Every week, I watch the previous week's episode before the new one. And let me just say -- Jonathan Banks is the effing man. He owned last week. Mike rules, he rules, I love him so much. Don't die.
Mike visits the laundry manager in prison. He's undercover as a "paralegal" for the guy's attorney. Mike cleans up well, looks good in a suit. They visit everyone else who was on the list; Mike's planning to take some of his cut to pay these guys to shut up.
Saul's not happy about a fourth amigo being allowed in to their operation. Mike's threatened him in the past. Walter: "He probably threatened somebody before breakfast this morning. It's what he does." Saul has found them a box factory to work in, but Walter deems it too humid. So let's try a tortilla factory. Nope - unannounced government inspections in the food industry. Laser tag is out too. Pest control warehouse? Nope, but it gives Walter an idea.
They're going to work out of the houses that are shut down and tented while undergoing a fumigation. Brilliant! Going mobile! And the pest control team they're working with are good people -- burglars.
Skinny Pete is a master pianist (!) and he and Badger are shopping in a music store -- for roadie boxes. What better to use to transport a mobile meth lab? The boys want in on the business with Jesse, but Disapproving Grandpa Mike ain't gonna have that. Mike breaks the rules down to the pest control crew (Vamonos Pest) in hilarious fashion - no stealing from the houses, call Walter and Jesse "Yes sir and no sir," and if they tell you to jump, DO IT.
I need a Vamonos Pest jumpsuit and I need one IMMEDIATELY!!!!! Jesse and Walter wear them well, and get to work on their first cook, done in cramped quarters, much more like the RV - a tented room within the tented house. But during their downtime they get to enjoy some beers and Three Stooges on the family's couch. And some unsolicited advice from Walter to Jesse -- maybe he should tell Andrea everything, because honesty is the best policy. What's he up to?
Skyler loses it at Marie - seriously, shouts, "Shut up!" about 47 times at her - so now Marie's wondering what's going on with the Whites. Walter explains it away as Skyler being freaked out about Ted's accident, making sure to let Marie know that Skyler was having an affair with Ted. Walter is a master manipulator with everyone, cuz now Marie feels bad for him. "I don't want you to think less of her." What a jackass.
After paying everyone involved in the business, the guys net $137,000 each. Of course that's not enough for Walter - he has to nitpick over what Mike pays the mules who transport the drugs, and he doesn't want to contribute to the cost of paying off Gus's guys to keep them happy. He's making less than he did when he worked for Gus. His greed isn't going to end in good things.
Jesse broke up with Andrea - so that's what Walter was going for, guilting him out of the relationship. That's great. The one thing going right in Jesse's life was her and that kid. Then Walter throws in a dig about Victor maybe getting his throat cut because he "flew too close to the sun" -- which I took as a subtle threat to Jesse, not to mention an uber-passive-aggressive threat behind Mike's back. Know your place, kid. Screw you, Walter, as always.
29 July 2012
Yep, It Was Awesome
So I think I'll watch The Avengers now (I have it with some foreign (Russian?) subtitles, but couldn't care less). On a related note, I'm 95% sure I'm giving up on So You Think You Can Dance. And I'm pretty sure there's a new Project Runway season, yet I have no desire to watch that either. When you don't watch a show for a few days and don't miss it and pretty much dread starting it, that means it's OK to abandon it. And I find myself thinking I'd rather do a Massive Fringe Rewatch v. watching new SYTYCD. It can be so and it will be so!
Long story short, Breaking Bad has ruined all other TV for me.
22 July 2012
Breaking Bad
We open in an industrial kitchen in Germany where they're taste-testing different sauce formulations - honey mustard, "Franch" (French + Ranch), things like that. We are, of course, at Madrigal Electromotive, home of lots of fast food chains. Sadly, the Los Pollos Hermanos sign is coming down. Police come to meet with the head guy, but he decides to electrocute himself in the bathroom rather than meet with them.
Jesse is hella bothered with thoughts of where that ricin cigarette went. Walter makes a dummy ricin cigarette out of salt, stashes the real one behind a light-switch (OF COURSE HE DIDN'T FLUSH IT), and goes over to Jesse's house to help him search. Walt plants the dummy cig in the Roomba. Poor Jesse breaks down because he almost killed Walter over this thing. Oh god, now Jesse can be even further tortured with unnecessary guilt. NOOOOOOOOOOO! Eff you, Walter, I will never forgive you for what you've done to this boy.
Mike's at home having an Ensure and a beer. OMG I love him more every day. Walt and Jesse come over to convince him to partner up and get back to cooking. The market demands it. Mike wants no part of it, so the boys are going to press on without him.
The Germans come to talk to the DEA. Hank's boss is taking the fall for the screwup with Fring's investigation, and is soon to go into forced retirement.
Mike meets with a woman named Lydia in his diner, and the woman's very conspicuous in her desperation to remain inconspicuous. And scared. She wants to know who killed Gus, and gives Mike a list of 11 names of people who could do them both in regarding their connection to Gus. Mike refuses to kill any of the guys, because he vetted them and he knows they won't say anything. Besides, killing 11 guys would be a little obvious.
Mike comes down to the DEA to be interviewed by Hank and Gomez. He officially worked Corporate Security for Los Pollos Hermanos. We find out Mike was a cop in Philadelphia whose tenure as a cop ended dramatically. And Mike answers all the questions in typical Mike fashion. The DEA found an account with $2 million in the name of Mike's granddaughter. They want Mike to turn on everyone else in the operation. Guess how that works out. Mike pleads ignorance, but you can see he's pissed.
Jesse and Walter meet with Saul to make their business plans. Walter rules out RVs and refuses to do a pseudo cook when Jesse can't find methylamine. Saul wants them to quit while they're ahead, but of course Walter's not ahead anymore. He still needs the cash.
