TLC Revisited: Beyond The Absurd

  To get everyone caught up on what's going on, a few weeks back my best friend's girlfriend attempted to teach me about some of the more absurd reality TV shows around, giving birth to the article "My Big Fat Absurd Reality TV Show Weekend". After reading the article Anna has come to me and stated that TLC needed a redemption and so we embarked on another reality TV show adventure, but this time things took a surprising turn, these shows were great and thus TLC was saved in my book as a good channel. Before we start we must explain the "absurd scale", a show like "The Voice" is a 1 meaning it's not that absurd, but a show like "Long Island Medium" would rate a 10 because the absurdity level is to the roof, ok, now we can begin.

  What Not To Wear (Absurdity Level: 3-5)

    This was a great starting point, I was worried when Anna explained the premise of this show but as we watched a few episodes I became hooked. The hosts are fantastic and they are actually doing some good for society while benefiting humanity as well, it's about time we get a show where this epidemic is taken care of. Not like I'm a fashion Nazi but knowing how to dress is an important aspect in life, so I enjoyed the education provided by this show and the entertainment value given by the people chosen to be in the show and the hosts. Here is a show where watching it again would be no problem, wouldn't buy the seasons or anything, but if it were to pop up as TV surfing was taking place I would watch it for sure.

   Cake Boss (Absurdity Level 2)

    Anna decided that if we were going to save TLC that we need to watch the best shows in order of greatness, personally I place this show on the top of the list but we are going with her top four here thus why this won't be the top. Anyway, props to TLC for this show, it is truly a work of art. From beginning to end I was entertained, the people in the show were relatable and good people overall, in the episodes we watched there was very minor levels of absurdity so I can't make a claim for the whole season but Anna assures me that they all follow this pattern. Here is a show I recommend to anyone, it is fun, creative and inspiring for it shows you someone who actually pursued their dreams and succeeded. More shows like this one should be on television, which brings us to both my and Anna's choice for second best show in TLC.

    DC Cupcakes (Absurdity Level 2) 

   This show stole my heart, as the show began I already knew that Anna was right, this show is a sure fire win. The only problem with this show is that after I saw a few episodes all I wanted to do was eat some cupcakes, which can be a good idea depending on how many you eat and how many episodes of this show you watch. I can see how some people would gain weight from watching this show, people dieting I would recommend you steer clear, unless you got super awesome self control, then feel free. This show follows two sisters who ditch their corporate jobs and follow their dreams to give us the best cupcakes in the world, and it looks like they are doing very well at fulfilling their dream. The sisters are good people, good strong female roles which is awesome to find, truly awesome, I loved it from beginning to end, if you are looking for a new show I recommend this one for sure. Just sad I came in so late in the season.

     Say Yes To The Dress (Absurdity Level 3-5)

    Obviously this show is on the bottom of my list but at the top of Anna's list, but even though it is at the bottom of my list I still have to admit that this show is rather fun. After you watch the more absurd shows on TLC a show like this one becomes a pleasant relief. Though wedding dresses don't matter to me as much as they do for Anna, the overall energy was the same, it was about making people happy and having special moments occur, it was about putting people in a situation where they are in their emotional peak and see them be who they are when all walls are torn down, it can be a beautiful thing to witness. Maybe it is due to the fact that I personally have two sisters and can imagine their joy after finding their wedding dresses that makes me like this show but in the end of the day this show is enjoyable and worth taking a look at.

    And thus TLC has been redeemed thanks to the wise choices of my friend Anna, whose guiding hand is still at work when it comes to my journey through this crazy reality TV filled world. Pray for my sanity as I venture into this abyss. We hope your week has been going well and pray that it is a safe one.

Love from your humble blogger,

Airport Security Etiquette: Must Knows

      With May coming to a close we are officially approaching travel season, now high/middle schools and colleges have officially ended and the summer may begin a full. With summer comes traveling, that's just how it is, but with traveling comes airports and with airports comes trouble to those that either have never flown or have not flown for a while. There is an etiquette expected within airports and airplanes, an etiquette learned sometimes through making mistakes but often through the wise education of a senior traveler. These are rather simple things to know that will aid you in being able to have the best time possible when traveling, here are some simple tips to get you through security quickly and effectively, these are important for your own sanity and for the sanity of those waiting for you in line.

     Don't Bundle

      An easy mistake to make is to put on layers of clothing, specifically jackets, before a flight. Sometimes in colder places this is seen a lot, and this can be an issue, causing time consumption while you are in line. The issue here is that jackets must be taken off while going through security, so if you have multiple jackets on you'll have to take them all off. This might not seem like it would take a while, but it does, specially when taking into account the size of each jacket, and the fact that you'll probably need 3-4 trays to get them through security (depending on amount and size of jackets). So before going through security open your bag and place all your jackets within your bag, that way you get them across and you don't hold up the line in the process. You might think this is silly but I've been in a line once that got held up like 10 minutes because of a bundler, don't be that guy.

