Jessica's new daddy teaches her to drink

By Elaine Bergstrom
At our local zoo, the animal that really gives me the chills is the slow loris. Moving oh-so-lethargically that it barely seems to move at all as it hangs from a branch, its huge eyes stare, seemingly straight into your soul. But given that the loris hunts small reptiles, it is likely that when the moment is right to strike, it focuses on its prey and moves quickly and lethally. Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter had this sort of lethal stillness and focus. Eric, who always seems a bit scattered, does not. Bill, with his dated language and brooding power, seems older and calmer and far more powerful. But enough harping on the badly cast Eric when we were treated to an incredible exploration on the notion of good and evil. [Read more →]

Tags: Drama by Elaine
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Mary McDonnell makes everyone see red in this episode.

By Anna Belle

The third episode of “The Closer” opens with Sgt. Gabriel sitting in a bar, he’s on his second drink. In walks Commander Taylor, he orders a diet cola. Commander Taylor hands Sgt. Gabriel a card in a yellow envelope and David asks, “she won’t even let me apologize?” You think you are finally going to find out what happened between Gabriel and Daniels and … gunshots ring out.

Gabriel and Commander Taylor run outside and find a body lying in the street. When Gabriel hears someone fleeing from the scene he orders them to stop and when they fire a couple of shots at him, he returns fire and you immediately feel dread.

You feel more dread when you hear Commander Taylor tell Sgt. Gabriel to get in the ambulance with the victim (somehow you just know that’s wrong on so many levels) instead of staying on the scene of an officer involved shooting (which is what Gabriel wants to do).

But it’s when you meet Capt. Sharon Raydor (special guest star Mary McDonnell), the head of the Force Investigation Division (Internal Affairs) when a real feeling of dread takes over. Of course Commander Taylor sending her to the wrong hospital, doesn’t help. There’s nothing like a woman in a position of power (OMG, did I really say that!?!????)?

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Tags: Drama by ahavlicek
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The real victim is finally discovered by Brenda and the squad

By Anna Belle

Victim … suspect … victim … it was difficult to tell who was who in the second episode (”Blood Money”) of The Closer which aired June 15. In addition to another episode airing without a clue to the whereabouts of Det. Irene Daniels, Brenda is still dealing with sick Kitty.

What starts out as a simple kidnapping of a rich home developer (Summers) who is being investigated by the FBI for ripping off his investors, suddenly turns into an abduction of his driver (Vargas). When the car is found soaked with more blood than one person can lose and still be alive, Brenda’s squad begins to wonder if the “kidnapping” was staged by Summers and if Vargas is a murder victim.

With Det. Daniels’ forensic accounting talents gone, Sgt. Gabriel picks up the baton, but Brenda doesn’t seem too happy with his results, especially when the ransom money literally disappears right under his nose.

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Tags: Drama by ahavlicek
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Eric (center) and pals get ready for lunch

By Elaine Bergstrom
Ever since the plans to move Charlaine Harris’ vampire series to television were announced, fans of the books have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the blond, millennium-plus-powerful vampire leader Eric. I don’t need to guess that they are angry. Vampire blogs have been filled with laments about the bad casting since Eric first put in an appearance last season.

Not that Swedish-born actor Alexander Skarsgard doesn’t have the looks to play Eric. He does and with the right script, he’s be perfect. In his brief moments in Season One, he exuded had a certain menace beneath those golden locks, even if he wasn’t menacing enough for Eric’s legion of fans. This season - with his foiled hair, telling Lafayette that Pam will kill him, etc. – Eric has become a joke, at least so far. When he shows up at the boutique where Bill is shopping for clothes for his vampire ward Jessica sporting newly bleached hair and metro clothing, it’s no wonder that the vamp-smitten saleswoman thinks Bill and the bleached and Eric are a couple. [Read more →]

Tags: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy by Elaine
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By Stacey Harrison

We start by talking about what we’re supposed to talk about. What’s Ben up to this coming season? Will he stay with Amy? Sorry, can’t reveal too much detail. Suffice to say, ole Ben is in for some changes. But eventually we get to some topics you might not expect to bring up with a 19-year-old star of a show called The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

Turns out Ken Baumann has quite the literary mind, editing two journals — the online NO POSIT, and the print journal NO COLONY. He is also an aspiring screenwriter, having optioned the rights to adapt Stanley Crawford’s novel Log of the S.S. The MRS Unguentine into a film.

Such lofty ambitions might lead one to believe Baumann would regard his teen-centric day job as simply a means to an end, but it becomes quickly apparent that he is genuinely invested in his character and the show — in which he stars as the lovestruck Ben, who is helping his girlfriend Amy (Shailene Woodley) as she adjusts to her life as a new mom. The baby’s father, Ricky (Daren Kagasoff), has decided to be a part of the little boy’s upbringing, a move that will no doubt lead to some territorial issues between the three of them.

