Bart Got a Room (PG-13: 2008)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472050/. Director: Brian Hecker. Starring: William H. Macy … Ernie Stein;
Cheryl Hines … Beth Stein; Steven Kaplan … Danny Stein (as Steven J. Kaplan); Alia Shawkat … Camille; Chad Jamian Williams … Bart Beeber; and many others.
Its another one of those coming-to-age movies about nerds, the prom, and high school. It carries its humor as it tells the tale about Danny Stein who is a virgin loser who books a hotel room for him and his date for prom so he could lose his virginity. Problem of course for the nerd is that he has no date yet, just the plans. He’s aiming higher than his acceptable standard, and ignores his best friend who does like him and is interested. Of course he’s double-crossed by his other best friend. Interesting high school fun in the genre of American Pie. Rating: 3 stars out of 5.
Author: Techno Tink
Dollhouse: Season 1-2 (NR/TV: 2009)
Dollhouse: Season 1 and Season 2
* NR/Fit for TV: 2009 * http://www.fox.com/dollhouse/ * Starring/Cast/Staff: Dichen Lachman, Joss Whedon, Eliza Dushku, Fran Kranz, Anya Colloff, Amy McIntyre Britt, and many more.
Another amazing series by director/writer Joss Whedon utilizing his company “Mutant Enemy Productions” who is famous for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and Angel series. Its a science fiction series made for television premiering on February 13, 2009 for Fox. As of this date, 27 episodes were produced. There is rumor that the series will continue, but no one knows officially as Fox cancelled it in November of 2009 even though Whedon had plans for 5 years duration for the show. The plot of the story is follow a “doll” or “active” named Echo (played by Eliza Dushku of Buffy and Angel), who is a slave to a high-tech operation in Los Angeles known as “the Dollhouse” that hires out humans to the rich to be used for a variety of fantasy needs from sex, relationships, fantasies, and espionage. Each of these humans are under the pretense of being volunteers to become erased and implanted with memories, feelings, and emotions based on the client’s request for a contract of 5 years. Once implanted with the memories, they become “actives”. There is suspicion whether or not they really volunteered for the job. Their original memories and personalities are saved on a hard drive. Echo shows memory lapses where her real memories start to come back and mixes with memories of each doll she played per job slowly developing self-awareness and personality leading back to her original life as a college student named Caroline Farrell. The management becomes aware of this and starts to consider sending her to the “attic” where they store broken dolls and “bad” employees. There becomes an escaped doll named “Alpha” who is fixated on “Echo”. Alpha is embedded with malfunctioned programming that bred him into a genius serial killer driven mad from the overload of scenarios, memories, and implants. He strives to get Echo to become his mate. An FBI agent discovers the dollhouse which leads to his release further rocketing him deeper into investigation on the dollhouse only to find out his lover is actually a doll. After breaking into the Dollhouse, he becomes Echo’s bodyguard or “handler”. The entire staff start having moral dilemmas about the basis of what goes on at the Dollhouse and each episode shows how that fogs their minds in their daily routines. The Second season focuses on how dangerous the abuse of mind-wiping can be on individuals with demonstrations on the moral issues around the concepts. The Dollhouse becomes more deeply embedded into espionage, corporate sabotage, and criminal activities. Season 2 ends with a glimpse to the future of battling humans seeking refuge in the so-believed abandoned remains of the Dollhouse only to find they are not alone. Apparently there are three final episodes to come out in January 2010 that will be part of a telethon for the devastating earthquake in Haiti as a fundraiser for the tragedy. This is planned to air on January 22, 2010. The series finale will be shown on January 29, 2010. I found the series to be pretty captivating and hard to walk away from. Rating : 4.25 stars out of 5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDcEKo4V7fA
Dexter: Seasons 1-3 (NR: Showtime, 2006-2010)
Dexter: Seasons 1-3
* NR/Showtime: 2006-2010 * http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/ * Starring/Cast/Staff: Michael C. Hall … Dexter Morgan (48 episodes, 2006-2009); Julie Benz … Rita Bennett / … (48 episodes, 2006-2009); Jennifer Carpenter … Debra Morgan (48 episodes, 2006-2009); Lauren Vélez … Lt. Maria Laguerta (48 episodes, 2006-2009); David Zayas … Angel Batista / … (48 episodes, 2006-2009); James Remar … Harry Morgan / … (48 episodes, 2006-2009); C.S. Lee … Vince Masuka (47 episodes, 2006-2009); Christina Robinson … Astor Bennett / … (43 episodes, 2006-2009); Preston Bailey … Cody Bennett / … (32 episodes, 2007-2009); Erik King … Sergeant James Doakes (24 episodes, 2006-2007); Desmond Harrington … Joey Quinn / … (24 episodes, 2008-2009); Geoff Pierson … Captain Tom Matthews (20 episodes, 2006-2009); and many more.
