Sunday 6 September 2009

Untamed by PC and Kristin Cast


Untamed is the fourth book in the House of Night series.
Zoey has been abandoned by her friends, has lost all three of her boyfriends, and on behalf of all the vampires Neferet, the High Priestess, has declared war on the humans.
Just like the rest of the series, these books are not very well written, but in the same vein (no pun intended) as the Twilight series, they are extremely addictive.
Zoey can be annoying at times, and Aphrodite is still the most interesting character among them. There are plenty of new characters in this one, and the plot is getting more and more complex and convoluted.
Even so, not a lot really happens. This is definitely the build up to the real story in the next book to come, and as irritating as I find the House of Night series, I am far to addicted to not find out whats going to happen next.

Raising the Bar Season One DVD



This is a new series from NYPD Blue creator Steven Bochco, about Public defenders and DA's. The usual lawyer type show, this has characters that have a lot of depth and flaws, and this affects how they handle their cases.

The main character is public defender Jerry Kellerman played by Saved By the Bell's Mark-Paul Gosselaar. Jerry can get pretty self-righteous at times, but a lot of what he says about the justice system makes a lot of sense.

The supporting characters are public defenders Richard Woolsley, Bobby Gilardi, Ros Whitman. The DA's Michelle Ernhardt, Marcus McGrath, and Nick Balco. The main Judge seen is Trudy Kessler, who practically hates Jerry, and makes his job pretty tough. Plus, Charlie Sagansky, Jerry's best friend, and law clerk to Kessler.

Some of the cases do make you think, and I believe that they are well worth watching just for that fact alone.

The episode Bagels and Locks for instance, is about Jerry defending a pedophile for the murder of boy that he admits to raping.

There are continuing story lines throughout the series, as well as the cases themselves being standalone stories. Fans of legal shows should enjoy this.

The special features include a gag reel, which is amusing although I have seen funnier, and a panel with a few of the main cast talking about the show. This was the best feature among them, and you can see how well they all get along.

Just one question. Why are some of the cast missing on the front of the box?

Thursday 3 September 2009

Trick of the Light by Rob Thurman



This is the first book in a new series by Rob Thurman, who writes the Cal Leandros books, which I completely love.
Trixa is out for revenge on the demon that killed her brother. To do this she must find what is essentially a MacGuffin, called The Light of Life. But she's not the only one who wants to get their hands on the Light. Heaven and Hell, in their own forms are also looking to control the Light for themselves.
The characters in this book are just as much fun as the Cal books, and Zeke is totally awesome.
The ending is practically impossible to see coming, although I did suspect one of the twists, but only the minor one, and the others blew me away.
Rob Thurman has done it again, and wrote a story that makes me believe in the world these people inhabit.
And just like the Cal books, I would recommend this to people that have a snarky and sarcastic sense of humour.

Monday 31 August 2009

Prison Break - The Final Break



*****POSSIBLE SPOILERS*****

This is the story of what happened in between the 4 year flash forward from the final episode of Prison Break.

This may have been pointless, considering how the last episode ended, but it was still entertaining.

Although this is mainly going to be for fans of Prison Break, I think that it stands on its own enough for anyone to watch and still understand what is happening.

This is a typical break out of prison story, to finish off the series, with all the twists and turns that the show is famous for, and the only downside I can see, is that we all knew how it was going to end.

However this is a very small downside and it was still nice to see all of our favourite characters again. Great story.

Sons of Anarchy Season One


*****POSSIBLE SPOILERS*****
I had never even heard of Sons of Anarchy until a person at work - who has similar tastes in TV - recommended it to me.
I watched a promo trailer on YouTube and then ordered the DVDs sight unseen.
The gamble payed off big time. This show is amazing. Created by Kurt Sutter, who was an executive producer on the also amazing The Shield, this is a story about an outlaw Motorcycle Club in California. Just like The Shield, this show gets more and more complex as it goes along, and I can't wait to see just how much more it can get.
All the characters, despite most being on the wrong side of the law, are all likeable, and just as complex as the show itself.
My favourite characters in this first season are Tig and Opie, but they all have their redeeming qualities.
Opie is a club member just released from prison, and is trying to balance his family life, with the club, even as he is trying to pull away from that part of his life.
Tig is a bit of a psychopath, and Kim Coates plays this side of him well. He has got crazy eyes. But he also has a funny side, and does get to reveal that he has a heart as well. But mostly he is crazy, and that is whats so great about him.
The season ends in such a way that will make you desperate to watch the next one, while still able to give closure to some of the story.
This show is the worthy successor to fill the void left by The Shield.
The special features on the DVD are interesting, entertaining, and informative.
The Making of featurette has interviews with cast and crew, and reveals what the scar on Gemmas chest is all about. (I was wondering that all season). You even get Charlie Hunman speaking in his English accent, and even though I knew he was English, after just watching him as Jax for 13 episodes, it was a little bit weird.
The Ink, and The Bikes both talk about designing the tattoos that they wear, and customizing their individual bikes, which the actor apparently had a hand in.
Anarchy on the set is the gag reel, which is actually pretty funny.
There's also commentaries on select episodes and deleted scenes to round out the set.

Touch of Twilight by Vicki Pettersson


*****POSSIBLE SPOILERS*****
This is third book in the Signs of the Zodiac series.
By this point in the series things have gotten complicated for Joanna. Obstacles are coming at her from all sides, but it never gets confusing for the reader. The Tulpa, Regan, Ben, and now a doppelganger. Plus something that she did in the last book could have disastrous consequences for the future of the Light troop if she doesn't fix it.
I love the scenes at Master Comics, and these were my favourite from the last two books as well. Zane and Carl, who create the manuals, are great characters, and we learn a little bit more about what motivates one of them here.
Hunter is a great character as well, and things with him finally end up where its been threatening all this time.
Warren, too, remains an intriguing character, and Chandra is becoming more rounded, and I can't wait to pick up the next one to find out what happens next.

Friday 28 August 2009

Three Kingdoms

*****POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW*****





This film got slated by critics, and there doesn't seem to be a lot of love for it anywhere else. But I enjoyed it. I wouldn't say it was the best movie ever, but it was enough to keep me entertained for the duration.

I had already watched Red Cliff, and I knew that it was the same story, so I was able to fill in some gaps. And yes, I admit there were a few, that had I not already watched the former, then I would have been lost.

There were a couple of fake laughing scenes, but were easily forgiven. Other than that the acting was excellent. You can't really go wrong with Andy Lau. Maggie Q was not as bad as everyone is saying, and I didn't notice the dubbing, but then I have to read the subtitles, so the focus is off her mouth.

The fighting scenes were intense and exciting, and I would recommend this movie to others.