True Blood style accent mangling. I’m talking Ewan McGregor (whom I love and adore, forever!) in pretty much any movie in which he was required to have an American or American Southern accent. WTF?

Additional thoughts on casting/production?

Elena-

I’m really curious to see how Tom Hardy does playing an American, and if this role is a bit more nuanced for him than most of his recent ones have been…more of a character and less of a smart-ass action hero.  He sold me on his acting skills with Bronson and has not done much that required a stretch since.  I’m curious as well to see how Shia LaBeouf handles a grown-up part in a film made for grown-ups.  I will forgive him any number of Transformers sequels if they enable him to make artistic movies, and he turns out to have a knack for character work.

Nick Cave wrote the screenplay again (he also wrote the screenplay for The Proposition) and will no doubt have a hand in the scoring.  That makes me happy. Nick Cave is a weird dude of many talents and perversions, and his involvement ups the odds of my getting what I want from this movie.  Also I expect the music will be extra-fab with him arranging it.

Rachel-

Tom Hardy yada yada snore. I’m interested in seeing that kid from Holes do his best to pretend he was never in Indy 4 or Transformers 11. Gary Oldman is always a huge draw; it’s a pleasure to watch an actor like him transform himself. From the trailers I gather he’s going to be rather despicable, that’ll be fun!

Mostly I am seeing this movie because Elena wanted to, and I’m making her watch Dredd later this month so she’s making me see this one. Full disclosure, folks. You like it.

Reaction to film:

Elena-

LOVE.

This movie was what I wanted it to be.  It was full of characters, it was richly set with beautiful, lingering shots of the back-hills scenery, it was shockingly violent, it was funny in ways a movie with this storyline has no business being funny…I just enjoyed every second of it and want to see it again already.

Lawless felt like the less awkward, more commercially viable cousin of The Proposition.  It had the film-making elements that made me love Hillcoat’s first movie so much, but it was less bleak, and less ambiguous as to who was hero and who villain.  And it was set in America in a time that is currently in vogue rather than making a Western out of the Australian outback.  So the gorgeous cinematography, the patient pace, the spot-on musical selections, and the unexpectedly quotable script were all there, but in a packaging that the average moviegoer will respond to.

I was surprised to see Rachel call this a gangster movie, because it seemed to me like more of a back-woods resistance fighter movie—if nothing else because the obvious heroes were not gangsters themselves.  This instinct turned out to be correct, as the Bounderant brothers were certainly not gangsters.  They made charming anti-heroes, of three local boys making good in what was theoretically an illegal operation but which the local law bought into, until they got bought by some townies.

Shia LaBeouf had the traditional coming of age arc, from trembling youth to suave and unrepentant outlaw.  He was fine in the role, though it didn’t seem like it held many challenges (nor was it meant to).  He shone in the comic moments, but probably the best scene was the climactic ending, perhaps because he was so effective in the more light-hearted moments.  Tom Hardy stole the show for me, though, as the taciturn Forest.  He said as much with grunts and “hm” as other characters did with monologues and soliloquies.  I thought the whole production was well-cast.  I didn’t notice anyone’s accent at all, so that tells me they were competently to well-handled, though I confess I don’t know enough about Virginia hill accents to tell you how nuanced the linguistic performances were.  I could have used more Gary Oldman just for the sake of more Gary Oldman in pinstripes and bowler hats, but he wasn’t really called for in the story.

As I hoped, the movie runs a slow burn to an epic conflagration, though it does have moments of conflict and action in the run-up that keep layering the tension and upping the ante.  Happily, the ending delivers on the promise of those scenes.  The violence never feels gratuitously gory, but it is shocking and visceral.  You don’t always see it coming, and even when you did the scene plays out in a way that wasn’t how you expected.  Hillcoat pulls no punches in those moments, and he excels in making you feel what is happening on-screen.  Can’t lie; I squirmed more than once.

Also the music was awesome. Not as weird as I expected, though the score is full of Cave’s consonant sounds to ratchet up the tension, but most of the music was traditional or intentional replicas.

All in all, Lawless succeeded for me on pretty much every level, and it has enough commercially friendly elements for me to give it an unqualified recommendation.

Rachel-

Hot damn, y’all! I liked it!

It’s beautifully filmed in what looks like North Carolina? It’s got old timey cars, rattletrap huts, sweaty hats, hypnotic hymnals, and A MAGICAL CARDIGAN. Yes, folks, this is not a film about bootlegger hillbillies in Virginia as you were promised. IT’S BETTER. It’s a film about a magical cardigan that renders its wearer immortal!

Yup! Mystery Solved! Frodo’s almost forgotten mithril armor has been forged anew! It is now The Cardigan of Immortality!!! Capable of keeping its wearer alive through all manner of plausibly red-neck near death experiences! Never knew a cardigan was standard issue during WWI, did ya?