A great series on Showtime about a serial killer named “Dexter Morgan” played by Michael C. hall who works for the Miami Metro Police Department as a blood splatter analyst, utilizing his job to hid his uncontrollable addiction to gruesomely kill his victims he believes need to die. The series is based on Jeff Lindsay’s novel series “Darkly Dreaming Dexter”. The Fourth and Fifth season are in the works. The show follows the life of Dexter, day to day, as he goes from work, struggles with his internal demons, carries on relationships, and seeks to lash out his addiction to find the heartbeat of life in killing his victims. Dexter was a young boy who was adopted by a Miami cop named Harry Morgan from a blood bath murder scene of his mom. Harry, knowing Dexter would be changed from the incident for life, nurtured the murderous thirst in his son harnessing it to kill only those who deserve it – other killers who have escaped the legal system or were never suspects in the first place. He was taught by his father how to hide the evidence and to get away with the crimes while holding up a facade of normalcy. Slowly Dexter unravels the mystery of his family, his mother’s murder, and his psychotic father. Dexter learns to fake normal emotions which leads him into a torrid love affair with Rita. Fine to Dexter, his relationship with Rita goes slow, as she is slowly healing from past rape and abuse damages from her former husband, who is later released, and becomes ravelled up in Dexter’s madness. Through Dexter’s crazy life, working as a police scientist, he helps unravel the case of notorious murderers, the first of which is the “Ice Truck Killer” who turns out to be of his blood relations that his adoptive sister Debra gets involved with. Dexter continues to play normal, but police Sargeant James Doakes suspects something is wrong with Dexter which spirals him down to become a victim of Dexter’s insanity. As Dexter unravels his past he has to come to terms with his future. He kills his brother and pursues a deeper relationship with Rita. The Madness continues in Season 2 when Rita gives Dexter the ultimatum of joining Narcotics Anomynous thinking Dexter’s addictions is drugs rather than killing. Through the sessions, Dexter finds confidence in another addict, a con artist named Lila who becomes Dexter’s sponsor and mistress. Dexter’s murderous remains become found and he strives to frame someone else for his murders as Dexter becomes known as the “Bay Harbour Butcher” a name Dexter abhorrs. Now that Dexter has Rita’s ex-husband permanently out of his way, his love affair with Lila is discovered, and Rita dumps Dexter. As Dexter and Rita patch things up, Lila is outcasted, which drives her madly insane – out to get Rita and her children until she starts to discover Dexter’s real addiction is not recovery from drugs. Lila saves the day from getting Dexter discovered as the murderer, and joins Dexter’s list of people to “off”. In Season 3, Rita discovers she is pregnant with Dexter’s child. They decide to get married and have the baby. Dexter becomes allied with a district attorney who also has a thirst for blood, murder, and vengeance. Teaching Miguel Prado how to kill, Dexter quickly resents having told his darkly secret and struggles to erase his mistake. While struggling to hide his urges from Rita, trying desperately to be normal, Dexter is whirlwinded into a world a cloak and dagger as him and Miguel go on a killing spree until Miguel doesn’t listen to Dexter and runs astray risking everything. Dexter cleans up his “mistake”. This leads Dexter to become a victim of the infamous “Skinner” killer who he barely escapes from before walking down the aisle with Rita. Interesting enough, this series has become quite controversial through the conservative world because it has become blamed for making murder attractive, killing people o.k. and for influencing the youth. There has been a few missing person cases that have been linked to the series as having influenced murders in real life. In December of 2008, filmmaker Mark Twitchell in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada was charged