One of Mike's 11 guys, Chow, calls Mike and says he's ready to flip because he needs money and needs to meet. He says this because another guy named Chris has a gun to his head. Mike goes to the house. Mike's not stupid. He gets the drop on the guy. Chris was being paid by Lydia to knock everyone off, and got Chow. Mike kills Chris, and seems sad that his guys aren't as strong as he thought they'd be under pressure.
Mike heads to Lydia's large, impressive house and holds a gun to her head. But he doesn't kill her -- he wants to know if she can still get her hands on methylamine. Maybe. Mike calls Walter and tells him he's in.
Back at the White House, Skyler just lies in bed all day, depressed and scared I suppose. Walter is creepy as hell trying to assure her that it gets better and since they're doing it for family, they're in the right, and everything will be awesome.
Right.
Jesse is hella bothered with thoughts of where that ricin cigarette went. Walter makes a dummy ricin cigarette out of salt, stashes the real one behind a light-switch (OF COURSE HE DIDN'T FLUSH IT), and goes over to Jesse's house to help him search. Walt plants the dummy cig in the Roomba. Poor Jesse breaks down because he almost killed Walter over this thing. Oh god, now Jesse can be even further tortured with unnecessary guilt. NOOOOOOOOOOO! Eff you, Walter, I will never forgive you for what you've done to this boy.
Mike's at home having an Ensure and a beer. OMG I love him more every day. Walt and Jesse come over to convince him to partner up and get back to cooking. The market demands it. Mike wants no part of it, so the boys are going to press on without him.
The Germans come to talk to the DEA. Hank's boss is taking the fall for the screwup with Fring's investigation, and is soon to go into forced retirement.
Mike meets with a woman named Lydia in his diner, and the woman's very conspicuous in her desperation to remain inconspicuous. And scared. She wants to know who killed Gus, and gives Mike a list of 11 names of people who could do them both in regarding their connection to Gus. Mike refuses to kill any of the guys, because he vetted them and he knows they won't say anything. Besides, killing 11 guys would be a little obvious.
Mike comes down to the DEA to be interviewed by Hank and Gomez. He officially worked Corporate Security for Los Pollos Hermanos. We find out Mike was a cop in Philadelphia whose tenure as a cop ended dramatically. And Mike answers all the questions in typical Mike fashion. The DEA found an account with $2 million in the name of Mike's granddaughter. They want Mike to turn on everyone else in the operation. Guess how that works out. Mike pleads ignorance, but you can see he's pissed.
Jesse and Walter meet with Saul to make their business plans. Walter rules out RVs and refuses to do a pseudo cook when Jesse can't find methylamine. Saul wants them to quit while they're ahead, but of course Walter's not ahead anymore. He still needs the cash.
One of Mike's 11 guys, Chow, calls Mike and says he's ready to flip because he needs money and needs to meet. He says this because another guy named Chris has a gun to his head. Mike goes to the house. Mike's not stupid. He gets the drop on the guy. Chris was being paid by Lydia to knock everyone off, and got Chow. Mike kills Chris, and seems sad that his guys aren't as strong as he thought they'd be under pressure.
Mike heads to Lydia's large, impressive house and holds a gun to her head. But he doesn't kill her -- he wants to know if she can still get her hands on methylamine. Maybe. Mike calls Walter and tells him he's in.
Back at the White House, Skyler just lies in bed all day, depressed and scared I suppose. Walter is creepy as hell trying to assure her that it gets better and since they're doing it for family, they're in the right, and everything will be awesome.
Right.
So You Think You Can Dance
So many hours of this show to catch up on....
Episode 1
1. Witney and Chehon - Samba by Louis Van Amstel. It was her style and not his, and you could tell. Boring.
2. Tiffany and George - Contemporary by Sonya Tayeh. She's really bendy and in shape. They make a nice pair.
3. Janaya and Brandon - Lyrical Hip Hop by Tabitha and Napoleon. Tabitha's hella pregnant. Awwwww. They were pretty good, but I find myself tiring of the usual Nappy Tabs choreography. And that's sad.
4. Alexa and Daniel - Jazz by Sean Cheesman. It was a hard routine, and she struggled with keeping up with it. And he seemed to struggle with lifting her.
5. Amber and Nick - Viennese Waltz by Jason Gilkison. I was surprised they were a good pair, since he reminds me of a 10-year-old Clay Aiken and Amber looks like a muscular Whitney Houston.
6. Amelia and Will - Hip Hop by Tabitha and Napoleon. I only liked it because it used a song by The Cure. The choreography sucked and Amelia isn't the best fit for it. She pretty much just stuck her ass in the air the whole time. Is that dancing?
7. Janelle and Dareian - African Jazz by Sean Cheesman. African Jazz is always a fun, hard routine and they were awesome!
8. Eliana and Cyrus - Broadway by Tyce Diorio. I was surprised Cyrus actually did really well with the choreography. Good stuff!
9. Audrey and Matthew - Contemporary by Travis Wall. Beautiful routine, setting aside the self-serious Titanic theme.
10. Lindsay and Cole - Pasodoble by Jason Gilkison. Pretty awesome. It fit him really well because - hello, muscular. Jesus.
Episode 2
We open with an amazing routine set to a remix of "The Beautiful People." Gotta love it! I was shocked to discover it was a Tabitha and Napoleon routine. Looked like Sonya to me. Yay! They've still got it!
So now everyone performs again, we find out who was in the Bottom 3, then they're booted. Oh that's nice - force them to learn a new routine and dance and then maybe not make it past the night. And tonight they're booting 2 of each gender.
1. Lindsay and Cole - Hip Hop by Christopher Scott. Let's set aside the fact that it was dentist-themed. Weird. They were good, even if it was a little goofy.
2. Amelia and Will - Contemporary by Sonya Tayeh. It felt like the longest routine ever, so I guess it didn't enthrall me.
3. Amber and Nick - Tango by Tango People. I'll give his twinky ass credit, he doesn't seem to have problems with the lifts. They were really good.
4. Audrey and Matthew - Jazz by Sonya Tayeh. Cool routine, it felt too short.
5. Janelle and Dareian - Hip Hop by Christopher Scott, set to "My Girl." Which was as good as it sounds, which is to say wholesome and blah.
6. Janaya and Brandon - Broadway by Sean Cheesman. It was a cool routine and they really work well together. Might be my favorite couple, if I could distinguish between the hundred couples.
7. Eliana and Cyrus - Jive by Tony and Melanie. The Jive is always a bit awkward, but he did well with it.
8. Alexa and Daniel - Contemporary by Dee Caspary. In a bathtub. Set to Yanni. So weird. Yuck.
9. Tiffany and George - Foxtrot by Tony and Melanie. Nothing earth shattering.
10. Witney and Chehon - Bollywood by Mr. Bollywood. It was really good!
Time to thin the herd.
Bottom 3:
Janaya, Witney, and Alexa. Agree!
Nick, Daniel, and Chehon. Agree!
The judges don't want to see anyone dance for their lives. Alrighty then.
Bye-bye: Janaya and Alexa and Nick and Daniel. It's a shame because Daniel was supposed to be My Dance Boyfriend, but he really wasn't all that good. And Nick looked like a young Clay Aiken. Bye, bitches!!!
Episode 1
1. Witney and Chehon - Samba by Louis Van Amstel. It was her style and not his, and you could tell. Boring.
2. Tiffany and George - Contemporary by Sonya Tayeh. She's really bendy and in shape. They make a nice pair.
3. Janaya and Brandon - Lyrical Hip Hop by Tabitha and Napoleon. Tabitha's hella pregnant. Awwwww. They were pretty good, but I find myself tiring of the usual Nappy Tabs choreography. And that's sad.
4. Alexa and Daniel - Jazz by Sean Cheesman. It was a hard routine, and she struggled with keeping up with it. And he seemed to struggle with lifting her.
5. Amber and Nick - Viennese Waltz by Jason Gilkison. I was surprised they were a good pair, since he reminds me of a 10-year-old Clay Aiken and Amber looks like a muscular Whitney Houston.
6. Amelia and Will - Hip Hop by Tabitha and Napoleon. I only liked it because it used a song by The Cure. The choreography sucked and Amelia isn't the best fit for it. She pretty much just stuck her ass in the air the whole time. Is that dancing?
7. Janelle and Dareian - African Jazz by Sean Cheesman. African Jazz is always a fun, hard routine and they were awesome!
8. Eliana and Cyrus - Broadway by Tyce Diorio. I was surprised Cyrus actually did really well with the choreography. Good stuff!
9. Audrey and Matthew - Contemporary by Travis Wall. Beautiful routine, setting aside the self-serious Titanic theme.
10. Lindsay and Cole - Pasodoble by Jason Gilkison. Pretty awesome. It fit him really well because - hello, muscular. Jesus.
Episode 2
We open with an amazing routine set to a remix of "The Beautiful People." Gotta love it! I was shocked to discover it was a Tabitha and Napoleon routine. Looked like Sonya to me. Yay! They've still got it!
So now everyone performs again, we find out who was in the Bottom 3, then they're booted. Oh that's nice - force them to learn a new routine and dance and then maybe not make it past the night. And tonight they're booting 2 of each gender.
1. Lindsay and Cole - Hip Hop by Christopher Scott. Let's set aside the fact that it was dentist-themed. Weird. They were good, even if it was a little goofy.
2. Amelia and Will - Contemporary by Sonya Tayeh. It felt like the longest routine ever, so I guess it didn't enthrall me.
3. Amber and Nick - Tango by Tango People. I'll give his twinky ass credit, he doesn't seem to have problems with the lifts. They were really good.
4. Audrey and Matthew - Jazz by Sonya Tayeh. Cool routine, it felt too short.
5. Janelle and Dareian - Hip Hop by Christopher Scott, set to "My Girl." Which was as good as it sounds, which is to say wholesome and blah.
6. Janaya and Brandon - Broadway by Sean Cheesman. It was a cool routine and they really work well together. Might be my favorite couple, if I could distinguish between the hundred couples.
7. Eliana and Cyrus - Jive by Tony and Melanie. The Jive is always a bit awkward, but he did well with it.
8. Alexa and Daniel - Contemporary by Dee Caspary. In a bathtub. Set to Yanni. So weird. Yuck.
9. Tiffany and George - Foxtrot by Tony and Melanie. Nothing earth shattering.
10. Witney and Chehon - Bollywood by Mr. Bollywood. It was really good!
Time to thin the herd.
Bottom 3:
Janaya, Witney, and Alexa. Agree!
Nick, Daniel, and Chehon. Agree!
The judges don't want to see anyone dance for their lives. Alrighty then.
Bye-bye: Janaya and Alexa and Nick and Daniel. It's a shame because Daniel was supposed to be My Dance Boyfriend, but he really wasn't all that good. And Nick looked like a young Clay Aiken. Bye, bitches!!!
The Dark Knight Rises
In TDKR, you get to watch Batman build himself back up again. I really rooted for the dude. Bane is a decent enough villain, but also one that's easy to mock. Just put your hand over your mouth and read lines like the villain in that one James Bond movie: "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to diiiiie." But he rocks a kickass winter coat. Bane is cool with me. BUT if you had The Joker in this movie instead of Bane? That would have been a perfect movie.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the bomb, per usual. I really loved him in this, and if they ever made more, it'd be awesome to have him continue it. Anne Hathaway/Catwoman is surprisingly awesome. Funny. Hot. Awesome. I heart Anne Hathaway and her big nose, so I'm glad her character and portrayal of Catwoman turned out to be good.
So my first impression on this movie is that I loved it. Is it going to fall apart under repeated viewings like TDK did for me? Don't know. Also - technically this movie is longer, but didn't feel like it. Also also - I didn't see it in IMAX because the theater was sold out for the whole weekend. So I'll be watching it again there soon.
18 July 2012
Comic-Con 2012: Day Four
We had to get up early again, because even though I only wanted to see the Fringe panel at 10:00, there were Supernatural and Doctor Who panels scheduled after it, and never underestimate those fandoms. I was geared up for what would surely be a bittersweet Fringe panel, as they were saying goodbye and are always soooo appreciative of the fans.
Tragically, I missed nearly the first half of the panel because those damn Comic-Con idiots didn’t open Hall H early enough. Nerd rage!!! So although I got a seat, it wasn’t until after the first video presentation, the Season 5 preview. Though of course that’s online now. But I got to see Lance Reddick cry and that was amazing. He, Anna Torv, and Jasika Nicole were blubbering messes at one point; it was adorable. Joshua Jackson and John Noble were their normal adorable, funny selves. Noble said that a movie was a possibility, but I suppose it’s a possibility just like aliens are a possibility. But I hope it happens! They had a nice retrospective video thanking the fans too. They all took a bow at the end. Love it. Excited for season 5!
After that, it was trolling the Exhibit Hall, snapping a photo of Nathan Fillion at the Marvel booth, and closing the place down at 5. Below are some of my favorite cosplay pictures. We had a great Comic-Con and looking forward to next year!
Mike’s Two Cents (the stuff he saw that I didn’t, while I was making sure to get into the Breaking Bad panel): Total Recall was awesome as crap and looked really good. Colin Farrell is always good on a panel. The hover cars and the way the city is built are cool. No Schwarzenegger one-liners, more like serious sci-fi. Looper was awesome; it looks really fast-paced, interesting concept. It’s not heavily focused on the time travel. Emily Blunt is funny as shit. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was cool and funny and grateful to be working. Elysium footage was still rough but looks pretty good. Matt Damon is jacked-up and Jodie Foster and Sharlto Copley were there too. Resident Evil 127 - Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez were having fun and made for a really good panel. They both enjoy being at Comic-Con and know how to work the crowd.
Finally, some photos of the happy nerds and their swag, including the much-coveted Django Unchained tee shirts.
Comic-Con 2012: Day Three
Saturday meant setting the alarm for 5:30. After having missed the
first couple panels on Friday, I couldn’t let that happen for panels I
actually wanted to see -- starting with Quentin Tarantino and Django Unchained.
It was amazing to see Tarantino, and the panel also had Jamie Foxx, Don
Johnson, Christoph Waltz (THE MAN), Walton Goggins (Boyd!), and Kerry
Washington (who was awesomely articulate and very deep about this movie). We saw 8 minutes of footage and it was amazing. Definitely
looks funny too. It’s Jamie and Christoph off on adventures together
and we barely even got to see the Leonardo DiCaprio plantation stuff.
The footage we saw was put together from the first half of the movie;
they still have a week or 2 of shooting left. I really can’t wait.
It’s simply going to be epic Tarantino, per usual.
Next up was a look at a Silent Hill film sequel. I know nothing about that video game and movie series, other than that it’s creepy. They did drop the nugget that there will be a Silent Hill maze at both Halloween Horror Nights locations this year. Huzzah! We also got a look at End of Watch, which looks to be a riveting cop drama. A lot of it is shot in first person POV and ends up kind of looking like a video game. Very realistic looking. I’m in.
The Warner Brothers panel was nothing short of epic. They unveiled 2 side screens down the walls of Hall H, which has never been done before, and was quite the spectacle. We started with Pacific Rim – giant robots v. giant monsters, directed by Guillermo del Toro. Can’t go wrong there. And del Toro is always amazing at Comic-Con – funny, f-bomb-dropping. Love. The footage looked awesome. We really only saw the robot parts, the monsters must take longer.
Next, we got a quick teaser and announcement of a new Godzilla movie. Then Zach Galifianakis and Will Ferrell showed up to do a surprise panel for The Campaign. They mostly made fun of audience members. It was hysterical.
We got a look at Man of Steel, which looks like it’s trying to be a realistic superhero movie in the way of the new Batman movies. Does dark work for Superman? Superman always seems a little ridiculous and campy to me. But it looked good. Last up for the presentation was The Hobbit. Honestly, I was underwhelmed by the footage, just in terms of -- haven’t we already done this? I think I liked The Lord of the Rings movies, but who can remember? They were all too long and ran together. And now we get even more. OK, sure, why not. We got Peter Jackson, Sir Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, and Elijah Wood. I got to hear Gollum drop the f-bomb a few times. Only at Comic-Con!
The final panel of the day was Marvel. They opened with a big thank-you/Con-retrospective video showing them talking about maybe one day doing The Avengers, announcing Thor, etc. I was there for all of them (except the Avengers cast unveiling) so that was cool to see. Edgar Wright came out and showed us test footage he had shot for Ant-Man, which was very cool. Not sure how an Ant-Man movie would play out, but Wright is awesome so it will be cool if it happens. They announced the titles and release dates for the Thor and Captain America sequels. They they announced Guardians of the Galaxy for 2014. I know nothing about this, other than that there is literally a raccoon with a big gun in the group, and what appears to be a walking, talking tree. Looks pretty far out there. Not sure how it’ll fit in with the other Marvel movies. We’ll see; they seem to know what they're doing. But a raccoon? Finally, Robert Downey, Jr. came out as only he (or Tony Stark) would – through the back of the room, dancing down the aisle to Luther Vandross, giving high-fives. He’s a god here too. Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, and director Shane Black were there, and all hilarious. The Iron Man 3 footage was quite amazing too. Marvel knows how to get Hall H psyched.
Next up was a look at a Silent Hill film sequel. I know nothing about that video game and movie series, other than that it’s creepy. They did drop the nugget that there will be a Silent Hill maze at both Halloween Horror Nights locations this year. Huzzah! We also got a look at End of Watch, which looks to be a riveting cop drama. A lot of it is shot in first person POV and ends up kind of looking like a video game. Very realistic looking. I’m in.
The Warner Brothers panel was nothing short of epic. They unveiled 2 side screens down the walls of Hall H, which has never been done before, and was quite the spectacle. We started with Pacific Rim – giant robots v. giant monsters, directed by Guillermo del Toro. Can’t go wrong there. And del Toro is always amazing at Comic-Con – funny, f-bomb-dropping. Love. The footage looked awesome. We really only saw the robot parts, the monsters must take longer.
We got a look at Man of Steel, which looks like it’s trying to be a realistic superhero movie in the way of the new Batman movies. Does dark work for Superman? Superman always seems a little ridiculous and campy to me. But it looked good. Last up for the presentation was The Hobbit. Honestly, I was underwhelmed by the footage, just in terms of -- haven’t we already done this? I think I liked The Lord of the Rings movies, but who can remember? They were all too long and ran together. And now we get even more. OK, sure, why not. We got Peter Jackson, Sir Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, and Elijah Wood. I got to hear Gollum drop the f-bomb a few times. Only at Comic-Con!
The final panel of the day was Marvel. They opened with a big thank-you/Con-retrospective video showing them talking about maybe one day doing The Avengers, announcing Thor, etc. I was there for all of them (except the Avengers cast unveiling) so that was cool to see. Edgar Wright came out and showed us test footage he had shot for Ant-Man, which was very cool. Not sure how an Ant-Man movie would play out, but Wright is awesome so it will be cool if it happens. They announced the titles and release dates for the Thor and Captain America sequels. They they announced Guardians of the Galaxy for 2014. I know nothing about this, other than that there is literally a raccoon with a big gun in the group, and what appears to be a walking, talking tree. Looks pretty far out there. Not sure how it’ll fit in with the other Marvel movies. We’ll see; they seem to know what they're doing. But a raccoon? Finally, Robert Downey, Jr. came out as only he (or Tony Stark) would – through the back of the room, dancing down the aisle to Luther Vandross, giving high-fives. He’s a god here too. Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, and director Shane Black were there, and all hilarious. The Iron Man 3 footage was quite amazing too. Marvel knows how to get Hall H psyched.
Comic-Con 2012: Day Two
Friday’s line was freaking nuts, as there is apparently a TV show called The Big Bang Theory, and it is apparently very popular. We didn’t make it in to see the first couple panels, but we got in for The Walking Dead. It was a really cool panel and we saw awesome footage from Season 3. It holds a lot of promise, but that show tends to shit all over promise, so that remains to be seen. On a related note, on Preview Night, Robert Kirkman (creator of the comic and show) was unveiling a Walking Dead-themed car and I got a picture with him. He’s so adorable and super nice!!
Game of Thrones is a great show. George R.R. Martin must be a genius for thinking all of that up. But he’s boring as shit. And he moderated the panel. OMG he’s awkward and painfully unfunny – so he’s a typical socially-awkward nerd then. They didn’t have new footage and I could tell that it was going to be dull, so I headed upstairs to hopefully not miss Breaking Bad.
And I got right in to Ballroom 20. I saw an Entertainment Weekly panel about “Women Who Kick Ass” featuring Anna Torv, who does indeed kick ass. Plus Lucy Lawless! It was cool. Joss Whedon was up next, and he’s pretty much a Comic-Con god. It was just him and a microphone on stage, answering questions from the audience. He’s hysterical and I love him.
The panel I was really there for was Breaking Bad. And I got way up front!! They didn’t show the premiere like I had heard they would, but really that’s OK because we got to hear the cast talk for an hour – Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Betsy Brandt, Dean Norris (in a warrior princess costume), Jonathan Banks and creator/god Vince Gilligan. And they are A. May. Zing. And they were very appreciate and awesome about the fans. So cool to have them at Comic-Con!!!
Here’s what I learned from the Breaking Bad panel:
• The season premiere will be one of the funniest episodes, and not violent like last year’s
• The opening segment will say a lot and yet leave you with a lot of questions. Have patience – all will be revealed. From the teaser we saw, it looks like Future!Walt putting something in a trunk.
• You will likely lose any remaining sympathy you might have had for Walt – full bad guy mode now
• The season feels “creepy” with Aaron Paul comparing it to the Crawl Space episode in tone
• We’ll have some more Skinny Pete and Badger and Grey Matter
• Madrigal Electromotive and Germany will be featured this season
• Episode 5 is the opposite of a bottle episode, with them actually filming outside of Albuquerque.
Comic-Con 2012: Day One
This past-its-prime, no-longer-relevant report on Comic-Con 2012 is
brought to you by Hilton Hotels, and the fact that our otherwise-awesome, expensive-ass hotel
room didn't have wireless. And I didn't feel like going down to the
lobby every night just to blog. FAIL.