Why, it is SO impressive that had Joey the War Horse been given a standard issue US Cardigan (oh, England!), the damn horse would have FLOWN around Europe in his search for the boy Albert, and we wouldn’t have had to sit through tedious friend-making in France or tank-vaulting in…Germany?

What was I talking about?

Oh Yea, Lawless. It was good. The accents weren’t half bad. Sometimes they got a little yeehaw, but for the most part I was OK with them. They weren’t exactly Piedmont accents, but they weren’t twangy bullshit noises, either! Huzzah!

Art direction was stellar. Acting was top-notch, though there was very little Gary Oldman (saaadness), and Tom Hardy didn’t have that many LINES, though his physical acting was great…except for when he tromp-walked around like Bane. Is that just how he walks? Shia played the same earnest kid he always does, but with a southern accent. Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska’s characters seemed tacked on for plot development, but their scenes were generally welcome respites from the grimy, sweaty gun-toting scenes.

Surprisingly this film has some genuinely funny moments. Tom Hardy’s character “Forest” is a man of sometimes comically few words. Enjoyable and well-made. It IS a little slow…but not tedious. The tension builds and builds and builds some more, and you squirm a little in your seat in horror of what is to come. I checked my watch exactly once at the hour and a half point just to see if I could make it until the end of the film without having to leave my seat. I have a hard time watching movies that keep you in that extended state of tension. Masterfully done.

If westerns and “gritty” anti-heroes with limited vocabularies isn’t your thing, then you can skip it. Gary Oldman makes only one gangster appearance, tommy-gun in tow. Guy Pearce’s villain is tragically forced in a cast of much more nuanced characters, but it has a satisfying ending (a surprise ending for me! I was sure it was going to be bleak) and a lovely romanticizing of 1920s hill country living. Less gangster and more Piedmont Western.

Let’s hope Elena can enjoy Dredd as much as I enjoyed Lawless!

4 Things Fans Want to See From the TMNT Reboot

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Are you ready for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to return to the big screen? Based on what they’ve seen from an early draft of the script, some diehard fans aren’t too crazy about the whole idea.

A leaked draft of the script for “Ninja Turtles” alters the origin story for iconic comic book heroes in a half shell that are stirring controversy. Reported changes include making Casey Jones and April O’ Neil into a teenage couple and turning the turtles from mutants raised in the sewers into aliens from another planet.

Director Michael Bay is spearheading “Ninja Turtles” through Platinum Dunes, his production company. The franchise reboot was green lit by Paramount and is slated for a 2014 release. Bay has built his career on producing and directing action and science fiction films characterized by explosive action scenes and larger-than-life special effects. Paramount turned to Bay to revive the franchise after his success with “The Transformers” trilogy.

Michael Bay was quick to distance himself from the controversial script, saying neither he nor Platinum Dunes had anything to do with it. If Michael Bay wants to satisfy longtime fans of the franchise, these are four things that must be included in “Ninja Turtles” when it finally hits theaters in 2014:

1.) Turtles must be from Earth

Making the ninja turtles come from another planet doesn’t make sense and isn’t necessary. Their origin story has the turtles come forth as a result of chemical enhancements from toxic waste. The same is true with Master Splinter, the rat who becomes their shepherd. They reside in the sewers and use it as their base while they fight villains in relative anonymity. Bringing the turtles in on a spaceship kind of defeats the purpose of working as ninjas. Why not just blast the bad guys with ray guns?

2.) Shredder needs to be the central villain

No Ninja Turtles movie is complete without Shredder as the primary antagonist. He is a villainous ninja master who leads the Foot Clan and battles the turtles while trying to establish world domination. Turning Shredder into an American general in charge of a secret military division called “The Foot” introduces a foreign concept into the franchise. There has never really been an issue with military or government forces.

3.) April O’ Neil and Casey Jones need to be adults

Changing April and Casey into a teenage couple undermines what their characters are all about. One reason they work as adults is that they can do things for the Ninja Turtles in the outside world while they remain in the shadows. April and Casey are valuable allies in fighting villains. It’s hard for them to fill their roles in a realistic manner if they’re teenagers.

4.) The movie needs a “Dark Knight” style approach

If the new reboot is true to the original comics, it needs to have a dark edge to it. No campy plots or dopey humor will cut it. Movie fans proved with the Dark Knight trilogy that they like gritty realism to guide the plot and define the characters. It will give the movie added layers of depth.

This guest post was authored by Miranda Perez. When Miranda isn’t blogging about the latest restaurants and trends, she is traveling to discover new and delicious creations. Her frequent flier miles are her most prized possession.

7 Things To Look Forward To In Dexter Season 7

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Season 7 of the massively popular Showtime series, “Dexter” will be returning on September 30th and fans are getting more excited by the day. We are less then a month away from the season opener which picks up right after the incredible season 6 cliffhanger. In case you haven’t been following the steady release of information, here are a couple of things you can expect to look forward to in the next season.

