Top 5 T.V. Shows

      As I now enter the double digit blogs (10 blogs, never thought I would do it.  :D), I have decided to do a different blog then what I usually do.  Instead of a review, I am making a list of the my five favorite television shows.  This list is extremely limited, since most of the television shows I watch are new and haven't airing yet, I hope this list will encourage you to check out some shows you might not have seen yet.

5. The Soup
Host: Joel McHale

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     The Soup is the most unique show on this list.  Not a drama or sitcom or even a reality show,The Soup is a show that currently airs on E! that shows clips of various television shows from the week (particularly reality shows), and makes fun of them.  The host Joel McHale (Currently the star of NBC's Community airing Thursday nights at 8!), is hilarious, and his biting commentary is both hysterical and a satire of the current state of society.  The show has regular "segments" such as "Chat Stew" which airs clips from talk shows, "Chicks, Man" which is primarily about female celebrity news, "Reality Show Clip Time!" which airs clips from reality shows, and "Clip of the Week" which is the most notorious, hilarious, and often disturbing and shocking clip from television that week.  The show is currently in its 5th season of being hosted by McHale, and is one of the most popular shows on E!, despite being constantly ridiculed on the show.


4. Avatar: The Last Airbender


Starring: Zach Tyler Eisen- Aang,  Mae Whitman- Katara,  Jack DeSena- Sokka,  Dante Basco- Zuko
 Jessie Flower- Toph,  Grey DeLisle- Azula, Mako- Uncle Iroh
          

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    I am undoubtedly going to get ridiculed for my placement of this show on my list, but I will stand by it and defend it to the death.  My favorite show of my childhood, and even better as I rediscover it over and over.  Unusual for a "children's" show to have both a complex mythology and to have a serial format, Avatar is a wonderful program enjoyable for parents and children.  The show is about Aang, the Avatar, who is destined to protect the world by manipulating all 4 elements by "bending" them.  He is joined in his quest for world balance by a close circle of allies, as well as a diverse cast of enemies.  Avatar is enjoyable for children because of it's funny characters and exciting fantasy actions, while adults can enjoy it for it's overarching plots and deep characters.  This is one of those shows that will make you laugh until you cry AND just make you cry.  Avatar has it all; exciting fantasy action, an original plot, 3-dimensional characters, a plot that carries on from episode to episode, and some of the funniest lines you will see on ANY show.  Exceptional episodes include "The Storm", "Zuko Alone", "The Desert" "Crossroads of Destiny", and the 4 parter-finale "Sozin's Comet".


3. Arrested Development

Starring: Jason Bateman -Michael Bluth, Portia de Rossi- Lindsay Bluth, Will Arnett- Gob Bluth, Michael Cera- George Michael Bluth, Alia Shawkat- Maeby Bluth, Tony Hale- Buster Bluth, Jeffery Tambor- George Bluth, Jessica Walter- Lucille Bluth

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      Arrested Development is my favorite sitcom ever, and undoubtedly one of the greatest of all time.  The sshow is a "riches to rags" story of the world's most dysfunctional family.  After the family patriarch (George Bluth) is sent to prison for nefarious acts of business, his son (Michael Bluth) tries his best to keep the family from destroying itself from the inside out.  This show is groundbreaking in terms of it's sense of humor; it often featured "cutaway" jokes, and for it's numerous pop culture references, many of them obscure.  This is the funniest show I have ever watched.  It takes more concentration and focus to understand and catch all the jokes then most sitcoms, which is something I like.  I love re-watching the show and finding all these hidden jokes.  This show makes me laugh, and makes me think.  But most importantly, it makes me laugh, and that's what most important.  This is the smartest funniest sitcom I have ever watched

.2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

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Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar -Buffy Summers, Nicholas Brendon- Xander Harris, Alyson Hannigan- Willow Rosenburg, Anthony Stewart Head- Rupert Giles, James Marsters- Spike, David Boreanaz- Angel, and many other various characters
     This is the only show on this list where I have not finished watching all the episodes, but I am confident enough in the remaining episodes to place this show so high on the list.  Some people will write this off as a mere fantasy show, but I assure you it is so much more then that.  The show follows the adventures of the titular character Buffy Summers, who is destined to fight the forces of darkness as the Slayer, which endows her with superhuman strength and agility.  She surrounds herself with a close circle of friends, known as the "Scooby Gang", who assist her in her quest to fight off vampires.  She struggles to balance a normal teenage life with that of her Slayer duties.  This is the most honest show about teenagers and growing up I have ever seen, despite the monsters.  The thing that makes this show unique (And what makes creator Joss Whedon a genius), is that the monsters on the show (Vampires, demons, witches) aren't just used in a villian-of-the-week format.  Each creature symbolizes an aspect of growing up.  Probably the one the show is most famous for is when Buffy's vampire boyfriend, Angel, becomes evil after a "night of passion", which destroys his human soul, symbolizing how boyfriends often become jerks to their girlfriends after sex.  By portraying the trials of growing up in a creative, unique, and entertaining format, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was more then just a show about fighting vampires.  It was a show about people one could relate to, and went through the same problems we all did.  They just kicked more butt and were funnier.

Glee Review

     "Don't Stop Believin'!!!!!!!".  With these iconic words, Glee planted itself into America's hearts.  It was not the first time a musical television show had been attempted. (See Cop Rock and Viva Laughlin).  But it was the first one that worked, the first one that people enjoyed and actually watched.  Featuring a cast of zany and over-the-top characters, and heart meltingly fantastic covers of a wide range of songs, mixed in with a bizarre sense of humor, made Glee the perfect recipe for success.

