"Only Villains Try To Change The Whole World..."

"…The rest of us take it one person at a time.”
– Runaways, by Brian K. Vaughan

It’s stupid o’clock and I haven’t slept since God knows when.

Forgive this insignificant blogger’s nonsense.

We’re way past the year 1984, but it seems that George Orwell’s warnings were not heeded enough. Power is the ability to control truth. So whose truth are we living in? Maybe my obsession for alternate universes are fueling my reluctant fascination for conspiracy theories, but I’ve been feeling really…well, suspended is the only word I can think of. Like I'm waiting to be pushed or pulled on a precipice of some kind. Like another nameless audience member waiting for the show to start.

It seems that since the turn of the millennium, all edges of the world has experienced some kind of calamity or affliction. Not a history aficionado, rarely watch the news, and abhor any conversation about politicians or the government, but it just seems like things are getting worse and worse, and most people are just too self-involved with superficial bs to care.

Now, with the much anticipated, rumored, predicted, and theorized paradigm shift in 2012, I can’t help but feel excited, scared, panicky, humbled, and very, very small. Who knows what that paradigm shift is really about, and if it will even really happen. I do hope that at least something in someone shifts soon, for the better.

Predictably, the movies are crawling with Dystopian, post-apocalyptic, or alternate worlds.

To name a few:

The Matrix, Artificial Intelligence, Idiocracy, Minority Report, Serenity, Sunshine, Children of Men, Wall-E, I Am Legend, V for Vendetta, Watchmen (opening March 6, 2009), and 2012 (opening July 10, 2009).

People have to watch Watchmen, I’m onto the 6th issue in the comics, and I’m flabbergasted by its intensity.


With all these movies (that I love), with George Orwell’s annoying ability to make his readers think, with the impending 2012 paradigm shift that I still don’t know if I believe in, with the massively disappointing yet somewhat convincing theories I discovered about the truth behind 9/11, and an enormous headache thanks to no sleep and too much thoughts scrambling in my head…

This I’m absolutely convinced of:

It really is a scary world when you can trust Youtube more than you can trust your news channel.

Christmas Movie Openings

For those who appreciate a good movie on the holidays, here are the top 3 widely awaited movies opening on December 25.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

- Recommended to the romantic types who like to warm up their hearts with this lovely story, although overheating may be expected when Benjamin Button grows older.
Directed by David Fincher. Stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.

The Spirit

- Recommended to those craving some noir, edgy action amidst their merry, cheery holidays. After all, red ties are always a must on Christmas season.
Directed by Frank Miller. Stars Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendez, and Sarah Paulson.

Bedtime Stories

- Recommended for those who want see an Adam Sandler comedy with their kids. Kind of like Click, except with fairy tale books.
Directed by Adam Shankman. Stars Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, and Guy Pearce.

I recommend a family dinner reunion thing on Christmas day, and an awesome movie marathon the next day. Some other big movies are also opening on Dec. 26, such as Valkyrie (Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh), and Revolutionary Road (Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio)

Have fun, take care, and...

Merry Christmas to all!!!

The December Trail

More upcoming movie trailers. It seems that most of the blockbuster hypes are coming out this Christmas, but let's take a look at the films that will be greeting us next year.

Dragonball Evolution
Here is another, slightly better, look at the live action Dragonball film. The trailer is admittedly better, but the film seems even more disappointing. Goku is not an emo kid who mutters a quiet "cool" when he sees a motorcycle pop out of nowhere. This Dragonball is definitely evolved, but is it for the better?
Opens April 8, 2009

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Hugh Jackman is everywhere these days. He's even hosting the 81st Academy Awards!
Opens May 1, 2009

Friday the 13th
Another remake. Yay!...not. Will anyone be watching this obviously predictable horrific film? Yes, I will. Just to laugh at it. I'll buy the people watching with me a Krispy Kreme donut if it's in any way decent.
Opens February 13, 2009

Sunshine Cleaning
Think Little Miss Sunshine, except with a prettier cast, and a more intriguing story. I really like this film, Amy Adams and Emily Blunt are always a win.
Opens March 13, 2009

Adventureland
This seems so awesome. Who hasn't dreamed of working in a fair? Okay, I haven't, but still. Fans can also see a funnier side to Kristen Stewart, who mostly takes serious or teen angsty roles.
Opens March 27, 2009

And remember folks, don't judge a movie by its trailer!

Horror Remakes Get Scarier Every Time....Really

Has the writer's block spread so vastly that the movie franchise can no longer create new and interesting stories? Where has all the innovative writing gone to? Is it lost in the abyss of Cyberspace?

Sorry for the drama, but I just can't help but shake my head at those disappointing remakes. Particularly in horror flicks. The majority of remakes in this genre just does NOT work. The special effects crew get a little way too excited with all the superfluous computer graphics.

Here is a list of all the more popular recent remakes I know of:

1960 13 Ghosts, remade in 2001
1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre, remade in 2003
1978 Dawn of the Dead, remade in 2004
1979 The Amityville Horror, remade in 2005
1953 House of Wax, remade in 2005
1980 The Fog, remade in 2005
1973 Wicker Man, remade in 2006
1976 The Omen, remade in 2006
1977 The Hills Have Eyes, remade in 2006
1979 When a Stranger Calls, remade in 2006
1979 Black Christmas, remade in 2006
1986 The Hitcher, remade in 2007
1978 Holloween, remade in 2007
1985 Day of the Dead, remade in 2008

Now that I've posted evidence of how ridiculously fond the entertainment people are of remakes, I'm afraid to say that it actually gets worse. They will be making a remake of Friday the 13th (in theaters Feb 13, 2009), and Nightmare On Elm Street.

Friday the 13th film poster

Don't even get me started on those sequels that just waste another 2 hours of my life. Speaking of, Scream 4 will be released in 2010.

Will the horrific horrors ever end???

I guess with the financial crisis, the producers are having trouble funding actual good writers, and they have to make do with recycling old stories instead. Or, maybe they're corrupt selfish sharks that don't want to pay good writers what they deserve. Good thing the writer's strike is over...or is it? dun dun dun, now that is a real horror.

Come on people, give the audience something new!

I mean, how hard is it to find a new way to stab, torture, maim, murder, run over, devour, cut, slice, tear, hit, pound, slay, impale, kill, kill, kill, those pretty, crazy, emo, stupid people apart, around, all over the ugly house, the weird woods, the cliched school, the creepy small town, with kitchen knives, chainsaws, zombies, masked psychopaths, deformed hillbillies, demon spawns, and freak accidents?

Superman's Girlfriend is a Street Fighter

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li

I accidentally saw this and literally laughed out loud. At first I thought it was one of those fanart things, but then I realized that this is actually a serious movie. Well, as serious as a movie like this could be anyway.

Kristin Kreuk (of Smallville fame) is starring as Chun-Li, a character based on the popular video game Street Fighter. Chun-Li was previously portrayed by Ming Na Wen in the 1994 Street Fighter live action film. That film, for the record, was horrendous. And I only watched it because I was young and didn't realize the meaning of crap.

Hopefully, and I mean hopefully, Kristin Kreuk can save our memory of live action Chun-Li. The film also stars Chris Klein as Charlie Nash, Clarke Michael Duncan as Balrog, and Taboo (from Black Eyed Peas) as Vega. The movie will be directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak, who directed films such as Romeo Must Die, Doom, Cradle 2 the Grave... uh oh, that doesn't sound good.