:::Spoilers Ahead Of Course:::

Deb’s cursing

Okay, this is a given. Debra curses. A lot. However, given her circumstances at the end of season 6, I think it is safe to say we will hear a lot more. Showtime revealed the first two minutes of the first episode of season 7 and I think a minute of that  is dedicated to Debra freaking the fuck out. (and rightfully so, really.) Debra has always been foul-mouthed and crass, and hey, that is what he loved about her, but this season will delve into some of the most fucked up scenarios she probably never imagined.

Season 7 picks up right where we left off in 6 with Debra walking in on Dex in his kill room, plunging the knife into Travis. You can watch the first two minutes of the episode below from the Comic-Con sneak preview.

Dexter Will Go Into Self Preservation Mode

In the past, we have seen Dexter challenged by several different people, all threatening to expose him as a monster. Doakes, Lundy, Miguel Prado, and Quinn all become incredibly close to figuring out who and what he is, yet, he is always able to thwart them using his quick thinking and law enforcement training. We know that when he backed into a corner he begins thinking and considering things he probably wouldn’t have normally, such as killing in order to keep someone quiet, or tampering with evidence to keep himself uninvolved.

Based on one of the trailers released for the new season, it seems Dexter will lie and manipulate Deb from the beginning to keep her from spreading his secret. He always said Deb was the one person he thought he might actually have human feelings for, however, in order to save himself he will have to exploit their relationship, take advantage of her and her feelings for him, to keep himself safe.

It will be interesting to see just how far he will go when forced into a corner by Debra with the overwhelming evidence.

LaGuerta Will Figure Things Out

A recent television spot for the upcoming season shows LaGuerta finding a blood slide of Dexter’s at a crime scene. She immediately recognizes it based from when Doakes was blamed for Dexter’s deeds. It appears she will be a major force alongside Debra in revealing the true Dexter to the world.

My question is this: Will she go way of the original novels? If you haven’t read them, LaGuerta is actually killed in the very first book, and would have been killed in the first season had the show stayed completely faithful (thank god it didn’t, though that is an article for another time). It seems extremely plausible that this season will see the end of LaGuerta. She is starting to find things out, she is putting pieces together from years of experience, and Dexter can’t have that can he?

Changing Relationships

This one is obvious. For 6 years now, we have seen a pretty standard relationship between Deb and Dexter. (I mean standard for them, at least.) He, always closed off and disappearing, her having failed relationships, always leaning on the brother she admired. Then season 6 happened. Deb realizes she loooooveees Dex, loves him in the ooey gooey fashion not the “you’re cool, I guess” fashion.

Up until recently, fans and the internet, were unsure of how Debra was going to handle the revelation of the finale. Would he play it off as a one time thing? Explain that he was vigilante? Would he try to kill her? Would he turn himself in? However, it seems she is not going to turn him in… yet. But it is safe to say their relationship will never be the same. They will never be together, they will never be brother/sister friends again.

Nothing will be the same for either one of them, ever again.

I think watching their relationship change will be one of the most compelling parts of the final two seasons.

Blood, lots of blood

It is Dexter, c’mon. You know there will be lots of blood.

A Season Finale Climax/Cliffhanger

It was officially announced that the show would conclude next season. The producers of the show have stated that both season 7 and 8 will serve basically as one huge conclusion. Everything will be leading up to the end.

I am imagining that the end of season 7 is going to harbor some MASSIVE cliffhanger leaving fans saying “What?!” as if we are all The Doctor finding a woman wearing a wedding dress unexpectedly in our  TARDIS. It would only make sense that the season will not end on a happy note or even a seasonally conclusive note.

Tons of Guest Stars!

Ray Stevenson as Issac – Stevenson will play Isaac, the leader of a Russian organized crime syndicate in the seventh season of Dexter.

Calista Flockhart as an Agent – Calista Flockhart will play the role of an Agent from another bureau, she will guest star only in the first episode of 7th season.

Jason Gedrick as Miami Gentleman’s Club Manager – He will be appearing in multiple-episode arc as a manager of a club where is a high profile murder and there is noinformation on how his character will be affecting the dynamics of the show.

Katia Winter as a Russian Stripper in a Miami Club – Katia Winter will be playing a recurring role of a Russian Stripper in a Miami Club. She may be working in the same club where Jason Gedrick in the manager.

Matt Gerald as a Blue-Collar Worker with a Violent Past – Matt Gerald will be playing a recurring role as a tough blue-collar worker with a bit of a violent past.

Yvonne Strahovski as Hannah Mckay – Yvonne Strahovski will play the role of a strong, independent woman with a past that she’s struggled to put behind her. She will be appearing in multi-episode story arc.