Baumann took some time to chat with us about his wide-ranging interests, and the new season of Secret Life, which airs Mondays beginning tonight on ABC Family. [Read more →]

Tags: Drama by sharrison76
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By Elaine Bergstrom
The historical Merlin, as fans of the legend may recall, was a bearded old man, already long in the service of King Uther Pendragon by the time Arthur was born. But what fun would an old man be in a series that is clearly aimed at families with young kids who cut their teeth on the exploits of Harry Potter and need a bit more fantasy in their lives?
And for fantasy lovers willing to forget everything they have read about Merlin and Arthur, this BBC production airing Sunday nights on NBC (HD) is a treat even if it does have some serious shortcomings (read on for these). Here Merlin, Arthur, Morgan and Guinivere, are all young, and Camelot (which legend says Arthur founded) is already a thriving city. King Uther (Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Anthony Head) rules the city, and has prohibited the use of magic there. [Read more →]

Tags: Drama, Family, Sci-Fi & Fantasy by Elaine
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Dr. Akalitus gets a lift for her trouble.

By Anna Belle
After packing Fiona & Gracie’s lunches and pouring her morning coffee, Jackie crushes up a handful of Percodan and puts them into three Sweet n’All packets to sweeten her mid-morning, mid-afternoon and “long ride home” coffee and goes to work.

First person in the doors, a screaming psychopath just wanting someone to listen to him. Jackie nicely asks him to calm down, and when he refuses, she has Thor escort him from the building. He returns a heart beat later and punches her in the jaw. Time for Jackie’s mid-morning coffee with a packet of Sweet n’All (that’ll do the trick).

Next person in the doors, a young boy with some serious head trauma from a skateboarding accident (who wasn’t wearing a helmet), his mother hysterically in tow, along with a pair of fast-talking, screaming med-techs. Dr. O’Hara asks them to calm down. When “Coop” predicts he has an aneurism without examining him, Dr. O’Hara bans him from the exam room (”three’s a crowd”).

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Tags: Comedy, Drama by ahavlicek
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Lafayette in chains

By Elaine Bergstrom

For those who missed last night’s season premiere and are getting rather excited at the prospect, no, Lafayette has not joined the ranks of the fanged undead. The word “nosferatu,” as Frank Langella-as-Dracula and any vampire expert can point out, also means “not dead” and so is Lafayette (the best supporting character in the series, in my opinion). But he is in a nasty situation as Eric has likely targeted him for the demise of Eddie, the lovably meek vampire Jason and his now-dead girlfriend finished off late last season. [Read more →]

Tags: Drama by Elaine
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By Anna Belle

Thank Heaven for DirecTV’s Channel 101! It’s allowed me to enjoy Episode 1 of Nurse Jackie over and over again. Plus, I watched it one more time on Showtime Saturday night and enjoyed it just as much.

While Dionne Warwick sings “Theme From the Valley of the Dolls” (buy this song from iTunes right now and listen carefully to the words), a dreamscape rolls in with star Edie Falco (who plays the title character, Jackie Peyton) laying on the floor, flat on her back talking … what do you call a nurse with a bad back … unemployed.

As the red grains of oxy float across the screen, the hospital scene comes into focus and the first episode rolls and you’ll be forever capitvated until it ends approximately 29 minutes later.

“What would you serve with a head?” asks Mo-Mo. Without missing a beat, Jackie says, “Cole slaw. No, Mac n’cheese. No, potato salad.”

Steve Buscemi directs the first episode plus two more, and the assembled cast — Eve Best (Dr. O’Hara), Peter Facinelli (Dr. Cooper), Paul Schulze (Eddie), Haaz Sleiman (Mo-Mo De La Cruz), Merritt Wever (Zoey Brakow) — is absolutely fabulous at keeping you shocked, surprised, giggling and hysterical from one moment to the next.

Check out this interview with Haaz Sleiman as he discusses getting the part of Mo-Mo, a gay, muslim nurse at the hospital where Nurse Jackie works.

Well, I need to go research if there truly is a sexual component to Tourette’s syndrome, so I’m signing off for now. Enjoy Nurse Jackie. Don’t forget to write in and let me know what you think. See if you can tell me where you know Zoey Brakow from.

Tags: Drama by ahavlicek
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by Karl J. Paloucek

Start the weekend — and next week — right with these films airing June 12-18. All times ET.

June 12
Tropic Thunder (2008)
This one’s up in the air — depending on your sense of humor, it’s either the funniest movie of 2008 or it’s an OK comedy with Ben Stiller and Jack Black. Regardless, it still yields an Academy Award-nominated performance from Robert Downey Jr. in his controversial role as African-American action-film star Kirk Lazarus, and enough audacity to make it a pop-culture staple. Cinemax (HD), 8pm ET

June 13
The Dark Knight (2008)
Why so serious? Probably because the centerpiece of this most-unusual of Batman films, of course, is the posthumously won Academy Award-winning turn as the Joker by the late Heath Ledger. Definitely not your father’s Batman, or even the Batman of the last decade, things take a decidedly blacker turn here, as the name clearly states. Probably not for the younger Batfans. HBO (HD), 8pm ET
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Tags: Comedy, Drama, Movies by kpaloucek
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