With Dragonball poisoning my optimisim about video game/anime based live action films, I'm going to follow this with my faithful skepticism intact.

Films like this could be kryptonite for those of us actually looking for quality movie experiences. I doubt we would find some valuable life lessons in Kristin Kreuk's Chun-Li-super-kick.

Although, I admit, I'm reluctantly intrigued.

"Twilight" Film Review

After all those months of waiting, speculating, and agonizing over the Twilight phenomenon, I finally, finally watched it a mere few hours ago. The question is, did the Twilight movie deliver?

Twilight is a 2008 teenage vampire romance film directed by Catherine Hardwicke. The film is based on the Twilight novel by Stephanie Meyer. The film stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Cam Gigandet, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Nikki Reed, Kellan Lutz, Ashley Greene, and Jackson Rathbone.

I have NOT read the book. I will be reviewing this movie solely as a bystander who was only slightly influenced by both the awed fans of Twilight, and those who think that Twilight is an insipid offence to good literature.

Having said all that, I was a little skeptical of all the hoopla about the movie. By the time I got to watch it, all I expected to see was an angsty-lovey-dovey-hormonal-psuedogothic-vampire-semiaction-teenflick.

And I got exactly what I expected to see.

The movie is worth watching, there is no doubt about that, it was entertaining in itself even without the novel background. I would probably watch it even if it isn’t as uberfamous as it is. The main problem I have with this whole Twilight phenomenon is that its reputation precedes what it delivers. Was the Twilight movie even actually good?

Sure, the vampire superhuman action was fun to watch, but it left the audience a little short, especially in the final “fight scene.” Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson had a believable chemistry. And an extra kudos to Kristen Stewart, because as expected, she was an amazing actress. She brought a subtle strength to Bella that I didn’t expect her character to have. I don’t think Edward Cullen would make me immediately drop to my knees and beg him to marry me, but I understand his appeal. Robert Pattinson has definitely proven himself worthy of the “beautiful Edward Cullen” character. I also loved the rest of the Cullen family. Any scene with the whole family are my favorite scenes in the film. Seeing more of them is enough of an incentive to see the next film, “New Moon.” The music was also good, if not a little clichéd in some parts. That Debussy thing? Over the top cheesiness. But still understandable, after all, it wouldn’t have been an authentic teen-vampire-love story if some classical music wasn’t mentioned. Speaking of cheesiness, even though I’m a self-confessed hopeless romantic, there were still some parts in the film that just made me instinctively roll my eyes, particularly the parts when Edward and Bella are alone in the woods acting out the tortured love thing. Was not amused, nor entertained in those parts. Way, way, WAY too much cheese, and it wasn’t the yummy, creamy Mozzarella kind.

But overall, Twilight is a good film, and a great excuse to go to the mall after school. The movie gave me a new respect for the Twilight novel series, even if it didn’t totally convince me to want to read it. By the way, for all those who still think that the Bella character is a weak teenage girl who is absolutely obsessed with her controlling boyfriend, I disagree. In the movie (and I’m not sure if this is solely thanks to the brilliance of Kristen Stewart), Bella clearly takes charge of what she wants, and Edward was clearly the one taking orders from Bella. I don’t know about the novel, but I am really happy with how the movie portrayed Bella’s character.

So I ask again, did Twilight really deliver?

Well…

It satisfied my expectations, but to be honest, I was a skeptic from the start and I didn’t have very high expectations. Do I think the Twilight film is worthy of fanatics sleeping outside theaters waiting for the opening?

Simply. No.

More Wolverine!

Good news X-Men fans, it seems that our favorite mutant badass' solo movie is coming really soon. Hunky Australian Hugh Jackman is back to star as Wolverine. The film will tell us more about Wolverine's background, his romantic past, his relationship with Victor Creed, and will shed some light about what Weapon X really is. The film also stars Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynold, Will. I. Am., Dominic Monaghan, and others. I'm not certain whether the title is "X-Men Origins: Wolverine", or simply "Wolverine". If it was the former, then we should probably expect solo films for all of our favorite mutants.

Meanwhile, with images like this...


I am definitely intrigued.

The film's trailer will be premiering in theaters showing The Day the Earth Stood Still. I guess that's another good reason to see Keanu Reeve's sci-fi thriller, right?

Wolverine is set to be released on May 1, 2009.

The November Trail

Another movie trailers post, enjoy!

Star Trek
Wasn't really a fan and didn't know much about it, and I won't deny that Chris Pine is currently the best incentive for watching this. But the trailer makes me want to watch it even more now.
Opens May 8, 2009.

The Spirit
Another film by Frank Miller (300, Sin City). Really, do I need to say more?
Opens Christmas 2008.



2012
A disaster drama. Those are always fun. It stars John Cusack. He's...okay? Can't wait to see more of this.
Opens July 10, 2009.

Race to Witch Mountain
Apparently this is based on a series. It seems like a different kind of Disney Film, I'm kinda intrigued. Superpowers are always a win. Plus, it has The Rock!
Opens March 13, 2009.

Dollhouse
Okay, first of all, NOT a movie, but definitely one of the most watch worthy things coming out next year. This is a Joss Whedon creation my friends. And it also helps that the gorgeous Eliza Dushku and hunky Tahmoh Penikett is in it.
Coming this January 2009

DOLLHOUSE focuses on a secret organization that employs "Actives" -- a group of operatives who have their memories and personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with new ones, allowing them to take on various missions for hire

And remember folks, don't judge a movie by its trailer!

Gossip Girl Episode Recap S2Ep9: There Might Be Blood

Gossip Girl Episode Recap

I kind of find Serena boring when she's not fighting either Blair or her mom. And, she needs to find some better boyfriends.

(Spoilers. Spoilers. Spoilers. And even more spoilers. You are duly warned.)

Gossip Girl Season 2 Episode 9 Recap
There Might Be Blood

After proving herself to be a capable delinquent, Little J, with the help of insane but fun model Agnes, is busy making her big fashion debut by how else? Planning to crash a high class party of course.

Meanwhile, our favorite besties are busy trying to get Blair back into the good graces of the Yale dean by befriending the dean’s best friend’s daughter, Emma. Only problem is, Emma doesn’t want to stay cooped up in their luxury condo watching movies with talking animals, instead, she wants to go out with the “De-virginator.”

They actually used that name on television. I kid you not.

By the way, Leighton Meester’s hilarious performance in this whole episode is awe, and then some.

While Blair is busy trying to reign in the desperately precocious Emma, Serena is busy trying to figure out what’s up with Aaron and his many “friends” of the girl kind.

Over onto the Humphrey house, Dan unexpectedly comes home and sees Jenny, Agnes, and their whole big plan. Dan finds out that Jenny quit Eleanor’s, and is not amused after all the pestering she did in order to work for her in the first place.

Speaking of not amused, Blair is desperate to stop Emma from being de-virginized, so she sends Emma to Chuck Bass in the hopes of intimidating Emma. However, the plan backfires, Emma escapes, and Blair, Serena, and Chuck have to go out to look for her in a crowded hot spot. Once there, they unexpectedly find Emma’s mom, Elizabeth aka the old lady who’s clearly not very fond of Blair, having a heated little session with someone who is not her husband. After a few cellphone photos, Blair is happy and relieved that she finally has some insurance for her application to Yale. But Serena, being the upstanding moral character that she is, forbids Blair from ruining Emma’s dysfunctional family. Blair hilariously reluctantly agrees and sets off to find Emma with Chuck.

