New episode up...

AMC's "The Walking Dead"

With an astounding series premiere, "The Walking Dead" received the highest ratings for any series in AMC history. Competing with 3 time Emmy Award winning series for Best Drama, "Mad Men", that is quite an accomplishment, especially for Halloween night.

I have never been much for zombies. It's not that they scare me, it's that they don't. More often than naught, I find zombie films to be dull and boring. Very rarely do I find them to have a story and characters that are compelling and fun to watch. Sadly, it's one of those genre's that are so overdone, creators feel that they only need to make it look cool, throw in a lot of blood and they have a hit on their hands. Some people fall for that, and some don't. As the intelligence of a movie audience continues to get smarter, less and less viewing members will fall for that, and I am definitely one of them.

Satisfyingly, "The Walking Dead", based on the graphic novel of the same name, does not fall into that category. After hearing about this series at Comic Con this summer, I wasn't too excited. However, in the last few months as AMC has really been pushing it's promotion with all the press, promos, and buzz on Twitter, the series premiere finally won me over. And I was beyond happy that I decided to watch it.

AMC's motto "Story Matters Here" definitely proves to be right in this case. Right from the beginning, it's not the zombies that pushed to hook the audience, it's the story of the main character, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), a Sheriff's Deputy in a small town in the Midwest. It's his story of survival, and his search for his wife and son, that keep our attention. Without this story, it would just be another dull and boring zombie story.

Although the story of the supporting characters is just as compelling, especially that of Rick's partner Shane (Jon Bernthal), it's Rick's story that will keep me coming back every week. After getting shot on the job, he is taken to the hospital for what seems to be a long stay. After an unknown period of time measured only by the death of the flowers beside his bed, he wakes up to a nearly deserted city, to humans at least. The Undead aimlessly walk the streets day and night. After finding that his wife and son are gone, Rick is apprehended by what seems to be the only humans left in the area, a father and son who are still struggling over losing their wife and mother to the infection.

They fill Rick in on the time he lost while in hospital, and he decides to head to Atlanta, which has apparently been turned in to a refugee sanctuary. Rick heads out in a squad car, broadcasting on his radio for any other survivors. The transmission is picked up briefly by a small group of survivors camped in the woods outside Atlanta and try to warn him not to enter the city. Within this group of survivors we find not only Rick's partner Shane, but also his wife, Lori, and son, Carl. Immediately, the audience is made aware of a secret relationship between Shane and Lori, which makes me wonder if they left Rick in the hospital on purpose. Or perhaps Shane told Lori that Rick was already dead?

After running out of gas, Rick is forced to continue his journey to Atlanta on horseback. At first, the city seems to be deserted, except for a zombie here and there. However, once he tries to pursue a helicopter, Rick is surrounded by mobs of the undead from every side. As they close in, he is forced beneath a tank, and nearly shoots himself, before finding refuge inside the tank just in time. Once locked in, the radio activates and hears the voice of another survivor who just watched his escape into his hiding place.

I have never heard of Britain native actor Andrew Lincoln, but after only episode of this series, I am beyond willing to search out other films and TV series he has starred in just because of him. I also love Rick. From what I have seen so far, he is one of the best characters that I have seen on a cable series since the ending of "Battlestar Galactica". Within the first few minutes, we are willing to follow his journey. We understand him, and sympathize with his position. He is a man that is dedicated to his work, loves his son, and struggling with his wife. An everyday man, not a superhero with any extraordinary gifts, that must learn to survive in this new strange world. It is this story that the audience grabs hold of, and wants to follow. That is exactly what will make me willing to tune in every week.

This is definitely the zombie story that every zombie-hater will love.

100k+ nerds cause an overload on the Comic Con registration site!

Honestly, I know this is a huge hassle, and the registration website should have prepared for this...but I can't help but feel a little proud.

For the first time ever, fans have caused a major overload on the website, and registration has officially been canceled until a later date. On the Comic Con website there is a new message: "Please check back on the 8th of November for information on the new registration date."

And minutes after that, the home page was updated with this following message:


As a long time Comic Con veteran, I have seen plenty of crazy things when it comes to registration and hotel bookings. But I have never witnessed this before.