     Wise Footwear

   In almost every airport you'll have to remove your shoes before going through security, thus the importance of being wise in your footwear selection for that day. Sandals are perfect, though any slip on shoe will work in your favor, too many laces will always be an annoyance. Though this is an extreme case, I feel the point is made, once I was in an airport during the last years of the goth scene and this girl decided that it was going to be a great idea to wear her lace up boots to her flight, which meant that she took 10 something minutes to take them off and another 10 on the other side to put them back on, it was silly. Now you might laugh this off thinking it could never happen to you but I've seen 5 minute delays because of fancy lacy stilettos before, so please take this advice to heart and be wise in your footwear selection. 

       Your Bag is Your Friend

    People forget that there is no need to have all your jewelry on as you approach the metal detector and some of those people will take up 5 to10 to15 minutes of your time because they choose not to remove their jewelry prior to reaching the metal detectors. Here is a simple rule to follow, prior to entering the security line remove your belt and place it within your bag, then remove your watch, earrings, necklaces, phones, and wallet and anything else you might have on you and place them in your bag. Make sure to keep your picture ID and your flight ticket, you'll need those. Make sure to empty your pockets completely including receipts and any other object you might keep in there, even paper can be an issue depending on the airport you are at, playing it safe is always better than not. This process will save you tons of time when reaching security and will allow for you to pass through the metal detector the first time through instead of the 10 subsequent times. You can trust your bag to keep your things safe, remember that your bag is your friend. 

     Laptop Placement

    For some reason some people do not know this, but you must take out your laptop from its bag and place it within a tray alone (meaning separate) from its bag. The bag is then placed in a separate container where you may place your photo ID, flight ticket and shoes. There have been many a times where people have held up lines from either stuffing laptops within their bags and not being able to get them out easily or from not knowing the subsequent rules that follow laptop etiquette in airports. This again might seem silly and obvious but to some it is not, this can be due to a lack of flying or of not ever being taught the ways of the airport, now you know, please please take these things to heart.

    Respect Security

    One of the wisest things you can do in airports is to respect security teams, treat them with respect, follow their instructions and have a good attitude while going through the process of security. Airport security guards deal with some of the worst type of people and thus they get a lot of bad treatment, don't be that guy or girl that treats them badly, that's never a good plan, ever, be the one that greets them with a smile and says thank you when you leave, a smile and gratitude can go a long way. If you decide to be a stickler and have a bad attitude then I fear for you, no one likes a scene in airports and security will love to bring you down, so just be wise in the treatment of those that have more power than you, specially when they are on your side, that just makes no sense at all.

     Well now you know and knowing is half the battle. Next time you go to an airport you will maybe witness one of these or all of these in action, at that moment you'll realize how true this article was and take these things to heart. Knowing airport etiquette will save you time and energy, while respecting the people around you as well. We hope you have a great week and pray that it is a safe one.

Love from your humble blogger,

MIB 3 Does Not Disappoint: This Weekend's Must See Movie

     Though I am generally against it, I decided to read some reviews prior to watching MIB 3, all of which spoke negatively about the movie. The critiques were hitting every point of elegance the movie had to offer, from acting, to humor, to action sequences and after reading said reviews I was expecting this movie to be wretched, I'm glad they were wrong. For those that thought that there weren't many parts in the movie that were funny I have no idea where your sense of humor was the day you watched this for it was funny, and cute, it was everything one could want from a MIB movie, this was everything we wanted from the second movie but never got. MIB 3 did not disappoint, it was fun and engaging, leaving us with a thirst for more.

    Josh Brolin was brilliant in this movie as the young agent K, he breathed life into the character of K while at the same time keeping all the facial features and sound bites that the older K has gotten us used to. It is a tough performance to pull off, to pull off a young and spirited K while not making him cheesy and making it realistic, well as realistic as you can when it comes to a movie like this. I was surprised at how much I started to like the old K based on his younger self, after meeting the younger self you'll even start to like K from the first two movies, looking at him from a different light. So Josh did very well, more than expected and brought life into K's character, a job well done.

    Tommy Lee Jones performed brilliantly as always, you can't expect anything else from the guy, he's a brilliant actor with 65+ titles under his belt, this was a great addition to an already impressive career. The toughest thing here was the transformation in the beginning of the movie from a hard headed, "I'm cold K" to a "things just got real K". There is a point in the beginning of the movie where you realize that K is not a bad guy, nor is he an angry guy, he's just a tired guy with a ton of secrets that would make anyone be less talkative and more to themselves. This portrayal is not an easy one to convey, so in keeping in mind that he had a small amount of screen time and conveyed this, one can make the assertion that Jones performed brilliantly.