Serena heads off to her mom’s big party and finds chaos. Undeniably fashionable chaos. Jenny crashes a huge party not knowing that the party was actually all for Lily Van der Woodsen. With a few words, and a lot more kisses from Nate, Jenny finds the courage to go through with her big plan.

Agnes and a handful of models all rebelliously stomp across the large ball and jump up on tables, throw Polaroids, and wreak stylish havoc amongst the elite and prestigious.

Agnes is also awesome in an insane kinda way.

However, Dan, Rufus, and Vanessa eventually rain in on Jenny’s fashion parade, and Dan confronts Nate for kissing his way too young sister. How did Dan find out about the kissing? Gossip Girl of course! Vanessa overhears Dan and Jenny’s confrontation, becomes upset and leaves. I actually kinda forgot about the Nate/Vanessa pair up until Vanessa left.

I was all, whoah, what’s her problem? Then, Oh right, she and Nate had a “thing.”

Geez, Gossip Girl land, make up your mind!

Jenny storms out to run after Vanessa but gets confronted by her dad. Even though people loved what Jenny did, Rufus so did not. And he almost gets his own daughter arrested if it weren’t for Lily.

Back to Blair and Chuck, they finally find Emma and stop her from being devirginized. Blair takes her home and gives her a good ole talking to where they bond about being unappreciated by their self-absorbed mothers. Blair also admits to Emma that the she actually loved the guy who devirginized her (last time I use that word, I promise!).

Elizabeth isn’t happy that her daughter came home so late and promptly blames Blair. Queen B was just about to propose a mutual understanding (i.e. blackmail) when Emma unexpectedly steps in to defend Blair. After seeing Emma promptly and harshly dismissed by her mother, Blair decides to have a conscience and doesn’t follow through with the blackmail.

The next day, the dean calls Blair at Serena’s home and tells her that the one person Emma would want to have dinner with is Blair Waldorf. And that Yale could use a girl like her. Needless to say, Queen B was ecstatic.

Oh, and Aaron comes over and asks Serena to give him a chance because of fate, and camping, and 9 year old licorice, etc. Wasn’t really interested in any part that he’s in. And, this Aaron guy really needs a hygienist, I mean, he kept a 9 year old piece of candy, and he looks like he doesn’t shower, ever.

More episode recaps and spoilers coming soon from your non-Gossip Girl, gossip girl.

"Quantum of Solace" Film Review

The theater was packed, and we had to watch this movie sitting on the second row from the front. Consequently, I had a massive headache after 2 hours of closely staring at frenetic action scenes. But was it all worth it?

Simply. Yes.

Quantum of Solace is the 22nd Bond film and also the first direct sequel to its predecessor, which is Casino Royale. The movie is directed by Marc Foster in 2008. It stars Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Olga Kurylenko, Gemma Arteron, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright, Giancarlo Gianinni, and Mathieu Amalric.

(There may be slight spoilers. For a full film synopsis, go to the Quantum of Solace page at Wikipedia.)

First and foremost, the previous Bond films were humorous and bordering on sci-fi comedy. Daniel Craig’s James Bond is definitely gritty and more realistic. More human. He’s a secret agent folks, he’s supposed to be harsh, brutal, and violent. In Quantum of Solace, things are even more brutal, both physically and emotionally. Honestly, I don’t think that Quantum of Solace is better than Casino Royale. Casino Royale was a love story that introduced James Bond’s humanity to the audience. Quantum of Solace depicts Bond’s quest for revenge to those responsible for Vesper’s betrayal and death.

Daniel Craig owns this film. He carries the whole story with every bit of his sexy-cool stoicism intact, with just enough of some handsome sadness in his eyes to remind us that he is not a robot, despite physically impossible occurrences, such as walking away without any broken bones after free-falling from an airplane. But shoving all that in the part of our minds called suspension of disbelief, the action scenes and chases are definitely heart pound worthy. Action fans, even if they’re not James Bond fans (if there are such cases), would be very happy with this flick. I also appreciated the fact that the Bond girls, Camille (Olga Kurylenko) in particular, weren’t completely helpless ingénues. It seems that Bond girls keep progressing into stronger fighters in every Bond film. Also love the complicated relationship between M and Bond.

(Talking about M)
Camille: Your mother?
James: No, but she likes to think she is.

I think that dialogue pretty much sums them up.

I wasn’t impressed with the villain, Dominic Greene. Mathieu Amalric, the actor, was great, but I wasn’t all that worried by him, which could be a worrying thing for a villain. Through the Bond villain history, we’ve seen a martial artist with a different face, a creepy guy who can’t feel pain, a sweaty dude who bleeds from his eye, and some other whoah-worthy bad guys. But what does Greene do? He turns into Maria Sharapova while wielding an axe.

As for that oh-so important theme song opening that everyone is harping about. Well, the dancing women are back, if that matters at all. Although, I am quite disappointed that James Bond didn’t do that "about face and shoot at the camera" thing that he does in every film. But, there is a particular scene in the film that consistent 007 fans would notice, it involves replacing gold with motor oil on a body. That’s all I’ll say.

Ultimately, Quantum of Solace is a gritty action film, that takes another step away from the stereotypical 007 film. Although we don’t get to see invisible cars, laser watches, or machines that harness the sun’s power to reign terror over the world, this 007 movie contains every bit of what was missing in the previous films: James Bond’s character. Camille's character is particularly important, her back story and parallel reflection with James makes their relationship much more meaningful than just another casual Bond fling. It’s easy to throw exotic places, beautiful women, awesome gadgets, wicked villains, and a hunky British secret agent together, but it’s harder to make the story in the film actually matter. So kudos to Quantum of Solace, with some extra praise for Daniel Craig.

Other than that, Quantum of Solace holds 2nd place in my list of favorite 007 movies, 1st place still remains with Casino Royale. I hope the third Craig/Bond movie can do even bigger and better.

Gossip Girl Episode Recap S2Ep8: Pret A Poor Jenny

Gossip Girl Episode Recap

Trouble is brewin for the youngest Humphrey. Hm.

(Spoilers. Spoilers. Spoilers. And even more spoilers. You are duly warned.)

Gossip Girl Season 2 Episode 8 Recap
Pret A Poor Jenny

Welcome back Gossip Girl fans, time for another post filled with GG spoilers and recaps. It seems that Blair is having another of her scintillating dreams, this time it involves Chuck and a limo. And Dorota does not approve. That’s all I’ll say. Walking in the rain seems to be a lovelier option for Blair rather than bestow those elusive three words upon Chuck.

Over at the Humphrey home, Jenny is a bitchy busy little beaver, complete with the edgy new haircut. But despite all her hard work, and battles with Italy, Eleanor doesn’t seem to know how to appreciate her. Nor care to.

(Agnes. Jenny's new friend.)

At school, Dan and Serena are almost becoming friends again, but Blair shoves right in between them, literally, to ask for help regarding the annihilation of Bass-tard we all know she hates to secretly love. As Dan was about to leave, Serena thought that he would be a great help, because he has a man’s perspective. Which, surprisingly, is a somewhat good idea. After the quick bout of annoying prerequisite judgmental-ness that only Dan Humphrey is capable of, he tells Blair to basically play hard to get in Chuck’s face. Which results with Blair trying, and failing, to innocently seduce Chuck repeatedly. Of course Dan is always there to give out more advice.