Created by Ryan Murphy, the mastermind behind the hit medical dreama Nip/Tuck, Glee centers around the  the lives and performances of the William McKinley High School Glee Club.  The club is under the leadership of Spanish teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) who is a former member of the Glee Club and helped to lead it to a national championship.  Central Glee Club members include; Finn (Cory Monteith), the football player turned Glee Clubber who is the subject of numerous romantic perils, Puck (Mark Salling) a fellow football player turned Glee Clubber who is the resident "bad boy", Kurt (Chris Coifer) the sassy homosexual fashionable singer who struggles with identity, Mercedes (Amber Riley) the plus sized singer with an incredible soulful voice, wheelchair-bound Artie (Kevin McHale),  and the breakout star of the show Rachel (Lea Michele) the obnoxious and overbearing and unofficial "leader" of the Glee Club who also happens to be their best singer.  Their rival is sinister cheerleading coach Sue Sylvster (Jane Lynch) who tries to thwarts the Glee Club's progress every step of the way.  These and other similarly cartooned characters populate this rich and creative show.
    This show succeeds for two reasons: the incredible cover songs, and Jane Lynch's performance. Even when Glee verges into cheesy and bland territory, Jane Lynch never does. She keeps this show grounded, and Glee is worth watching to see her deliver line and hilarious line.  One of my favorites is "We're dealing with children, they need to be terrified, it's like mothers milk to them - without it their bones won't grow properly".  Classic.  
    Glee has the potential to be the best show on television.  It could be great, but right now it's just good.  Glee is very gimmicky; it likes to have a "theme of the week" that the whole episode is built around, including the songs.  Sometimes this works out well (Dream On), other times not so much (Funk).  What the Glee writers need to focus on next season is letting the story flow naturally, instead of forcing these plotlines for our characters that don't match what their personalities.  Right now it's very stunted.  It'll be great one week, mediocre the next week.  They need to learn to build on episodes and build momentum.  Another thing that could be improved is the quality of the stories.  Really Glee?  An entire half season about FAKING a pregnancy?  We get that it's a show about musical theater, but even that was a bit much.  The best thing for the writers to do in the upcoming second season is to craft more plausible storylines that feel more organic and less artificial.  If they can do that, the show will take care of itself.  The music is beyond phenomenal, and it is very rare that they produce a bad song.  The cast is certainly talented enough to handle more sophisticated writing, and I feel they are up to the task.

    Glee has hit the world by storm. It's ratings have GROWN over the course of the season, it's songs have sold more then 1.6 million copies on Itunes, the cast have gone on tour to sold out shows, and it dominated the Emmy Awards, scoring 19 nominations, including Best Comedy, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress, which Jane Lynch is a guaranteed.  Whether Glee will continue to enchant us in the upcoming seasons remain to be seen.  But there is one thing that everyone who watches Glee can agree upon, and that is the shows originality.  It truly is wonderful to see a show so unique on network television, and if Glee helps to usher in more original work like this, then it will have been worth it. 

The Fly (1986) Review

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The Fly:
Director: David Croenberg

Screenplay: David Croenberg and Charles Edward Pogue
Starring: Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park), Geena Davis (Thelma and Louise), and John Getz
Gross Revenue: 60,629,159 worldwide
Awards: 1987 Academy Award for Best Make-Up

HOBY Paper

The Ripple Effect: How HOBY Sneaked Up On Me and Changed My Life

"I believe every person is created as the steward of his or her own destiny with great power for a specific purpose: To share with others, through service, a reverence for life in a spirit of love."- Hugh O Brian.  


          These words kicked off an incredible weekend for me and 179 other high school sophomores during Memorial Day weekend 2010.  Nominated by my school for a leadership conference, I was naive and confused about what I was attending.  What could I possibly learn at a leadership conference?  What could I possibly get out of it?  I went anyway, and I am forever thankful that I did.  At Mount St. Mary’s University in rural Emmitsburg, Maryland, I was introduced to HOBY.  HOBY, an abbreviation for Hugh O’ Brian Youth is a leadership conference for high school sophomores that has gone on annually since 1958.  Successful and notable alumni include Mike Huckabee, actress Shannon Elizabeth, and Raviv “Ricky” Ullman, Phil from the DisneyChannel series Phil of the Future.  It was here that I learned many invaluable life skills, which have forever shaped and changed my life.  While it is impossible to describe HOBY to a “non-HOBY”, I will try as best as I can to reiterate the incredible life-changing experience that I was fortunate enough to receive.

Hugh O’ Brian was an actor, best known for his work on the 1950‘s television show The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp.  In 1958, he ventured to Africa after receiving an invitation from German missionary doctor Dr. Albert Schweitzer.  He was swept up by this mysterious man, this “jack-of-all-trades”.   Dr. Schweitzer was concerned with the prospect of global peace and he felt that the United States was the only country who could help instigate it.  He said something that left a profound impact on the young actor, “The most important thing in education is to teach young people to think for themselves.”  Hugh O’ Brian never forgot these words, and within two weeks of returning to the United States, he put together an experimental youth leadership seminar, which would eventually evolve into the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar, now popularly known as HOBY.

HOBY holds five core values as the most important for developing leaders: volunteerism, integrity, excellence, diversity, and community partnership.  Held in the highest regard is volunteerism.  The act of providing service willfully and without pay.  Sacrificing one’s time and energy in service of a noble or worthy cause, without any monetary benefit. The second key value is Integrity, which is the act of being morally righteous and sound, with a strong and firm character.  The third is Excellence, or the drive and ability to succeed, to go beyond what is expected of one in order to be the best.  The fourth is Diversity, which is a variety of beliefs, backgrounds, experiences, professions, that all come together in service of a unified purpose to achieve a greater good.  The last but certainly not the least valuable core value is Community partnership.  This is when one works with one’s community in order to improve its overall quality for the succeeding generations that follow.  All these attributes are necessary and indispensable for young leaders to posses.  They are the core of HOBY’s beliefs and they are engraved into the minds of every potential youth leader at the various HOBY conferences.

