Stephanie's top Oscar moments

1. Christian Bale wins an Oscar. He's one of the best actors of our time and this win is no doubt the first of many.

2. Colin Firth is the dreamiest. I haven't met the woman yet who's not completely in love with Firth.

3. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are the perfect couple. The "Sherlock Holmes" co-stars had the best banter of the night and made me a little more excited for "Sherlock 2."

4. Kirk Douglas and Melissa Leo steal the show. First Douglas hams it up and provides the best moment of the night and then Leo drops an Oscar F-bomb in her excitement at winning.

5. Chuck can sing. Zachary Levi and Mandy Moore are adorable during their performance of "I See the Light" from "Tangled." I fell a little more in love with TV's Chuck.

6. The best movie actually wins. Sometimes the best picture winner isn't always the best film of the year. No offense to "The Social Network" but the best movie won.

7. Anne Hathaway was a fun host and did a great job with what she had to work with. James Franco was his usual awkward self, but I did appreciate all the "General Hospital" shout-outs. Next year how about Hathaway and Hugh Jackman, who was an unexpected star of the show.

8. Natalie Portman is a glowing winner. She's one of my favorite actresses and I love that she seemed genuinely excited even though she was the favorite. I've liked her since "The Professional."

Credit: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Academy Awards live blog

A 'Bodyguard' remake, really Warner Bros.?

It was announced today that Warner Bros. has plans to remake "The Bodyguard." Yes, the musical-drama starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner that gave us the never-ending "I Will Always Love You."

Here's the thing, I know Hollywood has remake fever, but seriously, "The Bodyguard?" This film really doesn't need to be remade. Apparently it will now feature an Iraq war veteran protecting a star from her stalker in the modern world of social media.

It's just a completely unnecessary piece of filmmaking.

Since the film is in the early stages no cast has been announced yet, but there are rumors that Rhianna's name is floating around for the starlet.

This just has crap written all over it, please someone stop this before it gets off the ground.

Nicolas Courtney 1929-2011

The news of the passing of "Doctor Who" legend Nicolas Courtney is especially sad, considering I just spent the weekend with a convention full of "Doctor Who" fans.

Courtney played Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart in over 100 episodes opposite five Doctors. The Brigadier was the head of UNIT, the British military operation that regularly deals with alien threats and often worked with the Doctor in the 70s.

His last "Doctor Who" appearance on TV was in 1989, though he voiced radio serials and made charity appearances.

The Brigadier was one of the few people The Doctor trusted and though he didn't appear in the new series, he was mentioned and his absence was felt. It is not an understatement to say that the Brigadier is as central to the history of "Doctor Who" as The Doctor himself and Courtney will be missed.

I'm sure when series six begins airing later in the Spring he will be given a proper sendoff.

Mini-review: Chris Jericho's 'Undisputed'

It's no secret that I used to be a big wrestling fan.

I'm talking '80s WWF through '90s Monday Night Wars stuff.

One wrestler was, and is, my favorite: Chris Jericho.

What made Jericho stand out from the rest was not only could be wrestle, but he was extremely good on the mic. That is a rare thing in wrestling, it's usually either or.

When his first book, "A Lion's Tale," came out in 2007 I bought it right away and devoured it in just a few days. Not an easy feet for me at 432 pages.

I could not wait for this new one to be released. Somehow I had lost track of the release date and was surprised to find out it was in bookstores this past week.

I almost ran to Borders, yes ours is still open, and bought it.

At 448 pages it seemed like I would be doing nothing but reading "Undisputed."

It's technically true. I spent all day Saturday reading it and finished it in two sittings.

And it's great.

While "A Lion's Tale" chronicled Jericho's journey to the WWF, this book starts out with his debut facing off against the Rock to the death of Chris Benoit.

One thing stands out from the start, not only is he a great wrestler, but also a great storyteller. Inter cut with stories about wrestling are stories about his music career with the metal band Fozzy.

It's funny how I remembered all of these moments, like his fantastic debut to winning his first World Title. But, the actual stories behind them shocked me. It was basically a cluster-you-know-what. It wasn't an easy walk in the park for him.

The best parts of the book are when he gets into the personal aspects of wrestling. His interactions with Vince McMahon and the Rock are the highlights. He states numerous times that he had his best matches with the Rock and considers him to be his best opponent.

Talking about wrestling other people also can be the low lights of the book too. He mentions numerous people like Chyna and Kevin Nash (the stories about them are good) and when he looks back on the matches with them, he almost annoyingly states that his matches with them were probably the best of "their" careers. Kind of a-hole-ish. Probably true, but still.

The chapter about getting arrested for drunk driving also shocked me. He was 100% in the wrong, but writes the chapter like we should feel sorry for him being in that situation. Sorry, you did the crime you can do the one day in jail.

That is not to say all the book is bad, just about 10-15 percent.

The chapters about the deaths of his mother, Eddie Guerrero and Benoit are poetic and engrossing. I burned through those pages like crazy.

The most heart wrenching part of the Benoit chapter is when Jericho calls Benoit's teenage son and gets this exchange:

"I was trying my hardest to be comforting, but my words felt hollow. I sounded just like the cop who talked me out of killing Danny after my mom's accident seventeen years earlier, and I wonder if that guy felt as much of an asshole as I did right then.

When I was finished David responded with one question.

'Can I still go to the wrestling matches?'

It completely broke my heart to think that David's whole life was his father and wrestling and in one night he lost them both. Quite honestly, that's the reason that I'll never be able to forgive Chris for what he did. As horrible as it was that he killed Daniel, it's even worse that he forced David and his daughter, Megan, to deal with his unexplained crimes for the rest of their lives."

Fans of wrestling should pick this one as soon as possible.

Films of 2010 updated

Since I have seen four films from 2010 in recent weeks I thought it would be a good time to update my complete Best/Worst films of 2010 list.

Thankfully the four films I saw ("Morning Glory," "Megamind," "Waiting for 'Superman'" and "Cyrus") were all good and "Little Fockers" continues to hold the title of Worst Film of 2010.

Here is how the list stands now, updated spots in bold:

28. "Waiting for 'Superman'"27. "The Kids are All Right"
26. "Let Me In"
25. "Get Low"
24. "Prince of Persia"
23. "Winter's Bone"
22. "Shutter Island"
21. "Green Zone"
20. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 1"
19. "The Other Guys"
18. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"
17. "Kick Ass"
16. "Megamind"
15. "Black Swan"
14. "Cyrus"
13. "True Grit"
12. "Red"
11. "Due Date"
10. "Morning Glory"
9. "The Fighter"
8. "The Social Network"
7. "The Town"
6. "Iron Man 2"
5. "Tron: Legacy"
4. "Toy Story 3"
3. "The A-Team"
2. "Hot Tub Time Machine"
1. "Inception"

My trip to Gallifrey

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Gallifrey One convention, which is devoted to "Doctor Who," "Torchwood" and "The Sarah Jane Adventures."

As a hardcore fan of the "Doctor Who" universe it was awesome to be at a convention where it's all about The Doctor. I attended panels discussing David Tennant's popularity, series four of "Torchwood" and online "Doctor Who" fandom.

There was a dealer's room with plenty of souvenirs for sale (I picked up a few things,) a video room showing classic episodes and autograph and photo sessions.

Among the special guests were Peter Davidson (The Fifth Doctor), former companions Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton and Frazier Hines and TV writers Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Jose Molina and Jane Espenson.

Jane Espenson, Lynne Thomas and Deborah Stanish at the "Whedonistas" panel.

Espenson attended a panel with a group of other cool women writers discussing the new book "Whedonistas." This book which will be available on Amazon on March 15, but can be pre-ordered now. I was lucky enough to get an autographed copy and let me tell you it's great.

The book is a collection of stories, interviews and essays about Joss Whedon's various shows and why they're great. For anyone who loves the Whedon universe, it's a great read. I found many of the stories reflected my own experiences and thought it was a really clever read.

This book is a companion to "Chicks Dig Time Lords," a similar collection about "Doctor Who" and the women who love it. I also picked up a copy of this book and it is also a really fun and well written collection.

The "Whedonistas" writers, editors and artist.

Both these books are edited by Lynne Thomas and Deborah Stanish, who did a good job putting together the collections. I had a chance to talk to Thomas and Stanish and attend some of the panels they were on and these are two very knowledgeable women when it comes to "Doctor Who" and the Whedon-verse. So for anyone who loves all things Whedon, I recommend "Whedonistas."

Javier Grillo-Marxauch (left) at the "Is it time for a new 'Star Trek' series" panel.

Another fun panel was with accomplished TV writers Grillo-Marxauch and Molina. The convention offered was what was called Kaffeklatches where attendees signed up ahead of time for a small gathering with certain guests. Since there were only 12 spots available for each meeting it made the experience really cool.

Molina and Grillo-Marxuach have been friends most of their lives and have worked with a lot of the same people, plus they're both serious "Doctor Who" fans, so it was really fun hour. This is an experience that other conventions should consider using, as it added an extra way for fans to meet their idols.

I've never been to Gallifrey One before and it was an amazing weekend, where I met people from all over the workd who have one thing in common, they all love "Doctor Who."

I'm already making my plans for next year.

Now that's great television

The flagship "CSI" was great this last week.

Partially due to this:



But, also for the much better subplot.

Ever since he was introduced, Laurence Fishburne's Dr. Raymond Langston has had an arch nemesis: Nate Haskell played by Bill Irwin.

Now before we get into Haskell, let's talk a minute about Irwin.

Did you know he was in Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry Be Happy" music video?

He also was in "Rachel Getting Married" and "The Adventures of Pete and Pete."

On "CSI" he plays the crazed Dick and Jane Killer, who had been in jail to start for murdering 19 people.

Fishburne's first episode had him using Haskell in his college crime course.

He has appeared numerous times, including last season where he stabbed and almost killed Langston.

While Bieber fever was all over this episode, the real plot was the trial of Haskell trying to murder Langston.

This is where Irwin shined. He acted as his own attorney and hammed it up in the creepiest and best serial killer way possible.

The end, spoiler alert, even had Haskell escaping jailing to torment Langston at a later date (season finale perhaps?)

All I'm saying is that the Emmy voters should be looking very close at Irwin come next year for that Best Guest Actor in a Drama award.

New sneak peek to HBO's "Game of Thrones"

"Invitation to Westeros"

Okay, I know for a fact I am not the only one that fangirled over this video. I am getting more and more excited for this series with every passing day. This is going to be HBO's new power house.

Invitation to Westeros

'Supernatural': promo for 'The French Mistake'

IS IT NEXT FRIDAY YET?

Ice Cream City: The revenge!

This time it's Zoe's turn!

'Jeopardy' will lead to our downfall

Everyone's making a big deal about the man vs. machine episodes of "Jeopardy" this week. To no one's surprise the IBM computer Watson is beating the pants off of former champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter.

However, let's talk about the real issues at stake here. This friendly "Jeopardy" computer is really a precursor to Skynet or "Battlestar Galactica."

Both "Terminator" and "BSG" began with stories about how the first versions of their deadly robots were harmless game computers.

In "Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles" the Skynet computer started out as a chess playing computer and "Caprica" showed how Cylon technology evolved from virtual reality systems.

So, while it's all fun and games now, just wait a few years and we'll be living that unhappy future from "Terminator: Salvation" and it will be all Alex Trebek's fault.

'Glee' starts its 'Comeback'

To say that "Glee" has been inconsistent this season is an understatement. Season two of the hit show has been like an awful roller coaster ride. Episodes have ranged from the truly bad post Super Bowl spectacle to the fantastic "Grilled Cheesus" and "Furt."

This weeks's aptly titled episode "Comeback" signaled a return to the fun ridiculousness that made the show hot to begin with. Following her failure to make Nationals Sue had nothing to live for and joined New Directions to cheer up.

This led to a hilarious showdown between Jane Lynch and the rest of the glee club. Though she is mired in depression, Sue's disdain for the kids is still in tack and it was great to see them call her out for the things she's done to them.

Predictably Sue decided to turn the club against each other by having Mercedes and Rachel compete in a diva off. This was a treat for the fans since it's so rare to see these two belt a song out together.

Lea Michele and Amber Riley took on the "Rent" showstopper "Take Me or Leave Me" and it was spectacular. Ryan Murphy should figure out a way for these two to sing together more because it brought a level of fun and excitement to the show that has been missing lately.

I also loved each of their explanations to Sue about what makes a good diva. Mercedes is clearly in the Aretha Franklin, Patti Labelle camp with her sassy fingers and weave flips, while Rachel is all about Barbra Streisand and Patti Lupone with contained emotions bursting out in song.


In the show's most authentic yet emotionally manipulating scene, Will takes Sue to the pediatric cancer unit of a hospital to show her the power of song. Apparently he comes there once a month to sing to the kids. There are various reports on the Internet that this scene was shot at a real pediatric cancer ward, but the producers have not confirmed those stories.

This moment of clarity led to Sue suggesting a big finale number, "Sing" by My Chemical Romance. This song seemed tailor made for one of "Glee's" big showstoppers and it didn't disappoint. Unfortunately, Sue was back to her old self by the end of the show and joined New Directions' rival Aural Intensity.

The other stuff:

• Finn is becoming more of a d-bag every episode. Ryan Murphy we're supposed to like the characters remember.
• Sam and Santana, really? How about we get some backstory into Santana and show why she's ok being the slut.
• Brittany is comic gold. Getting her out of that Cheerios uniform was the best thing ever.
• How come Matthew Morrison never sings anymore?

Next week is Rachel's wild house party where anything can happen, let's hope the show continues to get back to its roots.

Inscaped for Jan. 20

Yes, we're playing catch up.

The Internet issues have finally been resolved.

'Finally The Rock has come back to Wrestlemania'

It's no secret that I'm a big wrestling fan and that I'm in love with The Rock. So when he showed up on Monday Night Raw tonight and announced that he was the special host of Wrestlemania, it was like getting in a time machine and going back to when wrestling wasn't PG and long before we knew who Dwayne Johnson was.

He broke out the greatest hits and humiliated Michael Cole just like in the old days. It was classic Rock and in the words of Jim Ross, I hope some of those young wrestlers paid attention because that is how you entertain a crowd.

I have never missed a Wrestlemania and I've even been to two, but this announcement has made me seriously consider booking a flight to Atlanta.

The Grammys: So that happened

Last night's Grammy awards provided a nice mix of music for the whole family. There was Justin Bieber for the kids, Mick Jagger and Barbra Streisand for the parents and Lady Gaga for the misunderstood cousin.

The show opened with a rousing tribute to the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, which featured Yolanda Adams, Martina McBride, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson and Florence Welch. Each singer took a turn performing one of Aretha's classics in what felt like the best karaoke competition ever.

Since they only hand out 10 awards on the show, it is a performance heavy night. Big winners included Lady Antebellum who won for song and record of the year for "Need You Now" and in the the biggest surprise of the night, Arcade Fire for album of the year.

In the night's second biggest surprise, outstandingly talented jazz musician Esperanza Spaulding won for Best New Artist, beating out front runners Bieber and Drake. What happened is Drake and Bieber probably split the vote leaving room for Spaulding, but that doesn't take anything away from her as she is really good and deserves to be recognized. I can only hope this makes more people interested in her music.

Unfortunately, she is now becoming a victim to the Bieber Army, as she is being bashed on Twitter by thousands of heartbroken girls. These kids need to realize that the number of Twitter followers and movie tickets sold has nothing to do with who wins a Grammy.

Anyway, back to the performances, Lady Gaga followed up her red carpet theatrics with a cool yet surprisingly normal performance of her new single "Born This Way."

The most spectacular performance of the night belonged to Bruno Mars, B.o.B and Janelle Monae who joined together for a triple threat of their big hits. B.oB. started it off with "Nothin on You," then Mars launched into a exciting old school doo-wop version of "Grenade," and then Monae concluded with a crowd surfing, manic yet awesome performance.

After some average performances by Muse, Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum, Eminem showed up to re-energize the crowd.

Rhianna began with "Love the Way You Lie Part 2" with Adam Levine of Maroon 5 on piano and backing vocals, then Eminem jumped in bringing life to the domestic abuse tale, this ferocious performance was followed by Skylar Grey and Dr. Dre on Dre's new single "I Need a Doctor" and judging by the crowd reaction, the fans agree with that title.

The night's most fun performance came in the form of Cee-Lo, Gwyneth Paltrow and a cast of Muppets rocking out to the ridiculously catchy "Forget You." Cee-Lo was decked out in his finest Elton John 1970s costume and fit right in with the hilarious puppet band. Paltrow then showed up halfway through and seemed to be performing in character as Holly Holliday from "Glee." Coming late in the show, it was a nice wake up call.

Rhianna popped back up with Drake for a sexy rendition of their current single "What's My Name." After watching them perform together, if they're not already dating again, they will be soon. This performance also came near the end of the show and helped liven the proceedings.

The show surprisingly ended on time with a follow up performance from Arcade Fire after they won their album of the year Grammy.

The ratings are up from last year's show and the Grammys earned some credibility with unconventional awards, but the most interesting part will be to see how wins effect the sales of Arcade Fire and Esperanza Spaulding.

BAFTA Awards offer no surprises

There was little suspense at the BAFTA Awards as "The King's Speech" was crowned best film. It also took home awards for leading actor, supporting actor and actress, outstanding British film, original screenplay and original music.

Natalie Portman won for leading actress and "The Social Network" won for best director, adapted screenplay and editing.

"Inception" was recognized for visual effects, sound and production design, while one of its stars Tom Hardy, won the rising star award, which is voted on by the public.

With two weeks left before the Oscars, "The King's Speech" is picking up steam as the best picture favorite.

As always, stay tuned for more award coverage leading up to the Oscars.

'X-Men: First Class' trailer: First thoughts

The first official trailer for "X-Men: First Class" hit the web today and like "Captain America" before it, this trailer has lessened my fears about the final product.

James McAvoy had the confidence and intellect of Professor X, while Michael Fassbender had Magneto's contempt and air of superiority down cold.

Thankfully it appears that January Jones isn't in it much, but that could still be wrong. The action seems to take place in the '60s right after the Cuban Missile Crisis. The trailer also did a good job of linking the film to the previous three.

The X-Men have always been my favorite superheroes, so I'm always excited when a new movie comes out. Of course there's always the idea that any movie can look good in a two minute highlight clip.

'Supernatural': Like a Virgin recap

Let me say one thing before I hop into this recap. I have never been so nervous for an episode of television before in my entire life. Okay, since that's out there now, let's start.

It began with one of the best "The Road So Far" montages of the entire series to Aerosmith's "Back in the Saddle Again", and completely appropriate. I had forgotten until after watching it that it's the first Road So Far of the season, seeing as we didn't get one at the beginning of the season premiere. Season Six being so different from the rest of the series so far, it was a great way to start off "Like a Virgin". Or rather, "The Brothers are Back", which is what every fan on Twitter has secretly dubbed it.

With Castiel informing Dean that Sam's soul is intact, however "flayed", was both comforting, and greatly disturbing at the same time. Castiel was angry, claiming that Dean should have just killed him and gotten it over with. It's only a matter of time before the state of his soul becomes an issue. And as if I wasn't already nervous enough.

I know I certainly wasn't expecting Sam to wake up so soon. Engrossed in Dean and Bobby's conversation, when Sam waltzed in unannounced, I was as surprised as them, and instantly found tears in my eyes. That hug?! Forget about it. I was dying of happiness inside! Now, I know we all love the Winchester hug from "Lazarus Rising", but this one blows them all out of the water for me.

We knew Sam's memories were going to be hazy, and right after waking up, he seems to remember nothing. However, it's clear that within days, his memory is already coming back. Dean was insistent on keeping Sam in the dark as long as possible, fearing that if he does find out the truth, it would only cause the wall in his mind to start breaking down and the memories of Hell to come flooding back. Although the flayed part of his soul is still safe, memories of his soulless self are already returning. And just as we expected, Sam is already wallowing in guilt over the things he did while without a soul.

But back to the candy and rainbows, it was good just to see the Winchesters be the Winchesters again. Chatting in the Impala. Teasing each other constantly. Sam being the geek, and Dean his 'give 'em hell' attitude. Honestly, I was loving Soulless Sammy. He was a little creepy at times, but the story was interesting and Jared Padalecki has been excellent this season. However, until this episode, I didn't realize how much I missed just plain ol' Sammy. His puppy dog pout. That restless frown when he just can't figure something out. That happy little grin when for a just moment, all they are is Dean and Sam Winchester.

In fact, I don't think we have seen this side of the boys since at least Season 3. Before all the Hell and angels came raining down on them. Even Dean hasn't been this Dean for years. But for once, he was back to his goofy self. When Dean was trying to pull that sword from the stone, in my opinion, one of the funniest scenes of the series. When Sam gave that girl the 'Sammy puppy dog pout', Dean's little grin as he followed his brother inside was priceless. I don't remember the last time we got to see Dean smile and goof off like he did last week.

It may not be a revelation, but it's nice to know that Dean Winchester can't be Dean Winchester without his little brother. It made the whole episode a bit more mushy for the more obsessed fan. Not to mention the loads of fantastic dialogue with endless geeky references.

Dean: "Can't you just make a few calls?"

Bobby: "To who? Hogwarts?"

Dragon: "Where'd you get that?"

Dean: "Comic Con."

(It's safe to say that I nearly fell my chair when I heard Dean say that.)

Sam: "All I keep getting is World of Warcraft."

Dean: "I don't know what that means."

But besides all the candy and rainbows, there are a few serious things to talk about. First, Castiel seems to have told Sam about when he was strutting around without a soul. Tortured and teary-eyed, Sam listened, and apologized to Dean for everything he did at the end of the episode. The guilt has already started piling onto his shoulders. With Sam's track record, these are the moments when he decides to be a bit more self-sacrificing then he needs to be.

When we get our first look next weeks into some of Soulless Sam's doing before we met up with Dean, I'm sure guilt is going to be riding Sam harder then it ever has. This is going to be an easy rest of the season for him.

Or either of our boys, considering the new big bad that was introduced. The whole fandom is wild with speculation on who or what exactly this Mother of All is. For those of you that don't remember the episode "Family Matters", the vampire Alpha did mention to Sam and Dean that "Everyone has a mother" when they asked him who created him. Is this Mother of All who he was talking about?

I may have not been watching the show as long as many others, for the first time since I have, I am just at a loss of what to think. I honestly have no good theories of where the writers are going with this. However, my mind keeps flashing back to the conversation Dean has with Death in "Two Minutes to Midnight" about how old he is and that he will reap God eventually. I keep wondering how old Mother is and have a feeling that she is going to have a place in the stories of the origins of all evil. The only question is whether they are going to take the Judeo-Christian views on evil, or the pagan views.

All in all, I definitely think "Like a Virgin" is one of the best episodes of the season so far, that also include some of my favorite moments from this season. In fact, I think the only thing that irked me was the fact that Sam and Castiel didn't hug. I pouted like a disappointed fan girl.

Ice Cream City!

Here is a glimpse of my trip to Tokyo.

We went to the Sunshine City Mall in Ikebukuro in search of the infamous Ice Cream City.

They have tons of different flavors.

Like this one I tried:



Other flavors, I didn't try, include:

Rice, pumpkin, soy bean, shark fin, squid, squid ink, rose, deep sea water, chicken, chicken wings, egg, cheese, sweet potato fries, tofu, miso, grated yams (apparently they taste different from regular yams?), corn, cream cheese, sea urchin, garlic, sea weed, fermented soy beans, potato and butter, plum and jellyfish.

2 hour season finale for 'Supernatural'

For the very first time in the series, season six of "Supernatural" will have a two hour season finale on May 20th.

Not that it was planned. Originally, May 13th and May 20th were supposed to each air an hour of "Smallville" and "Supernatural". However, the CW decided to give "Smallville" a special two hour series finale, which obviously means that episode 21 of "Supernatural" will get bumped to the next week.

But instead of knocking the season finale to May 27th, they decided to show the last two episodes on the 20th.

When this was announced this morning, there were mixed reviews from fans. Personally, I'm excited. It's the first time there has ever been a two hour finale, and this has the potential for huge ratings. The CW has been pushing "Smallville" hard this season, and showing a pair of two hour finales on back-to-back Friday has the potential for a huge promotional campaign.

I don't know about the rest of the fandom, but I am very excited about this.

The best Super Bowl trailers

While yesterday's game provided a lot of excitement, the biggest screams in my house came when the "Captain America" trailer came on. I stopped talking mid-sentence and was instantly hypnotized by Chris Evans' spectacular transformation.



After several views, I have to say I'm even more excited about this movie now than I was at Comic-Con. However, I'm still wondering about the opening date because that's Comic-Con weekend and I'm not sure about opening a film when your entire fan base is in one place. Imagine what ticket sales will be like at San Diego movie theaters.

An earlier geek out happened when the latest "Thor" commercial was shown. This is the next in Marvel's movie line up and it looks amazing.



The more I see him, the more Chris Hemsworth convinces me that he may actually be the fallen god. Plus Natalie Portman is endlessly charming and will be most likely coming off an Oscar win and the birth of her first child when the film comes out.

Perhaps the most mysterious film of the year is "Super 8" and while we got a nice looking commercial, I still have no idea what this movie is about. But, I'm willing to take a leap of faith with Steven Spielberg and J.J. Abrams.



Though we haven't talked about it much, "Cowboys & Aliens" is a movie we're very excited to see. Starring Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde and Daniel Craig and directed by Jon Favreau, the film looks great and has a unique premise combining sci-fi and western.



There were also commercials for "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" and "Battle: Los Angeles," all of which can be found at Hulu.com.

As release dates, WonderCon and Comic-Con approach we will discuss a lot of these movies in more detail.

Why I miss TNBC?

For the generation now in their late 20s to early 30s, Saturday mornings weren't about cartoons or kid game shows, though I'd go on "Double Dare" tomorrow if offered. Saturdays consisted of the TNBC line up. This was NBC's stable of teen sitcoms, led by the granddaddy of them all "Saved by the Bell."

The line up also included "California Dreams," about a group of friends who lived near the beach and had a rock band. They hung out at Sharkey's, dated each other and dealt with serious problems like drugs, race and who to take to the prom.



There was also "Hang Time," about a midwestern high school basketball team and "City Guys," which was basically a more diverse "Saved by the Bell." And of course, "Saved by the Bell: The New Class," which involved a ever changing group of Bayside kids getting into the same shenanigans.

Besides "California Dreams" my favorite was "USA High," which ran on NBC for one season before moving to USA Network. It was about teenagers who went to a boarding school in Paris, which I thought would have been super cool.

All these shows had the same storylines about misunderstandings, wacky shenanigans that had to be kept secret from a clueless authority figure and rotating romantic partners. But, if you were at the age of being too old for cartoons, yet not quite old enough for R rated movies, these shows made you feel a little older and cooler.

Most of the actors on these shows didn't go on to bigger careers, but without the influence of the TNBC block, there would be no "iCarly" or "Wizards of Waverly Place."

With all the cable channels available, you'd think someone would start showing reruns of these shows, I'm sure they still hold up.

'D&D' 'Community' style

The pinnacle of nerdiness has to be the long lasting role playing game "Dungeons & Dragons." This is a game that requires hours of commitment to understand its true intricacies, so when the fantastically absurd show "Community" announced they were doing a "D&D" episode, I couldn't wait for the outcome.

Sometimes "Community" can go big like in the infamous paintball episode or the all claymation Christmas episode, however, some of the best comedy happens when the group is stuck in the study room.

In this case the group was trying to lift the spirits of the dangerously depressed Fat Neil. Discovering that he loves playing "D&D" the group sets up a fun evening where Neil will win and his confidence will be restored.

With Abed as the dungeon master and the rest of the crew taking on hilarious characters like Annie as Hector the Well Endowed (which Abed created for Troy) and Chang as a inappropriate dark elf, the game began.

Unfortunately, Pierce finds out he wasn't invited and sets about ruining the game for everyone. I understand that we're supposed to hate Pierce, but watching his evil ways made it impossible to get why anyone would hang out with him.

You might expect the producers to go all out with special effects, but the episode turned out to be a showcase for the show's creativity. They were able to create a far off fantasy world using sound effects, music and the spectacular acting of the cast.

At the end of the game, Pierce was defeated, Neil was cheered up and we discovered that the gang only hangs out with Pierce out of pity.

This was another instant "Community" classic that proves why this show is fast becoming one of the most unique and entertaining shows on TV.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt in "The Dark Knight Rises"?

It was announced a couple days ago that "Inception" star Joseph Gordon-Levitt is in talks to join the cast of "The Dark Knight Rises". Ever since, there has been a constant conversation on Twitter and Tumblr about which character he should play.

I'm sure my fellow bloggers Tim and Stephanie talked about this this morning when they filmed the new episode, however, I wanted to add a little to the topic.

We have been informed the Tom Hardy will be portraying the villain Bane, and Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle.

For those that do not know, Selina Kyle is the woman that becomes the legendary Catwoman. Now, there has been no announcement whether she will remain Selina, or actually become Catwoman.

For this reason, I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt will be cast as another villain. Personally, my first choice would definitely be the Riddler. I have been a fan of this man for many years, and under the writing and direction of Nolan & Co, I think he could be the perfect kind of Riddler. Sharp, sophisticated, and creepy as hell.

However, since we have already seen a version of the Riddler in previous Batman films, maybe one of the lesser known villains would be a better choice. Tim, Stephanie and I have had this very conversation before, and all three of us agree that Hush would be a perfect choice for Nolan's series. With his connections to the mob, I would love to see a darker and grittier version of Hush. And once again, Joseph Gordon-Levitt would be perfect.

Now, this third choice, I'm not so sure about, but there has been a number of different discussions about it all over the internet. It wouldn't surprise me if Nolan decided to bring Robin into the story. Now, it would definitely be the biggest risk he has taken. Even more so than Catwoman.

But, if there is anyone that can stir Robin into this story, it's Christopher Nolan.

A Fangirl's Top 10: Best TV Bromances

Welcome to my 100th post!

I wanted to make sure it was a good one, and I have been thinking about this particular Top 10 list for quite a few weeks. The term "bromance" has become more and more important in fandom, even more so than a real couple. Maybe it's because we have become bored with the typical love story. Whatever it is, these ten legendary bromances are more loved than most couples. At least by some.

So let's begin.

10. Steve and Danny

I know I wasn't the only one worried that a remake of "Hawaii Five-0" would be corny. However, the only thing that kept me hopeful are the science fiction actors that I have loved for many years. Then, all it took was one episode for me to completely fall for this series, all because of the chemistry between actors Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan. Their new and updated versions of the beloved characters Steve and Danny are possibly the two most entertaining detectives I have ever watched on television. From their first scene together, their bromance instantly went to legendary status. I will definitely look forward to watching these two for many seasons to come.

9. Damon and Alaric

Damon Salvatore and Alaric Saltzman are definitely two characters in "The Vampire Diaries" that you would NEVER expect to bond. After all, Alaric arrived in Mystic Falls prepared to kill Damon over revenge for his wife. Yet, even after Damon killed the vampire hunter (who only survived because of his magic ring), they were forced together to save Stefan, and became a killer team. The fans went wild ever since last season's "Let the Right One In", and have demanded more and more Dalaric, the name fans officially gave the pair, ever since. What makes them such a perfect team? Well, with a great mix of sarcasm and ass kicking, not only to do they push each other's buttons constantly, but Alaric seems to be the only one that knows how to hit Damon back. Plus, actors Ian Somerhalder and Matt Davis just seem to have a little too much fun with it.

8. Crichton and D'Argo

Its been many years since "Farscape" has been on, and even still, most science fiction fans have never heard of it. However, as the years go by the fan base does grow bigger, with the release of the comic books from IDW, and the fact that a complete series DVD set has finally been released. I was even surprised to see the season DVDs on sale at Walmart last week. If are aren't familiar with the series, trust me, buy the DVDs. Because the bromance between John Crichton and D'Argo is one of the things that makes it all worth it. Between some of the wittiest dialogue I have ever heard and two great performances thanks to Ben Browder and Anthony Simcoe, it's one of the most memorable relationships in science fiction television. And honestly, what other series can give you a friendship like this between a runaway alien convict and a lost astronaut? That's right, none. So do yourself a favor, and go discover one of the greatest science fiction series ever created.

7. Dean and Castiel

One of the most amusing two characters I have ever had the pleasure of watching. One womanizing human and one angel whose people skills are little to none can make any conversation interesting. One of the best written shows on television, the writers of "Supernatural" are infamous for giving in to fandom. So it's no surprise that as the series moves ahead, more and more Dean and Castiel scenes that we have always dreamed of, are actually getting written into the series. And it's obvious that actors Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins have too much fun with their dialogue. Not only is their relationship amusing to watch, because who could ever forget when Dean took Cas to a brothel, but it also can drive you to tears. One of the most memorable moments of the series for me is in the season four finale, when Dean was begging Castiel to help him save Sam. Although the "Supernatural" fandom can take male relationships to the next level (Haven't you heard of Wincest by now?), the writers always know how to give us what we want.

6. Hiro and Ando

Every fan has their own opinion as to whether or not "Heroes" tanked after the masterpiece that was season one. However, if there is one thing we can all agree on, it's that we could never get enough of Hiro and Ando. Maybe it's because they represent the reality between a typical obsessed geek and his normal friend. Maybe it's their hero and sidekick dichotomy. Or maybe it's just because none of us will ever be able to forget "Yatta!" With the constant appearance of legendary science fiction dialogue between them, there is no one moment Hiro and Ando are on screen that isn't entertaining. It's every nerd's dream to wake up realizing they have a super power, and it's the story of these two characters that has made those dreams canon.

5. Charlie, Hugo, Jin, and Sawyer

I don't know about the rest of you, but I still think that "Tricia Tanaka is Dead" is the funniest episode out of all six seasons of "LOST". Before this episode, the only two that had any kind of bond were Charlie and Hugo. But throw in ex-con man Sawyer, and Korean-speaking Jin, and now you have a party. Hugo recruits the other three to help him fix the Dharma van that he found in the jungle and prove that he can have good luck after all. Drinking thirty year old beer, Sawyer teaches Jin a little english, and Charlie joins in for a little moral support. These four are the definition of a misfit group, and yet somehow, they get that thirty year old van to run. It may have been a small miracle, yet getting that van working was a big victory for everyone, and I think give the survivors just that little extra bit of hope. For the rest of the series, the bond between them remains strong and memorable.

4. John Sheppard and Rodney McKay

What can I say about these two that has not already been said? One of the ways "Stargate: Atlantis" won its way into fans hearts so fast is because of the John and Rodney bromance. Just put together one egotistical know-it-all and one rule breaking pilot, and you make science fiction history. One of my favorite series of all time, these two are the reason I loved this spin off even more than the original, and the main reason I truly mourned the cancellation. Over the years, these two were the reason Atlantis was able to survive the odds against the Wraith and the Replicators with their out of the box thinking. I have always had the opportunity to meet both of these actors, Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett, and trust me my friends, they are more like John and Rodney then you could even believe, which makes their bromance all the more legendary.

3. Angel and Spike

Any Whedonist will tell you that Season 5 is by far the best of "Angel" for many reasons. But mostly, because Spike came over after the end of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and joined all the madness. From the very beginning, we all know that there are no other characters that hate each other more than Angel and Spike. Yet somehow, the two worst vampires on record, found a way to make one kick ass team. Joining the team as a ghost, Spike spends the first half of the season on a mission to taunt and annoy Angel every second for the rest of eternity. Then, once Spike gets his real body back, the atmosphere changes. Although, there is still plenty of spits and spats, Spike finds his own spot on the team. With two amazing actors, David Boreanaz and James Marsters, two of the greatest characters and dialogue ever written, any scene with both of these vampires is gold. I mean honestly, who can forget the caveman vs. astronaut argument?

2. Jack O'niell and Daniel Jackson

I know I said "Stargate: Atlantis" is my favorite of the two series, however, these are the two men that started it all. And, I think it's the fact that they always sound like an old married couple that has them at the #2 spot on my list. I watched "Stargate" since the beginning. Yes, that includes the movie. Although they seem to be at odds most of the time, the bond between these two men is deeper than almost any two characters ever created. The moments between them reach every emotion imaginable, and lengths they would go for each other are endless. Actors Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks themselves have said to fans how important it is to them that this relationship remain as close and deep as it is. To the fans, there is nothing more sacred than bromance between them, and to break it, would be heresy.

1. Dean and Sam Winchester

I may be breaking the rules considering Dean and Sam are real brothers, but I don't care. Sue me. In all my years of being an obsessed fan, there is no closer bond or relationship between two men than Dean and Sam Winchester on "Supernatural". Their brotherhood is so strong in fact, that its got them into trouble more than once. The fact that actors Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles are like brothers themselves, makes it all the more real. There is no other two characters that have sacrificed themselves for each other more then these two. Dean sold his soul to Hell for his little brother. Sam condemned himself to an eternity in Hell possessed by Lucifer so Dean could survive. What can be more legendary then that? One filled with sarcasm, the other full of puppy dog smiles. One the textbook womanizer, the other modest, shy and lonely. These truly are two halves of a whole. Although the fans may sometimes takes their brotherhood further than normal (once again, I mean Wincest), it truly is the beating heart of this series and what keeps us watching. Although all the big, crazy storylines make this series entertaining, it's the smallest moments that make it meaningful, and the ones we look forward to most. A Winchester hug. "Bitch" and "Jerk". Getting into the Impala at the same time. Singing together. Crying together. Even the celebratory beer after a hard case. These are the reasons Dean and Sam Winchester are my #1 bromance ever.