Savannah Paige Rae as young Debra Morgan – Savannah Paige Rae will play the role of young Debra Morgan in the first episode.

Lauren Mayhew in Episode 7.03 – Not sure about her role but She will be guest starring with Matt Gerald in Episode 3 of season 7 titled “Buck the System”.

Nicolas Vigneau as young Dexter Morgan – Nicolas Vigneau will play the role of young Dexter Morgan in season 7 premiere.

Katherine Middleton as Doris Morgan – She will be guest starring the episode 7.01 as Harry Morgan’s wife.

Santiago Cabrera as Jason Price – Santiago Cabrera will be appearing in a recurring role as Jason Price an investigative journalist, writer who might outfox Dexter.

Laura Soares as Dancer/Bartender – Brazilian Actress Laura Soares will be seen as a dancer/bartender of a strip club in the first 3 episodes of season 7.

Mike Foy as Joseph Jensen – Mike Foy will be guest staring in Dexter episode 7.10, no other details about his character is revealed till now.

 

Killer Joe Is Earns It’s Rating With Enthusiasm – Review

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With NC-17 movies, you’re never sure going in if the rating is going to be legit or if it’s essentially kowtowing to the Puritanical morals that still rule too much of the entertainment industry’s decisions.  Killer Joe, I’m happy to say, earns its rating with enthusiasm.  Starring Matthew McConaughey in the titular role, the film is, above all, a completely successful delivery of what its title promises:  a brutal, morally gray movie about a man who is a killer for hire.

Killer Joe is brought in by a simple family of questionable morals to kill their estranged mother when she takes out a life insurance policy benefitting her daughter Dottie.  Joe doesn’t work on speculation—cash up front or nothing—but Dottie’s innocent sexuality intrigues him enough to work on a retainer:  her.  As Joe’s relationship with Dottie deepens, so does his control of the entire family, and his hit on the mother brings consequences none of them could have predicted.

The climax of the movie is reminiscent of Michael Hanneke’s Funny Games as Joe’s sadistic personality pushes his victims to see just how far they will bend before breaking.  The scene is both exquisitely torturous and disturbingly erotic.  And, unlike Funny Games, there is never a question as to whether the victims deserve what they get.  The dishonesty and dishonor with which they have all behaved—barring Dottie, who is, like the archetypal innocents of melodramas, spared because of her honest purity—leaves only the question of whether they got exactly what they deserved or if the punishment exceeded the crime.  The film makes no attempt to answer that question for the viewer, and I expect different people will have different answers.

This film is one I will happily re-watch.  It was satisfying and not quite predictable on the first watch, and it has the kind of textual depth that means multiple viewings will reveal new humor and nuances every time.  It was well-filmed and tightly edited; at 103 minutes, there isn’t any fat that could have been trimmed, but yet the film never felt rushed or underdeveloped.

Killer Joe is a wonderful character and, while the role is not a stretch for McConaughey, one he plays with the suaveness and aplomb that are his hallmarks.  The rest of the characters were equally well-cast, especially Dottie.  I needed the same number of frames as Joe to recognize her allure—I never once questioned why he would be willing to work with only her as compensation, nor that he would consider the whole messy job a success if she was all he walked away with.  And that understanding was entirely because of [Juno Temple].  She was, perhaps, a more important role to get right than Joe himself; the entire premise of the movie falls apart if the audience cannot understand why she motivates him to proceed as he does.

Killer Joe is based on Tracy Lott’s stage play by the same name, and while the film is not an obvious adaptation of a play (the way, say, Carnage is), the origin makes sense upon reflection.  There are essentially five characters in the movie, with a handful of extras that could easily have been scripted in to add visual interest and depth of world to a film.  The scenes which take place somewhere besides the family’s trailer could easily have been relocated for the same reason.

If you like unapologetically brutal movies, you can’t do better than Killer Joe.  Highly recommended for those who like that sort of thing.

The Best and The Worst Of True Blood Season 5

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Now that season 5 of HBO’s “True Blood” has concluded, it is time to reflect back on the semi-terrible season we all just witnessed. Don’t get me wrong, there were some fantastic moments, moments were my girly squeals of glee echoed through my apartment, but those moments were leveled out by the multitude of times I said “what the fuck is happening?”

So, here is “True Blood” season 5 in retrospect.

I think it goes without saying, but just in case: SPOILERS AHEAD

Pros:

Russell is back, OF COURSE BECAUSE WHY KILL THE MOST DANGEROUS VAMPIRE? Though he falls in love with Steve Newlin, which is cute in its own creepy “lets drain a fraternity” kind of way. Denis O’hare is a fucking pro and handles his character like a boss.

CHRISTOPHER MELONI (do I really need to say more?)

Eric is finally back to the witty, sarcastic, intense viking we all love by the end of the season. We have missed you Eric.