The conference began on a cool Friday morning, ending on a blistering hot Sunday afternoon.  They were simultaneously the shortest and longest 3 days of my life.  There was everything from motivational speakers, to leadership panels, to deep retrospective discussions on various aspects of life, such as diversity and poverty.  There was also a LOT of food.  The food there was delicious and I’m sure I packed on a “Freshmen Fifteen” in one weekend.  The speakers were simultaneously hysterical and thought provokingly meaningful.  Chris Bowers’ hilariously positive outlook on life had me in tears of laughter, while Sandy Queen’s stories of personal triumph had me in crying from jubilance and sadness.  I made more friends in one weekend than I ever thought was possible, most of whom I continue to talk to excessively, some more then my “real world” friends.  I participated in an outdoor community service project where we placed protective tubes around tiny samplings, so as not to be eaten by wild animals.  Despite my hatred of working with nature, I left the park with a feeling of accomplishment and humility, and I am grateful for the experience.  I watched a talent show that both moved me to laughter and tears.  Having everything from beautiful classical piano, dramatic monologues, and hilarious “Presidential” impressions, that show gave me a massive feeling of camaraderie and pride to my fellow HOBY class.  The staff surprised us with a choreographed dance which was among the most spectacular live shows I’ve ever witnessed.  I had the time of my life at a dance in the cafeteria that had EVERYBODY getting down on the dance floor.  Everyone was included, no one was excluded.  I was near tears as I stood in a massive circle around a huge auditorium, watching students, Alumni, facilitators, and coordinators share how much a group of complete strangers had impacted their lives in 56 hours, some with tears streaming down their cheeks.  During the closing ceremonies, we impressed the parents with our insanely cool cheer, and cheered and screamed for our friends during the slide show.  Saying goodbye to these wonderful people was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, and I seriously contemplated not going home.  It was one of the most magical experiences of my life and I will never forget it.

I could write book upon book about the many amazing friends I met at HOBY.  They included some of the funniest, sincere, and loving people I have ever met.  I truly consider many of them to be members of my family.  I was not at HOBY for 5 minutes before I made a new friend.  Just walking up to the college, a fellow and I struck up a conversation and he officially became my first friend at HOBY.  I have since learned he is one of the coolest people I have ever met.  I met another fellow who is probably the friendliest person I have ever met.  The literal center of attention, as well as a classy ladies’ man, he couldn’t have been more friendly.  This person and I continue to talk excessively and I consider him to be more like a brother then a friend.  I was placed into a group with ten other people, as well as two group facilitators. We were Group 17, also known as the “Techno Snookies”. This was my family for 3 days, and I truly love these people with all my heart.  We shared deep and personal parts of our lives, with people we barely knew.  We were different in almost every single way, but we formed an unbreakable bond.  I met one girl so dedicated to schooling that she was during her homework DURING the conference.  We now text nearly every day, and she might as well be my flesh and blood relative.  Not just one, but two of my group members were among the most talented piano players I have ever seen. One of my fellow Snookies helped me protect the trees with the protective tubes; she kept her spirit up, even though she hated nature.  One of them even looked like Nick Jonas!  We laughed together, partied together, danced together, and cried together.  They are the greatest people I have ever met, and I miss them intensely. My roommate and I would talk into the wee hours of the morning, about everything from girls to music.  I met one man who may be the funniest person I have ever met.  This guy had the entire conference in tears as he assisted people find objects throughout the room in a modified game of “Hot and Cold”.  I met people who look like Nick Jonas, Drake Bell, and Barack Obama.  One of the TA’s, or “Team Alumni”, former HOBY participants who came back as staff members, got me to spend 5 dollars on HOBY Hugs.  HOBY Hugs are nothing more then index cards with the words “HOBY Hug” written on them; they cost 50 cents per card and the money goes to support HOBY.  I only planned on buying one or two, but this guy coerced me into buying 10 cards, or 5 dollars worth.  He convinced me to spend 5 dollars, on index cards, but hey, it's HOBY. There were people I didn’t even meet at HOBY who I now talk to close to everyday.  There is one person in particular I have talked to everyday since HOBY ended, and I do not recall meeting her in person at HOBY. However she is now a close personal friend and I am grateful to her for her sound music advice, fashion advice, movie advice, and general life advice.  She's very well rounded.  There are countless others who I have befriended and I am thankful for their friendship.  I miss these people everyday, and I constantly look forward for the next time we will reunite.  These people changed my life, and I consider myself grateful that I got to meet them.

I have continued to describe HOBY as “life-changing” and as the “greatest experience as my life”.  Many people believe, as do I, that these phrases are over-used and cliché.  However, I truly believe that HOBY was a life changing experience, and among the best of my life.  I believe HOBY made me a more loving, compassionate, and thoughtful individual, better suited to be a future leader.  It wasn’t just HOBY as a whole that changed my life, but several individual experiences.  One of them was Chris Bowers.  He was also a motivational speaker, who also happened to be a HOBY Alumni.  His message of positive outlook and positive thinking, really struck a chord with me.  He taught me that nothing is accomplished from negative thinking and griping and complaining, only through positive thinking could the world be changed. He taught me to “not pull on the wire”, and to think calmly and carefully when in high pressure situations.  I enjoyed his positive message so much, that I bought his t-shirt, which I rarely do, for I am a cheapskate and hate to spend my own money.