As for us Comic Con nerds on Twitter, while we were waiting for that dreadful message, we somehow found a way to not only entertain ourselves, but gave the world a new reason to call us nerds...and that's with hilarious tweets:

@Crazy4Comic Con: Buying Comic Con tickets today: "It's as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced..." #SDCC

@SuperMomRobyn: If I can get up at 4am to get in line at Hall H, I can't wait a few hours for tickets to #SDCC

@jpooch21: I just keep telling myself that waiting for #sdcc ticket website to load is preparing me 8.5 months early for the horror that is Hall H line

@ana_br: Frustration is an understatment! RT @kirstiemdon: Seriously, I could've found Narnia by now. #SDCC

@TVWithoutPity: Leave it to #SDCC to hire the only nerds who aren't tech-savvy. RT @colliderfrosty: whoever does tech for Comic-Con needs to get fired.

@Crazy4ComicCon: Hour 1 of waiting in line ends. Hour 2 begins.Anyone have any food or water (maybe a sleeping bag)? Good luck all! #SDCC

@Crazy4ComicCon: At this rate, we will be getting tickets hopefully by Christmas time- well it will be a perfect X-mas gift :) #SDCC

@redsonja1313: I am an angry mob of one armed with a pen ready to storm hall H #SDCC

@Silentbeeker: Perhaps this is all some twisted experiment to see how much comic-con fans will take before snapping? #Theticketsarealie #SDCC

@Locdonan: #SDCC Knock Knock...Who's There?/// Comic Con.... Comic Con Who?.......Hello?...Hello!?... Service Unavailable....

@tehAlz: The Matrix has us. There is no step 2... #SDCC

@saintocamus: otakus, nerds, geeks, trekies, ewoks, freakies, steam punks, ghostbuster, zombies.....This is WAR I want my tickets!!! @#SDCC

@candacetwilson: greatest costume at #sdcc 2011??? A service unavailable screen...except he got mobbed right inside the door....

@RandomPenguin: @DamonLindelof I feel like getting tix to #SDCC is like the people on Lost getting off the island: most of us will die before that happens

@Jeska_Day: Maybe if A-M agreed to press reload only on even minutes, and N-Z on odd, we'd all get our tickets for ComicCon #sdcc

@Crazy4ComicCon: #SDCC fans, we did it!!! We broke Comic Con! I know this is sad but it's pretty impressive at the same time. (check back Nov 8th)

@plannedaccident: LOOKS LIKE EPIC HAS A CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE YA'LL +1(704)943-1003. HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE 100,000 NERDS SCORNED #SDCC

...nothing like an epic and hilarious #SDCC Twitter spam to go down with the worst day in Nerd History. But hey, that's what we're here for.

Gone fishin'

Stephanie and I were waaay too busy to film this week.

This photo should give you an idea of what we're doing.

Fangirl's Top 10: Favorite Halloween Films

Yes, I am falling into a trend of blogging about horror movies during the month of Halloween. Sue me. Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday of the year, and I love horror movies. That is, when they actually accomplish the feat of being able to scare me. But horror films are not the only ones that I like to watch during Halloween. Oddly enough, my two absolute favorite Halloween films are not scary at all. You will see what I mean...

10. "The Ring"

I don't really consider this a horror movie, even though there are a few parts that make my skin crawl. It's more of psychological thriller, that gives you a good flinching, gasping and jumping moment every now and then. Let's be honest, who didn't jump, scream or gasp when that deer crashed through her driver's window in the sequel? I'm good at predicting endings, and whenever one completely alludes me, I'm impressed. That's the reason "The Ring" is on my list. It keeps you guessing, with fast paced intensity, and just when you think it's over, it's really not after all.

9. "Cloverfield"

Yes, I know. Most people either didn't like it, or didn't even give it a chance. However, I really enjoyed this movie. I was curled up in my seat in the packed theater the entire movie. Though, it may not be a movie that keeps me up at night, it carries you along for a ride as you watch it. This film was meant to be seen in the theater, and remains one of the most tense theater experiences I have ever had. My seat would shake whenever they were close enough to feel the creature's footsteps. The way it was shot made you feel like you were the one holding the camera. And of course, there is always the classic theme of horror films: the fear of the unknown. The fact that we never find out where this creature came from, what happened to it, or the rest of the world, is scary. J.J. Abrams certainly knows how to make an audience have a great experience.