with murder of 38 year old John Altinger whose body is still missing. He filmed footage of the “House of Cards” a horror-romance that is similar to Dexter’s clandestine murders, where he allegedly snuffed Altinger. The Detective on the case was quoted to have said “We have alot of information to suggest he definitely idolizes Dexter”. Twitchell also had apparently created a series of facebook statuses where he suggest that he had alot in common with Dexter Morgan. He has been released even though still suspect for the murder. In November of 2009, Seventeen year old Andrew Conley was arrested in Rising Sun, Indiana after killing his 10 year old brother Conner. Andrew told investigators that he identified with the character “Dexter”. The series is addicting and compelling, hard to walk away from, and quite captivating. Very enjoyable and thought provoking. Rating : 4.5 stars out of 5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UJz0O2NjOo
Primeval : Seasons 1-3 (2007-2009)
Primeval: Seasons 1-3
* NR/BBC: 2007-2009 * http://www.bbcamerica.com/shows/primeval/ * Starring/Cast/Staff: Andrew Lee Potts … Connor Temple (23 episodes, 2007-2009); Hannah Spearritt … Abby Maitland (23 episodes, 2007-2009); Ben Miller … Sir James Lester / … (23 episodes, 2007-2009); Juliet Aubrey … Helen Cutter (23 episodes, 2007-2009); Lucy Brown … Jenny Lewis / … (18 episodes, 2007-2009); Douglas Henshall … Nick Cutter (16 episodes, 2007-2009); James Murray … Stephen Hart (13 episodes, 2007-2008); Ben Mansfield … Captain Becker (10 episodes, 2009); Laila Rouass … Sarah Page (10 episodes, 2009); and many more.
An excellent science fiction television series that is produced for ITV by Impossible Pictures in Britain. Created by Tim Haines and Adrian Hodges is a story about a team of five scientists who investigate time portal anomalies that keep popping up across Great Britain allowing dinosaurs and other creatures to enter this world from the past and future. The series started in 2007 and finished airing in 2009 with the ending of Season 3. They cut the Seasons short at 3 while they originally intended to go further. The penultimate episode of the second season was written by Dr. Who’s Paul Cornell. The show begins with evolutionary zoologist Professor Nick Cutter who is lost with the disappearance of his wife Helen eight years ago. He investigates a strange creature in the Forest of Dean with his friend Stephen Hart and a new student Connor Temple who is an archaeology student and a conspiracy theorist. They discover the anomalies and dinosaur creatures that are entering from the past into this world. Abby, a zookeeper joins the team to investigate the oddness as she stumbles upon the team, the anomalie, and a dinosaur hunting a local boy. The British Government gets involved and hires the motley crew to get a grasp around the new anomalie problem and the primeval monsters that are now plaguing Britain. They discover that Nick’s lost wife Helen had entered an anomolie and is time hopping while causing trouble. As the episodes continue forward within the seasons, we watch the team progress technologically in studying and predicting the anomalies while turning to fight Helen who is out to destroy the human race. One by one the team gets killed off, and they replace the old with new team members who are out to save the world from prehistoric and futuristic creatures. Season three ends with hopping back and forth to a future where humankind is destroyed, and discovering a device that can create anomalies. Its a fight to Helen’s death as she attempts to destroy the first primate ancestors of humankind. Rating : 4.5 stars out of 5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NVw2EQUCrQ
Avatar [3-D/IMAX] (PG-13: 2009)
Avatar (PG-13: 2009)
* http://www.avatarmovie.com/index.html * Starring/Cast/Staff: Sam Worthington … Jake Sully; Zoe Saldana … Neytiri; Sigourney Weaver … Dr. Grace Augustine; Stephen Lang … Colonel Miles Quaritch; Joel Moore … Norm Spellman (as Joel David Moore); Giovanni Ribisi … Parker Selfridge; Michelle Rodriguez … Trudy Chacon; Laz Alonso … Tsu’tey; Wes Studi … Eytukan; and many more.