Another life changing experience was the HOBY Dinner Simulation.  We were randomly put into different groups, based on the color of the strip of paper we were given.  I had the purple strip. We were then sent to different parts of the cafeteria based upon our color, and were served dinner accordingly.  A select four got to eat the “elite” lunch, which included multiple courses, as well as personal waiters.  A larger percentage got to eat a traditional middle class meal of pasta and salad, and was seated at large tables with more then enough food to go around.  My group, which was the largest, was the poor group, also known as “the party group”. We were rounded up into a small section of the cafeteria, where it was standing room only. There was no room to sit down and moving around was very tricky and complicated.  We were served a delicious and hearty meal of tortillas with rice and beans.  There was also a fourth, smaller group that were on the other side of the cafeteria, who didn’t even have food at first.  Their food was later delivered them by a large “Red Cross” truck, and they were served a hearty meal of goulash and apple juice.  Each group represented a different part of the world; the “elite group” represented the rich people of the world, just 2% of the population.  The regular people represented the middle class, 33% of the world’s population.  The poor group represented the world’s poor, an overwhelming 60% of the world’s population.  The fourth group represented the refugees, displaced, or homeless, representing 5% of the world’s population.  We were fed according to our class.  At first the outlook was bleak; why was it that we were fed rice and beans, while these other people got to eat spaghetti and chocolate cake?  Then, as the whole point of this exercise started to grow on us, we became thankful for the food that we did have, we feasted on as much rice and beans as we could.  Despite the cramped quarters, we had a blast.  We sang, danced, and first bumped; the whole time there was nothing but a smile on our faces.  It might have been the most enjoyable part of the conference.  Afterward, we had long discussions about the importance of what we had just experienced.  We discussed the inherent metaphors, such as having most of the conference people into a small space, reflecting how most of the world has the least amount of space, as well as deeper hidden ones.  Many of us came off inspired to serve our community and I for one was one of those people.  This experience gave me a greater understanding of the sufferings of the world, and I felt inspired to help ease it.  I have gone about trying to start a Volunteer Club at my school, and I hope to visit a third-world country sometime within the next 5 years.

The final experience that had a profound impact on me was Sandy Queen.  She was another motivational speaker, but she was different than Chris Bowers.  While she was still hysterical, her message was more personal and emotional for the people of HOBY.  She started by telling all of the people in the audience that we were “Good Stuff”, something all too many of us don’t hear very often. She proceeded to tell us story after story of personal triumph and redemption, how numerous people had gone from a life of drugs and debauchery, to a life of service and hope.   She told us the story of one man who went from smoking marijuana every single day to being a fighter pilot.  She gave us side-splitting laughter when she told us about the difference between boys and girls.  Then she did something I will never forget.  She made us stand around the room in a circle, which was no easy task for well over 250 people.  We then proceeded to share what this weekend had meant to us and how it changed our lives.  I watched as people shared stories of troubled home lives, as others stood there with tears streaming down their cheeks.  We stood there sharing for so long that we were late to lunch.  I will be completely honest here.  As I stood there in that circle, with the end of the conference fast approaching, I started tearing up.  Everything I had learned and everyone I had met had suddenly come to a head, and I was overrun with emotion.  I am eternally thankful for what HOBY has given me, and I would not trade the experience for anything in the world.

In summary, HOBY was unbelievable.  For fifty-six hours, I was with the greatest assembly of people the world has ever known or will know, and I learned invaluable life lessons that I will never forget.  It touched me in ways that I didn’t expect, and I know it did the same to others.  HOBY taught me how to be a leader, how to care for others, and how to change the world.  It introduced me to some of the best and brightest people I have ever known, and I know I formed life long friendships that weekend.  I watched as people broke down in front of a group of strangers, and laughed until they couldn’t open their eyes.  HOBY inspired me to be brave, to get out of my comfort zone.  There is a song that Sandy Queen played for us called “If I Were Brave”.  The lyrics talk about how people are often too cowardeous to do their hearts desire, and it longs for “what I would do if I were brave.” 

“If I were brave, I’d walk the razor’s edge, where fools and dreamers dare to tread.  I'd never lose faith, even when losing my way.  What step would I take today, if I were brave?” 

I have continued to listen to this song repeatedly and I have taken its message to heart.  To truly be a leader, to truly inspire someone, to truly change the world for the better, one has to be able to leave their comfort zone, and do things one wouldn’t normally do.  One should do risky things that are not guaranteed successes.  To truly lead successfully, one would walk the razor’s edge, and take chances.  One thing HOBY encouraged us to do is be like a ripple.  A ripple starts out small, but over time it grows bigger and bigger and bigger.  HOBY taught me that not all world-changing acts are big, some are small.  However, they can grow and grow and grow, just like a ripple.  HOBY has started the ripple in me, and I am going to start it in my life and the life of others.  I was not expecting HOBY to change my life, I do not think anyone was.  Then, it just happened.  HOBY truly was a prodigious experience, a truly marvelous and life-changing.  It was the greatest thing that ever happened to me, and I cannot wait to return in the future.  If I had to sum up HOBY in one word it would be, “OUT*STANDING”! 

LOST Finale Review

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After thinking about it, I decided that reviewing the entire LOST finale in a few short sentences isn't worthy of the masterful effort that it was. So I have decided to write a review. This is a warning to LOST fans who have not yet watched the finale, DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW. There will be many SPOILERS, which will ruin your show experience. Again, do not read. Here is my review....

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After 6 long years and 119 episodes, it had finally come. One of the most anticipated finales in history, and while it's too soon to tell, it will probably go down in history as the most hotly debated finale in history. Watched by over 13 million people over a 2 and a half hour period, it is probably the most ambitious finale of out time, by perhaps the most ambitious and groundbreaking show of all time. Featuring many of the shows's varied and diverse cast in touching reunions, the show's final moments were simultaneously emotionally resonating and ridiculously confusing. It was basically typical episode of LOST.

 The episode featured the castaway's final attempt to defeat the Man in Black, who had taken the form of John Locke's body. Jack travels to the heart of the island with Desmond and MIB, all with ulterior motives. (Yay for Rose and Bernard appearing in the finale!). Desmond tries to literally "uncork" the island, which he believes will carry him to enlightenment in the "sideways world". Once the cork is removed however, it starts to destroy the island, just as MIB predicted. Also, it makes him mortal, and able to be killed. Jack is able to kill MIB after a long and dramatic fight, although he sustains a fatal wound during the fight. He returns to the heart of the island and "recorks" the island. Meanwhile, in the Sideways world, the other characters are being enlightened in their own various experiences. Charlie and Clare reunite, Sawyer and Juliet (yes!), Sayid and Shannon reunite (boo!), and most of the original castaways receive their "awakening". Ben apologizes to Locke for all of his sins, and Locke forgives him and walks into the church. (Started tearing up here). Jack walks into the church, looks into his father's empty coffin, and turns around to see his father standing there. His father explains to him that this is a place that their collective consciousness created together, so that they could find each other in the after life. The Sideways world is revealed to be a sort of purgatory, instead of an alternate reality caused by Jughead. Everyone is reunited in the church, intercut with shots of Jack dying on the island. The closing shot is Jack's eye closing, an exact reversal of the opening to the LOST pilot, which was Jack's eye opening.