Meanwhile, Eleanor calls Little J over to semi-apologize for not letting her meet some buyers. Eleanor is having a little trouble keeping her buyers happy with her designs, but Jenny seems to be doing a good job of it without even knowing. Buyers are coming again the next day, and the only perfectly acceptable dress that Eleanor has is not really hers. So, faced with a temperamental fashion mogul boss, young Jenny kindly offers Eleanor her dress. Eleanor rewards Jenny by making her remake the whole dress in her fabric.

Over at Vanessa’s gallery, Serena meets Aaron, and it seems that there is a little “somethin something” brewing between them. Now that Dan and Serena are friends, maybe Serena’s found a new someone? Gotta say, not that impressed with the guy’s “I’m an artist so I don’t have to shower” look.

Jenny finds the fun while hanging out at a bar with Agnes, one of Eleanor’s models. Agnes tries on Jenny’s precious dress and accidentally leaves with it. The next day, a harried Jenny lets Agnes talk her into rebelling against the big bad Eleanor. And after Eleanor fails to give Jenny the recognition that she deserves, Jenny snaps and leaves. Was kinda peeved by Jenny’s arrogance, but everything she said was true.

Eleanor: (complaining over Jenny’s sloppy work) “I should have known better than to give so much responsibility to a child.”
Jenny: “A child. I’m sorry, but this child seems to be the only one that can design anything that the buyers are remotely interested in.”

Meanwhile, Blair and Dan bond over loving someone. And surprisingly, Dan actually makes some good points. Serena and the new guy Aaron bond over art and dating. Why does Serena always fall for weird, stuttery geeks? Blair finally heads off to confess her love to Chuck, however, Dan talks to her and takes back all the good points that he previously said. Psh.

Thanks to Dan, Blair heads off to Chuck with a defensive heart and doesn’t take the risk she was supposed to. Serena finds out about Dan’s intent to let the Blair/Chuck couple self-destruct and understandably gets upset that her new friend hurt her best friend.

Over at Agnes’ place, Jenny is having a little too much fun posing around with sleazy photographer Max. Nate, after finding out about Max through Aaron, comes in to rescue her, but Little J doesn’t want to be rescued.

Meanwhile Dan runs off after Serena to ask for forgiveness, and Serena forgives him by telling him that she’s thinking about dating Aaron. Aaron who she realized was a European camp buddy. Seeing that Aaron is on a motorcycle with another girl, I guess that plan to date came to an abrupt halt.
After a brief talk with Dan, Chuck goes over to Blair to finally talk. Ultimately, they both agree that those elusive three words will always be true even though they were never said. They also agree that waiting heightens the pleasure. Right.

Angry at Nate for ruining her night of free rebellion and shirtless modeling, Jenny screams at him and asks why he cares so much. Nate’s eloquent answer? A kiss. A heated kiss.

Uh oh.

More episode recaps and spoilers coming soon from your non-gossip girl, gossip girl.

"Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog" Film Review

Dr. Horrible is Incredible

I finally, finally, watched Dr. Horrible. Of course, most Joss Whedon fans would have already watched this movie about a million times now, but I, as the utter idiot that I am, failed to watch Dr. Horrible during its free viewing in July. Thankfully, a kind, lovely, super awesome, (I am forever grateful to) friend gave me a copy.

Dr. Horrible is a 2008 short musical movie that was created by Joss Whedon, with his siblings Jed and Zack Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen. It stars Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day, Nathan Filion, and Simon Helberg, with several cameos from directors and actors close to Joss Whedon.

As usual, Whedon manages to capture the audience's hearts and makes them fall in love with the characters. And of course, as usual, Whedon breaks our hearts at the exact same time. The music is brilliant. Felicia Day's sweet and heart rendering vocals coupled with Neil Patrick Harris' honest and vulnerable voice is amazing. I can't stop listening to "On The Rise."

Dr. Horrible is a funny, not so straightforward musical, that can twist your insides in the end. Like most of any work Joss Whedon is involved in, this movie makes you laugh out loud and root for the "bad guy," it absolutely entertains you and makes you feel smart when you can relate the antics to societal/personal issues, then it quickly leaves you off with a large lump in your throat that you either swallow or burp out with a chuckle. However you take it though, Dr. Horrible will leave you feeling full, and yet definitely still craving for more.

Joss. Is. God.

And I want a PHD in horribleness.

The October Trail

A trailers post! Yay! Most of these movies are still a long way from being released. Bummer. But the trailers are sure fun to look at!

Angels and Demons
A fresh teaser trailer. I hope they don't butcher the film with paranoid controversies, The Da Vinci Code film was so disappointing. At least Tom Hanks' hair looks better than that scary mullet he used to have.
Opens May, 2009.

17 Again
Kinda like 13 Going On 30. Except backwards. And it's a guy. I'm sure most will be watching it purely for Zac Efron. And who could blame them?
Opens April 17, 2009.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
A prequel to the first two Underworld movies. No Kate Beckinsale here, but there is Rhona Mitra. They look alike and are both British, so it's practically the same person! This Underworld prequel sounds kinda like a Romeo and Juliet-esque type of story, except with fangs and fur.
Opens January 23, 2009.

The prequel will trace the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires known as Death Dealers and their onetime slaves, the Lycans. In the Dark Ages, a young Lycan named Lucian (Michael Sheen) emerges as a powerful leader who rallies the werewolves to rise up against Viktor (Bill Nighy), the cruel vampire king who has enslaved them. Lucian is joined by his secret lover Sonja (Rhona Mitra) in his battle against the Death Dealer army and his struggle for Lycan freedom.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The latest trailer for the sixth installment of Harry Potter. Watch worthy for Potter addicts.
Opens July 17, 2009.

Dragonball
Piccolo looks like a vampire. Other than that, all I can say is: Meh.
Opens April, 2009.

More upcoming movie trailers next month!

Gossip Girl Episode Recap S2Ep7: Chuck In Real Life

Gossip Girl Episode Recaps

This was a good episode for Chuck's character, because the audience gets to see the struggle that he goes through thanks to his reputation, father, and his own inner demons.


Couldn't find the appropriate stills, sorry.

(Spoilers. Spoilers. Spoilers. And even more spoilers. You are duly warned.)

Gossip Girl Season 2 Episode 7 Recap
Chuck In Real Life

Welcome back Gossip Girl fans, here’s another dose of your favorite Upper East side story. It’s a lovely morning for the Van Der Woodsen/Bass manor, Eric got a new watch, Chuck got some money, and Serena got a special suit all thanks to Bart. But it all comes with a price, and a hefty one at that, some new house rules. Needless to say, the kids aren’t taking it very well, least of all Serena. It seems that Bart wants the new family to be presented well at their upcoming housewarming party, but Serena isn’t pleased with the fact that Bart is now calling the shots in their so-called family.

By the way,

Eric: ”Who watches tv on a tv anymore anyway.” - Haha, indeed!

Over at the Humphrey home, Vanessa is busy petitioning some charity for a bar. And it seems that Dan has been busy playing some soccer thanks to his new bff Nate. Vanessa suddenly thought of going to Constance Billiard to find some kind, guiltless, rich people, what she failed to remember is that Blair isn’t one of them. Of course, this spurred temporarily insane Vanessa to threaten Blair with some pictures of her former bf’s scandalous relationship with his stepmom. Bad move. Really bad move.

Serena, thanks to Chuck, realized that she doesn’t like rules nor Bart, and decides to head off to who knows where wearing something that Bart didn’t pick. Uh oh.