8. "Scream" franchise

I personally think these movies are genius. Even though I guess who the killers are every time, they are still too much fun to watch. From the stand point of an aspiring writer that studies all the ins and outs of story, I just can't get enough of how this franchise not only enhances the teen horror film, but makes fun of it as well. Like using the classic "I'll be right back" line, and the determination and discussion of what truly makes a sequel. We constantly talk about how stupid the average teenage girl is when she runs upstairs away from the killer, instead of out the front door. It is because of this, that even though we know the killer is hiding behind the door, we still jump. Or even though we can guess who the killer is halfway through, we are still surprised. I don't know about you my dear readers, but I for one am ecstatic for "Scream 4". And as long as Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courteney Cox are still able, they can make 10 of these films and I will still go see them.

7. "Paranormal Activity"

This movie goes down as the single, only film that has ever kept me up at night. In fact, it still does. I still sleep with a night light thanks to this cheap genius of a film. The reason it scares me? Not only do I believe in the paranormal, and do I believe in evil spirits, but I spent my entire childhood living next to a haunted house, having my own experiences with the paranormal. This movie still makes me weary of the dark, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a good scare.

6. "Frailty"

Many people find this movie terribly dull and boring. I think quite the opposite. I'm a nut for movies that take the religious card to killing. Not only are they usually superbly written, but they are compelling, keep you on the edge of your seat, and keep you guessing until the last moment. Sometimes, I like to call this film the award-worthy companion to the cult classic "The Boondock Saints", because they deal with the same story. Men who believe they are called of God to rid the world of evil. This film, along with others on this list, force you to face the realities of the savagery that humans are truly capable of, and for some, that is what we fear most. Plus, Bill Paxton and Matthew McConaughey are phenomenal.

5. "28 Days Later"

The best zombie movie I have ever seen, which is actually, just today. I am finishing watching it for the first time while writing this post. I may be more critical over horror than any other genre, but even more so over specifically zombie films. Too many times to count they are over loaded with too much blood, too many ridiculous action scenes and dialogue that's really more of a "wannabe cool" than actually badass-ness. This film is about the survivors, not the infected, or even killing the infected. It's about the survivors surviving. And in times of catastrophe and crisis, it's a story about the terrors that humans can be capable of.

4. "Seven"

More a psychological drama that a horror film, but this movie still scares me. It doesn't leave me huddled in my chair, with a hood over my head, but rather, it's terror comes from the horrifying reality of what humans are truly capable of doing to each other. It is no coincidence that the serial killer of this film kills those that are in his eyes, sinners. And that he too, is one, and must be punished. The themes and questions that this movie promotes are terrifying to ponder. We call ourselves a civilized race, yet, history alone can tell you how savage we truly can be. Plus, this movie is perfect for anyone that loves a little gore. The crime scenes are the most skin crawling I have ever seen. And from a writing stand point, you almost can't do better than this crime masterpiece.

3. "Aliens"

I know most people prefer the first film of the cult "Alien" franchise, however, I like the sequel, "Aliens" best. Perhaps it's the story of the greedy businessman putting his career over the lives of his shipmates. Or the bond made between Ripley and Newt. Or maybe it's even the hilarious rants made by Bill Paxton's Hudson. In fact, I still believe that this is James Cameron's finest film, over "The Terminator", "Titanic" and even "Avatar". This movie is the perfection of scary science fiction. We already know the story. We know how dangerous just one of these aliens can be, and finding our characters surrounded by them is even more terrifying. This movie may not scare me anymore, but I love watching it, over and over again. I am always amused by Hudson's desperation. Burke's death holds a certain gratification for me, and of course, who can resist saying one of film's most infamous lines of dialogue with one of our favorite science fiction hero's? "Get away from her you bitch!" And if you ever have a hankering to watch it, just check the Spike Channel. They play it almost as much as "Star Wars".

2. "A Nightmare Before Christmas"

Yes, I am one of the many cult followers of Tim Burton's "A Nightmare Before Christmas". Why? For me, it's the music. I have always had a soft spot for musicals. And when they gave me a musical that mixes in my favorite holiday, it was bound to become one of my favorites. During the month of October, the songs that I find myself humming are every single one from this movie. Sometimes, when I can watching it by myself, I may even throw in a dance step or two. This is one of two movies that goes into my DVD player on October 1st, and doesn't come out until after Halloween. Sometimes, it even stays in until after Christmas.

1. "Hocus Pocus"

I know what you are thinking. A children's movie, your favorite Halloween film? What can I say. This has been my all time favorite Halloween movie since it came out. There is just something about it, like a guilty pleasure. It could be Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker as some of the wackiest witches around, or it could just be that Binx is the coolest movie cat ever. In fact, I named one of my cat's after Binx. I make sure that this is the first movie I watch every Halloween night, before following it up with something scary. I dare you to say that the "I Put a Spell on You" singing and dance number is not a classic Halloween moment.

New 'Batman' villain roundup part two

With word that the title of the new Batman movie is "The Dark Knight Rises" and the villain won't be the Riddler...

Browsing Wikipedia, I had an impromptu brainstorming session regarding Christopher Nolan's Batman universe.

Some Batman villains could be tweaked just a bit to make them fit into the realistic world. Others require a bit more origin mixing around to fit in, but could work.

So, let's get right into it and go villain by villain and theorize how they'd fit in Nolan's world.

Bane - Gets super strength from a drug called Venom. Makes his muscles grow to monster sizes. Some real drugs like PCP can make users a bit crazy with what seems like unusual strength and feeling no pain. Playing off that would be easy and could make for a scary villain.

Clayface - Radioactive material turned the second Clayface into a monster who could take any form and mostly appeared as a monster made of clay. The first Clayface was actually a normal guy.

He was an actor who went crazy and started killing people. An easy realistic approach could be to have Clayface be a master of disguise. He could be an actor who's family or loved one was killed by something in the first two films and he blames Batman.

Mr. Freeze - Was a scientist who had to live in subzero temperatures. He also used various weapons to freeze people. The only real realistic approach would be to make him some sort of serial killer who uses liquid nitrogen to kill people.

Penguin - This one is an easy fix. Just get a small fat guy who has an umbrella fixation. Just give him an umbrella gun and an umbrella sword. Make him the new mob boss of Gotham.

'Castle:' Checkmate

Press release from ABC, 'nuff said:

“Castle” (10:00-11:00 p.m.)


ABC’s “Castle” outperformed CBS’ high-profile reboot, “Hawaii Five-0,” for the first-time ever in Adults 18-49 (+7% – 3.0/8 vs. 2.8/7), while outdrawing the CBS drama in Total Viewers (+18% – 11.8 million vs. 10.0 million) for the 2nd week in a row. In addition, “Castle” hit season-best numbers in viewers and young adults, delivering the ABC drama’s strongest performance in both measures since April – since 4/12/10.

•More than doubling the performance of its NBC drama competition, ABC’s “Castle” towered over NBC’s “Chase” for the 6th week running with its widest margins to date in both Total Viewers (+141% – 11.8 million vs. 4.9 million) and Adults 18-49 (+131% – 3.0/8 vs. 1.3/4). •Topping its performance on the same night last year for the 6th consecutive telecast, “Castle” is up over its averages over the same weeks last year by 1.6 million viewers (12.2 million vs. 10.6 million) and by 19% in Adults 18-49 (3.2/8 vs. 2.7/7).

New 'Batman' villain roundup part one

On last week's show we talked about "Inception" actor Tom Hardy being cast in the upcoming sequel to "The Dark Knight."

Yeah, I won't call it "Batman 3."

Oops.

During that news Stephanie and I both discussed which villain he might be playing.

I am in the mind that it's down to three characters: Black Mask, Hush or the Riddler. Here's why:

In the realistic world of Christopher Nolan's Batman these are the easiest choices that wouldn't require a giant leap in logic or changing the character much.

Black Mask used to be a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne, who grew to hate his parents for forcing him to be friends with Wayne. He also hated Wayne for "buying out" his company and humiliating him.

He created a mask out of the coffin of his dead father and went on to become a major force in the organized crime world of Gotham City. Sometime later the mask would become permanently attached to him, driving him a bit more crazy.
He also did horrible, horrible things to Catwoman and her family. Like worse than Joker kind of stuff.

Hush was also a childhood friend of Wayne, but with a different outlook. While Wayne lost his parents in a tragic accident he had no control over, Hush lost his father to a tragic accident he caused... on purpose. He later killed his mother when she kept comparing him to Wayne.

Crazy isn't even a good word to describe Hush. He literally wants to be Wayne, while trying to destroy and dismantle his life.

Recently he's even had plastic surgery to look exactly like Wayne in order to destroy the Wayne name from within.

And of course, the Riddler. Everyone knows the Riddler and he'd make a perfect choice.

Any of these three choices would fit perfect in the Nolan-Batman world.
Black Mask fits in with the mob control over Gotham set up in both films, so this is my educated guess for the villain.

"Paranormal Activity 2": Are you afraid of the dark?

I'm glad I saw it during the day this time, because once again, I walked out of that theater trembling I was so anxious.

Having already had a scary experience with the first movie last October, I decided to brave it once again, and see the sequel. Now, since about 10 years old, I haven't had to sleep with a night light, being able to fall asleep in complete darkness with ease. However, that changed after I saw "Paranormal Activity" last year. I have slept with a night light ever since, and not afraid to admit it.

It scared me for the same reason that the sequel did: I'm a believer. Not everyone believes in ghosts, or especially in evil spirits or demons. I do. With these films, there is no stretch of the imagination, or suspension of belief. I do believe. I know that this has happened before, and is happening now, and could (Dear God I hope not...) happen to me. That's why these films terrify me. So why do I go see them? Honestly, I love the experience of a movie that actually succeeds in scaring me, because it never happens. Not even 1 in 100 horror films actually succeed in that. These are the only two films that have ever kept me up at night. Anyway...on to the movie.

The sequel in fact takes place, 2 months before the beginning of the first film, which confused me until the end. Kristy and Daniel are raising 2 children, teenager Ali and one year old Hunter. After a strange break in, Daniel decides to install cameras in the house, not expecting them to show astonishing evidence of the paranormal. Kristy is in fact, the sister of Katy from the first film, who pops in for visits many times throughout the film with Micah, her boyfriend. Every night, the activity escalates, until one night, Ali is at home by herself with Hunter, and it tricked into answering the front door and is locked out of the house, with Hunter still inside. That's when things start getting a little crazy.

Kristy and Daniel just want to ignore it, but the teenage daughter refuses. After a little research, she finds out that Hunter is the first son born into Kristy and Katy's family since the early 1900's, and ponders the possibility of an ancestor making a deal with a demon that required a son as payment. Sounds ridiculous right? Not in the outcome of the story. After the spirit purposefully injuries the family dog to get Kristy on her own, it is able to pull Kristy down to the basement and possess her. It's the following night when all the madness happens. Kristy is just standing over Hunter's crib, watching him, much like how Katy was in the first film. She attacks Ali, who is convinced that the spirit has possessed her and reviews the footage from last night to prove it. After watching the spirit drag Kristy into the basement, terrified, she calls her dad and has him watch it. With the help of their former housemaid who was fired a few weeks before, he is able to exercise the spirit from Kristy.

The film fast forwards three weeks later, at which we realize that Kristy and Daniel have decided to completely ignore past events, even after Katy admits that something strange is now going on at their house. This is in fact the time period that the first movie begins. Once again, it fast forwards to October 9th, the night after Micah is killed. In a well shot and scary sequence, a possessed Katy enters the house, kills Daniel and Kristy, and leaves with Hunter. Ali returns home from a trip 2 days later to find them dead, and Katy and Hunter still missing.

It wasn't nearly as surprising as the first film, because we already knew the habits of this demon that is haunting this family. But, more happens. There are more jumping and gasping moments in the sequel than the first. I think perhaps that this film scared me more than the first simply because of one of the paranormal events that does happen, seeing as it is very similar to a paranormal experience of my own, just not nearly as violent. I grew up and lived beside a haunted house for 20 years. While in the house one day, I walked into the kitchen after thinking someone was in there, and opened the swinging door to find almost every cupboard and drawer open. But no one was in there previously. The scene in the film, where Kristy is sitting in the kitchen and all the cupboards and drawers burst out violently scared the hell outta me. It connected with me personally, and I was trembling through the rest of the film.

I believe the fact that this story also involves the vulnerability of a child makes it resonate a bit more and makes it just that more terrifying than the first. Overall, a very well made horror film, and is a step above the first, with it's own compelling and surprising storyline. It was enough to keep me curled up in my "horror movie position", huddled up in my theater seat, with my knees pulled up to my chest and hood over my head the whole time.

If you love a good, scary ghost story, I recommend "Paranormal Activity 2".

Box office Monday

There were no surprises at this week's box office, with "Paranormal Activity 2" taking the top spot. It brought in an impressive $41.5 million, which Paramount is no doubt ecstatic about considering the film's $3 million budget.

It also played in IMAX at select theaters and those tickets always add a few extra dollars to the pot. The interesting thing will be how it competes next week against "Saw 3-D."

In second place was "Jackass 3-D," which had a 57 percent drop off but still managed to bring in $21 million. The film has already grossed more than $87 million, which means Paramount has already greenlit the sequel. Look for "Jackass 3.5" to be released late 2010-early 2011.

The rest of the top five included: "Red" with $15 million, Hereafter with a dismal $12 million and "The Social Network" at $7 million.

There shouldn't be much change to next week's box office with only "Saw 3-D" opening. However, the weeks after that include "Due Date," "Megamind," and "Skyline."

Of course, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1" comes out on Nov. 19 to blow everything out of the water.

New episode up...

Marvel characters get Tron-ized

Here are all the "Tron" covers that Marvel is doing and their release dates.

Images courtesy of Marvel Entertainment.

"Wolverine" #4, on sale Dec. 1

"Thor" #617, on sale Nov. 11

"Secret Avengers" #7, on sale Nov. 24

"New Avengers" #7, on sale Nov. 17

"Invincible Iron Man" #33, on sale Dec. 22

"Incredible Hulks" #618, on sale Dec. 8

"Captain America" #612, Nov. 24

"Avengers Academy" #7, on sale Dec. 15

"Avengers" #7, on sale Nov. 17

"Amazing Spider Man" #651, on sale Dec. 15

Vampire Diaries: Predictions for "Plan B"

After being quite disappointed with the season so far after "The Return", episode 5 "Kill or Be Killed" has officially turned my frown upside down. I'm not going to bother trying to recap this episode, because far too much happened. I just wanted to share my predictions with you, for this next epic two parter, and onward.

Before I do that, there is one thing about "Kill or Be Killed" that I want to mention. I was very happy with the confrontations between Damon, Caroline and Liz. I have always enjoyed the Damon/Liz scenes since Season 1, and when Damon calls Liz his friend in this episode, I nearly died of happiness. I think Damon was truly hurt that Liz didn't trust him, regardless of being a vampire or not. There have been many times when Damon has gone out of his way to be a friend to Liz, and to help her with Caroline. To try and fix the relationship between them. And when he told you, "You are my friend," you knew he was hurt. I think Liz is truly the only real friend he has. Yes, he has Stefan and Elena, but they don't really count. I least, I don't count them. I am hoping that Liz in fact did not go through with the mind wipe that she wanted at the end of the episode. I imagine, throughout the three days that Liz was being kept in the boardinghouse, that Damon was down there talking to her, and has decided to keep her memory.

Now, on to the predictions.

1. Katherine and the Lockwoods

We were told by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec that Katherine has a history with the Lockwoods. Now we know that she has a close history with Mason. Although this completely shatters my prediction that he is the gay character, I completely called the relationship between them. Not the physical one by any means, but that they knew each other. Now that Mason has the moonstone, what is going to happen? Well, I think we all know Katherine enough to know that she is using him, and he of course, is idiotic enough to obey her every whim. In fact, he reminds me alot of when Damon was still human. And like Damon, Mason is one of her victims.

Myself and my fellow skype buddies, believe that Katherine has been lying to the Lockwoods all along. That she tricked them into hiding out the moonstone for her own purposes, and now, she will be taking action. What is Katherine going to use the moonstone for? That is an entirely different prediction that I will get to momentarily.

2. Mason and Damon

From this week's promo, we know that Damon traps Mason. I think there is only one reason that he would do that: to tell Mason the truth about Katherine. The question is, will Mason believe it or not. Personally, I think he is way too far under Katherine's spell to side with the Salvatores. I hate to say it, but I think he is going to die a lot earlier that I thought. Damon is going to try and get through to him. Stefan will try to get through to him, maybe even Elena, but it's not going to work. He is still going to help Katherine, and he will die for it.

3. Jeremy and Bonnie

I know I'm not the only one that has been missing Bonnie and Jeremy in the middle of the action since "The Return". We have all been wondering where they have been through all this Katherine madness, and now that get to face her head on. Jeremy joins the hunt with the Salvatores, Elena and Alaric, and Damon approaches Bonnie for help. Personally, I am very happy that it's Damon that goes to Bonnie, and not Elena. That he's the one asking for help. I may be a Damon/Bonnie shipper, but I'm no idiot. I know that for there to be any chance of a relationship between them, that it won't be for a long time. But that doesn't mean that I can't be happy with just simple dialogue between them. I really do think that Damon and Bonnie could put aside their differences and be an unstoppable team. And if you add in Alaric, that's just the icing on the cake. However, this is only going to happen if Bonnie takes a big girl pill and grows up. I know she has some issues to work out, but she is still being childish. She decided to accept her family legacy and protect Mystic Falls. But since then, all she has done is had one temper tantrum after another. I really hope that she grows up soon.

When it comes to Jeremy, I'm not entirely sure what to think yet. It's clear that he wants to help, that he is tired of being on the sidelines. He has in fact, taken a step higher than Bonnie, put aside his differences with Damon and decided to fight beside him. When Elena being kidnapped very soon, I'm hoping that Jeremy is going to be taking the steps to become a bad ass hunter like Alaric. There is no one better to be trained by.

4. The moonstone

We have all been wondering what the hell the moonstone does. At first, we all thought it had something to do with the werewolf transformation. But I don't think so at all. Here is my theory. First, the moonstone needs to be activated by werewolf blood. I think that's why Katherine wanted the Lockwoods to keep it close. Hence the reason why I think Mason is going to die in the next few episodes. But what exactly does the moonstone do? That's still a little cloudy for me, but I am seriously leaning towards either calling someone, or bringing someone back. That's where the well comes in. Production photos of Bonnie and Caroline looking down the well were released a couple weeks ago. Now, in the books, Stefan is being held captive by Katherine down in the well. It's obvious that's not the case in the show. But something, or someone is down there.

I'm thinking Katherine trapped someone else down there, and the first person that comes to mind is Emily. Most of us all have our own theories on Emily. I have always felt that she is alive and kicking somewhere, and that she will eventually waltz into Mystic Falls again. Is Katherine going to use the moonstone to bring Emily back to life, or call Emily to her? Tune in this Thursday to find out.

5. Who is Rose?

From spoilers that have been released in the last few months, we know that Rose is a vampire and that she kidnaps Elena. But why? I think it's safe to say that Katherine has something to do with it. I am more interested in who she is exactly. A five hundred year old vampire that is in search of something having to do with Stefan. My skype and Twitter buddies Tasha and Sharie are wondering if that rose tattoo has anything to do with Rose. I'm not sure. That would be an interesting development. Considering how very independent Katherine is, and that she is willing to give up her closest companions for her own survival, I'm thinking Rose has a dilemma against her. Julie Plec revealed that Damon and Rose have some kind of history. Is Rose going to help the Salvatores fight against Katherine? It wouldn't surprise me.

'Secretariat': a super movie for the Superhorse

I love horse movies. Always have.

I grew up loving animals, and always had pets. When I was a kid, even I knew that there is something special about horses that are unlike any other animal in the world. There is a reason they have been a revered species for centuries. Secretariat is one of the special ones. The greatest racing horse of all time.

Any film about this horse, has to be a good one. I really enjoyed this film. A fantastic true story, a great cast and a marvelous uplifting theme about being ahead of life, this film has everything it needs to be a hit.

Telling the true story of Mrs. Tweedy, the owner of Secretariat, and her struggles of running a horse farm and being a housewife. There is no better actress to play a woman like this than Diane Lane, who always has a very strong presence on screen, in every role she plays. John Malkovich pays Lucian Laurin, Secretariat's trainer, and he is hilarious! This is a perfect, bright and flamboyant role for Malkovich. And on screen, the chemistry between Lane and Malkovich is fantastic. I would really love to see them in another movie together.

Even though I already knew how this film ended, being familiar with the story of Secertariat, it was still intense and compelling every step of the way. There were certain tidbits about the story of this horse that I was not aware of, and enjoyed learning them. Having seen many horse racing movies before, I was very impressed of the camera work in this film. When Secretariat is on the track, he is the main character. It's the way the races themselves were filmed, from his point of view, that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Seeing a race from the point of view of a horse was a new experience for me, as an audience member.

The only thing about this film that slightly disappointed me was I wish Secretariat was more of a main character. The only time he is pushed in front of the other characters is when he is on the track. Other than that, Mrs. Tweedy is the main character. I just felt as if the trailers are a little misleading, and wish that Secretariat had more of a main part, like in "Seabiscuit".

However, the story is still unbelievable, compelling and true. I definitely recommend it to anyone that needs a good spirit lifting.

R.I.P Tom Bosley

One of my all time favorite shows is "Happy Days," and today the sad news was announced that we lost one of the cast.

Tom Bosley, who played Howard Cunningham, died from lung cancer at the age of 83.

As Mr. C, Bosley was always ready with an understanding ear for Richie, Joanie and The Fonz. His out of the loop yet cool dad was one of television's best and he will surely be missed.

For a review of Bosley at his best check out the new channel The Hub every night at 7 p.m. for "Happy Days" reruns.

Let's all wear a bowling shirt while we watch and think of Bosley.

'Mad Men' season four finale recap

Last night was "Mad Men's" fourth season finale and it was great representation of everything that's great about this show.

I wasn't a regular viewer of the first three seasons, but season four really captivated me and turned me into a fan. This season has dealt with Don Draper's journey from self loathing to new man.

Jon Hamm's portrayal has been so spot on all season long, but in the finale he was outstanding in all the subtle ways he depicted Don's fear and resigned happiness.

Hamm has gotten more praise for his comedy lately, so its easy to forget that he is a really superb dramatic actor. If he submits any of the last three episodes of this season, he may finally beat out Bryan Cranston at next year's Emmys.

Also delivering an outstanding performance was Elisabeth Moss as the perpetually unappreciated and alone Peggy. The way her face went from jealousy to resignation to offended when she heard about Don's sudden engagement was sublime.

Also the little rant session that she Joan had at the end said everything about their love-hate friendship. Their the only two women at the company who can truly understand what the other deals with and yet they'll never be really close.

It's no secret that I'm no January Jones fan and honestly I think the show is better without the cold, unfeeling Betty. However, the scene between her Don at the end really underscored how much he had gotten himself together and how wrong things had gone for her.

It'll be interesting to see if things work for Don and his secretary/fiancee Megan, or will he fall into his old tricks once he's a married man again.

This was everything a season finale should be, well-paced, well-written and extremely well-acted.

If Clark Kent hadn't finally flown this week, it would definitely be my pick for best of the week.

New episode up...

Jackson confirmed to direct 'The Hobbit'?

As a long time fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and "The Lord of the Rings", it has been a long and painful process for us as we had to watch "The Hobbit" fall in and out of confirmed filming dates and directors.

But as fate would have it, all is well. Finally...

We think.

This morning, both 'Hobbit' films have been greenlit. But who is going to direct? The word is Peter Jackson will actually be the one stepping up to the helm. However, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. will not officially confirm until the labor dispute between the actors and producers is resolved.

Honestly, fans could care less what is going on financially. We just want to know who and when. So far, the release dates for both films are December 2012 and December 2013, and are both going to be shot in (God help us) 3D.

Check out the full story here, in the Los Angeles Times.

UPDATE:

Only hours after posting this on the blog, Peter Jackson has officially been announced as the director of "The Hobbit" and will start filming in February.

Now it's time for Tolkien fans to FINALLY rejoice!!

New (ish) episode up...

Movies I can't live without

A few nights ago as I watched "The Princess Bride" for the millionth time my mom rolled her eyes and said "this movie again, what makes it so great that you have to watch it every time it's on?"

That got me thinking about the movies that I will stop time to watch and what makes them so immortal.

1. "The Princess Bride"

To answer my mom it's the seamless blend of comedy, romance and action that makes this such a fun movie. Cary Elwes personifies the word hero in this movie and Andre the Giant and Mandy Patinkin are a great comedy duo.

It's also about all those quotable lines that I never get tired of hearing like:

• "As you wish."
• "Surrender to me, very well I accept."
• "...that's what to the pain means, I leave you in anguish, wallowing in freakish misery forever...drop you sword," I fall in love with Cary Elwes everytime that scene comes on.

It's just a fantastic movie that never gets old and makes me smile no matter what mood I'm in.

2. "The Shawshank Redemption"

This is another movie that is so good I've been known to rearrange my schedule for it. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are at their best in this prison drama that's really about hope and friendship. Even though I always know its coming I'm still blown away when Andy's escape is revealed. A stellar example of great filmmaking. "Get busy living, or get busy dying."

3. "Casablanca"

It's no secret I'm a fan of the classic and for my money this is the best movie ever made. Every line, look, shot and scene has a purpose. There's not a moment of wasted time in the entire film. Plus you'll never see better than Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman at the airport before her plane takes off.

"The problems of three little people doesn't amount to a hill of beans in this world." They don't write dialogue like that anymore.

The real beauty of this movie is in the little scenes like when the police captain is going to shut down Rick's for gambling and then someone brings him his gambling winnings a second later. Pure genius.

While there are several other movies on my list, like "Titanic," "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and of course any of the original "Star Wars" films, those are my top three movies I can't live without.