My reaction to the finale is mixed. I am not totally in love with the episode, like many of the show's cast are, but I do not totally hate this episode like many people I know do. While I loved the resolution to the character's personal storylines and found the idea of them all being together in the afterlife very touching, I found many aspects of this episode to be very confusing. More allegorical then literal almost. I loved that Hurley and Ben were the Island's new number 1 and 2. I loved that the show's various romances got to be together in the afterlife. (Except Sayid and Shannon, more on that later). I loved that Jack finally got over his father issues, and was able to peacefully reconcile with his father. I loved the closing moments of the episode, and it is hard to deny that there is not great art to be found there. And who didn't that love that climatic jump between Jack and MIB, right before they cut to commercial. LOST has always been a master at cliffhangers within episodes. However there are some things I didn't like. First of all, what was up with Sayid and Shannon being together in the afterlife? I know that Nadia was never on the island with Sayid, he spent over a decade searching for her. He and Shannon had about a 2 week fling before she was shot by Ana Lucia. (Never a big Shannon fan). I am sure one could come up with some explanation about how Shannon was the only person who accepted Sayid for who he was with all his baggage and blah blah blah I don't care. Still not happy about that. Also, the finale not only left many questions unanswered, but left us with many MORE questions. Why was it so easy to turn the light on and and off at the center of the island? You think would have done it before now, to kill MIB. What wasn't Richard, Miles, Walt, and others in the church? (We know why Walt wasn't there, it's because the poor boy is too old. And we know why Mr. Eko isn't there. The actor that potrays him could never reach a deal with the show's creators to appear in this season). What's up with all the other people in the Sideways world? Are they dead too? Some of these things make no sense, and we'll most likely never get an explanation. Despite these shortcomings, I found the series finale to be a satisfying conclusion both pensively and emotionally,

LOST creators and showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have refused to talk about the finale. I think they did this to force us to form our own opinions about the finale, instead of relying just on theirs. And half the fun of LOST has always trying to guess what happens next and what everything means. LOST theorizing has become a professional sport on the internet. I think it is fitting that LOST's finale is so polarizing. The LOST people have always done things their way. They've never catered to a lower level of intelligence because the mainstream wouldn't "get it". They've never had to compromise their vision, and I am very glad that LOST got to end on their own terms, which is truly a rare thing in modern television. Sure, the finale wasn't perfect, but it was pretty darn good. The more I've thought about it and read about it, the more I start to appreciate it. This is my salute to the hundreds of people who have helped to contribute to LOST over the years. Thank you for the ride, it was certainly an enjoyable one.

Despicable Me Review

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    This might be the cutest movie I have ever seen.  Everything about this movie was adorable.  The character's shapes, Gru's accent, the little girls, the "minions". the evil plots.  All the cute in this movie was turned up to 11.  Cute isn't always a good thing.  Sometimes filmmakers use the "cuteness factor" as a way to manipulate viewers with false emotion.  However, I didn't see that in Despicable Me.  I think this movie is very honest, not fancy or high class or emotionally deep, but honest.
    Despicable Me is an animated film by Univesal's Illumination Entertainment, headed up by Chris Meladandri who is the former head of Fox Animation, and oversaw the production of the Ice Age Movies.  Those movies are very similar tonally to this one.  Both are original stories that feature characters voiced by a large celebrity cast, telling a hilarious story that also has heart.  The main character of Gru is voiced by Steve Carrel, and he is nearly unrecognizable through his faux-Russian accent.  Another significant cast members include Jason Segal (yay!), Russel Brand, Miranda Cosgrove, Will Arnett, and Kristen Wiig.
     The film is about Gru, who strives to be the world's greatest supervillian.  He has a dasterdly plot to steal the moon and hold it for ransom, which will ultimately earn him such much needed respect from the supervillian community, and his apathetic mother.  In order to so, he adopts 3 orphan girls to help with his scheme.  But then Gru begins to predictably fall for these girls, and might just change his priorities in life.

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   Now let's be honest here, this movie isn't breaking any new ground here.  There's nothing here you haven't seen in some form or another.  A man who values only himself comes in contact with kids and they warm his heart.  Nothing new.   But I don't believe it's ever been does as an animated 3-D comedy with a supervillian for a protagonist.  And that's what gives this movie it's unique edge.  The combination of zany sci-fi comedy with a heartwarming story about a man learns to appreciate family, is very emotionally satisfying.  This movie won't take you to any new levels like Pixar films have a knack for doing, but you won't be bored during this movie.  The first half of this movie is a little muddled and busy, but the second half is both hilarious and heartwarming.
   Another unique feature to this movie from other films dominating the box office lately is that it is an ORIGINAL picture.  Not based off a previously established property or a sequel, it is 100% original.  Hopefully the success of this movie will encourage other studios to release more original movies.  In summary, a heart-warming hilarious flick, that will leave you immensely satisfied after leaving the theater.  Kids will love it, adults will enjoy it along with them.  4/5
  