     Will Smith was awesome. There are so many ways one can complement Will Smith's performance in this movie, he was funny, engaging, he was young and cool, he was the Will we fell in love with in "MIB" and "Independence Day". (A side question does arise, how does Will Smith not age?) There is a good maturing to Will's character J in this movie as well, we go from standard good old J to "gotta make stuff happen J" and end with a more mature, more well rounded J, so we follow Will's character through a very real evolution that ties us even more to the character. Will Smith was everything we wanted him to be and more, bringing this movie to life in ways that only his swagger allows.

  This movie also had a stellar villain, Jemaine Clement from the great comedy band "The Flight of the Conchords" played our illustrious villain, doing a fantastic job in the process. Out of all the villains in the MIB series Boris the animal might be one of my favorites, though the MIB 2 villain might have been hot she was not an intimidating villain, Boris in the other hand steals the show a bit just by being a straight up horrible being. Jemaine outdid himself here by keeping Boris funny while not lovable, thus retaining the very real evil element that his character needs to have. It was a great performance, one meriting acknowledgement.  

    Keep in mind that this movie should not be reviewed in the same way one would review "The Artist" or "Braveheart", this is an action comedy about a fictional alien crime fighting secret organization, meaning that for what it does and attempts to do it does well, so well that I would rated it a 4/5 without a second thought. This was a fun summer movie, this is everything one could want from a MIB movie. MIB movies are not meant to be super serious or super comical, they have their own way about them, their own swagger, if you will. MIB 3 is a great movie to go watch this weekend, you will be entertained for sure, so grab some friends or family, buy some popcorn and have a good time.

   We hope you have had a fantastic week and pray that you might have a safe weekend,

Love from your humble blogger,

A Brief Intro To The Grand Rapids, Michigan Music Scene

    We got to visit some friends in Grand Rapids, Michigan this week and we were fortune to be able to be introduced to some of the local music talent that exists around these parts. It is always fun to find new artists and to get to meet nice people, so we've decided to start a new segment in the blog where we will begin searching for local artists to feature wherever we find ourselves at. We know that there is a lot going on in everyone's lives, from vacations to just plain a lot of work, so we figured that it was about time we gave you some more good underground music that you can meet and love, we hope you enjoy :)

    Green Sky

     
       The Ragbirds

        Daisy May

     
   Breathe Owl Breathe

      The Crane Wives

    And there you have it, some fun local talent that you can check out and love. We hope you are all having a great week and pray that it may be a safe one for you all.

Love from your humble blogger,

A Cocktail Of Decent Reality TV Shows

    There are a ton of reality TV shows out there, all coming from different perspectives in life and all in a range from least absurd to more absurd, we'll call this the "absurd scale", 10 being "Long Island Medium" and 1 being good competition shows like "The Voice" or "Chopped". After writing our last article on reality TV we kept getting questions afterwards about what shows we think are good and such, so we decided that we would share a variation of different shows we either find funny or consider to be decent shows out there. The best scoring in the "absurd scale" are the competition based reality shows but we decided to save those for another day, today we'll be highlighting a variety of different shows that rate along the 3-6 range in the "absurd scale", a cocktail of shows, if you will.

 The Thirsty Traveler

    This is a rare show, a show focused on educating people about the different alcoholic beverages from around the world, where he not only teaches you the history of the drink but also how to properly appreciate and respect alcohol. In a culture where alcohol is always being looked at as a means to get drunk, further expanding the amount of people that don't either know how to respect the drink or appreciate the drink, it is comforting to see a show like this sprout up, not only furthering people's education of culture around the world but also attempting to educate people on how to respect and appreciate alcoholic beverages. Depending on the episode the level of absurdity can vary in this show but overall this shows earns a prestigious 3.8/10 on the absurd scale.

   An Idiot Abroad 

    We feel like it is necessary that we mention this show, this is a great show attempting to highlight cultural differences and how perspective can make something that for one person would be beautiful be something along the insane lines for another person. It's a fun show, about a man and his best friend traveling the world, meeting people and getting a different social commentary then you would from other shows where you don't have your average 9-5 job guy. Where as other shows only have the "experts" making their own observations while making everything sound good, this show has Karl, a good simple man who gives the rest of us a voice. "Idiot Abroad" is not a show for everyone but it is a really fun show, it ranks along the 4.5/10 in the "absurd scale", give it a watch if you get a chance sometime.

    River Monsters

    There is something awesome about this show, something that puts the fear of God into us as we approach rivers while at the same time loving the episodes and wanting to watch more and more. The show is interesting and fun but the answer here is simple, Jeremy Wade, that's the reason this show is so awesome. Jeremy is a boss, he conquers nature and speaks a variation of different languages, he is an expert in his field and a brilliant host, he brings the swagger to this show. The show follows Jeremy as he travels to different countries fishing out different types on "river monsters" that either plague the land or have killed many within the land. This show rates down in the 3/10 on the "absurd scale" and is one we recommend you check out.