Sam and Luna are naked this entire season. I’m pretty sure. This a pro because who doesn’t want to see them naked?

Luna’s daughter is a puppy the whole time too, which is freaking adorbs.

Pam does truly love Eric and she used to be a hooker. I love LOVE all the flashbacks to how they met.

Jessica glamours Hoyt to forget her and Jason. It broke my heart. Tears like waterfalls. But I saw the point in it. Definitely one of the most heartbreaking scenes of the entire season. Also the entire back and forth with Jessica and Jason. There are some genuinely sweet times between those two who can just never seem to get it together.

Alcide. Does anyone else feel like Sookie should give him an honest shot. He is sweet and loving and could treat her well. He also spends most of his time shirtless and growling which makes my heart and pants happy.

Vampire religion is a huge role this season. At first, I was annoyed however the more i think about it the more this social commentary didn’t feel as forced as some of the ones in the past. Also led up to Bill’s transformation in to the fucking worst.

Lafayette tells Alcide “don’t fucking growl at me.” Later he makes cajun margaritas and Merlotte’s is at peace once again.

Steve Newlin is a vampire now, wants a pet puppy, falls in love with Russell and then seems genuinely distraught at his death. His whole storyline. Gold.

Everything Roslyn said the entire season.

Sookie vomits on Alcide’s shoes. They do not talk about it.

Stoned vampires. Classic.

Jason says, “I don’t give a twirly fuck.”

Cons:

Bill has finally secured the role of being the fucking worst. Closely followed by Lillith.

CHRISTOPHER MELONI DIES! I wanted more shirtless Roman, more Meloni damnit!

Tara is a vampire. Her character has annoyed me from the beginning, and her whininess only gets worse now that she has fangs and can’t die.

PAM IS NOT FULLY UTILIZED. She spends the entire season with Tara. Then they make out.

Jason rebuffs Jessica’s love in the end.

Eric bangs his vampire sister.

We learn literally nothing about Worlow.

As in previous seasons, even more storylines are added to this season that no one cared about:

Terry and Ifrit. I literally forgot this whole storyline existed because once it was over, I forced it out of my mind.

Listen, I am all for any reason for Alcide to be shirtless/naked but I do not care about him and his “should I/shouldnt I be pack master” shit.

The fairy elder. What the fuck was that about? I’m glad she got drained.

Andy impregnated that fairy lady, whose “light breaks” and proceeds to pop out four fairy babies and promptly leaves. It took a whole season to lead up to that.

The hate group killing “supes.” They wear Obama masks and it feels forced. This is a storyline I could have done without.

Taking A Look At The Hobbit In 48 FPS – Guest Post

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Whether it’s turning the shorter prequel to “Lord of the Rings” into a trilogy or filming the story in 48 frames per second (fps) there is no end to the spurious speculation surrounding the much-anticipated live film rendering of “The Hobbit.” What fans hope will be a cinematic masterpiece may end up being better known for its pioneering use of 48fps technology. When it was finally settled that Peter Jackson would once again be at the helm bringing J.R.R. Tolkien’s world to life, it seemed like all the drama would die down. But dear Bilbo and his ilk are getting no free passes – and fans who got a sneak peek at the high frame-rate footage were less than enthusiastic.

Jackson, who originally planned a mass release of “The Hobbit” in 48fps, changed his mind after the response to a 10-minute 3D preview at CinemaCon in April. The high frame-rate version will now be a limited release, in order to give people time to get used to the sharper, more life-like images. According to James Cameron, who is a proponent of 48fps and even plans to shoot future “Avatar” sequels in as many as 60 frames per second, “If watching a 3D movie is like looking through a window, then [with this] we’ve taken the glass out of the window and we’re staring at reality.”

That doesn’t sound too bad, so what’s got everyone’s knickers in a twist? Since 1927 movies have been shot in 24 frames per second, and that is what our eyes and minds are used to seeing when we watch a film. The biggest difference in the 48fps world is that everything looks smoother – so smooth that some viewers think it looks fake. High frame-rate eliminates the strobing and flicker that we have become so accustomed to in 24fps. When those interruptions are missing, the action looks wrong to us. Another complaint is that the high definition provides too much reality, making sets look like sets and exposing every flaw of man, prop or beast.

Some who saw the CinemaCon sneak peek felt the reality captured in 48fps made the movie seem less magical, less of an escape into a different world. Others found the footage similar to what they’d seen in IMAX 3D nature documentaries – at least on the big, expansive shots of Middle Earth that fans came to expect from Jackson in “The Lord of the Rings.” Those appreciative fans sang a different tune when it came to intimate scenes of dialogue, saying that everything looked different and jarring. The conclusion being that 48fps looks awesome on wide, capacious shots but our eyes and minds have a hard time processing it on close-ups.

Jackson kind of agrees. He has stated that he doesn’t’ think high frame-rate technology is right for all movies, and that smaller, character-driven movies might not be the best fit for 48fps. And even he admits that viewing 48fps film can take some getting used to.

“It does take you a while to get used to,” Jackson said, later adding that “you get used to it reasonably quickly. We have obviously seen cuts of our movie at 48 and in a relatively short amount of time you have forgotten (the frame rate change). It is a more immersive and in 3D a gentler way to see the film.”

In consideration of the difficulty some audience members may have adjusting to the new technology “The Hobbit” will be released in 48fps, 24fps, 3D and 2D. For such an anticipated movie, it was a risky choice for Jackson to jump into the future of cinema, but it may be the perfect way to ease moviegoers into the next age. And, for those diehard fans out there, trusting Jackson’s judgment goes a long way. It will be interesting to see which format of the film sells the most tickets and how audiences react to a complete, polished 48fps version of Bilbo and Gollum mooning over their so-real-it-looks-fake “Precious.”

About the Author:

The author, Lisa Forester, has been enamored with The Hobbit since elementary school.  When she isn’t making her way through middle earth, she is a professional blogger.

An Illustrative Review of The Dark Knight Rises

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Why are you interested in this adaptation?

Rachel-

No one who reads our column will be surprised that I am a huge Batman fan. I think I was introduced to Batman through the excellent Batman: The Animated Series as a kid, but since Saturday morning episodes weren’t enough for me I was also picking up whatever comics I could get my hands on.

I love Batman. I love the whole Bat Family! They’re all so DAMAGED!

Needless to say, I’ve seen Nolan’s Batman Begins (I FELL ASLEEP in the theater watching that, you guys…I own it, though, so I’ve since seen it several times. I hate it. I HATE IT), and it’s not my cup of tea. Nolan’s obsession with making Batman realistic, the made-up character of Rachel…. The Dark Knight is much better and far more watchable, but I still feel like Nolan’s take on Batman is more like a Bond film with a different suit and not a comic book movie. I’m interested in The Dark Knight Rises because I want the Nolan trilogy to end. That’s kind of harsh. But it’s true. I’ve sat through the other two and I’m going for some Batman kicks.

Elena-

Can we change the question to be “why are you not interested”?  Because I am not interested.  Do you guys remember how when The Dark Knight came out in theaters, everyone loved it—and I mean everyone—except there was always that one token friend or friend of a friend that you had who didn’t like it, but they were such a minority they were almost the exception that proved the rule?  Y’all recall that?  I was that one friend.  I was the one person I and all of my friends knew who didn’t like the movie.

I liked the first one okay.  I don’t have a strong attachment to Batman or any of the old manifestations, so I didn’t mind the attempt to make it more realistic and less comics.  Whatever.  The directing was good, and the story didn’t piss me off.

The Dark Knight was awful for me. Too long by about an hour, waaaaay too many ancillary and pointless plotlines, and I guess it made me dislike Batman’s entire ethos because it is clearly not preventing awful people from doing awful things but rather punishing them for doing awful things.  Totally different thing.  Drop the Joker off the building, city-destroying disaster averted.  Oh, wait, what’s that, it would be immoral to do it?  Look, I’m as libertarian as it gets on civil liberties, I respect things like due process more than 99% of politicians would like, but that’s if you’re acting within the law—it’s to prevent the government from trampling your rights.  In the context, Batman has SEEN the Joker plan atrocities and LAUGH.  And his decision as a goddamned vigilante is to not kill him when he has the chance?  THE FUCK?  And then that shit went on for a whole nother 90 minutes before it was over.  It’s the closest I’ve come to walking out of a movie in recent memory.

I’m still traumatized by that one.

So I was only enthused about TDKR in the abstract, in the sense that if it exists to finance Nolan’s next Inception then I am all on board with him making it…I just don’t want to see it.  The one thing that would make me want to see it would be if it turns out to be, as the title suggests, Batman giving up his morality to actually be a dark knight who kills the motherfuckers before they can burn his ghetto to the ground.  Give me THAT movie, and MAYBE I will go see it.

What would make it awesome?

Elena-

I believe I just answered that question.  Abstain from redundancy.

Rachel-

What would make it awesome is if Batman is in the movie? The other two films show Bruce having to discover then rediscover Batman. If Batman has to re-Batman again in another hour and a half of “inner struggle” about how Gotham doesn’t need Batman…I will freak out.

I’m hoping for some Catwoman action. Out-smarting all these tech obsessed boys would also be great.

What would make it suck?

Rachel-

I know already that it’s going to be three hours long…so that will probably suck. Only because I know how the Nolan Batman films can DRAG, and sitting there for three hours while Batman batrasps at me and moons over dead fakeRachel will suuuuuck.

I’m really nervous about Bane. Why is Bane British? Why can I not understand him in the trailers? What’s going on with his aerosol mask?  Is this movie going to be one unintelligible guy shouting at another unintelligible guy with Anne Hathaway making stupid jokes in between?

Elena-

It will suck if it is as needlessly overcomplicated as the second one was.  That many plotlines that are ancillary to the main story are basically masturbation fodder.  Which, fine, if you’re into that sort of thing, but I’m not, so save it for the director’s cut and let me skate out of this with only two hours of my life lost and not three, k thx bye.

Thoughts on casting/production?

Rachel-

I am ambivalent about Tom Hardy. He’s cloned Captain Picard from Stark Trek: Nemesis. He has puffy lips. Those lips will supposedly never be seen as he is playing Bane, and Nolan’s version of Bane is a dude permanently hooked up to Darth Vader’s respiratory machine. I don’t know why. Will we learn why?

Elena-

Wait, Tom Hardy is Bane?  Suddenly I almost want to see this!  Hardy is still on my automatic-cred list because of Bronson.  It’s going to take a few more stinkers from him for that glamour to wear off…although he does seem to be trying pretty hard to just play the same character every time now.  I guess that’s ergonomic.  Maybe Bane will add some range to his recent portfolio.

Rachel-

Anne Hathaway as Catwoman is both really interesting and really terrifying. Hathaway has that old-fashioned brunette with a round face look that Nolan casts IN ALL OF HIS FILMS. The Catwoman costume I’ve seen is OK. It’s a black jumpsuit with stupid-ass goggle cat-ear things. There appears to be no whip. She also wears RIDICULOUS shoes. Nolan is so obsessed with making everything hyper-realistic, but he’s got Catwoman in shoes she wouldn’t be able to climb around buildings on. So I’m going to assume that she doesn’t climb around buildings and she just wiggle-walks everywhere…hopefully while flipping everyone off. Her casting is definitely a callback to Julie Newmar rather than the Darwyn Cooke design with the head gear, goggles, and short hair.

Elena-

Gotta be honest, Hathaway is a challenge for me. She is one of those actresses that I can never see as the character; I always just see her as Anne Hathaway, even though I think she actually is kind of okay at acting?  Maybe?  So she seems pretty much like a terrible choice to me for Catwoman.  But I don’t know who would do it better so why not?

Reaction to film: ***Spoilers Abound***

Elena-

So.  Convince me to see this one. If you can.

Rachel-

Welp….

That was…that was, well actually it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Yes, Batman did have to re-Batman his Batman for two hours. WHY? WHY CAN’T HE JUST BE BATMAN?

Bruce has spent the last eight years being a shut-in with a cane (why he needs the cane is unknown, because he seemed FINE at the end of the last film…I guess he was shot?) even though, and this is the fundamental part of Batman that Nolan seems to not understand, Bruce would never STOP being Batman. This is an issue that comes again and again in the film, culminating in an ending where Bruce permanently gives up Batman.

WHAAAT?

That’s just a Batcation, right? Bruce is going to get bored in about 12 seconds (five seconds after Selina realizes spending all her time with a no-longer-super-rich dude not stealing things suuuucks) and head back to Gotham and the mansion he left to the city for a Vigilante Orphan Boys Home. He’ll go down into the Batcave and let notRobin know how to sign in to the Batcomputer and then call out to Alfred, who would also HAVE NEVER LEFT BRUCE, “Alfred! Bring me another Orphan Boy!”

And all will be well with the world.

Wedging Bane in as Talia’s protector and tying it all back to the League of Shadows in Batman Begins felt a little forced, an attempt by Nolan to bring his trilogy full circle. (I see what you did there, you Lazaraus Pit hater! GHOST LIAM NEESON CAN BITE ME!)  However, I still appreciated the fact that Nolan dipped more into the comics for TDKR than in his previous Batman films. Several scenes seemed pulled straight from the comics, if not in meaning then at least in visual language.

I still found Bane to be absolutely unintelligible.  I got maybe every fifth word. It was incredibly frustrating. Nolan’s attempt to make Bane more intelligible seems to have been to just up his dialogue track by 200 percent and give us the finger. Thanks. That didn’t help at all! It just made Bane seem like he was being dubbed in and mixed by a telenovela team.

Elena…I know you are not into Batman, so I want to make it clear: ROBIN’S NAME IS NOT ROBIN. His name is also not John. I…don’t understand how this happened. Nolan is so anti-Robin that he’ll make up a dissatisfied cop character and…NAME him Robin? IT’S SO WEIRD! There are plenty of actual Robin name’s to choose from but…well, what’s wrong with naming him Richard?

If he was worried that his heavy-handed foreshadowing throughout the film was ruining the surprise, then keep the John name and change the “actual” name stupidest last line for a movie ever from “Robin” to “Richard.” What? Was he worried that people who didn’t know DICK about Batman wouldn’t get the reference?