LOST Review

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     Very few shows in history can claim that they revolutionized television; LOST is a member of this small elite.  LOST pushed the limits on what was expected of a traditional network drama, and changed the way that fans respond to television forever.  For 6 years and over 100 episodes, the show's creators and runners never sacrificed their vision, never catered to the "lowest common denominator".  They made a show that was intelligent, thought-provoking, hilarious, heartfelt, emotional, and truly original in its entirety.  A show that could not be pigeonholed, could not be described in a single sentence.  (Try and explaining LOST in one sentence to a non-LOST fan, it's impossible).  The greatest network drama of all time in this blogger's humble opinion, this is LOST



     LOST focused on the lives of the "castaways" the survivors of the crash of Oceanic Flight 815 en route from Sydney to Los Angeles, onto a "mysterious" tropical island.  The series chronicled their efforts to survive on the island and discover its mysteries, as well as a deeper, more spiritual purpose.  Featuring one of the largest and most diverse casts in television history, it would take far too much time to accurately describe each one.  Instead, I would like to describe the series as a whole, to avoid as few spoilers as possible.  This is one show where knowing as little as possible about what happens is a bonus.  LOST is a very "twist"-centered show, and knowing the twists ahead of time is no fun.  So non-LOST fans, please skip ahead of the next few paragraphs, as I will be reviewing each season as a whole, and it will contain SPOILERS.  So unless you want everything about LOST spoiled to you, please skip ahead until you see "Spoilers Over".



*SPOILERS BEGIN"

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Season 1: Widely hailed by many to be the best season of LOST, this was the season that started it all.  All the mysteries, all the romances, all the "OH MY GOSH!" moments, began right here.  This season's primary purpose was to introduce the numerous characters and their tumultuous back-stories to us, through the use of flashbacks.  We also learned that the castaways were not alone on the island, with both human and non-human inhabitants.  Many standout episodes here including, "Pilot", "Confidence Man", "Solitary", "All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues", "Deus Ex Machina", "Exodus, and one of my personal favorites of any television show "Walkabout".  This season was widely acclaimed by critics and the public, averaging over 17 millions viewers and winning an Emmy for Best Drama.

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Season 2: Season 2 introduced us to the "Hatch", the mysterious object Locke and Boone had found in the jungle, that was the focus of much of Season 1's tension.  Inside we found not only a person, but an entire secret scientific organization, known as "The Dharma Initiative".  This season also introduced to the survivors of the tail section of the plane, who had been living in their own camp on a different side of the island.  This season continued with the flashbacks, and added even more mysteries to the already large number.  Some exemplary episodes include "Man of Science, Man of Faith", "The 23rd Psalm", "The Long Con", "Lockdown",  and the best episode of the season, the season finale 2-parter "Live Together, Die Alone"  This is the season where LOST reached it's peak number of viewers, and then subsequent drop-off.  This season was deemed a lesser season of LOST, and was not nominated for a Best Drama Emmy.

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Season 3: Season 3 is a unique season of LOST.  It includes some of the worst and best episodes of LOST.  Early season 3 terrible is quite mediocre and muddled, while some episodes, such as "Stranger in a Strange Land", "Par Avion" (My most hated LOST epiosde), and "Expose" (Widely considered the worst episode of LOST), are downright unwatchable.  The LOST showrunners, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, had lost focus of the series, and it was being drowned in unsolved mysteries and unresolved plotlines.  Halfway through, they decided that they would end the show after 3 more season in May 2010, a revolutionary idea for a still-popular show.  This re-energized the show's creators, and the latter half of Season 3 contains some of their best episodes.  Some standouts include "Flashes Before Their Eyes", "The Brig", "The Man Behind The Curtain", "Greatest Hits", and the other contender for my favorite episode of LOST ever, the season 3 finale "Through the Looking Glass".  This season introduced us to the "Others", the original inhabitants of their island, and their mysterious leader Benjamin Linus (My favorite character on this show).   The first half of this season was critically ravaged, while the second half was critically acclaimed.

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Season 4: Season 4 is my favorite season of the show.  Season 4 introduced us to the flashforwards, showing the character's lives in the future, instead of the past.  It also introduced to the "Freighter Crew", a scientific team from a freighter stationed off the island, who had come there to extract Ben Linus.  This was much to the castaway's dismay and confusion, who thought that the freighter was there to rescue them.  Many exemplary episodes in LOST's shortest season including "The Beginning of the End", "The Constant" (Widely considered the best LOST episode ever), "The Shape of Things to Come", "Something Nice Back Home", "Cabin Fever", and "There's No Place Like Home". This season was critically acclaimed, and once again resulted in LOST being nominated for a Best Drama Emmy.

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Season 5: The pentulimate season of LOST was very different.  The season began with some of the castaways the "Oceanic 6", off the island, seeking a way to come back.  This season also featured extensize use of time travel as a story telling device.  It was the season that re-introduced the Dharma Initiative, and introduced the centuries-old conflict between the island leader Jacob and the mysterious "Man in Black".  Some standout episodes include "Jughead", "316", "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham", "Dead is Dead",  "The Variable", and the explosive 2-parter "The Incident".  This season continued LOST's declince in viewers, but was once again nominated for a Best Drama Emmy.

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Season 6: The controversial final season of LOST, which set out to wrap up the show's plotlines and many mysteries to the satisfaction of the fans.  This of course was impossible.  There was no way the creators could answer every single question, and many would probably not satisfy the imagination of many of the fans.  Yet, in my opinion, the final season of LOST succeeded in wrapping up several mysteries as well as giving our character's lives a wonderful conclusion.  Some stand out episodes include "The Substitute", "Lighthouse", "Dr. Linus", "Ab Aeterno" "Happily Ever After", "Everybody Loves Hugo", and "The End', the hotly debated series finale.  I have mixed feelings about the LOST finale.  I felt it was a wonderful way to wrap up the series, with all the characters together in "heaven".  I loved all the reunions, and I loved the closing shot of Jack dying.  It was pretty emotional. But numerous things in the finale, such as the whole "uncorking of the island" thing, seemed more allegorical then physical, and just confused me.  And since I know there will be no resolution, it makes me kind of sad.  But nevertheless, it was an action-packed emotional episode.