    Giuliana And Bill

     Here is the true cocktail factor of this article, every good cocktail needs that something sweet that makes it be as good it can be and there is not other show that can do this a perfectly as "Giuliana and Bill". Where as we are constantly surrounded by shows with dysfunctional families and marriages, here is a show that stands out among the rest as the one show with a decent relationship. They aren't perfect but this is a good show about good people trying to have a good relationship, it's about time someone makes a show like this and makes it a good one. We have a lot of fun watching this show and consider it to be the best of all the relationship based reality TV shows, it rates at the 4.2/10 mark in the "absurd scale", give this show a watch sometime.

   And there you have it, a hodge-podge of decent reality TV shows that you should watch sometime whenever you get a chance. Stay tuned for Wednesday's article, we got a chance to meet some of the local music talent in Grand Rapids, Michigan, so on Wednesday we'll be hosting a variation of local bands who are either just starting or already have a decent following. We hope you have a great week and pray that it is a safe one. 

  Love from your humble blogger,

"The Dictator" Surprises and "Battleship" Sinks

  Sacha Baron Cohen's new production "The Dictator" was expected to be a bust, it was expected to be Sacha going even more over the top than what he has done before, and oh were we mistaken. If you followed Sacha's career you know that his beginnings weren't exactly shocking (as far as material goes) but that the more he released movies the older his characters became and thus the more he felt that he needed to "shock" people into liking him, which led to him putting himself in dangerous situations offending powerful people at times. For the most part we enjoyed these antics ("Bruno" aside of course), but this new addition to his collection came as a surprise to many in that we were expecting something even more absurd than "Bruno" but instead he gave us something fresh and enjoyable.

   Keep in mind that this is a Sacha Baron movie so there are very strong scenes within this movie, but they are more in the "Monty Python" spirit and not the gross stunts he was attempting to sell to us earlier. The story is making a good social critique about our interactions with the middle east and plays on various silly jokes. There is a possibility that we are being bias here because we thought this movie was going to be wretched but this movie was pretty funny, as funny as you would want a Sacha film to be, it is worse than "Borat" but better than "Bruno", it has gross mature content but for the most part it's not done in a horrible manner, so though we are cautious in recommending anything by Sacha we say if you like his work then go watch it, if you don't don't go, it's as easy as that. In the end this movie is a 3/5 in its genre, it is surprisingly not as offensive as we thought it would be but also at the same time it is not as good as it could be content wise. We cringe as we say this but we hope Sacha makes another one and an "evolution" is seen following the steps of this production.

      With all this being said here is the negative things about this movie, Sacha is offensive to everyone, we mean everyone, he is not "as" offensive as his previous productions but still offensive, no one escapes being offended or made fun off. Some things he talks about are witty and humorous  but many are under the belt shots that are sure to offend anyone that has a hard time being picked on, so he doesn't quite reach the "Monty Python" level of comedy yet, but he is on his way to producing something more along those lines, soon we hope. So if shows like "South Park" or "Family Guy" offend you then know that this movie will be incredibly offensive to you, this is not a movie for everyone just like those shows are not for everyone. One thing is a fact though, Sacha has stepped up his game a bit with this movie and this might be the beginning of something new in his career, for that we are thankful and look forward to what he will try to bring to us next.

   One would have imagined that we would have spent three paragraphs on "Battleship" instead of "The Dictator" but color us disappointed when it comes to "Battleship". Going in we knew this movie was going to attempt to be the brashest movie of the summer, much like "Cowboys and Aliens" was last year, but take it from us this movie didn't even come close to being comparable to "C&A". "Battleship" has a lot of guns, some explosions (nothing like Michael Bay delivers but still nice), no character development, almost no plot, tons of sub plots which almost all don't come together or matter in the end, and you never find out much about these aliens, just that humanity is awesome and we would win a war even if it was against an advanced civilization.

   While watching this movie you got a feeling that they wanted to please everyone with what they were putting on screen, they didn't even have time to give us one concrete character due to this approach, it is always dangerous to put 20-30 subplots in a shotgun and hope for the best when constructing a movie. The movie would have been awesome if they had let go of all the multiple story lines and just focused on one or two of them allowing us time to fall in love with a character, maybe even adding more depth to the alien attack would have been nice as well, a few lines here and there can go a long way. This isn't a "theater movie" this is a "Oh, 'Battleship' is on HBO, let's give it a watch" movie, we give it a 2/5, even with explosions. You know a movie is bad when we would rather watch "The Dictator" again in order to wash the horribleness out after you finish watching it. Might sound harsh, but this movie is deserving of the harshness.

   We hope you find yourself having an amazing weekend, for those graduating this weekend we tip our hats to you, Congrats! Have a fantastic weekend and be safe over this summer.

Love from your humble blogger,

Engagement Season Advice And Insight

     There is something about May that causes many couples out there to take the next step in their relationship into marriage, making May one of the most engagement filled months in the year. This is a great thing for businesses who deal with weddings, be it flower arrangements, to everything else that goes into making a wedding the most beautiful event in a couple's life. Though marriage can be a beautiful thing there are a few things that get forgotten regarding the process of planning a wedding that can either be harmful for the relationship or the people who are friends with the engaged couple. These are a few pointers that could really aid some of you as you go through this phase in your life and for the friends of the engaged couple in being able to navigate through this season safely.