Serena: “Oh, I forgot to wear underwear!” - Frickin hilarious!

Meanwhile, Queen B doesn’t like the fact that Vanessa has the upper hand, so she hires Chuck for a very Cruel Intentions-esque mission. Basically she wants Chuck to seduce Vanessa so that he can seduce Blair. Right, this will totally end well.

The next day, besties Blair and Serena are having lunch, and Eric joins them with his friend. His boyfriend. Aw, cute scene.

Back to the Humphrey home, Dan wants to prove that Cedric the Cabbage Patch isn’t his only friend, so he calls Nate to hang out and play soccer. Thinking that they were supposed to meet at Nate’s house, Dan drops by only to see that the house is supposedly abandoned and Nate is living in the living room in a sleeping bag. Poor Nate. Literally. Dan, wanting to help Nate, invites him to dinner and with the help of Jenny tries to get him to stay. But Nate, as usual, got mad that someone was trying to help him and left.

Speeding on to the night of the Van Der Woodsen/Bass housewarming party…

Serena got angry with the fact that Eric’s boyfriend didn’t come to the party after Bart talked to Eric. Angry about the new father figure in her life she tells some interviewers about Lily’s escapades that included leaving her and Eric alone while she gallivants off with numerous boyfriends. After her mini breakdown, Serena heads off to the abandoned Archibald home only to encounter Dan who was also looking for Nate. After some gushy pep talk, Serena realizes that her problem is actually with Lily, and Bart comes to take Serena back home, and Dan heads off to look for Nate. Back home, the interviewers are taken care of thanks to Bart, and the Van Der Woodsen/Bass family, minus Chuck, bond over some cake.

Meanwhile, Blair isn’t happy with how well Chuck seems to be doing his mission, and tells him that he wins. But he really wasn’t doing his mission well, because after meeting all the nice people at the bar, it seems that some humanity has seeped into him and he now really wants to save the bar. However, Bart isn’t happy that his son is buying a bar when they’re supposed to be a clean cut well-oriented family. Even after imploring Bart to reconsider, Chuck still only gets harsh words from his father. Vanessa overhears all of this and realizes that Chuck was really trying to help. But that thought quickly gets crushed by the jealous Blair bear that told Vanessa about the bet that she and Chuck made. Vanessa leaves, Chuck follows, and after the bar owner confronts him with some more harsh words, Chuck goes to Blair to claim his prize. But Blair isn’t willing to give what Chuck really wants from her, which consists of three words.

So in the end, Nate is staying with the Humphreys, Bart isn’t really a bad guy except when it comes to his own son, and Chuck wants Blair to chase him.

Wasn’t really as entertaining as some other episodes, in fact the Humphreys were the main funny factor in this ep, which is okay, I guess.

More episode recaps and spoilers coming soon, from your non-Gossip girl, gossip girl.

Gossip Girl Episode Recap S2Ep6: New Haven Can Wait

Gossip Girl Episode Recaps

This was actually a pretty entertaining episode, especially thanks to Leighton Meeston's performance as Blair.

(Spoilers. Spoilers. Spoilers. And even more spoilers. You are duly warned.)

Gossip Girl Season 2 Episode 6 Recap
New Haven Can Wait

Welcome back Gossip Girl fans, in this episode we see our favorite pairs of besties break up and make up. Guess which pair does which?

The young Upper East side socialites are preparing to visit the prestigious college of their choice. Meanwhile, it seems that our Queen B is having another one of her Audrey Hepburn style nightmares, this time in the throes of My Fair Lady. Can I just say? Leighton Meester’s facial expressions are hilarious! That cry is particularly chuckle worthy. Blair wakes up from the land of nod only to hear that even faithful Dorota is a Serena fan.

Over onto Serena, she is still the tabloids newest sweetheart and her mother Lily is proud to be called an unidentified friend.

At the Humphrey house, Dan is babbling, and Rufus is patronizing, nothing new there. Chuck and Nate are predictably less concerned with their college choice, and Chuck is simply in it for the secret societies.

During the college visits, Serena tries to start some friendly small talk, but Blair is still bitter about the charm of Queen S and bites back condescendingly. More than tired of the b-ness of Queen B, Serena decides to rain on Blair’s Yale parade.

Back at the Humphrey Home, Jenny and Vanessa try to convince Rufus of letting Little J go back to work for Eleanor. Although still unimpressed, Rufus agrees to let Little J give him a tour of her work space.

Meanwhile, Lonely Boy is having some trouble impressing the Yale admission. Lonely Boy is missing one letter of recommendation and he needs to find someone worth being recommended by. Yup. That’s pretty much the Dan’s main adventure for this episode. You know what makes his screen time even remotely interesting? The fact that Nate pretended to be Dan to get some random college girl, Jordan.

Thanks to The Captain, Nate’s plundering dad, the Archibalds have become a topic of interest for most Yale students. Nate can’t escape his family name’s infamy, so he pretends to be someone who wouldn’t ever matter, Dan.

Chuck however, is intent on finding the prestigious school’s secret societies. And he’s doing so by letting them find him. Which actually worked quite well. The frat boys are duly impressed by the one and only Chuck Bass, but they still want him to prove himself. So Chuck takes them to a world class brothel.

Meanwhile, Blair is surprised, to say the least, to see Serena come out of the dean’s office with all smiles, charm, and laughter. Peeved that the “unworthy” Serena is such buddies with the dean, during her own interview Blair tries to win him over by telling him about all of…uhm…the good qualities she doesn’t have? In this scene we clearly see Serena’s effect on Blair’s insecurities.

After the disastrous interview and the inappropriate kisses to the cheek, Blair finds Serena happily taking in the wonders of Yale. But Blair is unhappy with how she’s losing their little “game,” especially when Serena got an invite to a prestigious dinner with Yale’s finest, and she didn’t. Still, the besties bicker until threats are made, and war is started.

Back to Little J and Rufus, the tour is going well, and Rufus clearly sees how talented his daughter is. But it seems that that isn’t enough, and Rufus asks Eleanor to fire Jenny. However, Eleanor is unwilling to fire a perfectly capable employee, and asks Rufus to think of how he would feel if this kind of opportunity was given to him when he was younger.

A quick and humorous encounter with Chuck and Serena tells us that during the Yale dinner, the dean asks a certain question to the applicants. Chuck knows Blair’s perfect answer, and now Serena does too.

Nate is getting along with Jordan, but someone comes in to ruin everything. Guess who? Jordan was the recommendation that Dan was looking for, but Jordan didn’t know that Dan was Dan, and that Nate wasn’t Dan but actually Nate. Archibald. In the end, heavy books were thrown and Dan is still as judgmental as he ever was.

Meanwhile, Blair finally got her own invite to the dean’s famous dinner, through bribing and cats. I kid you not.

Over at the party, the applicants are asked to write their answers to the dean’s question, and it’s just Serena’s luck that the dean picks the answers in alphabetical order. She uses Blair’s perfect answer, but she should have guarded that piece of paper with her life, because of course Blair has something up her sleeve.

Hanging around with the secret society, Chuck learns that it’s actually Nate Archibald that they want. It seems that The Captain has left a lot of angry people with lighter wallets around. Chuck, being a twistedly good bestie, gives them Dan’s location instead. So Dan gets jumped by the Secret Society and is tied to a pillar, in his boxers. Nate overhears the secret society guys in a bar, attacks them, saves Dan, and gets mad at Chuck for saving him. Again. Oh, and Dan got his recommendation from Jordan after all. In the end, besties Nate and Chuck broke up. Aw.