An epic tale of “Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest” all grown up and laden with steroids. One of James Cameron’s most spectacular feats ever! This movie had moved me on so many levels it isn’t funny – ringing true on cultural preservation, environmental protection, the war, spirituality, otherworldly creatures, and about corporate greed that is destroying the planet upon which we live. It is definitely more of a wake-up call than its animated predecessor “Fern Gully” produced. The acting, the drama, the action, the visuals, the art, and the concepts were all mind-blowing. Add in the 3-D and IMAX experience and what you have is a psychedelic wet dream. The story takes place in the far future, where America, over-run by Corporations, desperate for natural resources for its dying planet, has travelled light years away to a distant planet that holds a presence resource “Un-OBtanium”. This highly valuable mineral, is in the core of the planet “Pandora” which is inhabited by an alien “Faerie”-like race known as the “Na’vi”. The humans struggling without being able to breathe the air of Pandora, unable to handle the violent lifeforms that don’t want them there, and attempting to acculturate a native humanoid-like people to their ways places their mining expedition on the brink of failure. So they take the paraplegic identical twin brother of one of their research scientists who formerly died, a Marine, to this planet to help convince the Na’vi to move to another part of the forest so they can get their precious mineral. Over-riden with corporate greed, the executive Parker, refuses to let the biggest deposit of unOBtainium alone, even though its underneath the Na’vi’s most sacred tree and settlement. The science department developes a way for humans to merge their minds into the bodies of Na’vi hosts called “Avatars”. Through this innovation, Parker and Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) feel they can become part of the Na’vi tribe and communicate to them to “move” from this location – peaceably. A gun-toting colonel is set to just kill off the race. Sully has 3 months to become one with the Na’vi and achieve a peaceful solution. Of course, the Na’vi are too spiritually tied to the land, the trees, and their village to move. Sully bonds with the Na’vi and falls in love with Netiri causing the restless Colonel to move forward with his mad plans to exterminate the Na’vi. Warfare breaks out as Sully becomes one with Na’vi and helps them defeat the evil humans from their greedy plans. This is a must-see. One of the most amazing movies ever produced. Rating : 5+ stars out of 5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRdxXPV9GNQ
My Dead Girlfriend (2006: R)
My Dead Girlfriend (R: 2006)
Director: Brett Kelly. Starring: Ralph Gethings … Man in Woods; Brett Kelly … Steve; Caitlin Delaney … Amy; Jody Haucke … Garry; John Muggleton … Carl; Anastasia Kimmett … Vanessa; and others.
With zombie movies you’ll either love it or hate it. This one has no class, no talent, and no pizazz. Its a knock off of the comical “My Boyfriend’s Back” as well, a poor one at that point. Its about a bumbling idiot named Steve who accidentally backs over his very cut girlfriend Amy. Since Amy is a witch and has tons of spellbooks abound, he figures he’d use the books to resurrect Amy. Of course, Amy comes back as a flesh craving zombie who winds up devouring all his friends. But love has heart and he lets her munch on himself. Very bady writing, amateur performances, and extremely low budget. 1.5 stars out of 5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMHaESwXfwY
RetarDead (NR: 2008)
Retardead (NR: 2008)
Director: Rick Popko, Dan West. Starring: Rick Popko … Deputy Rick / Porn Actress / Doctor / Ripper Detective; Tony Adams … Agent Russo; Michael Allen … Institute Director; Shamika Baker … Living Dead Girl; Jello Biafra … Mayor Anton Sinclaire; Scott Britton … F.B.I agent; and others.
