Boardwalk Empire. Season 2, Episode 5: "Gimcrack and Bunkum"

As the season reaches its climax, we of course get more and more bloodshed. First, there's the Cain and Abel fight between the brothers Thompson.

And then Sheriff Eli vents his frustration out with a wrench. Or a spanner.

And then this arrogant asshole gets scalped. Indian-style.

That's enough blood for today.



*some info from IMDb
pics from VLC

Modern Family. Season 3, Episode 7: "Treehouse"

That girl that Cam hit on in the bar was kind of cute. Turns out she's Leslie Mann, a familiar supporting face in Hollywood movies. Just google her if you want.

Here's her pic, if you want.

And finally, they get a black guy on the show. That's Kevin Hart, the guy who played Nashawn Wade in the film Soul Plane. Which also starred a younger Sofia Vergara. I hope he stays.

Wait, is this like a Soul Plane reunion?

I want to learn the salsa. But unlike Jay, I want to dance it on extasy.



*some info from Wikipedia
pics from VLC

Due Date

From the title itself, you know this is about a pregnancy. But from the poster, you know that this stars Robert Downey, Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. So who's giving birth?

Certainly not the alpha male of this flick.

It's actually Robert Downey, Jr.'s wife who's pregnant. And she's played by Michelle Monaghan. Who I don't really fancy. Not my type. But she sure is Jamie Foxx's type. Wait, so how does this play again? RDJ and Jamie Foxx have been friends for like twenty years. Foxx and Monaghan used to date. And Monaghan is now married to RDJ. Yet Foxx and Monaghan still keep in touch. The situation is so absurd that everyone was half-expecting Monaghan's baby to be black.

Not really his baby. Got you there.

Wait, so how does Zach Galifianakis come into the picture? As an unwanted asshole, that's how. Funny how Galifianakis's roles are always assholes. It's not because of the beard, is it? I mean, beards don't make assholes, right?

Does that not look like an asshole to you?

Finally, speaking of beards, I don't think Galifianakis can do proper comedy without his beard. I'll bet that if you shave his beard off, he loses his comedic powers. Kind of like Samson. That's why in The Hangover Part II, he shaved his head, but not his beard. So I'm betting that in his next flick, he still has the beard.

Speaking of which, the director Todd Phillips also directed both Hangover films. Which is probably why Galifianakis gets to be just as annoying in this film.


Due Date. USA. 2010.


Rating: Six and a half out of ten.
Danny McBride's cameo: Plus point three.
Final rating: Six point eight out of ten.



*some info from IMDb
pics from VLC

Boardwalk Empire. Season 2, Episode 4: "What Does the Bee Do?"

If a show is good, I usually have my favorite character by the fourth or fifth episode, less if the show is great. Boardwalk Empire is a good show, don't get me wrong. But somehow, there's no character which you can call your favorite. I only got my favorite character this season. And it's this guy:

"Achtung, baby."

Yes, that's Nucky Thompson's German butler. He can sing. What a cute guy. Meanwhile, Chalky White gets out of jail. Only a matter of time now before he gets lynched killed. And the conspiracy plans are put on hold temporarily, as the Commodore suffered a stroke upon seeing a naked Gretchen Mol.

Makes me want to stroke something else.

*some info from IMDb
pics from VLC

Boardwalk Empire. Season 2, Episode 3: "A Dangerous Maid"

Poor Paz de la Huerta. You shouldn't be drinking or smoking while pregnant. But maybe in the 1920s they didn't know about this yet.

How did they do this? CGI?

Who played Nucky's father? Was that Tom Aldredge? Tony Soprano's father-in-law? So there are two Soprano cast members this season. Wouldn't be surprised if James Gandolfini suddenly appeared onscreen.

"They should put in Lorraine Bracco next episode and show her legs!"

And the highlight of this episode: the restaurant showdown. I'm with Steve Buscemi on this one. Go Nucky!

"You're fugly, Steve Buscemi."
"You don't have a Golden Globe, Michael Pitt."

*some info from IMDb
pics from VLC

Oedipal Crises and Hysterical Neuroses in Arkham City: Batman: Arkham City Review

Batman, for me, is a crazy person who did not get enough attention as a child, and, truly, it is hard to get attention when your parents are dead. I understand why he is the way he is. Right at the climax of his desire for his mother, the thing he desires the most and the function which is supposed to introduce him into the world of sanity are killed; and so his adjustment toward culture is a little impaired—and by impaired I mean he walks around wearing a cape and wastes his money on gadgets, only to, of course, let killers and robbers escape from prison after their capture, so they may kill and rob again. This is the paradox, the symptom of Batman: He does not finish the job because he enjoys the job, even if he scowls about it all the time, with his signature brood. This is, after all, what Joker has been telling him in all media all of a sudden: Batman needs him, for Batman is trapped in this sort of sexual, libidinal enjoyment involving being all angry, and fighting criminals, and pretending to not like what he does, that it is so difficult. He pretends it’s work, but it is actually sex, done to satisfy mommy, because what else would mommy love more than her little superhero saving the day in the dark…

In Arkham City, Bruce Wayne is captured as a political prisoner for speaking against the new super-prison, which is an enclosure within Gotham that houses all the former inmates of Arkham Asylum. The Joker is sick, and he injects Batman with his blood so that Batman will find a cure. Mayhem ensues. Arkham City, while rendered beautifully with characteristic darkness, in terms of lighting and atmosphere, is really quite dead and desolate, save for the occasional political prisoner predictably being abused, which you must predictably save, though the venues in which Batman goes to do his adventures are just as fulfilling to traverse as in the previous installment.