Back at the party, the dean asks his question: “The person you would like to have dinner with, real or imagined, dead or alive, is?”

And Serena’s paper says: Pete Fairman
(Courtesy of Blair of course)

For those of you who forgot (which included me), Pete Fairman is the guy that Serena didn’t kill. After being humiliated in front of a whole room of Yale’s finest, Serena drags Blair outside for a confrontation. Lines are crossed, words are exchanged, and then bag throwing, hair pulling, and shoe kicking ensues. It’s sad to say, but a headband died. In the end, besties Serena and Blair broke up. Aw.

Cut over to the Van Der Woodsen manor, Lily was trying on Serena’s dress from Eleanor as Jenny arrives for one last errand with Rufus trailing along. Seeing Lily in the dress that Jenny made, Rufus sees the benefits of her job and eventually allows Jenny to keep her job. Oh wait, Rufus allowed Jenny to keep her job because Lily talked some sense into him. Right. That’s totally it.

At the very start of the recap I said that our favorite besties broke up and made up, but only one pair really made up again.

Well, good news Serena and Blair fans. The Queen besties are truly besties again. After the madness of the dinner party, Serena sees Blair exiting the dean’s building. Blair asks if Serena was there to rat her out. But Serena replies that she was there to convince the dean of how much Blair deserves to enter Yale. Blair says that that was exactly what she just did. Aw.

After some cheesy words, and a few more cheesy scenes, the besties walk off together.

More spoilers and episode recaps next week from your non-Gossip Girl, gossip girl.

The Solution to Global Financial Crisis

We are all under pressure with continuous financial concerns, and it seems that the problems are getting worse and worse. Thankfully, it seems that even celebrities are working hard to fix this global economic problem.

Natalie Portman (Star Wars, V for Vendetta) and Rashida Jones (The Office) have found the ultimate answer to the global financial crisis plaguing the world today. I must say that I have found a new respect for Natalie Portman after watching this video.

See more Natalie Portman videos at Funny or Die

"The Strangers" Film Review

I saw this film thanks to a friend’s insistence. I can’t say I’m completely disappointed, at least my curiosity is relieved, and it was a good enough reason to go to the mall. The Strangers was released months ago during May in the US, but it just recently showed here in the Philippines.

The Strangers in a horror/slasher film directed and written by Bryan Bertino in 2008. The movie stars Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, and Gemma Ward.

(Spoilers. Spoilers. Spoilers. And even more spoilers. You are duly warned.)

There are tons of (admittedly) scary appearances, creepy scenes, and people scaring other people just for the hell of it. The scare factor in The Strangers is good, but only for a one-time viewing. Needless to say, it’s not rewatchable (I know it’s not a word, bear with me). The meaninglessness of the whole film gets to you after half an hour of watching Liv Tyler crawling around the woods. After a while, I got tired of the chase, hide, and run routine and I just wanted to know why, why, oh why, those masked people were doing what they were doing in such an ugly fashion (somewhat literally, what’s up with that suit?).

Unfortunately, after all that tedious hullabaloo, The Strangers doesn’t quench the audience’s thirst for an answer. Part of me can somewhat grasp that grave psychopathological damage is enough of a motivation for those masked people, maybe they really did just want to kill people for the hell of it, but that is such a cop out reason. Why wear those masks if you’re gonna kill those people anyway? Why remove those masks if you’re gonna kill those people anyway? Why kill those people? Why those people? No answers at all. The Strangers doesn’t even pretend to have any significant reason, it’s just a playground of insanity and malice. The last fifteen minutes of the movie is particularly horrible, in every sense. And, why in the world are those children so frickin creepy? The constant scowl on their faces makes me think that maybe they’re the evil masterminds behind all the madness. I mean really, they didn’t even scream when they saw those bodies, in fact the bodies screamed when they saw the children!

I have to applaud all the actors, Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Kip Weeks, Gemma Ward, and Laura Margolis. Tyler and Speedman were convincing. The emotional turmoil they were under even before the masked people came was heartbreaking in itself, and it made a disturbingly touching moment in the end when Speedman’s character, James Hoyt, saw Tyler’s character Kristen McKay wearing the engagement ring. They helped make the pointless movie bearable.

The problem I have with The Strangers is that it wasted a perfectly good opportunity to explore a disturbingly intriguing subject, psychopathic killers. The film was supposedly based on the Manson killers, and Liv Tyler has mentioned that the original script had more scenes with the masked people, so why didn’t they show that instead? All we get in the film is scare factor fodder that gets old after the tenth time we see the masks show up then leave. To be honest, placing myself in that situation, out in the middle of nowhere in an unfamiliar house with insane strangers trying to kill me, just genuinely imagining it scares the crap out of me. What I'm saying is that the film could have been better.

But it wasn't that bad though, the director, Bryan Bertino, made good use of that creepy omg-I-think-someone-is-watching-me-omg-I-think-something-just-touched-me-omg-I-think-someone-is-out-there feeling that you get when you’re alone in an unfamiliar place. Because in this film, someone really is out there. The music was also a good touch for creepiness, the broken record heightens the panic during tense scenes.

Don’t expect any groundbreaking insight into the minds of psychopaths, don’t expect any confusing plot twists and surprises, and don’t expect any happy ending closure goodness. But overall, The Strangers is a good enough flick if you’re looking to waste an afternoon getting an adrenaline rush.

Also, I was quite surprised (and impressed) to find out that the masked people, whose faces the audience never ever saw, are actually really good looking actors.

Gemma Ward, the blonde masked dollface is an Australian model. Ward is reported to be the youngest model ever to be listed as the American Vogue’s “It Girls.”

Laura Margolis the Pin-Up Mask girl, she plays Daisy from Dirty Sexy Money.

Kip Weeks.

Poverty Sucks (Succinct, no?)

One of the most debilitating problems that civilization has is the never ending presence of poverty. Beyond the glittery sparkle of cosmopolitan lives, lies the constant struggle of the less fortunate to survive through the next 24 hours.

Watching and reading about classics like Oliver Twist and Annie can give us a happy ending impression about children's poverty. Of course we all hope that every poor orphan finds a loving and fortunate family. But that is just not the case in reality.

At least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day.

There are so many ways to help against poverty, with a single click of a button, you can help someone live through the day.

UNV

What we do - UNV

Global Issues

Global Fund For Children

Poverty Action

Make Poverty History

Look to the Stars

Outreach International

Stand Against Poverty

On a more personal note, poverty in my home country: Nearly 88% of Filipinos live in poverty. EndPovertyNow

The world’s brightest stars are doing their part, why don’t you do yours?

“We are not a passive generation, we’re very proactive. ... We want to see poverty eliminated because we believe it is possible.”
– Shakira.

“I’ve been out on the street, I know what it’s about.”
—Tyler Perry, who has donated enough food to feed 1,000 families for two weeks in Atlanta.