*SPOILERS OVER*

    I can honestly say that LOST changed my life. I have never before followed a show so religiously and devotedly as I did with LOST.  Friends of mine can testify that I ALWAYS talk about this show, and they were relieved when this show was over so I would stop talking about it.  I argued about LOST, wrote about LOST, read blogs about LOST.  I even incorporated LOST into one of my 9th grade English essays.  I have friends hundreds of miles away that I still keep in contact with because of LOST.  LOST is my favorite show ever, and I doubt any show will ever take its place.
    Even if you are not a fan of LOST, its hard to disagree about its impact.  It made genre television popular again, and made a statement that genre television (e.g. sci-fi and fantasy) is just as good as traditional shows.  It won numerous accolades for acting and writing, and was widely considered one of the best shows on television.  It dealt with many themes such as science vs. faith, destiny vs. chance, and redemption.  It was more then a show about people on an island.  It was a show about people, just like us, who had some of the same problems we did.  Bad father relationships, addiction, marital issues, an obsession with "fixing people".  They were able to realize their flaws and fix them in order to become better people.  LOST taught us that people aren't perfect, but all are capable of redemption.  That's what LOST was about all along.  Not about the mysteries or the intrigue, but the characters.  Live Together, Die Alone.

The Truman Show Review

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    I have seen a large amount of movies.  But no movie has ever affected me like The Truman Show has.  This movie makes me cry, laugh out loud, and shout with excitement, even after multiple viewings.  This film does what many films try to do; reach into the soul of the viewer.  I have never seen a character I can relate to more then Truman Burbank.  Watching this movie makes it seem like my life is playing before me on the screen.  When people ask me what my favorite movie is, I tell them about this movie.  Most have not heard of it, and nothing makes me happier then introducing this movie to new people.  It's fitting that my first positive movie review is for my favorite movie of all time, the Truman Show.

   The Truman Show is about a man named Truman Burbank (played by Jim Carrey in his first non-comedic role), as the unknowing star of his very own reality show.  His life is played out 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, worldwide to an audience of millions.  He has no idea that all the people in his life, his family, friends and even strangers, are all actors as part of an massively elaborate attempt to keep his life as "normal" as possible.  All of this is orchestrated by the shows's creator and runner Christof (Ed Harris in an Oscar-nominated role).  Despite their best attempts from leaving his home, Truman wants to leave his small, isolated town and explore the world.  Truman starts to discover his faulty existence, as he seeks to escape from his prison.  The movie also stars Laura Linney and Noah Emmerich.  The movie is expertly directed by Peter Weir (resulting in an Oscar nomination), and the Oscar-nominated script is written by Andrew Niccol.

Cover via Amazon

    Despite near universal acclaim and commercial success, I find this movie to be criminally underrated.  This is easily one of the best movies of the past 10-15 years, and should be hailed as a masterpiece.  The film explores many themes; the role of isolation, true love vs. fake love, dreams, and the most prevalent theme, how people try to control the world around them.  Christof tries to force Truman to accept his conditions, the perfect world he has created for him.  He tries to force him to love his town and never dream of leaving it.  In spite of these restrictions, or perhaps because of them, Truman longs to explore the world, and discover all of its' mysteries.  This has special significance for me.  I often feel like I live in a smothered world; a world that is restricted and closed off.  I often feel trapped and that I cannot get out.  I long to see the world, to experience it for myself and live it for myself, instead of the molded world created for me.  This is why I feel such a connection to Truman.  He lived in a world literally closed off, and yet never gave up his dream to see the world.  Even at his darkest time, when it looked like he could not escape, he never lost his drive and ambition.  The Truman Show taps into the subconscious desire of people to live adventurous lives and that's why I feel it is such a popular movie.

  In summary, I love love love love love love love love this movie.  I could talk all day about why I love this movie, and what it means to me.  I've probably seen this movie 5 or 6 times since the first time I watched it, and every time I watch it I discover something new about it.  I fall in love with a little bit more each time.  And this movie never fails to make me tear up, even just a little bit.  One of the few movies I have ever seen that I consider perfect, and the one reason I consider Jim Carrey to be a consummate actor.  10/10

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Review

I am not a fan of Will Ferrel. While he is the star of the one of the funniest Saturday Night Live sketches of all time (Celebrity Jeopardy), I don't find him to be particularly funny in film. Of all his movies, I only find one enjoyable (Elf, which is a modern Christmas classic). Nonetheless, I went in to Talladega Nights with an open mind. It's one of the most oft-quoted movies of the past decade, and is even rated Fresh on RottenTomatoes.com. However, I found most of Will Ferrel and Crew's antics to be juvenile at best, and intelligence-insulting at worst. I can get into stupid comedy, as long as it's funny. But this movie did not make me laugh, it made me squeamish.

Will Ferrel stars as Ricky Bobby, a racecar driver who's goal in life is "to go fast." According to him, "If you're not first, you're last." He builds his entire life and racing philosophy around this phrase, which is incredibly successful. Married to a hot trophy wife with 2 bratty kids and bringing in millions of dollars a year, with his best friend, played by John C. Reilly, at his side, it seems like nothing could derail his success. Then a world-renowned French Formula One driver, played by the insane Sasha Baron Cohen, comes to America to challenge Ricky Bobby's place as the nation's top driver. Supposed "hilarity" ensues as Ricky Bobby reaches rock bottom after being beaten by the French driver, and seeks to climb back to the top with some help from his family; including a pre-Glee Jane Lynch, and his alcoholic estranged father played by Gary Cole.

The problem with this movie is that it tries too hard. It tries to satirize the racing industry and the "rise and fall" of stars, but all it succeeds in is creating unfunny situations for these talented comedians to goof and around and try to generate a few laughs. A plot exists, but it is paper thin, and is little more then an outline for these men to run around screaming and ad-libbing in order to make a few laughs. The characters are over-the-top and ridiculous, and Will Ferrel's screaming man-child humor isn't very funny, at least to me.