Limitless

Oh, what drug is this? Sounds cool. I want to try it. But it's not really a mind-altering drug. It just enhances the neural connections in your brain. Or something like that. Anyway, I'd prefer psychedelics over this any day.

The universe in pill form.

Sadly, Robert De Niro's roles are always confined to grumpy old men. Is it maybe because he is a grumpy old man? Maybe. But I really should be getting used to his performances by now. I can't expect him to be as versatile as he was when he played Vito Corleone. Although he was great in Stardust, I'll give him that.

The classic Robert De Niro I-don't-give-a-fuck face.

Abbie Cornish, you look like Nicole Kidman. Really. I think it's because you're both Aussie.

Nicole Kidman, Jr.

Finally, to end on an anti-drug note, I don't need something like this drug to be happy. All I need is my brain in Bradley Cooper's body. Once you get that combination, the possibilities are limitless.

"Hey, my brain's okay, you know."

Limitless. USA. 2011.


Ratiing: Seven and a half out of ten.
Lack of Abbie Cornish sex scenes: Minus half a point.
Final rating: Seven out of ten.



*some info from IMDb
pics from VLC

Boardwalk Empire. Season 2, Episode 2: "Ourselves Alone"

I think I've just discovered the plot for the entire season. It's how Nucky Thompson will go down. And who will be the architect of his demise? Basically everyone.

Except Kelly Macdonald.

The general rule is: Never bite the hand that feeds you. And that is why the arrogant black guy got what was coming.

No one disrespects Charles Dickens.

So if Nucky goes down, does that mean Chalky White goes down as well? Not necessarily. Remember segregation? The two races do not mix. White affairs do not concern the black community. Also, what kind of black woman named White would name her son Chalky?

I also sense a bit of tension between Mrs. Schroeder and that guy from Stardust. Just because you're both Irish doesn't mean you can score, boyo.

Stop flirting with her, asshole.

*some info from IMDb
pics from VLC

Notes and Doodles on Paranormal Activity 3

1. Their house is really nice. 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 floors, a garage, and the second bedroom's a loft. And their mom's what, 30? And she could afford it? Sweet.


2. My idea of the 80's in the U.S. is exaggerated, clearly. I hardly see big hair in the movie and feel weird about it, for one.


3. My mother-in-law is a mean old witch. Forrealz.



4. What they did with the bedsheet is nifty, and scary.


5. There's scaring people through suggestion, and then there's having an invisible force pull a kid by her hair.

6. Also, apparently, this movie is supposed to give context to the first two PA movies, which I haven't yet seen.

7. Those girls grow up to be cheesy, the kind of cheesy you get in a variety show.

8. Maybe I'll give this movie a 6/10 because the scary parts are really actually scary.

Boardwalk Empire. Season 2, Episode 1: "21"

Can't really say I missed this show. I mean, I wasn't eagerly waiting for Season 2 after the first one ended, not like Game of Thrones. The thing I missed, though, was Kelly Macdonald's accent. Or maybe just Kelly Macdonald.

She looks hot in black.

This episode centers mostly on the Klan incident. I'm talking about the Klansmen with guns incident.

Big guns.

One of the most touching lines from Jimmy Darmody was when he told Richard Harrow (the creepy guy with the mask), "You don't have to feel embarrassed to eat in front of us, Richard." Because if you've seen what his mask is covering, you'll know that's a really nice thing to say. And that scene where Richard Harrow shows us his scrapbook? It just made me go, "Aaaawww you poor thing." The guy's a stone-faced killer, by the way.

The cliffhanger here: Nucky gets arrested for election fraud. Let's see you wriggle your way out of this one, Nuck.

"You can't take me down, I got a Golden Globe!"

The first thing that came up in the closing credits was "Guest Starring Dominic Chianese". Of course, I recognized the name, being a long-time Sopranos fan (Chianese played Corrado "Junior" Soprano). Then I suddenly realized that I hadn't noticed Uncle Junior anywhere in this episode. But when I watched it again, I finally spotted him.

That's him on the left.

He did nothing but just stand there. His entire screen time was like less than five seconds, and he never said a word. He just stood there. And he gets top billing at the end credits. You know why? Because he's Uncle Junior Soprano, that's why.



*some info from IMDb
pics from VLC