"This is not about charity, it's about justice... The war against terror is bound up in the war against poverty - I didn't say that, Colin Powell said that . . . In these disturbing and distressing times, surely it's cheaper, and smarter, to make friends out of potential enemies than it is to defend yourself against them..Justice is the surest way to get peace."
-- Bono

"Wars against nations are fought to change maps; wars against poverty are fought to map change."
-- Muhammad Ali

"The measure of a society is not in how well they reward their most enfranchised citizens, but in how well they aid their least."
Mike Myers, Actor

"Cancel the debt."
Brendan Fraser, Actor

"This year is one of unprecedented opportunity. It's the year to say enough is enough and campaign for urgent and meaningful change in aid, trade, debt and child poverty."
Anna van der Kamp, Olympic Silver medalist

"We have the power to end poverty in Canada. Do what you can to end the suffering of others and “Make Poverty History” in our Country."
--Kalan Porter, Canadian Idol

That's so people-who-don't-have-a pen-or-paper-and-never-study-but-call-themselves-students!

Okay.

So, I was watching The View on the Velvet Channel (Philippine TV), pitying Elisabeth Hasselbeck and applauding Whoopi Goldberg, and after a somewhat (not really) interesting debate about US presidential candidates and their past, they show a commercial about the derogatory remark: "That's so gay."

I was a little struck dumb because just a few days ago, I was so annoyed at my two guy acquaintances because they were saying stupid "macho" stuff and kept saying "You're so gay" to each other after every little thing. They used this phrase in a sarcastic and teasing way that made me uncomfortable. I'm barely friends with these guys, and I'm sure they don't know or care about what they're saying, but after they talked and joked around about gay men, gay women, suspected gay acquaintances, and disowning gay children, I was really, really, annoyed. I barely said much after that, and just quietly listened to tales of their boyhood and their guy friends whom they saw naked (really, I don't know why they loved talking about that...hm).

Obviously, I'm not sick with homophobia (pun well-meant, and shout out to Ellen D!). I believe in the saying, "live and let live, love and let love," and it actually makes me sad that some of my nearest and dearest are so intent in their "normality," that they are unwilling to tolerate people who are different. I even know people who call themselves friends with a gay person, and ask for free treats, free rides, etc. But are completely disgusted by their gay friend's lifestyle and say so behind their backs.

Having ranted about that, I think it's great that the US media is promoting this kind of commercial, and it's even greater that celebrities are joining to help.

Hilary Duff's "That's So Gay" Commercial.

Wanda Sykes' "That's So Gay" Commercial. (This one is funny.)

The question I have is: Will my home, the Philippines, ever follow in the footsteps of the country they're so in love with?

For some of my friends' sakes, I hope so.

By the way, if you're also non-homophobic, as I hope my readers are, click on this link: Thinkb4youspeak.

(Warning: Rant about boys will ensue in...)

3

.

.

2

.

.

1

.

.

What is their deal? I mean, really. In all my 19 years of life, I swear it's the boys who always start the drama. Most of the time their pride gets in the way of their thinking, the rest of the time they think with their private parts, if they're the kind who ever think at all. I can count the number of genuinely good and wise men I know in one hand, excluding family, because I kinda have to love them by default.

Okay, I get that girls mature faster than boys, but come on!

(End Rant. Dixi.)

No Besties On 30 Rock

Sorry Gossip Girl fans, but according to Hollywood reporter Ausiello, our favorite on-screen and off-screen besties, Blake Lively and Leighton Meester won't be joining the hilarious cast of 30 Rock.

Question: Got any more details about the upcoming 30 Rock episode featuring Gossip Girl's Blake Lively and Leighton Meester? -- Ginny
Ausiello: I'd call this a pretty substantial detail: It ain't happening! According to a 30 Rock insider, the show scrapped the hilarious-sounding cameo -- the frenemies were supposed to appear in a flashback as high school classmates of Liz Lemon's -- for "logistical" reasons. Spotted: B and L kicking themselves senseless. - Source

Blake Lively and Leighton Meester were supposed to guest star in a flashback as Liz Lemon's (Tina Fey) schoolmates. It would have been so interesting to see the actors in one of my favortite tv shows guest star in one of my other favorite tv shows. We could have seen a character swap between Lively and Meester wherein Meester plays the friendly one, and Lively plays the queen B. Oh wait, we're already kinda seeing that in the latest episode of Gossip Girl.

Anyway...

Steve Martin is replacing the guest star spot in 30 Rock.

I've gotta say...

So disappointed.

Go Ask Alice

Good news Tim Burton fans, it seems that our favorite gothic-esque director signed with Walt Disney Pictures to make his own adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Lots of rumors have been going around about the cast in this new Alice film, mostly during last year, some even said that Sarah Michelle Gellar was a part of the movie, and as cool as that might have been, it is just not so. It's not entirely bad news though, Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter (also Tim Burton's talented wife) will be playing antithetical sisters. Anne Hathaway will be playing the White Queen, while Helena Carter will be playing the Red Queen. Mia Wasikowska will be playing Alice. Also, Johnny Depp is cast as the Mad Hatter. Helena Bonham Carter, Johnny Depp, and Tim Burton have worked together numerous times before, in films such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. This will be the fourth film wherein in Burton, Depp, and Carter will all be working together. So far their collaborations have been constantly brilliant. Will another team up be as good, or better, than their previous works? Either way, Tim Burton's take on the classical tale of Alice in Wonderland should be worth watching out for.

Alice is still in pre-production, but a couple of photos of Mia Wasikowsa during filming has popped up.

Burton's Alice adaptation is reported to be a stop motion film (i.e. the kind of animation in films such as Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride).

Alice is supposedly coming out in March 2010.

Twilight's final poster is just plain creepy

Okay, obviously I'm not an expert in the art of poster making. But glancing at this image just gives me the feeling like I'm relating a different story to the wrong image. I mean, aren't Bella and Edward supposed to be in love? I have no factual idea about how vampires are supposed to love someone, so maybe that look of murderous intent and general creepiness is a vampire's way of showing undying (pardon the pun) devotion?

There has been numerous debates about Stephanie Meyer's Twilight novel series and the main female protagonist's personality as a low self-esteem girl and her obsession with a dangerous vampire. I'm just as much of a hopeless romantic as the next girl and I've already announced my appreciation for all things vampiric, but I'm still not sure who or what to believe.

Kim Voynar's article: Is Twilight Anti-Feminist? is especially enlightening about the novel, its author, and the answers to the popular debates concerning feminism. Also, check out the comments, because there are also some very good points from the audience.

I haven't read the novels, but after hearing about all the controversy surrounding it, I kinda want to read it and form my own opinion...like now.

Gossip Girl Episode Recap S2Ep5: The Serena Also Rises

Gossip Girl Episode Recaps

The Serena Also Rises? What in the world does that mean? Rise to where? And why is it "The" Serena?

(Spoilers. Spoilers. And even more spoilers.)

Gossip Girl Season2 Episode 5 Recap
The Serena Also Rises

Hello Gossip Girl fans, it seems that the Upper East Side socialites are abuzz with Fashion Week fever. Blair Waldorf is ever the helpful daughter, we see her helping her mom, Eleanor Waldorf, arrange the oh-so important seating chart where the hierarchy of social rankings are meticulously planned and calculated. It seems that B and S have always had a tradition wherein they spend their time together hanging out backstage during Eleanor Waldorf’s show. Blair also
ceases the opportunity to impress her pawns by giving them second row seats.