In summary, Talladega Nights was yet another Will Ferrel comedy to feature his signature over-the-top performances and sarcastic egotistical characters. I was not impressed, and I found his attempts at humor rather dull and disheartening. I really hope that he makes more smart and funny movies like Elf, and less cheap, ridiculous, over-the-top movies like this one.

2/5

Blog # 3

Emmy Nominations Reactions

Emmy Nominations were announced today. Quite a few surprises sneaked in this year, and this has been one of the more satisfying list of nominees in years.

Major Categories Listed Below

OUTSTANDING DRAMA
“Breaking Bad”
“Dexter”
“The Good Wife”
“Lost”
“Mad Men”
“True Blood”

Reactions: It's good to see love for Lost's polarizing, but still excellent, final season. This is the only show out of this list that I watch personally, but I know from reputation that all of these shows are very deserving. Mad Men has won for the past 2 years, but my money is on fellow AMC series, Breaking Bad. This show has won Best Lead Actor in a Drama for 2 years in a row now, so I think this show will be given its due. Shout out to freshman show The Good Wife for scoring a nomination.

OUTSTANDING COMEDY
“Curb Your Enthusiasm”
“Glee”
“Modern Family”
“Nurse Jackie”
“The Office”
“30 Rock”

Reactions: The usual nominees The Office and 30 Rock show up here. Curb Your Enthusiasm shows its face again. Another freshman show Nurse Jackie pops gets a nomination. But everybody know the real race here is between 2 comedy powerhouses, Glee and Modern Family. Modern Family has taken the traditional family sitcom and turned it on its ear, while Glee has taken television itself and turned it on its ear. My pick is Modern Family, which in my opinion is a much better and funnier show then Glee.

LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Jim Parsons – “Big Bang Theory”
Larry David – “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Matthew Morrison – “Glee”
Tony Shalhoub – “Monk”
Steve Carell – “The Office”
Alec Baldwin – “30 Rock”

Reactions: A lot of usual nominees here. Matthew Morrison pops up from Glee, mostly for his singing ability I think. My pick is Jim Parsons for Big Bang Theory, the most popular sitcom on television right now, so the Emmy voters want to show love to that show.

LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Bryan Cranston – “Breaking Bad”
Michael C. Hall – “Dexter”
Kyle Chandler - “Friday Night Lights”
Hugh Laurie – “House”
Matthew Fox – “Lost”
Jon Hamm – “Mad Men”

Reactions: Usual nominees Jon Hamm, Michael C. Hall, Hugh Laurie, and 2 time winner Bryan Cranston show up again. Shout outs to first time nominees Kyle Chandler and Matthew Fox, who has certainly warranted an Emmy nomination from his excellent 6 season acting on LOST. Bryan Cranston is the man to beat here, and I am not one to bet against fate.

LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Lea Michele – “Glee”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – “The New Adventures Of Old Christine”
Edie Falco – “Nurse Jackie”
Amy Poehler – “Parks And Recreation”
Tina Fey – “30 Rock”
Toni Collette – “United States Of Tara”

Reactions: A few familiar faces show up, but shout outs to first time nominees Lea Michelle, Edie Falco, and Amy Poehler. My money is on Lea Michele to win. She's already won the Golden Globe, and Emmy voters are in LOVE with Glee right now.

LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Kyra Sedgwick – “The Closer”
Glenn Close – “Damages”
Connie Britton – “Friday Night Lights”
Julianna Margulies – “The Good Wife”
Mariska Hargitay – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
January Jones – “Mad Men”

Reactions: Mostly familiar faces again, but shout outs to Connie Britton and Julianna Marguiles for scoring first time nominations. My money is on Julianna Marguilies to win it. She's already won the Golden Globe, and Emmy voters have shown a lot of love for The Good Wife, and I think that will continue. in this category.

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Chris Colfer – “Glee”
Neil Patrick Harris – “How I Met Your Mother”
Jesse Tyler Ferguson – “Modern Family”
Eric Stonestreet – “Modern Family”
Ty Burrell – “Modern Family”
Jon Cryer – “Two and a Half Men”

Reactions: There's a reason Modern Family is the funniest show on television. Those 3 gentlemen are a large part, and I am thrilled they got nominated. Shout out to Chris Coifer for the surprise nomination from Glee, which he totally deserves, having the best storyline on the show. This is any man's win, so I'm going to go with Eric Stonestreet, possibly the funniest part of Modern Family.

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Aaron Paul – “Breaking Bad”
Martin Short – “Damages”
Terry O’Quinn – “Lost”
Michael Emerson – “Lost”
John Slattery – “Mad Men”
Andre Braugher – “Men of a Certain Age”

Reactions: Even though they are both repeaters and former winners, I am very happy to see Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson representing the best show on television. Particularly Terry O'Quinn, who played TWO different characters this season. Very excited for the surprise nomination from TV's most under rated show Men of a Certain Age, congrats Andre Braughner. My pick is Aaron Paul for Breaking Bad. The buzz on his performance is huge, and I think he has it in the bag.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Jane Lynch – “Glee”
Julie Bowen – “Modern Family”
Sofia Vergara – “Modern Family”
Kristen Wiig – “Saturday Night Live”
Jane Krakowski – “30 Rock”
Holland Taylor – “Two and a Half Men

Reactions: Get at Modern Family for 2 nominations in this category. Jane Lynch is going to win, and deservedly so. This is a lock for her.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Sharon Gless – “Burn Notice”
Rose Byrne – “Damages”
Archie Panjabi – “The Good Wife”
Christine Baranski – “The Good Wife”
Christina Hendricks – “Mad Men”
Elisabeth Moss – “Mad Men”

Reactions: Surprise nomination from crowd-pleaser Burn Notice. Not very familiar with this category, so i am not sure who is going to win.

Thanks for reading, sorry for the length.