    Girls Be Considerate

   Some guys out there dream about their wedding day since they were young and are great at dealing with wedding stuff, but the rest of the guys out there have really never thought much about the wedding and don't care about all the details that go into making a wedding happen. Though your fiance loves you he does not love looking through wedding magazines or making a scrap book, this is not a reflection on his love for you, this is just a fact of life, not everyone likes the same things. By this point in your relationship you should be aware of what his strengths and weaknesses are so look for tasks that fit his strengths well, in this way he won't get frustrated and you won't have to deal with bad attitudes being around you.

     Guys Be Considerate

    In the same way guys understand that most girls (not all but a good majority) have thought about this day since they were young and now that this day has come want everything to go perfectly and a slew of emotions hit them all at once. Your job in this is to make sure that she doesn't burn out, help her in any way you can with the best attitude you can muster. If you really are terrible in dealing with wedding stuff then allow her to figure all that out, in the end of the matter it is better to put your partner first than to be selfish about something you really don't care as much about. Now is the time were you being dependable is put to the test, if you love this girl then give it your all and do all you can do to make this as magical as you can for her.

      Time Management

    We always come back to this, time management is the key to completing anything in life well while keeping yourself in good physical and emotional health. Many couples seek to decide everything about their weddings in the first few weeks after the engagement, this is never a good thing, you should space out decision making and planning, making sure that everything is taken care of a few weeks before the event and not the night before. Accidents happen and they will happen, some things might fall apart, some problems might arise therefore planning ahead and having a chunk of time to work with versus a few days can save you from much stress.

       Remember Your Family

    When planning your wedding know this simple truth, everyone has an opinion and your family will be the most vocal of all. The key here is to listen to your family and not ignore them or fight them, just listen and given them the time of day, even if you are not going to do what they are saying you should do, just listen and nod and leave it at that for now. The best way to go about doing it is to implant the idea you are thinking about in a conversation like "what do you think of this?" causing them to think about it and have time to process your idea. Give it a week or so and when you talk to them again they might be more inclined to agree with you, remember that you have time to decide everything and that your family is as anxious as you are, so be mindful of that and remember that sometimes silence is best.

       Friends Be Ware

    Unfortunately weddings happen to be a time where many friendships end as well, this is due mostly to stress and poor behavior from friends or from the couple getting married, but most of the time it is due to friends not understanding how sensitive the couple is during this time. As the couple goes through the process of planning a wedding there will be many factors standing in their way, things they have to deal with and problems that need solving, don't be that problem. Remember that the bride is anxious but that the groom is also anxious and quick to come to the defense of his bride, thus exercising caution in comments or actions is a wise decision. Something that was funny a week ago is no longer funny right now, so calm down and exercise some wisdom by not stepping on anyone's toes.

     The bottom line here is that weddings are a beautiful thing, full of love and laughter and unity and family, it's the celebration of two people coming together and wanting to spend the rest of their lives together. There are few events that carry as much joy as weddings do, but at the same time there is a lot of anxiousness to be found surrounding it, so be wise when dealing with each other, your friends and family and make this time one of bonding with everyone, especially your fiance. There are a lot of things that will stress you out during this period in your life but don't forget to love.

Love from your humble blogger,

Upcoming TV Shows You Should Be Aware Of

     2012 has been a great year for television and it looks like the second half of the year will be filled with even more awesomeness. "Game Of Thrones" is still one of the most fantastic shows around, proving that sometimes a TV series adaptation of a book can in some aspects be superior than the book, something many would never have even thought possible prior to this series. We'll have many favorites like "Spartacus" returning in the Fall for a third season, but there are also a few new shows that will be coming out that you should be aware of. Some of these shows have been approved for this year and one or two will be making an appearance next Spring, but the bottom line is the same, here are some shows you should definitely be aware of and prepare yourself for.

   Revolution

      NBC is stepping their game up big time by introducing this new epic series who is being written by J.J. Abrams and Eric Kripke, the series is to be directed by the great Jon Favreau. By what we know of the story so far this follows a group of people who are trying to survive in a world where everything electronic has stopped working. The series takes place 15 years after the desolation has taken place thus instead of focusing on the governments falling and all that jazz that we've seen before they focus on another question, the "now what?" question. The show will be airing soon and if you know anything about J.J. Abrams then you know that this is a show you don't want to miss. As soon as we hear more about this show we'll be sure to pass the word to you.

    Elementary

        We've previously covered the great British show "Sherlock" exclaiming how amazed we were at the show's production and story arches. We also explored the fears we had of American television wanting to create a show based off this concept like we have done to shows like "The Office" or "Being Human" and so forth. Well, "Elementary" is looking more and more to be the American version of the British show, instead to change things up they are making Watson be played by a woman instead of a man, Lucy Liu, so no ordinary woman but still any fan of the book series can't help but to cringe a little. The chances of this being good are 50/50 at best, especially being that this will be competing with "Sherlock" which is way way better. We're trying not to be too negative about this though, this will be a show we'll follow closely before we make an overall judgment.

     Arrow

      It's about time that Green Arrow gets his own television series, so when CW made this announcement many fans of the Arrow stood up and applauded. The Green Arrow reminds us a lot of Batman except he's more of a tool and has more laughs, which makes for great television. The Green Arrow already made an appearance in "Smallville" so we're not talking about a new character here, so this show is looking better and better as we approach the deadline of its release. There is a lot that can be done even if this series were to do well as simple as having more heroes involved in the series to raising popularity of DC again, which is needed after "The Avengers" movie stole all of our hearts.

     American Gods

      Neil Gaiman is the genius mind behind books like "Neverwhere" which became a TV series, "Coraline" and "Stardust" which both got their deserved big screen debut, he wrote one of the best comic book series ever to be written "The Sandman" and now his best selling novel "American Gods" has been given a chance to take life by HBO and will be making a appearance next year blowing all of our minds for sure. IMDB does a good job given a brief synopsis, being that we have read the book we fear giving anything away so here is how they summarized it, "a recently released ex-convict named Shadow meets a mysterious man who calls himself "Wednesday" and who knows more than he first seems to about Shadow's life and past". This is a series to look forward to for sure, anything Neil Gaiman touches is gold, so keep an eye out for this one, you won't regret it.

    If there is a show coming out that you think is important that we talk about then please let us know via email or a comment down bellow. We hope that your summer has started well, full of laughter and rest.

Love from your humble blogger,

Dark Shadows Review: Another Fun Burton Movie

  We got a chance last night to go see the new Tim Burton movie "Dark Shadows" and with all things considered the movie was pretty fun. The movie is based off of one of Depp's and Burton's favorite childhood television shows, so adapting an old show to the big screen was a lot of fun for them. The movie has an impressive cast, though in the end this was another movie to come out whose sole focus was Johnny Depp with everyone else as side characters. This was not necessarily a bad thing, Depp is always fun to watch, but at times one couldn't help but want a little more substance from the surrounding characters, maybe a back story or a plot twist.

    We'll do our our best here to not include spoilers in this review so no worries while reading it. The basics of the movie and story structure you can get from the preview, but to sum it up, Depp fornicates with a witch and later says he doesn't love her, this obviously makes her furious with Depp and causes her to give him the vampire curse and to imprison him for two centuries. Depp eventually is brought back and finds his family in shambles where he seeks to bring back his family fortune and keep his family united at the same time. The witch is still alive and starts causing havoc when he comes back in the scene like expected and thus you have the movie. Not necessarily the most thought provoking of all the Burton movies but it is a fun one.

     Out of all the Burton movies this was one of the best combination of talent within a movie, though Depp did steal the show the other characters did contain some substance due to the brilliant casting by Tim Burton. With people like Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Bella Heathcote, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Gulliver McGrath and even Alice Cooper made an appearance, with such a brilliant cast behind Depp the movie does carry some weight and does deliver an entertaining 2 hours of fun. Eva Green was radiant in her performance as Angelique, she looked beautiful and did a fantastic job, one could not help but notice her as she came on screen, it was perfect for her character.

    There was an issue with the movie though, the beginning of the movie was very well done, the back story doesn't take too long and it gives us a good background to everything we are about to witness. The middle of the story is good as well, we are thoroughly entertained throughout the movie by Depp's dialogue and character growth, but the end of the movie was weak. It went from being a good Burton movie to being something more along the lines of "Hocus Pocus" from Disney (not that that was a bad movie, it just didn't carry the Burton flare we love), so 80% of the movie is really well done, but the end felt a little weak, especially the line "wolf", once you see the movie you'll know what we're talking about and agree that it was unnecessary and cheesy.

      Even though the end of the movie is a tad cheesy we would still recommend this movie as a fun escape from the troubles of life, so a good weekend getaway. This is a classic Burton movie, we got the dark elements we love, the movie isn't necessarily scary but nor is it really funny, it just exists in the strange bizarre world that is Burton's mind. If you are accustomed to his work and enjoy his movies then you'll really like this movie, if you aren't a fan of Burton then don't go watch it for this movie from beginning to end is a "Burton" production. We had a lot of fun watching the movie and even though we would never give the movie more than a 3.5/5 we still would watch it again if the opportunity presented itself.

      We hope this week of graduations, finals exams and last get togethers with friends and family was a good one, we pray that this weekend may be a great and relaxing one for all of you,

Love from your humble blogger,

A Break From Stress: Music Feature Part 2

    Last Wednesday we hosted a post about upcoming artists and some more well known artists that haven't made it "big" yet and we got a really warm reception to the post. Many of you are still having exams this week and reading more than you already are having to read can sometimes be an exhausting thing, thus we've decided to do a follow up article just highlighting some great artists that will help relax you a bit during this hectic time. We've spoken to various artists who wanted to be featured here and thus we might do this every other week or so, but we felt it was appropriate to have another one again this week again due to finals. We hope you enjoy these tracks and hope that they may aid you in finding some escape from stress during this week.

     Melissa Polinar

      
     
    Nathan Angelo

        
       
  Ainslie Henderson

           
       
  James David Carter

         

  Matt Wertz

            
   
  Justin Nazuko

              
    
   Josh Ritter

             
    And there you have it, if you know of any local bands you would like us to feature please send us an email at mransan@sodanca.com and we'll do our best to feature them next time we do an article like this. We hope this week is a blessed one for you and that you may finish exams well.

  Love from your humble blogger,

My Big Fat Absurd Reality TV Show Weekend

   This weekend I decided that it was about time that I took the time to get really acquainted with some reality TV shows that are going on right now, the major problem I faced was that due to my ignorance no starting place was present, and thus I sought out a reality TV "life coach" which ended up being one of my best friend's girlfriend Anna. I knew she was perfect for the job when she uttered the phrased "oh, I love this couple, they are so dysfunctional! lol", which made me sad for this whole generation, but I promised myself I wouldn't be to harsh and face this battle face on with the least amount of reality TV prejudice as I could muster, and so she led me through some of the "basics" as she puts them. We had spoken about where to start and in the end we decided that we should avoid the more popular shows for now and instead focus on some of the other surrounding shows that are slowly taking over our television, and so my big fat absurd reality TV show weekend began.

   My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding/American Gypsy Wedding

    If it wasn't for the fact that I have two very good friends that are Gypsy at home, this show would have had no entertainment value for me, though there is an important observation that needs to be made, when you watch the London show (which is the first show we watched) you instantly become shocked at what's on TV but when you watch the American version you quickly begin to miss the London show with thoughts like "Oh, I guess that show wasn't so bad after all". You know your morals (between good and bad television) are getting warped when you begin looking at a trashy show as "not so bad" compared to a super trashy show. This might be the permanent psychological damage I suffered this weekend talking here but I can see how the London show could be popular, I wouldn't mind sitting down and giving it another chance.

     Mob Wives

    I grew up in a house with two sisters so this isn't my first rodeo when facing any "wives" themed reality show, or at least that's what I though before I started watching this show. Anna thought that starting with "Mob Wives" would be a better transition into the other "wives" shows with that same logic of "if you can face the worst of it then you will enjoy the 'still bad but not so bad' other shows", looking back I cringe at that logic. I want to say that this show wasn't that bad, and I want to say that this show had some depth to it but I can't, I just can't, I'm sorry, this show is horrible, just plain bad. This is a "Jersey Shore: The Grown Up Years" type of show, they stoop lower and lower begging for better ratings, the sad thing is that they might just get them and therefore be encouraged to make more episodes *cringe*.

     Real Wives of New Jersey

    One would imagine that this would be the show where the "Jersey Shore: Later Years" joke would apply but surprisingly it's not. As I watched this show I was actually entertained a little and as I watched I quickly realized what had happen, it was a trap, Anna had shown me a horrible show so that I would come to appreciate a not so horrible show and I was appreciating it, *cringes*, I'm still recovering from the experience. For once I think they should have a show about legit moms, name it something like "Real Sane Wives" and show the drama that takes place in a good home with a good wife that is not a stereotype. There is so much drama that populates our lives why would we need a stereotype in order to take things over the top? Plus when they say "Real Wives New Jersey" or "Real Wives Miami" all they are saying is "Miami Stereotypical Wives" and so forth, if you think about the nature of the show I think it kind of offends women within those regions, maybe networks will do a sane show one of these days. 

     Tough Love

    By this point "Tough Love" was a welcomed breath of air, here is a show about helping single women battle their demons in order to aid them in possibly being able to attain good relationships after the show. The concept and flow of the show is a good one, I like the fact that this is a process instead of a one episode thing so it looks legit, and as you watch the show you quickly become aware as to what these girls' problems are and you want to see them change. Out of all the shows we watched I felt that this one was the most OK one, I wouldn't voluntarily sit down and immerse myself into it but if Anna were to be watching it again I would sit down and watch it with her. As we watched I started to learn about all the other shows that followed this same premise from Anna, which gave me hope for this generation, a little hope at least. Nothing though could have prepared me for what came next.

     Long Island Medium

    It took all my strength, everything that I had in me for me to sit there and watch this show, nothing could have prepared me for it and though Anna tried to do so by showing me all those other shows first, I still could not handle the absurdity of this show, I had a *facepalm* moment every other scene or so, I think I might need psychological care after being face to face with this absurd show. I don't know what it is about it, if it's her over the top style (play on stereotype), mothering skills (play on the wives motif), her clear need for attention (reminded me of tough love), or if I just had had enough, either way this show offended any sanity I had still lingering within me. Here is a show I will never watch again, they'll be playing seasons of this show on repeat in hell, no greater torture exists.

     The Aftermath

   I sought to include all the most absurd shows we watched this weekend here, Anna thought that these shows were the necessary dosage of crazy I needed to be faced with before she showed me all the good reality TV shows out there, so I'll be doing a follow up article soon highlighting all the better reality TV shows out there. As I went through this painful experience an idea came to mind, that there should exist a show about watching reality TV shows, like put a group of guys that have never faced the world of absurd reality TV in a room and video them going through the experience, that ought to be a funny show or maybe I think so now after I lost some of my sanity. Honestly though there are some good shows out there, I'll tell you one thing, after this weekend I have come to understand why the Kardashians have such a strong following, when your competition is any of the shows above how could you not be the top rated reality TV show on television?

   I hope this week goes well for you and for those that will be officially starting summer break we wish you a good and safe summer,

Love from your humble blogger,

"The Avengers" Review: The Best Superhero Movie Ever Made

  How can we put this..."The Avengers" was the best superhero based movie ever to be made, and that's an understatement. From beginning to end the movie had our attention, if there were any doubts on casting prior to the release of this movie then all those doubts are gone now. The theater was laughing and cheering their favorite hero the whole movie, it was a great experience. To put it simply, Marvel has outdone themselves, we were looking forward to this movie but never did we assume that this movie would be this good, this was one of those "I could sit here and re-watch the whole thing" movies, if you don't have plans to go watch it then do yourself a kindness, change your mind and allow yourself to be blown away by this awesome movie.

    When talking about this movie we cannot begin anywhere but with Joss Whedon. This was your classic Joss Whedon work, it was funny, it was serious, it was entertaining from beginning to end and it was just plain awesome. Joss doesn't disappoint, he directed and co-wrote this movie, if you are familiar with his work then you know what we're talking about, Joss Whedon has been writing/directed works like "The Cabin In The Woods", "Firefly", "Buffy", "Toy Story", and a ton more, if you have never seen "Firefly" then do so. Most of the humor within "The Avengers" was thanks to him, and it was awesome humor, it was a perfect balance of everyone's ego while keeping us all entertained the whole time. We cannot wait for the DVD to come out so that we may watch the extra scenes, there are a lot of rumors circulating about the scenes that were taken out that Joss wanted to put in there, just another thing to look forward to.

     Looking back upon this flick the character that deserves to be talked about first is the incredible Hulk for he was the least looked forward to character and the choosing of Ruffalo as the Hulk made many worried that the Hulk wasn't going to be played right, let us put those fears at rest in saying that Ruffalo did a fantastic job. The Hulk in this movie was awesome, his every appearance was awesome, we had people cheering for him every time he appeared on screen. The humor Joss was able to weave into the Hulk was brilliant and created some of the funniest most awesome moments in the movie. Mark Ruffalo deserves to be commended though, he played Bruce Banner exactly like Bruce should be played, it was an exceptional performance. With the exception of the latest Hulk movie with Edward Norton, we had not had this good of a performance ever, and even though we love Norton we cannot help but want more Ruffalo on the screen from now on.

      One of the biggest worries when releasing a big budget production like this one with many strong actors within it is that the actors will clash with one another trying to outdo one another, but this was not the case here. The movie flowed like it should have flowed and the actors behaved like a team, you could tell that they were all in this together from beginning to end. They all had a strong presence and all of them had funny little jokes here and there, picking a favorite among them is a difficult task, this is the reaction one should have when watching this kind of movie, if it is done well that is, and oh this movie was awesome. One would imagine that their personalities would have clashed and their stage presence would have made this movie unwatchable but trust when we say that it was everything we ever dreamed of and more.

     Everyone that has ever read a comic book or watched a superhero movie has dreamed of this moment, as IGN's review puts it "this is the movie that played out in our minds as we read the comics", except it was written by Joss Whedon so it blew everything we could possibly imagine out of the water. Let's not forget the side characters as well, Nick Fury was played perfectly by Samuel which was expected but a surprise came with Cobie Smulder's performance (Robin from "How I Met Your Mother") as she played Agent Maria Hill, she did a fantastic job and made us want to see her in more movies, her career is one worth following for sure. When rottentomatoes.com gives a movie a 93% you know the movie is going to be amazing, we fall right in line with everyone else in saying that this movie was a definite 4.5/5, we would give it a perfect score but that would mean that nothing more can be done to make the next one more awesome and that's simply not true, think Spider-Man and Wolverine making an appearance, that would be awesome.

      So there you have it, this is how you should spend your money this weekend, be it today or tomorrow, just do yourself a kindness and go watch this movie, it's sure to not disappoint. Make sure to stay for both secret endings not just the first one, you won't regret it.

 Love from your humble blogger,