Lily Van Der Woodsen is busy decorating with her art consultant in Casa Van Der Woodsen/Bass, this prompts her to happily admit to Serena that she modeled nude for a famous photographer. This in turn prompts Serena to dub her the coolest mom on the Upper East Side. And with all the Upper East Side moms we’ve seen in Gossip Girl Land so far? Tasteful nude photograph or not, I’m inclined to agree. Moms who are in love with rockstars, accept their gay children, and accept their past drug addict/alcoholic children, are way, way, waaaaay cooler than moms who love money and social status more than their family (Nate’s mom), moms who are in love with themselves (Blair’s mom), moms who are in love with their own art (Humphrey siblings’ mom), and moms who sleep with their stepsons (Marcus’ stepmom). So yes Lily Van Der Woodsen, despite the fact that you have to wipe diner chairs before you sit on them, you are cool.

At school, Blair bestows the second row tickets to her pawns, but Serena’s tabloid photograph with popular socialite Poppy (Papi?) is apparently cooler. Pissed off by being out-cooled by Serena, and even more pissed off by Chuck’s constant gloating, Blair bestows upon Chuck the real reason why she’s called Queen B. A verbal lashing filled with truths leaves Chuck speechless.
Dan is trying to apply to Yale (or Dartmouth, not sure), but the stories he’s sending are disappointing. Shocked that an intellectual doesn’t like him, he is advised to find some adventure and danger in his mundane life. I’ve gotta say, even Dan’s adventures to try and make his life more interesting are absolutely boring.

Meanwhile, Eleanor and Laurel are arguing over the seating chart that Blair arranged, the guest list for Eleanor’s show lacks some oomph, and little J, who is been dumping school for the life of a struggling intern, happily suggests that they invite Serena and her socialite friend Papi (Poppy?) to the front row. Because we all know that the press loves spoiled socialites better than talented actresses who have an unpopular stint in rehab.

Shockingly, or not so shockingly actually, Dan goes over to Casa Van Der Woodsen/Bass to look for Chuck. He wants Chuck to show him adventure and danger. Gee Dan, that was the smartest thing you’ve done, like ever! Not.

Over at the Waldorf house, Blair is busy with some emotional therapy from Dorota. She sees her precious seating chart rearranged with Serena, Pappy (Popi?), and some other socialites assigned for the front row. Pissed off, as is the theme for Blair in this episode, she learns that it was Little J’s fault for making such a great plan for her mom’s fashion show. Deciding to return the benevolent favor, she goes to Rufus Humphrey and tells him, with the help of some chicken soup, that his precious daughter Jenny was such a great intern. So great that she’s been missing all her classes.

On to the Dan and Chuck adventures, we see Lonely boy being corrupted with the three incarnations of the devil. Alcohol, drugs, and Chuck.

During dinner with her mom Lily and Popi (Pappy?), we learn that Serena is actually hesitant of sitting front row in Eleanor’s show because she doesn’t want to leave Blair and their tradition unattended. Meanwhile Lily, learns from her art consultant that her precious photograph was already bought. Lily orders her to search for the anonymous buyer and offer them a price they can’t refuse.

Dan, having immense fun, rambles on with the unimpressed Chuck in a limo. Dan unwittingly takes of his shoes at Chuck’s suggestion while Chuck palms his wallet. Having had enough of Humphrey, Chuck tosses Dan out on an unknown street, shoeless and penniless.

Uh Huh.

Yawn.

Sorry Dan, no sympathy from me.

Rufus, angry with Jenny, sends her off to school on a Saturday (OMG!) to beg the headmaster for another chance.

Over to the Waldorf house, our favorite besties spend some time doing what they do best. Fighting. Blair, insecure and threatened by Serena, tries to keep her on a tight leash, but Serena is having none of it.

Apparently, wandering around the dangerous part of New York penniless and shoeless is still not dangerous enough for Dan’s mentor. He asks Dan to find Charlie Trout’s (his character based on Chuck) darkest secrets.
It’s Eleanor’s fashion show, and Serena sees that her front row seat has been demoted to the somewhere it should not be named, all thanks to Blair. What? Are socialites so nearsighted that they can’t see a tall platform from ten feet away? Wow. And I thought I had problems with my eyesight. Eleanor diffuses the confrontation between the besties and sends her daughter backstage and gave Serena her front row seat.

Alone in a bar, Chuck calls his dad to invite him for some quality Bass time. But Bart is too busy working, hiring private investigators to report on every little detail about his wife, and buying his wife’s nude photograph so that no one else will see it, you know, important stuff. Dan overhears everything and tries to open some conversation so that he can impart some Humphrey knowledge. Chuck doesn’t appreciate his efforts and looks for a prostitute instead. Unfortunately for him, and the woman, the lady he approached isn’t a prostitute, and her boyfriend (who looks more offended than she is) tries to confront him. Dan, trying to be macho, punches the guy. Our favorite smarmy guy and least favorite Gossip Girl guy (apart from Marcus), land in jail. Don’t worry though, they had some quality time to bond. Chuck tells Dan about his mom and dad (or did he?). Released thanks to his dad’s lawyer, Chuck promises poor Humphrey that he’ll help him get out. Of course, that was before he saw Dan’s notes about his quest to find out about Charlie Trout’s deepest, darkest, secrets.

Dan is ultimately saved from jail by his mentor. Dan repays him by using his ever reliable righteousness as a shield for everything that’s not right in his world, and calling him an egomaniacal, washed up writer who manipulates his protégé. Which may be true, but still uncalled for.

On to the fashion show, we see Blair trying to sabotage the show by sending all the models home. This prompts Little J to come up with the idea of making the socialites model the clothes instead, which includes Serena.

Lily welcomes Bart home and immediately asks about the photograph he bought. But Bart tells her for the thousandth time that he’s a powerful man (yeah, yeah), and that he has to protect his family. Lily finds out that Bart has a dossier file about her and she asks to see it. Angry, she implores Bart to understand that she doesn’t want to hide anything from her children, but Bart reveals a file and asks her if she wants her children to see that. What the file contains? I guess we’ll find out next week. I hope.

Meanwhile, Eleanor’s fashion show is going great, despite Blair’s efforts. Poppy (Papi?) and Serena talk a little about best friends who get in their best friend’s way, and Serena decides that she wants to shine. Blair gives Serena the finale dress, which was actually Jenny’s dress. Jenny sees Serena working the catwalk with her handmade dress, and defeated, she confesses to a similarly defeated Blair that she’s always admired how Blair worked hard for everything she achieved, unlike people like Serena who simply glides through. Predictably, the crowd goes wild for the dress, and Eleanor has no choice but to take credit for it.

In the end, Little J saves the day and everyone, including Blair, commends her for it. Rufus however, is still furious and forbids Jenny from anymore interning. But Little J has already promised the headmaster that she’s not coming back to school.

Our favorite besties share another moment, this time Blair is sincerely apologizing, but Serena is tired of Blair’s insecurities and leaves with their friendship in doubt. Uh Oh.

Well, this was a fairly interesting episode. The audience sees the greatest flaw that Blair has, her insecurity. It crippled her and turned her into a grade-A beyatch. During the scene where she apologizes to Serena, we see a glimpse that she herself may know about her own debilitation, but its obvious she has no control over it. Serena however, possibly has no idea of the extent of the effects she has on other people, including Blair. She is arrogant, but she may not even realize it. Dan’s character development still remains to be seen. He learned about Chuck’s problems with his parents, but we still don’t know how this affects him as a person. Though I am pretty relieved to learn that Dan’s judgmental and righteous characteristics were meant for a bigger purpose.

Overall, best episode of the season so far. Except, where is Nate? And Vanessa?

More episode recaps and spoilers galore next week from your non-Gossip Girl gossip girl.