The film’s name defines the quality of this flick … in the same genre as Tromo films, a really bad zombie flick gone poop. In a sense it is Rick Popko and Dan West’s sequel to their faecal flick Monsturd. Its about the mad Dr. Stern who is performing whacked experiments on special needs students that turns them into flesh craving zombies. The town descends into chaos dealing with the undead. Poor effects and low budget. The directors actually star in the film as the idiotic deputies. It has its moments of humor for some, but didn’t captivate my attention much at all. Its gory, in a cheap fake sense, and vile. 1.5 stars out of 5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwYAbg62_ps
United States of Tara (Showtime: 2009)
United States of Tara (TV/Showtime: 2009)
Director: Craig Gillespie (4 episodes, 2009); John Dahl (2 episodes, 2009); Brian Dannelly (2 episodes, 2009); Mark Mylod (2 episodes, 2009). Starring: Toni Collette … Tara / … (12 episodes, 2009); John Corbett … Max / … (12 episodes, 2009); Rosemarie DeWitt … Charmaine (12 episodes, 2009); Keir Gilchrist … Marshall / … (12 episodes, 2009); Brie Larson … Kate / … (12 episodes, 2009); Nathan Corddry … Gene Stuart (10 episodes, 2009); Andrew Lawrence … Jason (8 episodes, 2009); Valerie Mahaffey … Dr. Ocean (7 episodes, 2009); Patton Oswalt … Neil (5 episodes, 2009); and others.
United States of Tara is a television series created by Diablo Cody that is shown in the United States on Showtime. It is a comedy-drama series that follows the life of a suburban housewife with dissociative identity disorder. The series’ first season aired in 2009; its second season is scheduled to air in early 2010. Tara, plagued with DID (Dissociative identity disorder), is a wife and mother of two. When stressed, she transforms into one of her alternate personalities: wild and flirty teenager T; old-fashioned housewife Alice; and male, loud, beer-drinking Vietnam vet Buck. A fifth personality, infantile Gimme, is introduced later in the first season. Tara is supported by her husband Max, her somewhat troubled teenage daughter Kate and quirky, good-hearted gay son Marshall. Her sister, Charmaine, is not so supportive, often expressing her doubt about the validity of Tara’s disorder. The show is set in Overland Park, Kansas. So far I’ve only seen the first few episodes of season 1 – but by far is becoming a favorite series of mine. The alter characters are humorous and the show captivates your attention. Good watch! 3.75 stars out of 5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zlBBkKyM_g
Severed: Forest of the Dead (R: 2005)
Severed: Forest of the Dead
(R: 2005)
Director: Carl Bessai. Starring: Paul Campbell … Tyler; Sarah Lind … Rita; Julian Christopher … Mac; JR Bourne … Carter; Michael Teigen … Luke; Leanne Adachi … Stacey; John Reardon … Greg; Patrick Gallagher … Anderson; Hrothgar Mathews … Eric; and others.
An interesting eco-zombie flick about a multi-national forestry company that is engaging in biological experiments with the trees in a very remote part of a Canadian forest in hopes of getting a better logging yield. Something bizarre goes wrong though, as the experimental biology takes hold in the loggers and a camp of environmental activists turning them into flesh-eating zombies. Its a fight for survival as several hole up in a fortress fighting off the zombies. Interesting plot and acting. I enjoyed it. Rating: 3 stars out of 5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3ZM4tO8W44
Trunk (R: 2009)
Trunk
(R: 2009)
Director: Straw Weisman. Starring: David Blanchard … George; Jennifer Day … Megan; and others.
A sex and murder craved lunatic kidnaps a woman from a parking garage shoving her into his trunk that is equipt with microphone and speakers so he can torment her during the drive to his ‘date’ spot where he plans to rape, murder, and torture her. But she quickly turns the tables on him as she finds a way to escape locking him into his own trunk to perish? or not … It was ok, but definitely not a favorite flick. Actually kind of boring. It would of been better as a play not a film since it took place in a solitary small location. Rating: 2 stars out of 5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaCBmAdYnPQ