When we last left Walter, he was claiming everyone would win. But we know better, right? Mike drives the Three Musketeers out into the desert to meet the methylamine buyers. Or would-be buyers, as Walter tells them they can't have it. But he offers them 35% of his business if they work as his distributors. He makes Classic Coke, not their generic-cola, dyed-blue crap.
Mike gets his $5 million and Declan's crew gets his share of the business. Jesse tries to remind Walter that he's out too, but Walter wants a transition period. Even in the meth business, you gotta give your two weeks' notice. Poor kid ain't getting out....
Mike says his goodbyes and tells the guys to get the bug out of Hank's office. The attorney distributes the legacy costs to his guys' safety deposit boxes, and leaves a big old stack in a box for Mike's granddaughter's 18th birthday. Mike overhears the DEA saying they have a search warrant, so he tosses his laptop and a million guns into a well and parks a car at the airport.
Back to poor Jesse... Walter just won't let him talk. Walter wants to give Jesse his own lab and his own cook so they can cook twice as much. Jesse wants out. Walter asks him what he'd do other than video games and go-karts, and probably using drugs again. Jesus. Walter says Jesse shouldn't have the money, because it's filthy blood money, right? So why not stay and make more? Jesse doesn't need your money, asshole!! Jesse awesomely walks out while Walter stands alone, yelling that he's getting nothing.
Walter starts a cook with Todd. Oh god. Those 2 deserve each other.
Over in DEA land, Hank's not doing so great at the new job, not timely filing his reports and wasting time on Mike. He decides to start tracking the attorney instead. The attorney makes another drop at the bank, but this time Gomez is waiting for him. Drat. Walter pays Hank a visit to cry some more about Skyler and then remove the bugs. He also overhears Gomez tell Hank that the attorney is going to flip and give up Mike. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! This can only mean one thing....
Walter gives Mike the heads-up that the DEA is coming to get him at the park where he's watching his granddaughter, then he and Jesse meet with Saul to review options. Saul's hilariously offended that Mike used another lawyer to move the money. Mike calls and asks Saul to get his go-bag from the airport parking garage. Jesse wants to deliver it because he's sweet, but Walter does. There's a gun in the bag. Of course there is. Christ on a bike I can't watch this!!!
Walter wants the names of Mike's guys, but Mike just lays Walter out for ruining the good thing they all had going. Of course Walter runs after Mike and shoots him. They made me all excited too, thinking he was getting away. Instead, Mike just sits by a river, bleeding out. Walter finds him and is all, Oh nevermind, Lydia has the names, I can get them from her. Mike tells him to shut up so he can die in peace. Awesome til the end. Mike falls over. I am sad.
R.I.P. Mike you were THE SHIT!!!
26 August 2012
EXTREME Weekend!!!!
It's Hurricane Isaac weekend here in South Florida, so what better time to catch up on a buttload of movies before being trapped in your house for a day or 2? P.S.: That picture of Isaac is from Wednesday's forecast, when he was destined for my house. Now we're pretty much just getting a Tropical Storm. Being the movie geek I am, I paraphrased Lt. Aldo Raine from Inglourious Basterds yesterday when I said, "More like rained on. I've been rained on before." I think I'm going to have to watch that movie again today....
First up on Friday night was Premium Rush. This is a movie about EXTREME bike messengers. Really. It's fine. I mean, was it supposed to be amazing? No. But Joseph Gordon-Levitt's in it and he's pretty. Unfortunately for the movie, biking looks ridiculous when you see a lot of it. I mean, his little legs moving up and down the whole time. It's comical. Also, on bikes, no matter how fast they're going -- they're still bikes! So slow "chases." And WTF is up with Michael Shannon and his scenery-chewing bullshit? I know he's supposed to be a good actor, but I couldn't figure out what he was doing. Was he doing it tongue-in-cheek or was he being serious? Either way, ick. Also, the musical score was awful and when a movie score stands out that's bad -- you're not supposed to notice it. It was bizarre. Anyway, it was fine.
Next up on Saturday was the very definition of an EXTREME action movie - The Expendables 2. Dude. I mean, you sit there rolling your eyes at the dialogue and yet who gives a shit when you have Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, and Arnold Schwarzenegger fighting side-by-side and mowing down guys with machine guns? And you get 3 awesome Jean-Claude Van Damme roundhouse kicks. How can you not love that? Stallone fighting with chains. Statham throwing knives. Then Chuck Norris rolls in totally randomly and makes Chuck Norris jokes. Everyone saying each other's catch phrases. (OK, that's I can do without.) It's a fun movie to watch. If you don't pop a couple boners during it, you're not human.I closed out the weekend seeing The Bourne Legacy again because Mike hadn't seen it yet, and it could have been my last night on earth so I wanted to spend it wisely. I liked it better the second time, likely because I knew to expect a slow start and less Jeremy Renner than you would think a Jeremy Renner movie would contain. Of all of these EXTREME movies, this one is definitely the most realistic. Those old guys don't do their own stunts in the same way Renner does. JCVD's roundhouse kicks were done in such a way that I pictured him doing one, then taking a 15 minute break, then doing the next one. Punch, break, punch, break, duck, break, heavily edit. The old men just aren't as ferocious as they used to be.
19 August 2012
Breaking Bad
Earlier this week, I saw a still from this episode of Jesse having dinner with The Whites. It blew my mind. OMG LET'S DO THIS!
But first, it's time for Walter, Mike, and Todd to unload the truck from last week's heist, including that nosy motorbike kid's body. The bike and the body get the usual dissolve-in-a-drum treatment. They take apart the bike piece by piece and all you can think about is how they're going to be taking apart that body. Or maybe he'll be able to just fit right in. Jesse's outside the whole time. When Todd comes out and gives him a casual, "Shit happens, huh?" Jesse punches him in the face.
The Four Musketeers have a meeting (trial?) where Todd pleads that he had no other choice. He's sorry and all, but doesn't think he did anything wrong since he was protecting the team and the business. He's essentially using this like a job interview, looking for a promotion. He has an uncle with prison connections, and he wants to be a full partner. Walter's options: 1. Fire Todd. He knows way too much. 2. Dispose of Todd. Of course Jesse would never let that happen. 3. Keep Todd. That's the only way to go. But that kid is going to be the death of everyone, isn't he?
The DEA is tailing Mike, but of course Mike is aware of it. He leaves a "dead drop" for them -- a note that says, "F**k you."
While Jesse and Walter are cooking, they see a report on the news about the missing motorbike kid. Walter needs him to soldier on, whistle while he works like Walter does. After all, they have everything they need for the next year. Everything's going to be so perfect, right? Oy.
Once the batch is done, Walter joins Mike and Jesse for a late night pow-wow. Mike says the feds are getting too close to him so Walter flies off the handle. Then Mike says he's out. "Sorry to see you go, Mike." Horse's ass. Walter says Jesse will have to take over distribution. Only... Jesse's out too. I WISH THIS WERE THE ENDING I SWEAR TO GOD!!!!! Mike already has plans to sell their shares of the methylamine. They'll each get $5 million. Guess who this isn't good enough for?
Mike meets with the people Walt refers to as his competition to sell the methylamine, but the guy only wants to buy if the blue meth will be off the market entirely. He wants the full amount of methylamine. They can't promise that, since Walt plans to keep cooking.....
Jesse comes to Walt's house to try to sell him on the methylamine deal. $5 million, no one else gets killed, isn't this perfect? Walter says he hasn't been working this hard just to sell out. OY! His dumb ass brings up Gray Matter, the company he took a $5000 buyout from that is now worth billions. That's his fault. Ass. "I'm in the empire business." I. HATE. YOU.
Skyler comes home and they all sit down for dinner. Because, of course, Skyler will be as compliant as Walter wants her to be, and Walt is quite satisfied to show that off. It's the Greatest Family Dinner Ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jesse is hysterical and Skyler is downing large glasses of wine. Skyler's all, "Did you tell him about my affair, too?" OMG IT'S THE GREATEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN!!!!! Once she leaves the table, Walter goes, "Do you know my kids are gone?" and Jesse says, "Thank god" in the quickest, greatest way possible. He did NOT need more awkwardness. Walt tells Jesse that he has nothing left but the business "and you want to take it away from me." You're always the martyr, right, Walter? Everyone's always persecuting you? UUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH
Walter goes to the office to take his methylamine, where Mike is there to sit on him all night and make sure he doesn't interfere with the methylamine deal. In the morning, Mike chains Walter's hand to the radiator so he can go take care of something. Well, that was dumb, since Walt finds a way out, using exposed wires to burn through the plastic strap on his wrist. Barely seems to feel the pain.
Mike's with Saul, who is meeting with Gomez and Hank, accusing the DEA of harassment for all their surveillance. He's filing a restraining order. And when Mike comes back to the office? The methylamine is gone and Jesse's there with Walter. Walter has a proposal: "Everybody wins." WHY DO I KNOW THAT YOU'RE LYING?????????
But first, it's time for Walter, Mike, and Todd to unload the truck from last week's heist, including that nosy motorbike kid's body. The bike and the body get the usual dissolve-in-a-drum treatment. They take apart the bike piece by piece and all you can think about is how they're going to be taking apart that body. Or maybe he'll be able to just fit right in. Jesse's outside the whole time. When Todd comes out and gives him a casual, "Shit happens, huh?" Jesse punches him in the face.
The Four Musketeers have a meeting (trial?) where Todd pleads that he had no other choice. He's sorry and all, but doesn't think he did anything wrong since he was protecting the team and the business. He's essentially using this like a job interview, looking for a promotion. He has an uncle with prison connections, and he wants to be a full partner. Walter's options: 1. Fire Todd. He knows way too much. 2. Dispose of Todd. Of course Jesse would never let that happen. 3. Keep Todd. That's the only way to go. But that kid is going to be the death of everyone, isn't he?
The DEA is tailing Mike, but of course Mike is aware of it. He leaves a "dead drop" for them -- a note that says, "F**k you."
While Jesse and Walter are cooking, they see a report on the news about the missing motorbike kid. Walter needs him to soldier on, whistle while he works like Walter does. After all, they have everything they need for the next year. Everything's going to be so perfect, right? Oy.
Once the batch is done, Walter joins Mike and Jesse for a late night pow-wow. Mike says the feds are getting too close to him so Walter flies off the handle. Then Mike says he's out. "Sorry to see you go, Mike." Horse's ass. Walter says Jesse will have to take over distribution. Only... Jesse's out too. I WISH THIS WERE THE ENDING I SWEAR TO GOD!!!!! Mike already has plans to sell their shares of the methylamine. They'll each get $5 million. Guess who this isn't good enough for?
Mike meets with the people Walt refers to as his competition to sell the methylamine, but the guy only wants to buy if the blue meth will be off the market entirely. He wants the full amount of methylamine. They can't promise that, since Walt plans to keep cooking.....
Jesse comes to Walt's house to try to sell him on the methylamine deal. $5 million, no one else gets killed, isn't this perfect? Walter says he hasn't been working this hard just to sell out. OY! His dumb ass brings up Gray Matter, the company he took a $5000 buyout from that is now worth billions. That's his fault. Ass. "I'm in the empire business." I. HATE. YOU.
Skyler comes home and they all sit down for dinner. Because, of course, Skyler will be as compliant as Walter wants her to be, and Walt is quite satisfied to show that off. It's the Greatest Family Dinner Ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jesse is hysterical and Skyler is downing large glasses of wine. Skyler's all, "Did you tell him about my affair, too?" OMG IT'S THE GREATEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN!!!!! Once she leaves the table, Walter goes, "Do you know my kids are gone?" and Jesse says, "Thank god" in the quickest, greatest way possible. He did NOT need more awkwardness. Walt tells Jesse that he has nothing left but the business "and you want to take it away from me." You're always the martyr, right, Walter? Everyone's always persecuting you? UUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH
Walter goes to the office to take his methylamine, where Mike is there to sit on him all night and make sure he doesn't interfere with the methylamine deal. In the morning, Mike chains Walter's hand to the radiator so he can go take care of something. Well, that was dumb, since Walt finds a way out, using exposed wires to burn through the plastic strap on his wrist. Barely seems to feel the pain.
Mike's with Saul, who is meeting with Gomez and Hank, accusing the DEA of harassment for all their surveillance. He's filing a restraining order. And when Mike comes back to the office? The methylamine is gone and Jesse's there with Walter. Walter has a proposal: "Everybody wins." WHY DO I KNOW THAT YOU'RE LYING?????????
12 August 2012
Breaking Bad
We open with a kid zipping through the desert on his motorbike. He finds a giant tarantula and puts it in a jar. End of teaser. Okaaayyyy.
Hank's moving into his new office and gets a visit from Walter. Hank notices his Rolex right off. Keep being a sloppy showoff, Walter! Walter starts crying in front of Hank, saying Skyler doesn't love him anymore and thinks he's a bad father. Hank can't deal with real emotions and leaves to get Walter some coffee. Which is exactly what the Master Manipulator wanted, because he puts some kind of tap on Hank's computer and a bug in his picture frame.
The Three Musketeers have Lydia handcuffed to a table in some empty warehouse. Mike makes her call Hank's office and tell him that she discovered the tracking device on the methylamine. After she hangs up, the bug in Hank's office tells them that the DEA had nothing to do with it... but the cops did. So Lydia narrowly avoids execution. And she knows where they can get "an ocean" of methylamine. Time for a train robbery!!
Mike thinks there's no choice but to kill the train crew, so as to prevent authorities from being alerted immediately. And Walter won't let them switch to a pseudo cook because they won't make enough money. As his parents argue back and forth, Jesse comes up with the real plan.
Todd is let into the inner circle, helping them rig up tanks in the desert to siphon the methylamine from the tanker car while replacing it with water. Bill Burr helps out by flagging down the train, pretending to be a motorist stranded on the tracks. This is bold as shit, them doing it in the daytime, plus it takes a while. It's tense as shit. Also -- 10 bucks says that tarantula kid is going to be a witness and will have to be killed. Goddammit.
Bill Burr's truck is cleared off of the tracks faster than anyone wants it to be, but Walter waits til the last possible second to stop his siphoning operation so he can be as precise as possible. Jesse has to lie under the train as it starts moving, and Todd has to jump off. Jesus Christ. I was quite literally biting my fingers. Jesse celebrates their success with his customary, "Yeah bitch!" And then we hear the dirtbike. And the kid waves at them. And this cannot stand. Todd is the one to grab a gun and shoot the kid in the face. Holy shit. I actually called that it would be him and not Walter. Something about that kid. He's solidifying his place among the crew. This will be interesting.
Hank's moving into his new office and gets a visit from Walter. Hank notices his Rolex right off. Keep being a sloppy showoff, Walter! Walter starts crying in front of Hank, saying Skyler doesn't love him anymore and thinks he's a bad father. Hank can't deal with real emotions and leaves to get Walter some coffee. Which is exactly what the Master Manipulator wanted, because he puts some kind of tap on Hank's computer and a bug in his picture frame.
The Three Musketeers have Lydia handcuffed to a table in some empty warehouse. Mike makes her call Hank's office and tell him that she discovered the tracking device on the methylamine. After she hangs up, the bug in Hank's office tells them that the DEA had nothing to do with it... but the cops did. So Lydia narrowly avoids execution. And she knows where they can get "an ocean" of methylamine. Time for a train robbery!!
Mike thinks there's no choice but to kill the train crew, so as to prevent authorities from being alerted immediately. And Walter won't let them switch to a pseudo cook because they won't make enough money. As his parents argue back and forth, Jesse comes up with the real plan.
Todd is let into the inner circle, helping them rig up tanks in the desert to siphon the methylamine from the tanker car while replacing it with water. Bill Burr helps out by flagging down the train, pretending to be a motorist stranded on the tracks. This is bold as shit, them doing it in the daytime, plus it takes a while. It's tense as shit. Also -- 10 bucks says that tarantula kid is going to be a witness and will have to be killed. Goddammit.
Bill Burr's truck is cleared off of the tracks faster than anyone wants it to be, but Walter waits til the last possible second to stop his siphoning operation so he can be as precise as possible. Jesse has to lie under the train as it starts moving, and Todd has to jump off. Jesus Christ. I was quite literally biting my fingers. Jesse celebrates their success with his customary, "Yeah bitch!" And then we hear the dirtbike. And the kid waves at them. And this cannot stand. Todd is the one to grab a gun and shoot the kid in the face. Holy shit. I actually called that it would be him and not Walter. Something about that kid. He's solidifying his place among the crew. This will be interesting.
07 August 2012
The Bourne Legacy
But I'm also not going to lie and say it was the most ~*~amazing~*~ movie ever. It's not perfect. For one, it takes far too long to get to the Rennery goodness. I love Ed Norton. But get off the screen already, Ed Norton. The set-up takes far too long. It's kind of odd how there are 2 different movies going on -- Ed Norton and the Top Secret Government People tracking Renner and then Renner out doing his stuff. And they don't ever really feel connected. So that sucks. More Norton and Renner together please!
Another thing that probably taints (heh) my view on this movie a little - I've watched the trailer 1,471 times. And it contains the whole movie. So I felt like I'd seen all the action scenes, all the fights already. But let me tell you -- the motorcycle chase through Manila? Greatest thing ever put on film. At least the greatest motorcycle chase ever. Rachel Weisz is the bomb too, I always love her. She has my blessing.
I am looking forward to seeing this movie with Mike so he can shoot holes in all of the science - chems, viruses, I doubt any of that made any sense. But when my little man starts kicking ass, I don't really care. The man is an athlete and I love him.
05 August 2012
Breaking Bad
The Aztec is back, baby!!!! That thing just won't die. And Walter must have amazing insurance. The Heisenberg hat is inside too. Walt sells the car to the body shop for $50 and gets himself a shiny black pimpmobile, and gets Walt Jr. a red Challenger. Jesus Christ. He makes me so mad. Last week he was so concerned about his money. Keep showing off money you're not supposed to have. Idiot. Skyler wants to send Junior to boarding school, to get him out of this hell they live in.
Walt's all, it's smooth sailing from here on out, there's nothing to be afraid of. "Life is good." Dummy. He wants to have himself a birthday party. (So we're a year out from where the series started now. Eventful year. Also a year away from the first teaser from this season.)
Hank and Gomez come to Madrigal to talk to Lydia. She gives up a foreman they're looking for, and then screams into a pillow. This bitch is real crazy; she put on 2 different shoes this morning. The poor nervous wreck. The DEA's putting surveillance on Mike, and have discovered the blue meth back on the streets. Hank is invited to put in an application for his former boss's position, but he'd have to give up all investigations, including Fring.
Walter comes home from work expecting a birthday party he doesn't get. Ha! Ass. He just gets Marie and Hank over for dinner. On the drive over, Marie tells Hank about Skyler and Ted because of course she can't keep her mouth shut. Lots of painfully awkward silences at dinner. Just douchechills. Skyler gets up while Walt is talking and stands behind him at the pool. The whole time he's talking I am sure she's going to throw herself to the bottom. Sure enough, she eventually walks into the pool and stays under until Walt jumps in and pulls her out. Happy birthday, asshole.
With the foreman/chemical delivery guy out of commission, Jesse comes to Lydia's warehouse to get the methalmine. When he's taking the barrel down off the shelf, Lydia's OCD ass sees something on the bottom - a GPS tracker stuck to it. It's the barrel that she removed from inventory, so it's the only barrel they can have.
Ten bucks says Walter puts Skyler in an institution and gets her electroshock therapy, Homeland-style. He can't have an unstable wife threatening his whole operation. Bitch has to go. Marie and Hank offer (at Skyler's suggestion) to take the kids for a couple days so Walter and Skyler can "work things out." Skyler actually stands up for herself against Walt, saying he'll never have the kids back in the house. "What are you going to do to stop it?" he asks. And he indeed threatens to have her committed, then she counters with a threat to claim spousal abuse. She doesn't have a long-term solution, and he refuses to let her win. She says she'll just wait -- for the cancer to come back and kill him. For the first time EVER, I'll all TEAM SKYLER, BITCH! Great scene.
So now we have the methalmine problem to deal with. Mike's suspicious about the tracker -- sloppy police work, and did any other barrels have the tracker on them? He thinks it was Lydia's ass, so she could get out of the business. Mike says he'll take his business elsewhere indeed -- after he leaves her alone in a ditch. Jesse doesn't want her killed, and Walter vetoes Mike decision because they need to keep the methalmine flowing, can't afford to slow production.
Poor, misguided Jesse gets Walter a Rolex for his birthday. Walter just doesn't deserve him. He comes home and shows the watch to Skyler, saying it was a present from someone who wanted him dead too not so long ago. So now because Jesse is sweet and naive and dumb enough to change his mind about Walt, she's supposed to? Screw you, Walter White!!! He officially makes my skin crawl.
Next week, the guys have to pull a freaking heist to get methalmine???? This isn't The Town!!! They aren't made for this!
Walt's all, it's smooth sailing from here on out, there's nothing to be afraid of. "Life is good." Dummy. He wants to have himself a birthday party. (So we're a year out from where the series started now. Eventful year. Also a year away from the first teaser from this season.)
Hank and Gomez come to Madrigal to talk to Lydia. She gives up a foreman they're looking for, and then screams into a pillow. This bitch is real crazy; she put on 2 different shoes this morning. The poor nervous wreck. The DEA's putting surveillance on Mike, and have discovered the blue meth back on the streets. Hank is invited to put in an application for his former boss's position, but he'd have to give up all investigations, including Fring.
Walter comes home from work expecting a birthday party he doesn't get. Ha! Ass. He just gets Marie and Hank over for dinner. On the drive over, Marie tells Hank about Skyler and Ted because of course she can't keep her mouth shut. Lots of painfully awkward silences at dinner. Just douchechills. Skyler gets up while Walt is talking and stands behind him at the pool. The whole time he's talking I am sure she's going to throw herself to the bottom. Sure enough, she eventually walks into the pool and stays under until Walt jumps in and pulls her out. Happy birthday, asshole.
With the foreman/chemical delivery guy out of commission, Jesse comes to Lydia's warehouse to get the methalmine. When he's taking the barrel down off the shelf, Lydia's OCD ass sees something on the bottom - a GPS tracker stuck to it. It's the barrel that she removed from inventory, so it's the only barrel they can have.
Ten bucks says Walter puts Skyler in an institution and gets her electroshock therapy, Homeland-style. He can't have an unstable wife threatening his whole operation. Bitch has to go. Marie and Hank offer (at Skyler's suggestion) to take the kids for a couple days so Walter and Skyler can "work things out." Skyler actually stands up for herself against Walt, saying he'll never have the kids back in the house. "What are you going to do to stop it?" he asks. And he indeed threatens to have her committed, then she counters with a threat to claim spousal abuse. She doesn't have a long-term solution, and he refuses to let her win. She says she'll just wait -- for the cancer to come back and kill him. For the first time EVER, I'll all TEAM SKYLER, BITCH! Great scene.
So now we have the methalmine problem to deal with. Mike's suspicious about the tracker -- sloppy police work, and did any other barrels have the tracker on them? He thinks it was Lydia's ass, so she could get out of the business. Mike says he'll take his business elsewhere indeed -- after he leaves her alone in a ditch. Jesse doesn't want her killed, and Walter vetoes Mike decision because they need to keep the methalmine flowing, can't afford to slow production.
Poor, misguided Jesse gets Walter a Rolex for his birthday. Walter just doesn't deserve him. He comes home and shows the watch to Skyler, saying it was a present from someone who wanted him dead too not so long ago. So now because Jesse is sweet and naive and dumb enough to change his mind about Walt, she's supposed to? Screw you, Walter White!!! He officially makes my skin crawl.
Next week, the guys have to pull a freaking heist to get methalmine???? This isn't The Town!!! They aren't made for this!
Total Recall
It's one of those cool, dumb action movies, where it's always dark and rainy and people walk around without umbrellas. And there's a metric ton of bloodless gun fights, and panes of glass shatter every 15 seconds. And then there's the story which, I don't know, is confusing as hell, but thinks it's intellectual.
Also, there's Bryan Cranston. Now I had already seen a review that said he was in it for 5 minutes, so I knew not to expect much. Cuz, yeah, he's in it for like 4 1/2 minutes. But he owns every one of those 270 seconds. I really do wish we'd seen more of him. He rules, plain and simple. But we do also get 2 of the most gorgeous women on the planet - Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale. With their athleticism and long, wavy brown locks - what's not to love? When Colin Farrell is the 4th reason to see a movie, you know it's stacked with goodness.
It won't be a complete waste of your time, I promise. If it's storming like it was here today, or hot as hell like it also was here today, you've already seen The Dark Knight Rises twice, and the Olympics are currently offering female weight lifting, there are worse things to watch.
29 July 2012
Breaking Bad
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.
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.
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.
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