Thursday we trolled the Exhibit Hall for swag we didn't get on Preview Night. After, we saw panels on Oz the Great and Powerful (looks cool) and Wreck-It Ralph (looks funny and geeky). Jackie Chan showed up to promote some movie no one will watch, but it’s Jackie Chan and it was awesome to see him. He’s hysterical and really adorable. Next up was The Expendables 2 – because how can you resist seeing Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Dolph Lundgren all at once? Pretty epic. The only thing missing was Jean-Claude Van Damme. Lundgren hasn't aged a day. Schwarzenegger did Kindergarten Cop schtick. Gotta love it.
We closed out the night at the Walking Dead Escape zombiepocalypse obstacle course they put on at Petco Park. It was epic and everything I wanted it to be. We ran through the park chased by zombies, and had to climb, crawl, run, and balance to escape. I did my usual laugh-screaming and by the end I had red on me.
Thursday we trolled the Exhibit Hall for swag we didn't get on Preview Night. After, we saw panels on Oz the Great and Powerful (looks cool) and Wreck-It Ralph (looks funny and geeky). Jackie Chan showed up to promote some movie no one will watch, but it’s Jackie Chan and it was awesome to see him. He’s hysterical and really adorable. Next up was The Expendables 2 – because how can you resist seeing Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Dolph Lundgren all at once? Pretty epic. The only thing missing was Jean-Claude Van Damme. Lundgren hasn't aged a day. Schwarzenegger did Kindergarten Cop schtick. Gotta love it.
We closed out the night at the Walking Dead Escape zombiepocalypse obstacle course they put on at Petco Park. It was epic and everything I wanted it to be. We ran through the park chased by zombies, and had to climb, crawl, run, and balance to escape. I did my usual laugh-screaming and by the end I had red on me.
16 July 2012
Breaking Bad
Before I discuss the season premiere, here is the scoop I got from the Breaking Bad panel at Comic-Con (full report and awesome pictures to follow):
• The season premiere will be one of the funniest episodes, and not violent like last year’s
• The opening segment will say a lot and yet leave you with a lot of questions. Have patience – all will be revealed. From the teaser we saw, it looks like Future!Walt putting something in a trunk.
• You will likely lose any remaining sympathy you might have had for Walt this season – he’s in full bad-guy mode now
• The season feels “creepy,” with Aaron Paul comparing it to last season’s “Crawl Space” episode in tone
• We’ll have some more Skinny Pete and Badger and Grey Matter
• Madrigal Electromotive and Germany will be featured this season
• Episode 5 is the opposite of a bottle episode, with them actually filming outside of Albuquerque for once
OK, now on with the premiere! This is a good way to end my San Diego vacation.
Walter is “celebrating” his 52nd birthday at Denny’s and has a full beard and head of hair. He also has a New Hampshire driver’s license under the name Lambert. He meets the guy that sold him his gun last season in the bathroom and makes a money-for-keys exchange. The keys open a car with a big ass gun in the trunk. End of teaser.
Now we pick up just where we left off last season. Walt’s cleaning up all the bomb-making materials from his kitchen and putting the Lily of the Valley in his trunk. Skyler and the kids come home and Skyler says she’s scared of Walt. Walter suddenly stands up, as if realizing he forgot to clean up something, and says, “Oh shit.”
Hank joins the DEA in the ruins of the Superlab. He sees the remnants of a camera. Oh god, next up is Gus’s laptop....
Mike’s feeding chickens down in Mexico when the doctor breaks the news that Gus is dead. Mike goes speeding up the road as Walter and Jesse drive down to meet him. Jesse steps out between them to prevent Mike from shooting Walter. Mike: “What is it with you guys?” LOL. Walter wants Mike to help clean up the video situation and get rid of all records. They rush to the restaurant to get the laptop, but the cops are already bagging it. Dagger!
Mike puts in a call to the cops, pretending to be a Postal Inspector, tracking down that laptop. Yep, they’ve got it. “We’re boned.” Mike’s ready to skip town, but Walter insists on trying to get into the police evidence room. Jesse suggests a giant magnet to grab the laptop. Cute, honey, but how about using a magnet to erase the hard drive instead? They visit the junkyard and pay the dude a buttload for the magnet that picks up cars. They run a test at the junkyard and determine the amperage and distance they’re going to need. Jesse yells triumphantly: “Yeah, bitch! Magnets!”
Saul visits Skyler at the car wash to tell her that Ted had an accident – so the asshole’s not dead after all. She goes to visit him in the hospital, where he is bald and with a halo brace thing on his head. So broke his neck then. Ted hasn’t told on her or Saul’s guys. He says he’ll never breathe a word about the situation, he just wants his family to be cared for. Skyler: “Good.”
Mike helps Jesse and Walter break into the lot next to the police building so they can park their U-Haul loaded with magnets alongside the outer wall of the evidence room. Everything starts flying off the shelves. Walter turns the magnets up so high that it causes the truck to tip over, so they have to ditch it. That won’t be good, but Walt claims it’s all untraceable. Mike wants to know how he’s supposed to believe it’s all done and going to be OK. Walt: “Because I said so.” Shit, this man is in CHARGE!
In the magnet ruckus, another piece of Gus’s evidence was damaged – a picture of him and his dead BF, which, now that it’s been damaged, reveals what looks like maybe an address in the Cayman Islands.
Walter visits Saul, pissed that he and Skyler did this whole Ted thing without his input, giving away most of his money to a man who had been sleeping with his wife. Saul says they’re done. Walter walks right up to him, nose-to-nose, and says, “We’re done when I say we’re done.” Alright, Walter, now you’re just being an asshole. To further prove that point, he goes home, hugs Skyler, and says, “I forgive you.” Oh, that’s rich.
• The season premiere will be one of the funniest episodes, and not violent like last year’s
• The opening segment will say a lot and yet leave you with a lot of questions. Have patience – all will be revealed. From the teaser we saw, it looks like Future!Walt putting something in a trunk.
• You will likely lose any remaining sympathy you might have had for Walt this season – he’s in full bad-guy mode now
• The season feels “creepy,” with Aaron Paul comparing it to last season’s “Crawl Space” episode in tone
• We’ll have some more Skinny Pete and Badger and Grey Matter
• Madrigal Electromotive and Germany will be featured this season
• Episode 5 is the opposite of a bottle episode, with them actually filming outside of Albuquerque for once
OK, now on with the premiere! This is a good way to end my San Diego vacation.
Walter is “celebrating” his 52nd birthday at Denny’s and has a full beard and head of hair. He also has a New Hampshire driver’s license under the name Lambert. He meets the guy that sold him his gun last season in the bathroom and makes a money-for-keys exchange. The keys open a car with a big ass gun in the trunk. End of teaser.
Now we pick up just where we left off last season. Walt’s cleaning up all the bomb-making materials from his kitchen and putting the Lily of the Valley in his trunk. Skyler and the kids come home and Skyler says she’s scared of Walt. Walter suddenly stands up, as if realizing he forgot to clean up something, and says, “Oh shit.”
Hank joins the DEA in the ruins of the Superlab. He sees the remnants of a camera. Oh god, next up is Gus’s laptop....
Mike’s feeding chickens down in Mexico when the doctor breaks the news that Gus is dead. Mike goes speeding up the road as Walter and Jesse drive down to meet him. Jesse steps out between them to prevent Mike from shooting Walter. Mike: “What is it with you guys?” LOL. Walter wants Mike to help clean up the video situation and get rid of all records. They rush to the restaurant to get the laptop, but the cops are already bagging it. Dagger!
Mike puts in a call to the cops, pretending to be a Postal Inspector, tracking down that laptop. Yep, they’ve got it. “We’re boned.” Mike’s ready to skip town, but Walter insists on trying to get into the police evidence room. Jesse suggests a giant magnet to grab the laptop. Cute, honey, but how about using a magnet to erase the hard drive instead? They visit the junkyard and pay the dude a buttload for the magnet that picks up cars. They run a test at the junkyard and determine the amperage and distance they’re going to need. Jesse yells triumphantly: “Yeah, bitch! Magnets!”
Saul visits Skyler at the car wash to tell her that Ted had an accident – so the asshole’s not dead after all. She goes to visit him in the hospital, where he is bald and with a halo brace thing on his head. So broke his neck then. Ted hasn’t told on her or Saul’s guys. He says he’ll never breathe a word about the situation, he just wants his family to be cared for. Skyler: “Good.”
Mike helps Jesse and Walter break into the lot next to the police building so they can park their U-Haul loaded with magnets alongside the outer wall of the evidence room. Everything starts flying off the shelves. Walter turns the magnets up so high that it causes the truck to tip over, so they have to ditch it. That won’t be good, but Walt claims it’s all untraceable. Mike wants to know how he’s supposed to believe it’s all done and going to be OK. Walt: “Because I said so.” Shit, this man is in CHARGE!
In the magnet ruckus, another piece of Gus’s evidence was damaged – a picture of him and his dead BF, which, now that it’s been damaged, reveals what looks like maybe an address in the Cayman Islands.
Walter visits Saul, pissed that he and Skyler did this whole Ted thing without his input, giving away most of his money to a man who had been sleeping with his wife. Saul says they’re done. Walter walks right up to him, nose-to-nose, and says, “We’re done when I say we’re done.” Alright, Walter, now you’re just being an asshole. To further prove that point, he goes home, hugs Skyler, and says, “I forgive you.” Oh, that’s rich.
05 July 2012
Polar Opposite Summer Movie Reviews
Over that weird, blink-and-you-missed-it, mid-week holiday, I saw 2 very different movies, Moonrise Kingdom and The Amazing Spider-man. They were both pretty awesome.
Moonrise Kingdom is a quirky Wes Anderson movie, and probably his best. It's funny and sweet and very very wacky. Most of the action centers around a 1960's girl and boy who run off together, pursued by her family and the rest of his scout troop. Bruce Willis and Ed Norton are awesome in it. The movie is, let's be honest, "totes adorbs."
Semi-related due to the awkwardish love story is The Amazing Spider-man. Because I'd say about 3/4 of this movie centers on the Peter Parker/Gwen Stacy romance. But it's Andrew Garfield and Emma Freaking Stone, so it's so cute!!! But seriously, folks, I love them both - separately, together, in real life, in this movie. Love them. Also, Andrew Garfield wears the hell out of the skin-tight Spider-man outfit you see featured in the poster here.
Aside from the love story, the special effects are good, it's cool to be swinging around New York with him, the villain is decent, there's loads of teen angst, and did I mention I love Andrew Garfield?
It's not up there with The Avengers in terms of making me desperate to re-watch it 100 times, but it's definitely good.
Moonrise Kingdom is a quirky Wes Anderson movie, and probably his best. It's funny and sweet and very very wacky. Most of the action centers around a 1960's girl and boy who run off together, pursued by her family and the rest of his scout troop. Bruce Willis and Ed Norton are awesome in it. The movie is, let's be honest, "totes adorbs."
Semi-related due to the awkwardish love story is The Amazing Spider-man. Because I'd say about 3/4 of this movie centers on the Peter Parker/Gwen Stacy romance. But it's Andrew Garfield and Emma Freaking Stone, so it's so cute!!! But seriously, folks, I love them both - separately, together, in real life, in this movie. Love them. Also, Andrew Garfield wears the hell out of the skin-tight Spider-man outfit you see featured in the poster here.
Aside from the love story, the special effects are good, it's cool to be swinging around New York with him, the villain is decent, there's loads of teen angst, and did I mention I love Andrew Garfield?
It's not up there with The Avengers in terms of making me desperate to re-watch it 100 times, but it's definitely good.
02 July 2012
So You Think You Can Dance
As has become my tradition, I don't watch the So You Think You Can Dance auditions. They just take too long and for every awesome dancer you see, you waste your time with 50 lame ones. Thankfully, the show won't waste my time this season, as we only get 1 show a week and don't have to waste a terrible amount of time on results. There are also going to be 2 winners this year, one guy and one girl.
I'm nearly a week behind on last week's episode. So let's see who our Top 20 are, and judge them solely based on this show alone.
Alexa - was rejected last year, and all the judges think she's dead behind the eyes
George - looks like he'll own everything this year
Will - should be hotter than he is; has a messed up face, is super tall and is FAT
Amber - another previous reject
They perform a decent Tyce Diorio routine together decently.
Nick, Lindsay and Witney - ballroom people, with Lindsay and Witney totally indistinguishable from each other. Once that routine gets underway, I just go ahead and fast-forward through it, as they all look the same to me.
Eliana - ballet girl, most likely to annoy me
Daniel and Chehon - ballet guys. Not sure what a Chehon is, but Daniel has a vague Australian accent and is hot - so YUM.
Ballet is hard.
Tiffany - nope, she's the most likely to annoy me
Audrey - or maybe that title will go to Audrey
Janelle - belly dancer, has crazy (but somehow not annoying) energy and is stunning to look at. She didn't dance tonight because she's sick.
Once again, the dancers were indistinguishable from each other in the routine. Same outfits, same hairstyle - that doesn't help. They also looked like they were 11 years old, and I found that hella disturbing.
Matthew and Dareian, typical contemporary guys
Janaya - really pretty, except for her eyes being too far apart
Amelia - could she be more pale? Answer: no.
They perform a lovely routine and hey, at least Amelia stands out amongst all these other dancers. Because her skin reflects light so brightly and all.
Cole - oh, man, the only Asian is fugly. I'm sad. He does some martial arts-infused dancing, which is cool. Way to live up to the stereotype though, dude. We get it - your people like karate.
Brandon - he's a stepper and hot as hell so HELL YEAH
Cyrus - has a crazy-awesome robotic popping style, probably won't make it past Week 3
They all perform together, and I'm not convinced they're the kind of unique dancers who can do regular choreography well, except maybe Cole.
Then there's a Top 10 Girls number by Travis Wall. Again, all wearing the same outfit. Again, not helping when there's one black chick, one clear chick, and the rest are half long-haired blondes and half long-haired brunettes. The Top 10 Guys do a Sonya Tayeh routine. HELL YEAH THEY DO! The guys are so much more explosive and her choreography was perfect for them. Finally, everyone does a cool Mia Michaels routine -- so nice to have her back.
Snap judgment: Daniel is officially my Boyfriend of the Show. H.O.T.
No show this week for the holiday, and then I'll be watching the next one late because I'll be at Comic-Con when it's on. It's almost as if the universe was telling me just to give up and not watch this year but NO! I gotta have my dance!
I'm nearly a week behind on last week's episode. So let's see who our Top 20 are, and judge them solely based on this show alone.
Alexa - was rejected last year, and all the judges think she's dead behind the eyes
George - looks like he'll own everything this year
Will - should be hotter than he is; has a messed up face, is super tall and is FAT
Amber - another previous reject
They perform a decent Tyce Diorio routine together decently.
Nick, Lindsay and Witney - ballroom people, with Lindsay and Witney totally indistinguishable from each other. Once that routine gets underway, I just go ahead and fast-forward through it, as they all look the same to me.
Eliana - ballet girl, most likely to annoy me
Daniel and Chehon - ballet guys. Not sure what a Chehon is, but Daniel has a vague Australian accent and is hot - so YUM.
Ballet is hard.
Tiffany - nope, she's the most likely to annoy me
Audrey - or maybe that title will go to Audrey
Janelle - belly dancer, has crazy (but somehow not annoying) energy and is stunning to look at. She didn't dance tonight because she's sick.
Once again, the dancers were indistinguishable from each other in the routine. Same outfits, same hairstyle - that doesn't help. They also looked like they were 11 years old, and I found that hella disturbing.
Matthew and Dareian, typical contemporary guys
Janaya - really pretty, except for her eyes being too far apart
Amelia - could she be more pale? Answer: no.
They perform a lovely routine and hey, at least Amelia stands out amongst all these other dancers. Because her skin reflects light so brightly and all.
Cole - oh, man, the only Asian is fugly. I'm sad. He does some martial arts-infused dancing, which is cool. Way to live up to the stereotype though, dude. We get it - your people like karate.
Brandon - he's a stepper and hot as hell so HELL YEAH
Cyrus - has a crazy-awesome robotic popping style, probably won't make it past Week 3
They all perform together, and I'm not convinced they're the kind of unique dancers who can do regular choreography well, except maybe Cole.
Then there's a Top 10 Girls number by Travis Wall. Again, all wearing the same outfit. Again, not helping when there's one black chick, one clear chick, and the rest are half long-haired blondes and half long-haired brunettes. The Top 10 Guys do a Sonya Tayeh routine. HELL YEAH THEY DO! The guys are so much more explosive and her choreography was perfect for them. Finally, everyone does a cool Mia Michaels routine -- so nice to have her back.
Snap judgment: Daniel is officially my Boyfriend of the Show. H.O.T.
No show this week for the holiday, and then I'll be watching the next one late because I'll be at Comic-Con when it's on. It's almost as if the universe was telling me just to give up and not watch this year but NO! I gotta have my dance!
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