Here’s a thing…

…How about you shouldn’t CARE! If my mom watched that movie and didn’t get why having him named “Richard” (assuming “Dick” was too old fashioned) was related to the character taking on the Batmantle, as it were…WHO CARES?! My mom isn’t watching this film. You know who is? FANS. People for whom the reference is a Google or a lean over to the person next to them away if they didn’t get it already.

ROBIN IS NOT HIS NAME. That would like me becoming “Rachel Gal” and then attempting to have a secret identity.

UGH. THAT WAS REALLY ANNOYING.

I think the people who are really into the Nolan Batman films are fine. I’m glad they enjoy them. I’m glad that they can watch those films and read the comics and not have issues. I’m not one of those people. I don’t think an adaptation should slavishly follow the source material, but I do think that the main identifying characteristics and personality of the most important characters should make it from page to screen.

Nolan’s Batman has always been a tool for Bruce Wayne to go from damaged child to well-adjusted adult. Batman is something that holds Bruce back, if Nolan’s Alfred is to be believed. In actuality Batman has always been more than a mask and more than a symbol. Batman IS Bruce Wayne. The play boy, the rich kid…he is the tool of Batman. Bruce is the mask. Nolan doesn’t think this, and so I’ll never like these movies as much as some of you, but I respect that Nolan has ushered in an era of comic book movies as more than comedy action flicks. They should be as topical and inspiring as the comics. Hopefully though, the next Batman reboot won’t take it QUITE so seriously. I’d like to see a Gotham that has room in it for a Batman that never gives up.

Elena-

Even your fake enthusiasm was not enough to sell me on this one.  Maybe some pictures might help?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Dark Knight Rises Doesn’t Disappoint – Review

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Last night I excitedly headed to the BIG theater in my city to see a movie I just couldn’t wait for, The Dark Knight Rises. I want to preface this review by saying that I went into this movie with high expectations. After the impressive film, The Dark Knight, I felt like this film, the ending of a trilogy, had to be better than the previous, though I had in my mind it might be an impossible standard.

However, The Dark Knight Rises does NOT disappoint. I will say that I did not think it was better, but it was on par and as good as the previous installment.

The film pulls the audience in very early on with the almost immediate introduction of Bane. We are only a few minutes into the film when we are introduced to the main “villain” of this tale and with it the story quickly begins its jaunty three hour ride. Not to mention I was ecstatic to see Petyr Baelish make an appearance ( or  Aidan Gillen for you non Game of Thrones watchers.)

We also are very quickly introduced to Anne Hathaway’s character, Selina Kyle/ Catwoman. I was totally against her in the role from the minute her casting was announced. It wasn’t that I didn’t think she couldn’t handle the role, I just have never really liked her in her other projects. (I also have a spot in my heart that is taken by Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.) BUT, Hathaway’s performance was almost flawless. She portrayed the sultry, confident cat burglar who is actually not evil, isn’t a villain. I also found her to be a great foil for Batman/Bruce Wayne. Her ideals and actions are opposite his but deep down they are very similar – they want to get out on their own terms. You can see the chemistry between the actors from the get go and it only grows through out the film.

JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT. (need I say more?)

YES. THIS.

Also his acting was fantastic and I sense Night Wing on the horizon.

This movie did make me feel like an idiot though. Not in the way you think. There is a HUGE twist at the end, that still surprised me. After it was revealed, I felt dumb for not seeing it sooner. It might have to do with some misdirection by some of the cast members in interviews, but I was definitely caught off guard by the big reveal. I won’t give it away here because you deserve to experience it on your own if you reading this before seeing the film.

One thing that I disliked what the time framing. After Bane comes to power and Batman (is somewhere else entirely) there is no frame of reference of how much time is passing. We can ASSUME it is at the least a few weeks, but there is no real knowledge of it has been week, months, or even a year. It’s not like I was some cliched montage or some equally annoying shit, I just want some frame of reference. We only find out how long it has been right before the action is about go down and someone outright says it. But it takes to long to establish that more than a few weeks as passed. I found it to be slightly lazy on either the Director’s part or the screenwriters part.  However, while cinematically, this bothered me, it in no way hindered the actual movie for me.

Most of all, this film was a great addition to the trilogy as awhole. It flowed seamlessly from the end of The Dark Knight to create something you can watch back to back without missing a beat. It looks similar to the first two and was just as action packed and character oriented as the rest.

Also: TEARS WERE SHED. The ending was PERFECT. Tears of sadness followed by tears of joy. (There is just something so heartbreaking about watching Alfred blubber that released the floodgates of tear waterfall.) The ending gives closure to  not just this film but the entire trilogy. It packs everything up in a neat little bow while closing the stories of some characters and opening the doors of others.

Seriously, who can watch him breakdown and not at least tear up?